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Reverse-Flash
Reverse-Flash
Reverse-Flash
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The Reverse-Flash is a name used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Each iteration of the character serves as a foil and an enemy of the Flash.

Characters

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Edward Clariss

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Edward Clariss
The Rival, the proto-Reverse-Flash, by Stephen Sadowski (penciller), Michael Bair (inker), and John Kalisz (colorist)
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceFlash Comics #104 (February 1949)
Created byJohn Broome
Joe Kubert
In-story information
Team affiliationsInjustice Society
Notable aliasesRival
AbilitiesFlash

Edward Clariss (also known as the Rival[1] and the Rival Flash) first appeared in Flash Comics #104 (February 1949), and was created by John Broome and Joe Kubert.[2]

Publication history

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Edward Clariss first appeared in Jay Garrick's final appearance in Flash Comics #104 (February 1949), and was created by John Broome and Joe Kubert as an evil counterpart of Garrick during the Golden Age of Comic Books. He would be revived by Geoff Johns and David Goyer in a story called "Injustice Be Done" from the Justice Society of America comic books through the Modern Age of Comic Books.[3]

Fictional character biography

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Although not called the Reverse-Flash, Dr. Edward Clariss was a professor at the university attended by the Golden Age Flash, and had recreated the formula which was behind Jay Garrick's speed. He hears Joan Williams (Garrick's girlfriend) talking about how the Flash's own speed was given to another student, which helped him develop the formula. Bitter at the scientific community's rejection of his claims, Clariss becomes a criminal. A darker version of the Flash with a mask over his head, he gives the formula to other criminals. The Rival's version of the formula is temporary, and he is captured and jailed. Later stories have indicated a possible link between the Clariss formula and the Velocity 9 created by Vandal Savage, but no such link has been conclusively proven.[3]

JSA #16 (November 2000) contains a flashback to a battle between the Rival and the Flash several months after the former's first appearance. Now that he has inexplicably regained super-speed, Clariss reaches light speed during the fight and vanishes into the Speed Force. After the Justice Society of America's reformation 50 years later, Johnny Sorrow retrieves Clariss from the Speed Force and invites him to join the Injustice Society. Driven insane in the Speed Force, the Rival races across the country on a killing spree. The Flash realizes that the Rival's path across the country spells out Clariss's name and the final murder victim will be Joan; Jay absorbs the Rival's speed before he can kill Joan.[3]

The Rival returns in Impulse #88 (September 2002), posing as Joan's doctor. Now pure speed energy, he possesses fellow Golden Age speedster Max Mercury. After battling Jay and Impulse, Max time-travels to an unknown destination. In The Flash: Rebirth #4, Max escapes from the Speed Force and is rejuvenated by Wally West's energy; this allows him to return to Earth in a new body. Another Golden Age Reverse-Flash is a robot whose only appearance was in one panel of The Flash #134 (February 1998), where he is defeated by Garrick.[4]

Return

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After the events of Doomsday Clock, Clariss returns to continuity, having faced Garrick in the 1940s.[5]

Eobard Thawne

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Main article: Eobard Thawne

Professor Eobard Thawne (commonly known as Professor Zoom) first appeared in The Flash #139 (September 1963). The archenemy of Barry Allen, he is the first supervillain to be called the Reverse-Flash.[6] While other speedsters cannot change the past without dramatic consequences, his ability to travel and manipulate time is able to drastically alter history and completely erase people from existence is due to having corrupted the Speed Force which created a negative version.

Wally West

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Main article: Wally West

Wally West briefly impersonated Professor Zoom aka the Reverse-Flash.[7]

Hunter Zolomon

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Main article: Hunter Zolomon

Hunter Zolomon (also known as Zoom) first appeared in The Flash: Secret Files & Origins #3 (November 2001). The archenemy of Wally West, he is the second supervillain to be called the Reverse-Flash. Unlike all other speedsters, he did not gain his superspeed from the Speed Force but due to an accident with the Cosmic Treadmill where he was essentially "derailed" from the time line which allowed him to control the rate at which he moves in time and make him faster than any speedster.

Thaddeus Thawne

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Thaddeus Thawne (a.k.a. Inertia and later Kid Zoom) first appeared in Impulse #51 (August 1999), and was created by Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo. Another character called the Reverse-Flash, he is a clone of Bart Allen. When Bart aged five years after Infinite Crisis and became the Flash, Inertia fought his genetic template again, ultimately killing him alongside the Rogues.[8] Wally West takes revenge by paralyzing Inertia and imprisoning him in the Flash Museum. In Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge, Libra and Zoom use Inertia in an attempt to get the Rogues to join the Secret Society. Inertia steals Zoom's powers and calls himself Kid Zoom, only to be killed by the Rogues, who blame him for making them kill Bart.[9]

When asked who created Inertia, Ethan Van Sciver wrote that he could only accept five percent of the credit; the remaining credit belonged to Mike Wieringo (20 percent), Grant Morrison (25 percent), and Todd Dezago (50 percent). According to Van Sciver, Inertia's appearance is an inverted depiction of Impulse.[10]

