After hypothesizing on the identity of archfiend Zoom on The Flash last week, this week’s episode straight-up revealed his face. While more information was given to viewers, more questions were raised. Let’s use this space to continue to figure out the mysteries behind the identities of Zoom, Jay Garrick, and Dude in a Mask that’s stuck on Earth-2. Naturally, it’s time to activate your spoiler shields. Let’s use a Dothraki theme to indicate the things that are known for sure.
It is known: Zoom, Earth-2 Jay Garrick, and Earth-1 Hunter Zolomon have the same face
That was one helluva way to end a very cool episode of The Flash (the King Shark CG and Barry’s interpretive water-lightning dance were phenomenal)! Zoom returned to his lair, carrying Jay’s body while Dude in Mask continued to whimper in his cell. Zoom unmasked and revealed the visage of Jay Garrick!
As I mentioned last week, many people believe that Zoom is Earth-2 Hunter Zolomon. The new question is, “Why the hell does Zoom have the same face as Earth-2 Jay Garrick?”
Theory: Jay Garrick and Hunter Zolomon are twins
This is a popular theory that’s floating around on The Flash Reddit page. I’m not quite sold on it yet, but it would explain why Earth-2 Jay Garrick, Earth-1 Hunter Zolomon, and Zoom all have the same face. It would also explain why Guy in a Mask is being kept under wraps. Most fans are certain that it will be Teddy Sears under the iron mask, when all is said and done. (If that’s the case, hopefully Teddy Sears’ agent got him some nice money for playing four roles.) Perhaps I’ve watched too many episodes of WWE programming over the years, but having two sets of twins from multiple version of Earth seems a little too neat.
Theory: Guy in the Mask is Earth-1 Jay Garrick
By the process of elimination, it makes sense for this man to be Earth-1 Jay. That is, of course, assuming that you believe that Earth-2 Jay was who he said he was and Earth-1 Hunter Zolomon was who Earth-2 Jay said he was. (Confused yet?) Another interesting tidbit is that in the episode where Earth-1 Hunter Zolomon was revealed (season 2, episode 11), Earth-2 Jay said, “I couldn’t find a Jay Garrick anywhere on this planet.” That seems like a swerve. Surely there had to be some record of a man named Jay Garrick, unless Earth-2 Jay was a baddie all along.
In a recent piece on Variety, The Flash executive producer Andrew Kreisberg said, “Jay had been watching them and knew that so he was able to masterfully step into the role each of them needed. He became a friend and mentor to Barry. A love interest to the heartbroken Caitlin. He skillfully played them all.” What Earth-2 Jay said in episode 11 and what Kreisberg said to Variety has me sticking to my theory that Zoom is Earth-2 Hunter Zolomon, as well as the guy parading around Earth-1 as Earth-2 Jay. Of course that doesn’t explain the corpse Zoom carried to his hideout.
It is known: Earth-2 Jay Garrick is dead…
…or at least a guy that looked like him is dead. At the end of tonight’s episode, Zoom drops Earth-2 Jay’s lifeless body and says, “Well this…is a complication.” I’m not certain that Zoom was talking about Jay’s death; he could have been talking about all the breaches being closed. Keeping in mind that Kreisberg implied that Zoom and Jay are the same person, I’m not convinced that the corpse was actually in the Garrick or Zolomon gene pool. This season has a lot symmetry with last season, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the “Jay” that died (while standing in front of an ominous portal like an asshat) was a shapeshifter working with Zoom. Remember, the Reverse Flash had Everyman posing as him to distract the good guys. Symmetry!
Theory: The “Jay” corpse isn’t actually Jay
Even though Zoom was unmasked in this episode, there are still so many questions about the true identities of multiple characters. The first season of The Flash played around with time paradoxes. This season is playing around with the multiverse. Is it possible that the writers are combining the two in order to surprise the audience along about the “real” identities of Zoom, Jay Garrick, and Dude in a Mask? I’m still not completely sure, but I can’t wait for more episodes of The Flash to start in late March!
Given the big Zoom reveal at the end of this episode, what are your new theories on the true identities of Zoom, Jay Garrick (both versions), and Dude in a Mask? Please leave a comment and let me know!
Im going with the theory that the guy we know as earth 2 jay garrick is a clone. He was taking velocity 6 to give him speed powers to make it seem to the earth 2 peeps that they still had their flash hero but in reality they didnt. The guy in the iron mask could be earth 1 hunter zolomon and when jay “found” him it was because he was reporting back to zoom when he wasnt around and told him they needed to find him. Zoom was there out in the open. Team flash has tested or bothered potential metas before in the past but they decided not to bother testing him because they trusted jay’s word. So to recap. Zoom is earth 2 hunter zolomon. Guy in the mask is earth 2 Jay. And the guy parading as earth 2 jay was a clone.
I hate clones. Hopefully the writers aren’t using them for this show.
So u hate them because theyre rough and coarse and get in everywhere? Wait…..thats the sand line from attack of the clones. Seriously though, zoom has used clones in books before. So why not? Will you really bail on this show if they use clones and the story still pays off?
I’m down on clones because of Spider-Man. There’s no coming back from that. As for Zoom using clones, I don’t remember reading those books. What storyline is that?
It was on with one like after infinite crisis or final crisis when it’s bart allen not barry.
Are you talking about Inertia? That’s Bart’s evil clone. He has more to do with Thawne than Zolomon.
So u admit clones have been used! I rest my case.
You said that Zoom used clones. He, as in Zolomon, did not. Reverse Flash, as in Thawne, did.
Tomatoe. Tomato. Clones were used. I was very young and u cant expect me to remember all the correct details on a story possibly from 1989-1992.
Because you were too stoned? :p
Because you were too stoned? :p
Tomatoe. Tomato. Clones were used. I was very young and u cant expect me to remember all the correct details on a story possibly from 1989-1992.
You said that Zoom used clones. He, as in Zolomon, did not. Reverse Flash, as in Thawne, did.
It was on with one like after infinite crisis or final crisis when it’s bart allen not barry.
I hate clones. Hopefully the writers aren’t using them for this show.