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Trope was cut/disambiguated due to cleanup
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* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], [[PowerParasite taking]] and [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Ralph's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
to:
* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], generation, [[PowerParasite taking]] and [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Ralph's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
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* InvincibleVillain: Initially, [[TheChessmaster his]] ridiculous [[CrazyPrepared planning]] and his [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist wife's]] scientific [[GadgeteerGenius acumen]] make him a formidable but rather even-handed match for Team Flash. But on top of that, then he gets [[PsychicPowers telepathy]]. And then the power to [[SizeShifting size]]-[[ShrinkRay shift]], to [[WindsOfDestinyChange manipulate probability]], to [[{{Technopath}} control technology]], and to [[AnimateInanimateObject bring inanimate]] to [[AnimatedArmor objects life]]. And then the power to [[MakeMeWannaShout induce soundwaves]]. [[OverlyLongGag And]] then [[GravityMaster gravity manipulation]], [[ThinkingUpPortals the ability]] to [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut create portals]], and the ability to [[PowerParasite siphon, transfer]] and/or [[PowerNullifier nullify]] the powers of other metahumans. [[RefugeInAudacity And]] then [[VoluntaryShapeshifting all]] of [[ImmuneToBullets Ralph]]'s [[SuperStrength powers]]. And before his defeat, we learn he was gunning for SuperSpeed as well. Suffice to say, it would now be a gross understatement to say that Team Flash is an underdog going against him.
to:
* InvincibleVillain: Initially, [[TheChessmaster his]] ridiculous [[CrazyPrepared planning]] and his [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist wife's]] scientific [[GadgeteerGenius acumen]] make him a formidable but rather even-handed match for Team Flash. But on top of that, then he gets [[PsychicPowers telepathy]]. And then the power to [[SizeShifting size]]-[[ShrinkRay shift]], to [[WindsOfDestinyChange manipulate probability]], to [[{{Technopath}} control technology]], and to [[AnimateInanimateObject bring inanimate]] to [[AnimatedArmor objects life]]. And then the power to [[MakeMeWannaShout induce soundwaves]].soundwaves. [[OverlyLongGag And]] then [[GravityMaster gravity manipulation]], [[ThinkingUpPortals the ability]] to [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut create portals]], and the ability to [[PowerParasite siphon, transfer]] and/or [[PowerNullifier nullify]] the powers of other metahumans. [[RefugeInAudacity And]] then [[VoluntaryShapeshifting all]] of [[ImmuneToBullets Ralph]]'s [[SuperStrength powers]]. And before his defeat, we learn he was gunning for SuperSpeed as well. Suffice to say, it would now be a gross understatement to say that Team Flash is an underdog going against him.
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** [=DeVoe=] never used to be a member of Team Flash unlike the three previous Big Bads[[note]]Thawne masquerading as Harrison Wells was a founding member and defacto TeamDad, Zoom under the guise of "Jay Garrick" helped fight the VillainOfTheWeek metas and substituted for Barry when the time called, while Savitar being a future time remnant of Barry himself has all of the knowledge of his past self's time as a member of Team Flash.[[/note]]
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** [=DeVoe=] never used to be a member of Team Flash unlike the three previous Big Bads[[note]]Thawne Bads.[[note]]Thawne masquerading as Harrison Wells was a founding member and defacto TeamDad, Zoom under the guise of "Jay Garrick" helped fight the VillainOfTheWeek metas and substituted for Barry when the time called, while Savitar being a future time remnant of Barry himself has all of the knowledge of his past self's time as a member of Team Flash.[[/note]][[/note]] Although [[BodySurf his final body was a Team Flash member]].
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* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: His chair ends up being the property of Star Labs in later seasons, but it's never explained what became of his A.I.
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Updating link
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** His ultimate plan (the Enlightenment) is identical to Dr. Sivana's from a 2000s [[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Outsiders]] arc.
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** His ultimate plan (the Enlightenment) is identical to Dr. Sivana's from a 2000s [[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Outsiders]] ''ComicBook/Outsiders2003'' arc.
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* DrunkOnTheDarkSide: The [[PowerCorrupts more superpowers he acquires]] the more of a bastard he becomes. Although presented as being sympathetic at first, he's lost all his redeeming qualities by the season's end and is just as bad as his predecessors.
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* DrunkOnTheDarkSide: The [[PowerCorrupts [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity more superpowers he acquires]] the more of a bastard he becomes. Although presented as being sympathetic at first, he's lost all his redeeming qualities by the season's end and is just as bad as his predecessors.
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* VillainWithGoodPublicity: What makes it so hard to deal with [=DeVoe=] is there is absolutely nothing to legally pin him down. His record is squeaky clean so that the police refuse to press charges against him, and even the other members of Team Flash had a hard time believing he was the one behind everything. Part of Iris' plan is to write an exposé against him, making the public aware of his activities so that he can no longer stay hidden.
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* VillainWithGoodPublicity: What makes it so hard to deal with [=DeVoe=] is there is absolutely nothing to legally pin him down. His record is squeaky clean so that the police refuse to press charges against him, and even the other members of Team Flash had a hard time believing he was the one behind everything. Part of Iris' plan is to write an exposé exposé against him, making the public aware of his activities so that he can no longer stay hidden.
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Whether or not Barry considers Devoe his nemesis, Devoe absolutely puts Barry as his no. 1 enemy that he has dedicated his entire life to defeating
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** To Barry Allen. [=DeVoe=] dedicated his entire existence to ruining Barry's life, and made sure to hurt Barry on a very personal level with incriminating Barry by framing him for murder, and killing many of their bus meta friends, especially Ralph. It's no wonder that Abra Kadabra groups him in the same vein as Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar.
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The Arch Enemy trope is not just s as bout a big foe, but about the "character's designated and most important enemy," which De Voe never becomes for Barry, unlike Thawne.
