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For the time-traveling speedster who stole his identity, see Eobard Thawne.


"It's not the time travel that matters. What matters is carrying a piece of the ones you love wherever... and whenever you go."
—Harrison Wells to Khione[src]

Dr. Harrison Wells (died April 16, 2000;[1] resurrected shortly thereafter)[2] is a brilliant scientist, the fiancé of Tess Morgan, an identity theft victim of Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash, and an ally of Team Flash.

In the original Earth-1 timeline, he would found S.T.A.R. Labs with his fiancée Tess and launched his particle accelerator by 2020, and is implied that he was the reason behind the abilities of Barry Allen/The Flash. However, Thawne would learn of this knowledge, and would travel back to April 16, 2000 and murder both Harrison and Tess. His murderer used a device to steal the former's appearance and identity, right down to matching DNA and lived the next 15 years stealing his idea as S.T.A.R. Labs' founder and revealing the particle accelerator sooner and causing an explosion responsible for various meta-humans' powers. The real Harrison's body was eventually discovered which revealed the Reverse-Flash's identity theft.

In the Earth-Prime timeline, Harrison's life played out the same and he was still murdered, but he was resurrected through particles left behind after his other doppelgängers' sacrifice. Now known as Timeless Wells, he assisted Team Flash on occasion before traveling back in time to relive the moments he had with Tess before his time comes for good.

Biography

Original multiverse

Early life

"Research laboratories unconnected to the government, unconnected to any business interests or any of that kind of stuff. And then we build right downtown in the heart of the city, in the epicenter, and we become the heart of the city. We become the heart of the nation. We change the way you think about the sciences, and then..."
—Harrison Wells to Tess Morgan on his ultimate dream[src]
RomaticHarrisonWellsAndTessMorgan

Harrison enjoying time with Tess.

In the Earth-1 timeline, Harrison originally lived in Starling City, where he was a promising young scientist, along with his close friend Tina McGee,[3] who he met sometime before 1995.[4] At some point, he also met and began dating Tess Morgan, and they intended to get married in the future.[3] In 2000, Harrison had an idea for a laboratory and discussed this concept with Tess while on a date at the beach, which made Tess smile. Harrison wanted to name the laboratory after Tess, but Tess suggested the name "S.T.A.R Labs" to Harrison.[5]

Death

Eobard kills Wells

Harrison killed by Eobard.

While driving home after their date on the beach, Harrison unknowingly drove into spike strips set by Eobard Thawne, causing an accident which totaled their vehicle, injured Harrison and killed Tess instantly. In shock, Harrison was pulled from the car and told of his apparent future success by Eobard. Eobard then used a futuristic device, completely dissolving Harrison into a decayed, featureless corpse in a matter of seconds as his murderer took on his likeness. Afterward, his murderer buried Harrison's body nearby.[6][5]

Original timeline

According to Thawne, Harrison and Tess went on to build S.T.A.R. Labs and successfully unleashed the particle accelerator in 2020 which changed the course of history. Harrison was somehow connected to the famous superhero known as the Flash, and whose legacy would be inspired the 22nd century supervillain known as the Reverse-Flash.[5]

New multiverse

Early life

In the Earth-Prime timeline that resulted after the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Harrison's life seems to have played out mostly the same.[2] Around 1996, he began a relationship with Tess.[7] As of 2000, they were living in Starling City.[8]

Death and resurrection

Earth-1 Harrison Wells resurrected

Harrison resurrected.

Harrison and Tess were still murdered in 2000, but he was resurrected a few moments afterward by particles left behind by Harrison Nash Wells's sacrifice for the artificial Speed Force.[2] His existence was to cover the general existence of a version of himself in the timeline as a sort-of balancing act by the universe.[7]

The Speed Force's restoration

Harrison discovered he had an imprint of all of his other doppelgängers' memories, such as memories of Barry Allen, Cisco Ramon and Allegra Garcia. He also discovered he could time travel to any point within his 92 year long lifespan, but could not change his past.

Harrison sees his future self

Harrison seeing his future self.

Harrison used his newfound powers and knowledge to travel to S T.A.R. Labs in 2020 to help Team Flash in defeating Eva McCulloch/Mirror Monarch, but not before first meeting Barry and greets Team Flash. Now dubbed "Timeless Wells" by Cisco, Harrison assists Team Flash in the original Speed Force's restoration with Iris West-Allen which enables Barry and Team Flash to defeat Mirror Monarch. While restoring the Speed Force, Harrison looks off to his left at something unusual.

