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S.T.A.R. Labs

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For alternative universes' versions of the company, see S.T.A.R. Labs (disambiguation).
"How about, Scientific, and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories. Or S.T.A.R. Labs, for short?"
—Tess Morgan to Harrison Wells[src]

S.T.A.R. Labs (Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories),[1] is a research and development company primarily located in Central City, founded by Eobard Thawne disguised as Harrison Wells. Its greatest and most notable innovation - a next-gen particle accelerator which inadvertently released a massive dark matter wave that created numerous meta-humans. Its facilities since the accident are for the most part defunct, and the rest of them currently serve as a meta-human prison and as a base of operations for Team Flash.

In an alternate timeline named Flashpoint, Cisco Ramon had bought S.T.A.R. Labs and renamed it to Ramon Industries.

History

Harrison Wells showing Tess Morgan the drawing of the lab he envisioned

Harrison Wells showing Tess Morgan the drawing of the lab he envisioned.

Founding

In 2000, Harrison Wells and his fiance, Tess Morgan, prepared to open a lab. Harrison sketched out the exterior he wanted, and Tess suggested the name, replacing what Harrison originally pitched, that was similar to the Tess name.

Wells and Tess' death

Unfortunately, before the couple could see their dream come true, the time travelling Eobard Thawne orchestrated their deaths in a car accident. Although the couple did not live to see the lab at its prime, it did, in fact, inherit both the name and architectural structure they intended.[1]

Under Eobard Thawne

Under Eobard Thawne's directorship in the guise of Harrison Wells, S.T.A.R. Labs developed a next-generation particle accelerator, which was publicly intended to create new methods of energy, scientific research, and medicine (But actually, "Wells" secretly sabotaged the accelerator to detonate and create the Flash. It activated on the December 11th, 2013. It was heavily anticipated by many people, including Barry Allen. 45 minutes after it was turned on, it became unstable, which resulted in the particle accelerator exploding and releasing a dark matter wave that not only destroyed a large fraction of the facility itself, but the blast wave also caused the deaths of seventeen people and injured many more. It was later revealed that some who were exposed to the dark matter were knocked into comas and awoke with a unique set of superhuman abilities. These people were classified as "meta-humans" by Cisco Ramon.[2]

Close up of what's left of S.T.A.R. Labs

Close up of what's left of S.T.A.R. Labs after the malfunction of the particle accelerator

In the aftermath of the explosion, the lab was categorized as a class four hazardous location and has not been fully operational since. "Wells" has since lost his reputation as a scientist and dubbed a martyr; many meta-humans and people blamed him for what happened. Not only did "Wells" lose his reputation, he also pretended that he had lost the ability to walk in the explosion to prevent future suspicion that he was the Reverse-Flash or even a speedster for that matter. The company was in bad shape after the incident, unable to compete with other companies and went into both bankruptcy and a near full shutdown.[2]

The facility's cortex bridge was later renovated as a medical wing for Barry Allen. After Allen awoke and discovered that he became The Flash, the remaining employees at S.T.A.R. repurposed the Cortex bridge and the main labs to serve as a base of operations for Barry's exploits as the Flash in exchange for hunting down any rogue meta-humans and using his powers to find new forms of medical redesigns and energy innovations. The destroyed particle accelerator's piping was then reused as a meta-human prison, now known as the Pipeline,[3] before the meta-humans were relocated for their safety due to the reactivation of the particle accelerator.[4]

Ownership passed to Barry Allen

After Eobard revealed himself as the Reverse-Flash, the company's future remained unclear until his demise. It was then declared in his living will that the ownership of the facility was to be handed to Barry Allen in the case of his passing.

Flashpoint timeline

In the "Flashpoint" timeline, this building is called 'Ramon Industries,' and is owned by Cisco Ramon.[5]

Post-Flashpoint timeline

After Barry changed the timeline again while trying to fix what happened in "Flashpoint" S.T.A.R. Labs was restored but with an extra room was added to it known as the 'Speed Lab'.[6]

Some time after H.R. Wells joined Team Flash, he proposed renovating S.T.A.R. Labs as a museum to provide much needed income and to cover up the team's connection to the Flash.[7]

In early 2017, H.R. opened the museum, which didn't receive any visitors on opening night, the first two turning away after learning that there was no free admission. Cisco managed to remedy this setback by giving a discount to an elementary school.[8]

In late May 2017, Barry attempted to appeal to his future time remnant Savitar to come home. Instead, the time remnant Barry detonated the Philosopher's Stone, heavily damaging the building. However, the monitors were still operable during the Speed Force storm.

