History Series / TheFlash1990

** In "Child's Play", there's a double feature for ''Film/{{Superman}}'' and ''Film/{{Batman}}''.

* MusicalAssassin: Flash does this in "Child's Play" where he defeats the VillinOfTheWeek and his group by shredding on an electric guitar at lightning speed with all the speakers on full blast.

** After gaining his SuperSpeed, he still ended up allying himself with S.T.A.R. Labs to fight crime. Her closest female ally there is also a widow scientist.

** Barry is closer in age with both Tina [=McGee=] and James Jesse in this universe. In the ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'', Barry is decades younger than Tina and James, who are instead closer in age to Barry's father.

* CelebrityParadox: An episode where Barry hangs out in a movie house shows a poster of ''Film/{{Batman}}''. Aside from the fact that both this show and that film are based from characters [[Creator/DCComics owned by the same comic publishing company]], they also share the [[Creator/DannyElfman same music composer]].

* CompositeCharacter: Barry Allen's eating tendencies and connection with Tina [=McGee=] are all taken from Wally West's run as the Flash.

* InternalAffairs: Jack Farrow in "Good Night, Central City".

** Mentions of several [[UseflNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash villains (Professor Zoom, Gorilla Grodd; neither actually appeared in the series, however).

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as Barry Allen's father, while Amanda Pays, Creator/MarkHamill, and Creator/AlexDesert have occasionally [[RoleReprisal reprised their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=], the villainous Trickster and Julio Mendez respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the [[Series/{{Arrowverse}} newer one's own]], and the Flash sees a glimpse of this universe while traveling through dimensions in a Season 2 episode. In 2018, it was confirmed via behind-the-scene pics that John Wesley-Shipp's Barry would coming back for the yearly crossover event, ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}''.

* CaptainErsatz: The Nightshade was essentially a combination of Radio/TheShadow and Franchise/TheGreenHornet, with his outfit based on that of UsefulNotes/{{the Golden Age|OfComicBooks}} [[ComicBook/TheSandman Sandman]] and sharing the [[NamesTheSame same name]] as the [[Creator/CharltonComics superheroine]].

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as Barry Allen's father, while Amanda Pays, Creator/MarkHamill, and Creator/AlexDesert have occasionally [[RoleReprisal reprised their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=], the villainous Trickster and Julio Mendez respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the [[Series/{{Arrowverse}} newer one's own]], and the Flash sees a glimpse of this universe while traveling through dimensions in a Season 2 episode. In 2018, it was confirmed via behind-the-scene pics that John Wesley-Shipp's Barry would coming back for the yearly crossover event, ''Series/{{Elsewords}}''.

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as Barry Allen's father, while Amanda Pays, Creator/MarkHamill, and Creator/AlexDesert have occasionally [[RoleReprisal reprised their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=], the villainous Trickster and Julio Mendez respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the [[Series/{{Arrowverse}} newer one's own]], and the Flash sees a glimpse of this universe while traveling through dimensions in a Season 2 episode.

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as Barry Allen's father, while Amanda Pays, Creator/MarkHamill, and Creator/AlexDesert [[RoleReprisal reprise their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=], the villainous Trickster and Julio Mendez respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the [[Series/{{Arrowverse}} newer one's own]], and the Flash sees a glimpse of this universe while traveling through dimensions in a Season 2 episode.

--> '''Megan:''' ''(to Tina)'' Barry mentioned to me what happens to you when you don't get enough sleep. [[ItMakesSenseInContext All-girl gang, huh]]? ''([[ContinuityNod referencing the previous episode]], "Tina, Is That You?")''

* AdaptationalVillainy: While Henry Allen never pulls a FaceHeelTurn, this version of him is very dismissive and unappreciative of Barry.

* BondVillainStupidity: Both the Mirror Master and Ghost set up a laser that is slowly moving towards the Flash, then left the Flash, so he would have a chance to escape when no one was watching. Yes, it was cool [[RuleOfCool]].

* FollowTheLeader: This show ''really'' wanted to be a TV version of Tim Burton's ''Film/{{Batman}}'' film. Hell, just like similar obvious hanger-on ''Film/DickTracy'', it has Danny Elfman music that's [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong barely changed]] from his ''Batman'' score.

