The fastest man alive is coming to our TV screens this fall as The CW dips further into the comic book superhero genre with The Flash, a spinoff from the already successful DC adaptation Arrow. The show will star Grant Gustin as assistant police forensic investigator Barry Allen, who gets a dose of superspeed after an unfortunate incident involving a particle accelerator - and thereafter, finds himself facing off against a newly-created generation of superpowered criminals.

Barry is being set up to have a very busy first season of The Flash, with characters like Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), Plastique (Kelly Frye), Firestorm (Robbie Amell) and Girder all set to make appearances early on in the series. It won't be long before Central City's rash of strange goings-on starts to attract attention, however, and the latest casting news reveals that The Flash will have its own character to fill a similar role as Arrow's Amanda Waller.

According to THR, Sleepy Hollow actor Clancy Brown has been cast as General Wade Eiling AKA The General, the head of the black ops team that is tasked with tracking down Bette Sans Souci AKA Plastique. As Plastique is a terrorist who finds herself with the power to create explosive energy, it's clear to see why Eiling would want to apprehend her - whether to prevent her from causing mayhem or to recruit her as an ally.

Plastique on The Flash

Eiling's character in the show is described as tall and intimidating, with "a face carved from years of duty" and a fanatical obsession with protecting American interests around the world. In the comics, Eilin is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor but manages to transfer his mind into the body of the Shaggy Man, after which he shaves off all the hair from his body and begins to refer to himself as The General. This probably won't be the version of Eiling that is seen in The Flash - at least, not right away.

Brown has a long history with comics-based properties, having starred in voice acting roles for animated series including Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (he's also the voice of Mr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarepants). All the way back in 1986 he starred in Highlander as Connor Macleod's nemesis, The Kurgan, and more recently he filmed a role for Duncan Jones' Warcraft.

The General will first appear in episode 5 of The Flash and will have a pivotal recurring role in the series. It's certainly interesting to speculate on how the first season will come together, based on the characters that have been cast so far.

The Flash premieres Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 @8pm on The CW.

Source: THR