Eight seasons in and The Flash still knows how to surprise.

While Grant Gustin’s speedy superhero only wrapped up his seventh season a month ago, we’re not too far from the launch of his eighth, which The CW announced today will kick off with a five-part epic event that will bring more than a half-dozen heroes and villains from throughout the Arrowverse to Central City for a massive storyline called “Armageddon.”

According to the event’s logline, a powerful alien threat arrives on Earth under mysterious circumstances and Barry (Grant Gustin), Iris (Candice Patton) and the rest of Team Flash are pushed to their limits in a desperate battle to save the world. But with time running out, and the fate of humanity at stake, Flash and his companions will also need to enlist the help of some old friends if the forces of good are to prevail.

Those allies come from The CW’s other DC shows and include more than a few surprises—Javicia Leslie as Batwoman, Brandon Routh as the Atom, Cress Williams as Black Lightning, Chyler Leigh as Sentinel, Kat McNamara as Mia Queen and Osric Chau as Ryan Choi. In addition, Tom Cavanagh and Neal McDonough will return as two of the small screen’s biggest bads, the Reverse-Flash and Damien Darhk.

While The CW’s Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz has said that “Armageddon” isn’t technically a crossover event—it’ll be limited to The Flash, after all—it’s clear that it’s much bigger than your standard season premiere.

“Simply put, these are going to be some of the most emotional Flash episodes ever,” shared Flash Executive Producer Eric Wallace. “Plus, there are some truly epic moments and huge surprises that await our fans. And we’re doing them on a scale that's bigger and bolder than our traditional Flash episodes. So yes, ‘Armageddon’ is a lot more than just another graphic novel storyline. It’s going to be a true event for Flash and Arrowverse fans, old and new. Honestly, I can’t wait for audiences to see what we’ve got planned.”

The Flash wrapped up its most recent season with another large-scale event, albeit a bit smaller in scale than “Armageddon.” The two-part season finale, “Heart of the Matter” (above), introduced Jordan Fisher as Bart Allen and brought back the villain Godspeed, as well as John Wesley Shipp’s Jay Garrick, Cavanagh’s Reverse-Flash, Carlos Valdes’ Vibe and Jessica Parker Kennedy’s XS. However, big as the finale was it ended rather definitively suggesting that fans are unlikely to find any narrative threads that set up “Armageddon” there. (Not that you shouldn’t go and rewatch “Heart of the Matter,” anyhow. You totally should.)

The Flash’s eighth season, along with the five-part “Armageddon,” kicks off on Tuesday, November 16^th at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST). Be sure to keep your eye on DCComics.com for more news on the premiere event in the months ahead, along with announcements regarding the rest of your favorite DCTV shows, and if you feel like discussing the news, head on over to the DC Community and share your thoughts with other Arrowverse fans!