Eobard Thawne

"It was never my intention to kill Nora. I was there to kill Barry."

- Eobard Thawne revealing himself to Cisco Ramon

Eobard Thawne, nicknamed the Reverse-Flash by Cisco Ramon, is a villain from the future who traveled back into the past to kill Barry Allen, although it is unclear if he intended to kill the adult Barry who was there or the young one. Under unknown circumstances, he ended up killing Nora Allen instead.

Assuming Harrison Wells' identity, he forged a life for himself as a scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs eventually becoming the Director and pushed through for the creation of a particle accelerator to ensure that Barry Allen becomes the Flash and teach him to increase his speed so that he could return to his own time in the future.

Biography
Eobard was born some centuries ahead of the year 2015, and he is a distant relative of Eddie Thawne. After travelling through time with The Flash, he ended up in the year 2000 where they battled in Barry's old house. The battle ended with Barry transporting his younger self twenty blocks away and Eobard killing Nora instead. As he escaped to return to his time, he learned that all his connection to the Speed Force had been drained, completely being rid of his powers. Realizing he needed to wait it out until Barry became The Flash in the future, to harness his Speed Force, he stalked the scientist Harrison Wells, who he recognized as a great mind from his past. He made them crash their car, killing Wells' wife Tess and leading to Thawne stealing Wells' face. As he was found, he from them took the identity of Harrison Wells.

Explosion of the particle accelerator
As of 2013, Wells was still the director of S.T.A.R. Labs. In late 2013, he held an event at which he planned to switch on S.T.A.R. Labs' particle accelerator, which he had created. He began speaking on stage, claiming that the particle accelerator would create a brighter future, bringing advancements in power and medicine, as well as physics as they knew it. Later that night, the particle accelerator was switched on. However, particles began to behave abnormally, such as liquids floating in the air, followed by a loud bang from the accelerator. Wells sent Ronnie Raymond and Cisco Ramon down to manually shut the particle accelerator down before anything bad happened. After Ronnie had vented the system, assuring S.T.A.R. Labs' safety but sacrificing himself in the process, Cisco called Wells down to the chamber. Wells made his way down, but not before entering a secret room, taking off his glasses and watching a screen, on which Barry Allen, a forensic assistant, was struck by lightning in his lab. After the explosion, Harrison was allegedly paralysed, though it was a facade.

After he was put in to a coma due to the lightning strike caused by the shockwave, Barry's condition eventually went critical, at which point Wells convinced Joe West, Barry's foster father, to allow him to move Barry to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Working with The Flash
After Barry woke from his coma, Dr. Wells was called down to the lab to talk to Barry. He took Barry around S.T.A.R. Labs, explaining what had actually happened on the night of the particle accelerator explosion and how they'd moved him. Before they could run more tests, Barry left. After having realised he had the ability to run super fast, Dr. Wells and the team went to an airfield where they sought to test Barry's speed. Wells cautioned restraint, though Barry instead ran at full pelt, accidentally running in to barrels of water. Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry told Harrison of his belief that perhaps there were more powered humans like himself, perhaps even another with super speed (as he had seen on the night of his mother's death), though Wells believed that Barry was most definitely unique. Following a later run-in with Clyde Mardon's weather manipulation, however, Barry returned, angry that Harrison had seemingly lied to him. The latter admitted fault, explaining that the explosion had released various forms of seemingly theoretical energy across the city, including anti-matter, dark energy and x-elements. Barry mentioned that he planned to stop Mardon, though Wells attempted to stop Barry from taking the risk, as he was incredibly important in terms of scientific advancement. Despite Harrison's claims that Barry was not a hero, only simply a boy who was struck by lightning, he headed out to find Mardon anyway. As Barry struggled to unravel a tornado Mardon had made, Dr. Wells intervened over the communication, apologizing, reassuring Barry that he did in fact believe in him, that he could undo Wells' wrongs. After, Harrison went to a secret room in which he held a digital newspaper from 2024, headlining that The Flash had gone missing in a crisis.

