'The Flash' speeds to an early CW hit 

Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about

The Flash roared out of the gate for CW Tuesday. The latest adaptation of a DC Comics character for TV scored 4.5 million viewers for its premiere, marking CW\'s biggest series opener since The Vampire Diaries

A link has been sent to your friend\'s email address.

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs

Gary Levin, USA TODAY 12:10 p.m. EDT October 8, 2014

Grant Gustin is Barry Allen, who becomes a superhero, in CW's 'The Flash,' which premeries Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The latest adaptation of a DC Comics character for TV scored 4.5 million viewers for its premiere, marking CW\'s biggest series opener — and top telecast of any series — since the premiere of The Vampire Diaries in September 2009, according to preliminary Nielsen figures. The show easily topped new ABC sitcoms Selfie and Manhattan Love Story in the 8 p.m. ET/PT hour, as well as Fox\'s Family Guy reruns.

And it bested another comics-based series, Marvel\'s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which aired an hour later and managed only 4.4 million on the much larger ABC network. Ratings for both shows will climb once DVR-delayed viewing is factored in.

The Flash stars Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, who is transformed in a superfast superhero after a lightning strike. Following The Flash, CW\'s Supernatural returned with 2.8 million viewers, slightly ahead of last year\'s, thanks to that big lead-in.

As usual, CBS\'s NCIS (17.1 million) and NCIS: New Orleans (15.3 million) were the night\'s most-watched series; NCIS was also the top draw among young-adult viewers, followed by NBC\'s The Voice.

U.S. Ebola patient dies, latest developments on virus | USA NOW