‘The Flash’ Gives Eobard Thawne a Surprising Part of “Rebirth” Mythology

The Flash‘s fifth season is beginning to wind down, adding more and more elements to the team’s fight against Cicada II. In the process, the show’s latest episode weaved in an unexpected part of comic canon.

Spoilers for tonight’s episode of The Flash, “Snow Pack”, below! Only look if you want to know!

The episode opened with Nora West-Allen (Jessica Parker Kennedy) being forcibly stuck in the future by Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), who threatened that he would be able to tell if she tried to access the Speed Force again. Nora met with Eobard Thawne (Tom Cavanagh) in his maximum security prison cell, upset that she couldn’t travel back in time to help her parents fight Cicada.

Nora then realized that as the Reverse Flash, Eobard had been able to travel back and forth in time without other speedsters realizing, and she asked him how he did it. Eobard revealed that he had created his own speed force, and that it was “negative”.

For diehard Flash fans, that line was certainly something, as it confirmed that the Negative Speed Force exists within the Arrowverse. In the comics, the Negative Speed Force was created by Eobard, who also powered the speed force with his energy. The Negative Speed Force essentially acted like a cancer to any other speedster who touched it, and attempted to use it to corrupt Barry and his loved ones several times over.

Even after Thawne died, the Negative Speed Force still haunted Barry, even causing him to lash out at those in his life. Barry and Wally attempted to control and bring balance to the Negative Speed Force, but it was ultimately absorbed by Meena Dhawan in an altercation with them.

Based off of tonight’s episode, it looks like The Flash is taking a similar, but also unique, take on the Negative Speed Force. After Nora attempted and failed to tap into the Negative Speed Force, her anger towards Barry and Iris triggered her bonding with it.

Even beyond this season, the introduction of the Negative Speed Force could be something interesting, as it poses a new kind of challenge for Team Flash going forward. With “Crisis on Infinite Earths” on the horizon, and villains like the Red Death being teased, who knows what’s in store.

What do you think of the Arrowverse introducing the Negative Speed Force? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.