Metahumans

Metahuman is a term used to describe a distinct type of character featured in media based on properties published by DC Comics. It relates to a being from the planet Earth who, through either a vagary of birth, or through an unpredictable circumstance, is gifted with abilities that sets them apart from the rest of humanity, making them superhuman. These "super-powers" may range from the mundane to the cosmic, and they are not always consistent from one person to the next. It is theorized that humans possess an enigmatic meta-gene, which may lie dormant within one's body chemistry until activated by external stimuli, and it is this meta-gene which serves as a road-map by which superhuman powers may develop.

Doctor Harrison Wells of S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City, developed the world's first particle accelerator. On the night of the public unveiling of the device, the device was activated and overloaded, sending a large wave of charged electromagnetic radiation across the city. This yielded catastrophic effects on many individuals, but also produced unexpected results in others. In addition to fatalities and injuries, it also jump-started the latent meta-gene in some individuals, which caused them spontaneously develop inexplicable powers; the most notable of whom is Barry Allen, who gained the ability to run at super-speed and became the superhero known as The Flash.

Others who were affected by the particle accelerator explosion include Ronnie Raymond, who was believed to be dead for several months, Tony Woodward, who could transmute his own flesh into metal, and Bette Sans Souci, who became a literal bombshell dubbed Plastique.