Original subtitles

Oh, heavens!

My hair is so soft and so shiny

and so wonderfully easy to manage.

♪ Make you hair look bright and clean ♪

♪ When you shampoo... ♪

It's 10:00 to midnight, Central City.

And once again, your mayor refuses

to take seriously my demand for one million dollars.

Look, that's him! The Ghost!

Forcing me to keep my end of the bargain.

So at the stroke of 12:00

downtown will go up

in the brightest display of fireworks

this city has ever seen.

Where's Nightshade?

Think of me as you sift through the rubble.

This is The Ghost

wishing you all a very good evening.

Time has come for the Nightshade

to drop in on The Ghost.

Well, let's have a big round of applause

for our special guest.

Oh, I wouldn't waste your fire power.

It's useless.

Television allows me to be everywhere.

You can't blackmail an entire city.

Of course I can... fool.

I'm the future.

And you're far too late to stop me.

One more adjustment before detonation.

Your show's cancelled, Ghost.

Try Ghostess.

Uh!

You should have stayed in hell town

frightening mobsters.

You're psychotic.

Well, one man's psychotic is another man's visionary.

Video is the future.

And I'm detonating the bombs with a television signal.

Now, I don't wanna blow up those buildings

but an ultimatum is an ultimatum.

Maybe you shouldn't blow up the hospital, Russell, honey.

Damn it, Belle, you can't let human sentimentality

stand in the way of progress!

Too much TV, Ghost. You've got no attention span.

What did you do?

Short-wave jamming device.

What did you do?

Russell!

Russell!

But he's still in there!

No one could survive that fire.

Russell!

Russell!

Russell!

Turn of the century.

Welcoming the new millennium

after a nice, frozen sleep.

The city of tomorrow.

In my prime, no less.

1990?

A decade early...

...but still the future.

...and buildings so decayed

that pedestrians should be issued hard hats.

People ask me why I live in this town.

Don't touch that dial.

Make this the year you take the jump

into large screen technology

from Wacky Walter's video emporium.

We've got them all, 178 channels

hi-fi surround sound, cable-ready...

One hundred and seventy-eight channels?

This is the future.

Look at this place, Julio.

Akira 5700 computers

Stax imaging systems, I'm telling you

compared to this place, we work in a cave.

Fascinating. Uh, let me ask you something.

- What? - What are you doing here?

What do you mean what am I doing here?

I'm returning Tina's computer. You know that.

No, I mean what are you always doing here?

I mean, as much time as you two spend together, you'd figure--

Julio, do you have any women friends?

Yeah, I got Sabrina.

She's my woman, and she's a friend.

And thank you for listening to Light FM.

Would you get it through those matted locks

that Tina and I are just--

Too incredibly stupid to see what's going on

right in front of your faces.

What a surprise! Central City's finest.

Who's she been talking to?

Hey, my, uh, car broke down.

So, uh, Julio gave me a lift over here.

Yeah, Barry forgets the simple things.

You know, water, oil, gas.

Don't worry. I'll drive tonight.

We're going bowling. Do you want to come?

Oh, I'd love to join you and Mr. Gutter Ball

but we've all got that telethon thing.

What do you mean?

I thought you asked her.

I forgot.

Uh, Sabrina put together this telethon.

All you have to do is answer phones.

Yeah, on TV. It's not a very good idea.

Well, come on, man. It's for a good cause.

- What, are you camera-shy? - No, I just...

Oh, come on, Barry. And call your mother.

Tell her you're going to be on TV.

- You too? - It'll be fun!

- Fun? Fun? - Yes, it will be fun.

Yes, fun. Three-letter word.

This is how far TV's gotten?

Reduced to a pinball game?

I expected more, much more.

The monorails, the undersea cities

the moon colony.

Where's my future?

Killer rack-up, homey.

What?

- Excuse me? - That's a bad score.

Bad? I've already shattered the record.

Oh, no, no. Bad. Like in good.

Oh, I see...

Orwellian doublespeak like in 1984.

Heh. '84?

Oh-o! Hey, I can't remember that far back, man.

Bad is good. Wrong is right.

Heh heh! I like it.

I could use a couple of smart kids

who know their way around.

