The Flash: The Reverse-Flash(es) Identity(ies) Confirmed?
By Steve Lam
WARNING: Some spoilers may be revealed
Yes, a plural form of the Reverse-Flash may be warranted after writer/producer Andrew Kreisberg made some revelations at the Heroes and Villains of Arrow and The Flash panel at the Television Critics Association’s winter TV previews. Since the beginning, people have been speculating on who the Reverse-Flash is. Even our resident Flash aficionado, Nick Tylwalk, had his theories on the “man in yellow.”
At the end of the mid-season finale episode, audiences were treated to Dr. Harrison Wells, played by Tom Cavanaugh, opening up his secret vault to inspect the infamous yellow suit. If that’s not a confirmation, I don’t know what is. Okay, maybe Wells needs to flat out say, “I am the Reverse-Flash. The dude who killed Mrs. Allen!” I think Kreisberg can clean up the dialogue to sell it better, but you get the gist.
But it seems that Cavanaugh did just that on Sunday when he announced this about his character:
"He’s the man in the yellow suit. Yes, I am Reverse-Flash"
However, Kreisberg, that sly dog, just had to be a one-upper and imply that there might by another Reverse-Flash, and that there’s a reason for Detective Eddie Thawne to have the last name of “Thawne”:
"His name is not an accident. Eddie’s connection to the Reverse Flash lore is going to pay off big time in the back half of the year."
Although, Cavanaugh separately said that there’s only one Reverse-Flash:
"There is just one Reverse Flash … When we get into that moment and really start parsing through details of what that moment is, it’s going to be very gratifying to the audience. It’s got deeper levels. There’s so much more to it."
In conclusion, I’m not even sure that we got a straight answer (hence the question mark in my title) from either person. My theory is that Harrison Wells is Eddie Thawne’s son, Eobard Thawne, and not an older version of Eddie. It would be kind of ridiculous for him to be an older version since the two look nothing alike. If Eddie was still a child, then it might be believable. But as an adult, his overall looks won’t dramatically change that much (or are they also introducing the idea that Eobard cosmetically changed his face and body).
Other interesting theories have pointed to Eddie Thawne being Malcolm Thawne, Barry Allen’s long-lost twin brother. In the comics, Malcolm later becomes the super-villain Cobalt Blue.
Yep, theories upon theories. I can say that Kreisberg and Cavanaugh did their job in whetting fans’ appetites with their panel, and the only to find out for sure is to start watching the series.
The Flash returns after its mid-season hiatus on The CW on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 8:00PM EST.
Sources: TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly