Tag: the flash

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 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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Gallery · · Leave a comment ·

I had some money left from an Amazon voucher and decided to spend it on this adorable Flash kids book. The book is DC comics super heroes, The Flash: Attack of Professor Zoom by Matthew Manning, published by Raintree.

The plot is that Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom is inpersonating the Flash whilst robbing banks and starting fires. Barry tracks him to the Flash museum, overloads his death trap and knocks Eo out, bringing him to justice.

This book is really cute and part of a series of Flash books for kids. It’s written in a really simple and charming way and even has little activities for children at the back, encouraging them to think about parts of the story and write stuff. The only thing I found odd was the Professor Zoom info page. It reads like someone has just cherry picked bits from his Wiki page. It also says he has yellow eyes, whilst saying he looks like Barry (something that got quickly reveresed in the comics on both occasions it happened).

But generally adorable and there are books for most of the villains available.

Masterpost of Eobard Thawne’s classic comic appearences

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Here are all my reviews of classic Flash comics containing Eobard Thawne aka the Reverse Flash / Professor Zoom (1963 – 1983).

The classic comics end on issue 350.
I’ve summarised the end plot below for anyone interested.

Barry Allen aka the Flash is put on trial for Eobard’s murder and it is all going very badly for him. However it turns out that Abra Kadabra is manipulating events. In the end Barry is acquitted as he was defending his bride to be, Fiona Webb. Fiona had a break down after being stood up by Barry at the church. She was taken to hospital and Barry visited her secretly at speed, something that caused her doctor to think she was delusional as they’d seen no visitors. She didnt know he was the Flash and so it lead to further mental break down.

Barry however finds out that Iris’s soul has been put in a new body in the 30th century and as he is now a free man he leaves so that he can be with her. Leaving behind him a now very damaged Fiona and the corspe of Eobard Thawne.

Gallery · · Leave a comment ·

OK, so not an Eobard item, but they didn’t have one. He does get a mention inside the pull out though.
I was in Forbidden Planet in London at the weekend and picked up this lovely faux leather Flash notebook by Insights. The paper is nice and thick with thin rule so it’s good quality. The inner cover images are cool and it has a back pocket too. I’m going to write all my creative projects in it so that they are actually replicable for once.

The death of Eobard Thawne

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The Final Return of the Reverse Flash part 4.

This is the end of Eobard’s run in the
classic comics (1963 – 1983). The other 3 parts can be found here: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3.

The Flash issue 324 – The Slayer and the Slain

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This issue starts with Wally West (aka Kid Flash) saving a
baby whilst on his way to Barry Allen’s (aka the Flash) wedding to Fiona Webb.
However despite being late, it hasn’t started yet because Barry is missing.
Fiona is understandably upset.

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Barry is actually busy chasing Zoomy (Eobard Thawne aka Reverse
Flash/Professor Zoom) across a desert. Zoomy has Barry in a choke hold and
starts to monologue about why he’s pissed at him. Basically he didn’t like
being trapped in a hell dimension for 4 years. Barry breaks free and they fight
whilst Zoomy continues to waffle on about how epic this battle is and how much
he hates Barry.

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Back at the wedding people are speculating about where Barry
is. Fiona is crying. Wally wants to find Barry as he thinks he is in danger, because
he wouldn’t miss his wedding otherwise, but the Guardian stops him. He did
promise Barry that he wouldn’t let anyone help in his fight against Zoomy.

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Meanwhile the two speedsters are now up a snowy mountain.
Using his speed sculpting technique Zoomy creates a bust of Iris in the snow
and then proceeds to taunt Barry about her. Yes, Zoomy killed her cause she
turned down his proposal but he does like to go on about how lovely she was.
They fight more, Zoomy continues to taunt Barry. Despite the whole villain
talking to much thing I actually like that he monologues all this stuff, it
gives a good insight into how he sees the world, situation and Barry. They
really hate each other, and Zoomy derives a lot of perverse pleasure in
torturing him.

So the battle continues and the two speedsters end up on a
beach, where Barry has to save people from a tidal wave caused by Zoomy. Then
they end up in space due to hanging on to a rocket. And finally another beach
where Zoomy has left the message that the game is over and that he is going to
kill Fiona.

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People at the wedding are still waiting. The police can’t
find Barry and Fiona is getting annoyed by this point, all heart broken and humiliated.
So as it’s been over an hour of waiting she walks out. She bumps into the
wedding photographer outside as she’s stopped to cry some more. She believes
that this was deliberate and that Barry never planned to marry her.

Just at that moment Zoomy turns up but an enraged Barry is
not far behind. He reaches for Zoomy and gets him in a choke hold. Thinking he’s
knocked him out he tries to comfort Fiona but she is very upset, not caring if
she lives or dies. It would be good to remember that this is a woman who lost
her last husband only a few months ago and has been through a lot of hardships.

