"Crisis on Infinite Earths": Who Is Pariah?

A year after it was confirmed at the end of last season's "Elseworlds," the Arrowverse's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is finally here. The Multiverse-shattering crossover kicks off tonight in Supergirl's hour of the epic five-part, two act event and while there are many exciting characters who will be appearing in the eagerly-anticipated crossover, there are a few that we already know for sure will be part of the story. Those characters, who were pivotal in the comic book event of the same name, warrant taking a moment to get to know better before worlds die and the universe is never the same, including one we've already sort of met: Pariah.

That Pariah would be making an appearance in the Arrowverse's "Crisis" is no surprise. During The Flash's panel at San Diego Comic-Con back in July it was announced that Tom Cavanagh, who has long appeared as various versions of Harrison Wells on the series, would be appearing as Pariah in "Crisis" in addition to the latest incarnation of Wells -- Nash Wells. With the lead-in to "Crisis" we learned that Nash and Pariah are going to be one and the same.

So, who is Pariah? In comics Pariah (real name Kell Mossa,) is one of his earth's greatest scientists and it is through his unorthodox experiments to view the universe that he ends up allowing the Anti-Monitor to discover the existence of his Earth. The Anti-Monitor destroys Pariah's Earth with waves of anti-matter and while the Monitor saves Pariah, but he ends up having to watch world after world after world die as anti-matter waves wipe out the Multiverse. Given that Pariah is forced to watch countless billions of people die, the character does a lot of crying.

In the comics, the Anti-Monitor ends up revealing that Pariah's experiments didn't actually unleash the energy that led to the destruction of universes, but Pariah did open an anti-matter portal that the Anti-Monitor took advantage of and used to convert the energy, thus destroying Pariah's world and so many more. At the end of Crisis, Pariah and Lady Quark -- a woman he rescued from Earth-6 -- ask Harbinger to join them in exploring a new, reformed Earth.

As for Cavanagh's Pariah, we have already seen the Arrowverse take on how the unfortunate character sets off "Crisis". In a stinger scene attached to all of the Arrowverse shows last week we see Nash unlock a portal of sorts hidden beneath Central City and, upon doing so, we see Nash engulfed in a bright golden light and dragged into the brightness -- and presumably to begin watching worlds die considering that moments after he disappears the red skies of "Crisis" begin.

"In the original comics, Pariah is very much responsible for releasing the Anti-Monitor onto our multiverse and then more bad things happen," showrunner Eric Wallace told the audience at The Flash panel at SDCC. "For Tom to play such a pivotal character is not only exciting, but his interpretation that is bringing to it is just going to tear your guts out and make you cry."

Are you excited to see Tom Cavanagh's Pariah in "Crisis on Infinite Earths"? Let us know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @lifeinpolaroid to talk all things Arrowverse and "Crisis"!

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" kicks off on Sunday, December 8 at 8/7c on Supergirl, runs through a Monday episode of Batwoman and continues on Tuesday on The Flash. The event will then pause on a midseason cliffhanger to go on hiatus for the holidays only to return on Tuesday, January 14 with the midseason premiere of Arrow and a "special episode" of DC's Legends of Tomorrow which will debut its fifth season a week later on Tuesday, January 21. In addition to the official episodes of "Crisis," Black Lightning's midseason finale on Monday, December 9 will have an unofficial "Crisis" tie-in.