Editing Reverse-Flash (section)

=={{anchor|Fictional character biography}}Characters==

=== Edward Clariss ===
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|image= Rival Clariss.png
|caption= The Rival, the proto-Reverse-Flash, by Stephen Sadowski (penciller), Michael Bair (inker), and John Kalisz (colorist)
|character_name= Edward Clariss
|full_name= 
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|debut= ''[[Flash Comics]]'' #104 (February 1949) 
|creators= [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]]<br/>[[Joe Kubert]]
|alliances= [[Injustice Society]]
|aliases= Rival
|powers= [[Flash (Barry Allen)#Powers and abilities|Flash]] 
}}

'''Edward Clariss''' (also known as '''the Rival'''<ref name="Rival">{{cite web |title=The Flash's 10 Fastest Villains, Ranked |url=https://www.cbr.com/flash-fastest-villains-ranked/ |website=CBR |access-date=1 May 2019 |date=22 April 2019 |archive-date=30 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430211843/https://www.cbr.com/flash-fastest-villains-ranked/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and '''the Rival Flash''') first appeared in ''[[Flash Comics]]'' #104 (February 1949), and was created by [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]] and [[Joe Kubert]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Korte |first3=Steve |last4=Manning |first4=Matt |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |last6=Wilson |first6=Sven |title=The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe |date=2016 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-5357-0 |page=248}}</ref>

====Publication history====
Edward Clariss first appeared in [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|Jay Garrick]]'s final appearance in ''[[Flash Comics]]'' #104 (February 1949), and was created by [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]] and [[Joe Kubert]] as an [[Evil twin|evil counterpart]] of Garrick during the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]]. He would be revived by [[Geoff Johns]] and [[David Goyer]] in a story called "Injustice Be Done" from the [[Justice Society of America]] comic books through the [[Modern Age of Comic Books]].<ref name="rival"/>

====Fictional character biography====
Although not called the Reverse-Flash, Dr. Edward Clariss was a professor at the [[university]] attended by the [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] Flash, and had recreated the formula which was behind [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|Jay Garrick]]'s speed. He hears Joan Williams (Garrick's girlfriend) talking about how the Flash's own speed was given to another student, which helped him develop the formula. Bitter at the scientific community's rejection of his claims, Clariss becomes a criminal. A darker version of the Flash with a mask over his head, he gives the formula to other criminals. The Rival's version of the formula is temporary, and he is captured and jailed (later stories have indicated a possible link between the Clariss formula and the Velocity 9 created by [[Vandal Savage]], but thus far no such link has been conclusively proven).<ref name="rival">{{cite web |title=The Flash Season 3: Who is The Rival? |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/books-comics/the-flash/258963/the-flash-season-3-who-is-the-rival |website=Den of Geek |access-date=1 May 2019 |language=en |archive-date=1 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501190849/https://www.denofgeek.com/us/books-comics/the-flash/258963/the-flash-season-3-who-is-the-rival |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''JSA'' #16 (November 2000) contains a flashback to a battle between the Rival and the Flash several months after the former's first appearance. Now that he has inexplicably regained super-speed, Clariss reaches light speed during the fight and vanishes into the [[Speed Force]]. After the [[Justice Society of America]]'s reformation 50 years later, [[Johnny Sorrow]] retrieves Clariss from the Speed Force and invites him to join the [[Injustice Society]]. Driven insane in the Speed Force, the Rival races across the country on a killing spree. The Flash realizes that the Rival's path across the country spells out Clariss's name and the final murder victim will be Joan; Jay absorbs the Rival's speed before he can kill Joan.<ref name="rival"/>

The Rival returns in ''Impulse'' #88 (September 2002), posing as Joan's doctor. Now pure speed energy, he possesses fellow Golden Age speedster [[Max Mercury]]. After battling Jay and [[Bart Allen|Impulse]], Max time-travels to an unknown destination. In ''[[The Flash: Rebirth]]'' #4, Max escapes from the Speed Force and is rejuvenated by Wally West's energy; this allows him to return to Earth in a new body. Another Golden Age Reverse-Flash is a robot whose only appearance was in one panel of ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' #134 (February 1998), where he is defeated by Garrick.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shiach |first1=Kieran |title=Dark Reflections: The History Of Zoom And The Reverse Flash |url=https://comicsalliance.com/history-zoom-reverse-flash/ |website=ComicsAlliance |date=26 April 2016 |access-date=2 May 2019 |language=en |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502142527/https://comicsalliance.com/history-zoom-reverse-flash/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Return====
After the events of ''[[Doomsday Clock (comics)|Doomsday Clock]]'', Clariss returned to continuity, having faced Garrick in the 40s.<ref>''The Flash'' #750</ref>

===Eobard Thawne===
{{main|Eobard Thawne}}
Professor Eobard Thawne (commonly known as Professor Zoom) first appeared in ''The Flash'' #139 (September 1963). The [[archenemy]] of [[Barry Allen]], he is the first supervillain to be called the Reverse-Flash.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wells |first=John |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-64 |date=2015 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490458 |page=125}}</ref> While other speedsters cannot change the past without dramatic consequences, his ability to travel and manipulate time is able to drastically alter history and completely erase people from existence is due to having corrupted the Speed Force which created a negative version.

