SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for "Failure Is an Orphan," the latest episode of The Flash.


The true villain of The Flash Season 5 has revealed herself. As Team Flash attempted to cure Orlun "Cicada" Dwyer in "Failure Is an Orphan," the latest episode, an older version of Grace Gibbons tore through STAR Labs in search of her uncle. The swift attack revealed her metahuman abilities as well as her decision to take up the Cicada mantle.

During an interrogation with Dr. Vanessa Ambres, Grace's doctor, the longtime Cicada ally revealed Grace had developed metahuman abilities. However, since Grace remained in a coma, it was unclear what those powers would be; Ambres only knew that the girl's forehead had begun to glow. Considering Cicada's killer grudge against metahumans, she elected to keep that information from him for fear he would kill her.

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Ambres' fear was unfounded. When Barry revealed to Dwyer that Grace was now a metahuman, he agreed to take STAR Labs' cure for her sake. After Ambres and Caitlin administered the cure, this future version of Grace crashed through a window into STAR Labs' lounge. She used her metahuman abilities to lift Nora and Cecile and trap them against a column with beams of energy, but only brushed Sherloque aside. This allowed him to hit a panic button, alerting the rest of the team to Grace's appearance.

Since she took them by surprise, Grace swiftly defeated Team Flash with her powers and two Cicada daggers of her own. When she discovered her uncle missing, she went in search for him, only to find him unconscious on a gurney. Wielding Cicada's dagger, Ambres begged her not to hurt them; in response, Grace called the dagger to herself, then killed Ambres with it. Grace took Dwyer to a cabin in the woods, where she removed her hood and said, "I've missed you, Uncle Orlun."

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How this older version of Grace returned to the present remains a mystery, but her presence solves another. Her role as Cicada in the future timeline explains how Flash defeated Dwyer, only for Cicada to resurface years later. As CBR previously speculated, Flash did successfully stop Dwyer, with Grace taking up the mantle in his stead. When Flash disappears, she is able to go on a wild killing spree; according to the Flash Museum in Nora's memory, Grace has a kill count of 152 victims and rising.

Airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Tom Cavanaugh, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Nicolet, Hartley Sawyer and Jessica Parker Kennedy.