Eobard Thawne/Earth-70

## Eobard Thawne

* Barry Allen
* Harrison Wells
* Eobard Thawne
* Reverse-Flash

Professor **Eobard Thawne** (c. 2151) also known as the **Reverse-Flash**, is a meta-human speedster from the twenty-second century, a descendant of the late Eddie Thawne, a time criminal, the father of Eric Thawne (commonly known as **the Bolt**), and the archenemy of Barry Allen (commonly known as **the Flash**). Obsessed with the twenty-first century's Flash, Eobard recreated the accident that was behind the Flash's powers, becoming a speedster himself. However, after his very first trip back in time, Eobard learned that he was destined to become the Flash's archenemy and grew to despise the hero, attempting to prove his superiority as the Reverse-Flash and becoming the opposite of his former idol.

This included creating his own negative version of the Speed Force using negative energy and emotions, which he used to travel through time without the Flash being able to detect him. Since then, the two speedsters battled each other for many years, but neither of them was strong or fast enough to defeat the other. After learning the Flash's secret identity, Eobard traveled back in time to kill Barry as a child to erase his foe from existence but was thwarted by the Flash of 2024 who brought the younger Barry to safety. The enraged Thawne then killed Nora Allen and framed Henry Allen for the crime instead, being known as the **Man in Yellow** after the incident. However, Eobard's connection to the Speed Force began fluctuating, trapping him in the early twenty-first century.

Realizing Barry was the only way to return to his time, Thawne killed **Dr. Harrison Wells** in order to assume his identity as the director of S.T.A.R. Labs, and to push through for the creation of a particle accelerator to ensure that Barry would become the Flash. Somehow Thawne didn't think he's brother Sam would get speed as well as Barry did, Remembering the Orginal Bolt doesn't exist now, since he killed him before going after Barry. Posing as Wells, Thawne mentored the Flash and The Bolt and became the leader of a team he assembled to stop the meta-human threats, to increase his protégé's speed so that Eobard could use the hero's connection to the Speed Force to return to his own time. After his plan was exposed and subsequently foiled, Eobard was erased from existence after his ancestor Eddie Thawne killed himself to stop him.

One year after Eobard was erased from existence, Barry prevented Eobard from murdering Nora, creating Flashpoint and holding him captive for months. After realizing this mistake, Barry released Eobard, allowing him to kill Nora again; as a result of being pulled out of the timeline Eobard was spared from his fate and continued to exist as a time remnant, while his original actions remained intact. Due to his own nullified state of existence; he was hunted by Black Flash, forcing him to seek out the Spear of Destiny in order to restore his natural existence. Unable to find the object and outrun the enforcer at the same time, Eobard formed a supervillain alliance. Eobard and his co-conspirators eventually retrieved the Spear of Destiny, which they used to rewrite reality to their whims. Despite its initial success, Eobard's plan was foiled by the Legends' de-powering the object, and Eobard was vaporized by the Black Flash.

Later, Eobard mysteriously resurfaced as **Barry Allen** before the Crisis on Earth-X (The Barry during Crisis on Earth-X was the real Barry, but he was brought back to the Speed Force to not cause a mass destruction, without him knowing). And he continued to be Barry Allen for a long while till Barry escaped his prison in the Speed Force (with the help of Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow, and John Knight when they found out that it was Thawne somehow in Barry's skin). Then when Barry returned and he saw himself and they got into a fight that near destroyed STAR Labs. Iris also learned that she had slept with Thawne and didn't know it thinking it was Barry (and even ended up pregnant with his child), and they sent Thawne packing.

In 2034, Eobard was incarcerated in the meta-human wing of Iron Heights, where his powers were negated by Cicada's dagger. In 2049, he began mentoring Nora Allen, claiming to be working towards a less villainous legacy, as he was scheduled for execution. However, the real reason why he mentored Nora in traveling to the past was to destroy the dagger and free him. After the dagger was destroyed, Eobard was freed, moments before his execution. He briefly fought Nora, Eric (his son) and Barry before Nora began to be erased from existence as well as Eric. After the two (Barry and Nora) ran away to enter the Negative Speed Force at Eobard's fervent suggestion, Eobard made his escape.

## Biography

### Original multiverse

#### Early life

Eobard Thawne was born in the year 2151 into a modern and futuristic time where technology has vastly advanced to a maximum level but cows were extinct. In his childhood, he was taught astro-navigation in grade school, and grew up loving the Flash who inspired him to become a hero. Hailing from a bloodline of scientists, politicians, magnates, prodigies and captains of industry, he is a distinguished member within his own family, his first name "Eobard" is apparently even more distinguished. Eobard was very knowledgeable of his family's lineage since he knew Eddie Thawne was part of his bloodline despite being a forgotten member and considered his distant relative to be a failure by his standards. In his adulthood, Eobard became a scientist, eventually joining the academia as a professor and spending years unlocking the Speed Force's secrets. At some point, he also designed an anti-speedster rifle.

Having spent years trying to discover the Speed Force's secrets, Eobard learned of the Flash, Central City's superhero of the 21st century, and grew to idolize eventually to the point of fascination and desiring himself to be just like the hero. After years of researching, Eobard learned how his idol gained super powers to recreate the accident that was originally behind said powers of superhuman speed; as a result, Eobard became a meta-human speedster and gaining superhuman speed and the power of time travel through a Speed Force connection. Presumably, he also created or obtained a suit similar to Flash's but with the opposite colors. Using his speed abilities, Eobard somehow learned on how to use his powers to travel through time and traveled back to an unknown point in 21st century and eventually learned that he was instead doomed to become the "Reverse-Flash," his own idol's worst enemy and not the speedster himself. This revelation and realization horrified and broke Eobard to his very core and drove him insane, to feel disappointed, disillusioned and betrayed after everything he wasted in order to become the flash’s successor and save the world and it incited him to go on a rampage against his main idol’s life. This also proves that Eobard was ultimately corrupted by power, greed, envy and pride that his desire to save the world warped into a lust for power that once denied the opportunity to have it, he would snap and go to whatever lengths to achieve it.

It caused the man to develop a deep and insatiable hatred for the Flash with every fiber of his being, he made it his life's work to prove his superiority as a speedster and ruin Flash's life as revenge indirectly fulfilling his destiny and dark path in the process as he descended into insanity and madness. He vowed that for everyone Flash saved Eobard would kill more, everyone who Flash was loved by, Eobard would take, being the one enemy he cannot stop and being able to do things Barry Morningstar. At some point, Eobard, in both his obsession to be Flash's exact opposite and to time travel undetected, obtained this with the Negative Speed Force. At some point during his time-travels, he also obtained possession of Gideon, an artificial intelligence program created by his former idol, and began searching various moments throughout history to learn when his target was active.

#### Fighting the Flash

##### Search for the Scarlet Speedster

Presumably sometime in the 2180s or 2190s, after learning he was to be the Flash's destined archenemy, Eobard began traveling back in time to find when Flash was active and after several searches proved fruitless, he eventually traveled back to the year of Flash's origins, starting their war across time.

#### First encounter

The Reverse-Flash arrived in January 2016, Central City. After Gideon confirmed his whereabouts, he began searching for the Flash. Eobard rigged a truck to drive at high speeds and collide with a building to lure Flash out, and was successful. Pleased to have located the exact time era Flash was active, Eobard planned his return home to properly plan his next attack and broke into one of Mercury Labs' offsite facilities, and prepared equipment designed to act as a time machine to send him back to his own time. However, Eobard was unable to replicate the tachyon power source and sought out Dr. Tina McGee.

Storming Mercury Labs and killing four guards, he confronted Tina but was interrupted by Flash's arrival. However, Reverse-Flash was surprised when Flash addressed him by his real name, revealing Flash already met him at some point in the future and that Flash had seen him die. However, Reverse-Flash simply thanked Flash for telling him of his impending fate and told Flash he now knew what time period Flash was from and that his nemesis would soon die instead, and he knocked Flash out before taking Tina to the offsite facility.

When Eobard showed his device, Tina recalled a "man in a yellow suit" tried to steal another tachyon device the previous year. Upon hearing this, Eobard realized that he must have gotten stuck in the past at some point in his future, having been unable to access enough Speed Force energy. Eobard ordered Tina to accelerate the energetic properties within the tachyon device. But when Tina expressed doubts, Eobard vibrated his hand and calmly told Tina to learn or die.

##### Vibed timeline

After Tina finished the work at 9:52pm, Eobard killed his hostage anyway and used the tachyon device to return to his timeline. Because Cisco vibed this event 3 hours and 52 minutes in advance Flash was given enough time to locate them.