A portal then opened in front of S.T.A.R. labs and Nora Allen walked out of it and took Barry into the Speed Force with her, leaving the ownership of the laboratories unknown.

During Barry Allen's imprisonment in the Speed Force, Iris took over as leader of Team Flash and had S.T.A.R. Labs rebuilt with a new interior in the cortex and repairs on the outside of the building caused by the particle accelerator explosion three years earlier.

Potential futures

In a possible future, S.T.A.R. Labs had taken over all of Central City by 2147, according to Dr. Bryce of the Kasnia Conglomerate, something that has been happening all around the world since 2080, with whole nations being taken over by corporations.[9] Maybe this future will not be realized due to Vandal Savage not dominating the world in 2166.

In a possible future where Savitar killed Iris, Barry disbanded Team Flash and secluded himself in the building for years. The interior looks no different from before Savitar destroyed it in May 2017.

In the future that Nora West-Allen comes from, the building of the S.T.A.R. Labs will be re-purposed into the Flash Museum, with the Speed Lab being turned into the Hall of Villains.

Original timeline

As described by Eobard Thawne, in the original timeline, unaltered by him, the two would complete the construction of S.T.A.R Labs and in 2020, they both released the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator that changed the course of history. Probably, even though it did not explode unlike the current timeline, maybe he was the cause of Barry Allen became the Flash.

Rewritten reality

S.T.A.R. Labs in the Legion of Doom's alternate reality

S.T.A.R. Labs Workshop In The Legion Of Dooms rewritten reality.

When the Legion of Doom used the Spear of Destiny to rewrite reality to their whims, Thawne had it so S.T.A.R. Labs was in his full ownership and control. In the new reality, it was now a fully functional scientific installation that was successful and influential to the point that Thawne got regular phone calls from the president. Security around and inside the labs was also tight with guards armed with laser blasters. Its look was also altered to have a darker and more sinister appearance than before. In the main computer room, Thawne altered it to have a special cell where he kept Hunter Zolomon as his pet prisoner who constantly struggled to break free. Ray Palmer, Jefferson Jackson and Martin Stein were also made to be employees of these labs that answered to Thawne. Jax and Stein were working on building a new thermal reactor that would burn hotter than the sun which Thawne was hoping to use to destroy the spear to keep the new reality permanent.[10]

Elseworlds

In 2018, when the Monitor recovered the Book of Destiny from A.R.G.U.S. and returned it to John Deegan, the latter rewrote reality with, turning S.T.A.R. Labs into his personal headquarters, with Kara Danvers trapped in the Pipeline. Once Superman got his hands on the book, he restored reality, including S.T.A.R. Labs to normal.[11]

Known employees

Current employees

Former employees

S.T.A.R. Labs basement

S.T.A.R. Labs has a basement. In it, there's a force-field generator, which the team used to trap the Reverse Flash with the Tachyon Prototype as the lure. Wells at some point after pulling himself into the field, ran to his secret room, put the suit on, came back, and while wearing the suit, was able to beat himself not wearing the suit, moving mind-bogglingly fast. Then, as the Reverse Flash, Wells grabs the device, also speeding back and forth to his original position repeatedly to generate a speed-mirage of Wells, and speeds it to his secret room, and reappears in the basement. He kills all the soldiers before they have time to move. He's whooshed out by the Flash, and while fighting him, is still bouncing back and forth from that position inside to make it look like Wells is still there while he fights Barry outside.
S.T.A.R. Labs' basement

The basement in S.T.A.R. Labs.

