Professor Zoom
Encyclopedia
Eobard Thawne, who has gone by the codenames "Professor Zoom" and "Reverse-Flash", is a fictional character
, a comic book
supervillain
in the DC Universe
. Thawne is the Arch enemy of the superhero Barry Allen, the second hero to be called the Flash
. He is also the second of the Reverse-Flash
es, as well as a maternal
forefather
of Bart Allen
(the second Kid Flash
and fourth Flash). He first appeared in The Flash (vol. 1) #139 (September 1963).
Created by John Broome
and Carmine Infantino
, Thawne first appeared in The Flash
(vol. 1) #139 in 1963, and remained one of Barry Allen's most formidable adversaries in comics over the next quarter century. In Flash #324, the character was apparently killed
by the Flash in an effort to save his fiancée, and spare her the death that Thawne gave to Flash's first wife, Iris. Largely unseen over the next 25 years except in sporadic appearances, Thawne was resurrected by writer Geoff Johns
in 2009's The Flash: Rebirth
, and reimagined as a major villain in the DC Universe
with his reintroduction. Johns compares this to his similar treatment of Green Lantern
villain Sinestro
in an early outline of the Rebirth series. In 2009, Professor Zoom was ranked as IGN
's 31st greatest comic book villain of all time.
containing the Silver Age
Flash
's costume. He was able to use a machine to amplify the suit's speed energy, giving himself the abilities of the Flash as long as he wore it. In the process, Thawne reversed the colors of the costume, the suit becoming yellow, the boots and lightning bolt highlights red, and the chest symbol's white circle becoming black. Taking the new name "Professor Zoom", Thawne used his speed powers to commit crimes, but was stopped by the Flash, who had travelled forward in time to witness the time capsule being opened because it also contained an atomic clock
which threatened to explode like an atomic bomb due to the process it had been sent into the Future. The Flash, assuming his counterpart might know where the clock was, pursued Professor Zoom. After a destructive battle, the villain was finally defeated when he boasted how he used a chemical coating to protect himself from air friction. Betting that the invisible aura around his body would be superior protection, the Flash seized Zoom and began to push him forward so fast that the intense air friction overwhelmed the coating and the resulting burns forced Zoom to surrender. However, it all proved a waste of time, as Zoom knew nothing about the clock and the Flash was just barely able to find and remove it to an isolated area before it exploded. He also destroyed the costume to prevent such use again.
Blaming the Flash for his defeat, Thawne began travelling back in time to gain revenge, using his knowledge of history to his advantage. In his second appearance he hypnotized Doctor Alchemy, who was trying to go straight, into helping him. He also became obsessed with "replacing" Barry Allen, not only as the Flash, but as the husband of Iris West
. After Iris finally made it clear that this would never happen (actually the second time she had insisted this, Zoom having erased her memory of the first time), Zoom (apparently) kills her at a party, vibrating his hand into her head. It took a long time for Allen to get his life back together after this. Shortly after he had found love again, Zoom reappeared, threatening to kill his new fiancee on Allen's second wedding day. Terrified that history would repeat itself, Allen instinctively and inadvertently kills his enemy, breaking Thawne's neck in a final struggle. After he was found not guilty of murder in the subsequent trial, despite the fact that Wally West
(the then-Kid Flash and future Flash) testified that Barry could have stopped Thawne without killing him, Barry went to the thirtieth century to retire and live with the resurrected Iris, as it was revealed she was really an inhabitant of that era sent back for protection and that her mind had been taken from the moment before death, only to later die during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
.