Inertia is later resurrected, but is trapped in the Speed Force. Inertia tries to stop Barry Allen, Max Mercury, and Jesse Quick from escaping the Speed Force, revealing that Eobard Thawne promised to release him and let him take over Bart Allen's body once the former succeeded in his plans. After Barry tries to appeal and talk sense into him, Inertia stops his attacks and runs off.[11]

Daniel West

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Main article: Daniel West (character)

Daniel "Danny" West first appeared in The Flash #0 (November 2012). The most recent individual to be called the Reverse-Flash, he is the younger brother of Iris West, father of Ace West, and an enemy of Barry Allen.

Other versions

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Female villain
Reverse-Flash / Lia Nelson in Tangent Comics

An original incarnation of the Reverse-Flash appears in Tangent Comics: The Flash #1 (December 1997). This version is an evil, negative ionic energy-based duplicate of her Earth's Flash, Lia Nelson, who was created by an evil government agency to disperse Nelson's photon-based form. However, Nelson destroys the Reverse-Flash.

In other media

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See also: Eobard Thawne § In other media, and Hunter Zolomon § In other media

Television

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Film

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Video games

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See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Reverse-Flash

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from Grokipedia
The Reverse-Flash is the alias primarily used by , a in DC Comics who serves as the arch-nemesis of the Flash family of speedsters. Originating from the 25th century, Thawne began as an admirer of Barry Allen, the second Flash, but his obsession with the hero's legacy twisted into hatred after he learned of his fated role as Allen's greatest foe. By recreating the chemical accident that empowered Allen, Thawne gained access to the Negative Speed Force, granting him abilities that mirror and oppose those of the Flash. Thawne first appeared in The Flash #139 in July 1963, introduced as Professor Zoom, a time-traveling criminal from the future intent on tormenting the Flash across history. His powers include superhuman speed, time manipulation, and phasing through objects, all derived from the Negative Speed Force, which allows him to generate negative energy and disrupt the positive Speed Force used by the Flash. Unlike the Flash, whom he cannot permanently kill due to their paradoxical connection—Thawne's existence depends on Allen's survival—Reverse-Flash focuses on , altering timelines and targeting the hero's loved ones to dismantle his life. While is the most iconic Reverse-Flash, the mantle has been adopted by others, such as Daniel West, a 21st-century figure driven by personal tragedy and resentment toward the Flash. Thawne's schemes have profoundly shaped key Flash storylines, including the seminal Flashpoint event, where his manipulations created an alternate reality that rebooted the . As a symbol of unrelenting vendetta and temporal chaos, Reverse-Flash embodies the dark mirror to the Flash's heroism, making him one of DC Comics' most enduring antagonists.

Concept and Publication History

Creation and Inspirations

The Reverse-Flash moniker was first introduced in DC Comics as the primary antagonist to the Flash family of heroes, conceptualized by writer John Broome and artist for the character's debut in The Flash #139 (September 1963). The issue, edited by and inked by , marked the inaugural use of the "Reverse-Flash" name to denote a villainous speedster designed as an ideological and visual opposite to Barry Allen, the second Flash. This creation occurred during the Silver Age of Comics, a period characterized by innovative sci-fi elements and the revival of narratives following . The debut story, titled "Menace of the Reverse-Flash!", outlined the initial origin of , a from the 25th century who discovers a containing Barry Allen's costume and becomes pathologically obsessed with the hero. Thawne replicates the suit using advanced future technology, dyes it yellow with red accents to invert the Flash's scarlet design, and harnesses super-speed powers, leading him to travel through time and embrace villainy out of twisted admiration turned enmity. This narrative emphasized Thawne's role as a "reverse" counterpart, with the costume's symbolically contrasting the Flash's traditional red and gold to represent opposition and perversion of heroic ideals. Inspirations for the Reverse-Flash drew heavily from Silver Age time travel motifs prevalent in Flash stories, which frequently explored futuristic threats and temporal paradoxes influenced by classic science fiction like H.G. Wells' concepts of mechanical time displacement in The Time Machine (1895). Broome, known for incorporating speculative elements into his scripts, built on earlier Flash lore involving intellectual adversaries such as the Thinker (Cliff DeVoe), whose strategic mind games prefigured the psychological torment Thawne would inflict through time manipulation. The character's obsessive fandom-to-villainy arc was intended to provide a personal, enduring foil for Barry Allen, setting the template for Reverse-Flashes as intimate nemeses across the Flash family.

