Eobard Thawne
Eobard Thawne | |
---|---|
The Flash #139 (August 31st 1963) | |
Created by | |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Prof. Eobard Thawne |
Species | Negative Speed Force grants: See list
|
Eobard Thawne, also known as the .
In his comic book appearances, Professor Eobard Thawne is depicted as a scientist from the 25th century who originally idolized the Flash. He replicated the accident that gave the Flash his powers, but was driven insane and became obsessed with ruining the Flash's life upon learning that he was destined to become his greatest enemy–the Reverse-Flash. Fueled by jealousy and hatred, Thawne travels throughout time to torment and destroy the Flash's life. He has been established as one of the fastest speedsters in the DC Universe. Thawne has frequently died, but has made multiple returns through resurrections and time travel.
The character has been adapted in various media incarnations, having been portrayed in live-action by Tom Cavanagh and Matt Letscher in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, most notably in the television series The Flash.
Fictional character biography
Eobard Thawne found a
Blaming the Flash for his defeat, Thawne became obsessed with "replacing" Barry and traveled back in time to exact his revenge.
Post-Crisis and Zero Hour origin
Prior to discovering the time capsule containing the Flash's costume, The Post-Crisis extended origin storyline "The Return of Barry Allen" revealed that Thawne was once a scientist obsessed with his idol, even undergoing
After the events of
The Flash: Rebirth
In 2009, Thawne was re-imagined as a major villain in the DC Universe by writer Geoff Johns in The Flash: Rebirth.[8] His resurrection is foreshadowed to occur in a near-future event.[9][10] It is later revealed that Thawne's recreation of the accident behind Barry's powers made Thawne able to lure Barry out of the Speed Force during Final Crisis and temporarily turn his nemesis into the Black Flash.[11]
When Thawne reappears, he murders the revived
As Barry chases after Thawne, Wally joins Barry in the time barrier. The two Flashes reach Thawne and in doing so, they become the lightning bolt that turns Barry into a speedster as they are able to stop Thawne from killing Iris. The two Flashes push Thawne back through time, showing his past and future while the two return to the present, where the Justice League, the Justice Society, and the Outsiders have built a device originally intended to disconnect Barry from the Speed Force as the Black Flash. Barry tosses Thawne in and Jay activates the device, severing his connection to the negative Speed Force. As the Flashes tie him up to stop him from running, Iris discovers Thawne's weapon back in the past, which Iris keeps.[14]
In the present, he is imprisoned in
Blackest Night
In the 2009–2010 storyline "
In the follow-up "
Post-Infinite Crisis origin
Thawne uses his powers to completely rewrite his own history; he erases his younger brother from existence and kills his parents when they try to interfere with his research.[22] Thawne later falls in love with Rose, a reporter who had been hired to interview him, thus his future self wipes all of the reporter's romantic interests from existence. After finding out his would-be love interest did not return his affections, Thawne's future self traumatized the reporter as a child, causing the woman to be mute and institutionalized so that they never met each other. He later had his younger self find the time capsule containing his idol's costume to make himself the Flash of the 25th century. He sheds a tear as his altered past self runs past him while saying "It won't last long. You will never find love. You will never be the Flash. Barry Allen destroyed my future. It's time I destroyed his.".[22]
Flashpoint
In the 2011 Flashpoint storyline, a new timeline is created through the alteration of history.[23] Thawne reveals that his body is permanently connected to the Speed Force, enabling him to create a negative version, with which he escaped prison. He was unable to alter Barry's transformation into a speedster, however, as that would effectively erase himself from existence. Instead, Thawne decides to ruin his nemesis's life during Barry's childhood, killing his mother Nora.[24] Thawne later reveals that the Flashpoint timeline was created when Barry went back in time to stop him from killing Nora. After Thawne is killed by this reality's Batman with a sword stab through the chest, Barry travels back in time to stop Barry's younger self from altering history but instead, under Pandora's manipulations, a third, new timeline is created, in which DC Comics' continuity takes place from 2011 onward.[25]
DC Rebirth origin
Thawne's origin is revised once again in the
The Button
Leading up to the 2017 The Button crossover, Thawne returns with his Pre-New 52 memories restored after a mysterious wave of energy strikes his alternate self, and he recalls being killed by Thomas Wayne during Flashpoint.[28] Seeking revenge, Thawne attacks Bruce Wayne in the Batcave and destroys Thomas's letter. Thawne brutally beats and verbally taunts Bruce before picking up the Comedian's smiley-face pin, which teleports him away to an unknown location. Thawne is then teleported back to the Batcave, having been bathed in radiation by a mysterious entity. As he collapses, Thawne says "God...I saw...God."[29] Batman and Barry later come across Thawne in possession of the Button shortly before his apparent death, and follow him in an attempt to prevent it.[30] As he follows the traces leading to the entity, Thawne muses that he may go back in time to raise his nemesis as a "family friend" after killing Nora, but is killed by Doctor Manhattan and teleported back to the Batcave.[31]
In the immediate aftermath of The Button, Thawne's corpse is taken to
Flash War and return to Flashpoint
In the 2018 event Flash War, Zolomon sends the Renegades to arrest Iris for Thawne's death, as part of a plan to instigate a conflict between Barry and Wally. It is revealed that, after being freed from prison by Captain Boomerang in Brightest Day, Thawne broke Zolomon out of prison and took him to the 25th Century, accepting his offer to work together. The pair secretly took over the Temporal Courts and formed the Renegades, but eventually had a falling out over a difference in motives, culminating in Thawne returning to the past. Thawne's repeated deaths infuriated Zolomon, triggering a change in his own motives.[35] Zolomon eventually discovers that Thawne himself was responsible for his transformation into his successor Zoom, with Thawne having given the Clown the gun with which he killed Zolomon's father-in-law and changed the course of Zolomon's history.[36]
It is later revealed that Thawne pulled Thomas out of the Flashpoint timeline just as Manhattan erased it, to torment Thomas with the reality where Bruce is Batman.[37] Thawne is briefly resurrected again in the 2022 storyline Flashpoint Beyond, when Bruce restores the Flashpoint timeline.[38] Thawne seeks out Thomas, who had also been sent back to that timeline, but is murdered by Martha Wayne / Joker shortly afterwards.[39][40]
Powers and abilities
Eobard Thawne already possessed
Other versions
Impulse
In an alternate timeline created when
Zoom
In
Thawne then makes an acquaintance with
After the failure of his plan to be a god, Thawne then takes Henry to the Allen house, with Barry in pursuit. Revealing his backstory to Barry, Thawne proceeds to best Barry in combat and is about to kill him until the Flash realizes how Thawne's powers work, and then proceeds to counter by moving time forward – finally defeating him. After talking Henry out of killing Thawne, Barry has him arrested and imprisoned at
Legion of Zoom
Leading up to the 2020 storyline
Thawne then seeks to make his possession of Barry's body permanent, but is betrayed by a slighted Trickster alerting the Flash Family. The Tornado Twins' son Bart is able to free them from Thawne's influence and Thawne is exorcised from Barry. An undeterred Thawne responds by expanding the roster of the Legion.[55] Thawne subsequently reveals that he had used his hypnotic abilities to secretly manipulate the Flash Family at various moments, such as keeping the investigation into the button secret and provoking the Flash War. He then unmasks himself as the true architest of Heroes in Crisis, having manipulated Wally into covering up the deaths at Sanctuary. The Flash Family then receives aid from different Flashes from across time and the Multiverse, as well as the Renegades, while Barry follows Thawne into the Speed Force.[56] But Barry unexpectedly decides to forgive Thawne and tricks him into absoring a sample of his own Speed Force energy. This transference eliminates Thawne's status as a living paradox that he had gained in Flashpoint, erasing his life as the Reverse Flash and leaving him as the curator of the Flash Museum in his home era.[57]
Tales from the Dark Multiverse
In an alternate Flashpoint where Barry's attempt to regain his powers results in his death, a Thawne freed from his obsession decides to take over the United States. Declaring himself the new Flash, Thawne manipulates the President into becoming his puppet and ends the Amazon-Atlantean war by killing Aquaman, while threatening Wonder Woman. However, his actions end up uniting the Amazons and Atlanteans against him while he is also pursued by Thomas Wayne, who wants him to bring Bruce back to life. After Superman saves Thawne's life, Thomas kills Superman and convines Thawne to create his own world instead of playing with the one Barry created. Thawne then reshapes history to his liking, while also killing Joe Chill before he could kill any of the Waynes.[58]
In other media
Television
- Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!", voiced by John Wesley Shipp.[59]
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash appears in series set in The CW's Arrowverse, portrayed by Tom Cavanagh in the form of Harrison Wells and by Matt Letscher in his original likeness. He is introduced and featured most prominently in The Flash (2014), but also appears in the spin-off series Legends of Tomorrow and the crossover events "Crisis on Earth-X" and "Elseworlds".
- Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom appears in Robot Chicken, voiced by Seth Green and Tom Cavanagh.
- Thawne also appears in Robot Chicken DC Comics Special 2: Villains in Paradise and Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship, voiced by Matthew Senreich in the former and with no dialogue in the latter. This version is a member of the Legion of Doom.
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash makes non-speaking cameo appearances in Harley Quinn as a member of the Legion of Doom.
Film
- Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom appears in films set in the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), voiced by C. Thomas Howell.
- First appearing in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, he attempts to kill the Flash via the Rogues, but is thwarted by his nemesis and the Justice League. Despite this, Zoom taunts the Flash over the latter's mother's death before Superman takes the former to prison. After the Flash creates the "Flashpoint" timeline and fails to restore the original, Zoom returns to reveal that as long as he is alive, the Flash cannot draw enough energy from the Speed Force to travel through time again. However, Batman shoots Zoom, allowing the Flash to undo the "Flashpoint" timeline.