Being a time travel
er, Eobard Thawne has managed to appear since then. The Return of Barry Allen storyline in The Flash (vol. 2) #74-79, reveals that he started out as a fan of the Flash and became desperate to meet him. After gaining super-speed by replicating the electrochemical bath that gave Barry Allen his powers, losing years of his life in the process- even undergoing surgery to make himself look like Barry-, he traveled backward in time using the Cosmic Treadmill
to meet his hero. However, Thawne became mentally unstable upon arriving several years after Barry's death due to the fact that over the years the Treadmill had begun to break, discovering he is destined to become a villain, as the name of the Reverse-Flash was not known in his era and it was known in the era he had travelled to, his mind- already disoriented by the stress of time travel- sought escape by convincing himself that he is Barry Allen. However, his true nature is eventually revealed due to his more violent nature, "Barry" attacking Central City in 'revenge' for 'forgetting him', until he is ultimately defeated by the Flash family and sent back to the future, his memory wiped of the incident.
, Barry Allen's long lost twin brother. The Thawne/Allen feud was apparently ended in the 30th century by Meloni Thawne
's marriage to Don Allen, and the birth of their son, Bart Allen
. However, Meloni's father created a "Reverse-Impulse"; a clone of Bart called Thaddeus Thawne, who took the name Inertia
. Inertia made several attempts to replace Impulse before rejecting his role as an instrument of vengeance.
Zoom also returned to battle Wally West, working side-by-side with his own successor, former police profiler Zoom
, having been pulled out of time shortly before Barry broke his neck. Using the cosmic treadmill, the two Reverse-Flashes intended to force Wally to watch the aftermath of his first battle with Zoom (when his wife Linda Park
miscarried) over and over again, but the intervention of Barry Allen, from a time shortly before his death in Crisis on Infinite Earths
, transferred Professor Zoom back to his present, allowing Wally to not only defeat the new Zoom, but also to undo Linda's miscarriage. During this return of Thawne, it was hinted that he retained some vague memories of his time as Barry Allen, as he admitted to having a lost memory in the back of his mind about Wally that drove him to want to see Wally hurt.
in The Flash: Rebirth. It is revealed that he would be resurrected in a near-future event, as his corpse is still buried in the present. He is apparently the one responsible for Barry's return and transformation into the Black Flash. He apparently kills the Black Flash and attempts to transform Barry into its replacement. When he appears again, he murders the revived Johnny Quick
. It is revealed that Thawne recreated the chemical bath that originally gave Barry his speed, allowing Thawne to lure Barry out of the Speed Force during Final Crisis
and, by using that, to create a negative Speed Force, affecting Barry and temporarily turning him into a Black Flash.
He then traps Barry and the revived Max Mercury inside the negative Speed Force, and goes to attack Wally West's kids, Jai and Irey. He attempts to kill them through their connection to the Speed Force before Linda Park-West, only to be stopped by Jay Garrick and Bart Allen. Professor Zoom hates Bart's existence even though his mother is a Thawne which made him his descendant, since he is also a descendant of Barry, whose legacy Zoom is intent on destroying. Bart, in turn, expresses no affection to his maternal forefather, fully aware of the psychopath Zoom really is. He defeats Jay and prepares to kill Bart before Max, Barry and Wally arrive, and take the fight to him. The fight is soon joined by Jesse Chambers and Irey, now with a full connection to the Speed Force and taking up the mantles of Jesse Quick and Impulse.
Zoom pulls Barry away and reveals that everything horrible that happened to Barry, including the death of his mother was caused because of Zoom. He then decides to destroy everything by killing Barry's wife, Iris, before they even met.
As Barry chases after Zoom, Wally joins him in the time barrier. Doing so, they reach Zoom, becoming the lightning bolt that turns Barry into the Flash as they are able to stop Zoom from killing Iris. The Flashes pushes Zoom back through time, showing Zoom his past and future. They 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, when he was the Black Flash. Barry tosses Zoom 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, in the past, Iris discovers Thawne's weapon and keeps it.
In the present, Zoom is imprisoned in the Iron Heights, Hunter Zolomon
speaks to him, saying they can help each other be better. In Gorilla City
, one of the apes warns that Professor Zoom has done something horrible to their jungles, something even they don't know.
