Introduced in season 6 of The Flash and made into a main character in season 7, Chester P. Runk is bound to play a bigger role in the next season of DC's longest-running series as Carlos Valdes, who plays Cisco Ramon, will be leaving at the end of this year. But the version of Chester - played by Brandon McKnight - that fans of the show have met is very different from the character comic book readers may know.
While Chester - better known as Chunk - hasn't been a major player in the Flash comics for a long while now, with Wally West coming back as the main speedster, it's possible we'll be seeing him on the four-color page again soon, and since it's been so long, a refresher course about the character may be in order.
10 He Was A Child Genius
While little is known about Chunk's childhood, what is known is that he was brilliant from a young age. The genius child excelled at school and graduated from M.I.T. while most kids his age were entering high school. Like many child prodigies, Chunk's genius also came with psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, and paranoia.
When he was twenty-four, Chunk invented a matter transmitting machine, but didn't take the proper safety precautions when he tested it. When Chunk turned the machine on, it imploded and became part of him. The machine gave Chunk super strength and the ability to teleport, but it also filled him with an insatiable hunger.
9 Started Off As A Villain
To keep the matter transmitter from killing him, Chunk had to absorb massive amounts of superdense matter every day. To do this, Chunk turned to robbing jewelry stores and absorbing diamonds. At the same time, Chunk's psychological problems worsened and he began to absorb people he believed wronged him, including Flash.
It was after being absorbed by Chunk that Flash learned that an entire world called "The Void" existed inside of Chunk. The Void was where the people Chunk absorbed ended up. Realizing that Chunk was suffering from a psychological break, Flash was able to convince Chunk to release the people and turn himself in.
8 The Remnants Of An Interdimensional Cataclysm Exists Inside Of Him
After turning himself in, Chunk agreed to let scientists examine him. The scientists learned that The Void was only one piece of what existed inside of Chunk. As they explained it, Chunk was the host of a appeared to be the remnants of an interdimensional cataclysm. In essence, Chunk's matter transmitter had somehow connected with the destroyed multiverse from Crisis on Infinite Earths and pulled what remained into him.
Under the watch of his therapist and with some help from Flash, Chunk was not imprisoned for his criminal actions. With a second chance to use his powers for good, Chunk believed he could be a great help with a huge problem - garbage.
7 Turned His Power Into A Business
Chunk opened his own waste removal business and specialized in getting rid of hazardous materials. Corporations quickly lined up to have Chunk take their toxic waste, poisonous chemicals, or any other items they didn't want someone to come across and absorb it into the Void.
Almost overnight, Chunk became a very busy, and very wealthy, entrepreneur. He even moved into a mansion in Long Island. That exact mansion just happened to be the former home Wally West. Seeing one of his former rogues living in his house could have made Wally angry, but the exact opposite happened.
6 He Became Wally West's Best Pal
As Chunk's fortunes grew, Wally West's got worse and worse. Just a year after winning millions in the lottery, Wally was bankrupt and sleeping on his mother's couch. It was during this time when Wally really needed a friend, and Chunk was there for him.
The two former enemies began to hang out and in Chunk, Wally found someone who would listen to his problems and not judge him. And for Chunk, having Wally as a friend meant that his long life of loneliness was coming to an end. The two didn't always see eye to eye, but they had nothing but love and respect for one another.
5 Hired Wally's Mom As His Assistant
Chunk's waste removal business was a huge boon for him, but running a business wasn't his strong suit. He needed someone who could deal with people, make sure he wasn't taken advantage of and could trust. It just so happened that while Chunk was looking for help, Wally West's mom Mary was also looking for work.
After all, with her son no longer rich and sleeping on her couch, someone in the West house had to bring in a paycheck. Chunk quickly hired Mary to be his assistant and deal with the clients.
4 He Has a Large Family
Chunk believed that he had no family. It is unclear what happened to his parents, but they are both dead and the boy genius grew up believing he was the last of the Runks. But when he started showing up on the news and in the papers for his successful business, Chunk suddenly discovered that he actually had a very large family. At least, the dozen or so people who showed up at his door claimed to be his aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces.
While Wally and Mary West were pretty sure these people were just taking advantage of Chunk's good nature, Chunk didn't mind. The former villain turned business mogul found that he liked having a mansion full of family, even if they weren't actually his family.
3 He Is Engaged To Wally's Ex-Girlfriend
After taking up the mantle of the Flash, Wally West's ego exploded and he became more and more narcissistic. This made it hard for some of his friends to deal with him, but Chunk was always more than patient with his pal. Someone else who was patient with Wally was his girlfriend Connie Noleski.
An up-and-coming model, Connie started dating Wally while the speedster was still living on his mom's couch, but when Wally joined the Justice League Europe he had less and less time to spend with her. Connie and Chunk became close and, in time, fell in love. Connie broke up with Wally and became engaged to Chunk.
2 He Was A Superhero For A Brief Period
After his brief stint as a supervillain, Chunk showed little interest in using his powers to be a superhero. He did lend a hand during the Invasion by helping Flash protect Cuba, but that was more like doing a favor for a friend.
When Eclipso, the first incarnation of the Wrath of God, took over the country of Parador, Amanda Waller sent in a team called Shadow Fighters to defeat the evil being. When that team, which included Creeper, Commander Steel, and Peacemaker was killed by Eclipso, Waller put together a second Shadow Fighters team that included Chunk. This team, with the help of a number of other heroes, was able to oust Eclipso from Parador. After that, Chunk returned to his waste removal company.
1 Has A Stylized Way Of Talking
In the comics, Chunk has a different way of talking than other characters. While he didn't start off this way, sometime after leaving the bad guy life behind, Chunk started to talk slower, pausing after every few words. Chunk's speech pattern has a similarity to the character Stevie Kenarban from Malcolm in the Middle. While it is never explicitly said, it's possible that like Stevie, Chunk has asthma.
Whatever the case, Chunk's speaking style added an interesting dynamic to his friendship with Wally as readers watched the Fastest Man Alive patiently wait for his slow-speaking friend to finish his sentences.