First, he traveled back in time to arrange for Barry’s return from the speed force.At the end of the crisis, he was one of twelve heroes and villains resurrected outright by the White Lantern entity ( Blackest Night, 2009-2010).ĭismayed to find that his great rival had sacrificed himself to save the universe, he set about a plan to destroy Barry Allen’s place in history. Rebirthĭuring the Blackest Night, Thawne’s corpse was animated by a Black Lantern power ring. Years later, a new Zoom appeared ( Flash #197, 2003), inspired by the original. Zoom led the Flash on a desperate chase until, moments away from Fiona, Barry seized Thawne in a choke-hold to stop him.a choke-hold that broke Zoom’s neck, killing him. When he escaped, he taunted the Flash and threatened to kill his fiancée Fiona Webb. Thawne was trapped outside time until shortly before Barry’s second wedding. Thawne plotted repeatedly to steal Iris away, finally killing her when she spurned him ( Flash v.1 #275, 1979). In fact, he became obsessed with replacing Barry, and obsessed with Barry’s wife Iris. His knowledge of Allen’s dual identity enabled him to strike at him through his personal life. Taking on the identity of Professor Zoom, the Reverse-Flash, he began to travel to the 20th century to battle the Flash. ( Flash v.2 #74–79: The Return of Barry Allen, 1993) Battling the Flash The disorientation of the trip through time left him again amnesiac, save the deeply-ingrained hatred for Barry Allen. Once Wally determined his true identity, he shocked Thawne’s memory back, and tricked him into returning to his own time in fear. He went on a destructive rampage, and it took a coalition of all the other speedsters to keep him in check. Eventually, his anger broke through, ostensibly at Wally for replacing Barry, but really at Barry for betraying Thawne. Whether this tale of idol-worship gone bad was true or not, he did convince even Wally West and Jay Garrick that he was a resurrected Barry Allen. Wandering toward the Flash Museum, and discovering that he was destined to be the most evil of the Flash’s enemies, he went into psychological shock, convincing himself that he was Barry Allen. The calibration, however, was off, and he was deposited, disoriented, in Central City years after Barry had died. He used it to travel back in time to meet his idol, bringing along a copy of his biography. Finally, he found the Flash’s cosmic treadmill.
He went to great lengths to make himself look like his idol and even duplicate his powers. He embarked on a crime spree only to be stopped by the coincidence of his nemesis traveling ahead to find the time capsule when it was opened.Īnother account explains why he was drawn to Barry Allen in particular: The Thawne-Allen feud, five hundred years running by Eobard’s lifetime, had its roots in the separation of twins Barry Allen and Malcolm Thawne.Ī third account has it that Thawne was fascinated by superheroes (who did not exist in his era), especially Barry Allen, the second Flash.
He amplified residual speed energy in the costume, granting him super speed when he wore it. OriginsĪccording to one account, Thawne was a criminal with a fixation on the second Flash who stumbled across a time capsule with his chosen enemy’s costume. Since his origin lies in the future, the “true” events may still happen differently. There are several conflicting accounts of how Eobard Thawne of the 25 th Century became the Reverse-Flash. See Also: The Cobalt Blue Legacy, Zoom II Past Group Affiliation: Secret Society of Super Villainsįirst Appearance: Flash v.1 #139 (September 1963)īase of Operations: Central City of the 25 th Centuryĭeath: Neck snapped by Flash in attempt to prevent murder.