Evolution Across DC Eras

The Reverse-Flash debuted in the Silver Age of DC Comics as a singular, time-traveling in The Flash #139 (September 1963), where , a 25th-century scientist obsessed with Barry Allen, replicated the Flash's lightning-struck chemical accident to gain super-speed powers and adopted a yellow costume as an inverted mirror of his idol's red suit. This portrayal established the Reverse-Flash as a personal nemesis driven by twisted admiration, using to torment Barry across eras, powered by his replicated version of Barry's origin accident. The concept remained focused on Thawne's individual vendetta during this period, with no broader multiversal implications yet explored. The character's scope expanded significantly during Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986), which streamlined DC's continuity and retroactively positioned Thawne as the murderer of Barry Allen's mother, Nora Allen, in a pivotal scene in Crisis #12 that revealed the killing as the root of Barry's childhood trauma and framed Thawne as an inescapable force tied to the Flash's destiny. Post-Crisis integrations in the 1990s further embedded Thawne in DC's timeline, as seen in The Return of Barry Allen storyline (The Flash vol. 2 #73-79, 1993), where Thawne returned by impersonating Barry Allen, and Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! (1994), where he exploited temporal disruptions to aid Extant in unraveling history. Later, during Blackest Night (2009), Thawne was resurrected as a Black Lantern, amplifying his role as a recurring speedster threat. This era also introduced elements of Thawne's family lineage, foreshadowing descendants entangled in the Flash's legacy, though the primary focus remained on his schemes against Barry. In the New 52 era (2011 onward) and subsequent Rebirth initiative (2016–present), the Reverse-Flash evolved into a multiversal menace, with Thawne orchestrating large-scale crises like Flashpoint (2011), where his murder of Nora prompted Barry's time-travel intervention, fracturing reality into an alternate timeline that rebooted the DC Universe. The New 52 diversified the archetype by introducing Daniel West, Iris West's brother, as a new Reverse-Flash in The Flash vol. 4 #23.2 (2013), empowered by the Negative Speed Force after exposure to dark matter during a prison break, thus extending the concept beyond Thawne to familial and emotional rivalries. Rebirth intensified this multiversal emphasis, portraying Thawne as a cosmic manipulator who survived the timeline shifts and influenced events in Infinite Frontier (2021), where his temporal incursions threatened the restored multiverse's stability. A notable 2024 development occurred in The Flash vol. 6 #9, where Thawne reemerged with an upgraded Negative Speed Force "virus" that corrupted speedsters' connections, posing a potential existential danger to the entire DC Universe by destabilizing the Speed Force itself. As of 2025, Thawne's influence persists in ongoing Flash titles, though no new major schemes have been detailed. Thematically, the Reverse-Flash shifted from a Silver Age personal stalker fixated on Barry's life to a Post-Crisis and modern cosmic puppet-master whose actions ripple across realities, as exemplified by his indirect causation of the New 52 reboot via Flashpoint and his role in Infinite Frontier's multiversal realignment, underscoring themes of inescapable fate and destructive obsession. In the 2000s, this evolution briefly incorporated psychological variants like Hunter Zolomon's Zoom identity, emphasizing time manipulation over raw speed.

Primary Reverse-Flash Characters

Eobard Thawne

, primarily known as Professor Zoom and the Reverse-Flash, serves as the archenemy of Barry Allen, the second Flash, embodying a twisted obsession that drives him to undermine the hero across eras and timelines. Originating from the 25th century, Thawne's fixation on Allen leads him to replicate the Flash's powers through the Negative Speed Force, a malevolent counterpart to the Speed Force that fuels his villainy. As the most iconic incarnation of the Reverse-Flash, Thawne's actions frequently revolve around psychological torment and temporal sabotage rather than outright destruction, preserving his own existence intertwined with Allen's. Thawne first appeared as Professor Zoom in The Flash #139 (September 1963), created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino, where he emerges from the future to battle Barry Allen using his speed-based abilities. His backstory was further explored in Secret Origins #23 (February 1988), detailing his transformation into a supervillain driven by hero worship turned to hatred. A pivotal storyline unfolded in The Flash vol. 2 #136–141 (1998), titled "The Human Race" by writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, with art including Paul Ryan, in which Thawne impersonates Allen during a cosmic race, manipulating events to erode the hero's life and legacy. More recently, in The Flash #9 (May 2024) from the ongoing series by writer Si Spurrier and artist Ramón Pérez, Thawne integrates with Barry's psyche, enhancing his Negative Speed Force powers through a viral corruption that amplifies global chaos. In the Absolute Flash series, Thawne appears in issue #8 (October 2025), confronting an alternate Jay Garrick in the Absolute Universe. In his fictional biography, Thawne begins as a brilliant but unstable at the Flash in the 25th century, where he becomes enamored with Barry Allen's heroic exploits documented in historical records. Obsessed, he recreates Allen's lab accident to gain super-speed, but exposure to the Negative Speed Force warps his mind, turning admiration into vengeful rivalry. Traveling back to the , Thawne murders Nora Allen, Barry's mother, framing the innocent Henry Allen and setting the stage for Barry's lifelong trauma. This act initiates a cycle of antagonism, with Thawne repeatedly altering timelines to target Barry, his , and allies, ensuring their fates remain entangled in a paradoxical loop of conflict. Thawne's powers stem from the Negative Speed Force, an antimatter-infused energy source that grants him superhuman speed exceeding light velocities, allowing him to outpace Barry in bursts and generate destructive . He excels in time manipulation, creating temporal duplicates or residue to persist beyond death, and phasing through solid matter by vibrating at precise frequencies to evade attacks or commit undetectable crimes. Additional abilities include energy projection via negative blasts and limited reality-warping through speed-induced temporal shifts. However, his greatest weakness lies in his pathological hatred for Barry Allen, which often leads to overconfidence and self-sabotaging decisions, as his existence paradoxically depends on the Flash's survival. Thawne plays a central antagonistic role in Flashpoint (2011), written by and illustrated by , where he goads Barry into altering the timeline by saving his mother, resulting in a dystopian reality that reshapes the . In the 2017 crossover event "The Button," spanning Batman #21–22 and The Flash #21–22 by Tom King, Joshua Williamson, and artists Mikel Janín and Howard Porter, Thawne infiltrates the , taunting Batman and the Flash with a mysterious Comedian's while hinting at larger multiversal threats tied to his resurrections. His 2024 power escalation in The Flash #9 involves infecting the Speed Force with a destructive viral element via his Negative Speed Force connection, granting him symbiotic control over Barry's actions and escalating threats to speedsters worldwide.