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** Initially presented as one to Future Barry, with Abra Kadabra grouping [=DeVoe=] in the same breath as Barry's other archenemies: Eobard Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar. By the midpoint of Season 4, he absolutely cements this when [[spoiler:he arranges to frame Barry for his own murder.]]
** Also one to Ralph, especially after murdering Izzy Bowen and with Ralph in constant fear of his own life. Ralph soon develops a burning hatred for [=DeVoe=] and very nearly kills him when he had the chance and had to restrain himself at the last moment.
** Also one to Ralph, especially after murdering Izzy Bowen and with Ralph in constant fear of his own life. Ralph soon develops a burning hatred for [=DeVoe=] and very nearly kills him when he had the chance and had to restrain himself at the last moment.
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** Initially presented as one to Future Barry, with Abra Kadabra grouping [=DeVoe=] in the same breath as Barry's other archenemies: Eobard Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar. By the midpoint of Season 4, he absolutely cements this when [[spoiler:he arranges to frame Barry for his own murder.]]
** Also one toTo Ralph, especially after murdering Izzy Bowen and with Ralph in constant fear of his own life. Ralph soon develops a burning hatred for [=DeVoe=] and very nearly kills him when he had the chance and had to restrain himself at the last moment.
** Also one to
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** He has a lot of parallels with Eobard Thawne. Both are an ArchEnemy to Barry Allen, both are [[TheChessmaster chessmasters]] who go to ridiculous lengths to plans and anticipate their opponent's every move. Both also created metas via dark matter as part of their plan, both made use of a wheelchair in their civilian identities, and both need The Flash to improve their bodies. However, the differences emerge with their personal connections. Thawne started as a TheSociopath who only desired to best The Flash, but after getting TrappedInThePast he slowly humanizes and grows genuinely fond of Team Flash and even Barry himself while retaining his hate. [=DeVoe=] was introduced as being in a loving relationship with his wife Marlize, but as the season progressed and he grew more detached from her, seeing her more as a tool to serve him rather than a lover, even keeping her drugged and erasing her memories so that she will stay compliant. Both sought to launch a dark matter wave from S.T.A.R. Labs, but Thawne's explosion was to empower some heroes including but not limited to Barry Allen while [=DeVoe=]'s wave was to activate satellites that would make everyone stupid.
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** He has a lot of parallels with Eobard Thawne. Both are an ArchEnemy enemy to Barry Allen, both are [[TheChessmaster chessmasters]] who go to ridiculous lengths to plans and anticipate their opponent's every move. Both also created metas via dark matter as part of their plan, both made use of a wheelchair in their civilian identities, and both need The Flash to improve their bodies. However, the differences emerge with their personal connections. Thawne started as a TheSociopath who only desired to best The Flash, but after getting TrappedInThePast he slowly humanizes and grows genuinely fond of Team Flash and even Barry himself while retaining his hate. [=DeVoe=] was introduced as being in a loving relationship with his wife Marlize, but as the season progressed and he grew more detached from her, seeing her more as a tool to serve him rather than a lover, even keeping her drugged and erasing her memories so that she will stay compliant. Both sought to launch a dark matter wave from S.T.A.R. Labs, but Thawne's explosion was to empower some heroes including but not limited to Barry Allen while [=DeVoe=]'s wave was to activate satellites that would make everyone stupid.
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A professor at Central City University who was transformed into a metahuman with SuperIntelligence and became the Thinker. He makes his presence known as soon as Barry returns to Central City and has been manipulating his life ever since.
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A professor at Central City University who was transformed into a metahuman with SuperIntelligence and became the Thinker. He made it his GoalInLife to carry out what he calls "The Enlightenment", a mysterious plan of global proportions. He makes his presence known as soon as Barry returns to Central City and has been manipulating his life ever since.
since.
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* BeyondRedemption: He becomes increasingly violent and coldblooded over the course of Season 4, but Marlize still banks her final plan to save the world on Barry going into his mind and appealing to his good side. When he reports that [=DeVoe=] has no good side to appeal to, she finally realizes that he has to be stopped by any means and ends up pulling the plug on him herself.
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* BeyondRedemption: He becomes increasingly violent and coldblooded over the course of Season 4, but Marlize still banks her final plan to save the world on Barry going into his mind and appealing to his good side. When he reports that [=DeVoe=] no longer has no a good side to appeal to, she finally realizes that he has to be stopped by any means and ends up pulling the plug on him herself.
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Adaptational Jerkass is just when someone is more jerkish in an adaptation, when Adaptational Villainy is when they're eviler. I also fixed Chained Sinkholes.
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* AdaptationalJerkass: While he's still a villain in this continuity, he ends up performing far more personal misdeeds, like framing Barry for murder and drugging his wife into compliance.
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* AdaptationalJerkass: AdaptationalVillainy: While he's still a villain in this continuity, he ends up performing far more personal misdeeds, like framing Barry for murder and drugging his wife into compliance.
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* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], [[PowerParasite taking and]] [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Ralph's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
to:
* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], [[PowerParasite taking and]] taking]] and [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Ralph's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
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** Much like Savitar, he is able to anticipate Team Flash's every move and develop an appropriate way to counter it. However, whereas Savitar could do that because his memories were constantly being rewritten by his past self and thus he could [[XanatosSpeedChess quickly develop a counter-measure]], [=DeVoe=] really is just [[TheChessmaster that good]] [[CrazyPrepared a planner]], being the WorldsSmartestMan and all. In fact, it turns out that trying to outsmart a man who has been able to plan for every single possible scenario turns out to be ''at least'' as difficult as trying to break a predestined time loop, if not even more so.
to:
** Much like Savitar, he is able to anticipate Team Flash's every move and develop an appropriate way to counter it. However, whereas Savitar could do that because his memories were constantly being rewritten by his past self and thus he could [[XanatosSpeedChess quickly develop a counter-measure]], [=DeVoe=] really is just [[TheChessmaster that good]] a [[CrazyPrepared a planner]], being the WorldsSmartestMan and all. In fact, it turns out that trying to outsmart a man who has been able to plan for every single possible scenario turns out to be ''at least'' as difficult as trying to break a predestined time loop, if not even more so.
