Flash Vol 2 #197

Hunter Zolomon wakes up in the hospital. He recalls the previous night and attempting to use the Cosmic Treadmill^[1].

He knocks over a glass of water.

He recalls growing up alone. His parents wouldn't even speak to each other and he'd eavesdrop on their room but they never spoke about him. One day, he returned home and the story broke. His mom had called the police to let them know where the five missing girls from the previous summer where buried. Zolomon's father was a serial killer and immediately murdered Zolomon's mom with an ax upon finding out she was calling the police. Zolomon recalls losing both parents that night.

Zolomon remembers his new desire to stop murderers from killing people. He went to school for criminal law and psychology. This is where he met his wife Ashley. They got married, joined the FBI, and worked with Ashley's father who was a top supervisor.

Zolomon calls out for a nurse but no one is at the hospital and it is very quiet.

Zolomon then remembers the original Reverse Flash, Eobard Thawne. He remember the case where Barry Allen snapped his neck because he had almost hurt his fiance. He remembers looking at some notes he had written on a piece of paper with the words, "when is it right to kill".

Zolomon remembers the 'one hour'. He was on a case with Ashely and her father. A killer clown, Lyle Corley had murdered several people. Zolomon had postulated since the murders were all clown based with poison pies, lethal laughing gas, he wasn't armed. Zolomon recommended they run in. When they do, Zolomon was wrong and Corley murders Ashley's dad and shoots Zolomon in the knee before he's taken down. For the bad call, Zolomon was kicked out of the FBI and now had to use a cane to walk around for his bad knee.

When Zolomon snaps back from his memories, he realizes the water he knocked over is frozen in mid-air. He feels a burning sensation and walks out to the main hallway where everyone is frozen still in their place. He can suddenly walk again and the silence was actually a low hum as he looks at a fly frozen in mid-air.

He recalls his new hate of Flash for not helping him. He thinks heroes need a tragedy and need to take risks. He believes he needs to put Flash against the opposite of what he is to make a real hero. He looks at his hospital discharge papers and rips out the "L" and "ON" in Zolomon to leave the word "Zoom" on the paper and transforms into a reverse flash costume.