##### Changed timeline

After Tina finished the work at 9:52 pm, Eobard prepared to kill Tina anyway but Flash arrived, subdued him, and destroyed the machine. Angered but soon unwavered by his nemesis's sabotage to his trip home, Eobard said he would find another way to travel to the future and boasted his superiority to Flash before issuing a challenge to catch him. Both Reverse-Flash and Flash began racing throughout the streets of Central City, but Flash managed to anticipate his path and intercepted him, culminating with Flash catching Reverse-Flash. Flash proceeded to severely beat Reverse-Flash almost to death in a fit of rage for his future actions. Only reluctantly stopping himself from delivering a death blow, Flash instead knocked him out and placed him in S.T.A.R. Labs' pipeline prison.

During his imprisonment, Eobard was visited by Cisco Ramon/Vibe, asking how his ring worked. Confused yet curious, Eobard talked to Cisco and deduced he must have a history with him in the future, but was confused as to why the engineer only wanted to know how his ring worked. However, Cisco told Eobard of being the one that found him because of the young engineer's metahuman powers given by Eobard's future self. Cisco also revealed that Eobard would help build the very prison he was incarcerated in, leaving Eobard puzzled to learn of his future actions and developed an almost instant fascination with Cisco.

Eobard was later approached by Flash (unmasked but concealed in the shadows), asking his foe of his hatred's source. Eobard explained his obsession with his desire to be like his idol himself, so much that he spent years learning how his idol gained these powers and succeeded in replicating them. Then he traveled through time and learned that he was going to become his own idol's greatest enemy, rather than be Flash himself. He opted to become the reverse of everything Flash was, vowing to kill as many people as Flash saved. As Flash was disgusted to learn what was behind Eobard's motivations, even revealing that someone had been killed by Eobard's future self, Eobard angrily stated that he had become better than Flash and was the one thing Flash could never stop, and he promised that one day he would learn his nemesis's real name.

Shortly after, Eobard was approached by an intelligent individual and realized that his imprisonment has ruptured the timeline. However, Eobard doubted the individual knew how to send him back without Tina's tachyon device, but the man said he had instead developed an alternate method to send him home. Fascinated with his warden, Eobard asked the man's name, but the man refused to identify himself, claiming to be no one of consequence, yet Eobard was unconvinced and was instantly fascinated by the individual.

Eobard was released from his cell and informed of Team Flash's alternate method of sending him back to the future, to have both him and Flash run at high enough speeds to create a wormhole through which Eobard can return to his own time. Eobard also gloated of winning again, mockingly speaking in the past tense for all his future actions. As they prepared, Eobard vowed they would meet again and Flash agreed but also vowed to stop him every time, and both Flash and Reverse-Flash sped around the particle accelerator's ring. After gaining enough speed, the wormhole was created and Flash hurled Reverse-Flash through the portal and Reverse-Flash successfully returned to his own time.

#### War in the past

After his first encounter with the Flash, Eobard would subsequently go on to travel through time again and again to the early 21st century to fight his former idol. The two speedsters would then fight each other in various different times, with neither of them managing to defeat the other, eventually to a point where they had "been at this a long time" as their fights as spanning over the course of centuries to which Eobard ended up confident of being one step ahead. Whatever transpired, Eobard would sometimes ponder of "which of us is right" to hate the other. Though Eobard hated Flash over the course of their war, he seemed to have some respect for his nemesis, acknowledging his former idol as a veteran hero and an intelligent individual who wouldn't use time travel for selfish or foolish reasons, unlike himself.

During his time-travels, Eobard learned about Cisco's "great and honorable" destiny as the superhero Vibe, as well as Dr. Caitlin Snow's alternate split personality Killer Frost. In addition, Eobard became quite knowledgeable about his nemesis' other major enemies, including Clifford DeVoe/The Thinker, Savitar and David Hersch/Cicada; he considered himself a "big fan" of the Thinker's work and viewed Cicada as the "one who got away." Eobard learned about numerous other 21st century individuals and events, such as history books on the Starling City vigilante Oliver Queen/Green Arrow with the hero's recorded death at age 86, information about Felicity Smoak/Overwatch despite history's lack of information on the woman, and the various women that have been known as the Black Canary.

Like most speedsters, Eobard had at least one encounter with the Time Wraiths, which he came to fear, trying his best to avoid as no speedster knew how to kill these creatures. Because of the Time Wraiths' dangers, Eobard became more strategic about his timeline alterations, only making necessary alterations to achieve his primary goal, and not recklessly upsetting history and risk being found by the Speed Force's enforcers. He also became familiar with other speedsters, having been aware of Jesse Quick, Libby Lawrence and Danica Williams.

At some point in his personal timeline, Eobard learned how to travel through the multiverse. He may learned of Hunter Zolomon/Zoom of Earth-2 and Jay Garrick/The Flash of Earth-3; this can be attributed to his acknowledgement of a certain helmet. Eobard also learned of the various doppelgangers of Harrison Wells, such as the version from Earth-1 who was the supposed reason that several meta-humans (including Flash) appeared thanks to the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator which was successfully launched in 2020, Harry Wells and Harrison Sherloque Wells. For unknown reasons, he traveled to Earth-38 fought Superman where the Man of Steel was fast while Eobard was faster, but their confrontation's details are unknown.

At some point, Eobard eventually learned his archenemy's real name: Barry Morningstar. He began studying Barry's family, learning of his parents Henry Allen and Nora Allen, as well as his wife Iris West-Allen and Barry's and Iris's daughter (who was named Dawn in this timeline). He also somehow learned that Savitar was ironically a version of his nemesis from an alternate future who had an amusing "pizza face." Eobard began to develop a plan to finally defeat Flash, which was to erase his former idol from existence by murdering Barry as a child. But before that happened, Eobard wanted one more match against his enemy.

#### Crisis of 2024

The Reverse-Flash traveled to the midnight of April 25, 2024, and fought The Flash, Green Arrow, Atom and Hawkgirl in the streets of Central City, causing the most destruction the city had ever seen. The fight also somehow caused the sky to turn a deep crimson color. Their fight caused several trucks to start leaking their contents onto the streets, and caused power outages spread over 20 blocks throughout the city. The speedsters then started battling over two overturned tanker trucks, and the lightning emitted from them caused the oil from one of them to ignite. While sounded by smoke, the two speedsters had a very heated conversation on an unknown matter before speeding off, leaving Green Arrow, Atom, and Hawkgirl behind. The two then continued their fight up and down an unknown avenue before Flash and him vanished without a trace in an explosion of light. According to Iris in 2049, some sources describing the battle claimed that Reverse-Flash controlled an army of shadow demons and that Flash was instead or also aided by Batwoman, Elongated Man and Supergirl.

##### Traveling to 2000

During the explosion of light, the Reverse-Flash traveled back in time to the night of March 18, 2000, aiming to murder the 11-year-old Barry and erase his nemesis from existence as he had planned before, but he was pursued by the Flash from 2024, hindering his plans. The two fought inside the Allen house around Nora, each landing solid hits on each other but their skills were fairly equal. When the 11-year-old Barry entered the room, Reverse-Flash moved in for the kill, but Flash intervened and transported the younger Barry to safety 20 blocks away, much to Reverse-Flash's outrage. However, Reverse-Flash quickly theorized another way to achieve his goal: kill Nora and frame Henry for the crime in the hopes that such a tragedy would traumatize Barry enough to derail from his nemesis's destiny, and he'd be free to return to a future without Flash.

#### Life as Harrison Wells

##### Stranded in the past

The Reverse-Flash grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Nora in the heart leaving Nora to die, and fled the scene to return to his own time which he hoped would now be one without the Flash, but he was stopped by a sudden loss of connection to the Speed Force. After Gideon confirmed that his powers fluctuated somewhat due to his latest time jump, Reverse-Flash realized that he was now stranded in the 21st century with no way back to his time, and he screamed in frustration.

Eobard soon realized that the reason for his unstable connection to the Speed Force was because his own status as a speedster was dependent upon Barry's. Therefore, if Barry never was Flash in the past, then Eobard never would have been Reverse-Flash in the future. With this revelation, Eobard realized he needed Barry to be a speedster in order to return to his own time.

##### Identity theft

A month after killing Nora, Eobard traveled to Starling City to stalk Dr. Harrison Wells and Tess Morgan, knowing that the couple would create a particle accelerator in 2020 behind Barry's powers. Eobard spied on the couple while on a date where Harrison proposed S.T.A.R. Labs' concept to Tess downtown in Starling City. Eobard plotted to use Harrison's reputation and his own futuristic knowledge to recreate the particle accelerator himself as quickly as possible. Later that night, Eobard rigged the road with a spike strip and caused Harrison's car to crash, killing Tess and injuring Harrison. He dragged Harrison out of the car, and identified himself to Harrison as well as the terrified scientist's supposed role in 2020. Eobard then took out his appearance-stealing device, and attached one end to Harrison and to the other to himself, acclimating Harrison's DNA which literally made himself an identical duplicate on a genetic level while his victim died in the process. Afterwards, he buried Harrison's body in a grove near the bridge and took his victim's place in the car. When the police found him, he introduced himself, officially adopting the identity of "Harrison Wells" at that point.

Eobard told the police the car crashed due to a tire blowout, thereby keeping Harrison's murder a secret. Eobard then moved to Central City to carry out his plan and build S.T.A.R. Labs there instead to ensure success, giving the cover story that he moved away from Starling City because of too many reminders of Tess. As Wells, Eobard devoted his life to S.T.A.R. Labs' creation and its particle accelerator, using past knowledge but taking precautions to ensure his plan would work, keeping close observation throughout Barry's whole life by setting up cameras all over Central City, and even in the West household, where Barry lived following Nora's death. To avoid the Time Wraiths' attention, Eobard took precautions to avoid unnecessary timeline alterations. Eobard also came to like Big Belly Burger as one the few reasons to stay in the 21st century since cows were extinct in his own time; however, he ultimately despised living in the 21st century, a situation he deemed "barbaric" and compared to "living amongst the dead."

Along with S.T.A.R. Labs creation, Eobard built a secret Time Vault accessible only via hand-print where he kept his belongings, including the Gideon program which was still able to stay informed of future events, including a newspaper article written by Iris on the 2024 crisis. This paper acted as a deadline as to the remaining time Eobard had to harness Barry's speed and Eobard further used it to keep tabs on the timeline, and if any changes occurred, take the necessary steps to get the timeline back on track for his own sake. Eobard kept his suit as the Reverse-Flash on a display case and stored a second suit away in the room. He also set himself up in a mansion but he never kept any future belongings in his house itself for security reasons, and also built what was later known as the speed lab.

Shortly after, he began the particle accelerator's constructions but made some alterations first to ensure the dark matter released would spread throughout Central City, with the aim of creating a lightning bolt that would strike Barry with a connection to the Speed Force, though did not care that other people would either become meta-humans themselves or be killed. To ensure Barry's cooperation when the time came, he built the particle accelerator to act as a time machine of sorts that Barry could use to go back and prevent Nora's death while Eobard could return to his time in the wormhole left behind as a result of this time venture. To account for the possibility of Barry's increasing speed against him, Eobard planed to exploit Barry's speed only when Barry was fast enough to time travel not one second later, thereby giving him enough opportunity to kill Barry if necessary. To motivate Barry further when the time came, Eobard began working on a way to restore his own connection to the Speed Force via various tachyon technologies, thus giving him significantly faster speed than as compared to Barry's novice abilities. But because of his own unstable coonnection to the Speed Force, these fixes of tachyon energies would only be temporary and would unexpectedly vanish from time to time, leaving him powerless.

Eobard observed Barry's personal life as an unseen influence, initially looking upon his future enemy with nothing but hate but soon growing fond of the youth (as he hated but the Flash's future version). Eobard's actions had profound impacts on Barry's life both as the so-called "man in yellow" (an alternate name before his true alter ego was revealed) and as Wells. As the former, he became Barry's greatest fear and driving force to be a C.S.I. with the Central City Police Department, with Barry hoping to one day find some evidence of Henry's innocence and uncover the true killer's identity. As the latter, Barry would grow to idolize him and was described as being obsessed with him without knowing who he really was (an ironic reverse of events as Eobard had once been obsessed without knowing his former idol's identity either), not learning much about him despite reading his 600-page biography twice. Eobard also kept just as close observation of Eddie and took whatever precautions were needed to ensure Eddie would continue their bloodline, thus ensuring his own existence.

As Wells, Eobard met various CEOs, such as Simon Stagg and Robert Queen. He knew Stagg wasn't really a philanthropist but a greedy and corrupt man famous for others' scientific achievements. He once met Queen at a charity event, with one of the subjects of discussion being Oliver. Eobard also thought of Felicity in his search for promising young minds to help with his work as he foresaw Felicity's "great things" and became an acquaintance with a younger version of Tina because of Harrison, though Tina always sensed something was different after Tess's death. At some point after Thomas Snow's faked death, Thomas kept in touch with several scientists (including Eobard) who created a secret video feed from S.T.A.R. Labs to the site that Thomas was hiding in the North Pole.

In 2004, Eobard was approached by General Wade Eiling to work on a military project together to create soldiers with physic abilities, presenting new opportunities financially and scientifically and Eobard agreed. While working at S.T.A.R. Labs, Eobard adopted Grodd, a pet gorilla that he kept at S.T.A.R. Labs who he became close, with Grodd later viewing Eobard as his "father." In 2009, Eobard learned that Eiling had been using Grodd as a test subject and was torturing the gorilla in the process. When Eobard discovered this, he berated Eiling in a furious argument with the general and cancelled the project, but still had "big plans" for Grodd.

Sometime prior to 2011, Eobard hired Caitlin, Ronnie Raymond, and Hartley Rathaway as employees of S.T.A.R. Labs. On Caitlin's first day, Eobard said "A scientist's work is never finished." Eobard grew especially close to Hartley during the particle accelerator's construction, often bonding through activities such as games of chess and the fact that Hartley was the only other person who knew how to speak Latin. Eobard also hired Arthur Light, a man who developed a lethal high powered shockwave rifle. However, Eobard fired Arthur for apparent insanity around 2012.

In 2013, Eobard hired an earlier version of Cisco, knowing of Cisco's engineering talents based on his first interaction with Cisco's future self in 2016. Eobard started growing close with Cisco, much to Hartley's dismay, though Eobard assured Hartley that Cisco wouldn't get in the way of their friendship. At one point during the particle accelerator's construction, Eobard gave S.T.A.R. Labs' team a strict deadline to work on the synchrotron, causing the team to struggle. Eventually, Hartley realized that the particle accelerator was faulty and could explode, threatening Eobard's plans. Eobard subsequently had Hartley fired and threatened to ruin Hartley's career if anyone was ever told. After Hartley's termination, Eobard grew closer to Cisco and came to view Cisco as a surrogate son.

At some point before the particle accelerator's launch, Channel 52 visited S.T.A.R. Labs, and Eobard spoke on how the particle accelerator's activation would revolutionize several fields of science overnight.

##### The particle accelerator's explosion

On December 11, 2013, Eobard held an event at which he planned to switch on S.T.A.R. Labs' particle accelerator. He began speaking on stage, claiming that the particle accelerator would create a brighter future, bringing advancements in power and medicine, as well as physics as they knew it. After opening up to questions, Marlize DeVoe asked Eobard if he had indeed planned for every event and outcome after the particle accelerator's activation. Eobard recognized the DeVoe name and realized that Clifford was also there. He told Clifford of being a big fan, subtly hinting at the man's future as one of the Flash's greatest enemies, and wished Clifford luck.

Back in the cortex after the press conference, Cisco alerted Eobard of an oncoming storm, but Eobard assured Cisco that it would not effect the particle accelerator's activation. As Eobard was about to turn the particle accelerator on, he got the sensation that something was amiss; Eobard's suspicion was indeed rightful as a version of Barry from 2018 and another speedster had time-traveled to 2013 and had just then entered S.T.A.R. Labs. Eobard left the room and walked towards the Time Vault, with the two speedsters having just phased inside. Before he could investigate, he was stopped by Cisco and Caitlin. Eobard asked Caitlin to have Ronnie run the particle accelerator's numbers one more time and to bring the bottle of Dom Pérignon out to celebrate. After Caitlin left, Eobard told Cisco of his belief that the youth would go on to do great things, subtly hinting at Cisco's future that he once witnessed. The two then attempted a handshake before heading back to the lab. The particle accelerator was then switched on. As the team celebrated, however, particles began to behave abnormally, such as liquids floating in the air, followed by a loud bang from the particle accelerator. Eobard sent Ronnie and Cisco down to manually shut the particle accelerator down before anything bad happened.

After Ronnie had vented the system to assure S.T.A.R. Labs' safety but was seemingly killed in the process, Cisco called Eobard down to the chamber. Eobard made his way down but before doing so, went into the Time Vault to see Barry struck by lightning, pleased to see that his plan worked. The wave of energy from the resulting explosion also resulted in countless meta-humans and led to at least 16 people dying. Additionally, Grodd was also affected by the particle accelerator, and the dark matter (combined with Eiling's drugs which had been injected years earlier) activated and mutated Grodd into a hyper-intelligent gorilla and escaped the cage; Eobard allowed Grodd to roam free in the sewers, continuing to grow in intelligence and size. Eobard also suspected that Cisco was affected by the dark matter (presumably due to his interaction with Cisco's future self) but could never confirm his suspicions as Cisco showed no signs of having powers.

