It seems impossible for Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash, to stay dead. However, the longtime Flash foe and arch-nemesis is stuck in a time loop thanks to his abuses of time-travel, existing as a running dead man, constantly evading the permanence of death. In the latest issue of The Flash, Barry Allen has to find Thawne in order to prevent multiversal chaos, but before he does, the issue focuses on the many deaths of Eobard Thawne, showcasing how crazy Thawne's ability to continue existing truly is.
Thawne's original time period of existence was the 25th century, in which he was a scientist obsessed with the Flash. The Flash became his idol, so much so that he replicated the same accident that turned Barry Allen into the Flash, giving himself the powers of a speedster. After he manufactured a series of crimes and threats from which he could appear the hero, the Flash took notice and stopped him, which turned Thawne's admiration into a bitter hatred. Thawne would then go on a crusade of revenge, seeking to torment the Flash, running back in time and serving as the catalyst for all of the tragedy in Barry's life, including the death of his mother. Over several years of comics, Thawne would meet his fate and die, several times. Such times include Flash breaking Thawne's neck before Crisis on Infinite Earths, during the Flashpoint Paradox, where the altered universe's version of Batman (Thomas Wayne) kills him, being disintegrated by Doctor Manhattan just before the Doomsday Clock event, among several others.
Despite all of these deaths, Thawne inexplicably managed to survive, being caught in a never-ending loop most likely due to his constant time travel abuses and tampering. The Flash #753 reveals some new insights into Reverse-Flash, showing each of his deaths in kind. According to Thawne himself, he experiences all of the deaths at the same time, despite always being reborn to cause more chaos and tragedy for Barry Allen. What's even more interesting is that Thawne's recollection of all of these deaths confirms that he is one of the few characters within the DC Universe that has knowledge and memory of the entirety of the DC timeline. This would be regardless of the large multiversal changing, retconning, and character altering events that have occurred over the years such as the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Flashpoint Paradox, or Rebirth continuity reset events, at the very least in the context of Thawne's own life (and deaths).
Despite this revelation and fans being able to count on the concept that Reverse-Flash will always be a foe that is unpredictable and potentially unstoppable, the character will still be heading into uncharted territory in the upcoming pages of The Flash. Whether he likes it or not, Barry Allen is going to need Eobard Thawne's help to stop the new villain known as Paradox, a being who has supposedly only been stopped by Thawne himself. When it comes to the idea of a Flash/Reverse-Flash team-up, fans should prepare for and expect the unexpected (and possibly another Reverse-Flash death?).
The Flash #753 is on sale now.