===Wally West===
{{main|Wally West}}
Wally West briefly impersonated Professor Zoom aka the Reverse-Flash.<ref>''The Flash'' vol. 2 #157-158</ref>

===Hunter Zolomon===
{{main|Hunter Zolomon}}
Hunter Zolomon (also known as Zoom) first appeared in ''The Flash: Secret Files & Origins'' #3 (November 2001). The archenemy of [[Wally West]], he is the second supervillain to be called the Reverse-Flash. Unlike all other speedsters, he did not gain his superspeed from the Speed Force but due to an accident with the Cosmic Treadmill where he was essentially "derailed" from the time line which allowed him to control the rate at which he moves in time and make him faster than any speedster.

===Thaddeus Thawne===
<!-- Commented out until [[WP:FUR]] is added for use in this article [[File:Inertia.png|deletable image-caption|thumb|right|Inertia, in art from ''Flash: The Fastest Man Alive'' #5, by [[Ron Adrian]]]] -->
'''Thaddeus Thawne''' (a.k.a. '''Inertia''' and later '''Kid Zoom''') first appeared in ''Impulse'' #51 (August 1999), and was created by [[Todd DeZago]] and [[Mike Wieringo]]. Another character called the Reverse-Flash, he is a [[Molecular cloning|clone]] of [[Bart Allen]]. Inertia first fought Impulse. When Bart aged five years after ''Infinite Crisis'' and became the Flash, Inertia fought his genetic template again. Inertia was responsible for Allen's death; Wally West returned, taking revenge by paralyzing Inertia and imprisoning him in the [[Flash Museum]]. In ''[[Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge]]'', he is used by [[Libra (DC Comics)|Libra]] and Zoom to try to get the Rogues to join the [[Secret Society of Super Villains|Secret Society]]. Inertia steals Zoom's powers, calls himself Kid Zoom, and is killed by the Rogues, who blamed him for making them kill Bart.

When asked who created Inertia, [[Ethan van Sciver]] wrote that he could only accept five percent of the credit; the remaining credit belonged to [[Mike Wieringo]] (20 percent), [[Grant Morrison]] (25 percent) and [[Todd DeZago]] (50 percent). According to van Sciver, Inertia's appearance is an inverted depiction of Impulse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31402&page=4|title=Inertia . . . ! - Page 4 - The Comic Bloc Forums|publisher=Comicbloc.com|access-date=2011-04-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718114953/http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31402&page=4|archive-date=2011-07-18}}</ref>

Inertia initially appeared in ''Impulse'' #50: "First Fool's" (July 1999), followed by #51: "It's All Relative" (August 1999). His greatest [[Character advancement|character development]] was in #53: "Threats" (October 1999). Inertia was not featured again until ''Impulse'' #62 and #66: "Mercury Falling" (July, November 2000), and again for another five years.

He then began making regular appearances, primarily due to Bart being the Flash. Inertia appeared in ''The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive'' #5: "Lightning in a Bottle, Part 5" (December 2006). In addition to his ''Flash'' appearances, he appeared in ''[[Teen Titans]]'' (vol. 3) as part of [[Titans East]], an enemy team, beginning in ''Teen Titans'' (vol. 3) #43 (January 2007). The storyline concluded with (vol. 3) #46 (April 2007). Gathering the Rogues, he attempted to drain Bart's powers for himself; the plan backfired when Wally returned and Inertia's equipment drained the Speed Force, making the Rogues accidentally beat Bart to death. As Inertia tried to escape, he was captured by Wally who steals his speed, leaving him immobile.

Inertia is primarily a [[Speedster (comics)|speedster]], remaining disconnected from the Speed Force after ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' and injecting himself with Velocity 9. Although Velocity 9 has been unstable, [[Deathstroke]]'s new variety seems to have no negative [[Adverse effect|side effects]]. Inertia briefly shares his powers before his death with Zoom, who lends him his speed to pressure him into becoming a new Kid Flash. As the maddened Kid Zoom, he masters human time streams and reverts Zoom to the powerless Hunter Zolomon before he is killed by the Rogues.<ref>''Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge'' #3</ref>

Inertia was later resurrected and trapped in the Speed Force. Inertia tries to stop Barry Allen, Max Mercury, and Jesse Quick from escaping the Speed Force, revealing that Eobard Thawne promised to release him and let him take over Bart Allen's body once the former succeeded in his plans. After Barry tries to appeal and talk sense into him, Inertia stops his attacks and runs off.<ref>''The Flash'' #760</ref>

===Daniel West===
{{Main|Daniel West (character)}}
Daniel "Danny" West first appeared in ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' #0 (November 2012). The most recent individual to be called the Reverse-Flash, he is younger brother of [[Iris West]], the biological father of [[Wallace West (DC Comics)|Wallace West]], and an enemy of Barry Allen.