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NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Red Death from the Arrowverse. The mainstream version can be found here: Red Death (DC).
“
Justice will be served.
„
~ Red Death's catchphrase.
“
You want to know who I am? I am the last glimmer of crimson a killer sees before he draws his final breath. I am vengeance. I am the night. I am the Red Death.
„
~ Red Death to the Flash.
“
I wanted to do this the easy way. But you wanna get nuts? Come on. Let's get nuts.
„
~ Red Death to Iris.
Ryan Wilder, also known as the Red Death, is one of the main antagonists in Season 9 of the TV series The Flash.
She is a vigilante from Earth-4125 and a doppelgänger of Ryan Wilder who eventually became a villainous speedster after growing delusional against criminals and Barry Allen/The Flash. However, sometime after the Multiverse's reorganization and the deaths of the Anti-Monitor and Eobard Thawne, the Red Death ends up trapped on Earth-Prime and later arrives in Central City to continue her war against the Flash.
She was portrayed by Javicia Leslie in her first villainous role.
Where I'm from, there is no Batman. The Wayne's adopted me when I was only days old, and when they were gunned down in the alley, I swore to protect my city at all costs. for ten years, I locked up the dregs of society--Hush, Simon Hurt, even my own brother--only to see them escape Arkham and go right back to preying on the innocent. I was Gotham's protector, and I was losing the fight. So I did what had to be done. I studied the technologies of my enemies, and I engineered my own versions of it. Eventually...I decided to study the abilities of other heroes as well, starting with my ally from the League. I mined the data from Flash's suit and used it to create my own armor, my own artificial Speed Force.
„
~ Ryan Wilder tells Iris West-Allen how she became the Red Death.
When she was a child, Ryan Wilder was adopted by the Wayne family who were later gunned down in an alley that she witnessed, which encouraged her to become a vigilante to take down criminals like the one who murdered her adoptive parents.
At some point in her life, Ryan became a serial killer known as the Red Death and then, was given the powers of a speedster. She also encountered Ryan Wilder, someone she closely resembles, during a heist operation of Wayne Enterprises and somehow caused Ryan's disappearance. While also stuck in her vibration form, she plotted to steal various devices that would allow her to build a machine to restore her true form and to build a Cosmic Treadmill.
War with The Flash[]
Red Death then travels to Central City and hires Owen Mercer, aka Captain Boomerang, to steal a quantum battery from a Roemer Accelerator. After getting her the battery, she repays him with new weaponized boomerangs and tells him that she will take everything from the Flash.
Red Death then hires Andrea Wozzeck, aka the Fiddler, to steal Hartley Rathaway's sonic gauntlets. After failing to retrieve them the first time, Red Death punishes Fiddler with torture and tells not to fail again. Fiddler then succeeds in getting the sonic gauntlets with help from Owen Mercer, and they use them to restore the Red Death to her full whole form. Red Death then runs to the top of a building revealing her true form and announces to Central City that they will pay for the Flash's actions against her and "justice will be served."
Red Death then sent Boomerang, Fiddler, and her new hired Rogue Michelle Amar, aka Murmur to Corbin Taft Industries to steal a temporal scanner, which they succeeded. She then meets Mark Blaine at O'Shaughnessy's and asks him to join her team and she'll help him bring Frost back to life, Mark accepts.
Realizing she had one more component left for her Cosmic Treadmill, Red Death sent her Rogues to a Department of Defense research facility to steal quantum vibration engine, who then encountered the Flash's own team of Rogues. While both Rogues fought for the engine, Red Death showed up and knocked the Flash and his Rogues back, she then used her connection to the Negative Speed Force to disable the Flash's speed and taunted him about it. She rushed her Rogues away from the scene with the engine, while the Flash noted her bat symbol on her chest.
When Chillblaine threatened to leave the group with the engine, Red Death showed up and told him that it would be a mistake to do so. Chillblaine asked how they should trust her when don’t they don’t even know she is, she then unmasked herself and her Rogues, "I am Vengeance".