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* GoodHairEvilHair: After he steals Ralph's body and uses the {{Rubber Man}}'s {{ShapeShifting}} powers to assume his original form, he goes with a completely different style to what he had at the start of the season, signifying how he's no longer the [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-meaning professor]] [[VisionaryVillain he was was]] but now a [[TheSociopath cold-blooded killer]] who [[ItsAllAboutMe stops at nothing to get what he wants]].
to:
* GoodHairEvilHair: After he steals Ralph's body and uses the {{Rubber Man}}'s {{ShapeShifting}} powers to assume his original form, he goes with a completely different style to what he had at the start of the season, signifying how he's no longer the [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-meaning professor]] well-meaning]] professor [[VisionaryVillain he was was]] but now a [[TheSociopath cold-blooded killer]] who [[ItsAllAboutMe stops at nothing to get what he wants]].
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* InvincibleVillain: Initially, his [[TheChessmaster ridiculous]] [[CrazyPrepared planning]] and his wife's [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist scientific]] [[GadgeteerGenius acumen]] make him a formidable but rather even-handed match for Team Flash. But on top of that, then he gets [[PsychicPowers telepathy]]. And then the power to [[SizeShifting size]]-[[ShrinkRay shift]], to [[WindsOfDestinyChange manipulate probability]], to [[{{Technopath}} control technology]], and to [[AnimateInanimateObject bring inanimate]] [[AnimatedArmor objects to life]]. And then the power to [[MakeMeWannaShout induce soundwaves]]. [[OverlyLongGag And then]] [[GravityMaster gravity manipulation]], [[ThinkingUpPortals the ability to]] [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut create portals]], and the ability to [[PowerParasite siphon, transfer]] and/or [[PowerNullifier nullify]] the powers of other metahumans. [[RefugeInAudacity And then]] [[RubberMan all]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting of]] [[ImmuneToBullets Ralph's]] [[SuperStrength powers]]. And before his defeat, we learn he was gunning for SuperSpeed as well. Suffice to say, it would now be a gross understatement to say that Team Flash is an underdog going against him.
to:
* InvincibleVillain: Initially, his [[TheChessmaster ridiculous]] his]] ridiculous [[CrazyPrepared planning]] and his wife's [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist scientific]] wife's]] scientific [[GadgeteerGenius acumen]] make him a formidable but rather even-handed match for Team Flash. But on top of that, then he gets [[PsychicPowers telepathy]]. And then the power to [[SizeShifting size]]-[[ShrinkRay shift]], to [[WindsOfDestinyChange manipulate probability]], to [[{{Technopath}} control technology]], and to [[AnimateInanimateObject bring inanimate]] to [[AnimatedArmor objects to life]]. And then the power to [[MakeMeWannaShout induce soundwaves]]. [[OverlyLongGag And then]] And]] then [[GravityMaster gravity manipulation]], [[ThinkingUpPortals the ability to]] ability]] to [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut create portals]], and the ability to [[PowerParasite siphon, transfer]] and/or [[PowerNullifier nullify]] the powers of other metahumans. [[RefugeInAudacity And then]] [[RubberMan all]] And]] then [[VoluntaryShapeshifting of]] all]] of [[ImmuneToBullets Ralph's]] Ralph]]'s [[SuperStrength powers]]. And before his defeat, we learn he was gunning for SuperSpeed as well. Suffice to say, it would now be a gross understatement to say that Team Flash is an underdog going against him.
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* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He surely ''started out'' wanting humankind to live up to its intellectual potential before he got his powers, but as of now, it's made very clear that the one thing he is interested in is gaining power for himself. Not even his own wife is safe from him. He loses all redeeming qualities after taking all of the bus metas powers for himself, he's all about carrying out his Enlightenment, and everyone in the way will die. The Enlightenment itself, as Barry points out, is ''not'' out of a desire to actually improve the world as he so claims, but to effectively [[ControlFreak gain control]] over a newly stupefied world and [[AGodAmI lead it]] [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. When foiled, he is more than willing to have a massive satellite crash into Central City and kill countless people as well causing an extinction-level event that would wipe out all life on Earth, simply out of spite.
to:
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He surely ''started out'' wanting humankind to live up to its intellectual potential before he got his powers, but as of now, it's made very clear that the one thing he is interested in is gaining power for himself. Not even his own wife is safe from him. He loses all redeeming qualities after taking all of the bus metas powers for himself, he's all about carrying out his Enlightenment, and everyone in the way will die. The Enlightenment itself, as Barry points out, is ''not'' out of a desire to actually improve the world as he so claims, but to effectively [[ControlFreak gain control]] over a newly stupefied world and [[AGodAmI lead it]] in [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. When foiled, he is more than willing to have a massive satellite crash into Central City and kill countless people as well causing an extinction-level event that would wipe out all life on Earth, simply out of spite.