It's time someone showed you

what total video really means.

Oh, my God. Tina!

Shirt.

Whew.

It's about time.

Wow.

If I'm gonna be on TV

I might as well look my best.

Oh, you look terrific.

- Thank you, Barry. - Yeah.

You're looking pretty good yourself.

Oh, this outfit? No, I just threw it together.

So I see.

♪ My hand from my glove ♪

♪ I'm too misty ♪

♪ And too much in love ♪

♪ I'm too misty ♪

♪ And too much ♪

♪ In love ♪♪

[Russell] Play "Mr. Sandman."

You got it.

Ha ha ha ha!

I cashed in my Christmas club.

Thirty-five years of compound interest

will support me till the millennium.

You're dead.

Have you forgotten already?

No, no, you can't...

You can't be him. You... He's dead.

I'm not dead, Belle. Touch me.

I made it.

You ma... m-m-made what?

My little Ghostess, just like old times.

Almost.

Oh, no, stop. Please don't.

L-I don't unders...

You wouldn't accompany me on my cryogenic journey.

You mean the... freeze chamber?

How could I? lt-it just sounded so nuts.

They all said that back then

but now we live in a future

I predicted.

The only reason I failed in the '50s

was the technology wasn't up to my dreams.

But failure now is impossible.

I'm gonna put a stranglehold on this city.

The tools are here.

Back to work, Belle.

I ain't paying you to pick up circus gigolos.

At last, technology has caught up with me.

Oh, baby...

...I only wish you had joined me in my beauty sleep.

Yeah...

...you and me both.

♪ And not the worse ♪

♪ The one who kneels ♪

♪ The record shows ♪

♪ That I took the blows ♪

♪ And I did it my-y-y way ♪♪

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen

and I'd like to thank my partner Tony--

Yes, thank you, Officer Murphy. Thank you very much.

Now we know why Central City's a jungle.

Okay, we also want to thank Star Labs

for their generous matching fund.

Okay. Thanks.

Relief fund.

Tina, this woman, third time she's called.

Wants to set me up with her daughter.

This is not a dating service, Mr. Allen.

Nicely put.

Excuse me pal, I gotta sit here

because I want the little people

to talk to the voice of the city

'cause that's the kind of guy I am, you know?

Sabrina, you want some coffee?

Yeah, yeah, I'd love some.

And take Julio with you, okay?

Before his eyes pop out of his head

like a couple of golf balls.

Right.

Um, would you excuse me, please?

Thank you.

Julio, your woman and your friend

strongly suggests you take a short coffee break.

Yeah, you know, java sounds really good right now.

I thought so.

Listen, Tina, I can show you things you never dreamed of.

That's Dr. McGee, and I think I'd prefer to dream. Thank you.

- Hello? - Hello?

Look at that.

Whoa!

Finally gonna get to try out

that magic act, huh, lieutenant?

Better that than one more rendition of "My Way."

That reminds me. I need an assistant

to saw in half. You available Monday?

- Warren. - Ah, gentlemen!

Out host Dr. Desmond Powell

chief of staff, Central hospital.

Barry Allen, Julio Mendez.

- Nice to meet you, sir. - Pleasure.

Hi.

If you gentlemen will excuse us

I've known your lieutenant for over 30 years.

And we just don't get together often enough.

Move it out, lady!

Move it!

Whoa! Wait a minute.

This is a telethon, sparky.

There's no cash here. Only pledges.

I hate your show!

Everybody watch the TV now!

In the 50s, I controlled TV.

To see through it, to travel the network.

I had to wait 35 years for a techno-society

sophisticated enough for my plans.

And from the looks of things

it's been worth the wait.

Of course, it's not the urban paradise of tomorrow

we all expected.

The future's like the present, only older.

But there's plenty new here now...

Look out!

You should have paid that million back in '55

Central City.

I wouldn't hold such a grudge now.

How about that, ladies and gentlemen?

Is this great TV for your pledge dollar or what?

Excuse me. Are you alright?

Yes, I'm fine.

I told you this telethon was a bad idea.

Okay.

Lieutenant, they made a clean getaway.

Yeah, with a whole truckload of equipment.

- You seen Dr. Powell? - No.

