Supervillain Origins: Professor Zoom
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VOICE OVER: Dan Paradis
Script written by Jamie Leslie.
Eobard Thawne is considered by many, himself included, to be The Flash's arch rival. Thawne is from the future, and goes back in time with the express purpose of tormenting Barry Allen. There is no arguing Thawne's obsession with the Scarlet Speedster, as Thawne was so obsessed with The Flash that he even recreated the accident that gave The Flash his powers, calling himself Professor Zoom. Unable to kill The Flash without erasing himself from existence as well, Professor Zoom devoted his life to making The Flash's life a living hell. Join http://www.watchmojo.com as we explore the comic book origins of Professor Zoom.
Special Thanks to our users aldqbigsquare, ibriers 1, Sean Idland, Luis Abreu, Bølmëpëï Exvã, Thijmen van Hoorn, Gambit14, AnglerProductions, StarDustDragonLoL, Jaime Enrique Gutierrez Pérez, Fionn Conroy, Ace14Demon, g-origin769, Ramses Mosley-Wise, Sleeperagent3056, Zachary Forest, Josh Ng, for suggesting this Origins idea on our Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.com
Eobard Thawne is considered by many, himself included, to be The Flash's arch rival. Thawne is from the future, and goes back in time with the express purpose of tormenting Barry Allen. There is no arguing Thawne's obsession with the Scarlet Speedster, as Thawne was so obsessed with The Flash that he even recreated the accident that gave The Flash his powers, calling himself Professor Zoom. Unable to kill The Flash without erasing himself from existence as well, Professor Zoom devoted his life to making The Flash's life a living hell. Join http://www.watchmojo.com as we explore the comic book origins of Professor Zoom.
Special Thanks to our users aldqbigsquare, ibriers 1, Sean Idland, Luis Abreu, Bølmëpëï Exvã, Thijmen van Hoorn, Gambit14, AnglerProductions, StarDustDragonLoL, Jaime Enrique Gutierrez Pérez, Fionn Conroy, Ace14Demon, g-origin769, Ramses Mosley-Wise, Sleeperagent3056, Zachary Forest, Josh Ng, for suggesting this Origins idea on our Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.com
Script written by Jamie Leslie.
He doesn’t run backwards, but the Reverse Flash is every bit the antithesis of The Flash himself. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Eobard Thawne, aka Professor Zoom, aka, The Reverse Flash.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen to primarily follow the storyline, which unfolded in 1963’s “The Flash” issue #139 and was expanded on in 1993's “The Flash Vol. 2” #74-79.
In Professor Zoom's debut comic appearance, he was introduced as a brilliant scientist from the 25th century, dissatisfied with the mundane utopia of time period. When a time capsule from Barry Allen, AKA The Flash's 20th century finds its way to his city, he acquires one of the speedster's super suits.
Discovering that the suit still held some super speed wave patterns, Professor Zoom dyes the suit in reverse colors to represent his aversion for the superhero, and uses its power to become The Flash's most diabolical villain through means of time travel.
Through his many escapades with his rival, Professor Zoom's hate for the scarlet speedster soon transformed into envy, when he falls for Flash's wife, Iris West. He offers her an ultimatum to leave her husband and to spend the rest of her life with him. For some unknown reason, Iris decides to refuses this ‘generous’ offer. Zoom becomes enraged and kills her by vibrating his hand through her skull.
When The Flash discovers the one responsible for the death of his wife, he sends Professor Zoom into a timeless void through means of his time machine, believing himself to be rid of the villain forever.
Years later the two would be fated to meet again when Professor Zoom finally makes his way out of the hellish “realm-of-no-return” and seeks to have Barry join his late wife.
He makes his dashing return on the day of Barry Allen's second wedding, and attempts to kill his new fiancé. Refusing to let the cruel fate befall him again, The Flash stops Professor Zoom by snapping his neck, killing him instantaneously.
Eobard Thawne's origin story was later revisited in the Wally West Flash era, where the professor was revealed to be a Flash fanatic in the 25th century. His obsession for the hero drove him to not only study his biography, but transmute his facial features to resemble him.
When he uses his time machine to go back in time and meet his hero, he doesn't travel back far enough and ends up in a time after Barry Allen's death. It is here that he discovers his destiny in becoming the Reverse Flash, his idol's greatest threat.
