Author: Eobeth

I'm a fan of Eobard Thawne aka Reverse Flash / Professor Zoom. I cosplay as a female version (DC Earth-11) hence the name Eobeth. I use this site (and Tumblr) to collect my reviews of merchandise, comics and media with Eobard in. I am slowly reviewing every comic he has ever been in.

The Secret Society of Super-Villains pt 1.

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This review goes into detail of the plot and thus spoilers.

So in 1978, shortly after Flash issue 223, Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash briefly appeared in the secret society of super-villains comics. It was during the last plot of the comic before it got cancelled. However it is kinda amusing and so I am going to review it anyway.

Issue 12 – The plunder plan

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So this comic starts with The Wizard, an insane, overpowered villain marvelling at his own powers. His display alerts his fellow secret society members Plant Master and a Star Sapphire.

Star bitches that Wizard is basically just showing off and he threatens her, demanding respect. They used to have a leader called Flashman but the Wizard has taken over. Though so far he hasn’t actually hatched a plan to plunder the riches he had promised.

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Meanwhile, in the city another secret society member, Copperhead is fresh out of jail and stealing stuff. He is stopped by hero Captain Comet. Apparently Comet is a mutant from the future with flight, strength and psychic powers. He takes out Copperhead but discovers that he has some psychic shielding given by Grodd, as does the rest of the secret society. But Captain doesn’t have time to think about that because he is off to get laid as his alter ego, Adam Blake.

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Later that night in Gotham city Plant Master is breaking into a hospital to bust out a big bruiser of a villain called BlockBuster. However Robin is right there and they get into a fight. He knocks out Robin and they take off. Though Robin contacts Batman. Turns out BlockBuster is one of the strongest villains they have fought though he is pretty mindless and just wants to kill Batman.

Back at the villain’s secret citadel The Wizard is calling a meeting. He wants to break into STAR labs though Star is unhappy about this as they were promised riches not tech. Wizard then introduces the newest member of their team, Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom. Wizard mystically called him from the future with the promise of riches as well. BlockBuster is all annoyed at the talk and goes berserk. But luckily Eobard is there is resolve the issue.

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Wizard then explains his plan/back history. Turns out that he is from Earth 2 and was the leader of a group of villains called the Injustice Society. The Injustice Society always got beaten by the heroes and Wizard came to the conclusion that it wasn’t due to bad plans, egos or the inability to work together. No. It was cause it had become habit. His fellow villains had gotten used to getting beaten and thus were psychologically beaten (*facepalm*). So he got sent to Earth 1 to find new villains. He financed Funky Flashman’s villain’s for hire operation, waited till he had stolen a bunch of arcane power items and then took over.

Meanwhile Captain Comet is using his mind powers to locate
the society. He finds unusual brain waves and tracks them to STAR labs. He gets in a fight with BlockBuster who knocks him out for a bit.

The society are already inside looking for the machine to transport them to Earth 2. Wizard has convinced them that they are more powerful than the Earth 2 heroes and that plundering will be easy. Star raises some concerns but like so much of this comic Wizard shuts her down and puts her in her place by knocking her out.

I personally find the treatment of Star rather sexist as she is the only one asking sensible questions and is permanently punished for it. However it could just be to show what a dick Wizard is. Anyway, Wizard needed Eobard to be able to work the machine in the first place. He does so and they all disappear to Earth 2 with Captain Comet following not far behind.

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Figure Toys Mego Reverse Flash

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Figure Toys has announced that they are producing this Reverse Flash figure. The Mego Museum website has all the details. Though there is no release date yet. I’m personally not a fan of this style of figure but it does go really well with the old style comics. I’d love to have one to make a classic display.

One:12 Mezco Professor Zoom figure

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Forbidden Planet has this figure for pre-order HERE at the price of £85. Should be available in the UK from the 15th of November. Description says;

Eobard Thawne, a speedster from the 25th-century known as Reverse Flash, is one of the Flash’s most dangerous foes. Meticulously developed to capture his speedy look, this figure is outfitted with Mezco’s hyper-articulated One:12 Collective body. Featuring over 32 points of articulation, intricate sculptural work, incredible costume detailing, and tons of accessories, the final result is a seamless blend of a timeless icon with a “real world” look.