. The black power ring
downloaded the corpse's memories, resulting in it not knowing about Barry's death and resurrection. Declaring itself the new Black Flash, the Black Lantern Zoom attacks Barry, who manages to elude it for the moment. When Black Lantern Rogues attack Iron Heights, they encounter the living Zoom, their rings strangely malfunctioning, and displaying a strange symbol
. When the Black Lantern Zoom approaches his living counterpart, he stops moving, and is then frozen by Captain Cold
's "cold grenade". In the final issue of the series, future Black Lantern Zoom is brought back to life by the white light of creation, and manages to escape through the negative Speed Force. It is assumed this Reanimated Professor Zoom went back in time to complete the events of Flash: Rebirth
, which causes this Reanimated Professor Zoom to become the present-day Professor Zoom (from The Flash: Rebirth).
In the Brightest Day
crossover, the present Professor Zoom is still imprisoned in Iron Heights. When Deadman
activates the White Power Battery, the Entity
speaks to the twelve heroes and villains resurrected at the climax of the "Blackest Night" and tells each of them of their mission that must be accomplished in order to restore 'life' to the universe and prevent the Blackest Night from ever restarting. Zoom becomes the first to inadvertently fulfill his mission, which occurred when he freed Barry Allen from the Speed Force
. The Entity proclaims Professor Zoom has completed his task, and his life is restored to him, later revealing that Zoom, having fulfilled his task, is now fully purged of all trace remnants of his Black Lantern ties - both present and future. Professor Zoom is released from Iron Heights by Captain Boomerang, who had hoped to better understand his version of the Entity's message. Zoom does not answer him directly, giving a cryptic response and eventually escaping as Captain Boomerang is confronted by the rest of the Rogues.
(also titled The Reverse Flash Rebirth). Professor Zoom uses his power to completely rewrite
his history. In the story Professor Zoom uses his reverse Speed force powers to wipe his younger brother and rival Professor Drake from history as well as killing his parents when they try to interfere with his research.
Eobard then falls in love with a reporter who had been hired to interview him and his future self at first kills and then wipes the reporter's fiance (and eventually every man who she had ever dated) from existence. However after finding out she did not return Eobard's affections, his future self traumatized the reporter when she was a child, causing her to be mute and institutionalized for the rest of her life so that he never met her.
Finally he had his younger self find the Flash uniform all to make himself the 25th century Flash. As the altered Eobard Thawne runs past him Professor Zoom sheds a tear 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."
event, that has begun.
Zoom later reveals he escaped from prison as his body was permanently connected to the Speed Force, enabling him to create the negative version of it. He plans to ruin Barry's life. It is revealed he was unable to alter Barry becoming the Flash as that would erase him from existence, which he discovers when he nearly phases from existence when attempting to stop the chemicals spilling over Barry when he hopes to become the only Flash ever by making this his origin, though this causes the lightning bolt to pass through him and strike the chemicals, so he decides to ruin Barry's life during childhood, removing his best friend from existence to make Barry more inward, stalking Barry and doing minor things to annoy him like making him miss ball-catches, and killing his mother.
After the Earth is changed into an alternate timeline, Zoom mocks Barry, who remembers how reality should be but has lost his powers, by stalking his mother (who in this reality is still alive), and placing a Reverse-Flash costume inside his ring, causing Barry to realise Zoom is mocking him. Later, Professor Zoom finally appears in front of Barry in the middle of the Amazon/Atlantean war just after Billy Batson is killed. He reveals to Barry that the Flashpoint timeline was created by Barry himself going back in time to stop Professor Zoom from killing his mother. He pulled the entire speed force into him to stop Zoom, transforming history. Zoom resets Barry's internal vibrations so he can remember this. Barry's actions also transformed Zoom into a living paradox, no longer requiring Barry to exist. Zoom continues to taunt Barry with this knowledge and revel in the fact that he can now kill him at his leisure, until he was stabbed in the back and killed by Batman
(Thomas Wayne
) using an Amazon's discarded sword. Barry later travels back in time to stop his younger self from altering time and the timeline is apparently restored. Professor Zoom's status is unknown.