The realization warps his mind, ensuing him to pose as a resurrected Barry Allen. Initially fooling the public, his identity is later revealed when his jealousy of the real Flash spirals out of control.
Wally West challenges the villain and sends him back to his own time, wiped of his memory, but with a newly acquired distaste for The Flash.
While Professor Zoom's disposition has allowed him to make subsequent attacks on The Flash's life, he's prevented from ever killing him, as he would cease to exist without the superhero fueling the Speed Force. He's instead settled with forcing Barry Allen to live out a life of despair and grief by killing the ones most closest to him through means of time travel, such as his own mother.
Despite the super speedsters hate for each other, the Speed Force forever tethers them to each other; with The Flash representing it's positive energy, and Professor Zoom representing the negative.
Professor Zoom has since appeared across various media, notable being the antagonist in the beloved 2013 animated feature “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Recently, we’ve seen Professor Zoom on the small screen, portrayed by actor Tom Cavanagh on CW's “The Flash”.
Are you a fan of the man in the yellow suit? For more super top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
Supervillain Origins: Professor Zoom
He doesn’t run backwards, but the Reverse Flash is every bit the antithesis of The Flash himself. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Eobard Thawne, aka Professor Zoom, aka, The Reverse Flash.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen to primarily follow the storyline, which unfolded in 1963’s “The Flash” issue #139 and was expanded on in 1993's “The Flash Vol. 2” #74-79.
In Professor Zoom's debut comic appearance, he was introduced as a brilliant scientist from the 25th century, dissatisfied with the mundane utopia of time period. When a time capsule from Barry Allen, AKA The Flash's 20th century finds its way to his city, he acquires one of the speedster's super suits.
Discovering that the suit still held some super speed wave patterns, Professor Zoom dyes the suit in reverse colors to represent his aversion for the superhero, and uses its power to become The Flash's most diabolical villain through means of time travel.
Through his many escapades with his rival, Professor Zoom's hate for the scarlet speedster soon transformed into envy, when he falls for Flash's wife, Iris West. He offers her an ultimatum to leave her husband and to spend the rest of her life with him. For some unknown reason, Iris decides to refuses this ‘generous’ offer. Zoom becomes enraged and kills her by vibrating his hand through her skull.
When The Flash discovers the one responsible for the death of his wife, he sends Professor Zoom into a timeless void through means of his time machine, believing himself to be rid of the villain forever.
Years later the two would be fated to meet again when Professor Zoom finally makes his way out of the hellish “realm-of-no-return” and seeks to have Barry join his late wife.
He makes his dashing return on the day of Barry Allen's second wedding, and attempts to kill his new fiancé. Refusing to let the cruel fate befall him again, The Flash stops Professor Zoom by snapping his neck, killing him instantaneously.
Eobard Thawne's origin story was later revisited in the Wally West Flash era, where the professor was revealed to be a Flash fanatic in the 25th century. His obsession for the hero drove him to not only study his biography, but transmute his facial features to resemble him.
When he uses his time machine to go back in time and meet his hero, he doesn't travel back far enough and ends up in a time after Barry Allen's death. It is here that he discovers his destiny in becoming the Reverse Flash, his idol's greatest threat.
The realization warps his mind, ensuing him to pose as a resurrected Barry Allen. Initially fooling the public, his identity is later revealed when his jealousy of the real Flash spirals out of control.
Wally West challenges the villain and sends him back to his own time, wiped of his memory, but with a newly acquired distaste for The Flash.
While Professor Zoom's disposition has allowed him to make subsequent attacks on The Flash's life, he's prevented from ever killing him, as he would cease to exist without the superhero fueling the Speed Force. He's instead settled with forcing Barry Allen to live out a life of despair and grief by killing the ones most closest to him through means of time travel, such as his own mother.
Despite the super speedsters hate for each other, the Speed Force forever tethers them to each other; with The Flash representing it's positive energy, and Professor Zoom representing the negative.
Professor Zoom has since appeared across various media, notable being the antagonist in the beloved 2013 animated feature “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Recently, we’ve seen Professor Zoom on the small screen, portrayed by actor Tom Cavanagh on CW's “The Flash”.
Are you a fan of the man in the yellow suit? For more super top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