Following the particle accelerator's explosion, Eobard was brought to Central City Hospital just as the comatose Barry was. He was recognized by Dr. Ambres who reported that he had no feeling below his waist. As the doctors examined him, Eobard watched Barry's comatose body being taken in. Eobard began pretending to be paralyzed from the waist down, not just to keep suspicion of his future activities as Reverse-Flash away from himself, but also rigging his personal wheelchair with a machine to feed him a Speed Force connection via tachyons and make him faster than even Barry and maintain his already ruptured connection. He also used the wheelchair to store a flash drive in which he kept his personal notes.

After Barry was put into a coma due to the lightning strike caused by the shock-wave, Barry's condition eventually went critical. Eobard convinced Joe West (Barry's foster father) to allow him to move Barry to S.T.A.R. Labs. However, Joe never fully trusted Eobard and knew something wasn't right but was so desperate to see Barry awake and ignored those feelings. While Barry was at S.T.A.R. Labs, Eobard remarked how amusing it was to see how helpless Barry was, and how easy it would've been to just kill then and there. He also remarked the irony of him going back to kill and now needing to ensure Barry's existence to return to his own time, and though remarking how interesting it's been watching Barry grow up. However, Eobard firmly stated "nothing is forgiven" and that one day Barry will die.

At some point, Eobard cracked the multiverse's source code and discovered the time language which allows the user to retain knowledge of previous timelines due to its immunity to timeline changes, recording this presumably for personal usage. Due to S.T.A.R. Labs' reputation being tarnished following the particle accelerator failure, Eobard ordered their Starling City branch to be shut down and the supplies moved back to Central City. Eobard sent Caitlin and Cisco to inventory supplies where the two unexpectedly encountered Deathstroke's army.

##### Working with the Flash

After Barry woke from the coma, Eobard was called down to the lab to talk to Barry. He took Barry around S.T.A.R. Labs, explaining what had actually happened on the night of the particle accelerator explosion and how they'd moved Barry. Before they could run more tests, Barry left. After having realized Barry had the ability to run at superhuman speed, Eobard and the team went to an airfield where they sought to test Barry's speed. Eobard cautioned restraint, although Barry instead ran at full pelt, accidentally running into barrels of water. Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry told Eobard the story of Nora's murder and suspected belief that perhaps there were more powerful humans, perhaps like the man who murdered Nora, oblivious to the fact of talking to the very man responsible. Keeping this secret safe, Eobard told Barry of being most definitely unique.

Following a later run-in with Clyde Mardon's weather manipulation, however, Barry returned, angry that Eobard had seemingly lied. He admitted fault, explaining that the explosion had released various forms of seemingly theoretical energy across the city, including anti-matter, dark energy, and x-elements. Barry mentioned planning to stop Clyde, though Eobard attempted to stop Barry from taking the risk, as Barry was incredibly important in terms of scientific advancement. Despite Eobard's claims that Barry was not a hero but only simply a boy who was struck by lightning, Barry furiously stormed out of S.T.A.R. Labs, determined to subduing Clyde.

Though seemingly for scientific reasons, Eobard's words were clearly an attempt to sway Barry away from a heroic destiny and exploit Barry's powers without worrying about an impending death by other metahumans' hands. Following Barry's departure, Eobard eventually realized the only way to make Barry faster was to allow the youth to fight the other meta-humans, to push himself to his limits. As Barry struggled to unravel a tornado Clyde had made, Eobard intervened over the communication, apologizing, reassuring Barry that he did, in fact, believe, that Barry was a hero and could right Eobard's wrongs. Barry, encouraged by his mentor's words, then managed to unravel the tornado and stop Clyde. Eobard later went into his secret room and checked up on the future and was relieved to see the future was intact.

After having acted as a hero, Barry returned to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Eobard again cautioned restraint to Barry, telling his protégé to make sure to know limits. When Barry later tried to act the hero again and passed out, Barry was taken to S.T.A.R. Labs and despite being scolded, they decided to try some tests. As Barry began running on a modified treadmill, causing the youth to eventually pass out, Eobard identified that it had to do with Barry's glucose levels, due to an extremely fast metabolism processing it too fast. They hooked Barry up to 40 IV bags before the youth finally awoke. As they began discussing a new diet for Barry, Joe entered the room; Eobard was surprised to see Joe. He reassured Joe that they were looking out for what was best for Barry, though Joe disagreed that what they were doing was the way to do it, leading to an argument between Barry and Joe. After Barry returned to S.T.A.R. Labs after been beaten up by another meta-human identified by blood samples as Danton Black, Barry decided against trying to take Black down despite Eobard's support and was adamant that what they were doing was a mistake.

Following that, Eobard went to talk to Joe. After briefly talking with Stagg, he claimed to Joe that next time Barry suited up, the youth would doubt himself. Eobard headed back to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Caitlin was able to grow a clone of Black from a replicating cell, so they called Barry in and explained this. The clone promptly awakened, presumably due to Black's prime self activating some clones, and Joe hurried in through the doors, shooting the clone and reassuring Barry that only a meta-human could stop meta-humans, realizing Eobard was potentially right. They talked to Barry when the youth reached Stagg Industries and Eobard noted that his protégé had to find Multiplex's prime self. After Barry gained the upper hand and attempted to save Multiplex from falling to death but Multiplex actually wished to die before forcibly letting go of Barry's hand and killing himself, the team watched a news report of it on the TV afterwards. Barry mentioned having tried to prevent Black's death, but Eobard reflected that sometimes people break and can't be put back together. Following that, Eobard visited Stagg with Stagg making claims to exploit the so-called Streak. Seeing Stagg's greed as an obstacle to his own plans for Barry, Eobard stood up from his wheelchair and fatally stabbed Stagg, claiming that the Flash (as his protégé would come to be known as) had to be kept safe.

After the Darbinyan crime family were gassed to death by a presumed meta-human, the S.T.A.R. Labs team began researching what they could, all of them excited by the potential prospects. Joe noted that they would have to find somewhere to hold them, as Iron Heights was less than ideal, and Cisco suggested the particle accelerator. Cisco and Eobard went down to the particle accelerator's core chamber. Eobard had to go do some modifications while Cisco waited (using the information he acquired from his own imprisonment in 2016). The two later assisted Barry in going after a mist-controlling meta-human inside the Central City Shopping Mall. However, Barry discovered that the man could turn himself into gas, and inhaled some of the toxic gasses, before racing back to S.T.A.R. Labs where the team painfully extracted the poisonous gas. The team was soon able to identify the makeup of the gas: hydrogen cyanide with traces of a sedative. Barry figured that the two would be mixed in a death row execution and they identified the meta-human as Kyle Nimbus (proudly nicknamed The Mist by Cisco). Barry went to protect Joe (the next target) and the team supported this. Unable to outrun The Mist, they suggested Barry make The Mist tired, and would have to revert to physical, human form eventually; Barry succeeded and The Mist is taken back to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Nimbus was locked up in the prison.

Eobard defeated Barry in a game of chess while Barry also played a game of table tennis with Cisco and a game of Operation with Caitlin. When Felicity visits S.T.A.R. Labs, Eobard greeted Felicity and was more than pleased to meet Felicity, noting he's aware of all the woman's accolades and that he always keeps an eye out for such talent. When Felicity questioned about the possible dangers of what Barry does, Eobard reassured Felicity that everything they do is to ensure Barry's safety and that Barry is in good hands. Eobard was later furious at Cisco for building a cold gun powerful enough to overcome Barry's speed abilities and kill without any consent by Eobard, though Cisco built it prior to Barry waking from the coma and was stolen by the master thief Leonard Snart. After telling Cisco that weapons don't belong in S.T.A.R. Labs, Eobard ordered Cisco to track down where the cold gun is and to do so immediately. After Felicity left, Eobard noted Felicity was a remarkable young woman. Eobard told Cisco to never do anything as to build such a weapon again, though he was unaware of another weapon that Cisco had built which was also stolen.