Hunter Zolomon

Hunter Zolomon, the third iteration of the Reverse-Flash known as Zoom, was created by writer Geoff Johns and artist Scott Kolins, with his first appearance in The Flash: Secret Files & Origins #3 in November 2001. He fully debuted as the costumed villain Zoom in The Flash vol. 2 #197 in June 2003, marking the start of the "Blitz" storyline that spanned issues #197–200. This arc established Zolomon as a major antagonist, and he later featured prominently in the 2009 Blackest Night: The Flash miniseries, where he interacted with other speedsters amid the Black Lantern crisis. Zolomon's backstory is rooted in profound personal tragedies that shaped his warped sense of heroism. Orphaned young after witnessing his father murder his mother, he grew up to become an FBI profiler specializing in . Befriending , the third Flash, during a joint operation against , Zolomon's life unraveled further when a misjudgment in a hostage crisis led to his father-in-law's death, prompting his wife Ashley to leave him. Paralyzed from the waist down in an attack by the villain , Zolomon begged West to use to undo his misfortunes, but West refused, citing the dangers of altering history. Desperate to become a hero like the Flash, Zolomon infiltrated the Flash Museum and attempted to activate the Cosmic Treadmill, resulting in an explosion that granted him time-manipulation abilities instead of super-speed. Adopting the Zoom moniker as a twisted homage to the Flash's foes, he sought to "improve" superheroes by inflicting tragedies upon them, believing suffering forges true heroism; his primary target became West, whom he viewed as having betrayed their friendship by denying him powers. Unlike traditional speedsters, Zolomon's powers stem from his ability to manipulate his personal timeline, creating the illusion of super-speed by displacing himself across moments at near-lightspeed velocities. This temporal vibration allows him to generate afterimages, phase through objects, and selectively alter events around him without relying on the Speed or its negative counterpart. His control over time enables feats such as slowing or accelerating his perception relative to others, making him appear untouchable even to the Flash, though it comes at the cost of physical strain and inability to truly . Zolomon's conflicts with the Flash escalated dramatically in the "Blitz" arc, where he systematically targeted West's loved ones, culminating in an assault on that trapped her in a temporal loop and caused the miscarriage of their unborn twins. He returned as a manipulator in the 2005 "Rogue War" storyline (The Flash #220–225), pitting the Flash's rogue adversaries against each other to create chaos in Keystone City and further test West's resolve. Imprisoned in Iron Heights following defeats, Zolomon resurfaced in later events, including a cameo in the 2020 Dark Nights: Death Metal crossover, underscoring his enduring role as a psychological tormentor in the Flash mythos.

