| Looking for a different version of this character? |
|---|
| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
It's a shame, but I doubt that I'll ever meet the Flash to tell him how I feel. That even though I had no one in my life, his sense of hope was a light in the darkness of my future. And as long as I had that... ...I was never alone. 
- — Eobard Thawne src
Professor Eobard Thawne, otherwise known as the Reverse-Flash and Professor Zoom (or simply Zoom), is a scientist and criminal from the 25th Century who is obsessed with The Flash. Having given himself similar powers to him, he travels through time to battle his greatest enemy.[1]
History
New 52
Origin
In the year 2463, when he was a child, Eobard Thawne saw his father kill his mother. Later, he became connected to the Speed Force after being struck by a bolt of lightning and attempted to take over the Gem Cities, Central and Keystone City. However, it didn't work because the 21st Century superhero known as The Flash was revered as a legend, which caused the people to rebel against Thawne and fight in the Flash's name. Thawne found it unfair that despite their similar powers, Flash got a happy family life and that the people of the Gem Cities treated him like a god. He would then forcefully take over the cities and burn down the Flash Museum.[2]
Finding the lost journals of Rip Hunter, he created the Cosmic Treadmill over the course of several years and crafted a plan to go back in time and tarnish the Flash's history and legacy.[2] Jealous of how Barry's parents adored him and how much they loved each other, Thawne proceeded to destroy the Allen family exactly like his own one was, so that he'd have an "equal start" with the future Flash. He started his plan by destroying his father Henry and mother Nora's relationship. He would fund Henry's hematology lab with large sums of money, causing him to become more engrossed in his work to cure the deadliest blood-born diseases. This would put a strain on his marriage with Nora, leading to her having an extramarital affair with police officer Darryl Frye. On the day Henry received divorce papers from Nora and confronted her about them, Thawne murdered her and, with Henry's refusal to join him, threatened him with Barry's life unless he took the blame for the crime, leaving the boy who would one day become the Flash without his parents and in Darryl's care.[2]
Zoom
The Acolytes of Zoom
Having destroyed the Allen family's history, Thawne now desired to destroy the Flash's image. He would gather allies, with distinct Speed Force-derived abilities, throughout time by putting them in near death situations and then saving them. Once he gained their trust, he told them that they were "chosen" by the Speed Force and needed to kill a "demon" known as the Flash.[3] Thawne would also recruit William Selkirk, who was left paralysed after a battle with two Flashes.[4]
With his "acolytes" by his side, Thawne then began to put his plans in motion by arriving at a point in time when the Flash was an established hero, several years into his career. Finding ways to torment the Flash, Professor Zoom's first move in this time period was initiating for Henry to break out of jail, while also framing him for killing a guard in the escape. While the Flash was forced to deal with the police manhunt for his father, the Reverse-Flash continued his plot to ruin the Flash's history by framing him for putting a bomb in the Central City Police Department headquarters.[5]
Flash vs Zoom
Face-to-face with the Flash,[6] Thawne and his acolytes battled the scarlet speedster while he simultaneously attempted to use a power-stealing glove, which he had forced Henry to make, to take away the Flash's speed. However, his plan fell to pieces when his team betrayed him, having discovered their leader's true motives after Magali, his former acolyte whose age manipulation power he had previously stolen, exposed him.[7] Running faster than he'd ever run before, Barry learned he had the power to actually speed up time, allowing him to arrest Thawne and have him imprisoned at Iron Heights.[2]
Lightning Strikes Twice
Zoom is still in Iron Heights, now restrained, when August Heart attempts to kill him and every other inmate.[8]
Rebirth
Origin
The Future Flash
Eobard Thawne was an only child when his parents were killed in a tragic accident. In his loneliness, he became obsessed with the Flash, Barry Allen, a heroic speedster from the 21st Century. Eobard would dedicate his life to studying the Flash and researching his power source - the Speed Force.[9]
During his adulthood, Thawne miraculously received a time capsule containing the Flash's old costume. He managed to harness residual traces of the Speed Force to give himself powers just like his idol's. Dissatisfied, Thawne would seek to see how Flash lived by becoming a hero just like him. However, due to him living in a future without many opportunities for heroics, Thawne "created" his own by endangering, and in the process hurting, people to make himself look a hero - The Flash of his century.[9]