After her plot to seize control of Earth Prime is ruined by the combined efforts of the Flash and Batwoman, Red Death is locked up in an A.R.G.U.S. facility and never seen again.
Erased Future[]
Apparently, in the future of the original Multiverse before it was destroyed by the Anti-Monitor and restored by Oliver Queen, the Red Death plagued the city so bad that she and Zoom both had the same kill count, but were outdone by Cicada. However the current version of the Red Death has only had a confirmed kill count of one person (on-screen), and the kill was not personally delivered by her. Red Death claims to have killed many people in her timeline, though it is only mentioned and never seen.
Powers and Abilities[]
Former Powers[]
Ryan using her powers
Artificial Speed Force connection: While being connected to the ASF, Ryan possesses the powers of any speedster, being nearly identical to those of Reverse-Flash.
Superhuman Speed: Ryan was able to move at speeds very close to that of Barry's peak.
Superhuman Stamina: Ryan's body can handle the stresses of superhuman racing without noticeable distress. Her body's enhanced stamina allows her to function much longer than a normal human without getting tired or weak.
Superhuman Agility: Ryan possesses superhuman bodily coordination, balance, equilibrium and dexterity. She is able to change direction immediately, thus allowing her to make sharp turns on city streets without sliding or losing her balance.
Electrokinesis: Ryan can produce powerful red electricity from her body, generate a continuous stream of lightning to launch at a target, as well as generate various constructs to be used in battle.
Speed Siphoning: Ryan has the ability to absorb speed from other speedsters.
Superhuman Strength: Due to the tremendous amounts of Artificial Speed Force energy in her body, Ryan displays a degree of superhuman strength, exerting inhuman amounts of force without using her speed.
Accelerated Healing Factor: Ryan's accelerated healing factor is on par with Barry's, as her connection to the Artificial Speed Force allowed her to heal faster than a normal man.
Superhuman Durability: Ryan's durability is well-above that of normal humans, as she is able to endure attacks and exertions much quicker than normal and survive impacts that would be fatal or at least permanently disabling to ordinary humans.
Abilities[]
Expert hand-to-hand combatant: Due to over a decade of fighting crime in Gotham City, Ryan is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist.
Quotes[]
“
The Flash is never truly alone. But once I'm done with him, he will be.
„
~ Red Death to Owen Mercer while stuck in vibrational form.
“
You failed me. This is the price. Failing is not an option. Now bring me what I want, or next time, you die. Am I clear?
„
~ Red Death punishes Andrea Wozzeck for her failure and demands she retrieve Pied Pipers gauntlets or suffer the consequences.
“
Central City, The Flash disgraced me. Now all of you will pay the price, and justice will be served.
„
~ Red Death vows to make Central City pay for the Flash's actions after being freed from her vibrational state.
“
Where's your speed now, Flash?
„
~ Red Death to Barry Allen during their first encounter.
“
I an vengeance.
„
~ Red Death to Mark Blaine as she takes off her mask, revealing her true identity.
“
Criminals...a superstitious and cowardly lot, quivering like mice in their little holes, easy prey for the bad.
„
~ Red Death's view on criminals deeming them beneath her.
“
Come and get me, Flash. Ah, there he is. Here to save the day?
„
~ Red Death challenges the Flash in public.
“
And now, let there be darkness.
„
~ Red Death as she unleashes a wave of lightning that cuts the power all over Central City, putting the city in a blackout.
“
Red Death: I built this armor just like I built my own speed, which means I don't require the aid of any pathetic Negative Forces. Flash: You're not the avatar. Your speed's artificial. Only organic speed can power the treadmill. That's why I'm here. Red Death: You will be my fuel source, Flash. And once you start running, you won't stop until you die.
„
~ Red Death dismisses Barry's claims that the Negative Speed Force was corrupting her mind and that she used an artificial Speed Force to power her suit, while revealing what her intentions are for him.
“
The Flash...won't let me go back to my world...So I'll take his. But this time we will bring the war to him!
„
~ Red Death angrily decides to take over The Flash's world after he destroys her chance of returning to her world.
“
I will show you what true justice looks like.
