Zoom
Zoom is a comic book character that first appeared in Flash Secret Files #3
A former FBI profiler and once close ally to the Flash, Wally West, Zoom believes that to make Wally a greater hero he must test him by being his greatest villain. Thus was born the merciless Zoom.
Eobard Thawne
For more on him see: Professor Zoom
Hunter Zolomon
Hunter Zoloman came from a troubled family background. His parents rarely spoke too one another or even to him. On the day Hunter was set to leave home to go to college, on his way home he found the police laying siege to his home. He found that his father was a serial killer who in his time had killed six young girls. Hunters mother gave her husband up to the police but he was killed after he refused to come willingly.
Unfortunately, by a miscalculation on Hunters part, Ashley’s father was killed. Hunter said that the criminal they were pursuing would be unable to face his adult life and thus would be unable to use a gun as a weapon, he was wrong. Ashley left him soon after this.
Due the events that took place and the subsequent killing Hunter was let go from the F.B.I, he left with an injured knee now needing a cane to walk.
Hunter found himself in Keystone City, home to the Flash. There, he was able to get a job in the local precinct as a profiler, working in the Department of Metahuman Hostilities. With his new range of work he was in constant contact with the Flash, Wally West. The two soon struck it off and became good friends. Hunter was a key player in several of Flash’s cases, yet he always felt resentment towards the Flash as he was stuck behind a desk.
A Timely Creation
Hunter was injured by Gorilla Grodd when Grodd staged a massive prison break and as a result was left paralysed from the waist down. Hunter asked
Hunter decided that if he could cause a great tragedy in Wally’s life he would be able to make the Flash a better hero. He became the new Zoom. Zoom began a reign of terror which of course grabbed the attention of the scarlet speedster. To defeat his new enemy Wally had to reach Zoom's near light speed motion. Flash had to steal Kid Flash’s ( Bart Allen) and Jay Garrick's speed to catch up with him, and in Wally’s words, "even with their speed, Zoom was still a blur."
Eventually Wally was able to bring Zoom down, preventing him from killing Linda Park, who at the time was pregnant with twins. However Linda suffered a miscarriage due to being hit partially by Zoom's sonic boom. Using the slight “rips” in time created by the use of Zooms powers Wally was able to force Hunter into a temporal anomaly where he would watch the death of his father-in-law over and over, all while in a comatose state.
Hunters ex-wife Ashley replaced him in Keystone City as a profiler. She spent a lot of time trying to communicate with Hunter. She was hospitalised due to her involvement in a car accident. It was at this time that Hunter awoke from his coma, out of concern for his spouse. Even though plagued with concern he chose to stay within his cell.
Rogue War
Zoom wanted to finish what he started and kidnapped Jay Garrick to power the treadmill. He went into the past and brought back Eobard Thawne, the original Professor Zoom. After defeating all of the Rogues fighting the Flash, the two Zooms attacked Wally, bringing him back to the past when Zolomon caused Linda to lose her children. They replayed the scene over and over again, tormenting Wally. They seemed to be accomplishing their objective when Barry Allen appeared, searching for Professor Zoom. Barry managed to take Professor Zoom back to his time and
Wally chased Zoom who wanted to gain enough momentum by running around the world so he could kill Linda in the past. Wally pushed Zoom in the way of the shockwave that made Linda lose the babies. Zoom took the majority of the blast which allowed Linda to have babies in the present. Zoom tried to reverse time with the treadmill but it wouldn't work for someone who emitted time not kinetic energy. The treadmill exploded along with Zoom.
With the Society and One Year Later
Despite his apparent demise at the end of the Rogue War, Zoom reappeared during that same issue. Though he avoided the Flash, he continued to work with the Society, taking part in their attack on the Freedom Fighters, where he scarred Damage's face badly. Zoom was also present during the battle of Metropolis, where he fought against several members of the JSA. He was one of the few members of the Society to escape.
One Year Later, Zoom encountered the Justice League as Hal Jordan attempted to find Sinestro. The Reverse Flash gave several Leaguers quite a beating and commented that Sinestro had done to Green Lantern what he had done to the Flash and that the hardship had made Hal Jordan a better hero.