One day, Thawne's dream would come true when Allen traveled to his future using the Cosmic Treadmill. Barry taught Eobard new ways to use his powers, how understanding and experiencing the Speed Force were very different matters, and the two Flashes bonded over their shared belief that "every second is a gift". Unfortunately for Eobard, Barry became aware of the truth behind his "heroics", and would turn him in to the authorities after defeating the rogue speedster. Desperate to prove himself to his hero, Thawne vowed to become a better man. He underwent psychotherapy, shared his scientific and historical knowledge, and dedicated his life to helping others. He convinced the authorities that society wouldn't benefit from him being behind bars, but educating others as a professor, and worked hard from being a tour guide at the Flash Museum to becoming its curator.[9]
Wanting to show Barry how far he'd come, to be accepted once again by his "best friend", Thawne traveled back in time to the 21st Century. Deeming it arrogant to think he was ready to become the Flash, he changed his costume to yellow, because of how it was the color that all the hero's partners wore. However, after witnessing Barry give Wally West a watch with the same advice he gave Eobard years ago inscribed, Thawne snapped. He became overwhelmed with hate and jealousy upon realizing that he wasn't as special or dear to Barry as he thought, seeing the man he once adored as a liar and a traitor. Running back to the Flash Museum, it was there that Thawne realized his destiny. Creating his own "negative" version of the Flash's power source and switching his emblem, Thawne made it his life's mission to make Barry's hell, to make him realize how much he truly matters to him, how he is his "real friend" - as the Reverse-Flash.[9]
Lightning Strikes Twice
The earliest form of meddling Thawne had in ruining the Flash's life was murdering his mother Nora, though he claims that there are many worse things he does to Barry.[10] Barry's father Henry was falsely accused and sentenced for the crime, leaving the boy who would one day become the Flash without his parents.[1] At some point during Thawne's personal timeline, he is killed by the Flash snapping his neck, only to later return.[11][1]
Years later, Thawne's murder of Nora had been replicated with a woman named Heather Macy before her son's own eyes, whilst her husband is framed for the crime, drawing Barry's interest. Barry later sees a vision of him killing Thawne's original self, which he believes could've been caused by the case's similarity to his mother's. A figure resembling that Thawne later briefly stops by the murder scene, before speeding away.[11]
The Button
Reverse-Flash attacking Batman
Thawne, still imprisoned in Iron Heights, was mysteriously struck by a bolt of lightning that restored memories of his previous life, including the events of Flashpoint.[12]
Fleeing Iron Heights, the Reverse-Flash made his way to the Batcave, where he began beating and taunting Batman, explaining that he now remembered Flashpoint and his death at the hands of that timeline's Batman.[13] After beating Bruce to a pulp, Thawne went to examine the mysterious button that Batman had been investigating and, interacting with the residual power, was teleported into the timestream, where he apparently discovered the button's true owner.
While heading to confront the owner in the timestream, Thawne encountered the Flash and Batman, travelling through time from the near future, pursuing him on the Cosmic Treadmill.[14]
Planning to undo Barry's life once again by turning him into his son and acolyte, Thawne outran the two and eventually made his way to where the button's radiation had led him. He demands the button's true owner to reveal himself, and when he does, Thawne becomes frightened for his life. Thawne then starts to become disintegrated by this being, and is teleported back into the batcave, burning in blue flames and claiming that he had seen "God." The Reverse-Flash then collapsed, seemingly dead.[13]
Running Scared
Reverse-Flash bests Flash
However, the Negative Speed Force resurrected and regenerated Thawne. He then returns to his home in the future, only to find it radically changed. Desiring to uncover the changes made to history, he then returns back to the past.[9] He is present at Iris West's house when she arrives with her nephew following Multiplex's attack at Barry's birthday party, shocking and terrifying the pair.[15]
Thawne interrogates the clueless pair over the alterations to the timeline, mentioning New Earth events. Wally attempts to fight him off, but is savagely beaten while Thawne tells him he is not Kid Flash or even the real Wally West. Upon realizing that Iris isn't aware of Barry's secret identity in this timeline, he kidnaps and takes her to the 25th century, in order to force her to remember her past life from before Flashpoint, specifically when he killed her.[16]
Thawne trapped Iris at the Flash Museum and lured Barry into a trap. After revealing his motives and taunting Barry over how he hurts everyone in his life, Thawne proceeds to savagely beat the Flash and unmask him in front of Iris.[9]
Reverse-Flash dies again
