The Flash pilot hit all the right notes of awesome and makes me ask if Thawne is going to be Professor Zoom

The pilot ended with this ominous headline that's obviously an homage
to "Crisis on the Infinite Earths" and indicates that Harrison Wells is
definitely not restricted to knowledge from the present timeline. Let's just
hope that The Flash handles time travel well.

The pilot for the Flash was awesome, and both the CW's budget as well as its special effects have come a long way since the Superman prequel, Smallville. Sure there are some similarities. It looks like we are being setup for a "freak of the week" version of storytelling. Instead of kryptonite being the source of the powers, we have an experimental particle accelerator like C.E.R.N. that's gone awry. It also looks like they might be following the love triangle of Clark, Lana, and everyone else that Lana dates by creating a love triangle with Barry, Iris, and everyone else that Iris dates. However, this might end up much better than Clark and Lana because in the former, we always knew Clark would end up with Lois Lane. In the latter, things aren't so set in stone.

Additionally, the Flash has never been a "brooding" character like Superman. The Flash is a wise-cracking, fun, and loving superhero and to this extent, Grant Gustin fits the bill. And for fans of the comic books, we all know that Barry Allen meets his end ominously, but saving the world. We got some of that foreshadowed last night when we were given a closing scene that included a front page from "The Central City Citizen" on which the headline "Flash Missing: Vanishes in Crisis" appears. Well in a "Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Flash sacrificed his life to save Earth."

Is this guy Professor Zoom? He's Eddie Thawne and the name is just too
similar to Eobard Thawne who is known as the "Reverse Flash" or "Professor
Zoom," the nemesis of Barry Allen in the comics (and responsible for
killing Iris who ends up as Barry's first wife). 

So here's the things that I noticed. First, the main villain of last night's pilot was "Weather Wizard." Nothing really to write home about there. He's basically Storm from Marvel's X-Men only less cool and now he's dead because Iris's father shot him after Barry unwound his tornado by racing around it in the opposite direction at a thousand miles an hour. Two, the Flash (and by extension Arrow since they are in the same universe) both exist in a world where time travel is possible through speed. Barry Allen's mother was killed by a flash of yellow light. I think the villain responsible might be Eddie Thawne who is the attractive blond police detective currently dating Iris, who is Barry Allen's friend.

Cover to Time Masters: Vanishing Point #5. This is what
Reverse Flash, a.k.a. Professor Zoom, looks like.

In the comics, a guy named "Eobard Thawne," a.k.a. Professor Zoom, is the archenemy and foil of superhero Barry Allen. Flash wiki says that Thawne is ranked as IGN's 31st greatest comic book villain of all time. It's obvious to me that time travel is going to play a big part in this series, so I'm intrigued. If I'm correct, then that newspaper headline we see at the very end will probably change. Now as for who is Harrison Wells? I initially think he's a good guy. But its obvious he's got other motives and knows about different timelines. Is he the Flash from the future or is he Professor Zoom or related to Professor Zoom in some way? I'm not sure and will need more time to think about it (and more information from the series).

In either event, if you love superhero shows, you should be watching The Flash. It was probably the best superhero-based pilot I have ever seen. Seriously. Below is the trailer for next week's episode, which I can't wait to see!