Later, Cisco actives the Reverse Flash hologram. Wells catches Cisco and reveals himself as really being Eobard Thawne, a person from the future. He plows his arm through Cisco's chest, killing him, but Barry reversed time, altering this event. Cisco and Wells share similar experience here in the altered timeline, but this time, he doesn't kill Cisco. Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, Eddie and Joe set a trap for Eobard, with Cisco volunteering himself up as the bait. Cisco reverses the function of field to keep a speedster out. Eobard approaches Hannibal Bates and tells him that he will free him if he helps Eobard in tricking the team which involves him by playing Eobard. Bates accepts, Eobard gives him certain lines to rehearse, and lends him his wheelchair for the act, which Bates will use in the form of Eobard. Bates, acting as Eobard, comes in and speaks with Caitlin in the wheelchair who tells him that Cisco is in the basement trying to figure out what happened that night when the field malfunctioned. Bates confronts Cisco.

As instructed by Eobard, Bates tells Cisco that he's always thought he was "incredibly clever." Cisco says that Joe was right this whole time about him, and Bates says that from the very start, Joe sensed something was not right with him. Cisco says that he killed Barry's mother, and Bates, still acting as Eobard, states it was never his intent but that she was already dead from his perspective anyway and that her death didn't matter. As instructed by Eobard, Bates raises his hand in the same way Eobard did when he killed Cisco with it in his dream. Bates backs Cisco up into the field generator. Cisco activates the field, and Bates laughs and chortles, and as instructed by Eobard, says, "You're smart. You're smart, Cisco. But you're not that smart". As he says this, he, to Cisco's surprise, walks through the field. And before he can do anything to Cisco, Joe shoots him in the heart, killing him. But, to everyone's surprise, he was actually Hannibal Bates. And Eobard speaks to the team over the intercom.

The Time Vault

Wells' room as it appears on Cisco's 3D model

The Time Vault as it appears on Cisco's 3D model of S.T.A.R. Labs.

Named the "Time Vault" by Cisco, Eobard tucked this room away in S.T.A.R. Labs where he hid his Reverse-Flash suit and where he stored Gideon. This room appeared on Cisco's 3D schematic model of S.T.A.R. Labs.[12]

The Speed lab

One of the changes in the Post-Flashpoint Timeline is the addition of the Speed Lab. This room has a tunnel like track meant to train speedsters. In the center of the room is a series of computers designed to monitor the speedster in question's vitals and speed. This room was introduced after the return of Harry and Jesse.[6]

Cisco's workshop

Cisco Ramon uses this room to come up with ideas and build new things.

S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator

After the particle accelerator blew up, it was abandoned for nine months. Eventually, it was turned into a makeshift prison, for holding meta-human prisoners. After the singularity was destroyed, Cisco helped build meta-human cells in Iron Heights, so the Pipeline was no longer used as specifically as a prison. At one point, Eobard Thawne used the accelerator as a hideout.

The lounge room

Star Labs has a lounge room that Nora West-Allen stays at. Joe West goes there a lot to have a nap. Harrison Sherloque Wells then uses it as a place to sleep when staying on Earth One to catch Cicada.

Appearances

Arrow

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7


The Flash

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5


DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3


Vixen

Season 1

Season 2

Supergirl

Season 1

Season 3

Season 4

Chronicles of Cisco

Stretched Scene

Freedom Fighters: The Ray

Season 1

Comics

The Flash: Season Zero


Novels

The Chronicles of Cisco


Gallery

Trivia

Behind the scenes

  • In the DC comics, S.T.A.R. Labs is usually where Superman's research or works with Dr. Emil Hamilton take place.
  • The toys-to-life video game LEGO Dimensions included The Flash easter egg in the fifth level of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them story pack where players can access to a secret TARDIS area that takes them to S.T.A.R. Labs.
  • S.T.A.R. Labs has its own hall which resembles the Hall of Justice from the DC comics.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Tricksters"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Pilot"
  3. ↑ "Things You Can't Outrun"
  4. ↑ "Rogue Air"
  5. ↑ "Flashpoint"
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Magenta"
  7. ↑ "Shade"
  8. ↑ "Borrowing Problems from the Future"
  9. ↑ "Progeny"
  10. ↑ "Doomworld"
  11. ↑ "Elseworlds, Part 3"
  12. ↑ "Who is Harrison Wells?"
  13. ↑ "The Nuclear Man"
  14. ↑ "Fallout"
  15. ↑ "Worlds Finest"
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