Heh.

Yeah, I thought all this was behind me.

Allen!

Uh, anything on that telethon takeover?

Oh, Julio went through that control booth

with the proverbial fine-toothed comb

but the only prints he found belonged to station employees.

What's that, breakfast?

Yeah, yeah. It's my...

Help yourself.

I'm stumped.

They took video and broadcast equipment and nothing else.

Well, maybe the guy just wants to be on TV, huh?

What the hell is this?

It's a lox and onion burrito.

- It's good, though. - Yeah.

- Morning. - Des!

- How's the head? - Mm.

It could be worse, like that pound of buckshot

you took out of me in '72. Remember that?

Ha ha!

What are you doing down here?

Last night, guy on the monitors?

That was The Ghost.

The Ghost? Forget it.

Couldn't be the same guy.

He'd be in his 60s.

A Ghost? Ghost of what, telethons past?

Well, back in '55, this costumed nut

with his own pirate transmitter

tried to blackmail the city on TV.

Yeah, he threatened to blow up half the town

unless the city came across with a million dollars.

What happened?

They found the bombs ready to go

but The Ghost disappeared.

The newspapers claimed

that this masked fruitcake took him out.

Uh... his name was the, uh...

- Nightshade. - Nightshade. A vigilante.

As big a pain in the Kiester as The Flash is today.

Wait a minute, Garfield. I heard The Flash

saved your neck a couple of times.

Well, yeah.

But the good guys should wear badges.

That's the law.

Well, how come I never heard of this guy?

Back then, the world wasn't on videotape.

It was different.

Well, one thing hasn't changed.

The police still don't need costumed nuts

interfering in an already impossible job, right, Allen?

Now, wait, t-this guy wore a mask

and he fought crime?

The police can't do everything.

Some people thought of Nightshade was a hero.

Did they ever find out who he was?

He faded away, forgotten.

I kind of wonder what sort of man would wear a mask.

That kind of adventuring

can't leave much room for a normal life.

Barry, it was good seeing you again.

Warren, I'll call you later.

Um, that was The Ghost.

I don't know how, but he's back.

Come on.

Just come right on.

Russell!

It really is you!

Oh, it's wonderful to see you again, Skip.

The years have been kind.

But what Belle told me, it's true?

The cryogenic tank?

Oh, I never thought you'd build the blasted thing.

Heh? All original parts, Skip.

You astound me like nobody's business.

There's so much for me to learn, though.

Computers used to fill a room

not a briefcase.

But everything you predicted back in the '50s...

...TV everywhere, satellites, PCs.

Not everything.

Where are the rocket packs

and home helicopters and food pills?

But I knew video was the key to my future.

Knew it was going to make me rich.

That's why I need you, Skip.

You were my best technician.

There's a world of possibilities for me to master.

You must teach me.

Oh! You'll be teaching me in a week.

Now, the equipment I took from WCCN

gives me complete pirate access

but that's no longer enough.

Everything is connected these days

through data network.

He who controls information traffic

controls the system.

So instead of using TV to detonate bombs...

TV is the bomb.

By plugging into the system

I can bring the city to its knees.

I don't have Nightshade to worry about.

If he's not dead, he's an old man now.

No offense.

But the Flash

tell me about the Flash.

Ahh, freak of nature. Moves like lightning. Psh-psh!

He's already busted a couple of mob outfits.

Nobody knows for sure

just who or what he is.

Well, one thing is for certain.

It's time to get the rest of the equipment we need

and take The Flash out of the picture at the same time.

What kind of city do we live in

when even a charity telethon is not sacred?

A broadcast studio is a temple of entertainment

and information.

Uh, what is this world coming to?

Think about it...

We interrupt this program

for a special bulletin.

Tonight at midnight

The Ghost welcomes his guest, The Flash, at S.T.A.R. Labs.

We'll be live and direct.

Don't you dare miss it.

Ah, be careful with that.

It's an Akira 5700.

Damage it, and we'll have to bloody well

raid the Kremlin for another.

[Tex] Gremlins, you mean

those cute little fuzzy dudes from the movie?

That's everything we need, Russell. Let's scram.

Another minute or two, Skip.