* DamselInDistress: Megan Lockhart in "The Trickster," though she [[DefiedTrope defies]] the status.

--> Okay, somebody call the coroner to pick this guy up before he melts...On the other hand, may be better to call the Good Humor Man.

* DisabilitySuperpower: In "Sight Unseen" a blind newspaper vendor's [[SuperSenses other senses]] are so sharp he's able to give the Flash a relatively detailed description of a murder. He would probably know that Barry was the Flash if someone referred to him by name during their talk.
* ElectricTorture: In the episode "Fast Forward", Barry Allen is transported ten years into the future where his brother's killer Nicolas Pike runs Central City. He uses an electric chair in the old STAR Labs to give whoever opposes him an electric lobotomy. However, when Nicolas had Barry strapped up to the chair and given a full measure of the chair's powers, it briefly restores Barry's superspeed allowing him to escape

** Pollux, Barry's clone in the episode "Twin Streaks," was essentially the show's [[EvilCounterpart Reverse-Flash]]. He also has roots in Speed Demon and the Blue Trinity, all early speedster foes of Wally West who got their powers via lab experimentation.

* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Happens in "The Trickster," where Barry goes to a police costume ball as his alter ego...and a number of the guests there are clad in similarly-colored costumes, since nobody knows what the real Flash looks like beyond the red-and-gold speed blur. Amusingly, Barry is told that [[YourCostumeNeedsWork his costume is bland]].

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In "The Trickster," when Barry brings Megan back to his apartment while Tina's there:

* HollywoodLaw: The line: "You're a police officer. You know its illegal to wear a mask." From "Watching the detectives," is not true in a broad sense. The Flash might have transgressed a number of laws (such breaking and entering), but wearing a mask is not in a general sense illegal, and the statement seems more RuleOfDrama than rule of law.

* HollywoodHacking: In "The Ghost in the Machine," a hacker who has been a HumanPopsicle for for more than thirty years is able to use hacking skills to take control of all electronics in Central City, and, of course, Everything is on line. Even though he could only gain his training in computers at a time when computers were made with cathode ray tubes and programmed in Assembler, he had predicted modern silicon chip technology, and had learned to use this technology based on his prediction back in the 1950s. The unreal character of his skills made him able to pose a significant threat to the super powered Flash.

* InternalAffairs: Jack Farrow in "Good Night, Central City"

* KillItWithIce: In this series, Captain Cold was a mercenary assassin whose freeze ray did [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just what you'd expect it to do]]; he also utilized freeze-bombs that did basically the same thing as the main ray. (His original comics incarnation's freeze ray didn't kill people, merely put them in a sort of suspended animation with the freezing appearance as a side-effect, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards he never killed unless the situation absolutely warranted it]].)

* LoveDodecahedron: Played with: In "The Trickster" and "Tina is that you?" James Jesse plans to kill Megan because he loves her, after the flash rescues her, Megan and the Barry have sex creating BelligerentSexualTension with Tina. Jesse becomes the Trickster to MurderTheHypotenuse (kill the flash). Jesse realizes that in addition to the Flash, Barry is dating Megan, and plans to kill him also. Jesse is arrested and Megan leaves town but in the next episode Barry starts having nightmares about Tina trying to kill him. Then Barry goes on a blind date with Lisa, but Tina becomes AxeCrazy and kidnaps Lisa. If Flash, Trickster and dream Tina were real people, there would be seven people in this relationship (as opposed to only 5), but it is still quite a geometric shape for just two episodes. With three women chasing him in two episodes, TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife was clearly averted.

** In "Twin Streaks," Pollux is named after the Greek/Roman mythological figure; his creator [[LampshadeHanging notes as much]] when naming him. [[spoiler:Pollux gives up his own life to save Barry at the end of the episode, just as his mythological namesake gave up part of his own immortality to save his brother]].

** A mention of "Police captain Julius Schwartz" (Creator/JuliusSchwartz was a legendary DC Comics editor and a co-creator of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Flash).

** In "Ghost in the Machine", the Ghost, asks his ex girlfriend to play "Mr. Sandman." The Ghost archnemesis, Nightshade, is an {{Main/Expy}} of the Golden Age Sandman, who has been given a RaceLift.