The Reverse Flash has a 1:12 scaled, highly realistic fabric uniform with special silk screening applications, including logo and footwear.

Chain Lightning pt 1

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I’m going to be reviewing the next arc of Wally West’s Flash in which Eobard appears. It’s called Chain Lightning but its six issues long and Eobard is only in three of them. So I’m only going to review in depth the three that he is in and I’m going to summarise the others just for completion.

So here is a summary of part 1;

Issue 145: The gathering storm.

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Malcolm Thawne (villain Cobalt Blue) is the currently disappeared Barry Allen’s (original Flash) twin brother, separated at birth and adopted by the Thawne family. He has sworn vengeance against all Flashes, both past and present. Using sorcery he created a gem full of a frightening and unpredictable power to aid him in this. He tried to use it to kill Wally West (Mk2 Flash) but failed. However there is a prophecy that the gem’s magic will span the next thousand years and doom the entire Allen legacy, giving way to a Thawne legacy full of serial killers and villains. Two Flashes will die before Barry Allen, when he was still alive in the 30th Century, is slain (Though wouldn’t that fuck with him being able to save everyone in infinite crisis and thus stop that from happening and thus the world would end???)

So anyway, to prevent all this Wally, aided by Jay Garrick (Grandpa Flash), Max Mercury, Bart Allen (Impulse, also Barry’s grandson and half Thawne) and Jesse Chambers (Jesse Quick) travel through time to save all future Flashes and stop the Thawne-Allen feud. Jesse stopped in 2764 but ran into trouble in the form of that times Cobalt Blue, a female with green skin and blue hair. She is aided by Jace Allen who is in a Jay-esque outfit. This Cobalt Blue’s power is that her blue fire doesn’t burn but breaks things down at a molecular level. Jesse gets engulfed by the fire and it leaves this comic on a dramatic ending.

Eobard’s return pt 7 – 1993 Flash Issue 79

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This is a full length review detailing the plot of the below
comic, many spoilers!

Issue 79: The once and future Flash

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Ok, so final part and I am totally torn. On the one hand, YAY! Eobard isn’t dead. On the other, this story is just so….. Well I think you’ll get my opinion from the review.

This issue starts with Wally West (Mk2 Flash) and Eobard Thawne (Professor Zoom/Reverse Flash) fighting among the remains of the Flash Museum. Wally’s losing but is determined to find out why all this has happened. Wally confesses that he is confused because he saw the real Barry snap Eobard’s neck all those years ago, killing him. However Eobard states that he hasn’t even met Barry yet (which is really dubious considering his origin comic). He claims that in 2460 there is no crime and all heroes have been forgotten (this also goes against the original stuff as they have a
knowledge of heroes and they have jails and crime in the future as per the 60s/70s comics).

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Anyway, Wally encourages him to talk and he does. Apparently Eobard liked history, discovered the JLA and Flash was his favourite hero for being pure, noble and sacrificing himself to save mankind. So he becomes obsessed, collecting Flash memorabilia, prizing the biography he found (I still prefer the original material and not this rewrite. Everything from here diverges completely). He even has plastic surgery to look like Barry. So one day whilst in an antiques shop he finds the Cosmic Treadmill. The guy won’t sell it and so he kills him and take it. Then he gets to work replicating the original accident that gave Barry his powers, spending his fortune and loosing years of his life. But it is apparently worth it because he gets the super speed powers and plans to travel back to meet Barry and become his sidekick. So he travels through time, misses his mark and ends up in Wally’s era. Half naked and disorientated he makes it to the Flash Museum.

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Eobard finds a new purpose in becoming the Flash, wanting to be a hero and join Wally and the others. So he goes to look through the rogue’s gallery only to discover that he, Eobard Thawne is actually the Flash’s worst enemy (Ok, so there are paradox issues here that upset me). This drives him crazy as he knows that his hero is destined to kill him. However, he realises that he can’t be killed if he hides and then he sees his reflection that he looks like Barry Allen and his mind snaps. Delusional, his mind retreats behind the identity of Barry Allen and thus becomes him (Meh). This does explain why the Lantern ring said he was telling the truth, because he honestly thought he was.

