One of The Flash TV series’ mysteries is Barry Allen’s benefactor at S.T.A.R. Laboratories, Harrison Wells. He’s got secret abilities, secret knowledge, a secret agenda, and only the vaguest of backstories, and if he’s not actually a time traveler, he at least has access to future knowledge.
We ran a poll over the last week asking readers which secret identity they thought was most likely. Here are the results.
The most popular theory, so far, is that he’s the Reverse Flash. A few people wrote in to specify Hunter Zolomon or Eobard Thawne. Future Barry Allen and “exactly who he says he is” were very a close second and third. After that, it was a sharp drop.
Write-ins Abra Kadabra (a time traveler who uses a lot of future technology) and Hunter Zolomon (wheelchair-bound, obsessed with making the Flash a better hero in his own twisted way) were popular, making me wonder how many people would have chosen them if I’d remembered to include Kadabra on the list, or split the two Zooms across separate options.
Full details below. I’ve combined write-ins where appropriate.
| Reverse-Flash | 231 | 41% |
| A future Barry Allen | 92 | 16% |
| Exactly who he says he is (i.e. an original character) | 85 | 15% |
| Rip Hunter | 27 | 5% |
| Max Mercury | 25 | 4% |
| Bart Allen | 19 | 3% |
| T.O.Morrow | 16 | 3% |
| Booster Gold | 5 | 1% |
| Other (see below) | 61 | 11% |
| Write-ins: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Abra Kadabra | 13 | |
| Hunter Zolomon | 11 | |
| Pariah | 6 | |
| Cobalt Blue/Malcolm Thawne | 4 | |
| The Monitor | 4 | |
| Metron | 3 | |
| John Fox | 2 | |
| Vandal Savage | 2 | |
| Waverider | 2 | |
| Doctor Zoom | 2 | |
| eddies grandson | 2 | |
| Professor Zoom | 1 | |
| Future Iris Allen | 1 | |
| Future Wally West of new 52 | 1 | |
| h. g. wells | 1 | |
| Mirror Master | 1 | |
557 votes total.
At this point I’ll be honestly disappointed if he isn’t the reverse flash.
Haven’t commented here in a very long time… So far I’m loving the show, with my only significant complaint really being the lack of villain costuming. Otherwise the special effects and humor have been great. Always a blast
Was NOT excited about the flash getting a team, but I’m really liking them. Hopefully Cisco gets powers and they can be more of a duo
I agree!!!! Captain Cold’s costume in the train scene was on point. Ok if he wants to protect Barry (bc he cant exists if Barry doesn’t), he has access to the future, he seems to have caused the accident…I don’t he how he isn’t.
It would have been a better costume if there was some white on the shoulders of the parka. Abandoning the color scheme entirely hurts.
Cold was still better and closer than let’s say weather wizard
My take: He’s the reverse Flash. He fights Barry & beats him & is just about to kill him when it becomes clear that Eddie Thawne must sacrifice himself to eradicate Eobard (Wells) from the timeline saving Barry at the last minute. A ridiculous temporal continuity explanation is given if only to keep the story rolling.
Either that or he’s an original villain and Eddie Thawne is the Reverse Flash himself.
There are people who swear Wells is Pariah (mainly because of the Crisis connection and he described himself as “a pariah”), which has always seemed weird and very unlikely to me.
Who is Pariah again? Isnt he from the Crisis?
Yes, he’s the guy who shows up just before a universe is destroyed and cries a lot.
@SpeedForceOrg @Demonpuppy Eobard Thawne from the future! #ProfZoom #ReverseFlash
If he’s Eobard I will be upset and stop watching, not that it matters to them, I’m sure.
I still want to believe H. G. Wells is Abra Kadabra, from even further in the future than Prof. Zoom. Little lines here and there from “Eddie” Thawne seem to imply to me he’s Prof. Zoom.