After Barry's run-in with a strongman at the Central City National Bank, he arrived back at S.T.A.R. Labs with a formerly broken wrist. Barry described the strongman to Wells, voicing his wishes to take the information to the police. However, Harrison reassured Barry that keeping his secret identity hidden was the best option, for his safety. He sent Barry to go obtain DNA samples from the crime scene. Later after they'd pieced together evidence leading numerous crimes to suspected meta-humans from the Central City Circus, Dr. Wells provided some details he knew on Mr. Bliss from having attended the circus previously, and Barry left to find the circus. Cisco and Caitlin arrived back sometime later with Barry. They explained how he'd been forced in to a catatonic state by Nathan Bliss. Harrison urged that Barry get better in order to save the city. Figuring that the catatonia could last from a few minutes to a few years, he suggested that Cisco and Caitlin go to warn spectators of a Central City Cougars game of what Mr. Bliss and his circus were about to do. After they left, Wells stood up and went to his secret room, opening a panel and picking out a gadget. He returned to Barry and used it on him, waking Barry up almost automatically. As he placed the gadget in to his jacket, Barry asked what had happened, Wells putting it simply down to his regenerative capabilities. He sent Barry to follow after Caitlin and Cisco to the stadium. After Barry had defeated Bliss and his circus, they went through S.T.A.R. Labs and talked. Initially discussing Barry's distaste for Cisco's "super protein bars", Wells complimented him as being a hero, rather than a supposed freak. Barry soon left for his job.

After having acted as a hero, Barry returned to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Dr. Wells again cautioned restraint to Barry, telling him to make sure he knew his limits. Barry later tried to act the hero again, though he passed out. He was taken to S.T.A.R. Labs and despite being scolded, they decided to try some tests. Barry began running on a modified treadmill, causing him to eventually pass out. Harrison identified that it had to do with his glucose levels, due to an extremely fast metabolism processing it too fast. They hooked Barry up to 40 IV bags before he finally awoke. As they began discussing a new diet for Barry, Joe West entered the room; Wells was surprised to see him. He reassured Joe that they were looking out for what was best for Barry, though Joe disagreed that what they were doing was the way to do it. Barry yelled at Joe, causing him to get upset and leave. A while later Barry returned to S.T.A.R. Labs, having been beaten up by another meta-human, who they identified by blood samples as Danton Black. Barry decided against trying to take him down, and despite Harrison's support, he was adamant that what they were doing was a mistake. Following that, Wells went to talk to Joe. He claimed that next time Barry suited up, he would doubt himself. Wells headed back to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Caitlin was able to grow a clone of Danton Black from a replicating cell, so they called Barry in and explained this. The clone promptly awakened, presumably due to the prime Black activating some clones, and Joe hurried in through the doors, shooting the clone and reassuring Barry that only he could stop meta-humans, being one himself. They talked to Barry when he reached Stagg Industries and Dr. Wells noted that he had to find the prime one, the original Danton Black. Ultimately, Danton was knocked over an edge, but despite being caught by Barry, forced himself to drop, killing him. The team watched a news report of it on the TV afterwards. Following that, Dr. Wells visited Simon Stagg. After Stagg claimed that he wanted to find and use "the streak," Wells stood up from his wheelchair and stabbed the man, claiming that The Flash, as he would one day come to be known as, had to be kept safe.

After the Darbinyan crime family were gassed to death by a presumed meta-human, the S.T.A.R. Labs team began researching what they could, all of them excited by the potential prospects. Joe noted that they would have to find somewhere to hold them, as Iron Heights was less than ideal, and Cisco suggested the particle accelerator. Cisco and Dr. Wells went down to the particle accelerator's core chamber. Dr. Wells had to go do some modifications while Cisco waited, and they soon went back up. Wells realized it was hard for Cisco to be there. The two later assisted Barry when he went after a mist-controlling meta-human inside the Central City Shopping Mall. However, Barry discovered that the man could turn himself in to gas, and inhaled some of his toxic gasses, before racing back to S.T.A.R. Labs where the team painfully extracted the poisonous gas. The team was soon able to identify the makeup of the gas: hydrogen cyanide with traces of a sedative. Barry figured that the two would be mixed in a death row execution and they identified the meta-human as Kyle Nimbus, proudly nicknamed The Mist by Cisco. Barry went to protect Nimbus' next target, Detective West, and the team supported him. Unable to outrun The Mist, they suggested he make him tired, as he would have to revert to his physical, human form eventually. Barry succeeded and The Mist was taken back to S.T.A.R. Labs, where he was locked up in the particle accelerator prison.

Wells defeated Barry in a game of chess while Barry also played a game of table tennis with Cisco and a game of Operation with Caitlin. When Felicity visited S.T.A.R. Labs, Wells greeted her and was more than pleased to meet her, noting he's aware of all her accolades and that he always keeps an eye out for such talent. When Felicity questioned about the possible dangers of what Barry does, Wells reassured her that everything they do is to ensure Barry's safety and that Barry is in good hands. Wells was later furious at Cisco, who built a weapon powerful enough to kill Barry despite his speed without any consent, though Cisco built it prior to Barry waking from his coma. Wells ordered Cisco to track down where the cold gun is and to do so immediately after telling him weapons don't belong in S.T.A.R. Labs. After Felicity left, Wells noted she was a remarkable young woman. Wells told Cisco to never do anything as to build such a weapon again, though he was unaware of another similar weapon that Cisco had built which was also stolen.