When the metahuman Bette Sans Souci seemingly begun destroying facilities around the city, Barry revealed that Bette is being pursued by General Eiling to which Eobard revealed his history with Eiling. After Barry met with and convinced Bette not to kill a scientist Bette had a grudge against, Eobard and Caitlin tended to Bette at S.T.A.R. Labs. The team learned that Bette was affected by thermite when the particle accelerator went off and everything Bette touches explodes, thus why Bette was captured by Eiling and experimented on. However, Eiling personally tracked Bette but Eobard distracted the general long enough for Barry to get Bette out of the facility. When the team later learned that Bette's condition couldn't be reversed, Eobard met with Plastique, and manipulated Plastique into killing Eiling. Plastique is stopped by Barry then killed by Eiling but Bette's body began building up to an explosion, forcing Eobard to coach Barry on running on water to drop Bette's body in the water to explode safely. Eobard is later visited at S.T.A.R. Labs by Eiling to propose an alliance again but he refused and threatened the general's life if he is ever blackmailed again.

After Barry failed to stop Tony Woodward, Eobard told Barry they'd find a way to stop Tony, but told Barry to rest and heal for the time being. A day later, Eobard is visited by Joe, asking for help on Nora's murder case (as Joe did not know that Eobard was the murderer). When Joe asked if his particle accelerator was possibly involved, Eobard reminded Joe that the murder occurred 14 years ago long before his contraption was even thought of. After a few other suggestions from Joe, Eobard told the detective that the theories were all highly unlikely. After Barry tries to stop Tony alone, Eobard is furious as they had yet to find a way to stop Girder. Although Barry could just heal, Eobard said Barry can't heal after possibly being killed. Eobard then told Barry could stop Girder if only moving fast enough as any material can be struck at a high enough velocity.

The following day, Eobard had a drink with Joe, where Joe subtly suggested that Eobard was involved as he arrived in Central City shortly after Nora's murder. Eobard told Joe to look up Tess before leaving. Having looked up Tess, Joe visited Eobard at S.T.A.R. Labs and apologized for accusing him of murder. Eobard then told Joe about his "past" and why he moved to Central City as there were too many painful memories to endure (presumably acting on Harrison's memories). Later that night as Joe was reviewing the evidence of Nora's murder, Reverse-Flash reappeared and encircled Joe to frighten the detective, briefly allowing his suited face to be seen and stealing the evidence shortly afterward. Before leaving, Reverse-Flash left a death threat towards Iris by pinning a photograph of Iris to the wall with a knife, and the words "stop or else" to scare Joe away.

In an entry in his personal log, Eobard noted that Barry was driven to use these powers to help people, but stated that this was keeping Barry from realizing full potential. He later told Barry to "kick it up a notch" in the training. When Farooq Gibran attacked a transformer station, Barry confronted Farooq but lost the speed abilities. When Eobard went to check on the future, he learned, to his shock and rage, that the timeline had altered; instead of the crisis in 2024, the future now told of the post office's permanent shutdown and there was no record of Flash. While Eobard desperately searched for a solution, Farooq attacked S.T.A.R. Labs seeking vengeance for his friends' deaths caused in the particle accelerator explosion, and caused a blackout that rendered the lab completely exposed to attack.

To stop Farooq, Eobard theorized that Barry's cells were still altered. If they could redirect dark matter directly into Barry, they could recharge his protégé's cells. As Cisco worked on using the treadmill as a conduit to achieve this, Eobard released Tony and offered freedom in exchange for killing Blackout to buy them enough time to achieve their plan though this came at the cost of Tony's life. Later, he had a brief argument with Barry about sacrificing Tony to stall Blackout, angrily insisting that he had merely done what was necessary, though Barry was disgusted that Eobard would so willingly sacrifice someone's life, unaware of the man's future reputation of doing just that.

When Blackout cornered the team, Eobard confronted Blackout, reciting from memory the names of everyone who died in the particle accelerator disaster, and demanding that Blackout leave the others alone, saying that he was the only one who deserved to be punished. Blackout agreed and blasted him out of his wheelchair. He was seemingly helpless to move (though faking in reality), however, Barry finally regained his own speed and allowed Blackout to drain once more but the amount of power overloaded and killed Blackout, while the resulting energy fed back on Flash and charged up his protégé's speed further. After Flash defeated Blackout, Eobard made another log entry, stating that he had previously been mistaken and that Barry's desire to help others was the key to developing Flash's potential, not an obstacle as he had thought. Eobard later took a blood sample from Farooq's corpse, while signaling The Mist to stay quiet, saying that he was interested in finding out how Flash's powers were drained.

After Rainbow Raider robbed a bank by forcing everyone inside to go angry and attempt to murder each other, Eobard aided the team in figuring out how the man did. However, they were distracted by the appearance of The Arrow of Starling City who both Eobard and Joe distrusted, due to the vigilante's previous body count and the terrorist attacks committed by Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer and Deathstroke since Arrow was active. Barry, however, defend Arrow saying the vigilante is a hero and insisted the two were wrong but Eobard and Joe told Barry to see that Arrow is out of Central City by tonight. Eobard was already aware of Arrow's true identity (presumably because of his future knowledge). Later when Flash suffered the effects of Rainbow Raider's powers and went crazy and tried to murder Eddie, Eobard insisted Felicity call Arrow for help, deliberately revealing Oliver's identity to Team Flash. Preparing a device to make Barry regain his own senses by correcting emotions via the colors of the emotional spectrum, Eobard and Joe arrived just as Flash and Arrow fought and used the device to restore Barry's stability. After capturing Roy Bivolo/Rainbow Raider, Oliver addressed Team Flash and Eobard also thanked Oliver for the help. Oliver left, felling that something was off about Eobard.

As a thank you for their help, Barry gave Eobard, Cisco and Caitlin a Christmas present each, but Eobard declined Barry's offer of eggnog. To motivate his protégé further, Eobard planned to attack as Reverse-Flash. A few hours later, Reverse-Flash stormed Mercury Labs looking for a tachyon prototype device, killing the guards yet was unable to reach the device due to the doctor sealing it away and he stormed off. Eobard "helped" Joe and Barry track down Reverse-Flash by building a trap as Joe and Barry secured the bait. Reverse-Flash later spied on Barry as the youth talked to Iris. Barry then noticed him and ran after him, demanding to know why he killed Nora, but Reverse-Flash instead challenged Barry to a fight in a stadium. Reverse-Flash proved to be the better speedster, severely beating Barry down using several coordinated attacks. He told Barry already that they'd fought for a long time. He also told Barry it would be destiny to die at his hands as it was Nora's, leaving the young speedster very confused.

Later S.T.A.R. Labs orchestrated the trap using the tachyon prototype and lured Reverse-Flash in, aided by Eddie's taskforce. Unknown to anyone, Eobard rigged a hologram of himself as Reverse-Flash that would answer only to Wells. Once the hologram was active, Eobard, Joe, Eddie and the taskforce went down stairs to confront Reverse-Flash. As Eobard addressed his hologram, the force-field appeared to fail to stabilize (but actually nobody was inside for it), and Eobard rushed into the force-field so fast to make it look like Reverse-Flash pulled him into the field to trap himself inside. In the force-field, Eobard created a life-like speed mirage of himself then suiting up as Reverse-Flash in his hologram's place and repeatedly punched his after image, making it appear to everyone else that Reverse-Flash was trying to kill him. After the force-field disappeared when Joe sabotaged the machine, Reverse-Flash grabs the device to take to his secret room then reappears in the basement, and while still bouncing back and forth to maintain the speed-mirage of Wells. Reverse-Flash kills Eddie's taskforce in seconds without any effort but hesitates when he approaches Eddie, shoving the detective to the side rather than killing (since this would risk his own existence), and attacks Joe.

Reverse-Flash reminds Joe of being warned. But before he can kill Joe, Flash intercepts and drags him outside. However, Reverse-Flash again proved superior to Flash. But as he was timely stopped by a pyrokinetic meta-human, Reverse-Flash vowed their fight wasn't over and ran off. Arriving back in time to take his speed mirage's place, Eobard gets tended to by Caitlin and Cisco who profusely apologizes for the force-field failing. Though he assured Cisco it wasn't anyone's fault, Eobard expressed annoyance towards them for not informing him of Ronnie's survival, but assures Caitlin that they'll find Ronnie. As his wounds healed, Eobard later places the tachyon prototype on his Reverse-Flash suit. While watching his device harness its power, he says "Merry Christmas" with his distorted voice.

Eobard, Cisco, and Caitlin continue to train to improve Barry's speed using a drone to fire at. After Cisco dubbed the man in yellow as the "Reverse-Flash" instead, Eobard approved of the name unlike Caitlin. After Leonard returned, Barry decided to pursue Leonard, though Eobard warned Barry that Reverse-Flash is a greater threat. Due to Leonard's threat, Eobard and Cisco presented the CCPD with a shield that could withstand Leonard's cold gun. During Barry's battle with Leonard and Mick Rory, Eobard realized the best way to let Leonard's and Mick's guns cross streams is to move slower.

