This season of THE FLASH has a new villain, and no, he is not another speedster trying to outrun Barry. The main villain for THE FLASH Season 4 is none other than Clifford Devoe AKA The Thinker.

The Thinker is not the first villain that pops up when you think of The Flash. This is especially true for those of us who aren’t up to date on comics. Well, good thing ComicsVerse’s got your back to give you the scoop on The Thinker and how he might fit into this season of THE FLASH.

Who Is The Thinker?

Clifford Devoe is an enigma in all of his appearances on THE FLASH so far this season. Devoe’s scenes at the beginning and end of each episode shows his connection to each villain so far. So the question is… who is Clifford Devoe, AKA The Thinker?

In the comics, Clifford Devoe is a failed district attorney from the 1930s who could not efficiently prosecute mobsters. In realizing he could not beat them in court, he joined them as their leader and the brains of the operation. Devoe earned his alias as The Thinker primarily because of his genius intellect and managerial experience in the organized mob.

The Thinker’s crimes draw the attention of the original Flash, Jay Garrick, and his profile as a criminal grows. Jay Garrick’s Flash is the first person to put The Thinker behind bars creating a lifelong feud between the two. The Thinker designs his signature thinking helmet as a result of his feud with The Flash.

With the help of his helmet, The Thinker began to use his mental force to be a better criminal and become stronger. And, as one of the most high profile criminals in Gotham and Keystone City, The Thinker joins the Injustice Society as an original member.

The Thinker’s time with the Injustice Society is the other thing he’s known for besides his feuds with The Flash. The Thinker becoming a member of the Injustice Society lead to several more bouts with The Flash and at least one victory over the speedster. The Thinker managed to stay active as a criminal until he got terminal cancer due to the use if his helmet.

He comes to peace with Jay Garrick, and his physical body dies. After his death, he still lived on as an artificial intelligence created by Mister Terrific with the metal helmet that killed him. Even after becoming an AI being The Thinker returns to his life of crime while he lives through technology.

How The Thinker Impacts THE FLASH Season 4

The Thinker has had his hand in every episode of THE FLASH season 4 since his debut at the end of ‘The Flash Reborn.’ He’s been responsible for the android Samurai that broke Wally’s leg. The Thinker gave Ramsey Deacon and Rebecca Sharpe (aka Hazard) their powers during the accelerator explosion. He is also responsible for Team Flash rescuing Barry from the speed force. The Thinker has manipulated everything that we know in THE FLASH thus far.

So how will THE FLASH Season 4 use The Thinker? What’s his origin story? What are his plans for Barry? More importantly what is The Thinker’s motivation? Let’s start by analyzing what we know about The Thinker from the comics.

In Season 4, The Thinker’s given meta-humans their powers and manipulated Team Flash to rescue Barry. So The Thinker needs Barry and his speed, not surprising, for his own self-preservation. The Thinker’s reveal in the Season 4 premiere is surprising. THE FLASH usually reveals their big bad villains after their mid-season finale. Breaking up this formula will give us a perfect cat and mouse game suited for The Thinker.

In the comics The Thinker’s thinking cap caused him to become terminally ill, and it killed him. This must be why he looks grey, old, and sickly in THE FLASH. He could be dying, and he needs Barry’s to stay alive or free himself from his cyborg body. Or The Thinker could be plotting a revenge ploy against all versions of The Flash considering his history with Jay Garrick.

Either way, The Thinker is assembling a new Injustice Society from the comics. He recruits Ramsey Deacon who gets unjustly cheated out of his company and Rebecca Sharpe (aka Hazard) who gets cheated on and fired from her job. The Injustice Society will be The Thinkers new group of metas, and he will manipulate them to take on The Flash.

No matter how we slice it The Thinker is a refreshing villain for The Flash, and he’s bringing the Injustice Society with him.

THE FLASH airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.