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'''The Multiverse:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEarths Other Earths]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth2 Earth-2]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseHunterZolomon Hunter Zolomon]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth38 Earth-38]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth90 Earth-90]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarthX Earth-X]]| [[Characters/ArrowverseBizarroWorld Bizarro World]]]]-]]]
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'''The Multiverse:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEarths Other Earths]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth2 Earth-2]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseHunterZolomon Hunter Zolomon]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth38 Earth-38]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth90 Earth-90]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarthX Earth-X]]| Earth-X]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseBizarroWorld Bizarro World]]]]-]]]
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'''Miscellaneous''': [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherLocales Other Locales]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMetahumans Metahumans]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseFirestorm Firestorm]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseTheHawks The Hawks]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseAliens Aliens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMystics Mystics]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEntities Other Entities]]\\
'''The Multiverse (Pre-Crisis):''' [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEarths Other Earths]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth2 Earth-2]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseHunterZolomon Hunter Zolomon / Zoom]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth38 Earth-38]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarthX Earth-X]]]]-]]]
'''The Multiverse (Pre-Crisis):''' [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEarths Other Earths]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth2 Earth-2]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseHunterZolomon Hunter Zolomon / Zoom]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth38 Earth-38]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarthX Earth-X]]]]-]]]
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'''The
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Changed line(s) 56 (click to see context) from:
* AlasPoorVillain: The ‘Good [=DeVoe=]’ that Marlize considers to be “[[ThatManIsDead The Thinker's first victim]]”. Barry and Ralph find said [=DeVoe=] murdered in Ralph's mind by the Evil [=DeVoe=].
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* AlasPoorVillain: The ‘Good [=DeVoe=]’ 'Good [=DeVoe=]' that Marlize considers to be “[[ThatManIsDead "[[ThatManIsDead The Thinker's first victim]]”.victim]]". Barry and Ralph find said [=DeVoe=] murdered in Ralph's mind by the Evil [=DeVoe=].
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* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], [[PowerParasite taking and]] [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Dibney's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
to:
* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], [[PowerParasite taking and]] [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Dibney's Ralph's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
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* BrainUploading: Uses [[{{Technopathy}} Kilg%re's power]] to transfer his mind to his chair after Dibney takes back his body. Lasts just long enough to drop a giant satellite on the city in revenge for his plan being foiled, before Marlize pulls the power source and kills him for good.
to:
* BrainUploading: Uses [[{{Technopathy}} Kilg%re's power]] to transfer his mind to his chair after Dibney Ralph takes back his body. Lasts just long enough to drop a giant satellite on the city in revenge for his plan being foiled, before Marlize pulls the power source and kills him for good.
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* ColonyDrop: In a final supreme act of spite, [=DeVoe=] sends the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite into a decaying orbit to destroy Central City.
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* ColonyDrop: In a final supreme act of spite, [=DeVoe=] sends the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite into a decaying orbit to destroy Central City.
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* DeadMansSwitch: On the chance that The Enlightenment failed and he was defeated, [=DeVoe=] implemented one last failsafe which would activate once he died. He has the main satellite plummet towards Central City which would trigger an extinction-level event [[TakingYouWithMe as one final screw you to Team Flash]]. Barry very nearly dies trying to stop it and is only saved due to his [[KidFromTheFuture future daughter]] Nora interfering with history and assisting him in taking it down.
to:
* DeadMansSwitch: On the chance that The Enlightenment failed and he was defeated, [=DeVoe=] implemented one last failsafe which would activate once he died. He has the main S.T.A.R. Labs satellite plummet towards Central City which would trigger an extinction-level event [[TakingYouWithMe as one final screw you to Team Flash]]. Barry very nearly dies trying to stop it and is only saved due to his [[KidFromTheFuture future daughter]] Nora interfering with history and assisting him in taking it down.
Changed line(s) 232 (click to see context) from:
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He surely ''started out'' wanting humankind to live up to its intellectual potential before he got his powers, but as of now, it's made very clear that the one thing he is interested in is gaining power for himself. Not even his own wife is safe from him. He loses all redeeming qualities after taking all of the bus metas powers for himself, he's all about carrying out his Enlightenment, and everyone in the way will die. The Enlightenment itself, as Barry points out, is ''not'' out of a desire to actually improve the world as he so claims, but to effectively [[ControlFreak gain control]] over a newly stupefied world and [[AGodAmI lead it]] [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. When foiled, he is more than willing to have a massive satellite crash into Central City and kill countless people as well starting an extinction-level event that would wipe out all life on Earth, simply out of spite.
to:
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He surely ''started out'' wanting humankind to live up to its intellectual potential before he got his powers, but as of now, it's made very clear that the one thing he is interested in is gaining power for himself. Not even his own wife is safe from him. He loses all redeeming qualities after taking all of the bus metas powers for himself, he's all about carrying out his Enlightenment, and everyone in the way will die. The Enlightenment itself, as Barry points out, is ''not'' out of a desire to actually improve the world as he so claims, but to effectively [[ControlFreak gain control]] over a newly stupefied world and [[AGodAmI lead it]] [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. When foiled, he is more than willing to have a massive satellite crash into Central City and kill countless people as well starting causing an extinction-level event that would wipe out all life on Earth, simply out of spite.
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* RageQuit: After the Enlightenment fails and he himself is reduced to a digital hologram on his chair, he spitefully decides to drop the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite right on Central City.
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* RageQuit: After the Enlightenment fails and he himself is reduced to a digital hologram on in his chair, he spitefully decides to drop the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite right on Central City.
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** [[spoiler:The falling pieces of the dark matter-infused satellite create more metahumans as well as meta-''technology'', and kill and injure several people--including young Grace Gibbons, motivating her uncle to hunt down ''every'' metahuman as a result of [=DeVoe=]'s actions.]]
** In addition to the above, [[spoiler:S.T.A.R. Labs loses their satellite, making it now very difficult to track metahumans and other dangers...at least until they figure out to [[StatusQuoIsGod hijack the other four satellites [=DeVoe=] launched]].]]
** In addition to the above, [[spoiler:S.T.A.R. Labs loses their satellite, making it now very difficult to track metahumans and other dangers...at least until they figure out to [[StatusQuoIsGod hijack the other four satellites [=DeVoe=] launched]].]]
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** [[spoiler:The falling pieces of the dark matter-infused satellite create more metahumans as well as meta-''technology'', and kill and injure several people--including a young Grace Gibbons, motivating her uncle to hunt down ''every'' metahuman as a result of [=DeVoe=]'s actions.]]
** In addition to the above, [[spoiler:S.T.A.R. Labs loses their satellite, making it now very difficult to track metahumans and other dangers... at least until they figure out to [[StatusQuoIsGod hijack the other four satellites [=DeVoe=] launched]].]]
** In addition to the above, [[spoiler:S.T.A.R. Labs loses their satellite, making it now very difficult to track metahumans and other dangers... at least until they figure out to [[StatusQuoIsGod hijack the other four satellites [=DeVoe=] launched]].]]
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* NoLoveForTheWicked: As he falls deeper and deeper into villainy, his love for his wife diminishes. It's also implied he was asexual even before turning evil.
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* NoLoveForTheWicked: As he falls deeper and deeper into villainy, his love for his wife diminishes. It's also implied he was asexual even before turning evil.
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* NoLoveForTheWicked: As he falls deeper and deeper into villainy, his love for his wife diminishes. It's also implied he was asexual even before turning evil.
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* VillainousAromanticAsexual: As he falls deeper and deeper into villainy, his love for his wife diminishes. It's also implied he was asexual even before turning evil.
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* NeverMyFault: After Marlize leaves him when he crosses one line to many [=DeVoe=] never once considers that his own abusive actions were the cause and concludes that LoveIsaWeakness and one that must be purged from humanity with the Enlightenment.
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* NeverMyFault: After Marlize leaves him when he crosses one line to many too many, [=DeVoe=] never once considers that his own abusive actions were the cause and instead concludes that LoveIsaWeakness and LoveIsaWeakness, one that must be purged from humanity with the Enlightenment.
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** Appearance-wise, he takes cues from Metron (sitting in a chair and a helmet over his head) and Brainiac (exposed brain connected to a machine with wires with a hexagonal helmet).
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** Appearance-wise, he takes cues from Metron (sitting in a chair and a helmet over his head) and Brainiac (exposed brain (wires protruding from his head connected to a machine with wires with a hexagonal helmet).machine).
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'''[[Characters/Supergirl2015 National City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCitizens Citizens]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseKaraZorEl Kara Zor-El]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLuthorFamilyAndAssociates Luthor Family & Associates]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLenaLuthor Lena Luthor]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCriminals Criminals]]\\
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'''[[Characters/Supergirl2015 National City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCitizens Citizens]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseKaraZorEl Kara Zor-El]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLuthorFamilyAndAssociates Luthor Family & Associates]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLenaLuthor Lena Luthor]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseLexLuthor Lex Luthor]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCriminals Criminals]]\\
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--> see the Characters/DCEUOtherSupervillains page for Gaius Grieves, the character on an undesignated Earth who bears his codename
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--> see the Characters/DCEUOtherSupervillains Characters/DCEUTaskForceXTargets page for Gaius Grieves, the character on an undesignated Earth who bears his codename
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'''[[Characters/LegendsOfTomorrow The Legends]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTheLegends The Team]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsCurrentMembers Current Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseSaraLance Sara Lance]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseMickRory Mick Rory]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsFormerMembers Former Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLeonardSnart Leonard Snart]])\\
to:
'''[[Characters/LegendsOfTomorrow The Legends]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTheLegends The Team]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsCurrentMembers Current Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseSaraLance Sara Lance]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseMickRory Mick Rory]]) Lance]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsFormerMembers Former Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLeonardSnart Leonard Snart]])\\Snart]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseMickRory Mick Rory]])\\
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--> see the Characters/DCEUOtherSupervillains page for the character in an undesignated Earth who bears his name and background
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--> see the Characters/DCEUOtherSupervillains page for Gaius Grieves, the character in on an undesignated Earth who bears his name and backgroundcodename
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'''[[Series/TheFlash2014 Central City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseWestAllenFamily West-Allen Family]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseBarryAllen Barry Allen]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseIrisWestAllen Iris West-Allen]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamFlash Team Flash]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseCaitlinSnowAndKillerFrost Caitlin Snow & (Killer) Frost]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCriminalGroups Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheRogues Rogues]] / '''The Thinker''') | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityIndependentCriminals Independent Criminals]]\\
to:
'''[[Series/TheFlash2014 Central City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseWestAllenFamily West-Allen Family]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseBarryAllen Barry Allen]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseIrisWestAllen Iris West-Allen]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamFlash Team Flash]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseCaitlinSnowAndKillerFrost Caitlin Snow & (Killer) Frost]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCriminalGroups Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheRogues Rogues]] / '''The Thinker''') '''Clifford [=DeVoe=]''') | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityIndependentCriminals Independent Criminals]]\\
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--> see the Characters/DCEUTaskForceXNewTeam page for the character in an undesignated Earth who bears his name and background
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--> see the Characters/DCEUTaskForceXNewTeam Characters/DCEUOtherSupervillains page for the character in an undesignated Earth who bears his name and background
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[[WMG:[[center:'''[[Characters/{{Arrowverse}} Arrowverse Character Index]]''' \\
[-'''[[Characters/{{Arrow}} Star City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamArrow Team Arrow]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseOliverQueen Oliver Queen]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseDinahLaurelLance Dinah Laurel Lance]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamArrowFamilyMembers Family Members]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseStarCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseStarCityCriminalGroups Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseMalcolmMerlyn Malcolm Merlyn]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseSladeWilson Slade Wilson]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseSimonMorrison Prometheus]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseStarCityIndependentCriminals Independent Criminals]]\\