Zoom also encountered the Justice Society as he was checking to see if his attack on Damage had improved him. He allowed Damage to put him in a headlock and encouraged Damage to kill him because it would make him a better hero if he was willing to kill. Liberty Belle convinced Damage to let Zoom go. Zoom immediately broke free and attacked but Liberty Belle said her mantra and much to the villain's surprise, fought back at super speed, beating Zoom.
The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive
In
Issue #10
In Rome, Italy on August 24, A.D. 410, two cloaked figures watch a battle. One of them is revealed to be Zoom and the other one is Iris Allen West. A deal is made for Zoom to go after Flash.In the present, in Keystone City, while The Flash is visiting Captain Cold threatens him to extradited to Los Angeles, whn suddenly Zoom arrives.
Flash and Zoom are still fighting. As Flash manages to get the upper hand, he demands to know who sent him after him. Zoom weakly replies, "Her..." as Iris Allen, Bart's Grandma is seen to be the other cloaked individual. She is holding a futuristic gun on him.
Bart is still in shock as he sees his Grandmother Iris holding a gun to him. Zoom, still in his clutches smiles a psychotic grin. Iris shoots three times and Bart is able to see that she's shooting darts at him. That's a little bit of a relief. As he grabs one in mid-air, Zoom runs up behind him. As he jumps at Bart, he begins to say that they are trying to help him. Bart doesn't believe it and hits Zoom in the neck with the dart. He is out cold. He turns to his grandma and demands some answers.
Iris apologizes to Bart. She was hoping they could catch him off guard. She says she shot at him for his own good. Zoom agreed to help her take Bart out of super-heroing temporarily. The darts were designed to make speedsters powerless for about a week. Bart wants to know what's supposed to happen this week.
Final Crisis : Rogues' Revenge
Zoom joined up with Libra's Secret Society, intending to cause more problems for heroes to overcome. He was meant to be Darkseid's herald though when the Rogues refused to join, he was given a more immediate task. Zoom recruited Inertia from the Flash museum, giving him a portion of his time based super speed. The Reverse Flash beat Inertia badly, scolding him for his part in the death of Bart Allen.
Zoom then revealed Libra's plan: to make Inertia the new Kid Flash. He would fight as a member of the Society, a ghost of the Flash and the Titans' failures. Though initially hesitant, the idea appealed to Inertia, as did the idea of getting to keep his powers and the young speedster agreed.
Because Inertia tricked them into killing Bart Allen, the Rogues attacked the speedsters. Zoom decided enough was enough. He fought back, proclaiming his hatred for the Rogues and their silly games and that he would kill them all. Luckily for the Rogues, Piper came to the rescue, hypnotizing the entire group. Libra showed up soon after and stabbed Piper with his spear. With him was the Weather Wizard's child. Libra offered the Rogues one last chance to join him.
Inertia tired of the whole thing and ran at Libra, snapping his fingers and killing the child. Zoom screamed at the boy for
Though Zoom theorized that he just needed the cosmic treadmill again to regain his powers, this is unlikely to happen, partially because the cosmic treadmill was destroyed during the Rogue War and partially because Geoff Johns made it clear through his storytelling that he was angry at the way the character (along with the other Flash villains) had been treated during the year after he had left the book. Removing the character's powers meant that another writer would be less likely to misuse Zoom.
Powers
Zoom is able to alter time,to make himself even faster than wally west,the fastest of all the flashes. He can make himself so fast that even the flashes look like slow-motion to him. He was able to circle the globe and wally had to absorb all the speed-force to fight zoom who proved that he was even faster than that. Wonder woman has said that he punches harder than superman. However, as he is altering time, friction, seeing and hearing at light-speeds do not affect him. However, he is unable to vibrate his molecules like the flashes and steal speed from other people. However, as he is altering time, the flashes cannot steal speed from him.Videogames
- Zoom is the fourth level boss in the game Justice League Heroes: The Flash.
- Zoom is set to appear in the upcoming video game DC Universe Online