Eobard guided Flash to detour the Royal Flush Gang. After a suggestion from Cisco, Barry, Cisco, Caitlin and Eobard all took a group picture together. Later that night, Eobard is in his mansion to get off his wheelchair. He received a phone call then gets attacked. After Barry, Cisco and Caitlin arrive, Eobard told them he won't require help with the case. Barry realized it couldn't have been a teenage prank and Eobard told Barry he knew who it was.

*Original timeline:* After Flash stopped Hartley from attacking Rathaway Industries, Hartley told Flash of knowing of Eobard's secret. After Hartley is locked up in the meta-human prison, Eobard asked how Hartley figured out that Flash worked with S.T.A.R. Labs and Eobard is told Hartley figured out through triangulation. Eobard leaves Hartley and taunted him by claiming to know his "deep, dark secret" which prompted a level of worry from Eobard. Eobard returned to his team and admitted he knew there was a chance of the particle accelerator explosion, yet choose to proceed because of the reward it could offer. After Hartley escaped the prison, Eobard ran out of his secret room but collapsed to the ground after losing his speed. Hartley approached Eobard and asked him if Hartley was still "his guy."

Eobard later decided to regain his team's trust by publicly admitting he was aware of the chance of the particle accelerator exploding. He was then asked by Mason Bridge if he had any plans in the future of turning the particle accelerator on. When Pied Piper attacked the Keystone Cleveland Dam, Flash is quickly stopped with sound waves though Eobard transmitted waves through the cars at the damn, stopping Pied Piper. Eobard then told he wished to one day regain the trust of the team but Barry told him he already had. Eobard later returned to his Time Vault, reporting to Gideon that his speed comes and goes. Gideon reports being unsure how longer the tachyon device is viable and Eobard told Gideon that it was only meant to be a temporary fix and the real end game was coming.

*Due to a timeline change caused when Barry time-traveled from 2016, most of these events have been erased and replaced by the following*.

*Current timeline:* As Pied Piper attacked Rathaway Industries but was stopped by the Flash from 2015, Flash's 2016 version time-traveled to intervene and incapacitate Flash's 2015 self before switching their emblems to avoid confusion. Flash's 2016 self then proceeded to capture Pied Piper just like in the original timeline, taking the embittered protégé to S.T.A.R. Labs but causing an interference within the communication devices in the process, confusing Eobard slightly. Hartley was subsequently locked up in the Pipeline prison before Barry remembered that Hartley escaped captivity in the original timeline by using EMTs within hearing aids, causing Barry to ask Cisco to test for explosives within Hartley's hearing aids. To Eobard's shock, Barry was correct, and Hartley was ordered to take out these hearing aids with Eobard offering to replace with non-destructive ones. Eobard was then approached by Barry to present a new equation to getting faster, surprising Eobard to see that Barry had devised such a complex equation with Barry's knowledge in such a short time. As Barry returned after facing a ghost-like creature (which Cisco dubbed a "Dementor" from the *Harry Potter* books) that had attacked the C.C.P.D. and seeing the creature while running to stop Hartley, Eobard realized the answers to his recent confusion: The youth with them hailed from the future and the so-called "Dementor" was a Time Wraith from the Speed Force who'd followed its target back. Eobard invited Barry into his quarters to discuss the speed equation. With Barry's back was turned, Eobard stood up and knocked Barry out, claiming that he "figured it out."

Later while waiting for Barry's 2016 version to wake up, Eobard was visited by another future version of Barry from 2018 with Nora West-Morningstar. Eobard mistook Nora's name for Dawn, and mocked Barry on the idea of having at least one woman with Nora's name as well as questioning a transmitter device he was convinced to fix so that his master plan to get back to his time can apparently continue. But when the two get into an argument, Nora tells Eobard the device is for Cicada, and Eobard laughed at the idea of Cicada being stopped. Knowing that Barry's 2016 self would be waking up soon, Eobard reluctantly agreed to help while offering Nora water.

In the lab, Eobard gave Nora water, and questioned how Barry would get Cicada's dagger to which Nora answered by showing him a piece of Savitar's suit. Eobard was stunned and mocked how Barry hated him with a passion, yet his nemesis's time remnant from an erased future was a way "bigger jerk" then he ever was. Eobard, however, praised Barry's idea to use a piece of Savitar's suit to defeat Cicada, but complimented the "clever girl" after learning it was Nora's idea. After repairing the tool, Eobard bid farewell to the two speedsters and quickly ran to the Time Vault, preparing to talk to Barry's 2016 version. Knowing Nora was still watching him from the lab, Eobard waved at the camera before Nora left.

After Barry's 2018 version and Nora went to 2013, Eobard interrogated Barry's 2016 version but the youth played dumb. Eobard sped in plain view and saw Barry didn't even flinch. Barry then attempted to phase out of the cuffs but failed, further proving the fact that this Barry hailed from the future as Eobard had yet to teach his protégé how to phase. Finally Barry referred to him by real name, thus confirming Eobard's theory. Barry told Eobard of needing him to teach how to get faster. However, Eobard quickly realized that Barry being alive in the future could only mean his own plan failed and tries to kill Barry in a rage. However, Barry quickly claimed that Eobard did win, and that he'll be successful into using Barry's speed to get back to his own time. Unfortunately, a singularity had formed and that's why Barry is in the past, to get faster in order to stop it but needed Eobard's help. Eobard saw this as an opportunity to curb his bloodlust, but Barry claimed that there's a letter left for his protégé if something happened, detailing Eobard's plan worked and how to stop him. Eobard reluctantly listened to Barry.

At the same time, the Time Wraith found a way to S.T.A.R. Labs and attacked Cisco, Caitlin and Hartley but they were able to fend it off just as both Eobard and Barry arrive via speed. When Cisco and Caitlin leave for solutions, Barry asked Eobard how to kill a Time Wraith but Eobard revealed there is no known way to kill these creatures hence why speedsters try to avoid them. As Barry searched the police department for any clues, Eobard searched S.T.A.R. Labs, but Cisco and Caitlin were unable to replicate the frequency Hartley used to stop the Time Wraith. As they debated how to stop the Time Wraith, Barry of the present day showed up just as Barry of the future returned. To shut up Barry of the future accidentally revealing future knowledge trying to convince the team of being from the future, Eobard played dumb and pretended that he'd just met Barry of the future, and told the team to prepare the particle accelerator, telling Barry of the future to travel through time to outrun the Time Wraith, while they build a sonic weapon to stop the Time Wraith for good when returning with Barry to 2016. Before sending Barry back, Eobard gave Barry a drive with on tachyon enhancement information, and Flash successfully made it back to the future with Eobard's speed increasing information.

After Shawna Baez broke Clay Parker out of Iron Heights, Joe deduced Clay was a meta-human, however, Eobard corrected Joe, stating there was a woman's DNA matched with Clay's. Using the DNA, they learn the DNA belonged to Shawna. After learning Shawna's powers, Eobard told Barry they should focus on learning Shawna's limits. The following day, Eobard learned from Cisco that Hartley was let out of the meta-human prison by Cisco, much to his disappointment. Eobard later learned Peek-a-Boo can't teleport in dark space, as Peek-a-Boo can only teleport to what Peek-a-Boo can see. When Flash went after Peek-a-Boo, he reminded Flash that Peek-a-Boo can't teleport if the woman couldn't see, leading to Flash busting out all the lights in the tunnel.

After Firestorm attacked Quentin Quale, Eobard tells the team letting Ronnie roam free was no longer an option. Eobard and Caitlin decide to have a stakeout outside of Clarissa Stein's home, assuming Firestorm would be nearby to watch over Clarissa. While waiting for Firestorm, Eobard swore to Caitlin that his work won't be finished until he brings Firestorm back to normal. Shortly after, Firestorm came by and the two quickly contacted Barry who fights Firestorm until Caitlin interrupted. After learning Firestorm's two halves could be separated, Eobard said it was possible, but only theoretically as splitting a human and an atom were different concepts.

Eobard learned that Firestorm's form was in rejection, causing an exothermic reaction and a possible nuclear explosion. Due to the two only have hours before Firestorm's body detonates, Eobard suggested they may have to kill Firestorm. While the team were outraged of the concept, Eobard told them that Firestorm would likely sacrifice themselves. In the Time Vault, Eobard pulled a hand gun and Gideon said it was a crude weapon. Eobard then decided to make a quantum splicer using the tachyon device, though Eobard is told it would delay his timeline. Eobard told Gideon there would be no timeline if Central City gets blown up. Cisco and Eobard built the tachyon device which is given to Barry and Caitlin to take to Firestorm. After the splicer was placed on Firestorm, Eobard tells the two to get away from Firestorm.