In The Flash: Rebirth
, it is discovered that when Zoom duplicated the incident that granted Barry Allen his powers, he created a negative Speed Force. Through this Speed Force, he also has the ability to create multiple after-images like Hunter Zolomon, the modern day Zoom, and can travel through and alter time. He also can erase people from existence.
In the events leading up to Flashpoint
, Professor Zoom has developed numerous powers including the ability to absorb other people's memories and experiences, change his age, and drastically alter time.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. Thawne is the Arch enemy of the superhero Barry Allen, the second hero to be called the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
. He is also the second of the Reverse-Flash
Reverse-Flash
Reverse-Flash is a title that has been taken by three supervillains in DC Comics. All of them have super-speed and are enemies of the Flash dynasty.-Golden Age:...
es, as well as a maternal
Maternal bond
The maternal bond is typically the relationship between a mother and her child.While it typically occurs due to pregnancy and childbirth, it may also occur between a woman and an unrelated child, such as in adoption...
forefather
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
of Bart Allen
Bart Allen
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...
(the second Kid Flash
Kid Flash
Kid Flash is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero The Flash. The first incarnation of the character, Wally West, debuted in The Flash #110...
and fourth Flash). He first appeared in The Flash (vol. 1) #139 (September 1963).
Created by John Broome
John Broome (writer)
John Broome , who additionally used the pseudonyms John Osgood and Edgar Ray Meritt, was an American comic book writer for DC Comics.-Early life and career:...
and Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
, Thawne first appeared in The Flash
The Flash (comic book)
The Flash is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Jay Garrick, first appeared in Flash Comics #1...
(vol. 1) #139 in 1963, and remained one of Barry Allen's most formidable adversaries in comics over the next quarter century. In Flash #324, the character was apparently killed
Comic book death
In the comic book fan community, the apparent death and subsequent return of a long-running character is often called a comic book death. While death is a serious subject, a comic book death is generally not taken seriously and is rarely permanent or meaningful...
by the Flash in an effort to save his fiancée, and spare her the death that Thawne gave to Flash's first wife, Iris. Largely unseen over the next 25 years except in sporadic appearances, Thawne was resurrected by writer Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
in 2009's The Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth is a six issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver. Published by DC Comics, the series features characters from throughout the nearly seventy year history of Flash comics. This is the creative team's second...
, and reimagined as a major villain in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
with his reintroduction. Johns compares this to his similar treatment of Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
villain Sinestro
Sinestro
Thaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...
in an early outline of the Rebirth series. In 2009, Professor Zoom was ranked as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's 31st greatest comic book villain of all time.
Fictional character biography
Originally, Eobard Thawne was a criminal known as "The Professor" from the 25th century, who found a time capsuleTime capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
containing the Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
Flash
Barry Allen
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 , created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino. His name combines talk show hosts Barry Gray...
's costume. He was able to use a machine to amplify the suit's speed energy, giving himself the abilities of the Flash as long as he wore it. In the process, Thawne reversed the colors of the costume, the suit becoming yellow, the boots and lightning bolt highlights red, and the chest symbol's white circle becoming black. Taking the new name "Professor Zoom", Thawne used his speed powers to commit crimes, but was stopped by the Flash, who had travelled forward in time to witness the time capsule being opened because it also contained an atomic clock
Atomic clock
An atomic clock is a clock that uses an electronic transition frequency in the microwave, optical, or ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum of atoms as a frequency standard for its timekeeping element...
which threatened to explode like an atomic bomb due to the process it had been sent into the Future. The Flash, assuming his counterpart might know where the clock was, pursued Professor Zoom. After a destructive battle, the villain was finally defeated when he boasted how he used a chemical coating to protect himself from air friction. Betting that the invisible aura around his body would be superior protection, the Flash seized Zoom and began to push him forward so fast that the intense air friction overwhelmed the coating and the resulting burns forced Zoom to surrender. However, it all proved a waste of time, as Zoom knew nothing about the clock and the Flash was just barely able to find and remove it to an isolated area before it exploded. He also destroyed the costume to prevent such use again.
