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Post by Prime on Feb 8, 2009 9:23:01 GMT -5
VS. I like Prof. Zoom but I think Hunter was just a genius creation on Geoff's part. He's so warped and tragic. His backstory is also more interesting than Thawne's I think. I mean he used to be Wally's friend and still thinks of himself as one who's just trying to "make Wally better". It's a very cool dynamic.
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Post by momoney433 on Feb 8, 2009 11:44:11 GMT -5
This is a hard one.... Thawne was the original. But, Hunter I think takes the cake because of his backstory and his anti-hero-ness
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Post by West on Feb 10, 2009 20:15:52 GMT -5
To me, there is no greater villain in comics than Zoom. From FBI to nothing to villain is just great. The evil things he did to Wally/Linda are unfortunately classic storytelling. It was a chilling read and I'll never forget. One of my favorite moments in comic history is the fight between Hunter and Wally after that.
Professor Zoom was okay. He just doesn't define evil to me, so its no contest.
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Post by speedforce on Feb 11, 2009 1:56:39 GMT -5
Agreed.Prof. Zoom was ok,but Zoom is outstanding!
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kelson
Grodd's Mind Slave
Speed Force Historian
Posts: 106
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Post by kelson on Feb 12, 2009 17:03:25 GMT -5
Prof. Zoom has been portrayed very inconsistently over the years -- there were times when he wasn't even primarily a speedster, but used future tech in much the same way as Abra Kadabra. The trait that stayed most consistent over the years was his obsession with replacing Barry Allen, which fits perfectly with his role in "The Return of Barry Allen."
Zoom, however, is fascinating primarily because of his motivation, and the fact that he really believes he needs to do evil in order to accomplish good, and that he's ultimately helping the Flash by giving him ever-greater obstacles to overcome. The only downside is that it's evidently hard to portray, judging by the various appearances he's made outside of Flash & JSA. (That JSA appearance, I still maintain, works best if you suppose that he was actually trying to make Liberty Belle a better hero by forcing her past her mental block about using her speed -- not that he was pushing Damage to see how far he'd go.)
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Post by momoney433 on Feb 12, 2009 23:26:53 GMT -5
What issue was his JSA apperance? Im almost sure I have the issue but I cant get to my comics right now...
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kelson
Grodd's Mind Slave
Speed Force Historian
Posts: 106
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Post by kelson on Feb 13, 2009 16:46:41 GMT -5
What issue was his JSA apperance? Im almost sure I have the issue but I cant get to my comics right now... Justice Society of America #8. It's the one with Liberty Belle on the cover.
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Post by Kuhan on Feb 14, 2009 0:17:05 GMT -5
Yeah, PZ's story was retroactively good, where originally, he was just sorta... obsessed with the Flash.
Zoom's arc went all through his appearances. we saw his rise and fall and villain...i...tude...?
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papazero
Cosmic Treadmill Duster
Posts: 152
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Post by papazero on Feb 16, 2009 2:41:53 GMT -5
The ultimate goal of each character was to create a worthy nemesis. Professor Zoom was written in with powers to match the Flash which served functionally in Silver Age tradition to provide the plot device by which Barry would be forced to outwit him rather than duke it out. When the Professor resurfaced - he had developed a fixation on the hero making direct confrontation his priority one... and of course later he was retconned as having wanted to BE the Flash. All fun stories.
Both Zooms are hurdles that define the hero. I do think that the new Zoom's motivations are a fun angle to play but they result in the same types of behaviors that a revenge driven villian would engage in. I'm glad they filled that void with Zolomon.
The only issue i have with him is the nature of his power. The distinction Geoff Johns created makes no sense. If Zolomon slows down time around him, he wouldn't be immune to "the problems a speedster faces." The theory of relativity makes no distinction between "temporal" and "spatial" so he would still need a protective aura and have issues with seeing an hearing anything around him. If on the other hand, Zoom's powers are specifically causing a bubble of inertial frame change - his Planck's constant would exponentially change relative to the rest of the universe. He would either have to slow himself down for an equal period to even it back out, expand in his bubble until he became massless, or become a walking big bang just waiting to happen.
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Post by Prime on Feb 16, 2009 12:37:40 GMT -5
The ultimate goal of each character was to create a worthy nemesis. Professor Zoom was written in with powers to match the Flash which served functionally in Silver Age tradition to provide the plot device by which Barry would be forced to outwit him rather than duke it out. When the Professor resurfaced - he had developed a fixation on the hero making direct confrontation his priority one... and of course later he was retconned as having wanted to BE the Flash. All fun stories. Both Zooms are hurdles that define the hero. I do think that the new Zoom's motivations are a fun angle to play but they result in the same types of behaviors that a revenge driven villian would engage in. I'm glad they filled that void with Zolomon. The only issue i have with him is the nature of his power. The distinction Geoff Johns created makes no sense. If Zolomon slows down time around him, he wouldn't be immune to "the problems a speedster faces." The theory of relativity makes no distinction between "temporal" and "spatial" so he would still need a protective aura and have issues with seeing an hearing anything around him. If on the other hand, Zoom's powers are specifically causing a bubble of inertial frame change - his Planck's constant would exponentially change relative to the rest of the universe. He would either have to slow himself down for an equal period to even it back out, expand in his bubble until he became massless, or become a walking big bang just waiting to happen. That's why you've gotta love comic logic, eh?
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Post by younglionsimba on Apr 14, 2009 10:28:18 GMT -5
Defantly Zolomon, but id love one day to see him redeem himself. Maybe by sacrificing his life to save Wally
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Post by Prime on Apr 14, 2009 15:51:49 GMT -5
Man I feel bad for the professor...no votes. Though EVS has said that he prefers Thawne. So we could count that I guess lol.
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savitar
Speedster in Training
Lightning can strike twice
Posts: 59
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Post by savitar on May 6, 2009 15:57:55 GMT -5
I voted for the dear Professor.
Other than some of his various guest-spots, I have yet to read of Zoom and his story with Wally in Blitz. It's great to see Wally have a villain of that caliber but I think Eobard trumps Hunter in two regards:
1) Eobard's personal history with Barry. From what I understand, Wally and Hunter have their own unique relationship, but pound for pound, as a basis of motivation, hatred, and revenge, what Eobard put Barry through surpasses that. From Iris to Fiona to his 'death', the struggle between Eobard and Barry was bitter and personal. Add to that Waid's masterful "Return of Barry Allen" and it's new twists and their personal feud only gets stronger and deeper.
2) I like Hunter's motivation of doing bad to make Wally do better. That's a good hook but that's just him, alone. Eobard has a closer tie to the Flash in that, like the Flash, Eobard is also part of a long-lasting legacy, the Thawne legacy. The yin to their yang that forms a cohesive whole. Chain Lightning was a phenomenal story detailing the twisted connections & repercussions of both of these legacies. That adds value and depth to the entire mythos and I love that.
I may change my mind when I finally do read Blitz but for me, right now, the Professor is the true wearer of the red, black, and yellow.
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Post by West on May 6, 2009 22:12:53 GMT -5
Blitz probably won't have the same affect on you as it those who read it before they knew what would happen. It was/IS a defining moment for Wally, and basically sealed the deal with Hunter being my favorite villain.
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