The Biggest Differences Between The Reverse-Flash And Zoom

Flash villain Reverse-Flash and Professor Zoom are the same person, but the former title is also a mantle that includes the separate villain Zoom.

Fittingly, the greatest enemy of The Flash is easily the Reverse-Flash. The mirror opposite of the speedy hero, this foe has been a thorn in the Fastest Man Alive's side since the Silver Age of Comics. For as straightforward as he sounds, however, there's a bit of confusion surrounding the villain's name.

For instance, Reverse-Flash is also called Professor Zoom, whereas the villain simply referred to as Zoom is another character entirely. That's not to mention the other Reverse-Flashes that are unrelated to both of these men. While Zoom and Professor Zoom may seem like they're the same, they ultimately couldn't be any more different. These two Flash enemies run in different directions.

There are Multiple Reverse-Flashes In the DC Universe

The Reverse-Flash name is both an individual title as well as something of a catch-all mantle. The name debuted with Eobard Thawne in The Flash #139 (by John Broome and Carmine Infantino). A villain from the future, he dubbed himself Professor Zoom — the Reverse-Flash. Though he'd be the first villain to use the Reverse-Flash title, he theoretically wasn't the first true Reverse-Flash. This would actually be Edward Clarris, who was the Reverse-Flash for Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick. More commonly known as The Rival, his appearance was a darkened version of Garrick's own.

Wally West had his own Reverse-Flash in the form of Hunter Zolomon, aka Zoom. His name and appearance were like that of Eobard Thawne, though his powers worked a bit differently. Barry Allen's grandson, Bart Allen/Impulse, would get a similar foe in Inertia, who would later take the name Kid Zoom. Conversely, the New 52 reboot introduced Daniel West, a divergent take on Reverse-Flash unrelated to any other version. There are other evil speedsters, such as Godspeed, Savitar, and Johnny Quick, the latter of whom shares his name with a Golden Age heroic speedster. Though they're villains, they're not considered Reverse-Flashes, showing how fickle the mantle can sometimes be. Still, this makes some sense, as the name namely relates to being an arch-foe to a specific Flash.

The Power Differences Between Eobard Thawne and Hunter Zolomon

Eobard Thawne became the Reverse-Flash when he recreated the accident that gave Barry Allen his own abilities. This connected him to the Negative Speed Force, and unlike most speedsters, he could already travel through time on his own power without the need for outside mechanical assistance. This is a fairly straightforward take on the concept, which makes sense given his status of being The Flash's inverse. The next major Reverse-Flash would take this concept to an even stronger thematic level.

Unlike his enemies, the Hunter Zolomon Reverse-Flash/Zoom isn't connected to the Speed Force. Instead, he controls time itself relative to his body, making things faster or even slower depending on his needs. This is the way in which he moves at a superhuman level, and he can even grant this ability to others. Most importantly, since it isn't a true version of speed, Zoom is unaffected by issues such as friction or wind damage that can harm other speedsters' clothes and bodies. By altering his personal timeline, Zolomon can even make himself incredibly strong or invulnerable. This is a steep change from merely moving fast, but it does truly invert The Flash's concept.

Zoom and Professor Zoom Hate The Flash for Different Reasons

The origin of Eobard Thawne is one of pure pettiness and hatred, making him the biggest threat to peace and tranquility in Barry Allen's life. Living far in the future after the modern DC heroes had died, Thawne was obsessed with the man known as The Flash. It had become public knowledge that Barry was the Flash, and Thawne did everything to try and be like him. This included both cosmetic surgery to resemble Barry and the aforementioned replication of Barry's lab accident. Upon using discovering his powers, he would travel back in time to meet his hero. Unfortunately, it was there that his destiny became clear: Barry Allen was already dead, and Professor Zoom was fated to be killed by him after vexing him for years as a villain. After all, Thawne, at one point, killed Barry's wife, Iris, and tried to do the same thing to The Flash's second wife. This was a heinous level of evil that few DC villains achieved at that point in time, and it shows just how far Thawne would go to get back at the man he sees as "ruining his life."

Hunter Zolomon had a more personal and tragic connection to his version of The Flash. A Keystone City cop with a tragic past, Zolomon was dedicated to justice and seeing the right thing done. He befriended Wally West (the former Kid Flash and current Flash), becoming a staunch ally that helped Wally on several cases. Unfortunately, their friendship would be forever changed when Zolomon was paralyzed by Gorilla Grodd. Wally refused to go back and change time to prevent this from happening, forcing Hunter Zolomon to try to do it himself via the Cosmic Treadmill. The resulting explosion gave him his time-altering abilities, and from then on, he would try in his own twisted way to make The Flash "a better hero." This involved making his life more tragic than ever, an idea that would mainly manifest in targeting Wally West's wife, Linda.

In terms of personality and characterization, Hunter Zolomon is a far more likable and tragic foe. He didn't have the best upbringing, and even his heroic actions as a cop would lead to turmoil. He was actually friends with Wally West, and this made his jump to villainy much sadder. In the case of Eobard Thawne, however, his evil was simply based out of being petty and resentful. This includes a cartoonish idea that he was always "fated" to become Barry's greatest rival, resulting in a villain who literally hates the hero because the plot says so. Despite this lack of much depth, Thawne has been the most adapted Reverse-Flash, with his presence even felt in the DC Extended Universe despite never being seen on-screen. Similarly, he was a constant threat in the CW The Flash TV series, far eclipsing the heavily-altered Zoom (who was given a black costume to differentiate him from Thawne). This is all due to how much Barry Allen has been used in comics and outside media. Nevertheless, he's not the only Reverse-Flash, with Hunter Zolomon offering some fierce competition in the role. While the two villains usually look quite a like, they're very different, and this includes their powers.