- "Goodbye... my love."
- —Marlize's last words to Clifford before killing him[src]
Marlize DeVoe (née Malan)[1] is a professor at Central City University, and the estranged wife of the late Clifford DeVoe and former partner-in-crime in his secret activities as "the Thinker". She is the co-creator of the Thinking Cap and the sole creator of Clifford's other cybernetics that allow him to stay alive despite his deteriorating physiology. However, Marlize eventually realized Clifford's actions were harming people around him and that her husband lost any regard for her. They became estranged, with Marlize fleeing to their old home in England. She later returned to Central City to aid Team Flash in preventing the Enlightenment and defeat her husband. Afterwards, Marlize decided to return to her teaching job and use her abilities to help people like she once did.
Biography
Path of enlightenment
Marlize was pursuing doctorates in Engineering and Robotics in the University of Oxford circa 2006. There, she met with Clifford DeVoe, with the two of them falling in love.[2]
Marlize was at first disgusted with Clifford's plan to strip anyone of their intelligence and his extreme dislike of technology. She left him for having extreme ideas and joined the Peace Corps where she created healing water technology. While Clifford was asking her to return, the village where she was working was assaulted. That made Marlize return with Clifford and agree with his hatred of technology.[3]
Clifford and Marlize eventually married. The DeVoe family developed a "plan of enlightenment", with them upgrading the "delivery system" of knowledge at the universities. The DeVoe couple both moved to Central City, getting jobs as professors at Central City University. However, the results of their plans were lackluster, with Clifford feeling like he needed greater brainpower to handle the teaching process. Wanting to help him out, Marlize looked at Clifford's Thinking Cap schematics and developed the device accordingly. Their plan to activate it required greater power, and they came to believe that the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator, created by Dr. Harrison Wells, could potentially be the answer. Marlize and her husband went to the press conference that Wells had organized and Marlize asked him if he had truly considered every possible outcome. Wells insisted that he had and asked for her name. When he heard her surname, he guessed the identity of her husband and said he was "a fan of his work." Marlize guessed that Wells was lying and was planning for the reactor to explode to produce a greater dark matter phenomenon, but Clifford told her that this outcome would be even more beneficial to their plan. As Clifford tested out the Thinking Cap, he was hit by a wave of dark matter and a bolt of lightning, becoming a meta-human. Marlize, seeing that Clifford lost his consciousness after being hit by lightning, tried to revive him and cried in despair, thinking that her husband was dead. He came alive, however, claiming to be enlightened.[2]
Over the months that followed, Marlize saw that her husband's intelligence had skyrocketed. He told her that he now knew the answers to all the perceivable questions that have or could ever be asked. But then, Clifford started collapsing, and they realized that his brain was draining the energy of his own body to fuel itself. In essence, his intelligence was feeding off of him, and he would soon die. To prolong his life, Marlize helped design a special chair that would grant energy to his brain so that it wouldn't feed off of his body so much. It succeeded, but they both knew that it wouldn't last forever.
Secret activities
Marlize placed a cover back on a Samuroid, noting to Clifford DeVoe how it had served its purpose, bringing the Flash back to Central City. She then asked him what their next step would be. Before, that Clifford DeVoe and Marlize lived in South Africa. Marlize DeVoe is the wife and assistant to Clifford DeVoe.[4]
She later walked in on Clifford completing Schubert's unfinished Eighth Symphony. She then told him of Ramsey Deacon's incarceration in Iron Heights Prison, the first of many they'd have to find.[5]
Shortly after, Marlize noted how Team Flash had found Becky Sharpe quicker than they'd anticipated, suggesting that they were smarter than previously thought.[6]
When the woman found that the prediction algorithms showed that Team Flash was closing in on DeVoe's identity faster than predicted, she went to confront him. He told her that it would all end with his victory which confused her but asked her to continue as she seemed to want to take the conversation by the long way. She told him of Team Flash's progress in learning about him, suggesting he had miscalculated their prowess. DeVoe claimed not to be worried, having considered every variable as well as every possible way for the conversation to end. She asked how would it all end and he finished with his earlier statement that it would end with his victory. When Harry and Cisco Ramon had learned of DeVoe's identity, the woman warned him that they were about to have guests. When Joe West and Barry Allen arrived and rang the bell for their house, she went to greet them happily and calmly. They seemed a little surprised about their welcome but asked if Clifford DeVoe was there and she told them that he was. Telling her that they just needed to speak with him, he came to the door in an electric wheelchair.[7]
After being annoyed with Barry's trespasses, she and Clifford sued him before Captain Singh and Barry was suspended. She and Clifford decided to let Barry and Iris marry, since for DeVoe then, love was still important.[8]
When Barry was kidnapped by DeVoe Barry tried to convince her to stop supporting DeVoe's evil plans, but she did not listen to his advice. After Dominic Lanse was kidnapped again by Amunet Black she saw Clifford transferring his consciousness into him with disgust.[9]
Despite being uncomfortable with DeVoe's plan, she still helped to incriminate Barry. She testified with fake tears. Outside the tribunal, Iris confronted her, to which Marlize answered that she was willing to fight for her husband and asked her if she was willing to do the same for her husband.[10]
Barry was declared guilty. Gregory Wolfe discovered Barry's identity as The Flash and sent him to the metahuman branch to sell him to Amunet Black alongside Ramsey Deacon, Becky Sharpe, Mina Chaytan and Sylbert Rundine. Barry allied to those metahumans to escape the prison. After being cornered by Wolfe and Amunet, DeVoe neutralized Amunet, who accidentally killed some guards, and killed Wolfe and put his tentacles in the four metahumans Barry intended to rescue but was too late and after DeVoe took their powers and stealing Becky's body to hurt Barry feelings. Marlize was disgusted with the unnecessary murder of warden Wolfe and this time she calls him out. To control her, Clifford drugged her with the Weeper's tears to make her docile.