- In Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, immediately after Batman shot him, Zoom drew energy from the Speed Force to slow down the moment of his death and survive into the new timeline the Flash created. As this limited the use of his speed, Thawne recruits Silver Banshee, Blockbuster, and Killer Frost to help him acquire a "Get Out of Hell Free" card so he can cheat death, only to run afoul of the Suicide Squad. Though Zoom retrieves the card, Bronze Tiger slices the fingers holding it off before Deadshot sends Zoom to die in the "Flashpoint" timeline.
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash, voiced by Dwight Schultz.
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash makes a cameo appearance in Injustice.
Video games
- Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom appears in DC Universe Online.
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, based on Tom Cavanagh's portrayal, appears as a playable character in the mobile version of Injustice: Gods Among Us.[60]
- Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom appears in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash appears as an unlockable playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Liam O'Brien.
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash appears as a "premier skin" for the Societyto seek revenge on the Flash, who previously supported the Regime.
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash appears in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced again by C. Thomas Howell.[63][64] This version is a member of the Legion of Doom.
Miscellaneous
- Eobard Thawne / Reverse Flash appears in Justice League Adventures#6.
- Eobard Thawne appears in the Death Battle! episode "Goku BlackVS Reverse-Flash".
Reception
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2020) |
IGN ranked Eobard Thawne as the 31st Greatest Comic Book Villain Of All Time in 2009[65] and #2 on their Top 5 Flash Villains list in 2015.[66]
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ISBN 978-1605490458.
- ^ The Flash, no. 139 (September 1963). DC Comics.
- ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
- ^ Flash #324 (August 1983). DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 2) #74–79 (March–August 1993). DC Comics.
- ^ Flash: Rebirth outline in the hardcover collection of the story
- ^ The Flash: Rebirth #1 (April 2009). DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash: Rebirth #2 (May 2009). DC Comics.
- ^ a b The Flash: Rebirth #4 (August 2009). DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash: Rebirth #3 (June 2009). DC Comics.
- ^ a b The Flash: Rebirth #5 (November 2009). DC Comics.
- ^ a b The Flash: Rebirth #6 (February 2010). DC Comics.
- Blackest Night: The Flash#1 (December 2009). DC Comics.
- ^ Blackest Night: The Flash #2 (January 2010). DC Comics.
- ^ Blackest Night: The Flash #3 (February 2010). DC Comics.
- Reis, Ivan (p), Albert, Oclair (i). Blackest Night#8 (March 2010). DC Comics.
- ^ Brightest Day #0 (April 2010). DC Comics.
- ^ Brightest Day #7 (August 2010). DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 3) #7 (December 2010). DC Comics.
- ^ a b The Flash (vol. 3) #8 (February 2011). DC Comics.
- ^ Johns, Geoff (w). "Flashpoint", The Flash (vol. 3) #10 – 12 (April – May 2011). DC Comics.
- ^ Flashpoint: Reverse-Flash one-shot (June 2011). DC Comics.
- ^ a b Johns, Geoff (w). Flashpoint #5 (August 2011). DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #25
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #27. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #19. DC Comics.
- ^ Batman (vol. 3) #21. DC Comics.
- ^ Batman (vol. 3) #22
- ^ a b The Flash (vol. 5) #22. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #23. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #24
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #25–27
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #46. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #81. DC Comics.
- ^ Batman (vol. 3) #84. DC Comics.
- ^ Flashpoint Beyond #0–1. DC Comics.
- ^ Flashpoint Beyond #1. DC Comics.
- ^ Flashpoint Beyond #3. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 3) #12 (May 2011). DC Comics
- ^ The Flash #758. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #761. DC Comics.
- ^ Impulse #35. DC Comics.
- ^ a b The Flash (vol. 4) #47. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 4) Annual #4. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 4) #40. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #8. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) Annual #1
- ^ The Flash (vol. 5) #88. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #751-753. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #754. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #755. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #756-759. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #760. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #761. DC Comics.
- ^ The Flash #762. DC Comics.
- ^ Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Flashpoint #1. DC Comics.
- ^ Allstetter, Rob (January 27, 2010). "Kate Jewell interviews Michael Jelenic". Comics Continuum. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ Parungo, Nicolo (2015-10-24). "Injustice mobile game update adds Reverse Flash, Arkham Knight, Survival Mode and more". International Business Times. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- ^ Romano, Sal (2017-01-17). "Injustice 2 story trailer, Darkseid pre-order DLC and special editions announced". Gematsu. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (2017-01-18). "Injustice 2: 3 Extra DC Characters Added as Alternate Skins in Special Edition". IGN. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
- ^ "Lego DC Super-Villains Screens Reveal New Details".
- ^ "Lego DC Super-Villains Reveals Darkseid's Villainy in Action in New Clip".
- ^ "Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time: 31. Professor Zoom". IGN. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (January 13, 2015). "Top 5 Flash Villains". IGN.