The Flash: Who is Solovar?
‘Attack on Gorilla City’ airs next week and as per the show’s official synopsis, Team Flash [...]
'Attack on Gorilla City' airs next week and as per the show's official synopsis, Team Flash travels to Gorilla City on Earth-2 to help Jesse Quick rescue that earth's version of Harrison Wells, who has been kidnapped by Solovar, the leader of the city full of gorilla inhabitants.
The synopsis makes it seem as if Team Flash will be joining sides with Grodd as they take on Solovar. Since the long-time nemesis isn't the primary antagonist of 'Attack on Gorilla City,' let's take a closer look at the psychic gorilla known as Solovar.
Created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino, Solovar made his first appearance in The Flash #106 alongside Gorilla Grodd and Pied Piper. In the "Menace of the Super Gorilla" storyline in that particular issue, Grodd visits Central City in an attempt to find the world's greatest minds that could help him learn mind control — a feat he wants to achieve to control the armies of Gorilla City.
While in Central City, Grodd finds that Solovar had previously allowed himself to get captured and put into a zoo, posing as a regular gorilla so that he doesn't reveal his home Gorilla City, a hidden city in the middle of an African jungle.
Here's where it gets interesting: in The Flash #106, Solovar escapes the zoo he's kept in to approach Barry Allen for his help in stopping Grodd from taking control over Gorilla City. When the two visit Gorilla City and find out the Grodd has assumed control, Barry speeds around Grodd faster than the later can think, thus knocking him out. Once Grodd is knocked out, his mind-control powers subside, promptly restoring the power back to the people — or in this case, gorillas — of Gorilla City.
Even after these events, Barry Allen finds himself as a frequent ally to Solovar as the two work to foil Grodd's control-seeking plans.
Comparing the synopsis to the history of Barry Allen's comics-based relationship with Solovar provides a stark contrast between the print-based relationship and what we'll be seeing in live action as a part of the Arrowverse.
While Team Flash might be partnering up with Grodd in an attempt to rescue Harrison Wells, do you think Grodd has ulterior motives? Grodd may say Solovar is planning on invading Earth-1, but it could all just be a ruse. Do you think Grodd is leading Team Flash down a slippery slope by providing them alternative facts? Let us know in the comments below.
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When Jesse Quick (guest star Violett Beane) informs the team that her father (Tom Cavanagh) has been abducted, Barry (Grant Gustin), Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker), Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Julian (Tom Felton) voyage to Earth-2 on a rescue mission to save Harry from Gorilla City. As they trek through the forest, Barry and the team are immediately captured and brought to Grodd (voiced by David Sobolov).
Grodd tells them he needs their help to stop Solovar (voiced by Keith David), the leader of Gorilla City, as Solovar wants to invade Earth-1. Meanwhile, back on Earth-1, Jesse and Kid Flash (Keiynan Lonsdale) hit the streets to stop a metahuman that can control gravity, with H.R. and Joe (Jesse L. Martin) guiding them from S.T.A.R. Labs.
Dermott Downs directed the episode with story by Andrew Kresiberg and teleplay by Aaron Helbing & David Kob.
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