Changing sides
Finally tired of DeVoe's domestic abuse, his lack of interest in emotion and his willingness to do gratuitous evil acts, Marlize took the flying chair, turned on the force field so her husband could not come close to her and she used the hover chair so she can teleport leaving DeVoe behind.[3]
After leaving her husband, Marlize went back to their old apartment in Oxford, England. However, she was eventually tracked down by Iris West and Harry Wells. She teleported out of nowhere and threatened to hurt Iris and Harry with her sword, before she realized that Harry was losing his intelligence due to his own version of the Thinking Cap. Marlize stated to Iris that she left her husband, but she also knew that he was right. Iris then asked her what she was willing to do to save the world.
Iris brought Marlize to the Time Vault. Marlize warned Barry that DeVoe could take down all of Barry's powered allies and insisted that entering on his mind was the only solution.
Marlize then guided Barry to certain places in DeVoe's mind, which included their house and the place they had their first dance. After Barry found Ralph alive in the Thinker's mind, Marlize was shocked to see Ralph alive as well as she thought Clifford had killed all the bus meta-humans that were created when Barry exited from the Speed Force.
Later on, Clifford entered S.T.A.R. Labs where Team Flash and Marlize were located. Clifford mocked Marlize, stating that she never should have built the hover chair without his oversight, as he felt it was one of his many miscalculations. Marlize then stated that he would have to find her and the rest of the team before heading to her husband's lair. She then stated that she could buy the team some time as she stated to Iris that they would have minutes but maybe less as the Enlightenment would eventually come close. Eventually, Clifford entered the lair and attacked everyone in it, putting Marlize down with Janet Petty's gravitational powers as well as using it on the rest of the team.
Clifford eventually failed in his plan to reboot everyone's minds when Barry exited his mind with Ralph. Before Clifford was erased from Ralph's mind, Marlize stated that Team Flash's emotional support eventually defeated him before telling him he could not understand, before finally watching Clifford get erased and Ralph coming back.
As soon as Marlize and the team went back to S.T.A.R. Labs, Clifford presented himself as a reincarnated hologram in the hover chair, stating that it was one of Ramsey Deacon's powers. Marlize then listened to her husband, as he told her that the Enlightenment would come for her and that he planned everything, especially the conversation they were currently having. Marlize then said a final sad goodbye to her husband before unplugging the chair's power source, permanently putting an end to Clifford and his madness.
As soon as the Enlightenment failed, Marlize gave Cisco and Caitlin a device that would heal Harry's mind from his brain being fried, stating to them that she has a lot to make amends for. She then talks to Barry and Iris, stating that before she was helping Clifford with his villainous plans, she really wanted to help the world. She then gave a final goodbye to them both before leaving S.T.A.R. Labs and going back to make a real difference. It is unknown what her fate is after this, but it is assumed that she eventually went back to her teaching job at Central City University.[11]
Personality
- "A helper? Is that what you think I am? A mindless minion carrying out her master's bidding? Some sort of evil secretary? No, Mr. Allen. I am now and forever will be my husband's partner."
- —Marlize DeVoe to Barry Allen[src]
Marlize is a stern and goal-oriented woman, often times getting short with her husband, Clifford during times when she thinks his plan is ludicrous. Despite this, she has also been seen being very loyal to him as his wife, caretaker and literal partner in crime. Indeed, she took great offense to Barry Allen even suggesting that she was her husband's henchwoman, or, to use her own words, "some kind of evil secretary", vehemently affirming that she is loyal to her husband absolutely.
