Reverse-Flash
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
The three Reverse-Flashes, corresponding to the first three Flashes, are:
- The Rival
- Professor Zoom
- Zoom
Contents |
[edit] The Rival (Golden Age Reverse-Flash)
The Rival Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #104 (February 1949). He is Dr. Edward Clariss, a professor at the university attended by the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. He believes he has recreated the formula that gives Garrick his speed, which he calls "Velocity 9." Bitter at the rejection of his claims by the scientific community, Clariss becomes a criminal, wearing a darker version of the Flash's outfit. His version of the formula, however, proves to be temporary, and he is defeated when it is expended.
JSA #16 (November 2000) reveals that the Rival battled the Flash several months after his first appearance; in doing so he reaches lightspeed and vanishes into the Speed Force. Following the reformation of the Justice Society of America 50 years later, Clariss is retrieved from the Speed Force (which had been revealed as the Valhalla of fallen speedsters, good or evil, as well as their source of power) by Johnny Sorrow, who invites him to join the new Injustice Society. The Rival, driven to insanity by his time in the Speed Force, races across the country on a super-speed killing spree. The Flash realizes that the Rival's path across the country spells out Clariss' name, and that the final murder will be Jay's wife Joan. The Flash manages to absorb the Rival's speed before he can kill Joan.
The Rival returns in Impulse #88 (September 2002), posing as Joan Garrick's doctor. Now pure speed energy, he possesses Garrick's fellow Golden Age speedster Max Mercury. After battling Jay and Impulse, the Rival escapes, still in possession of Max Mercury's body. He has not been seen since. There is another Reverse Flash of Garrick who was a robot. He looks like Garrick, except the colors of his clothes are reversed. He is easily defeated by Garrick. The robot's only appearance was in one panel in The Flash vol. 2, #134 (February 1998).
[edit] Professor Zoom (Silver Age Reverse-Flash)
Eobard Thawne, Professor Zoom, first appeared in The Flash #139 (September 1963). Originally, he is a criminal from the 25th century, who found a time capsule containing the Silver Age Flash's costume. He is able to use a machine to amplify the suit's speed energy, giving himself the abilities of the Flash as long as he wears it. In the process, the colors of the costume reverse, with the suit becoming yellow, the boots and lightning bolt highlights turning red, and the chest symbol's white circle becoming black. He uses his speed powers to commit crimes. His knowledge of Allen’s dual identity enables him to strike at him by killing his wife, Iris, and later attempting to kill his fiancée Fiona. It was in saving Fiona’s life that the Flash broke Zoom’s neck, killing him.
Professor Zoom later meets Barry Allen's successor Wally West in Flash #74 (March 1993). Due to the complexities of time travel, this is a Zoom from a time before he met Barry Allen. Confused by his trip through time, Zoom believes he is actually Barry Allen. His true personality resurfaces, and he goes on a murderous rampage. Wally manages to trick Zoom into returning to his proper time.
[edit] Zoom (Modern Age Reverse-Flash)
Hunter Zolomon first appeared in The Flash: Secret Files & Origins #3, created by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins.
After arriving in Keystone City, Hunter Zolomon was hired as a profiler, working with the police in their Department of Metahuman Hostilities. His work put him in constant contact with the Flash (Wally West), and the two became good friends. His insight was critical in solving a number of cases, but he always resented being stuck behind a desk.
One day, Hunter was severely injured in an attack by Gorilla Grodd, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He asked Wally West to use the time-travelling cosmic treadmill in the Flash Museum to prevent this from occurring. West refused, saying that he couldn't risk damaging the timestream. Zolomon then broke into the museum and attempted to use the treadmill himself. The resulting explosion destroyed the museum (as well as his remaining sanity) and shifted Hunter's connection to time. He could now alter his personal timeframe, giving the effect of super-speed.
Zolomon decided that West wouldn't help because, unlike Barry Allen, he had never suffered personal tragedy. Zolomon decided that if he became the new Zoom and killed West's wife (Linda Park), this would help the Flash become a better hero.
[edit] Other media
A Reverse-Flash has never appeared directly in any DC live action or animated project; however, in the Justice League Unlimited episode, "Divided We Fall", Brainiac creates robotic copies of the League's villainous counterparts, the Justice Lords, with the Flash squaring off against a duplicate wearing the red-on-yellow costume of the Reverse-Flash.
Continuing the absence of a true Reverse-Flash, the live action television series adaptation The Flash (1990), Barry Allen temporarily takes the false name Professor Zoom while investigating the Mirror Master in the episode "Done With Mirrors" and in the episode "Twin Streaks," a scientist creates a clone of Barry he names Pollux. Though this blue-suited character bears a resemblance to the Reverse-Flash, Pollux has no direct relation to any comic anti-Flash.
In the TV show Robot Chicken, Reverse Flash (voiced by Seth Green) made an appearance robbing a bank, while Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman stand idly by, commenting about how "lame" they think opposite-themed villains like Reverse-Flash, Bizarro and "Negative Wonder Woman" are. It's unknown which Reverse Flash it was.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
[edit] See also
- Blur, a White Martian/Human hybrid who appeared in the Son of Vulcan mini-series.
- Inertia, an evil clone of Bart Allen.
- Johnny Quick, the Flash's evil counter part from the anti-matter Earth
- List of Flash enemies
[edit] External links
- Crimson Lightning, an online index to the comic book adventures of the Flash.
- Justice League Unlimited at the Internet Movie Database
- The Flash at the Internet Movie Database
