THE FLASH Casts Derek Mears as Dwarfstar

Central City is about to face a very small threat.

The International Business Times is reporting that the CW series The Flash has cast Derek Mears as Sylbert Rundin, better known to DC Comics fans as the supervillain Dwarfstar.

Dwarfstar will make his debut in tomorrow night's episode, "Honey, I Shrunk Team Flash," written by Sam Chalsen & Judalina Neira.  The official synopsis of the episode is "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MEN — A meta who can shrink anything he touches battles Team Flash. Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Ralph (guest star Hartley Sawyer) get caught in his crossfire and are shrunk to miniature versions of themselves.  Cecile (guest star Danielle Nicolet) realizes her pregnancy has caused her to have temporary powers and discovers she can hear other people’s thoughts, which unnerves Joe (Jesse L. Martin).  Meanwhile, Barry (Grant Gustin) meets someone with a mysterious connection to Henry Allen."

Mears, 45, is best known as Jason Vorhees in the 2009 reboot of Friday the 13th and as Renzo in the 2017 revival of Twin Peaks.  He's also appeared in the movies Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and Predators.  His other television appearances include episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Comedy Bang! Bang!, Community, E.R., and The Shield.

Created in 2006 by Gail Simone and John Byrne, Dwarfstar first appeared in The All-New Atom #2 as Sylbert Rundin, a rapist and serial killer who preyed on the dormitories of Ivy University.  In his first appearance, he acquired a Bio-Belt similar to the one worn by college professor Ryan Choi and became the super-villain Dwarfstar.  This gave him the power to alter his size down to the subatomic level while retaining his natural strength level.  Dwarfstar is also keenly skilled with the use of his hunting knife that he uses to torture and kill his victims.

A master assassin as well as the shrinking nemesis of Ryan Choi. Dwarfstar was a constant thorn in Ryan's side during his tenure as The Atom. The two men were actually connected in ways they were unaware of.  A woman from Ryan's past was the reason that both men gained their shrinking belts, though Ryan was deceived to believe it was from Ray Palmer himself.  The woman, Jia, who was a former flame of Ryan's, would later turn to a life of crime and become the time warping villain Lady Chronos.  She referred to Dwarfstar as her "firstborn," probably referring to her connection to his acquisition of his power belt and not his actual birth.

Dwarfstar hired Deathstroke and his group of mercenaries, who called themselves Titans, to kill his nemesis Ryan Choi.  Deathstroke along with Cheshire, the Tattooed Man, Cinder and the recently resurrected Osiris carried out the sadistic mission.  After a horrendous confrontation at Ryan's home, he was beaten and stabbed.  Dwarfstar met Deathstroke the morning after the mission at Patriot Park so he could receive his trophy.  After Deathstroke confirmed the money was transferred, Dwarfstar was given a matchbox that contained Ryan Choi's dead body.

Ray Palmer, the previous Atom, began an investigation into Ryan's disappearance.  While investigating in his micro size, Ray discovered microbiological blood and informed the Justice League that Ryan was missing.  The League helped Ray's investigation into Ryan's whereabouts.  Later, Ray discovered evidence that Dwarfstar had a hand in Ryan's death, and vowed to find him and make him pay.  Ray eventually found Dwarfstar in a hospital, where he was recovering from severe injuries he sustained from his torture at the hands of Giganta (one of Ryan's girlfriends).  Believing it might lead to a lighter prison sentence, Dwarfstar confessed to hiring Deathstroke to kill Ryan.  Armed with this knowledge, Ray left to inform the Justice League, but not before informing Dwarfstar that Deathstroke would kill him for his betrayal.

This will be the first time Dwarfstar will appear in live-action, although the character appeared in a cameo in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, in the episode "Sword of the Atom!"

The Flash airs Tuesday nights on The CW at 8:00 p.m. EST.