Blaming the Flash for his defeat, Thawne began travelling back in time to gain revenge, using his knowledge of history to his advantage. In his second appearance he hypnotized Doctor Alchemy, who was trying to go straight, into helping him. He also became obsessed with "replacing" Barry Allen, not only as the Flash, but as the husband of Iris West
Iris West
Iris West may refer to:* Iris West Allen or Iris West, DC comics character, wife of Barry Allen* Kid Flash , DC comics character, daughter of Wally West...
. After Iris finally made it clear that this would never happen (actually the second time she had insisted this, Zoom having erased her memory of the first time), Zoom (apparently) kills her at a party, vibrating his hand into her head. It took a long time for Allen to get his life back together after this. Shortly after he had found love again, Zoom reappeared, threatening to kill his new fiancee on Allen's second wedding day. Terrified that history would repeat itself, Allen instinctively and inadvertently kills his enemy, breaking Thawne's neck in a final struggle. After he was found not guilty of murder in the subsequent trial, despite the fact that Wally West
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
(the then-Kid Flash and future Flash) testified that Barry could have stopped Thawne without killing him, Barry went to the thirtieth century to retire and live with the resurrected Iris, as it was revealed she was really an inhabitant of that era sent back for protection and that her mind had been taken from the moment before death, only to later die during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
.
Being a time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
er, Eobard Thawne has managed to appear since then. The Return of Barry Allen storyline in The Flash (vol. 2) #74-79, reveals that he started out as a fan of the Flash and became desperate to meet him. After gaining super-speed by replicating the electrochemical bath that gave Barry Allen his powers, losing years of his life in the process- even undergoing surgery to make himself look like Barry-, he traveled backward in time using the Cosmic Treadmill
Cosmic treadmill
The cosmic treadmill is a fictional time travel device in the DC Comics universe. The treadmill first appears in The Flash #125 written by John Broome.-Origins:The treadmill was first seen in The Flash #125 written by John Broome...
to meet his hero. However, Thawne became mentally unstable upon arriving several years after Barry's death due to the fact that over the years the Treadmill had begun to break, discovering he is destined to become a villain, as the name of the Reverse-Flash was not known in his era and it was known in the era he had travelled to, his mind- already disoriented by the stress of time travel- sought escape by convincing himself that he is Barry Allen. However, his true nature is eventually revealed due to his more violent nature, "Barry" attacking Central City in 'revenge' for 'forgetting him', until he is ultimately defeated by the Flash family and sent back to the future, his memory wiped of the incident.
Feud
It was revealed that the Thawnes and Allens had a long-standing feud by the time of the 25th century. Eobard was descended from Malcolm Thawne, a.k.a. Cobalt BlueCobalt blue
Cobalt blue is a cool, slightly desaturated blue color, historically made using cobalt salts of alumina. It is used in certain ceramics and painting; the different cobalt pigment smalt, based on silica, is more often used directly in tinted transparent glasses...
, Barry Allen's long lost twin brother. The Thawne/Allen feud was apparently ended in the 30th century by Meloni Thawne
Meloni Thawne
Meloni Thawne-Allen is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, and the mother of the superhero Impulse. She first appeared in Impulse #23...
's marriage to Don Allen, and the birth of their son, Bart Allen
Bart Allen
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...
. However, Meloni's father created a "Reverse-Impulse"; a clone of Bart called Thaddeus Thawne, who took the name Inertia
Inertia (DC Comics)
Inertia or Kid Zoom is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe.-Creation:When questioned as to who created Inertia, Ethan van Sciver wrote that he could only accept five percent of the credit. The rest was offered to Mike Wieringo , Grant Morrison , and Todd Dezago...
. Inertia made several attempts to replace Impulse before rejecting his role as an instrument of vengeance.
Zoom also returned to battle Wally West, working side-by-side with his own successor, former police profiler Zoom
Zoom (comics)
Zoom is a fictional comic book supervillain from the DC Comics universe. He is primarily associated with the superhero Wally West, the third Flash and is the third of the Reverse-Flashes...
