- "When did I get my powers? A couple months ago. Uh, I took the bus to my job at the airport. TSA. But when I got there, it was like everyone was yelling at me screaming mad. But their mouths weren't moving. It only works when I'm close enough to see someone."
- —Dominic Lanse to Caitlin Snow[src]
Dominic Lanse (died December 2017), designated Subject Six by Clifford DeVoe and posthumously nicknamed Brainstorm by Cisco Ramon, was one of the 12 meta-humans who were created by the dark matter exposure on Central City Bus 405. He was attacked by Amunet Black and injured in the process, but he was later healed and rescued by Caitlin Snow. However, Amunet captured Dominic again and sold him to DeVoe, who proceeded to temporarily take over his body, killing Dominic in the process.
Biography[]
Early life[]
According to Marlize DeVoe while under oath, she and Clifford DeVoe first encountered Dominic Lanse at some point after the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator explosion[1] whilst the latter was honoring his late father at an ALS charity gala.[2]
Clifford picked Dominic to be his new host for when he finally disposed of his own body, which was weakening from ALS, because of Dominic's health and nobody would notice a change in his personality once this occurred. DeVoe subsequently kept watch over Dominic in his day-to-day life, waiting for the perfect time to strike.
On the day Barry Allen exited the Speed Force, Dominic was riding Central City Bus 405 along with other 11 people. They were all affected by dark matter and transformed into meta-humans.[3]
Capture and death[]
Around Christmas, Dominic was captured by Amunet Black and became injured after a piece of alcino alloy was lodged in his neck when Amunet shot him during an escape attempt. Amunet then kidnapped Caitlin Snow to operate on Dominic in an abandoned hospital. Caitlin discovered that Dominic was a telepath and helped him escape by reversing the sleeping gas to knock Amunet and her henchmen unconscious. Amunet recovered and prepared to kill both Dominic and Caitlin but they were saved by Cisco Ramon, Ralph Dibny and Harrison Wells.[4]
On the way to Barry Allen's Christmas party, Dominic was abducted by Amunet again and sold to Clifford DeVoe and Marlize. DeVoe then transferred his own consciousness and powers into Dominic's body, framing Barry for his murder.
Later, DeVoe finds Barry and his meta cellmates: Ramsey Deacon, Sylbert Rundine and Mina Chaytan and steal their powers, except for Barry's. Then, he transfers his mind into Becky Sharpe and flees with Dominic's body as well; Dominic died following this.[5]
Legacy[]
Dominic's death was avenged when Ralph Dibny regained complete control of his body; forcing Clifford DeVoe's consciousness out of the latter's body and prompting DeVoe to transfer his consciousness into his hoverchair. However, the latter perished once-and-for all when his wife, Marlize DeVoe removed the chair's power source; putting an end to DeVoe's madness.
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
- Meta-human physiology: After the man was struck by the dark matter energy after the Flash was released from the Speed Force, this altered his DNA and cells, enabling Dominic to access his new-found powers.[4]
- Telepathy: The dark matter in his body grants Dominic the ability to read minds.
- Hacking: Unbeknownst to Dominic, the dark matter in his body also granted him the ability to hack minds, as well as read them. This was found out when DeVoe (using Becky Sharpe's body) was able to hack Barry Allen's mind by giving him a brain aneurysm while using Dominic's power.
- Memory alteration: Dominic also had the ability to alter memories of another person as demonstrated by DeVoe, as he used this ability "too many times" on his wife.
- Mental Block Inducement: DeVoe demonstrated the ability to induce mental block. The first and only use was when DeVoe placed a mental block on Caitlin and removed Killer Frost.
- Telepathy: The dark matter in his body grants Dominic the ability to read minds.
Weaknesses[]
- Field of vision: Dominic's mind-reading abilities only work on individuals that he can see.[4]
- Power-dampening tech: Dominic's powers can be neutralized through power-dampening tech.
Appearances[]
The Flash[]
Season 4
Season 5
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Trivia[]
- Unlike most of the other bus meta-humans; Dominic is (genuinely) not a villain.
Behind the scenes[]
- In the DC Comics, Dominic Lanse is one of the few supervillains to use aliases Brain Storm or Brainstorm.
- In the series, Clifford DeVoe takes over the body of Dominic Lanse, a.k.a. Brainstorm. The DC Comics versions of the Thinker and Brainstorm, specifically the Axel Storm and Fred Storm versions had costume designs very similar with one of DeVoe's costumes, the purple suit with cauldrons and massive headgear used for amplifying their powers.
- Due to Janet Petty, another of DeVoe's victims, being listed as alive in Cisco's Who's Who? Binder, Dominic's Post-Crisis status is currently unknown.