Tony Woodward

Tony Woodward, nicknamed Girder by Cisco, is an antagonist in the first season of The Flash. He is a meta-human, having gained the power to transform himself into steel at will.

He was portrayed by Greg Finley, while his younger version was portrayed by Austin Dunn.

Past
Tony was born sometime between 1987- 1988. He attended elementary school alongside Barry Allen and Iris West. As a student there, he relentlessly bullied Barry, making fun of his father's conviction. He secretly harbored a crush on Iris West. As an adult, Tony had a records of violence, petty theft, assault, but apparently those habits started way back when he was a juvenile. In late 2013, Tony was working at an Iron Works facility in Keystone City. He was laid off and got into an altercation with his boss which resulted in him being knocked over a railing into a vat of molten steel. Coincidentally at the same time, the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator exploded, causing him to transform in to a super-strong meta-human with the ability to transform any part of his body into girded steel at will.

Escaping the police
He steals a yellow Hummer in Star City, thereby gaining the police's attention. Eventually, the CCPD creates a roadblock in Woodward's way. When Woodward approaches, they open fire. Eddie Thawne shoots the multiple times, even hitting him in the face but due to Woodward's steel skin the bullets merely bounce off. Woodward then breaks though the road block, followed by the Flash. After Woodward has come to a stop in the outskirts of Central City, Barry arrives as well and tells him to leave the car. Woodward does so, but rips out the entire door instead of merely opening it, thereby showing Barry his power. He then throws the door at Barry, who evades the projectile and starts attacking Woodward. Barry attempts to strike Woodward in the face but shortly before impact the skin turns into steel, which causes Barry's hand to break. Woodward then hits Barry, shashing him to the ground.

While Barry is on the ground, Woodward claims that it seems that Barry was just born to take a beating. Transforming his hand into steel, he tries to smash Barry into the ground. Barry evades the final smash and runs back to Star Labs, but falls unconscious there. The next day, the police is informed that Woodward smashed three ATM's after stealing the car. Barry is also informed about the thief's name and finally realises who the man is: the boy who bullied him in school. Eddie then talks to Barry about the riccochering bullets. When telling Cisco and Caitlin about Woodward, Cisco comments the irony that his childhood nemesis is now a unbeatable meta-human.

Approaching Iris
Investigating Woodward's workplace with Eddie, Barry is told by a colleague that they presumed Woodward to be dead after he fell into the vat of molten steel. While Eddie and Barry are there, Woodward visits Iris at her work. Clearly uncomfortable she offers him a drink but he claims to have come for her. He says that he read her blog about the Flash and asks her why she is writing about him. When she tells him that the Flash is a hero, Woodward tells her that the Flash is a coward who ran off after he took a beating the night before. That moment, Iris looks at the TV in the café and sees that the police is looking for Woodward who is said to be armed and dangerous. Woodward sees this and takes Iris' cellphone, crashing it with his bare hands. He then leaves her money from the ATM for the damage and leaves the café.

Angry that Woodward dared to contact Iris, Barry visits the facility where Barry fell into the molten steel vat. There he is ambushed by Woodward. Woodward throws a entire shelf onto Barry, leaving him for dead. Saved by Caitlin and Cisco, Barry is brought back to Star Labs. There, the team tells Barry that the only way to defeat Woodward is to hit him with a speed of 837 miles per hour, thereby creating a sonic boom.

Kidnapping Iris
Eventually, Woodward approaches Iris at her home. As she is protected by two policemen, Woodward flips their car and severly injures them. The policemen survive and inform the precinct but Iris is missing. After kidnapping Iris, Tony brings her to their old school. There, he tells Iris that the Flash is dead and that Iris will be writing about him from now on. Using the knowledge that Tony has always had a crush on her, Iris distracts Tony and activates the fire alarm. This causes the police to track him down and Joe sends Barry to take down Woodward. After bringing Iris to relative safety, Barry engages Woodward in a fight. Initially overpowering Barry, Barry then remembers a lesson Joe told him when he was a kid and runs off, as he cannot defeat Woodward in combat. After having taken enough to perform the sonic strike, Barry runs back, hitting Woodward in the face with a supersonic punch. When Woodward gets back up, Iris knocks him out.

When Woodward wakes up, he is imprisoned in Well's meta-human prison at Star Labs. There, Barry reveals his identity to Woodward before leaving him in his prison.