He then takes Barry and Iris to a future where their children, the twins Dawn and Don, have become rogues that are laying waste to Central City, due to how the toll of being the Flash led to their father not spending enough time with them - causing them to feel neglected. After manipulating Flash over the pain and lies that follow him, he tricks him by making him run right into the Negative Speed Force alongside him, seemingly trapping his nemesis. He promptly returns back to the Flash Museum, where he immediately breaks his 'promise' to leave Iris alone. However, before Thawne can do anything, a 'negative' Flash returns and attacks a shocked Thawne, who becomes amazed over how 'beautiful' his foe has become.[17]
They fight throughout all of time, culminating in Barry taking the Negative Speed Force from his foe. Thawne, undeterred, states that he will return as he always has, over and over again. In response, Iris disintegrates him with a ray gun from a nearby exhibit, killing him.[10]
The Society
At one point, Thawne was a committee member of the The Society. After Deathstroke failed to appear before them, to be tried for "renouncing" evil and Deadline losing his hand, Thawne is sent to abduct him.[18][19]
Deathstroke seemingly escapes confinement and kills every member of The Society, including Thawne. However, this is revealed to simply be part of a a hallucinogenic test by Hector Hammond. After Riddler deems Deatshtroke to still be evil, The Society has a philosophical debate, where Thawne denies being evil and instead declares himself as "efficient".[19]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Negative Speed Force Generation: Thawne created his own negative version of the Flash's Speed Force, with its own unique energy signature. He can tap into the energy as normal speedsters do with the positive Speed Force. The Negative Speed Force grants Thawne the power to move at incredible speeds, among many other abilities.[1]
- Superhuman Speed: Thawne is capable of moving at vast superhuman speeds.[14] His immense speed allows him to generate superhuman force, which allows him to deal devastating blows to opponents, as well as effortlessly hurl them with great force.[13]
- Superhuman Reflexes: Thawne possesses reflexes far greater than a normal human being. This allows him to easily react to danger and events, and perceive the world in slow motion.[13]
- Superhuman Stamina: Thawne's body can handle the stress of moving at superhuman speeds for long periods of time without getting tired or weak.[13]
- Superhuman Agility: Thawne's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to superhuman levels. This allows him to easily maneuver while moving at superhuman speed.[13]
- Superhuman Strength: Thawne possesses sufficiently enhanced strength, as he was able to effortlessly lift and drag the Flash around with one hand,[9] deliver deadly blows with his fists and quickly break Wallace West's bones and tendones by applying pressure.[16]
- Negative Speed Force Aura: The Negative Speed Force manifests a protective aura around Thawne's entire body that shields him from the negative effects of moving at super-speed, such as air friction and kinetic impacts.
- Superhuman Durability: Thawne can resist tremendous kinetic impact forces with ease. He was able to withstand hits from the Flash, while moving at intense speeds.
- Cosmic Awareness: Thawne was able to "feel" the presence of Doctor Manhattan, "like a wave of static electricity", and is aware of his alterations to time and reality.[1]
- Dimensional Travel: Thawne is able to travel in and out of the timestream, allowing him to travel to other planes of reality.[1] He is also able to travel in and out of the Negative Speed Force.[17]
- Electrokinesis: Thawne is able to generate the electrical energy that he draws from the Negative Speed Force. This lightning emanates off of him as red electrical arcs from all around his body, and from his eyes as streaks, especially when he moves at super speed.[13] Thawne's lightning can interfere with, and fry electronics.[1]
- Electromagnetism: Thawne possesses some level of magnetic manipulation, which he uses to control his suit's armor. Every time he releases his suit from his ring, the pieces of it are conducted by his lightning to form the suit around him.[9]
- Life-Force Absorption: Thawne can use his negative energy to rapidly drain a person's life-force, by creating an electrical field around their head and focusing it with his hands.[15]
- Enhanced Senses: The Negative Speed Force grants Thawne enhanced senses that allow him to perceive the world at a rate attuned his reaction speed.
- Molecular Acceleration: Thawne can vibrate his own molecular structure at varying degrees for a number of purposes, by adjusting to different frequencies.
- Intangibility: By vibrating his molecules on an atomic level, and by doing so at just the right frequency, Thawne can allow himself to become intangible, allowing people or objects to pass right through him.[13]
- Phasing: By vibrating his molecules on an atomic level, and by doing so at just the right frequency, he can allow himself to become momentarily intangible, and phase through objects.[13]
- Regeneration: Thawne can regenerate from injury much faster than any normal human, and is able to regrow whole body parts.[15]
- Immortality: Thawne's regenerative capabilities effectively make him unkillable, granting him a potentially perpetual lifespan.
