I’m really excited to hear what back story they have come up with for Eo in
this universe. I am hoping that they stick closer to the original stuff and
don’t make it really silly.
I also like how surprised he looks. I’m guessing that the future isn’t full
of trees. Though how you manage to accidently time travel/ get lost whilst time
traveling, who knows?? You would have thought that with Gideon and future tech
he’d be more organised. I went out to steal something and ended up when?
This is the 25th Anniversary addition and I think that the writers were celebrating with something when they wrote this. It isn’t technically a Zoomy (Professor Zoom aka Eobard Thawne) story but he is kinda in it as both an imposter and in flashbacks.
Because it isn’t a Zoomy story I’m going to keep this review short. However it does cover a load of classic flash origins and law both for the Flash family and the Rogues. So if you are looking for that then it’s worth a read.
The basic story is that Barry Allen finds himself bandaged up and paralysed in a hospital bed. He believes that he is the Flash but this disturbs his doctor. They call in a psychiatrist called Patrou who reveals that although he was struck by lightning he didn’t get super powers. He got chemical burns and paralysis. During his recovery he was given reading material including Flash comics and has adopted the Flash’s story as a coping mechanism. Dr Patrou is there to make him confront his delusion of being a hero and help him to recover.
The story is basically in two parts. One is Barry playing along with patrou but not believing him. Thus he spends his time musing on his own origins and which of his rogues gallery could have done this to him. So you get to read mini stories about Vandal Savage, Grodd, Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Captain Cold, Heatwave, Top, Golden Glider, Rainbow Raider, Weather Wizard, Captain Boomerang,Trickster and Dr Element. You do also get a recap of what happened with Zoomy after Barry found out he killed Iris, leaving Zoomy lost/dead somewhere in space and time.
The other half of the story is Barry receiving guests. Ira West, Dexter Myles and Wally West visit first and are disturbed by his apparent delusions. Elongated man and Green Lantern turn up. Barry tells them personal stuff about them that he couldn’t possibly know but it turns out that both of them have revealed themselves to the public / written autobiographies and so Barry’s argument isn’t valid. Finally Iris turns up. Not dead but she left him and remarried his college friend Wiley Summers. They now have two children.
Barry seems broken. Dr Patrou confronts him claiming that actually Barry had already undergone cosmetic surgery and that the paralysis is psychosomatic, meaning that if he breaks his delusion then he’ll be well again, free and able to leave. He also claims that even Zoomy is still alive. Barry says that if he can prove that then he’ll believe that being the Flash was just a delusion.
Shock horror! Dr Petrou is evil! He has created all of Barry’s visitors and now creates himself a Zoomy too (wish I could do that…). He explains that it’s all down to his telepathic hypnotic suggestions and that Barry still has super speed, he is just unable to use it. And so he takes the new Zoomy to see Barry. Barry claims that he now believes and Petrou gets Zoomy to undo his bandages at super speed as final proof. Barry is suddenly cured and can get up to walk!
But what’s this!? The Flash is standing in the doorway. Patrou can’t believe it. But then Barry explains that as soon as he was no longer paralysed he got his super speed back and was able to use a speed mirage to make it look like he was in two places at once. Barry confronts Petrou who is actually Abra Kadabra! He wants to know how Barry worked it out and he explains that Zoomy wouldn’t exist if the Flash didn’t due to his origin story. And so it all turns out ok in the end. Well….except that Zoomy is still lost somewhere in space and time if not exploded : (
More cuteness in the post today 😀
The scribblenauts one was a lucky find on eBay as it was almost at original box price. And the forever evil chibi although cute does need some serious paint work. The model has mould lines and is badly painted. Not sure how well I’ll be able to fix him cause it looks like enamel paint but I might be able to if I can find the right shade of yellow.
So far there have been 4 versions of Eobard’s origin. I’m going to explore these below. I have each of these comics so can provide reference if anyone has questions.
Is originally a thief (issue 139) and a science teacher (issue 153)
Stumbles upon a Flash suit and re-engineers it to give him super-speed when wearing
Hates the Flash because he was a hero and Eobard felt that his speed was wasted on doing good deeds.
Loves to steal fine art and antiques.
It’s also shown over his next few appearances that Eobard has mind powers, is an engineering genius, expert tailor, hates the Flash, knows that the Flash is Barry Allen, and falls in love with Iris West (Barry’s girlfriend and then wife until Eobard kills her).
Issue 79, 1993
This version of Eobard is meant to be a younger version of the 1963 one.