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Wally vows to send Eobard back to his own time, though he doesn’t want to go because then he’d meet Barry and be destined to die. Eobard goes to destroy the cosmic treadmill but Wally talks him out of it, so he tries to take out Wally instead but is interrupted by Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Max Mercury and Johnny Chambers (Johnny Quick). Hal’s ring still has the yellow impurity and thus his powers don’t really work on our yellow clad villain. The two speedsters also fail because Eobard is just faster than both of them. Hal instead drops a load of rubble on him but Eobard vibrates through it escaping whilst vowing to come back and take out Wally like he did Jay Garrick.

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Wally has only just discovered that something happened to Jay and so the whole group go to visit him in hospital. Eobard broke his leg in 6 places. Wally feels that it is all his responsibility but the team aren’t really having it. He does point out who the author of the future biography is which we’re not told but does makes everyone happy. Meanwhile on the TV behind them Wally’s girlfriend Linda Park is doing an interview when she is interrupted by Eobard killing her guest and then taking her hostage. Eobard is back to his original face by this point as well, though I am not sure how.

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Anyway, Wally runs to save Linda and does. Then the fight starts. Wally is at a total disadvantage cause Eobard is practically invisible to him as he is moving so fast. Wally is down but Eobard goads him and his words hit home. Wally struggles up, kisses Linda goodbye and then chases after Eobard. Wally finally lets go of his fear of replacing Barry by being as fast and thus becomes as fast, an equal match for Eobard. They fight but Wally loses his footing and Eobard is about to kill him when a miracle happens and Eobard gets struck by lightning. Wally then takes the advantage, beats the crap out of Eobard and tricks him back onto the cosmic treadmill, sending him home.

So Eobard gets home, his mind addled and not remembering his trip to the future. Though there are two problems. One is that he was missing for 48 days. And two is that he would still have speed powers. I know I mentioned this before but I totally don’t see why they had to change his whole back history and do all this when they still could have done this plot within the original canon.

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Anyway, Wally is happy, the other heroes are happy and Linda is too. Jay is healing up well. And in the last pages they reveal who wrote the biography of Barry Allen, it was Iris West-Allen and in 1997 a good few years after when the comic is set.

Eobard’s return pt 6 – 1993 Flash Issue 78

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This is a full length review detailing the plot of the below comic, many spoilers!

Issue78: Blitzkrieg

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  This issue starts 2 days after the last one with Johnny Chambers (Johnny Quick) trying to teach Wally West (Mk2 Flash) the speed formula he uses to go fast. Turns out that he and Jay Garrick (grandpa Flash) were saved from that explosion in the last issue by Max Mercury as he is really fast. All three of them are trying to teach Wally how to be faster as he is still slower than Barry Allen (Flash). And they need to be as fast as Barry because he has gone all super villain and is destroying the city.

Anyway, Max tries to teach Wally the Zen of speed but he isn’t buying it. So he tries psychology instead, pointing out that Wally isn’t as fast as Barry because he is holding back, cause if he was then he’d have truly taken his hero’s mantle as the new Flash, something that Wally already felt guilty about it. Jay calls Wally the Flash, rather than his usual Junior, saying he has put his faith in him and it is feel good all round. Until Wally shares what he has learnt about Barry from the book he found. It causes Jay to go white and the others too once Wally explains. However Wally has a plan.

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  Barry is at the State Penitentiary in Central City freeing all the criminals and stealing all the guard’s guns. Barry gives all the prisoners a weapon and rallies them to join him in taking over the city. Must admit that the art is a little peculiar/dodgy here. Suddenly the speedster heroes turn up, disarming the criminal. Jay punches Barry, inviting him for a rematch.

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  Meanwhile Wally is at the Flash museum or what is left of it after Barry and Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) had a massive fight there. So Wally is busy setting up his plan all the while doubting himself and wondering if he sent the other speedsters off to die. But he finds what he is looking for. I notice at this point he is calling Barry ‘The renegade Flash’ and that is very telling of where this is going.