After Barry failed to stop Tony Woodward, Dr. Wells told Barry they'd find a way to stop him, but told Barry to rest and heal for the time being. A day later, Joe visited Wells, asking for help on Nora Allen's murder case. When Joe asked if his particle accelerator was possibly involved, Wells reminded Joe that the murder occurred 14 years ago. After a few other suggestions from Joe, Wells told him that they were all highly unlikely. After Barry tried to stop Tony Woodward alone, Wells was furious as they had yet to find a way to stop him. When Barry told him that he could just heal, Dr. Wells told Barry he can't heal if he was killed. Wells then told Barry could stop Tony Woodward if he moved fast enough as any material can be struck at a high enough velocity. The following day, Wells had a drink with Joe, where Joe suggested that he was involved as Wells arrived shortly after Nora was murdered. Wells told Joe to look up Tess Morgan before leaving. Joe visited Wells at S.T.A.R. Labs, apologizing for accusing him for murder. Wells then told Joe about his past and why he moved to Central City.

In an entry in his personal log, Dr. Wells noted that Barry was driven to use his powers to help people, and stated that this was keeping Barry from realizing his full potential. He later told Barry that he had to "kick it up a notch" in his training. When Farooq Gibran attacked S.T.A.R. Labs, Wells released Tony Woodward, offering him his freedom in exchange for killing Farooq. Later, he had a brief argument with Barry about sacrificing Woodward to stall Farooq, angrily insisting that he had merely done what was necessary. When Farooq cornered Team Flash, Wells confronted him, reciting from memory the names of everyone who died in the particle accelerator disaster, and demanding that Farooq leave the others alone, saying that he was the only one who deserved to be punished. After Flash defeated Farooq, Dr. Wells made another log entry, stating that he had previously been mistaken and that Barry's desire to help others was the key to developing the Flash's potential, not an obstacle as he had thought. He then took a blood sample from Blackout's corpse, saying that he was interested in finding out how the latter had drained the Flash's powers.

As the Reverse-Flash, Wells reappeared in Joe West's house, while he was investigating the man in yellow, and stole the evidence and threatened his daughter Iris by stabbing a similar knife into her photograph, to scare Joe away from investigating Nora's murder.

A few weeks later the Reverse-Flash stormed Mercury Labs looking for a tachyon prototype device, killing the guards but was unable to reach the device due to the doctor sealing it away and he stormed off. Later the Reverse-Flash spied on Barry as he talked to Iris then when Barry noticed him he ran after him, demanding to know why he killed his mother, but the Reverse-Flash instead challenged him to a fight in a stadium. The Reverse-Flash proved to be the better speedster but also claimed that Barry already knew his identity, that they'd fought for a long time with Barry always losing. He also told Barry it would be his destiny to die at his hands, as it was his mother's. Later S.T.A.R. Labs orchestrated a trap using the tachyon prototype and lured the Reverse-Flash in. A holographic recording, seemingly actually real to almost everyone, played of the Reverse-Flash, who only answered to Dr. Wells. As the force-field appeared to fail, Wells was able to appear as both the Reverse-Flash and Wells in his chair, using a "speed mirage" effect. The Reverse-Flash appeared to severely beat Dr. Wells before killing Eddie's task-force and attack Joe, letting Eddie live. This reminded him of his previous threat to Joe, then The Flash arrived and fought him. However, the Reverse-Flash again proved superior to the Flash, but he was timely saved by Firestorm. The Reverse-Flash vowed their fight wasn't over and ran.

Personality
As Harrison, Eobard is a scientific genius responsible for numerous achievements in the scientific field and has a large sense of respect from the scientific community as was the very genius behind the particle accelerator's existence. Harrison is a character of duel-identities towards his team and himself as he openly appears caring and compassionate guiding Barry into his journey of becoming the Flash, but has been shown to be willing to kill to ensure his safety, and willing to sacrifice the meta-human prisoners to ensure his protection. He also seems to be willing to sacrifice other people as he activated the Particle Accelerator after being warned of its possible malfunction at the risk of the city and sacrificed Ronnie Raymond's life, all to ensure Barry Allen would be struck by the lightning bolt that turns him into Flash.