* NonIndicativeName: ''Julio Mendez,'' who couldn't be more black.

* PunnyName: Leonard Wynters, Captain Cold's real name in this series (in the comics, his real name is Leonard Snart, which...doesn't lend itself to cold puns).

* RaceAgainstTheClock: In "Beat the Clock," Flash has one hour to save an innocent man on death row for the murder of his wife. Made all the more intense because the episode's time was counted according to real-world time, including the commercial breaks. [[spoiler:He produces the man's still-living wife and removes the man from the chair at 11:59:59 PM.]]

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In "Captain Cold," Flash rips into wannabe reporter Terri Kronenberg when she complains about the titular villain's destruction of her photos that she'd taken of him earlier in the episode, [[UngratefulBastard disregarding the fact that the speedster had just saved her life]]:

* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Pollux does this to save Barry and Tina in "Twin Streaks."]]

* TheUnreveal: Nightshade did not want to know who the Flash is in "Ghost in the Machine."

* WeirdnessMagnet: The Flash himself, apparently. Lampshaded by Lt. Garfield in "The Trickster."

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Discussed in "Twin Streaks."

* ClearTheirName: In "Beat the Clock", Barry and Julio work together to clear the name of a jazz musician on death row, falsely accused of murdering his wife. Turns out she was actually kidnapped and was all set up by the jazz musician's own brother.

* AFatherToHisMen: Pike.

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Barry pulls his on one of the members, by scaring her that the "demon" Flash will come after Pike if she doesn't talk.

* WeaponOfMassDestruction: Nerve toxins are commonly referred to as WMDs. The nerve toxin in "Sight Unseen" which is able to take out all of Central City is a WMD.

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as Barry Allen's father [[spoiler: and another Flash]], while Amanda Pays, Creator/MarkHamill, and Alex Desert [[RoleReprisal reprise their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=], the villainous Trickster and Julio Mendez respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the [[Series/{{Arrowverse}} newer one's own]], and the Flash sees a glimpse of this universe while travelling through dimensions in a Season 2 episode.

The series lasted for one season, 22 episodes in all, and was eventually canceled due to poor scheduling by Creator/{{CBS}} (the Gulf War was also a factor). It was produced by WarnerBros in association with Pet Fly Productions.

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as Barry Allen's father [[spoiler: and another Flash]], while Amanda Pays, Creator/MarkHamill, and Alex Desert [[RoleReprisal reprise their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=], the villainous Trickster and Julio Mendez respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the [[Franchise/{{Arrowverse}} newer one's own]], and the Flash sees a glimpse of this universe while travelling through dimensions in a Season 2 episode.

** Barry is closer in age with both Tina [=McGee=] and James Jesse in this universe. In the ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'', Barry is decades younger than Tina and James, who are instead closer in age to Barry's father.

* AlternateUniverse: [[Recap/TheFlash2014S2E13WelcomeToEarthTwo An episode]] of ''Series/TheFlash2014'' canonically confirmed that this series is part of [[TheMultiverse a DC TV multiverse]], which so far includes the ''Franchise/{{ArrowVerse}}'' (Earth-1) and the self-contained universe of ''Series/{{Supergirl|2015}}'' (Earth-38). Theoretically, the 2014 Barry can visit the 1990 one.

A [[Series/TheFlash2014 second TV series]] based on the Flash started in 2014 and contains several homages to this show, like Shipp returning as Barry Allen's father [[spoiler: and another Flash]], while Amanda Pays and Creator/MarkHamill [[RoleReprisal reprise their roles]] as Tina [=McGee=] and the villainous Trickster respectively. It was eventually confirmed that this series takes place in an AlternateUniverse to the [[Franchise/{{Arrowverse}} newer one's own]], and the Flash sees a glimpse of this universe while travelling through dimensions in a Season 2 episode.

* AlternateUniverse: [[Recap/TheFlash2014S2E13WelcomeToEarthTwo An episode]] of ''Series/TheFlash2014'' canonically confirmed that this series is part of [[TheMultiverse a DC TV multiverse]], which so far includes the ''Franchise/{{ArrowVerse}}'' (Earth-1) and the self-contained universe of ''Series/{{Supergirl|2015}}'' (Earth designation unknown). Theoretically, the 2014 Barry can visit the 1990 one.