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  Back at the prison Max and Johnny are taking care of all the criminals, turning the tear gas against them and giving the guards back their weapons. Jay is battling Barry and this is where it gets confusing because he beats Barry this time, and Barry says that Jay is faster but just lacking endurance. And so they fight some more, Jay telling him he doesn’t deserve to be the Flash but this just enrages Barry to the point where he breaks Jay’s leg. Then he takes out Max and Johnny, swearing that when he takes over it won’t be as Barry Allen but as the one true Flash.

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 So he rushes off to the Flash museum where he is confronted by Wally who is holding a ring. Wally throws it to him and for a moment Barry looks pained before smiling and admitting that it is his. Wally has finally worked it all out. This isn’t Barry and this imposter has had everyone fooled, even himself. Obviously confused from materialising he dropped the book, the Barry Allen biography, that Wally found. A book that wasn’t written yet, a book that must have been from the future, much likes it’s owner; Eobard Thawne, Professor Zoom / the Reverse Flash (Woot, yay, finally!!!)

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Eobard’s return pt 5 – 1993 Flash Issue 77

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Issue 77: Suicide Run

So it’s 5 issues in and still no Eobard. However I’m pretty sure by this point that I know where this plot is going and he is going to turn up next issue. Having to read all 5 parts just to get there has been variable. Some issues, like 4, were quite good, but others have been a bit meh.

 

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  This issue starts with Wally West (Mk2 Flash) watching Barry Allen (Flash) on tv fighting Hal Jordan (Green Lantern). Wally is currently a scruffy mess as he wallows in angst cause Barry left him for dead in the last comic and has since become a villain. He’s really emotionally fucked up over how he used to worship Barry and tried to live up to his legend but now he feels betrayed, wants to die and doesn’t believe he is fast enough to stop Barry either. So he goes out for a walk.

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  Meanwhile on a building site a bunch of builders are discussing current events. Amusingly they call Wally the shiny flash and Jay the old Flash with the hat. Barry is now dubbed evil Flash. Speaking of which they are suddenly thrown from their scaffolding by evil Flash and saved by Jay Garrick, Max Mercury and Johnny Quick. A huge fight ensues. Johnny is basically not fast enough to take on Barry.

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  Next up is Max. He is faster than Johnny but not as fast as Barry. However he is smart and uses the scaffolding to his advantage. Max is also an agile gymnast, having an advantage over Barry who his trying to balance as he chases him up the scaffolding. But Barry uses the typical hero weakness and endangers civilians.

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  So whilst Wally is out on his walk he wanders to the place where Barry rematerialized. He realises where he is and has a look for clues. Some homeless guy is reading a suspiciously Flash themed book and so Wally buys it off him. Turns out it is Barry’s journal. But something about it spooks Wally. Whatever it is gives him back his confidence and he claims the title of the Flash again, vowing to take Barry down now that he knows his secret.

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  Still on the building site Jay tells Barry it is his last chance to surrender but Barry just boots him in the face. Helicopters turn up but Barry is busy beating the crap out of Jay. He eventually spots the news crew and tries to take down the helicopter. Jay, Max and Johnny try to rescue the film crew but the helicopter explodes seemingly killing the three speedsters.

Eobard’s return pt 4 – 1993 Flash Issue 76

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This is a full length review detailing the plot of the below comic, many spoilers!

Issue 76: Identity Crisis

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This issue starts with Wally (Mk2 Flash) reminiscing about
how he became Kid Flash when he was 10. So he talks
about how happy he was until Barry (Flash) disappeared whilst saving the world.
Now he is conflicted due to Barry’s return.  Wally is worried that he is now redundant as
he isn’t as fast or experienced as Barry. But Barry seems to be becoming more
erratic and protective of his own identity and that has got Wally worried as
well. Barry is currently staying with Jay Garrick (Grandpa Flash) but he hasn’t
raised any concerns. So Wally gets suited up and goes to fight crime to take
his mind off of things.

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Meanwhile Jay, who is just wearing a huge coat over his
costume, goes to talk to Johnny Chambers (Johnny Quick). Now Johnny is
apparently the head of a self-help empire and self-styled superstar. He already
knows Jay’s fears and agrees to help him. He offers to get Jesse, his daughter
(Jesse Quick) in on the action but Jay says it’s a job for the experienced speedsters
and so they go off to find Max Mercury instead.