Eobard is shown to be a very secretive man, as not one of his workers has ever visited his house- and has either killed or manipulated people to their deaths. He does, however, seem to care about Barry's life, as he nearly gave up his secret to rush to Barry when he chose to take a missile head on, instead of running from it. He also protected Grodd from being tortured by Wade Eiling's inhumane experiments. Despite at first being tempted to kill Firestorm, Eobard decided to delay his plans to help him separate into two people again. However, despite all the "good" that he's done, it was revealed in "Out of Time" that Eobard doesn't actually care about anyone or anything, shown when he ruthlessly killed, of all people, Cisco. Eobard will do anything to get back to his time, and only ever saw Barry as a "means to an end" that would finally help him accomplish that.

Powers

 * Superhuman speed: Eobard can move stupendously fast and is significantly faster than Barry currently. Barry said that he's so fast that he could kill everyone in the police precinct in seconds. He is so fast that he can be at two places at once. His bodily control can also vibrate his entire body to mask his body from others clearly perceiving it and even distort his vocal cords to disguise his voice. However he states his speed comes and goes and he is unable to control when it does. Likewise, it appears to be directly involved with his ability to walk, as once his speed became unusable, his legs quickly gave out and he collapsed to the floor.
 * Rapid cellular regeneration: Eobard's fast healing was displayed when the wounds inflicted upon him had vanished almost instantly after putting on the tachyonic device on his suit. Without the tachyon device, he healed completely in an hour and not instantly. Harrison's wounds from being attacked with the force of a speeding car by the "Man In Yellow" were completely gone without a trace afterwards, which he covered up by isolating himself to avoid speculation of any kind.
 * Extreme force generation: By building up enough kinetic force in his body, Reverse-Flash is able to deal very punishing blows. Even Barry Allen with his accelerated recovery abilities was quickly pummeled to the point he was unable to fight back. He generated enough force in his movements to almost completely breach a radioactive force field though he only managed to grab Harrison and pull him in to beat him up and leave him severely injured. Harrison's injuries looked similar to that of a person hit by a car, suggesting that he was attacked with similar force.
 * Accelerated perception: Eobard's speed also extends to his senses and mental capacities, allowing him to take in information and process it at much faster rates than a normal human. This ability allows Harrison to see the world as if it is in slow motion, which, combined with his physical speed, lets him perform thoughts and actions long before a normal human around him could even perceive them. Even Harrison was having troubles keeping up with how fast Shawna's cells were moving when he was trying to look at them.
 * Intangibility: Eobard can move any part of his body so fast that he can phase himself through people or objects. When used on a person, it can have lethal power, is Mason Bridge instantly died from a gapping wound in his chest.
 * Speed mirage: Eobard can move so fast he can create lifelike "after-images" of himself, allowing him to literally be in two places at once. Thawne used this ability to appear as the Reverse-Flash, seemingly beating up Harrison almost to death.

Skills

 * Genius-level intellect: Eobard is very intelligent, as evidenced by the crucial role he plays in Barry Allen's team, he also spent most of his life trying to create the particle accelerator, and eventually succeeded.
 * Expert tactician: Eobard is a great tactician, as evidenced by him coming up with plans to help Barry Allen defeat the meta-humans he goes up against as The Flash.
 * Skilled hand-to-hand combatant: Whereas Barry relies primarily on his reflexes and speed to overwhelm his slower opponents with random striking, Eobard as the Reverse-Flash is shown to be a very methodical fighter, striking at precise spots to systemically wear down his opponent. He easily defeated Barry in hand-to-hand combat twice.

Equipment

 * Reverse-Flash Costume: Eobard wears a protective suit whilst acting as the Reverse-Flash, to hide his identity from his victims. It is similar to Barry's Flash costume.
 * Earpieces: On the suit's cowl, there are two lightning-bolt shaped earpieces, also similar to those on Barry's Flash costume.
 * Reverse-Flash Ring: Eobard owns a ring with a Reverse-Flash lightning-bolt on it that can open secret rooms within S.T.A.R. Labs. He uses it to open up a wall that contains a mannequin which his Reverse-Flash suit is draped over. He's also seen wearing it in.

The Flash
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Season 1
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The Flash: Season Zero

 * "The Strongman Cometh"
 * "Who Let the Chimps Out?"
 * "Big Top Brawl"
 * "A Captive Audience"
 * "Showtime"
 * "The Big Finale"

Trivia

 * Eobard appears to be a fan of the Back to the Future film trilogy.
 * When Eobard runs at high velocity speeds, the electricity that radiates off of him is red.

Behind the scenes

 * Though Harrison Wells was in fact a real person, Eobard Thawne's adoption of the name is ironic, considering his status as a time traveller; H. G. Wells is an author who infamously wrote the novel The Time Machine.