The introduction of Sue Dearbon (Natalie Dreyfuss) in The Flash can lead to “Identity Crisis”, which could serve as next year’s Arrowverse crossover. Sue Dearbon, the comic book love interest of Elongated Man aka Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer), made her long-awaited Arrowverse debut in The Flash season 6, episode 12, titled “A Girl Named Sue”.
Fans have been wondering when and how Sue would be used on The Flash ever since Ralph joined Team Flash in season 4. The Flash began building toward bringing Sue Dearbon into the story after a case file with her name on it made a brief appearance in The Flash season 5 finale. And though Sue has only been in one episode thus far, she’s been the center of Ralph’s season 6 story. Ralph has been dedicated to finding Sue, a woman who has been missing for quite some time. For most of the season, Ralph received hardly any leads and it wasn’t until recently that he finally began to make progress.
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Later, Ralph found Sue and tried to rescue her from a criminal, before coming to the shocking realization that Sue had played him so that she could pull off a robbery. A team-up with Ralph and Sue led to Sue double-crossing him and leaving him behind. Sue hasn’t been seen since, but she’s sure to reappear at some point in season 6, since the character is connected to the storylines with both Ralph and the Black Hole. However, Sue’s role in the Arrowverse may extend beyond The Flash season 6 and even Ralph Dibny, as the character’s introduction hints at a DC Comics story that could work as a future Arrowverse crossover, “Identity Crisis”.
Who Is Sue Dearbon In The Comics
Sue Dibny (whose maiden name is Dearbon) is a character who originated in the Silver Age of comics. First appearing in The Flash #119 in 1961, Sue is the wife of the Elongated Man and a person who has acted as his partner for decades in the comics. Prior to her association with Ralph, she was a New York socialite who lived a comfortable, yet normal life. After meeting Ralph, their romance began, and she was pulled deep into the world of superheroes. While Ralph was an active member of the Justice League, Sue found a way to contribute as well, by taking a job as an administrator for the team. Ralph, who was both the Elongated Man and a private detective, was often off solving crimes and saving people from powerful villains. Though Sue had no powers of her own, she traveled with Ralph regardless, sticking with him throughout all his adventures.
What Happens In Identity Crisis in DC Comics
Sue’s life came to a tragic end when DC Comics killed her off in the controversial comic book event, “Identity Crisis”, which gave prominent roles to numerous Justice League heroes, including Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, the Flash (Wally West), Atom, and of course, the Elongated Man. “Identity Crisis” kicked off with Sue Dibny being mysteriously murdered by an unknown assailant. This led to a manhunt for the villain known as Doctor Light, who was revealed to have raped Sue years ago. The search for Doctor Light yielded to more surprising discoveries, as it came out that members of the Justice League orchestrated mind-wipes of their villains in order to protect their identities. However, not everyone was aware of this, and the reveal that Justice League members like the Green Arrow had been taking it upon themselves to erase other people’s memories angered some of the team’s members.
As the investigation continued and more battles with DC Comics villains (and more deaths) ensued, the mystery of who killed Sue Dibny was eventually solved. As it turned out, Sue’s death was an accident caused by the Atom’s ex-wife, Jean Loring. Jean, who had become mentally imbalanced, used the Atom’s shrinking technology to go into Sue’s brain. She intended to cause a small stroke that would unite the Justice League and bring her and Ray Palmer together again. Afterward, the Justice League had Jean Loring committed to Arkham Asylum.
In short, “Identity Crisis” has a reputation as one of DC’s darkest superhero stories. The violent murders of established DC characters and the sexual elements to the story weren’t welcomed by all fans, but “Identity Crisis” has been greatly appreciated by a large portion of the fanbase.
How The Arrowverse Has Set Up Identity Crisis
Some of the building blocks are already in place for “Identity Crisis” in the Arrowverse, with Sue Dearbon easily being the most important of them all. The Arrowverse can’t do “Identity Crisis” right away, as The Flash will need time to develop the love story between Ralph and Sue. Depending on how much the show uses Sue Dearbon, their romance may have progressed far enough by the midway point of season 7, which would be just in time for the next crossover. Alternatively, The Flash can spend an extra season expanding on their relationship, and save “Identity Crisis” for the 2021 crossover.
“Identity Crisis” is a story that makes sense for the Arrowverse, especially considering the way things are now that “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is over. All Arrowverse shows take place on one Earth now, and the Justice League has already been established, so bringing all the heroes together will be much simpler and more natural than it was before.
How different would the story be in the Arrowverse? In the Arrowverse, Jean Loring (Teryl Rothery) was Oliver Queen’s lawyer, so her and other characters would need to have their roles filled by other heroes and villains. Martian Manhunter (David Harewood), for example, is the perfect candidate to take Zatanna’s place, and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” has already provided a clue as to how he could be used in future storylines. It was Martian Manhunter who gave the heroes of the Arrowverse their memories back after the rebirth of the multiverse, so it stands to reason that he could be the who the Justice League trusts with manipulating the memories of their enemies.
Though they may move away from adapting some of the comic’s darkest moments, the event fits in perfectly with the CW’s plans for the Arrowverse’s future. It’s already been said that they have no intention of doing another event on the scale and budget of “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. Instead, they’ll be looking to smaller crossovers. A superhero murder mystery like “Identity Crisis” could be the perfect path for the Arrowverse to take with its next crossover, and it’s on that path thanks to The Flash.