Edward Clariss

Edward Clariss, better known as the Rival, is the inaugural incarnation of the Reverse-Flash and the primary adversary of the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. He debuted in Flash Comics #104 (February 1949), written by John Broome with pencils by Carmine Infantino and inks by Bernard Sachs. As Jay Garrick's chemistry professor at Midwestern University, Clariss overheard a conversation revealing the "hard water" formula responsible for Garrick's super-speed powers. Obsessed with surpassing his former student, Clariss synthesized a similar serum, but its effects manifested inversely, granting him the ability to run backward at superhuman velocities. Donning a blue costume that inverted the Flash's red attire—complete with reversed lightning emblems—Clariss adopted the moniker the Rival and embarked on a crime spree designed to discredit and destroy Garrick. His backward motion allowed him to undo recent events in minor ways, such as reversing the Flash's actions during pursuits. Garrick ultimately defeated him by exploiting the serum's instability, causing Clariss's powers to dissipate and leading to his arrest and imprisonment. This early portrayal established Clariss as a personal, academically driven foe, distinct from the time-manipulating antagonists that followed. Clariss's powers stemmed from the chemical serum rather than a innate or sustained connection to the Speed Force, limiting their duration and scope to temporary bursts of reverse-directed speed and limited temporal interference. He could imbue others with similar abilities briefly but lacked the endurance or versatility of later speedsters. Unlike or , Clariss represented a proto-Reverse-Flash whose was rooted in professional jealousy rather than multiversal obsession. The character remained dormant for decades before returning in The Flash #211 (December 1971), where he sought to reignite his feud with Garrick after his release from prison. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Clariss was revived as a spectral entity of pure Speed Force energy, pulled from limbo by villain Johnny Quick. He joined the Injustice Society in JSA #16 (November 2000), targeting Joan Garrick—Jay's wife—in a bid for vengeance, only to be banished back to the Speed Force after a team-up defeat by the Justice Society. Further appearances included Impulse #88 (September 2002), where his lingering influence manifested through body possession and deception schemes involving speedster Max Mercury and young hero Bart Allen. Clariss met his end off-panel during the cataclysmic events of Infinite Crisis #4 (2006), slain amid a massacre of legacy villains.

Secondary and Familial Reverse-Flashes

Daniel West

Daniel West is a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, introduced during the New 52 initiative as the third iteration of the Reverse-Flash. Created by writer-artist Francis Manapul and writer Brian Buccellato, he first appeared in The Flash vol. 4 #0 (June 2012), with his Reverse-Flash identity debuting in The Flash vol. 4 #17 (April 2013). West played key roles in major storylines, including the "Forever Evil" event in The Flash vol. 4 #23.2 (November 2013), where his backstory was explored in depth. Born in the impoverished slums of Keystone City, Daniel West endured a traumatic childhood marked by his mother's death during childbirth and abuse from his alcoholic father, William West. Feeling overshadowed by his successful older sister, —a and the aunt of speedster —Daniel turned to petty crime as a means of escape and survival. After running away from home following a violent confrontation with his father, he became a getaway driver for a . Early in Barry Allen's career as the Flash, Daniel was imprisoned for five years after a robbery attempt was thwarted by the hero. Upon release, he sought to rebuild his life but became entangled with the Rogues, a group of Flash's traditional adversaries. During an escape from the Rogues amid a heist, Daniel crashed into a stolen powered by a experimental Speed Force battery, exposing him to its energies. This accident granted him superhuman abilities but also embedded metallic shrapnel from the wreckage into his body, which he later incorporated into his . Motivated by regret over his past, Daniel used his newfound powers to travel back in time, intending to kill his father and alter his tragic . Upon discovering his familial ties to —the nephew of his sister Iris and a fellow speedster—Daniel's motivations shifted toward redemption, though his villainous actions initially positioned him as a direct to the Flash family. He died during a mission with the in New Suicide Squad Annual #1 (November 2015). Post-death, he has appeared in visions, alternate futures, or as constructs in later stories. Daniel West's powers stem from his connection to the Speed Force, granting him speed comparable to the Flash, allowing him to run at velocities exceeding light speed, phase through solid objects via intangibility, and generate powerful energy blasts for combat. He can also siphon Speed Force energy from other speedsters to enhance his strength and speed, making him a parasitic threat in prolonged battles. In the "Rogues " storyline (The Flash vol. 4 #8–13, 2012), Daniel allied with the Rogues after they rescued him from captivity by , temporarily joining their reformed-yet-relapsing crew in a bid for quick wealth, only to betray them upon gaining full control of his powers. These events highlight West's early evolution from street-level criminal to conflicted speedster rooted in .

Thaddeus Thawne

Thaddeus Thawne, also known as , is a and member of the Thawne family lineage, created as an artificial counterpart to the speedster Impulse (). He debuted in Impulse #50 (July 1999), written by Todd Dezago and illustrated by , marking the introduction of a cloned tied to the enduring Allen-Thawne . The character was further developed in subsequent issues of Impulse, exploring his role as a future-descended threat, and received expanded appearances in Teen Titans vol. 3 #17 (January 2005), part of the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline by and Mike McKone. As a product of 30th-century , Thaddeus Thawne was cloned from Bart Allen's DNA, infused with genetic material from the Thawne bloodline—a family descended from , the original Reverse-Flash—to serve as a weapon against the Flash legacy. Raised in a environment by his "grandfather," President Thaddeus Thawne of Earthgov, the younger Thad was conditioned from gestation to embody hatred for the Allens, viewing them as existential enemies. Dispatched to the as an accelerated adolescent, he adopted the alias to mirror and subvert Impulse's impulsive nature, initially posing as a before revealing his mission to assassinate Bart and usurp his life. In later stories, Thad time-travels to alter historical events, perpetuating the Thawne vendetta and aligning with authoritarian futures where speedsters enforce rigid control, reflecting his familial ties to Eobard's destructive obsessions. Thaddeus Thawne possesses inherited Speed Force manipulation, granting him superhuman speed comparable to Impulse, though his connection is filtered through Thawne physiology rather than direct access. Unlike traditional speedsters, he employs localized chronokinesis to slow time in his immediate vicinity, simulating velocity without fully tapping the Speed Force—a technique akin to other Reverse-Flashes and allowing feats like for phasing through solid matter. This power set enables precognitive glimpses by perceiving effects and the creation of temporal duplicates for and multitasking, enhancing his strategic villainy in surveillance-heavy operations. Thad's primary conflicts center on his rivalry with , beginning with a direct assault in Impulse #50–52 (1999), where he ambushes Impulse in , , leading to a high-speed chase and defeat that strands him in the present era. He reemerges in the "Titans Tomorrow" arc ( vol. 3 #17, 2005), depicted in a dystopian future as a core member of the militarized , using his abilities to uphold a regime of enforced "justice" against perceived threats, influencing the team's shift toward authoritarian tactics. Thad makes cameo appearances in DC Rebirth-era futures, such as visions in The Flash vol. 5 #750 (2020), underscoring his persistent role as a looming familial adversary in alternate timelines.