, having been pulled out of time shortly before Barry broke his neck. Using the cosmic treadmill, the two Reverse-Flashes intended to force Wally to watch the aftermath of his first battle with Zoom (when his wife Linda Park
Linda Park (comics)
Linda Park is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She first appeared in Flash #28. Linda is Korean-American...
miscarried) over and over again, but the intervention of Barry Allen, from a time shortly before his death in Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, transferred Professor Zoom back to his present, allowing Wally to not only defeat the new Zoom, but also to undo Linda's miscarriage. During this return of Thawne, it was hinted that he retained some vague memories of his time as Barry Allen, as he admitted to having a lost memory in the back of his mind about Wally that drove him to want to see Wally hurt.
The Flash: Rebirth
Professor Zoom appears within the Speed ForceSpeed Force
The Speed Force is a concept presented in various comic books published by DC Comics, primarily in relation to the various speedsters in the DC Universe.-Empowered:...
in The Flash: Rebirth. It is revealed that he would be resurrected in a near-future event, as his corpse is still buried in the present. He is apparently the one responsible for Barry's return and transformation into the Black Flash. He apparently kills the Black Flash and attempts to transform Barry into its replacement. When he appears again, he murders the revived Johnny Quick
Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers)
Johnny Quick is a Golden Age DC Comics character with the power of superhuman speed. He was a superhero who appeared mostly in More Fun Comics during the Golden Age...
. It is revealed that Thawne recreated the chemical bath that originally gave Barry his speed, allowing Thawne to lure Barry out of the Speed Force during Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
and, by using that, to create a negative Speed Force, affecting Barry and temporarily turning him into a Black Flash.
He then traps Barry and the revived Max Mercury inside the negative Speed Force, and goes to attack Wally West's kids, Jai and Irey. He attempts to kill them through their connection to the Speed Force before Linda Park-West, only to be stopped by Jay Garrick and Bart Allen. Professor Zoom hates Bart's existence even though his mother is a Thawne which made him his descendant, since he is also a descendant of Barry, whose legacy Zoom is intent on destroying. Bart, in turn, expresses no affection to his maternal forefather, fully aware of the psychopath Zoom really is. He defeats Jay and prepares to kill Bart before Max, Barry and Wally arrive, and take the fight to him. The fight is soon joined by Jesse Chambers and Irey, now with a full connection to the Speed Force and taking up the mantles of Jesse Quick and Impulse.
Zoom pulls Barry away and reveals that everything horrible that happened to Barry, including the death of his mother was caused because of Zoom. He then decides to destroy everything by killing Barry's wife, Iris, before they even met.
As Barry chases after Zoom, Wally joins him in the time barrier. Doing so, they reach Zoom, becoming the lightning bolt that turns Barry into the Flash as they are able to stop Zoom from killing Iris. The Flashes pushes Zoom back through time, showing Zoom his past and future. They 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, when he was the Black Flash. Barry tosses Zoom 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, in the past, Iris discovers Thawne's weapon and keeps it.
In the present, Zoom is imprisoned in the Iron Heights, Hunter Zolomon
Zoom (comics)
Zoom is a fictional comic book supervillain from the DC Comics universe. He is primarily associated with the superhero Wally West, the third Flash and is the third of the Reverse-Flashes...
speaks to him, saying they can help each other be better. In Gorilla City
Gorilla City
Gorilla City is a fictional city in the DC Comics Universe. The city, hidden in the jungles of Africa, is home to a race of super-intelligent gorillas, that gained their powers from a meteorite. The supervillain Gorilla Grodd is also from the city. Gorilla City first appears in The Flash vol...
, one of the apes warns that Professor Zoom has done something horrible to their jungles, something even they don't know.