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People rush out of the church and a doctor inspects Zoomy
only to find his neck snapped. Yep, that is the end of Eobard Thawne in the
classic comics. Barry Allen snapped his neck whilst saving Fiona, killing him
outright.  I’m going to write one last
review to sum up the end of this plot and series of comics.  

The final return of the Reverse Flash! part 2

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The second part of the last of Eobard’s arcs in the classic comics. Previous review is HERE, and the other parts are here; PART 3  and PART 4

The Flash issue 322 – Burning a speedster at both ends.

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A few hundred miles outside of Central City, Green Lantern; Tomar-Re has been sent to warn Barry Allen (aka the Flash) about something. Unfortunately he crash landed on a farm and his ring is out of power. Fortunately the family on the farm are super happy and friendly to aliens, giving him pancakes and allowing him to modify their tractor into a rocket. He bids the family farewell and speeds off to find Barry Allen.

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Barry Allen is out with his new love Fiona Webb. Having only been dating a few days, he decides to pop the question. She agrees, shockingly, and Barry suggests a June wedding. She suggests the day after tomorrow. Wow! I can understand the Flash being fast but Fiona is probably on the rebound and still not over her dead husband. Anyway, there is someone sinister watching them from the disguise of being a dog walker. It is Sabre-Tooth, the assassin who failed to kill Barry last issue and is trying to remedy that.

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Meanwhile Tomar-Re has landed in Central City, in the bushes near Barry’s apartment. But he isn’t the only one there. Zoomy (Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom/Reverse Flash) who has finally broken free from the hell dimension is back to stalking Barry Allen, looking for revenge for his captivity. He spots Tomar-Re and realises that the Guardians must know of his escape. So he knocks out the alien and then gets to work on the ship. Using his superior intelligence and history as a criminal scientist from the 25th century (so says the author’s box) he manages to convert the rocket to a proper UFO style spacecraft. He puts Tomar-Re in it, and sends him off into space, stating that “only a demented madman or a hapless fool would even think about killing a Lantern and risk going on the wanted list of the entire Green Lantern Corps”.

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Barry is oblivious to all this and is busy arranging his wedding with people. His boss and parents are shocked but go with it. He takes Fiona out rowing but this goes badly as the bridge collapses as they go under it, capsizing their little boat. This is no accident but another assassination attempt. Barry saves the day thanks to being the Flash and all is good again. But it turns out that this wasn’t Sabre-Tooth at all but their protégé using their name. To be honest this doesn’t marry up with the last comic at all and is a bit strange.

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Later that night he calls the curator of the Flash museum, Dexter Miles to tell him about the wedding. Dexter is delighted but says that something has come up and he would like to see him in person. Turns out that it isn’t Dexter at all but Sabre-Tooth mk2 who has set a trap for Barry and has the real Dexter tied up.

Meanwhile in far outer space another Green Lantern has found Tomar-Re’s ship and revives him with his ring. He basically states that he might be too late and how much danger the Flash is in.

Sabre-Tooth mk2 is explaining how they love to kill people in super violent, destructive ways, having now rigged a triple barrelled rocket canon to kill Barry this time. They just finish explaining their plan when Zoomy appears from the shadows. After establishing that rumours of his demise are greatly exaggerated Sabre-Tooth mk2 tries to kill Zoomy instead. Funnily enough it doesn’t work. Zoomy gets the upper hand, takes off their disguise, revealing something that makes killing them more “distasteful” but does it anyway, wanting the honour of destroying Barry for himself.

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Speaking of Barry, he has just turned up and immediately identifies the corpse hanging upside-down in front of him as Lorretta Nordan, a known criminal. He frees Dexter Miles who reveals that Barry is short for Barrence!! Fucking Barrence! WTF? Who calls their child Barrence! It’s worse than Eobard, that at least has the excuse of being a sci-fi future name.

Anyway, he finds a note on the body and turns white, knowing exactly who just saved him from the assassin.

Favourite flash episode?

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I hate to be totally obvious but so far, Reverse Flash Returns is my favourite episode. I think that they could have done more with Eobard and there was a lot of scientific dubiousness / outright made up stuff but it was still really fun to watch.

In season 1 it would be a toss up between Out of Time and Tricksters as I thought both were really good.

However, I also loved Welcome to Earth 2. I just love the style of Earth 2, it’s so classy.

But I did have issues with the episode itself. Such as Barry thinking with his dick. Pretending to be someone else and making out with their partner is assult and I think it’s a new low for Barry. We don’t know how far they got, but when E1 Barry and E2 Iris got home, she changed into a silk nighty and then the next scene they are going out for the evening. You don’t change into a silk nighty for no reason. But if I found out that I had been having romantic, emoitonal and intimate moments both physical and not with my partner’s identical twin, I would feel incredibly violated and report him to the police. I really hope that Iris slaps E1 Barry at the very least.

Sorry, went off on a little rant there 😛