The Flash Offers an Arrowverse Villain a SHOCKING Bright New Future - CBR - Comic Book Resources

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Flash #762, by Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, Hi-Fi and Steve Wands, on sale now.

Long before he was the Flash's greatest enemy, the Reverse-Flash was Barry Allen's biggest fan. Growing up in the 25th century, Eobard Thawne idolized the Scarlet Speedster and sought to become just like him, going as far as to obtain a Flash Ring with a spare costume and unlock the secrets of super-speed for himself. However, after the two speedsters met and Thawne was exposed as a fraud, the time-traveling villain became Barry's most hated foe as he changed history to cause every major tragedy in the Flash's life.

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And as the two lifelong enemies embark on their last race against one another, the Scarlet Speedster has extended a surprise offer to Eobard by giving him the bright future he had long abandoned in The Flash #762.

While initially setting out to kill Eobard and end the villainy of the Reverse-Flash once and for all, Barry has a change of heart as he realizes the two speedsters are trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of violence and death, no matter how many changes come to the DC Universe. Shocking Eobard dead in his tracks, Barry instead opts to forgive the Reverse-Flash for all the heinous things he has done over the years, including traveling back in time to murder Barry's mother Nora. Barry continues to surprise Eobard by not only forgiving him but by apologizing for the way he had treated him since they first met, including Barry's perceived slight of Thawne in favor of his protege Wally West.

To underscore how genuine his apology is, Barry shares his connection to the Speed Force with Eobard, apparently cleansing him of the corrosive influence of his own Negative Speed Force and restoring Eobard to the man he was before kickstarting his longstanding feud against the Flash. With the Legion of Zoom returned to their respective points in the timeline when Thawne had first recruited them, a reformed Eobard reclaims his past position as the curator of the Flash Museum in the 25th century, rededicating his life towards educating others about Barry's legacy and acts of heroism centuries prior.

While the more recent villainous acts that the Reverse-Flash committed have been purged, the older actions are still very much intact, including the death of Barry's mother. However, now with Barry's forgiveness and blessing to move forward, Eobard has had his faith in his childhood idol restored while the corruptive counterpart to the Speed Force that he personally created has seemingly died with the mantle of the Reverse-Flash. No longer obsessed with systematically dismantling every aspect of the Flash Family's life, Eobard Thawne has abandoned his position as one of the DCU's biggest supervillains as his faith in the age of heroes as been reawakened.

Barry Allen's final victory of the Reverse-Flash didn't come from a high-speed flurry of punches or triumphing against his mortal enemy in a race across space and time. Instead, it came from offering Eobard Thawne an open hand instead of a closed fist. Despite everything Eobard had personally cost him over the years, Barry gave his nemesis a chance to break free from the cycle and experience a life separate from the Flash. And while Eobard did turn to peace in his own time, Eobard still very much has Barry on the mind, albeit as his greatest champion for giving him a chance at redemption.

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