Blackest Night
Zoom's broken-necked corpse was reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern CorpsBlack Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
. The black power ring
Power ring (weapon)
A power ring is a fictional object featured in comic book titles published by DC Comics. It first appeared in All-American Comics #16 .-Origin:...
downloaded the corpse's memories, resulting in it not knowing about Barry's death and resurrection. Declaring itself the new Black Flash, the Black Lantern Zoom attacks Barry, who manages to elude it for the moment. When Black Lantern Rogues attack Iron Heights, they encounter the living Zoom, their rings strangely malfunctioning, and displaying a strange symbol
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
. When the Black Lantern Zoom approaches his living counterpart, he stops moving, and is then frozen by Captain Cold
Captain Cold
Captain Cold, real name Leonard Snart, is a comic book villain created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino as one of the archenemies of Flash. He is a leader of the Rogues...
's "cold grenade". In the final issue of the series, future Black Lantern Zoom is brought back to life by the white light of creation, and manages to escape through the negative Speed Force. It is assumed this Reanimated Professor Zoom went back in time to complete the events of Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth is a six issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver. Published by DC Comics, the series features characters from throughout the nearly seventy year history of Flash comics. This is the creative team's second...
, which causes this Reanimated Professor Zoom to become the present-day Professor Zoom (from The Flash: Rebirth).
In the Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
crossover, the present Professor Zoom is still imprisoned in Iron Heights. When Deadman
Deadman
Deadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino.-Publication history:...
activates the White Power Battery, the Entity
White Lantern Corps
The White Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics.-History:The first White Lantern Corps member was created when Sinestro of Korugar bonded with The Entity, the embodiment of life itself...
speaks to the twelve heroes and villains resurrected at the climax of the "Blackest Night" and tells each of them of their mission that must be accomplished in order to restore 'life' to the universe and prevent the Blackest Night from ever restarting. Zoom becomes the first to inadvertently fulfill his mission, which occurred when he freed Barry Allen from the Speed Force
The Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth is a six issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver. Published by DC Comics, the series features characters from throughout the nearly seventy year history of Flash comics. This is the creative team's second...
. The Entity proclaims Professor Zoom has completed his task, and his life is restored to him, later revealing that Zoom, having fulfilled his task, is now fully purged of all trace remnants of his Black Lantern ties - both present and future. Professor Zoom is released from Iron Heights by Captain Boomerang, who had hoped to better understand his version of the Entity's message. Zoom does not answer him directly, giving a cryptic response and eventually escaping as Captain Boomerang is confronted by the rest of the Rogues.
Post-Infinite Crisis origin
Professor Zoom's origin was written by Geoff JohnsGeoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
(also titled The Reverse Flash Rebirth). Professor Zoom uses his power to completely rewrite
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
his history. In the story Professor Zoom uses his reverse Speed force powers to wipe his younger brother and rival Professor Drake from history as well as killing his parents when they try to interfere with his research.
Eobard then falls in love with a reporter who had been hired to interview him and his future self at first kills and then wipes the reporter's fiance (and eventually every man who she had ever dated) from existence. However after finding out she did not return Eobard's affections, his future self traumatized the reporter when she was a child, causing her to be mute and institutionalized for the rest of her life so that he never met her.
Finally he had his younger self find the Flash uniform all to make himself the 25th century Flash. As the altered Eobard Thawne runs past him Professor Zoom sheds a tear 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."
Flashpoint
Professor Zoom appears impersonating the young boy with the police mistakenly believing that the child was a witness of mysterious murderers who killed the victims that had drastically aged. Later, Professor Zoom revealed to Patty Spivot, Barry Allen's assistant, that he was impersonating the child and tells her that to change the new timeline. He attempts to kill Patty, but is thwarted by the Flash, Kid Flash and Hot Pursuit; Professor Zoom killed Hot Pursuit and escapes to continue impersonating anyone. Elsewhere, Professor Zoom says, "It changes. It all changes." and a lightning bolt strikes from the skies, leading directly into the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, that has begun.