Eobard greeted Ronnie, thanking Ronnie for sacrificing himself to protect those around and is introduced to Professor Martin Stein. Eobard then did medical work on Martin, checking if the professor still had the ability to harness nuclear energy. Eobard learned Martin's unable to and reported this to the team. When Eiling attacks Ronnie, Eobard pays a visit to the general. Eiling asked Eobard to surrender Firestorm, Eobard refused but the general brought up Flash's identity. While conversing with Martin, Eobard spiked the professor's drink. With Martin passed out, Eobard contacted Eiling, and Eiling took Martin away. Eobard claimed to the team he was left helpless when Eiling came by to take Martin. Barry was determined go after Eiling, but Eobard reminded Barry what Eiling could do.

In search for Martin, the team used Ronnie as the two are still connected and Eobard convinced them both to use the quantum splicer to merge again, but this time accept the balance they successfully became more stable as Firestorm. Fixing another obstacle, Reverse-Flash later abducts Eiling from a military office to Grodd's "home" in the sewers. Unmasking himself, Eobard told Eiling that he protects metahumans (his own kind) and unleashed Grodd both to silence Eiling, and for vengeance for what the general did to Grodd years before.

##### Identity revealed

Eobard and Cisco pass the time at S.T.A.R. Labs watching old Buster Keaton movies. Cisco was shocked of never seen this before, while Eobard sarcastically remarked "must have been before my time" and approved Cisco's request to make a list of movies to see. However, Eobard also reminded Cisco of Dante Ramon's birthday party but Cisco decided the best thing was to not go at all, remarking how things had been much better since Cisco stopped seeing Dante. Though Eobard is saddened to learn Cisco was still on bad terms with the Ramon family, they were distracted by an alert of a break in at the Central City Morgue, though Eobard gets confused as to why anyone would rob a morgue.

*Original timeline:* When Barry returns, they all find out that Mark Mardon is the killer and on a vendetta to avenge Clyde; Eobard deduced Mark was affected by the particle accelerator the same way Clyde was. Eobard is later told by Barry that his protégé saw himself while running toward the morgue. Eobard says it could've been a speed mirage or an illusion. Eobard then told he would further investigate this after Mark is taken in, though Eobard seemed to be aware that Barry saw a future version of himself. A couple days later, Caitlin took Eobard to Jitters for a coffee. When Caitlin insisted they enjoy their drinks at Jitters, Eobard reluctantly agreed yet noticed Caitlin acting nervous around him. While talking, Eobard realized that Caitlin was trying to keep him distracted and away from S.T.A.R. Labs. Eobard suggested they could adjust the satellite to possibly pick up a storm to help catch Mark. When Eobard told Caitlin that they should go to S.T.A.R. Labs to alert Cisco, Caitlin turned around to get their coffee in to go cups but Eobard (now sure Caitlin was distracting him) takes off, leaving behind his wheelchair and revealing his deception to Caitlin.

When Cisco had discovered a hologram was used the night they "trapped" Reverse-Flash, Eobard reveals his true identity to Cisco. Eobard revealed to Cisco that his original intent was to kill Barry as a child and not Nora, and revealed that he'd only been training Barry as a means to an end, as his protégé's speed was the key to returning to his time. Eobard said nothing would stop him from returning to his home, though Cisco offered help. Eobard noted Cisco to be smart, but not smart enough to bring him back to his time. Eobard phased his arm through Cisco's chest, killing the protégé who showed him what it was like to have a son, and left the building. *Because Barry time-traveled by accident for the first time, these events never occurred and instead are replaced by the following.*

*Current timeline:* Barry stopped after running, confusing Eobard and Cisco and reminded Barry to get to the morgue but Barry claimed to have been there yesterday, confusing them both. When Barry returned, they're all told that Weather Wizard is the killer and on a vendetta to avenge Clyde and Eobard deduced Mark was affected by the particle accelerator the same way Clyde was. However, Barry finished Eobard's sentence and correctly guessed almost every word Cisco and Caitlin were about to say to each other before the two did. With this, Eobard realized that Barry had in fact time traveled. After learning Barry had traveled back one day, Eobard stressed the importance to his protégé of keeping history intact which meant repeating the events of the day again without and to not tell anyone or alter anything. Eobard checked in with Gideon but is assured the future remained intact.

Barry, however, ignored Eobard's advice and went and captured Mark anyway before Mark could commit these crimes. Eobard (angered that Barry had altered time) reminded his protégé that whatever tragedies time had averted would somehow replaced with even worse ones. Eobard had Barry run on the treadmill in an attempt to re-create the conditions that allowed Barry to time travel in the first place, but even Barry's highest speeds couldn't achieve it. After learning that Leonard had returned with Lisa Snart and kidnapped Cisco, Eobard begun trying to track Cisco down but Barry begged Eobard to talk about the previous yesterday and Eobard reluctantly agreed. Barry states that Mark was about to destroy the city and Iris admitted to have feelings for Barry. Eobard reminded Barry the feelings were buried deep in Iris's consciousness and remained unrealized without Mark's actions, Barry's powers could furthermore cause serious havoc upon the world.

Cisco returns to S.T.A.R. Labs tearfully quitting the team in shame, having been released by Leonard and Lisa after revealing Flash's secret identity or Dante would've been killed, however, Eobard reminded Cisco that choosing between loved ones is an impossible choice and Cisco regardless is still family and stays. Reverse-Flash later went to Central City Picture News and attacks Mason for writing an article implicating Wells (Eobard) to Stagg's murder and Eiling's disappearance. Learning from Bridge that everything about him was on a drive, Reverse-Flash killed Mason. To cover his tracks, Reverse-Flash then noted that the reporter was really was onto something. He destroyed all the evidence, fixed the office, and moved Mason's body. Later at S.T.A.R. Labs, Eobard consulted Barry's decision to let Leonard go. Barry was about to ask Eobard something but halted, and Eobard asked what Barry's question was. Barry simply said it was nothing wished him goodnight, to which Eobard returned.

When a terrorist known as the Trickster attacked the park by dropping bombs disguised as presents, Eobard assisted the team in searching for a means to locate this new individual identified as the Trickster. However, Eobard noticed Barry seemed cranky but Joe assured him that Barry was just having a bad morning. Later when the Trickster made another broadcast, Barry showed further signs of angst towards Eobard but he surmised it must be because of Barry's previous visit with James Jesse in prison brought back memories of Henry's incarceration. When the Trickster uploaded a broadcast informing the public of a bomb in the city and left it's rough location, Flash failed to find it but Eobard realized it was a trick but Flash refused to listen to him much to everyone else's confusion. Eobard's proven right as there was no bomb and it was a diversion so the Trickster, now identified as Axel Walker, could break Jesse out of prison and take Henry hostage.

When both Tricksters made their move to poison everyone at a fund raiser held by Mayor Bellows, Iris called Joe on the cellphone to clue in and Eobard begun working on the antidote to the poison. However, Flash had a bomb placed on by Axel which would explode if Flash didn't run faster than 600 miles an hour or try to remove it, so Eobard taught Barry how to phase through a truck which separated Flash from the bomb. After succeeding in foiling the Trickster's plot, Barry brought Henry to S.T.A.R. Labs to meet everyone where Henry thanked all of them for their efforts, especially Eobard. When Eobard remarked how remarkable Henry was and how lucky Barry is, Barry said the same about Eobard. However, Eobard knew that Barry's beginning to suspect who he really was.

Eobard helped Barry investigate Lindsay Kang's strange death at the hands of numerous honey bees, but where interrupted when Felicity arrived with aspiring superhero Ray Palmer (Felicity's new boyfriend) seeking help on Ray's suit. After the bees took Bill Carlisle as a second victim, one of the bees followed Barry back to S.T.A.R. Labs while Barry, Felicity and Ray were out to dinner with Iris and Eddie leaving only Caitlin, Cisco and Eobard to fend off the bees. When the bee came for him, Eobard almost broke his own cover to evade it but Barry arrived in time to stop it. They shockingly discovered it wasn't a bee at all but a robot and learned the previous victims worked at Mercury Labs and paid a visit to Tina. His "old friend" confirmed the bees were Brie Larvan's work but the bees went after Tina while Brie herself was sheltered some miles away, so Barry and Ray teamed up to stop Brie and the bees while Eobard and Felicity assisted over communications.