'''[[Series/TheFlash2014 Central City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseWestAllenFamily West-Allen Family]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseBarryAllen Barry Allen]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseIrisWestAllen Iris West-Allen]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamFlash Team Flash]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseCaitlinSnowAndKillerFrost Caitlin Snow & (Killer) Frost]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCriminalGroups Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheRogues Rogues]] / '''The Thinker''') | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityIndependentCriminals Independent Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/Supergirl2015 National City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCitizens Citizens]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseKaraZorEl Kara Zor-El]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLuthorFamilyAndAssociates Luthor Family & Associates]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLenaLuthor Lena Luthor]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCriminals Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/BlackLightning2018 Freeland]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowversePierceFamily Pierce Family]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseFreelandCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseFreelandCriminals Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/Batwoman2019 Gotham City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseBatFamily Bat-Family]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseGothamCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseGothamCityCriminals Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/SupermanAndLois Smallville & Metropolis]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseSmallvilleCitizens Smallville Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMetropolisCitizens Metropolis Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMetropolisCriminals Metropolis Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/LegendsOfTomorrow The Legends]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTheLegends The Team]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsCurrentMembers Current Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseSaraLance Sara Lance]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseMickRory Mick Rory]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsFormerMembers Former Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLeonardSnart Leonard Snart]])\\
'''Organizations:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseUSGovernment U.S. Government]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseUSMilitary U.S. Military]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseARGUSAndTaskForceX A.R.G.U.S.]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseTheDEO The D.E.O.]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseJusticeSocietyOfAmerica The J.S.A.]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseLeagueOfAssassins The League of Assassins]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseCriminalGroupsAndOrganizations Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheHIVE H.I.V.E.]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseVandalSavageAndFollowers Savage & His Followers]])\\
'''Time Travel:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTimeTravelers Time Travelers]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheLegionOfSuperHeroes The Legion]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseEobardThawne Eobard Thawne]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseDamienDarhk Damien Darhk]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseSavitar Savitar]]) | [[Characters/ArrowversePastCharacters The Past]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseFutureCharacters The Future]]\\
'''Miscellaneous''': [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherLocales Other Locales]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMetahumans Metahumans]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseFirestorm Firestorm]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseTheHawks The Hawks]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseAliens Aliens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMystics Mystics]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEntities Other Entities]]\\
'''The Multiverse (Pre-Crisis):''' [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEarths Other Earths]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth2 Earth-2]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseHunterZolomon Hunter Zolomon / Zoom]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth38 Earth-38]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarthX Earth-X]]]]-]]]
----
!!Clifford [=DeVoe=]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9_12.jpg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7_copy_8.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You may be the fastest man alive, Allen. I'm the fastest mind."'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:In the Bus Metas]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dominic_lanse.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clifford_devoe_as_becky_sharpe.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devoeizzy.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/evilfoldingman.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/evilralph.png[[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Species''': Metahuman
!!!'''Known Aliases:''' The Thinker
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/NeilSandilands, Creator/KendrickSampson (as Dominic Lanse), [[Creator/StephanieBeard Sugar Lyn Beard]] (as Becky Sharpe), Miranda [=MacDougall=] (as Izzy Bowen), Arturo del Puerto (as Edwin Gauss), Hartley Sawyer (as Ralph Dibny), Creator/DavidRamsey (impersonation of Diggle)
!!! '''First Appearance:''' "[[Recap/TheFlash2014S4E1TheFlashReborn The Flash Reborn]]" (''The Flash'' 4x1)
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Series/TheFlash2014''
''The Fastest Mind Alive.''
A professor at Central City University who was transformed into a metahuman with SuperIntelligence and became the Thinker. He makes his presence known as soon as Barry returns to Central City and has been manipulating his life ever since.
--> see the Characters/DCEUTaskForceXNewTeam page for the character in an undesignated Earth who bears his name and background
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:A-E]]
* AbsentMindedProfessor: Was this before gaining his powers, bumbling about in a lecture and failing to grasp student attention.
* AchillesHeel:
** Savitar suggested that the cerebral inhibitor would be important to defeat [=DeVoe=]. Double subverted: In "Subject 9", as pointed out by Cisco and shown by how [=DeVoe=] shorted it out with his {{Technopath}}y, Savitar never said it would work. But in an ironic twist, Savitar was right all along, as while the cerebral inhibitor doesn't ''directly'' work on [=DeVoe=], it was instrumental in defeating him, as it allowed Barry to enter into [=DeVoe=]'s mind so that Ralph could take back control and kick [=DeVoe=] out.
** His real AchillesHeel turns out to be [[TheSociopath his inability to understand emotions]], which causes him to miscalculate on a number of occasions. It's even pointed out by his wife for why he ultimately failed as he loses control of Dibny's body.
** After acquiring the bus meta powers, powerful kinetic sound waves are one of the few things that can hurt him such as those generated by the Fiddler. Ralph very nearly kills him using the Sonic Scepter. Unfortunately, he loses this weakness after gaining Ralph's elastic body.
** Ironically, or perhaps not, many of the Bus Metas that he created have the potential to disrupt his plans. As previously mentioned the Fiddler's sonic powers almost killed him in their first encounter, Melting Point could potentially remove [=DeVoe=]'s abilities and Folding Man's powers can enter his pocket dimension. Unfortunately [=DeVoe=] foresees these complications and manages to absorb all of their abilities before they have the chance to overwhelm him.
** While he can anticipate anything within the scope of his vast knowledge, he's not [[TheOmniscient omniscient]] and can be caught off:guard by what he doesn't know about. Ralph is able to ruin his plan to keep Barry in prison with his newly acquired shapeshifting abilities, and his plan to destroy the Earth is foiled by Nora II, who was born in the future.
** It's shown later in the season that not even he can disable the force fields his chair creates, as shown when Marlize uses them against him.
* AdaptationalBadass:
** This Thinker's intellectual status has been moved from being merely having SuperIntelligence to being WorldsSmartestMan. A [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] so proficient he's pretty much an InvincibleVillain.