After Eva returned to the Mirrorverse, he said his goodbyes to Team Flash, notably Allegra and Cisco, before he traveled back in time to relive the four years he had with Tess over and over again before his time comes for good.[7]

Assisting Team Flash again

Starling City Beach

Harrison's beachside home in 2000.

Harrison traveled back to live his newfound life with Tess and by 2000, and was living in a house by the beach. While settling down to watch TV, Barry travels back in time to ask for Harrison's help in erasing the Still Force, the Strength Force and the Sage Force from existence. Harrison would travel back to the present with Barry, which for them was only seventeen days since the Speed Force's restoration. Barry, Harrison, and Chester P. Runk agreed that traveling back to the Forces' creation and collecting the particles before being released would effectively erase the Forces from existence while Cisco believed that removing the Forces would cause unforeseen consequences in the timeline. However, Barry was able to convince him to try and Harrison was able to take Barry back to the Forces' creation.

It would be revealed that what the past version of Harrison was looking at during the Speed Force's recreation was his present self and Barry who were collecting the Forces' particles. Harrison and Barry went on the roof with the collection device and Barry immersed himself in the particles to collect, but Barry would decide to allow the particles to create the Forces as Cisco was correct and it would erase the physical manifestations of the Forces from existence.

Afterwards, Harrison told Cisco that all his doppelgangers taught Cisco just as much as Cisco taught them. With that, Harrison returned to the past with a wave.[8]

Visiting Team Flash

Harrison later appears to let Khione know to ascend eventually, and later attends a party which celebrated Nora West-Allen's birth.[9]

Legacy

Eobard taunting Barry

Thawne acknowledging Harrison's likeness.

Wells's identity theft by the Reverse-Flash was gradually revealed to Team Flash. Harrison's friendship was remembered with Tina was remembered by the latter as something wasn't right after Tess's death and acknowledged to Barry.[3] Joe West and Cisco went to Starling City to do research on Harrison's car accident, ultimately discovering the real Harrison's corpse. Harrison's corpse was kept a secret by Joe for the safety of Iris and others. Barry and Caitlin Snow were later showed Harrison's corpse in Central City.[6] Joe later acknowledged Harrison when Thawne's identity theft was ultimately revealed.[10] Thawne also tauntingly acknowledged Harrison's likeness as "handsome" to the Flash during an invasion involving fascists of Earth-X.[11]

Harrison Wells (Earth-2)

Harry occasionally acknowledged Harrison's identity theft.

Harrison would occasionally be mentioned in comparison to his doppelgängers who would subsequently be on Earth-1. Harrison was mentioned when Team Flash initially met Harry Wells of Earth-2 as Caitlin correctly remembered Harry's actually Harrison's doppelgänger while Cisco and Joe thought of Thawne.[12] Harrison was acknowledged by Harry due to the Reverse-Flash's first time-travel trip to the present and interactions would eventually factor in learning about Harrison.[13] Harrison was also mentioned when H.R. Wells of Earth-19 attempted to bond with Harry; H.R. wondered about their Earth-1 doppelgänger while Harry thought of Thawne.[14]

Personality

Original Harrison Wells

Harrison talking with Tess.

Unlike most of his other doppelgangers and Eobard Thawne, Harrison is a very kind and open-minded individual with a cheerful nature.[3] An optimistic scientist and loving partner, he showed and spoke of his dreams for the future while also being romantic with Tess Morgan as he wanted S.T.A.R. Labs to be named after her.

Despite having far-reaching visions for the future, Harrison is also humble, not knowing exactly how to react when Tess complimented him. Harrison is clearly very much in love with Tess; he expressed only concern for her and none for himself after Thawne's crash.[5] After his resurrection, Harrison showed to quickly adjust to his new existence, desiring only to help other individuals as he joined Team Flash. Afterwards, with his new-found powers, Harrison chose to spend a constant loop of the four years he had with Tess in the past until he finally passes on naturally.[7]

Powers and abilities

Powers

Harrison Wells leaves the present.

Harrison travels back in time.

  • Meta-human physiology: After all the other Wells of the multiverse sacrificed themselves to power the artificial Speed Force machine, their remaining particles were harnessed to resurrect Harrison. He theorizes that reality used temporal coalescence from Crisis as a means to restore balance for the general existence of Harrison Wells in all the multiverse. His resurrection also came with heightened capacities.
    • Chronological manipulation: Harrison became able to simultaneously perceive every moment of his life from when he was born and to when he was biologically destined to die (92 years old). Likewise, he can instantly immerse himself into any point of time between those moments. However, he notes that he cannot go past either point. Also, regardless of what point in time he enters, his lifespan will continue as normal until finally reaching his end.
    • Limited chronokinesis: Harrison can partially control time, as he was able to create a protective time bubble around the timeline, to preserve history while still allowing the Forces to be erased from existence.
    • Imprinted memories: Harrison was granted the various memories of all the other Wells; letting Harrison know everything about each of them as if he lived their respective lives and likewise is able to differentiate between each of them.

