Reverse-Flash: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Eobard Thawne

First Appearance: The Flash #139 (September, 1963)

Powers: Can travel at speeds faster than light, travel through time, can become intangible, is able quickly heal from wounds, and can create a mirage of himself. Can also project sonic shockwaves, create vortexes, and absorb both speed and memories from others.

Affiliation: Secret Society of Supervillains, Injustice League, Black Lantern Corps, Acolytes of Doom, and Legion of Doom.

Did You Know? Reverse-Flash is so powerful that he can manipulate time. 

A Little History

The origin of Reverse-Flash is pretty straightforward. 

As it was originally written, the Reverse-Flash is Eobard Thawne and Eobard Thawne is from the 25th Century. After discovering a time capsule containing the suit of Barry Allen, an atomic clock, and a Tachyon device, Thawne relentlessly begins to work at becoming his time period’s Flash. He does this after successfully using the Tachyon Device to give himself super speed. Now with speed, he reversed the colors of Barry’s costume, called himself Reverse-Flash, and went on a massive crime-spree. 

What he didn’t foresee was that the Flash was out looking for the atomic clock. When he found it in Reverse-Flash’s hands, he quickly dispatched the villain, safely detonated the clock, and destroyed the Reverse-Flash’s costume. 

Blaming Flash for his defeat, Thawne traveled back through time to Barry’s time period. Once there, he sought out revenge all-the-while looking for a way to replace Barry as The Flash.

During the Post-Crisis story, his origin was slightly changed. In this version, Thawne was a scientist so obsessed with Barry Allen that he had plastic surgery done so that he would look like him. One day while out, he noticed something strange in a nearby antique shop. Upon further investigation, he learned that his finding was actually the Cosmic Treadmill. With the Treadmill in his possession, Thawne replicated the accident that caused Barry to receive his speedster abilities. 

Now with power, Thawne used the Treadmill to travel back through time. Unfortunately, he miscalculated his arrival and instead of arriving during Barry’s life, he arrived a couple of years after his death. Frustrated, he visited the Flash Museum only to learn his own destiny. That is, he learned that he was to become the Reverse-Flash and that he was going to be killed by his idol. This caused him a mental breakdown. As a result, he began to attack Central City. Eventually, he was defeated by Wally West and sent back to his own time period. 

And that’s it. The origin of Reverse-Flash.