Eobard was a huge fan of 20th century heroes, particularly the Flash who he was obsessed with.
He has reconstructive surgery to look like his hero, Barry Allen.
He finds a cosmic treadmill in a shop and kills the owner to obtain it.
He hopes to travel to Barry’s time but gets Wally’s instead (Wally is the 2nd Flash). The time traveling fucks him up a bit and so he goes to the Flash museum.
He discovers that the person he hates the most, the Flash’s worst enemy Professor Zoom, is actually himself, Eobard Thawne. This causes a psychotic break and he pretends to be Barry Allen instead as he looks like him.
Wally and co work out he isn’t Barry, Eobard comes back to his senses and undoes the plastic surgery though it is never explained how, and him and Wally fight.
Eventually defeated he is returned to his own time with amnesia remembering nothing of this adventure.
I hate this origin re-write because it just seems like just a way of resurrecting Eobard and shoe-horning into a plot with Wally West. Also in the 1963 version he hates the Flash and general heroes cause he’s a criminal, but in this one he had a room devoted to his hero worship of the Justice League and the Flash, it just seems totally contradictory.
Issue 8, 2011 This is a total rewrite of his origin.
Eobard is still from the future. His life sucked so he goes back in time to remedy all his life issues and to gain his powers (this is a total paradox and doesn’t work and I consider it terrible writing).
His older future self goes back and erases his brother Robern from existence. The ramification of this being that he was more academically successful and became an expert on the subject of the Flash.
Due to the most prominent professor of speed force studies refusing to share his research with Eobard, his future self goes back and murders him. The ramification being that Eobard is promoted.
Next his parents are concerned he is working too hard and so his future self kills them too, allowing him to work harder.
He falls in love with a reporter, but she is taken so his future self kills her fiancé. This doesn’t work, so he then kills every person she’s ever dated. This doesn’t work either as she’s now scared to date and so in the end his future self leaves her mentally damaged in an institution and Eobard never meets her or falls in love. (If he never meets her, he wouldn’t have the memories, so couldn’t go back to erase her etc. So much paradox! Arrrgghh!)
Eobard then goes on to find one of Barry’s old suits in a capsule (nod to the 1963 version) and gives himself super-speed.
He tries to be a hero in his own time, doesn’t really have the morals for it, Barry travels in time to stop him. He now hates Barry Allen, feeling betrayed by his hero.
Ok, I hate this version too. The writing about time travel is sloppy and leads to many paradoxes.
Issue 47 2015 (Review HERE) This is a total rewrite, new universe, new costume.
Eobard Thawne is still from 2463. He comes from a family of criminals, his own father having killed his mother. He didn’t do well in school, and resented how he was always told about how great and perfect the Flash was and how he’d never measure up to him
He got hit by speed-force lightning and given the power to slow down the time around him, making him appear fast.
He takes over Central city and Keystone, believing he is chosen and that he can replace the Flash. The Flash is pretty much worshipped as a god in his time, their justice system built in his image and everyone praying to him.
Eobard is jealous of the Flash’s popularity and so tears down the Flash museum and bans his image. The people of the twin cities rise up against Eobard and try to take him down. A huge fight ensues.
Using Rip Hunter’s journals he manages after many years to reconstruct the cosmic treadmill and travel back to Barry’s time to try and damage his image so that he never reaches god status.
I still prefer the original 1963 version but I don’t mind this. There is no complication and he is amusingly unhinged, going from patient and manipulative to manically angry (as opposed to previous incarnations pure rage anger) in a heartbeat. I don’t like that he has been dumbed down a bit, losing his genius but maybe there is an ability for growth there.
“expert tailor”
*immature giggle snort*
Yeah, he had all sorts of skills in the old comics. Considering his first Flash suit was taken I presumed that he created the next two himself. And then there is the wedding dress he made for Iris. Little on the short and revealing side for a wedding dress but hey, if that’s what he likes..
So far there have been 4 versions of Eobard’s origin. I’m going to explore these below. I have each of these comics so can provide reference if anyone has questions.
Is originally a thief (issue 139) and a science teacher (issue 153)
Stumbles upon a Flash suit and re-engineers it to give him super-speed when wearing
Hates the Flash because he was a hero and Eobard felt that his speed was wasted on doing good deeds.
Loves to steal fine art and antiques.
It’s also shown over his next few appearances that Eobard has mind powers, is an engineering genius, expert tailor, hates the Flash, knows that the Flash is Barry Allen, and falls in love with Iris West (Barry’s girlfriend and then wife until Eobard kills her).