After Flash failed to catch up to a thief who could change into any person of any age, Eobard was worried that this meta-human could copy Barry's likeness and speed and told his protégé to stay away from the criminal, which is eventually confirmed to be Hannibal Bates. After Bates goes on a killing spree while posing as Eddie, and infiltrated S.T.A.R. Labs while posing as Barry then came close to killing Iris and Caitlin, Eobard figured out Everyman's deception, as the imposter's left-handed whereas Barry's right-handed, and used a taser to force Everyman into unconsciousness. After Joe and Cisco returned from Starling City, Eobard gave his regards to Eddie and talked to Joe about the visit, but Joe questioned why he never went back. Eobard again lied and claimed it was because of Tess but reflected that they had one trait in common of being widowers, regarding Iris's mother who Joe never talked about and Eobard presumed dead as a result, and Eobard offered to have another drink with Joe sometime which Joe agreed to.

Eobard later returned to the Time Vault to ask for an update from Gideon but he's assured that everything was fine, unaware that Barry, Cisco and Caitlin were in his secret room just seconds before. He later helped Cisco and Caitlin work on a device to induce lucid dreaming, which they claimed was for physiologists dealing with people traumatized by meta-human incidents. Eobard later called and informed Barry of a fire in a building nearby but Flash was unable to retrieve all the civilians before the fire burnt out of control, but Eobard told Flash to rotate his own arms at high velocities which extinguished the flames. After Eobard returned from a conference, Caitlin informed him that Cisco finally figured out how Reverse-Flash "escaped" and Eobard realized his cover was blown. Eobard sent Everyman to pose as Wells and spring the trap the team had set for Eobard as a means to get a confession to Nora's murder. After Joe killed Bates, Eobard finally dropped his façade and addressed the team via the intercom, admitting to using Bates as a distraction by promising freedom. As Barry and Caitlin expressed their anger for ruining everyone's lives, Eobard actually claimed that his actions have actually improved their lives, even admitting that he had grown to love working with the team. Barry angrily told Eobard in having a confrontation, and Eobard assured his former protégé that they would fight again, very soon. Eobard then quickly returned to S.T.A.R. Labs to retrieve his Reverse-Flash suit from the Time Vault before leaving once again.

To secure leverage, Reverse-Flash ambushed Eddie and Iris, just as Eddie was proposing and knocked out Eddie before moving in on Iris. Before Reverse-Flash could kill Iris, Flash arrived and Reverse-Flash abducted Eddie instead, taking Eddie to his secondary lair underneath S.T.A.R. Labs. Upon hearing that Eddie was already aware he wasn't Wells, Reverse-Flash decided to reveal his true identity and relation to Eddie, answering Eddie's questions as to why he didn't kill Eddie at Christmas, and referring to Eddie as his "insurance."

To distract Team Flash, Eobard ordered Grodd to distract them using whatever means Grodd saw fit while he constructed a device to re-power the particle accelerator, while keeping Eddie tied to a chair. Eddie continued questioning Eobard's claims but Eobard stood by his pride, considering Eddie to be the one failure in the Thawne family (consisting of Eddie's father, mother, grandmother and descendants which are also Eobard's ancestors). He then showed his ancestor the newspaper from 2024 shows that Iris is destined to marry Barry. Eobard later finished his device and activated the particle accelerator. Before leaving, Eobard tried to justify himself to Eddie by asking to reflect on Eddie's own life and think of all the things that define it and what would to do if having lost everything, if to simply accept this new life or get back everything lost.

After the particle accelerator's reactivation, Reverse-Flash escaped the facility with Barry in pursuit but released Peek-a-Boo as a distraction for the rest of the team. Despite Barry's efforts, Eobard's former protégé was unable to keep up, and Reverse-Flash escaped. Eobard returned 36 hours later when the particle accelerator was ready for reactivation, but Barry stopped him outside. Eobard commended Barry's failed but brave attempt to transport the meta-human prisoners to safety, having been foiled by Captain Cold earlier after being forced to reluctantly work with, but justified his own actions as necessary and only doing what he needed to. As Barry asked about his plan, Eobard invited his former protégé inside to show but Barry didn't fall for his deception. Eobard questioned Barry's plan to face him again since Barry failed every time before, but suddenly Firestorm and Al Sah-him arrived. Despite being outnumbered, Eobard was unfazed and confident he could fight the three, and he engaged them all at once.

Reverse-Flash and Flash fought but Reverse-Flash managed to subdue Flash and sent Firestorm flying miles away, forcing Flash to save Firestorm. Al Sah-him was able to hit him with an arrow laced with nanites (courtesy of Ray) which delivered a high-frequency pulse that disabled Reverse-Flash's speed, keeping him from running for "quite a while" and forcing him to fight Al Sah-him in hand to hand. When his speed recovered, he pinned Al Sah-him to the ground, taunting Oliver's apparent original future death at age 86, and prepared for the kill only for Flash to save Al Sah-him. The speedsters then fought all over S.T.A.R. Labs. As both Flash and Reverse-Flash reached the edge of S.T.A.R. Labs' roof, Firestorm intervened and blasted Reverse-Flash off before Al Sah-him finished him off with another arrow of nanites, emitting a high frequency pulse that disabled his speed and kept him from recovering temporarily.

##### Ceasing to exist

Eobard was placed inside the pipeline. Sometime afterward, Barry visited him to get answers, addressing him by his real name, and asked why he killed Nora. Eobard explained their feud, the circumstances and reasoning for Nora's murder, and that he needed Barry to be a speedster in order to generate enough Speed Force energy to create a wormhole though which he could return home, and Barry could simultaneously return to the night of Nora's murder thus undo Henry's imprisonment and Eobard's actions. Barry didn't believe him but eventually opened up to Eobard's plan. While enjoying a Big Belly Burger, he explained that his plan required using the particle accelerator, explaining that Barry would have to run at Mach-2 speed through the particle accelerator and collide with a single hydrogen particle. Doing so would send Barry back to any time desired and create a wormhole behind which could be used by Eobard to return to his own time. But what Eobard neglected to tell Team Flash is that doing so would result in a singularity's creation. When he gets chastised by Team Flash, he assured them they would have enough time for both to achieve their goals, 1 minute and 52 seconds, and once accomplished they would be able to close the portal.

While building a potential time machine for Eobard, Cisco visited him for advise on materials. Cisco also asked how his Reverse-Flash ring worked (reminiscent of Eobard's first meeting with Cisco in 2016). After he tells Cisco what's required, Eobard gets infuriated and confused that Cisco didn't have as much sympathy, comparing his predicament stuck in a different time to Cisco's own family estrangement. Cisco then revealed to Eobard that he killed his surrogate son in an erased timeline. Eobard apologized, not for killing Cisco and justifying that he had a good reason, but to learn that Cisco is indeed a meta-human as he'd suspected for sometime and informed Cisco what awaited his son-esque protégé. The Flash eventually prepared for the jump and ran at the speed required and Eobard tutored on how to access the time Flash wanted, and successfully time jumped to that night to prevent the Allen family from suffering Eobard's actions.

After the singularity opened, Eobard admired Cisco's Time Sphere, admitting that its original creator would be impressed. After a strange helmet arrived, Eobard knew this it was time to leave and bid farewell to Cisco and Joe. As he's to take off, Flash returns and destroys Eobard's pod. Enraged, he asked why Flash didn't save Nora and would have had "everything [Barry] ever wanted" but Flash simply told him of already having it. The Reverse-Flash spitefully charged at Flash and the two speedsters fought. As Team Flash worked to close the portal, Reverse-Flash beat Flash into submission and prepared to kill Flash, vowing to kill everyone else his former protégé loved, including Henry. As he declared his victory and dived in for the kill, Eddie shot himself in the heart, causing Reverse-Flash's body to flux uncontrollably as his existence began to fade. As Eddie's heart failed, Eobard started fading out of existence as his face reverted from Wells' likeness back into his original form since Eddie just erased the Thawne family after Eddie and before Eobard.

After Eddie died of the self-inflicted injury, Eobard's body begun to crack apart as he arrogantly joked that he had controlled Barry's life for so long and asked how to get along without him, right before his body was incinerated and his existence erased from the timeline. However, his actions remained intact, which caused a paradox that reopened the singularity. The singularity engulfed Eddie's body, caused Ronnie's death when Firestorm helped Flash to close the singularity, and later served as a doorway to Earth-2.

##### Video will

In the event of his demise and his plan to return to his own time were to fail, Eobard made a video confession to Nora's murder for Henry's freedom. Initially, Eobard stood his ground in saying that Barry will never truly be happy, and believed he himself was never really the enemy but the real enemy was in fact Barry himself. Eobard then confesses to Nora's murder, much to his former protégé's shock and delight.