Grant Gustin stars in “The Flash”

Superheroes have been dominating box offices and television screens around the world for years. While Marvel has most recently taken a majority of their heroes to the big screen with the Avengers franchise, DC Comics has been focusing production on the small screen.

Tom Welling's ("Draft Day," 2014) Superman in "Smallville" hasn't seen TV time since 2011, but the show's decade-long run helped prove DC can keep up with the competition in an era of superhero fanaticism. The 2012 series "Arrow" has been going strong on the CW, averaging almost 3.5 million viewers in two seasons, and continues DC's dominance on television.

It makes sense, then, that DC Comics would want to continue doing what it does best, and it's accomplishing that at lightning-fast speeds. "The Flash" follows the quick costumed crime-fighter's journey of redemption when the show premieres Tuesday, Oct. 7, on CW.

"The Flash" is set in the same universe as "Arrow," which follows billionaire vigilante Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell, "Heartland") as he uses a bow and arrow to fight crime. Having both series exist in a continuous universe will allow the CW to have crossover episodes, and at least one cross-series appearance -- set to take place in episode 4 of "The Flash" -- has been announced so far. Additionally, several characters in "The Flash" have already appeared in parent series "Arrow."

Grant Gustin ("90210") stars as the titular speedy superhero, though when he's not fighting bad guys, he goes by Barry Allen. As a child, Barry witnessed his mother's murder, and when his father Henry (John Wesley Shipp, "Dawson's Creek") was arrested and wrongly convicted in her death, Barry was taken in by Det. Joe West (Jesse L. Martin, "Law & Order") and his daughter Iris (Candice Patton, "The Game").

Years later, and where the TV show picks up, Barry's continuing investigation into his mother's death leads him to the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator. While on site, the accelerator explodes, and Barry is simultaneously struck by lightning. It isn't until Barry wakes up from a coma caused by these two concurrent events that he realizes he has superhuman abilities. As Barry explores his new powers, it becomes apparent that he isn't the only person affected by the explosion, and that there are also super-powered villains now in Central City.

S.T.A.R. Labs creator Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh, "Ed") struggles with the fallout of the explosion, becoming a social outcast for his part in the destruction it wrought. When he discovers Barry's abilities, Dr. Wells sees an opportunity to make up for the past. Several members of the supporting cast work at S.T.A.R. Labs, and Barry receives their support through his training, coming to view them as a sort of family.

Jesse L. Martin and Candice Patton as seen in “The Flash”

"The Flash" will spend a great deal of time focusing on Barry's transformation into a crime-fighting machine, but show runners are also excited about the villainous side of the show. In a promo for the upcoming series, producer Andrew Kreisberg, who also co-created "Arrow," said, "Aside from 'Batman,' 'The Flash' probably has the best villains of anybody in the comic books."

Fans of the comics should be excited to note that Plastique, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Girder and the Weather Wizard will all be making appearances in the televised imagining of "The Flash." With powers as diverse as weather control, explosives and near-invincibility, it will be exciting to see how these characters and their stories come to life on the small screen.

Some of the character's names may also be familiar to avid readers. Without spoiling anything for those who haven't read the comics, there are at least two significant names among Barry's S.T.A.R. co-workers. One of them becomes a superhero in the source material, while the other becomes a supervillain. Many comic book characters have multiple origin stories though, so it's not certain that everyone will follow the previously explored stories their namesakes did.

Some viewers will be certain to remember the original "The Flash" television series from the 1990s. With a different origin story and villains that weren't always super-powered, there are some notable differences between the two series. One similarity, however, is the presence of Shipp. In the new series, Shipp plays Flash's father, but in the original imagining, he portrayed the superhero himself. One scene that is already being teased involves Flash visiting his father in jail, giving us the first on-screen appearance of both actors to fill the iconic role.

The resurgence of superheroes in pop culture reflects a longing most of us have left. The ability to accomplish incredible things and effect change in the world is something we've long strived for. Television is one of the most compelling vehicles to showcase the superhero universe and those who rise above typical human limitations. Don't blink, or you might just miss the premiere of "The Flash" when it airs Tuesday, Oct. 7, on CW.