** Due to him [[PowerParasite stealing the powers of eleven other metas]], this Thinker boasts [[AllYourPowersCombined an assortment of powers]] that allows him to overwhelm the Flash with ease.
* AdaptationalJerkass: While he's still a villain in this continuity, he ends up performing far more personal misdeeds, like framing Barry for murder and drugging his wife into compliance.
* AdaptationalJobChange: From an attorney to an university professor.
* AdaptationalNationality: He's from South Africa here instead of America, although he still has American citizenship. This was likely put in just as a way to explain the actor's accent, since it has no real bearing on the story.
* AlasPoorVillain: The ‘Good [=DeVoe=]’ that Marlize considers to be “[[ThatManIsDead The Thinker's first victim]]”. Barry and Ralph find said [=DeVoe=] murdered in Ralph's mind by the Evil [=DeVoe=].
* AllAccordingToPlan: Much of his dialogue consists of him saying this.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: How his relationship with Marlize seems to play out. She builds his tech, keeps him as healthy as possible, and helps him evade the eye of the law, making her a target for Team Flash as well, and he doesn't even have to say "thank you." Even worse, she's completely fine with this arrangement as long as he remains alive and successful in his plans, and he knows this. [[spoiler:Later subverted when Marlize comes to see how vile [=DeVoe=] really is and he uses measures to forcefully keep her compliant.]]
* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], [[PowerParasite taking and]] [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Dibney's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
* AmbitionIsEvil: His desire for tracking knowledge drives him into villainy.
* AmoralAfrikaner: Although he lacks common elements of this kind of character, such as mercenary work or bloodthirstiness, he is a villain who was born in South Africa. It's hardly important to the story outside of explaining his accent.
* ArchEnemy:
** Initially presented as one to Future Barry, with Abra Kadabra grouping [=DeVoe=] in the same breath as Barry's other archenemies: Eobard Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar. By the midpoint of Season 4, he absolutely cements this when [[spoiler:he arranges to frame Barry for his own murder.]]
** Also one to Ralph, especially after murdering Izzy Bowen and with Ralph in constant fear of his own life. Ralph soon develops a burning hatred for [=DeVoe=] and very nearly kills him when he had the chance and had to restrain himself at the last moment.
** He also becomes one to Harry, being built up as his EvilCounterpart and leading Harry to feel absolutely helpless against him, even more so after losing his own intelligence.
* AsTheGoodBookSays: [=DeVoe=] does not seem like a religious man, but he does highlight his messiah complex in ''Think Fast'' by quoting lines from the Literature/BookOfGenesis.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Comes hand in hand with having SuperIntelligence. He's able to finish Schubert's Unfinished Symphony simply through listening to his entire body of work in a single morning.
--> '''Marlize:''' All 600 symphonies?\\
'''[=DeVoe=]:''' I woke up early this morning.
* AxCrazy: It's done more subtly than with the likes of Zoom, but he does gain a taste for random and horrific violence, as shown by his butchery of the A.R.G.U.S. agents that were standing between him and Fallout.
* BadassLongcoat: He takes to wearing a knee-length black coat after stealing Ralph's body.
* TheBadGuyWins: The first phase of his plan is a complete success, as he manages to steal the powers of every bus meta and kill them all in the process, something Team Flash spent all season trying to prevent.
* BaitTheDog: He does this quite a few times in Season Four.
** In ''Therefore I Am'', he evokes more sympathy than the two earlier Big Bads with his former wishes to serve the world, his unfortunate transformation that ruined his health, his crippled condition and his willingness [[Series/CrisisOnEarthX to let Barry and Iris marry]]. The very next time he appears, he unhesitatingly steals Dominic's body to save himself and frames Barry for murder, using his own "wedding present" as the alleged murder weapon no less.
** He is initially shown to have a rather supportive and loving relationship with Marlize. When she begins questioning his actions, he drugs and brainwashes her into obedience, even telling her that she's nothing without him.
** Even with the above, one can be forgiven for thinking that he was a good man who became DrunkOnPower. Then it is revealed he intended to make everyone stupid all along.
* BatmanGambit: Thanks to his SuperIntelligence, he can anticipate Team Flash's every move and quite often ''counts on'' their certain actions to further his own agenda. For instance, he wanted Team Flash to find and capture all of the bus metas, as it put all of them in one place and made it easier for him to take them.
** One notable instance is in "Lose Yourself" where [=DeVoe=] allowed Team Flash to capture Folded Man and anticipated they would try to use his powers to invade his lair. The instance Team Flash's super members cross over into the lair, [=DeVoe=] and Marlize enter S.T.A.R. Labs where they have easy access to Folded Man and Ralph.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Achieves his dream of super intelligence, but at the cost of his lifespan, which frustrates him to no end.
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: A flashback revealed that in his younger days he advocated against technology due to the risk of power in the hands of someone intelligent being used to harm. After acquiring the bus meta powers he is ''exactly'' that, an EvilGenius who kills anyone who gets in his way and using technology to further his goals.
* BeneathTheMask: He acts rather normally in his civilian identity, without any hints of the arrogance from his SuperIntelligence with his Thinker persona.
* BeyondRedemption: He becomes increasingly violent and coldblooded over the course of Season 4, but Marlize still banks her final plan to save the world on Barry going into his mind and appealing to his good side. When he reports that [=DeVoe=] has no good side to appeal to, she finally realizes that he has to be stopped by any means and ends up pulling the plug on him herself.
* BigBad: Of Season 4, being the main driving force for all of the problems Team Flash face; specifically, all of the VillainOfTheWeek metas Team Flash encounters are his personal pawns.
* BodyHorror: The seventh episode of the season shows exactly how the process of attaching himself to the chair goes: first, Marlize removes his artificial scalp, revealing ''his pulsating, energized brain underneath''. Then the chair reaches out with mechanical tentacles attached to his helmet, which goes over his dark matter-powered brain before he himself enters the chair.