I wouldn't want The Flash to think

we've cancelled his appearance.

Get on with the show, Ghost.

Entrapment lasers.

In about 60 seconds, that cone will shrink down

and fry you to a crisp.

Thank you for joining us.

Let's go!

- My God! - Nightshade?

I hate reruns.

This time, Ghost, I'm puttin' you on ice for good.

Uh!

Still using knockout darts?

Pretty soft for these hard times.

By the way, who the hell are you?

A colored guy.

Who'd have guessed?

Colored? You really are a relic.

And you're just a tired, old man

who's going to bleed to death.

And say goodbye to this year's model.

Dr. Powell?

My car. Gladstone bag.

Rear seat.

You're the doctor. What should I do?

Ugh, it

it feels like a flesh wound.

Hurts like hell. You dress it, bandage it, it should be okay.

That was pretty good.

Yeah. Help me get out of here.

- Wait. - I'll get an ambulance.

No.

It's alright. And thanks.

It's nice to meet the man who picked up the torch.

- Dr. Powell. - Allen?

What are you doin' here?

Well, I was driving by and I heard the alarm.

A friend of mine works at S.T.A.R. Labs so I...

Whoa! Dr. Powell, there's blood on your hand.

Ah, it's nothing, nothing.

That'll be the squad cars responding.

I can't let 'em find me here like this.

Right, but look, I'll drive, okay?

Where to?

I'll show ya.

You've seen enough already.

I guess I'll trust you with the rest.

How could I have been so stupid at my age?

Puttin' on the mask, goin' after The Ghost

like I was 25 again.

I can't believe this place.

My souvenirs of another life.

Oh, that diving suit was my first case.

These guys were scuttling boats outside Central Harbor.

Those model airplanes? Heh.

Hitman called himself "The Aviator."

Loaded 'em up with dynamite

and tried to fly 'em into City Hall.

- Yeah, but you stopped him. - Yeah.

This is a beautiful car.

I welded steel plate on the inside.

Damn thing's like a tank.

Dr. Powell?

Mm?

What made you do it?

Why'd you become The Nightshade?

Someone had to be.

When I came home from Korea, this town was being squeezed

between the mob and a corrupt administration.

And making the law your own

enforcing it with your own gun, that was okay?

After Korea, I couldn't kill anybody.

But, heh

I sure as hell could put 'em down for the count.

I modified this gun to shoot tranquilizer darts.

Okay, but running around in a...

Why'd you put on a mask?

Well, I was workin' outside the law. I was black.

Nobody was gonna give me any medals.

- Besides, I had to-- - Protect your loved ones.

Yeah.

You're pretty sharp, Allen.

Well, I was born and raised in Central City.

How come I never heard of Nightshade?

A-a-ah, I was good copy for a while.

Then I quit, right after The Ghost.

Thirty five years from now, who'll remember The Flash?

Well, I don't know.

He's done a lot of good for the city, don't you think?

Yeah, but...

Thank you.

...so did Nightshade.

People forget. Trust me.

It looks like you were havin' the time of your life though.

At the expense of everything else.

My health, my family. My fiancee, she left me.

She knew she had a rival.

The night? The danger?

Pardon me?

Well, it must have been kind of addicting.

Livin' a double life nearly destroyed me.

You take Garfield. He's one of my closest friends.

I've taken lead out of him at least a dozen times.

But I still can't share my secret with him.

Yeah, I guess not.

But tell me about The Ghost.

He used this crude form of two-way television.

He could secretly make a set turn into a sort of camera.

To case buildings for possible burglaries.

To spy on people, to blackmail public officials.

Finally, he planted bombs all over the city.

Rigged to detonate on a TV signal.

And held the city for ransom.

A-a-ah.

But I rigged this in '55.

Jammed his transmission.

I thought for good.

Terrifies me to think what he can do

with the technology he stole from S.T.A.R. Labs.

Where am I, Skip?

You've broken into the power and light, I think.

The Akira system lets us go online everywhere in the city.

Everything really is connected these days.

From power, I can reach telephone.

From there, the water system.

One gigantic game, isn't it?

Do you want to go through with this?

Actually wire yourself to that machine?

Absolutely.