- Resurrection: Even after being disintegrated by Doctor Manhattan, Thawne's ability to regenerate whole body parts allowed him to be resurrected from his run-in with death.[15][9]
- Shock Wave Projection: Thawne possess the ability to create very powerful sonic booms and shock waves with just the clap of his hands.[13][20]
- Time Travel: Thawne can use his speed to freely travel throughout time, and does not need assistance from the Cosmic Treadmill.[1]
- Reality Alteration: Thawne's ability to travel throughout the timestream allows him to manipulate events at will to satisfy his own needs.[1]
- Paradoxical Existence: In a previous incarnation, Thawne was transformed into a living paradox when Barry Allen created the Flashpoint timeline, as he was running through the timestream when this happened.[20] This makes Thawne (even in the current version of reality) immune to alterations to his personal history, making him the sole constant in any possible timeline. It is thus impossible to erase him from existence.[20]
- Retrocognition: After being hit by lightning in his cell at Iron Heights, Thawne gained the memories of his life before the Flashpoint, including his death at the hands of Thomas Wayne, despite these memories being erased from his mind after the Flashpoint.[12]
Abilities
- Deception: Thawne organized each of his acolytes' origin stories, forcing them to trust him as the malevolent speedster came to "save" all of them at just the right time.[3]
- Genius Level Intellect/Science: Thawne's brilliant mind and broad science acumen enabled him to harness residual energy traces off Flash's old costume and create a "negative" version of the Speed Force in order to fuel his own powers.[1]
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Utilizing his speed, Thawne created an effective fighting style to combat all types of material opponents.[2]
- Historiography: Thawne is very knowledgeable on world history and culture, spanning from the Flash's 21st century all the way to Magali's ancient times.[3]
- Intimidation: Thawne's intimidating presence can be attributed to his immense power and sociopathic mentality.
- Leadership: Thawne led a team of his own "acolytes", dedicated to taking down the "demon" Flash.[3]
- Mechanical Engineering: After discovering Rip Hunter's lost journals, Thawne was capable of building a Cosmic Treadmill, similar to the Flash's original one.[2]
- Multilingualism: Thawne speaks English, Nahuatl, Spanish, and Zulu.[3]
- Pedagogy: As a professor, Thawne shared his vast knowledge regarding the Flash and the Speed Force with others.[9] As the leader of his acolytes, Thawne was concerned with teaching them how to best use their metahuman abilities, as well as other knowledge they would need to combat the Flash.[3]
- Tactical Analysis: Thawne has been teaching tactics to his acolytes for centuries, preparing them for the battle against the Flash.[7]
- Temporal Mechanics: Thawne holds expertise in the study and theory of time, being aware of and able to identify the "strange" nature of alterations to the timeline.
Weaknesses
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Costume: Thawne's costume is an exact duplicate of Barry's, but with the colors and emblem reversed (red and yellow are swapped, white is black). The New 52 costume was black and yellow, with a diamond red and black emblem.
- Costume Ring: Thawne possesses a ring, similar to (or the same as) the one owned by Flash, which he uses to store his costume in.
- Power-Theft Glove (Formerly): Thawne briefly held a glove, created by Henry Allen, to steal the powers of others connected to the Speed Force.
Notes
- Reverse-Flash was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, first appearing in The Flash #139. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Reverse-Flash first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in The Flash (Volume 4) #40 by Robert Venditti, Van Jensen, and Brett Booth.
- In the New 52, Thawne was an amalgam of both New Earth Zooms. Like the previous Eobard Thawne, he comes from the 25th century, and like Hunter Zolomon, he was haunted by the trauma of his father killing his mother. His powers were also based on both his New Earth self's Speed Force connection and Zolomon's chronokinesis.
- With DC Rebirth, Thawne is restored to his original status quo. His origin is revised into a composite of his Silver Age, Return of Barry Allen, Reverse-The Flash: Rebirth and Flashpoint: Reverse-Flash ones, and he also regains the memories of his New Earth counterpart. His powers are also changed to be superspeed derived from his Negative Speed Force once again.
- Thawne's electrokinesis allows him to glow his eyes red.
- Thawne had grey hair in the New 52 (similar to when New Earth Thawne was reintroduced), while DC Rebirth changes the color to red (the character's original hair colour).
- In spite of the character's Rebirth revision, Thawne's New 52 history is shown to have still existed in-contunity and hasn't been retconned.[11][8][9] This discrepancy has yet to be explained.
Related
- 82 Appearances of Eobard Thawne (Prime Earth)
- 49 Images featuring Eobard Thawne (Prime Earth)
- 15 Quotations by or about Eobard Thawne (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Eobard Thawne (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 The Flash (Volume 5) #21
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 The Flash (Volume 4) #47 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "Flash 47" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 The Flash Annual (Volume 4) #4
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 4) #40
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Flash (Volume 4) #45
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 4) #41
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Flash (Volume 4) #46
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Flash (Volume 5) #7
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 The Flash (Volume 5) #25
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Flash (Volume 5) #27
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Flash: Rebirth (Volume 2) #1
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Flash (Volume 5) #19
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Batman (Volume 3) #21
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Batman (Volume 3) #22
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 The Flash (Volume 5) #23
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 The Flash (Volume 5) #24
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 The Flash (Volume 5) #26
- ↑ Deathstroke (Volume 4) #24
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Deathstroke (Volume 4) #25
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 The Flash (Volume 5) #22
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 4) #44
  This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of The Flash, and a member of the Flash Family of speedsters. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Flash Family members" category. |
 Flash Villain(s) |
 Secret Society of Super-Villains member |