Why voters are saying he is Reverse Flash makes no sense to me because Eobard Thawne is Reverse Flash. Eddie Thawne is a the partner of Joe West and we do not know his whole background yet. I say he is Rip Hunter since he has knowledge of the future and is skilled in killing and not intimidated by the hard core General Eilling.
He is Edward Thawne…I think it will be a relative of his. People think he is reverse flash because of his access to the future and because he seems murderously ben ton protecting barry. Reverse flash could never have barry killed because then he wouldn’t exists.
We don’t know for sure that Eddie Thawne is Eobard Thawne. He could be in disguise, or he could be Eobard before his origin, or he could be a relative.
I think Eddie is an ancestor of Eobard, and is possibly being manipulated by him or is unknowingly under his influence. Or he will be.
I’m on the fence about Wells’ identity, though. He sure seemed like Eobard, but now I’m kind of leaning towards a future twisted Barry Allen. It’ll be exciting to see where the show goes with it, that’s for sure.
Why not good, old Abra Kadabra? Barry gets turned into a puppet and good times were had by all.
The real clue of Well’s being Eobard in yesterday episode was not his visit to Joe’s house. When they were speaking with Joe about Nora’s cause of death, Joe mentioned something very important: Single stab wound to the heart… 😉
I don’t get what you mean Eric? What was the real clue?…sounds interesting like u have insight I missed but don’t know what you mean.
I can’t believe I forgot to include Kadabra in this list.
To put forward my friend’s theory… Considering they’re bringing in Linda (don’t, just… don’t make me discuss this triangle thing okay, Wally/Linda are pretty much my favourites, I can’t think about this), her theory is that Harrison is Hunter Zolomon, and they’ve swapped the Eobard/Hunter Reverse-Flash/Zoom stories around. I’m personally torn between him being Reverse Flash and being some wigged out version of future Barry on a hell of a rampage. Or one really screwy version of new 52 Bart. I don’t know, but I’m loving the series, so yeah. XD
It’s Johns consulting on the show so Professor Zoom is a possibility (considering PZ was the villain for all of Johns second run.)
Agreed…the villain costumes need some pizazz. Hopefully that will happen when they officially group together as The Rogues. Someone will come in wearing a snazzy outfit from Paul Gambi and start a rivalry for most ‘hip’ clothing.
What about Dr. Light? Got this from http://www.comicvine.com/arthur-light/4005-3583/
In the rebooted DC universe, Arthur Light is a somewhat kindhearted scientist and the “leading mind on super human energies”. He has an affiliation with homeland security’s offshoot organization, ARGUS, and is a member of Amanda Waller & Steve Trevor’s “Justice League of America”.
Not that I’d be thrilled seeing as Identity Crisis left a sour taste in my mouth.
I feel like Luis E. Castillo is probably 100% correct, but I really hope Wells isn’t Reverse Flash because that just seems too easy after last episode.
I agree, Mr. F. I think they’re just going to make it seem that he’s Prof Z but it turns out to be Eddie. It’d be perfect.
I really have no idea who he is (which is kinda awesome!), but I really hope he turns out to be Thawne aka Reverse Flash. I really love the actor Tom Cavanagh and think he’d be perfect to play him with the performance he’s turned in. I’ll be kinda disappointed if he’s not.
Really digging this show so far. It’s too bad they didn’t just do the movie for WB. Now they’re going to muck the movie up…they already have with the casting.
Anyway can’t wait for next week’s episode….some great stuff.
Eobard.
I’m thinking Wells is Eobard Thawne from the future, a descendent of Eddie Thawne (of course), that traveled back in time and then got stuck in the past (lost his powers somehow). He is now trying to get Barry to “realize his full potential” so he can steal his powers, go bat$hit crazy on everyone and get back to the future!
wells could just be hg wells as I recall he did feature in superman as did star labs all I know is wasn’t that interested in watching the flash being to me it was a guy who ran fast but glad I did love the show and download every week here in england