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Wally has called Barry in on fighting Combine, leader of the
tech commandos. Wally is taking in the girls at the beach as they go past,
basically the artist wanted to draw sexy women in bikinis. So they get to the
hideout, find a scale model of the city and the bad guy gloating about taking
over. They try to attack him but he’s a hologram and they fall into a trap. It’s
an ever shrinking force field!

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Down in the subway Jay and Johnny are talking to a clerk
that they are sure is Max, even though he is denying it. Apparently he used to
be called Lightning, Blue streak and Quicksilver at various points before
settling on Max Mercury. The clerk keeps denying it but Jay knocks over his
token pile when they go to leave and Max has to use his speed to catch them
all. He bitches about being caught out but Jay calls in a favour from1949
claiming it’s a matter of life or death. Jay gives Max his costume, having kept
it for all these years, apparently he’s Jay’s hero.

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So trapped in the shrinking force field, Wally is freaking
out whilst Barry tries to use logic to get out. They can’t just vibrate through
the walls as it keeps adapting to their frequency. They need to both vibrate at
different frequencies to confuse it but Wally isn’t fast enough to vibrate on
his own. Barry gives him a kickstart and it works. Barry jumps to freedom but
Wally only gets his arm out. He yells for Barry to help him, to save him, but
Barry hesitates. Barry then goes off on one about how he is the only Flash,
about how Wally stole his life from him and that the town is ungrateful and he’s
going to destroy it all. He leaves Wally to die.

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Wally pulls himself together and manages to vibrate himself
through the force field, though he is left wondering what the point of
honouring Barry’s legacy is now if he has gone evil/corrupt/crazy. When Wally
gets home and turns on the TV he finds Barry giving an interview to the press.
He is saying how much he loved Kid Flash and was grateful for him taking up the
mantle. But then he says how he wasn’t up to the challenge and has been killed
by Combine. Wally breaks down and there the comic ends.

Eobard’s return pt 3 – 1993 Flash Issue 75

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This is a full length review detailing the plot of the below comic, many spoilers!

Issue 75: Running Behind

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  This issue starts with Wally West (Mk2 Flash) and Jay Garrick (Grandpa Flash) trying to stop a bunch of super-tech commandos from stealing stuff. Apparently a new mob boss is in town and all his men are actually really competent, well-armed and bold in their crimes. The worst bit being that whoever the boss is, he has armed his minions with anti-speedster weapons. So the bad guys derail a train, going to crash it into a school as the Flashes try and get people out of the way. Barry Allen, aka Flash, turns up just in time to help out and everyone is saved despite the destruction.

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  After the rescue a bunch of people want the Flash’s autograph but Wally discovers that they don’t want him, they want Barry. So much angst. He’s still trying to figure out how he feels as he makes dinner later that night with his girlfriend Linda. Linda is a total fox/drawn for porn. But she also gives loving and good advice about how Wally needs to believe in himself and find his own identity. A tickle fight then ensues which I am sure is there because they couldn’t draw them having sex, before Wally is called away on Flash duty.

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  Wally and Jay find Barry roaming all dazed in the alleyway that he originally rematerialized in. He seems a bit out of it, going on about having a second chance at life and looking for clues in the alley as to why he’s returned. They then get on with crime fighting, joining a load of cops surrounding a warehouse. The tech commandos burst out of the building with a tank and some super weapons and a huge fight ensues.

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  So the tech commandos manage to get their canon off and a wall falls on Wally, the leader cheering that they’ve killed the Flash. Barry then smacks the shit out of the bad guys. Wally comes round, though deafened a bit, and witnesses Barry losing it, being ultra-violent with the badies. He approaches Barry as he is shouting at a bad guy whilst beating the crap out of him and is horrified by what he hears.

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  Everything gets cleared up, no idea what Jay was doing during half that fight though. Anyway, Wally is all confused and upset by what Barry said. He reveals to Linda that he was expecting Barry to be shouting about killing him but he wasn’t. He was shouting that he was the Flash.

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