„
~ Red Death to Captain Kristen Kramer after her and the Rogues seize control of CCPD.
“
You know, you should be thanking me, Captain. The criminals in this world, they have free rein, and they go too many times unpunished. That's on you and your peers. But soon... I will have eyes and ears everywhere. I will be the judge, jury, and executioner! Welcome to the dawn of true justice, Captain. Welcome to the era of the Red Death.
„
~ Red Death monologuing to Kristen Kramer as she watches her "sentinels" descend upon Central City.
“
The whole world will feel the vigilance of my watchful eye, and if they step out of line, they'll pay the price for defying justice. I'm gonna do what you should've done in the first place--eliminate all crime by erasing it through my rule of law.
„
~ Red Death explains her plan to a powerless Barry Allen.
“
Flash...you ruined it all. I will bring justice to this world!
„
~ Red Death's psychotic breakdown.
“
You took Grodd's mind away from me. You poisoned another Rogue to use against me. Why do you keep ruining my life, Flash?
„
~ Red Death to The Flash before engaging in their final battle.
“
Bring it on, Bats.
„
~ Red Death as she comes face to face with Batwoman, her alternate earth self.
“
You can't beat yourself. I know everything you're going to do before you do it.
„
~ Red Death's last words before being defeated by the heroes.
It is also the first version of the Red Death to be gender-bent and race-swapped.
Fans initially presumed that the Red Flash would be the main antagonist of Season 6 after being mentioned by David Singh in Season 5, but this turned out to not be the case and that main antagonists of that season were Bloodwork and Eva McCulloch.
Incidentally, even though there weren't apparently any plans to use the Red Death in the Arrowverse back then, Dark Nights: Metal author Scott Snyder approved the character's reference in "Memorabilia" back when it aired.
In the comics, the Red Death is an alternate counterpart from the Dark Multiverse of Batman. In the Arrowverse, given how Batman and his related characters were mostly off-limits even for the Batwoman television series (in which Bruce Wayne is merely mentioned yet not shown), it was decided to have the Red Death being a doppelgänger of Batwoman instead.
Her quote "I am Vengeance" is a reference to the late Kevin Conroy's line "I am Vengeance, I am the Night, I am Batman" in Batman: The Animated Series.
It is also similar to Robert Pattinson's line "I'm Vengeance" in The Batman.
Red Death is the first main antagonist in The Flash to be a human as the rest were mostly Metahumans.
Originally, it was assumed that the Red Death was from an alternate timeline, until it was later revealed by Oliver Queen that she is from an alternate universe designated as Earth-4125.
She is similar to the InjusticeSuperman; in that they forgo heroism and adapt more intimidating methods in order to impose their totalitarian will on to the general population. However, Superman went dark after Lois Lane was killed by the Joker whereas Red Death was motivated out of sheer animosity towards the Flash and criminals going unpunished.
Red Death is the fifth evil speedster to be a main villain following Eobard Thawne, Zoom, Savitar, and Godspeed. She also seems to share certain traits with her predecessors:
Like Thawne, she has red lightning and tries to use Barry's love for his family to return home only for her plan to backfire. In addition, similar to Thawne, Red Death kills someone close to her version of the Flash (albeit unintentionally).
Like Zoom, she is a speedster from a different Earth (in this case Earth-4125) who assumes another individual's identity to hide her true nature and takes over Central City with an army of supervillains. Also like Zoom, Red Death has a full face mask with lines across the mouth and is extremely aggressive and ruthless towards her enemies.
Like Savitar, she uses a full-bodied mechanical suit of armor that disguises her voice and remotely comes to its master's aid. Both Savitar and Red Death manage to turn a friend of Barry's against Team Flash only to have that person betray them and threaten Irisis' life.
Like Godspeed, Red Death studies the abilities of others to obtain artificial speed powers, though she can only access it via the emblem on her chest plate. Both were also imprisoned after being defeated by Barry and his situational allies.
Red Death's name is a reference to the 1842 short story "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe, which Barry and Keith Kenyon talk about in "Rogues of War".