Abilities

  • Genius-level intellect/Master scientist: Harrison's intelligence proved instrumental in helping Team Flash to revive the Speed Force.[7]

Appearances

The Flash

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9


Arrow

Season 6

Novels

The Chronicles of Cisco

Trivia

  • Harrison wore translucent-framed glasses, while Harry Wells and Eobard Thawne wore dark-framed glasses.
  • Harrison is the third character in the Arrowverse to have an episode ("Who is Harrison Wells?") named after him in a civilian sense, after Sara Lance ("Sara") and Felicity Smoak ("The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak").
  • In "The Flash is Born", Joe stated that Harrison and Tess were research partners in Maryland. However, this was seemingly retconned in "Tricksters", which placed them in Starling City shortly before their deaths.
  • In "The Man in the Yellow Suit", Cisco Ramon stated that the holiday season was Harrison's favorite time of year before Tess's death, though seeing as Cisco had never actually known the real Harrison at that point,[5][15] it's unclear whether this was true or simply a lie he had been told by Eobard posing as Harrison.
  • In "The Man in the Yellow Suit", Cisco stated that the "accident" that killed Tess (and, though it was not known at that point, the night the real Harrison was murdered as well) occurred before Christmas. However, this was seemingly retconned in "Who is Harrison Wells?", in which a photograph from the night of the car wreck was seen dated April 16, 2000.
  • In a deleted scene from "The Man in the Yellow Suit", Tina McGee said to Thawne (disguised as Wells), "You have never let anything get beyond your control." This implies that the real Harrison liked to have control of situations.
    • This is further emphasized in "Mother" when Harrison commented about the way Team Flash operated in order to power up the artificial Speed Force machine so Barry Allen's speed can return, saying that "this is a huge gamble" and stating "that much contact with that much unrefined power" will split Barry's atoms in two if wrong.
  • In a deleted scene from "Fast Enough", Thawne revealed to Joe that Harrison's thoughts, memories, and love for Tess would occasionally cause Thawne to be teary-eyed despite never knowing Tess.
  • Like Eddie Thawne, Harrison's fate is largely unknown during the Flashpoint timeline but it can be presumed that he and Tess Morgan were still alive since Thawne was prevented from committing the murder (first of Nora, and then Harrison and Tess).
    • For reasons unclear, S.T.A.R. Labs' site by 2016 is Cisco's company. Based on Harrison's conversation with his wife back in 2000, S.T.A.R. Labs may have been established in Starling City instead of Central City in this timeline.
  • Harrison was one of three individuals who have an encounter with Thawne involving identity theft. The other two are Martin Stein and John Swigert.[16][17]
  • Harrison's reputation was tarnished by Thawne's disguise, but it seems this may have changed in Nora West-Allen's initial future as Thawne is in prison on death row despite still wearing Wells's face, implying Central City knew the truth of Thawne masquerading as Wells thanks to the Flash Museum or the CCPD.[18]
  • In "Mother", which takes place in 2020, Harrison helps reactivate the Speed Force. This parallels the original timeline, in which Harrison and Tess launched the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator in 2020, which is presumably what connected Barry to the Speed Force in the first place.[5]

Behind the scenes

  • Harrison Wells uses elements of several DC comics characters:
    • A character only known as "Dr. Wells", who briefly appeared in the tie-in DC comic book of the 1990s The Flash TV series titled, "The Quick and the Dead" (January, 1991).
    • Even before that, a villainous character also known as Dr. Wells, sporting similar looks, appeared in the 1973-1985 animated series Super Friends episode "Elevator to Nowhere".
    • Harrison's overall characterization resembles Garrison Slate, the creator of S.T.A.R. Labs. Both wanted a government-free network of laboratories.
  • When asked about which Wells he would play in Season 3 of The Flash and if he would be this version, Tom Cavanagh said "This guy won't be that guy. If the show has strengths, I would argue that we're not repeating ourselves generally, and specifically I'm trying not to repeat myself."[19]
  • Grant Gustin has stated this version of Harrison Wells is "arguably — and I personally say without a doubt — the most epic and iconic character [Tom Cavanagh]'s played on the show". He also stated this is "a character that I know Tom loves to portray, but as usual it's going to be Harrison Wells with a twist, and we will get to see Tom do something brand new again with this character."[20]

References

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