Wally West

Wally West, primarily known as the third incarnation of the Flash, has occasionally been depicted in alternate or corrupted scenarios where he adopts elements of the Reverse-Flash identity, often driven by tragedy or external manipulation. One of the earliest such portrayals occurs in the alternate future of Kingdom Come (1996), written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Alex Ross, where Wally serves as a heroic guardian figure using his speed to protect Keystone City from the fallout of Superman's authoritarian regime. In this dystopian timeline, Wally's role emphasizes his unparalleled velocity, appearing as a blurred, red-streaked figure who sacrifices personal life for vigilance, though he retains his heroic core without fully embracing a villainous Reverse-Flash mantle. A more vengeful and corrupted variant appears in The Flash vol. 2 #138–150 (1998), known as the "Dark Flash Saga." In this storyline, an alternate version of Wally, named Walter West, hails from a timeline shattered by personal loss; unable to prevent the death of his wife during a bombing, he becomes consumed by rage and grief, adopting a darker as the Dark Flash. This Walter crosses into the main timeline, impersonating the original Wally and engaging in aggressive, morally ambiguous actions, including clashes with the , as he seeks to rewrite his tragic past through time manipulation. His transformation highlights a twisted heroism turned obsessive, associating him closely with Reverse-Flash themes of temporal vengeance. The concept expands in later works, such as Flashpoint (2011) by Geoff Johns, where timeline alterations indirectly tie Wally to corrupted realities; though killed early as Kid Flash in the altered world, variant echoes of his speed contribute to the chaotic alterations orchestrated by Eobard Thawne, underscoring Wally's vulnerability to multiversal disruptions. Further exploration occurs in The Flash: Rebirth (2009) by Geoff Johns, where Wally's return from the Speed Force intersects with Reverse-Flash manipulations, amplifying themes of corrupted legacies across DC's continuity shifts. By The Flash Age (2019) one-shot by Joshua Williamson, Wally confronts multiversal variants of himself, including darker iterations influenced by Speed Force anomalies, probing how alternate paths could lead to Reverse-Flash-like antagonism. In these depictions, Wally's powers draw from the Speed Force but manifest in negative, twisted forms suited to his corrupted state. Standard abilities like superhuman speed and phasing are amplified by rage-fueled bursts, allowing time echoes—residual temporal images that haunt or attack foes—and projections that disrupt the Speed Force for others, echoing Reverse-Flash tactics of sabotage and illusion. For instance, the Dark Flash variant employs these to create disorienting speed mirages and accelerate aging in targets, prioritizing destructive retribution over protection. A contemporary escalation appears in The Flash #10 (2024) by , where Wally is ensnared by the Crown of Thawnes, a amalgamation of multiversal Reverse-Flashes. Stripped of memories and implanted as a vessel, this corrupted Wally aids in timeline destruction, his innate Speed Force mastery weaponized for cosmic conspiracy, marking his most direct fusion with the Reverse-Flash archetype as an unwilling harbinger of multiversal collapse. These portrayals contrast Wally's core heroism with explorations of what happens when loss or external forces invert his speed into a tool of vengeance, distinguishing them from his standard adventures while enriching the Reverse-Flash lore through familial and alternate-self dynamics.

