As the Fastest Man Alive, Barry Allen usually runs up against various evil speedsters as the primary antagonists of The Flash. The CW series' fourth season, however, featured a new kind of main villain in Clifford DeVoe, better known as The Thinker. Portrayed by actor Neil Sandilands, the antagonist relied on his own genius-level intellect and advanced technology to outsmart the Scarlet Speedster and his allies in a nefarious effort to reshape the world in his image.
Now, CBR is taking a look back at this Arrowverse villain, from his origins in the comic books to the role he played in Season 4 of The Flash leading to his eventual defeat.
WHO IS THE THINKER?
The original Thinker, Clifford DeVoe, was created by Gardner Fox and E.E. Hibbard in 1943's All-Flash #12 as an antagonist for the Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick. Observing the failures of his fellow criminals in Gotham City, DeVoe decides to secretly lead them all as a criminal mastermind dubbed The Thinker, using an invention known as the Thinking Cap to boost his mental abilities. After his defeat by the Flash, The Thinker joins the Injustice Society and continues to battle Jay Garrick and the rest of the Justice Society of America over the years in increasingly elaborate schemes.
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Thinker briefly joins the Suicide Squad in exchange for federal amnesty only to discover he has terminal cancer due to his constant use of the Thinking Cap. Learning of his longtime nemesis' condition, Jay offers to use the Thinking Cap himself to find a solution only for DeVoe to refuse and die in peace. During Forever Evil, however, DeVoe is seen swearing his allegiance to the Crime Syndicate of America in exchange for a transfer of his mind into the body of OMAC.
WHO IS THE THINKER IN THE FLASH?
In the Arrowverse, Clifford DeVoe lives a relatively quiet life as a college professor who believes that humanity has been denied its true potential due to its over-reliance on emotions and technology. He and his wife Marlize develop the Thinking Cap to boost his intelligence, and Eobard Thawne's destruction of the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator further increasing DeVoe's intellect.
Excessive use of the Thinking Cap, however, results in DeVoe being diagnosed with an aggressive form of ALS, leading him to accelerate his plans by freeing the Flash from the Speed Force and empowering 12 new meta-humans in Central City. As his body continues to fail him despite inventing a hover chair and receiving cybernetic enhancements from Marlize, DeVoe begins transferring his mind into the new meta-humans, his plan to devolve humanity's mental capacity so he can lead it into the future revealed.
How THE FLASH DEFEATED THE THINKER
While in the body of Elongated Man, DeVoe is able to use Ralph Dibney's powers to revert to his original appearance as he plots to use the world's satellites to carry out his plan, using the new meta-human Fallout as a power source. Flash is able to project himself into The Thinker's mind where the two battle before Barry helps Ralph regain control of his own body.
RELATED: The Flash S5 Finale Teases the Arrival of Iconic DC Character
Returning to the cybernetic body in the chair to rebuild himself as a hologram, DeVoe discovers Marlize has turned against him due to his increasing distance from humanity and her. Marlize rips out the chair's core to shut down DeVoe for good. Despite his death, however, DeVoe's legacy would continue into Season 5 as his failed plans led to the creation of new metahumans throughout Central City including the villainous Cicada.
Returning this fall on The CW, The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Tom Cavanaugh, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Nicolet, Hartley Sawyer and Jessica Parker Kennedy.