For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. And with every step the Flash takes toward the future, someone from the future is racing backward through time to stop him—the villainous speedster known as the Reverse-Flash.
The Reverse-Flash Could Have Been a Flash Sidekick
Eobard Thawne was once inspired by Barry Allen to become a hero. But, because of his own twisted morals and obsessive issues, Eobard couldn't ever be anything other than the worst villain Flash has ever seen.
Although he can be considered somewhat more complex than his comic book counterpart due to his more personal relationship with The Flash, this doesn't disqualify him from being Pure Evil as he still commits similar atrocities with a lack of redeeming qualities.
Barry was initially unwilling to believe such a thing was possible – and justifiably so – but eventually came around and decided that this new version of Reverse-Flash is a legitimately good person and nothing like the villain he's been at war with since The Flash season 1.
Eobard Thawne is a villain who's had many names, done many terrible things and fought many epic battles, but today we're going to focus on just one of them: his debut appearance in DC's Rebirth era in The Flash Vol.
At this point, Thawne had already killed the love of Barry's life, Iris West. When he returned to kill Barry's new love, Fiona Webb, Flash was understandably desperate. In his panic, Barry grabbed the speeding Reverse-Flash by the neck, snapping his bones like twigs.
He replicated the accident that gave the Flash his powers, but was driven insane and became obsessed with ruining the Flash's life upon learning that he was destined to become his greatest enemy–the Reverse-Flash. Fueled by jealousy and hatred, Thawne travels throughout time to torment and destroy the Flash's life.
The Thinker is a worse villain than Reverse-Flash only because Team Flash is vastly less competent by the fourth season. It was one thing deducing the identity of The Thinker, but the way he managed to constantly outsmart them, again and again, is another.
This is a roadblock Wally overcomes when he faces Eobard, the one villain Barry could never really defeat. After Wally finally accepts the role of The Flash as his own, he absolutely destroys Reverse Flash, showing that he is ultimately a bully who only picks on those weaker than himself.
The death of Barry Allen's mother is the basis of a seminal comic text, 2009's Flash: Rebirth. Writer Geoff Johns had Nora die at the hands of Barry's archnemesis, Eobard Thawne, aka Professor Zoom, aka Reverse Flash.
It wasn't some random act of violence or tragedy that befell the Allen family. It was Reverse-Flash that killed Flash's mother, at the same time framing Barry's father for the crime. In a uniquely horrifying time-travel scenario, Barry's parents were snatched out of his life because of his future nemesis.
Barry has always beaten Reverse-Flash, but he's not actually more powerful than Eobard Thawne. Barry is ridiculously skilled and powerful, but he can't match someone who can change time at will. Thawne is way more powerful than Barry, but his anger and pettiness hold him back.
He doesn't need a cosmic treadmill to travel through time like Barry once did, and has even outrun death (in the form of the Black Flash) just like his uncle. In the series Flash Forward, it was determined that Wally West is the fastest being in the whole Multiverse.
Along with being a barrier to Barry and Iris as the show's one-true-pairing, Eddie Thawne was a red-herring for the Reverse Flash, whose name is Eobard Thawne. On the series, Eddie was a distant ancestor to Thawne, so when he sacrificed himself his descendant disappeared.
In the Crisis on Earth X crossover, when supergirl claimed that superman would hunt down the New Reichsmen(nazi justice league of earth x) Reverse Flash responded that he met and fought Superman. He added "he's fast, I'm faster" implying Superman's defeat. Superman is in another earth and another timeline from eobard.
Bodily Vibration: Eobard has the ability to vibrate some or all of his cells and overall parts of his body on command, with varying effects based on the speed and intensity of the vibrational energy he uses.
Realizing that neither of them can win, Barry surrenders and tricks Thawne into unleashing the Negative Forces' full power, only to redirect the negative energy back into him which destroys Thawne for good.
As a result, Reverse-Flash can do things like travel back in time and alter the time stream without wrecking time itself. Eobard Thawne's connection with the time-stream has made him seemingly completely immortal. He's displayed the power to regenerate his body and even displayed evidence of being immortal.
Eobard Thawne was a genius scientist and became amazed by the Speed Force upon witnessing several of the Flash's actions thus obsessing more over it. During his adulthood, Thawne miraculously received a time capsule containing the Flash's old costume.
The Flash Season 9 Gave Barry A Perfect Final Victory Over Reverse-Flash. Though Barry beat Reverse-Flash with only a few episodes in the series, it's not impossible that the show will bring him back.
In conclusion, the Reverse Flash, Eobard Thawne, is one of the pettiest villains in the DC universe. His jealousy and hatred for the Flash led him to manipulate events, betray his allies, and cause chaos.