Issue 79, 1993
This version of Eobard is meant to be a younger version of the 1963 one.
Eobard was a huge fan of 20th century heroes, particularly the Flash who he was obsessed with.
He has reconstructive surgery to look like his hero, Barry Allen.
He finds a cosmic treadmill in a shop and kills the owner to obtain it.
He hopes to travel to Barry’s time but gets Wally’s instead (Wally is the 2nd Flash). The time traveling fucks him up a bit and so he goes to the Flash museum.
He discovers that the person he hates the most, the Flash’s worst enemy Professor Zoom, is actually himself, Eobard Thawne. This causes a psychotic break and he pretends to be Barry Allen instead as he looks like him.
Wally and co work out he isn’t Barry, Eobard comes back to his senses and undoes the plastic surgery though it is never explained how, and him and Wally fight.
Eventually defeated he is returned to his own time with amnesia remembering nothing of this adventure.
I hate this origin re-write because it just seems like just a way of resurrecting Eobard and shoe-horning into a plot with Wally West. Also in the 1963 version he hates the Flash and general heroes cause he’s a criminal, but in this one he had a room devoted to his hero worship of the Justice League and the Flash, it just seems totally contradictory.
Issue 8, 2011 This is a total rewrite of his origin.
Eobard is still from the future. His life sucked so he goes back in time to remedy all his life issues and to gain his powers (this is a total paradox and doesn’t work and I consider it terrible writing).
His older future self goes back and erases his brother Robern from existence. The ramification of this being that he was more academically successful and became an expert on the subject of the Flash.
Due to the most prominent professor of speed force studies refusing to share his research with Eobard, his future self goes back and murders him. The ramification being that Eobard is promoted.
Next his parents are concerned he is working too hard and so his future self kills them too, allowing him to work harder.
He falls in love with a reporter, but she is taken so his future self kills her fiancé. This doesn’t work, so he then kills every person she’s ever dated. This doesn’t work either as she’s now scared to date and so in the end his future self leaves her mentally damaged in an institution and Eobard never meets her or falls in love. (If he never meets her, he wouldn’t have the memories, so couldn’t go back to erase her etc. So much paradox! Arrrgghh!)
Eobard then goes on to find one of Barry’s old suits in a capsule (nod to the 1963 version) and gives himself super-speed.
He tries to be a hero in his own time, doesn’t really have the morals for it, Barry travels in time to stop him. He now hates Barry Allen, feeling betrayed by his hero.
Ok, I hate this version too. The writing about time travel is sloppy and leads to many paradoxes.
Issue 47 2015 (Review HERE) This is a total rewrite, new universe, new costume.
Eobard Thawne is still from 2463. He comes from a family of criminals, his own father having killed his mother. He didn’t do well in school, and resented how he was always told about how great and perfect the Flash was and how he’d never measure up to him
He got hit by speed-force lightning and given the power to slow down the time around him, making him appear fast.
He takes over Central city and Keystone, believing he is chosen and that he can replace the Flash. The Flash is pretty much worshipped as a god in his time, their justice system built in his image and everyone praying to him.
Eobard is jealous of the Flash’s popularity and so tears down the Flash museum and bans his image. The people of the twin cities rise up against Eobard and try to take him down. A huge fight ensues.
Using Rip Hunter’s journals he manages after many years to reconstruct the cosmic treadmill and travel back to Barry’s time to try and damage his image so that he never reaches god status.
I still prefer the original 1963 version but I don’t mind this. There is no complication and he is amusingly unhinged, going from patient and manipulative to manically angry (as opposed to previous incarnations pure rage anger) in a heartbeat. I don’t like that he has been dumbed down a bit, losing his genius but maybe there is an ability for growth there.
A friend in the USA sent me the Mopeez. He is so soft and adorable. I love him. *happy squeaky fangirl noises*
The other is the very confusing infinite crisis figure. It’s confusing because it is labelled as both Professor Zoom and Hunter Zolomon. Hunter never used the Professor Zoom name, that’s reserved for Eobard. I liked the model anyway so I’m counting it as Professor Zoom. Needs a slight repaint in places though which is a little disappointing as it was in its original packaging. But I’m happy to do that.
eobeth: Yes please 🙂 I am so happy that Matt Letscher will be reprising his role as Eobard Thawne / Reverse Flash. I personally always preferred him as Eo cause of the similarity to the comics. Plus we can now have both Tom and Matt … Continue reading
Everything Eobard 