Alternative Universe Versions

Tangent Comics

In the Tangent Comics imprint, a DC Comics series launched in 1997 to explore an alternate universe with reimagined heroes and villains, the Reverse-Flash debuted in the one-shot Tangent Comics: The Flash #1 (December 1997). Written by Todd Dezago and illustrated by Gary Frank (pencils) and Cam Smith (inks), this issue is part of the broader Tangent line, which originated from concepts by and featured standalone stories set on what would later be designated Earth-9. The Reverse-Flash is depicted as an artificial construct created by the Nightwing organization, a shadowy led by figures like Terrance Powell, intent on capturing or neutralizing the known as the Flash (Lia Nelson). Formed from negative ionic energy as an evil duplicate of Lia—a young woman whose body is composed of light energy—the Reverse-Flash embodies a technological perversion of the heroine's powers. She emerges during a high-profile holographic premiere event where Lia is celebrated, initially appearing in the Flash's likeness to launch a surprise assault, but she is swiftly overpowered and dismantled by the genuine Flash, who issues a stern warning to Nightwing against further interference. Her abilities revolve around ionic manipulation rather than any Speed Force connection seen in mainline DC continuity, allowing her to shift her form to impersonate others, achieve near-lightspeed flight, discharge powerful ionic energy blasts, and exhibit limited control over for offensive purposes. These powers serve as a "reverse polarity" counterpart to Lia Nelson's photokinetic abilities, enabling effects and energy disruption but lacking the creative versatility of the hero's light constructs. As a one-off , the Reverse-Flash underscores themes of corporate and governmental overreach in the Tangent universe, where superhumans like are both media icons and targets for control, highlighting the perils of weaponized science in this isolated . This iteration draws brief inspiration from the core Reverse-Flash concept as the Flash's arch-nemesis but reinterprets it through a lens of and artificial replication, devoid of time manipulation or personal vendettas.

Adaptations in Other Media

Television

In the , , known as the Reverse-Flash, is a central antagonist in the live-action series The Flash, primarily portrayed by from 2014 to 2023. Cavanagh debuted in the pilot episode, aired October 7, 2014, as Dr. , a renowned and founder of S.T.A.R. Labs who mentors Barry Allen () following the explosion that grants him super speed. The character's true identity is gradually unveiled across the first season, with the episode "Tricksters" (Season 1, Episode 17, aired March 31, 2015) delivering pivotal flashbacks featuring as the original . These sequences depict Thawne murdering Nora Allen in 2000, causing a car crash that kills the real and his wife Tess, and using a futuristic device to assume Wells' appearance and identity. Cavanagh's performance captures Thawne's core traits as a manipulative mentor-turned-archenemy, initially guiding Barry's development as the Flash while covertly engineering obstacles, including accelerating the particle accelerator's timeline to ensure Barry's powers emerge. This portrayal underscores Thawne's obsessive vendetta against the Flash, rooted in a future where Barry's heroism inspires Thawne's own twisted path to speedster infamy. Thawne recurs throughout The Flash's nine seasons via exploits, influencing key arcs and crossovers. In the 2017 event "" (spanning episodes of , , The Flash, and ), Cavanagh returns as a multiverse variant of Thawne, allying with Earth-X's Nazi regime—led by Dark and Overgirl—to invade Earth-1 and disrupt Barry and Iris West's wedding. The character's arc culminates in The Flash series finale, "A New World, Part Four: Finale" (Season 9, Episode 13, aired May 24, 2023), where Thawne reemerges for a time-manipulating showdown with Barry, emphasizing their enduring rivalry and providing narrative closure. Beyond the Arrowverse, the Reverse-Flash lacks significant live-action television roles, though Smallville (2001–2011) incorporates speedster elements as nods to the broader Flash mythos, such as through Bart Allen (Kyle Gallner) as Impulse, a super-speed teen courier who joins Clark Kent's circle and hints at villainous speed threats without directly featuring Thawne.

Film and Animation

In animated media, the Reverse-Flash, primarily as Eobard Thawne, has been portrayed as a manipulative time-traveling antagonist emphasizing spectacle through altered timelines and high-stakes chases. An early reference appears in the animated series Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006), where an android duplicate of the Flash, clad in a yellow suit mimicking the Reverse-Flash's design, fights the Justice League in the episode "Divided We Fall," created by Lex Luthor and Brainiac as part of their fusion plan. The character receives a prominent role in the direct-to-video animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), where C. Thomas Howell voices Eobard Thawne as Professor Zoom. In this adaptation of the Flashpoint comic event, Thawne orchestrates Barry Allen's desperate time travel to save his mother, resulting in a dystopian alternate timeline dominated by Aquaman and Wonder Woman at war; Thawne revels in the chaos, using his Negative Speed Force connection to taunt Barry while aiding his escape from the altered reality. Thawne returns in the film Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018), again voiced by Howell, set in the post-Flashpoint timeline. Here, the Reverse-Flash leads a black-ops on a heist to acquire the "Get Out of Hell Free" card from , exploiting his apparent death by Thomas Wayne's Batman in the prior timeline; the narrative highlights his cunning survival tactics and speed-enhanced combat, culminating in a betrayal that underscores his self-serving obsession with defying mortality. In the direct-to-video animated film DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash (2018), voices Reverse-Flash () as the main antagonist. Thawne manipulates the Speed Force to trap the Flash in a , forcing him to relive the same day over and over in a plot centered on time-travel schemes and high-speed confrontations. A brief cameo occurs in the direct-to-video film Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), the culmination of the . During John Constantine's magical vision to Barry Allen, glimpses of the Flashpoint catastrophe include Thawne's yellow-suited figure, reinforcing the lingering consequences of his timeline manipulations amid the League's final battle against . In live-action film, the Reverse-Flash influences the DC Extended Universe without a direct appearance in major entries. The 2023 film The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti, adapts the Flashpoint storyline, with Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) causing a multiversal crisis through time travel to avert his mother's murder—a plot device originally triggered by Thawne in the comics—leading to alternate realities featuring Michael Keaton's Batman and George Clooney's; this ties into broader DCEU multiverse lore, showcasing time travel's visual chaos with colliding timelines and variant heroes, though Thawne remains an off-screen catalyst.