That being said, she is shown to be uncomfortable with her husband's plan to transfer his consciousness into the body of an innocent man and then discard his older, failing body. Whether this was out of concern for her husband's safety, general discomfort at the prospect of loving her husband in an unfamiliar body, some level of moral discomfort at the prospect of murder, or a combination of all three, is unclear.
Prior to her transformation into her husband's partner-in-crime, Marlize seemed a warmer person, having a sense of humor and appreciation for things Clifford dismissed as "inane". He noted that he would be nothing without her, a claim that holds weight given how Marlize appeared to keep him grounded and perhaps still does even after both have transformed into hardened criminals.
Marlize was initially utterly loyal to her husband, even in regards to disposing of Barry Allen, as she bluntly tells Barry's wife, Iris West-Allen that she is willing to do whatever she has to for her husband, even eliminating men like Allen who are "in the way". However, after Clifford's murder of Warden Wolfe, Marlize began to show some doubts towards her husband's plans, as she did not expect him to take such drastic or ruthless measures. Recognizing this, Clifford took steps to keep Marlize docile so as to ensure her continued loyalty and keep her increasing discomfort with Clifford's crimes from making her leave him. Once realizing how ruthless and corrupted Clifford had become in his goals to the point of erasing her memories to keep her docile, she came to accept that her husband had become a monster, being left heartbroken and devastated by the betrayal. Unfortunately, Clifford would repeatedly erase her memories each time she came this conclusion, repeating a loop that she isn't even aware of. Eventually, following his casual disregard at Marlize's attempts at flirting and the murder of innocent people, caused Marlize to desert Clifford.
Abilities
- Genius-level intellect: Marlize is extraordinarily intelligent, having two advanced degrees (presumably doctorates as she's referred as a doctor) in Engineering and Robotics. Her talents are pivotal in aiding her husband, Clifford, in his work as a professor and as the Thinker.[2]
- Expert physicist: Marlize has an expertise in physics, teaching a class "Introduction to Fluid Mechanics and Physical Thermodynamics" at Central City University.[2]
- Master deceiver/Manipulator: Like her husband, Marlize can be very deceptive, effectively convincing David Singh that Barry Allen was harassing her husband and even slapping him, in order to make this lie of hers convincing; resulting in the latter being (unfairly/wrongfully) suspended from the CCPD.
- Master engineer: Marlize is a master engineer as she was able to create the Samurai robots, her husband's cerebral enhancer and his mechanical hovering chair, as well another of other devices. Marlize also was part of the creation of the Thinking Cap that Clifford used to get his super intellect and knowledge.[2] Even with all of DeVoe's extremely enhanced intelligence, he still admitted his wife to be the better engineer.
- Culinary expertise: Marlize is said to have great skill in cooking.[2]
- Swordswomanship: Marlize is capable of fighting with a sword (specifically a katana blade) though it is presumed she acquired this skill after being assaulted, never wanting to be hurt again.
Equipment
- Sword: In emergency situations, Marlize draws a katana blade for combat. It unknown what power supply it use but when in use it emits a blue electrical current from the blade.
- Hoverchair: Marlize stole the chair from her husband, using it to teleport herself to England.[1]
Appearances
The Flash
Season 4
|
The Chronicles of Cisco
- Template:COC
Trivia
- Out of all the villains' partners from The Flash, Marlize seems to be the most manipulated of all, at least after her husband resorts to drugging her and erasing her memories every time she realizes her husband has gone too far and tries in vain to escape over and over. This is contrast to the other "partners" to the main villains, who joined them willingly, fearfully, or not even knowing that they were being used:
- Eobard Thawne used Team Flash for his plan to go back to the future until they figured out who he truly was.
- Laurel Lance/Black Siren, Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost, Ronnie Raymond/Deathstorm and Francisco Ramon/Reverb were loyal to Zoom out of a shared love of destruction and sadistic violence.
- However, some of Zoom's partners were coerced into working with him out of fear, including Linda Park /Doctor Light.
- Killer Frost joined Savitar willingly after he showed himself due to the fact that he was a future version of Barry, having a face she trusted.
- Her accent indicates that she is of South-African descent.
- As a child, Marlize enjoyed Schubert's music, particularly his eighth symphony.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Think Fast"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Therefore I Am"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Therefore She Is"
- ↑ "The Flash Reborn"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Mixed Signals"
- ↑ "Luck Be a Lady"
- ↑ "When Harry Met Harry..."
- ↑ "Therefore I Am"
- ↑ "Don't Run"
- ↑ "The Trial of The Flash"
- ↑ "We Are The Flash"