The DC Comics Easter Egg That Even Hardcore Fans Can Miss In The Flash
After eight seasons of material, The CW's "The Flash" has had time to fit in some massive Easter eggs for fans. At this point, now that Oliver Queen's complete story has ended, "The Flash" stands at the center of the entire CW universe of DC-adaptations, and the series has always taken fan service rather seriously, using its version of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) to help usher in an expansive multiverse and even folding in past and concurrent Flashes.
For instance, the run of "The Flash" has included the star of the 1990s TV adaptation, John Wesley Shipp, and dipped into that show's rogue's gallery, pulling in Mark Hamill as Trickster. Even the Flash of the big screen, Ezra Miller, popped up for a cameo on the CW show, confirming the DCEU's spot amid the CW's already established multiverse, new and old. "The Flash" doesn't only do teases from the comics, either. At one point, the show brought Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes in for a Jay and Silent Bob-like cameo (via Fatman on Batman).
With more than 160 episodes behind it and plenty more to come, there's also a lot thrown into "The Flash" that is easy to miss, even for fans. One reference that is often made is an Easter egg that comes right from the heart of DC.
The Flash constantly references the number 52
The creators of "The Flash" like to work references to the number 52 into the adventures of Barry Allen. Some major examples of this include Channel 52 News, which is often portrayed in the series with various characters watching. There is also a very small blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference in the newspaper in the pilot announcing Allen's father being arrested for supposedly killing his mother. In small print in the article, fans can read that Allen's father was interviewed by police with a 52nd Division.
Later references in the series include the prison where the main characters keep the metahuman criminals they capture being called Area 52. In Season 2, 52 portals are appropriately located between Earth-One and Earth-Two. The number can pop up almost anywhere, never truly signifying good or bad for Allen. There are plenty more 52 references if you fall down the rabbit hole that is The CW's "The Flash," but even fans who notice may be wondering what exactly the number has to do with the series.
The number has everything to do with DC Comics, the place where everything started for Barry Allen, and there are multiple reasons for the continuing references.
Why is 52 important to The Flash?
The number 52 has a lot of significance for DC Comics, specifically with the "New 52," a reintroduction of their universe of characters introduced in 2011, though it mostly ended by 2015 (per Polygon). "The Flash" debuted in 2014 and "Arrow" before that in 2012, meaning both shows came out in the heat of the New 52 publicity craze for the company. This likely means producers were pushing for as many references to the new universe as they could get, which would explain very basic, but common elements on both shows, like including Channel 52 News.
The number 52 also references the number of alternate worlds that are part of DC's multiverse, making the number significant beyond just a marketing push that is, today, just a fading memory.
There was also an actual comic series from DC called "52." Each issue of the series would deal with missing time for heroes, explaining the events that happened after a time jump following the seismic events of "Infinite Crisis," an event that has been depicted on "The Flash." One of the creators of "The Flash" is Geoff Johns, who was also one of the writers on "52." In other words, there are a lot of reasons for "The Flash" to show its love to the number 52, and it's likely such references will continue to pop up.