The Flash has many villains who are just as fast as him, with the chief among these being Reverse-Flash. Usually wearing a costume that inverts the Scarlet Speedster’s, this evil runner has a mantle and legacy of his own. Several versions of The Flash (and his evil counterparts) appeared in The Flash movie, showcasing the Speed Force’s many unique gifts. The various villains who’ve used the moniker or ones similar to it also exhibit powers of their own.
Though Reverse-Flash might seem like a mere opposite of The Flash, he boasts powers that his heroic counterpart doesn’t. This is due to the different ways in which these foes gained their powers, some of which diverge greatly from Barry Allen’s origin story. The result is a villain who uses his powers as the most dastardly man alive.
10 Reverse-Flash Can Travel Through Time Without External Help
In the Silver Age of Comics, Barry Allen couldn’t travel in time without the use of a Cosmic Treadmill. On the other hand, his rival Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. the Reverse-Flash a.k.a. Professor Zoom could pull this off. In fact, he traveled to the present after gaining his powers in the far-flung future.
The Daniel West Reverse-Flash in the New 52 exhibited similar abilities, and he planned to use them to rewrite his own history. Given how powerful and dangerous the technique is, it’s no surprise that Thawne was able to go back in time and kill Barry Allen’s mother when he was a boy. This led to Barry trying to undo her murder, resulting in the iconic Flashpoint storyline.
Daniel West’s origin as the New 52 Reverse-Flash had him being exposed to a Speed Force battery. This bathed him in Speed Force energy and debris. With this detritus, he fashioned a Flash costumed for himself composed of metallic “armor.” This gave him sharp claws and an almost demonic appearance.
The concept was somewhat revisited in the DC Extended Universe, though not for Daniel West. Barry Allen initially wore a metal costume, and his alternate universe younger counterpart created a distorted armor for himself out of the pieces of Kryptonian armor. The end result was a far larger version of Daniel West’s Reverse-Flash design.
8 Reverse-Flash Can Create Targeted Sonic Booms
Upon returning in The Flash: Rebirth, Eobard Thawne showcased his new powers against the reunited Flash family. One of these was the ability to create sonic booms from his hands by snapping his fingers. It’s a useful long-range attack that he learned from Hunter Zolomon, and one that none of the Flashs share.
The closest thing is when The Flash creates similar effects from running. Even then, this is after building up speed and running away, whereas Thawne makes sonic booms while standing still. This displays a greater control of the Speed Force than the other speedsters.
7 The Negative Speed Force
The Negative Speed Force is exactly what it sounds like, existing as an opposite of the normal Speed Force that threatens to consume it. It’s what gives Eobard Thawne his speed, as he created it when he got his powers. This emulated how Barry Allen was once portrayed as the source of the Speed Force.
Many of Thawne’s exclusive powers are tied to the Negative Speed Force, with is more “offensive” than the defensive Speed Force. Not all the Reverse-Flashs are tied to this, however, which is why they lack some of the abilities that Professor Zoom has.
6 Thawne Can Infect Others With The Negative Speed Force
One of the darkest powers of the Negative Speed Force is Thawne’s ability to infect others with a simple touch. This makes them generate Negative Speed Force energy, which has disastrous effects on those tied to the normal Speed Force. In fact, it briefly transformed Barry Allen into the Black Flash.
The Black Flash is essentially the Grim Reaper for speedsters, with his appearance foretelling their death. He’s one of several representatives of death in the DC Universe. The fact that Thawne can “summon” him through infecting others thus makes the Reverse-Flash as much a harbinger of death as the Black Flash.
5 Hunter Zolomon Can Control Time
Unlike the other evil speedsters, the Hunter Zolomon Reverse-Flash (also simply called Zoom) isn’t tied to the Speed Force. Instead, he controls time around himself, whether that means speeding things up or slowing them down. This also increases his physical attributes, along with making issues such as friction completely irrelevant.
Zolomon can even upgrade others’ speed through his power, as he did with Wonder Woman’s animalistic nemesis The Cheetah. Given his lack of connection to the Speed Force, it’s unknown how exactly he creates the aforementioned sonic booms/shock waves. It’s likely tied to his increased strength and changing time’s effect on the surrounding air, however.
4 Two Reverse-Flashs Gained Their Speed From A Formula
Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, gained his powers from a formula. The same happened with his enemy Edward Clariss, who recreated the formula and became The Rival (a.k.a. Golden Age Reverse-Flash). Though the formula gave him great speed, it was only temporary.
After being severed from the Speed Force, Inertia (later calling himself Kid Zoom) had to use the similar Velocity 9 formula to regain his powers. Clariss later regained his speed through inexplicable means, and he eventually became pure speed energy. This gave him the power to possess other speedsters, namely Max Mercury.
3 Thawne Is An Evil Super Genius
Eobard Thawne was a genius even in his time of the 25th century, making him far more advanced than 21st century minds. Reverse-Flash was able to single-handedly recreate The Flash’s origins, though without some of the Scarlet Speedster’s limitations. This alone makes him one of the deadliest villains in the DC Universe.
His incredible mind would be enough of a threat, but when combined with his immense speed, it’s a surprise that anyone is ever able to defeat him. Thawne’s main downfall in this regard is his intense arrogance and hatred. If not for his blinding rivalry with Barry Allen, he’d likely have achieved far more success.
2 Thawne Can Remove A Speedster’s Protective Aura
A major threat to speedsters when they first develop their powers is friction, as the elements can tear away at their clothes and bodies when running fast. Thankfully, they develop a protective aura that keeps them and those within the aura safe. Eobard Thawne’s connection to the Negative Speed Force can be used to eat away at this aura, removing it completely.
Reverse-Flash used this move on Jay Garrick before pushing him at super-speed. The original Flash quickly caught on fire, with nothing protecting him from the ensuing friction. This again shows how Reverse-Flash is essentially an avatar of death to other speedsters.
1 Thawne Can Change His Age
Another unique power that explains Thawne’s longevity is age manipulation. Though he doesn’t control time like Hunter Zolomon, he can use his Negative Speed Force to affect the age of organic objects. This ability can both keep himself young and artificially age others (or simple objects) to dust.
It’s likely that Hunter Zolomon could do the same thing, at least for himself. Manipulating his own personal timestream, Zolomon is potentially able to stay eternally young through this method. With their evil not aging and only growing throughout the years, the men who call themselves Reverse-Flash are potentially some of the DC’s deadliest, most undying villains.