Zoom later reveals he escaped from prison as his body was permanently connected to the Speed Force, enabling him to create the negative version of it. He plans to ruin Barry's life. It is revealed he was unable to alter Barry becoming the Flash as that would erase him from existence, which he discovers when he nearly phases from existence when attempting to stop the chemicals spilling over Barry when he hopes to become the only Flash ever by making this his origin, though this causes the lightning bolt to pass through him and strike the chemicals, so he decides to ruin Barry's life during childhood, removing his best friend from existence to make Barry more inward, stalking Barry and doing minor things to annoy him like making him miss ball-catches, and killing his mother.
After the Earth is changed into an alternate timeline, Zoom mocks Barry, who remembers how reality should be but has lost his powers, by stalking his mother (who in this reality is still alive), and placing a Reverse-Flash costume inside his ring, causing Barry to realise Zoom is mocking him. Later, Professor Zoom finally appears in front of Barry in the middle of the Amazon/Atlantean war just after Billy Batson is killed. He reveals to Barry that the Flashpoint timeline was created by Barry himself going back in time to stop Professor Zoom from killing his mother. He pulled the entire speed force into him to stop Zoom, transforming history. Zoom resets Barry's internal vibrations so he can remember this. Barry's actions also transformed Zoom into a living paradox, no longer requiring Barry to exist. Zoom continues to taunt Barry with this knowledge and revel in the fact that he can now kill him at his leisure, until he was stabbed in the back and killed by Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
(Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne is a fictional character in the Batman series of comic books. Dr. Thomas Wayne was the father of Bruce Wayne, and husband of Martha Wayne, as well as a gifted surgeon and philanthropist...
) using an Amazon's discarded sword. Barry later travels back in time to stop his younger self from altering time and the timeline is apparently restored. Professor Zoom's status is unknown.
Powers and abilities
Professor Zoom is able to move and travel at super-human speeds. Professor Zoom can travel up to speeds of 655,000,000 m.p.h. (speed of light), deliver hundreds of blows a second, run on water, create cyclones, and vibrate his molecules superfast to pass through solid objects.In The Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth is a six issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver. Published by DC Comics, the series features characters from throughout the nearly seventy year history of Flash comics. This is the creative team's second...
, it is discovered that when Zoom duplicated the incident that granted Barry Allen his powers, he created a negative Speed Force. Through this Speed Force, he also has the ability to create multiple after-images like Hunter Zolomon, the modern day Zoom, and can travel through and alter time. He also can erase people from existence.
In the events leading up to Flashpoint
Flashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
, Professor Zoom has developed numerous powers including the ability to absorb other people's memories and experiences, change his age, and drastically alter time.
Television
- In The FlashThe Flash (TV series)The Flash is a 1990 American television series that starred John Wesley Shipp as the superhero, the Flash , and co-starred Amanda Pays. The series was developed from the DC Comics characters by the writing team of Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, and produced by their company, Pet Fly Productions, in...
television show, Barry, while pretending to be the scientist who "created" the Flash, calls himself "Professor Zoom". - In the season two finale of Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
, BrainiacBrainiac (comics)Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
created evil robot versions of the Justice Lords. The Flash's counterpart wore the reversed colors like ZoomZoom (comics)Zoom is a fictional comic book supervillain from the DC Comics universe. He is primarily associated with the superhero Wally West, the third Flash and is the third of the Reverse-Flashes...
's. His insults to Flash, calling him things like slacker and clown, are reminiscent of Zoom's insults. - Professor Zoom appears in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!" voiced by John Wesley ShippJohn Wesley ShippJohn Wesley Shipp is an American actor best known as Mitch Leery, the title character's father on the television drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2001 and for roles in several daytime soap operas...
(who played Barry Allen in the live action Flash TV series). He was the evil ruler of the 25th Century upon being chased there by Barry Allen. So by using a time traveling treadmill, the other two Flashes Jay Garrick and Wally WestWally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
(in his Kid Flash alias) and Batman get there to stop him.
External links
- Professor Zoom at the DC Database
- Professor Zoom at Those Who Ride the Lightning
- Professor Zoom at the DCU Guide