Video Games

The Reverse-Flash, primarily portrayed as , has appeared in several DC Comics video games, often as a speedster or playable character emphasizing and temporal manipulation drawn from his comic origins. These depictions typically integrate his Negative Speed Force abilities into mechanics, such as rapid dashes and phasing through obstacles, allowing players to engage in high-speed combat or puzzle-solving. In the (2017) fighting game developed by , serves as a playable DLC character and supporting antagonist, voiced by . His moveset highlights time-based powers, including a phasing grab where he vibrates his hand through an opponent's chest for damage and ultimate attacks featuring super-speed flurries and temporal rewinds to reposition foes. These mechanics enable combo chains with fast attacks like Lightning Strikes and Speed Force dashes, making him a high-mobility rushdown fighter effective in close-quarters battles. In (2011–present), an MMORPG by , Reverse-Flash appears as an NPC boss in Flash-related alerts and events, primarily as the variant known as Zoom. Zolomon utilizes time manipulation and speed bursts in encounters, such as Negative Speed Force attacks that disrupt player movement during time-altered phases, while Thawne-inspired elements appear in cosmetic styles for player speedsters. Voiced by Robert Dieke, Zoom features in story arcs involving multiversal threats, where players counter his accelerated assaults with coordinated team tactics. The (2018) by presents a humorous take on Reverse-Flash (Thawne) as a playable character in the main story, particularly in Level 3: "S.T.A.R.S. in Your Eyes." Here, he navigates speed-based puzzles using the Cosmic Treadmill to access high-velocity platforms and phase through barriers, aiding villainous objectives like infiltrating S.T.A.R. Labs. His kit includes super-speed dashes for quick traversal and temporal traps to stun enemies, fitting the game's lighthearted, block-building style with exaggerated animations. Additional appearances include as a summonable ally or foe in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (2013), solvable via object-based puzzles involving his speed powers. In Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014), he is playable with similar velocity mechanics across levels, voiced by .

References

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  2. https://www.dc.com/blog/2016/01/15/whats-the-difference-between-the-reverse-flash-and-zoom
  3. https://www.cbr.com/reverse-flash-dc-best-nemesis/
  4. https://www.comics.org/issue/17859/
  5. https://comicsalliance.com/history-zoom-reverse-flash/
  6. https://www.cbr.com/flash-history-lore-changes-dc-comics/
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  13. https://comicbookclublive.com/2025/10/15/absolute-flash-jay-garrick-eobard-thawne/
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  31. https://screenrant.com/reverse-flash-wally-west-crown-thawnes/
  32. https://www.dc.com/graphic-novels/tangent-comics-1997/tangent-comics-vol-1
  33. https://comicvine.gamespot.com/reverse-flash-tangent/4005-92000/
  34. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3107288/fullcredits
  35. https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/flash-reverse-eobard-thawne-matt-letscher-1201463805/
  36. https://comicbook.com/dc/news/tom-cavanagh-eobard-thawne-crisis-on-earth-x/
  37. https://ew.com/tv/the-flash-tom-cavanagh-returns-reverse-flash-series-finale/
  38. https://screenrant.com/smallville-flash-bart-allen-not-barry-good/
  39. https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Justice-League-The-Flashpoint-Paradox/Professor-Zoom-Eobard-Thawne/
  40. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7877382/
  41. https://www.giantbomb.com/reverse-flash/3005-33298/games/
  42. https://injustice.fandom.com/wiki/Reverse_Flash
  43. https://www.ign.com/wikis/injustice-2/Voice_Cast
  44. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/191337-injustice-2/73857873
  45. https://www.vg247.com/injustice-2-characters-guide-cheat-sheets-all-characters-detailed-special-moves-character-powers?page=7
  46. https://dcuniverseonline.fandom.com/wiki/Professor_Zoom
  47. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/zoom-emblem.303641/
  48. https://www.ign.com/wikis/lego-dc-super-villains/Stage_3:_STARS_in_Your_Eyes
  49. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/xboxone/240045-lego-dc-super-villains/faqs/76565/mission-3-stars-in-your-eyes
  50. https://legomarveldc.fandom.com/wiki/Reverse-Flash
  51. https://lego-videogames.fandom.com/wiki/Reverse_Flash_-_LB3
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