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Origin & 1st app. Professor Zoom (Reverse Flash); COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 CBI)
Every superhero needs his arch-rival. In the case of the Silver Age Flash, the simplest route seemed the easiest: the Reverse Flash, aka Professor Zoom. Devious and sociopathic where Barry Allen was ethical and good-natured, physically intimidating where the Flash was sleek and "built for speed," Eobard Thawne was yin to the yang of the newly rebooted speedster's clean, bright, cheerful Atomic Age exploits. Even his costume was a model of simplicity, designer Carmine Infantino cannily reversing the entire look of the new Flash's already-iconic costume, swapping around colors and adding a clever little touch of darkness. The evil Zoom eventually outgrew the charming derring-do of the Silver Age, and by the dawn of the modern era, was wantonly murdering Iris West, threatening the family of any poor sap unlucky enough to become a speedster, and leaving a trail of mayhem across Central City (and Time itself). This classic first appearance is among the most beloved of DC Silver Age premieres, and proved to have a permanent effect on the course of the series, and the DC Universe in general.