Farooq Gibran

"I have... to feed."

- Farooq to The Flash

Farooq Gibran, posthumously nicknamed "Blackout" by Cisco Ramon, was a citizen of Central City affected by the aftermath of the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator and gained the power to harness electrical energy. He was also the good friend of the late Jake Davenport and the late Daria Kim.

Particle accelerator accident
Farooq and his two friends, Daria Kim and Jake Davenport (all intoxicated), were all out to witness the particle accelerator being activated. In hopes of getting a better view, Farooq climbed an electrical tower, despite his friends protests for him to come down. When the accelerator was activated, he was electrocuted by the tower channeling the electricity from the explosion. His heart stopped and his friends tried CPR on him. But he was transformed by the particle blast and became capable of siphoning electricity. The electricity in his body emerged when he resuscitated, killing his friends. He blamed Harrison Wells for the death of his friends.

Meeting The Flash
Months later, Farooq reappeared in Central City, and murdered someone via his electrocution powers. The Flash confronted Farooq at a power station. Farooq, using his powers, was able to siphon The Flash's energy, causing The Flash to lose his powers. Farooq subsequently appeared at S.T.A.R. Labs, wishing to get revenge on Harrison Wells for creating the Particle Accelerator and changing him. Wells decided to release Tony Woodward to try to get him to kill Farooq, but Farooq was too powerful and he ended up killing Tony. In the S.T.A.R. Labs parking garage, Farooq got the confrontation he wished for and was just about to kill Wells when The Flash got his powers back and transported Wells to safety. The Flash, more connected to his speed than ever, was able to resist Farooq's power siphoning, and as a result, Farooq was apparently killed by overloading his power. Farooq was placed in a body bag and put into one of the S.T.A.R. Labs cells.

Wells later opened the cell to get a sample of Farooq's blood in order to see just how Farooq was able to siphon The Flash's powers.

Powers

 * Electrokinesis: Farooq developed the need to absorb energy for sustenance, but could also manipulate the electricity he absorbed or was in contact with. His power was so effective that it absorbed all of the electrical-based energy from Barry Allen's body and removed his powers. The offensive application of his powers proved to be lethal enough to overpower Tony Woodward while protected by his organic steel skin and subsequently kill him, although that may have been because metal is a high electric conductor. His presence could also affect and deactivate all electrical devices in an area. He was not only highly electromagnetic, but he could also sense electricity, even the bio-electricity in human bodies, making it likely that he could absorb it from humans, though this was only demonstrated on Barry, whose bioelectricity and atomic charge were absorbed by Farooq.
 * Electrical absorption: Farooq has the ability to absorb electricity and store it in his body to use his powers. His electric powers only work if he absorbs electricity.

Weaknesses

 * Lack of control: Despite his ability to manipulate his powers with great efficiency, his powers are constantly active, making it dangerous for even people he cares about to touch him, as he unintentionally killed his best friends shortly after gaining his powers.
 * Electrical hunger: Farooq gain an insatiable hunger for electrical energy.
 * Electricity overload: When fighting The Flash for the second time, Farooq started to absorb The Flash's electrical energy, which overloaded and killed him.

Behind the scenes

 * In the DC comics, Blackout is not a super villain as his live-action portrayal, but a superhero only existing in the Flashpoint alternate reality.