WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Flash Season 8, Episode 8, "The Fire Next Time," which aired Wednesday, March 23, on The CW.
As the Fastest Man Alive, Barry Allen has to channel his awesome abilities as The Flash to defend his hometown of Central City and the larger Arrowverse. This has led to Barry upgrading his speed multiple times over the course of The Flash, further tapping into his connection to the extra-dimensional Speed Force, the source for his powers. The Flash Season 8 puts Barry's boosted speed to the ultimate test as a metahuman triggers a natural disaster capable of devastating all of Central City. And in addition to showcasing his quick thinking, the incident reveals just how much Barry has mastered his powers.
Barry finds himself faced with a metahuman ex-convict named Jaco Bitch who possesses pyrokinetic powers. Though Birch appears to be reformed -- paroled from Iron Heights early on good behavior -- he is linked to gruesome murders, with the victims incinerated to death and associated with him. Birch's powers grow uncontrollable whenever he becomes emotional and the possibility that he would be separated from his son again for crimes he didn't commit lead to him activating his powers and summoning a massive magma flow directly under Central City. With a volcanic eruption poised to consume the city, The Flash leaps into action to save the day.
Vibrating himself to the point where he can phase through solid objects, Barry lowers himself into the Earth's crust and causes a nearby water source to flow directly into the magma, nullifying it. With Birch remorseful of what he has inadvertently unleashed in a highly emotional moment, he works with The Flash to absorb the heat vent released from being trapped underground through the small fissure to prevent it from explosively damaging the city. And this stunning turn of events comes fresh on the heels of Barry's latest Scarlet Speedster upgrade.
During the crossover event "Armageddon," kicking off Season 8, Barry allowed Black Lightning to drain a portion of his speed, believing himself to be growing unstable. As The Flash drained speed from the Reverse-Flash after learning he was behind the changes to the timeline, Chester P. Runk devised a set of boots for Barry to better allow him to channel his powers. Barry has received other upgrades over the series, from the reborn Speed Force following "Crisis on Infinite Earths" giving him a boost over Godspeed while Cisco Ramon developed upgrades, like a tachyon accelerator, that allowed him breach universes.
The Flash also has plenty of experience in quelling natural disasters that appear across the Arrowverse, dating as far back as a tsunami threatening to sweep over Central City. From cyclones to singularities, Barry is becoming something of a seasoned pro in neutralizing cataclysms that could cause widespread devastation. The Flash Season 8 marks the first time Barry has stopped a makeshift volcano before, able to channel his speed and scientific know-how to avert the crisis.
Backed by a resurgent Speed Force and a new line of tech prepared by Chester, Barry is now the fastest he's ever been and more in control of his powers. The true metahuman serial killer is still on the loose in Central City, looking to add to their body count, but with Barry determined to bring the culprit down, they won't stay one step ahead of the speedster for long. And with The Flash slated to come back for a ninth season, Barry stands the chance of only growing faster as his superhero adventures continue.
Developed for television by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns, The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8pm ET/PT on The CW.