This is crazy.

What's the matter, Belle? You okay?

Sure.

Sure, I'm okay.

- Are you sure you're okay? - No, I'm not.

This just isn't working.

You just can't do this.

- Blackmail the city? - Oh, the hell with the city.

You can't

come walking back into my life after 35 years.

Let alone

not looking a day older.

Darling, I love you. It doesn't matter.

But you've changed.

Even if you don't look any different.

I mean, what you're talking about

the hooking into these machines is just crazy!

I know what I'm doing. Don't worry.

- I love you. - I love you too.

I always have.

But you just can't

come walking into my life and still be 30.

Just...

...it just isn't fair.

Sh-should I get her, sir?

Time to enter the net.

I wanna flex a little.

See what I can do with what we've just stolen.

With the new knowledge I've acquired

controlling the city's database is just the first step.

Oh, boy.

It's got to be those yahoos at

water and power again, you know?

Yeah. We're lucky they shut down the nuclear plant last year.

Ha, ha.

Hey, you see this white glove?

This means we're gonna do this my way.

Hey, hey, you! You can't do that. I beg your pardon, sir.

Why don't you just back up?

Oh, boy, oh boy. Forget about it, fellas.

It's backed up all the way to Japan.

Oh.

This is car 432. We're on a break.

Hey, uh, Mr. Weenie. Can we have a couple of chili dogs?

Hold everything, okay?

Wh...

Come on. Come on! Oh, come on.

This is eight hours of work down the tubes! Come on.

Crime lab. Yeah, hold on a second.

Barry, the computers have gone berserk, man.

What you got cartoons here? Hello?

[Tina] Barry, the whole computer b--

Whoa, Tina, slow down.

Well, we got cartoons on the computer over here.

I mean, I'd kind of enjoy it if it

wasn't destroying three weeks' work.

I have a very bad feeling about this, uh, what shall I do?

[Barry] Oh, wait. We're back online here.

Listen, call me if it happens again, alright?

- Okay. - Bye.

Dr. Powell?

The car radios, the traffic lights

computers, this is The Ghost.

He's just flexin' his muscles right now.

I think he's got somethin' bigger online?

These are just pranks. A warm-up.

When he lets out all the stops

there's now way in hell the police will be able to stop him.

Well, you think he's capable--

I saw his face.

The man has stopped time, kept his youth.

If he can do that--

I can't let you go out there.

This is my past hunting me.

Now it's time for me to become the hunter.

Can you understand that?

For God's sake, you could be killed.

Now I know how Tina feels.

The hell with it.

We're closed, pal.

You haven't changed a bit, Belle.

[Belle] That voice?

The Nightshade?

Oh, sorry, I thought you were somebody else.

You were right the first time.

Oh, not again.

Please, not you too. Just leave me alone.

I really wish I could.

You're probably the only one that can help me find The Ghost.

Go away.

- I need to ask you about him. - He was out of my system.

He was just a memory.

Why couldn't he just stay that way?

I wish he had.

That deep freeze...

...blew his mind.

I mean, he thinks he can do anything.

He d-d-doesn't want to just control the machine this time.

He says he's, he's gonna become the machine.

Where is he, Belle?

He's

where you left him after the showdown in '55.

What, that old pile? It's been abandoned for years.

Yeah, it stayed abandoned because he owns the building.

I went there right after the fire and searched.

There was nothing.

A hidden room.

That's where he slept while I...

Ah-ah, it just isn't fair.

I just can't pretend I'm 20 anymore.

Neither can I.

- Nightshade. - What are you doin' here?

Just watching your back.

What makes you think it needs watching?

I was doing this before you were born.

Then why don't you show me how it's done.

Okay.

The Ghost is holed up in the old brewery on Shadow Lawn.

Alright. Now let's go down there and get him.

Slow down, speedy.

We gotta have plan. Hop in.

No! Bad for the image.

All I'm saying is that nobody's done this before.

You might not come back.

A possibility.

But first I take Central City offline

by just mischievously transposing

its entire communications network, its power core.

If you're serious about plugging into the network

I can do the job

but you might be risking an electronic lobotomy here.

I didn't survive three and a half decades in cold storage

because I didn't know what I was doing.

