Henry Allen Is Zoom

That’s right!  Henry Allen is Zoom — or more specifically, Earth-2’s Henry Allen is Zoom.  At least that’s what I think.  This is not a new theory and it’s been floating around since Zoom’s debut in Season 2 of The Flash.  But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense — moreso than the more recent theory that Earth 2’s Barry Allen is Zoom.

Scour the internet and you’ll find fans comparing the eyes of Zoom to the eyes of Henry Allen.  To me, that wasn’t a convincing enough case.  As a screenwriter, making Earth-2’s Henry Allen the big-bad of Season 2 just makes sense.  So let’s throw away the physical comparisons and talk about why making Barry’s dear old dad from another universe a compelling plot point.

It Would Be Harder for Barry

Screenwriting is all about conflict.  Wherever and whenever you can inject it, you must do it.  It’s the golden rule to any great narrative.  Zoom is already more powerful physically.  Now, imagine a villain who looks just like our hero’s father.  It’s true that Barry’s real father is still alive and well, but the psychological ramifications of having an enemy who looks like a loved one of Barry’s will be very compelling.  In a way, this was teased in the opposite manner early on this season with the introduction of Earth-2’s Harrison Wells — someone Barry despised, but now has grown to trust.

An Excellent Homage

For the youngins out there, John Wesley Shipp played Barry Allen / The Flash in the 1990s CBS television series The Flash.  A role that brings him back as another speedster, albeit a bad guy, would still be an excellent, if not fitting homage.  I’m sure Mr. Shipp would love this, or, if he’s already filmed his scenes, loved this idea.

Would a Sacrifice Be Coming?

There’s still a lot of things we don’t know about Earth-2.  Taking a page out of Fox’s Fringe, maybe parallel universe counterparts resonate in a similar manner.  Zoom might be unstoppable for now, but what if they find out that Earth-2’s Henry is, in some way, tied to Earth-1’s Henry.  And the only way to stop Zoom is for Earth-1’s Henry to sacrifice himself.  Barry already lost his father once to a false conviction.  Now, imagine him losing his father to an actual death.  It could put Barry on a darker path — one without much hope.  I’ll be the first to admit that The Flash is not a dark character, and that’s what I love about him, but it would certainly make for some interesting character arcing and development — watch how Barry will come back from gloom and doom and become even stronger.

Final Thoughts

Since tonight is the mid-season winter premiere of The Flash, these question may soon be answered in the coming weeks.  I’m very excited to see where The Flash is going (pun intended), as this is certainly one of the most well-written superhero series to-date.  The writers have promised us that the reveal will be a shocking moment.  Even if we have correctly guessed Zoom to be Henry Allen, the surprised will still be there.  It’s one of those things where something like this should happen.

For a great recap of the mid-season premiere of The Flash Season 2, visit Bam Smack Pow where Nick Tylwalk gives a rundown of “Potential Energy.”