6 Intriguing Theories About Zoom’s Identity In The Flash

3) He’s Actually The Rival

Only one man has actually gone by the name “Zoom” in The Flash comic books, and that’s Hunter Zolomon.

While Eobard Thawne has been known as Professor Zoom from time to time, Hunter – a cop who worked closely with the Wally West Flash – took this mantle after the Scarlet Speedster refused to travel back in time to save his friend’s legs after a tragic accident. Had we actually been introduced to a version of Hunter, him being Zoom would definitely work, but it doesn’t really make sense here. Instead, it’s actually far more likely that this Zoom is instead a new take on The Rival.

Edward Clariss was a professor who was ridiculed after claiming to have recreated the formula which turned Jay Garrick into The Flash and so used the formula to become a villain. The Rival is in many ways the first Reverse-Flash, and while his origin story would need to be tweaked in a major way to work in this series, us getting some sort of amalgamation of Hunter Zolomon and The Rival makes perfect sense.

Sure, it means that this big bad has a greater connection to Jay than he does Barry, but that could still work so long as the Earth-2 Flash takes a greater role in the story from here.