Now key me in, Skip.

I can feel everything, Skip.

E-everything.

The very power of the city courses through my veins.

I'm wired, Skip.

Oh, well. Wired to everything.

Time now to show Central City

what a comeback really means.

Good evening, Central City.

Don't bother adjusting your sets.

I will control the vertical.

I will control the horizontal.

Now, the last time I spoke to you like this

my demands were reasonable, a cool million

but the times have changed

and my price has gone up a thousandfold.

So unless Central City opens its treasury

to me and my associates, I will shut everything down.

Power, gone. Lights, out.

Heat, water, shut down.

Computer records, payroll, wiped away.

Air traffic, ground traffic without control.

"I'll foul up every telephone number in the system.

No more 911."

Just imagine your hospitals

without their life's blood of energy.

This will be the city of darkness.

Of desperate, hungry, thirsty citizens.

Complete and beautiful chaos.

My price? $1 billion before dawn.

Russell, please don't...

And remember as soon as you do pay...

...please, please don't.

...I am the heart and soul of this city.

What?

Well, hey, what happened to...

I'm telling you, Murph, this is worse

than the blackout of '71.

Blackout of '71 was one of the best nights

I ever spent in my life.

Oh, yeah? Let me guess. Uh, motel room with Michelle.

What? No, that's pretty close.

Actually, it was a stuck elevator

with the Correlli twins.

The Correlli twins were guys, Murph.

I know and two of the worst poker players

you ever saw in your life, honest to God.

- 2,600 bucks, one night. - 2,600?

Commissioner, we're doin' everything we can.

I can't get a hold of any of my units.

Hello? Hello?

- What? - ...pants and a cashmere...

Two pair of pants and a cashmere sweater?

Lady, this is not Morty's Cleaners.

All the phone lines are crossed, dammit.

Get me a squad car to South and Grand.

We got looters.

Have some good news for me, Mendez, please?

Alright, the hospital's on reserve power just like us.

Now, The Ghost has tapped into fire, ambulance

and police dispatch, we're operating blind.

Well, we can't just ram our way

into the brewery and take a guy armed.

We don't know what The Ghost has or what he's become.

You defeated him with this once before.

Maybe it'll work again.

Aah, that's Popular Science 101

compared to what he's got now, what he is now.

- Anyway, it's broken. - I'll fix it.

Give me an hour.

Do you think this has a chance of working?

[Tina] Well, there's only one way, we'll find out

if this rig will produce power.

Good job, Barry.

Okay.

So let's take this relic into the '90s.

You can't really expect that to work twice.

The future belongs to the young.

I can handle Nightshade myself.

It's The Flash I'm concerned about.

Make sure he doesn't get in here.

I have a universe of microchip technology

at my fingertips.

But when it comes to disposing

of old things

the old ways are still best.

The old ways? Works for me.

Ugh!

Welcome to my world

where you, my friend, have no power whatsoever.

Now, I could just wipe you away

but first, you must sample my programming.

Uh.

Uh!

Tranquilizer darts.

Nightshade!

That's right. Nightshade.

Aah.

At least I haven't lost it all.

Uh!

Uh-uh-uh.

Don't touch that dial!

Oh!

Case closed, Nightshade.

- Wait a minute, did they... - Look! The lights are back on!

Dr. Powell?

I've learned a lot working with you.

Yeah?

Well, the next time you need me

for one of these little romps

forget about it, I'm retired.

Well, I guess we're lucky we're not dead.

Or in a straitjacket.

There's not many people who'll ever know the thrill.

When the sky goes dark, the mask go on

and the criminal hearts thump with fear.

Sorry.

Too many pulp magazines when I was a kid.

But you know what I mean.

You ever reveal your secret to anyone?

I have someone I share it with.

She helps keep me on an even course.

She?

Good for you.

But if you ever need anyone else to talk to

I'm here.

It does get difficult sometime.

- Speaking behind a mask-- - Don't!

Don't.

I don't need to know.

And you don't need the complication.

You know

you ought to start your own trophy room.

Allow me to donate the first exhibit.

And remember, my fast friend

these outfits we wear

are just another suit of clothes

and not another man.

Hey.