* BorrowedCatchPhrase: When using Kilg%re's powers, [=DeVoe=] repeats his line "Call me Kilg%re.".
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: Seems to be building up to this, as [=DeVoe=] accomplishes things using his mind while Barry relies on his speed.
* BrainUploading: Uses [[{{Technopathy}} Kilg%re's power]] to transfer his mind to his chair after Dibney takes back his body. Lasts just long enough to drop a giant satellite on the city in revenge for his plan being foiled, before Marlize pulls the power source and kills him for good.
* BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: His end goal, he wants to subject the world to subpar intelligence so it can't be perverted.
* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: He never makes any attempt to kill Barry or go after his body. Ultimately it's revealed that [=DeVoe=] needed Barry alive as well as his access to the Speed Force, which would give eternal knowledge. Putting Barry into [=DeVoe=]'s mind was exactly what he wanted.
* CardCarryingVillain: No matter how he started, by the end of the season he's straight-up evil and he ''knows'' it. In the finale, he even refers to himself as "the BigBad" while taunting Barry.
* CastFromHitPoints: His brainpower takes up too much energy for his body to handle, causing him to become slowly paralyzed similar to ALS.
* CatchPhrase: One he shares with Marlize is that he often tells her that "I'm nothing without you" which becomes less sincere as the season goes on.
* ChekhovsGunman: He's been mentioned quite a few times before he even makes a proper appearance.
* TheChessmaster: Straight from the get-go, he's been shown manipulating Team Flash's every move. Tricking them into releasing the Flash from the Speed Force, using the Speed Force dark matter to create a dozen metas, planting the Samuroid head as a surveillance device in S.T.A.R. Labs, breaking Team Flash apart, and perfectly orchestrating Barry to be framed for his murder. Barry likens him to treating them all like chess pieces, and [=DeVoe=] is actually seen [[SmartPeoplePlayChess playing chess]] to hone the analogy through. Team Flash discover [=DeVoe=] has been setting his plan in motion for ''three'' years, that's three years to orchestrate getting everyone onto the bus so they could get hit by dark matter.
* ColonyDrop: In a final supreme act of spite, [=DeVoe=] sends the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite into a decaying orbit to destroy Central City.
* CombatClairvoyance: In "We Are The Flash", the [[MesACrowd [=DeVoe=] clones]] conjured up in his mind can read Barry and Ralph's thoughts and able to perfectly counter their attacks. However, Ralph gets around it by thinking up something he loves ([[TrademarkFavoriteFood shrimp]]) to act as a PsychicBlockDefense.
* ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: He's almost exclusively referred to by his last name. His supervillain moniker "The Thinker" wasn't established till the seventh episode of Season 4, and even then characters generally call him [=DeVoe=] with Thinker being scarcely used.
** Thinker himself finds this amusing, and is glad they chose it over the alternative, The Teacher.
** Played straight with his Thinking Cap, which is his own description of it.
* TheComicallySerious: His ponderous speaking style suddenly becomes hilarious when he's describing people's regular lives before becoming metas.
* CompositeCharacter: He uses a Thinking Cap like his classic comic self, but he also takes some traits from his New 52 incarnation, most notably his deteriorating body. In the finale, he uploads his consciousness into his chair, making him the show's counterpart of the AI Thinker created by Mr. Terrific. In addition, this Thinker combines traits from many other characters from DC comics, from both Flash lore and other sources.
** Appearance-wise, he takes cues from Metron (sitting in a chair and a helmet over his head) and Brainiac (exposed brain connected to a machine with wires with a hexagonal helmet).
** He's also the WorldsSmartestMan; typically in the [[Creator/DCComics DC]] mythos, the person with that title is ComicBook/LexLuthor.[[note]]We know that Lex himself does exist on [[Series/Supergirl2015 Earth-38]], but it's unknown what his status is on Earth-1[[/note]] He also has a similar BrainsEvilBrawnGood relationship with the Flash, which fits with Barry being TheCape for Earth-1's Arrowverse.
** He's the one who controls Samuroids, something that was done by Baron Katana in the comics.
** His characterization is very similar to the Ultra-Humanite, who is a scientist who has genius-level intelligence and transferred his brain or consciousness into other bodies, including women's, and hi-jacking their bodies as his own. In addition, both UH and [=DeVoe=] shared a degenerative disease that was slowly destroying their bodies pre-transformation.
** Speaking of {{Body Surf}}ing, him doing so through a set of wires attached to a CoolChair brings to mind the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'''s version of Ra's Al-Ghul.
** His costume is very similar to that of Brainstorm (specifically the Axel Storm version) being a purple suit with pauldrons and massive silver headgear used for amplifying their powers and utilising a hovering CoolChair. Fittingly, [=DeVoe=] actually takes over the body of Brainstorm in the series.
** He takes the place of Eobard Thawne as the one Barry Allen is put on trial for murdering in ''ComicBook/TheTrialOfTheFlash'' story.
** His ultimate plan (the Enlightenment) is identical to Dr. Sivana's from a 2000s [[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Outsiders]] arc.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: He is the first major villain who isn't a speedster. He also breaks the trend of the BigBad hiding a secret identity underneath a mask, as both his name and face have been shown off since the first episode of the season, while Team Flash track him down and confront him by Episode 7, "Therefore I Am".
** [=DeVoe=] never used to be a member of Team Flash unlike the three previous Big Bads[[note]]Thawne masquerading as Harrison Wells was a founding member and defacto TeamDad, Zoom under the guise of "Jay Garrick" helped fight the VillainOfTheWeek metas and substituted for Barry when the time called, while Savitar being a future time remnant of Barry himself has all of the knowledge of his past self's time as a member of Team Flash.[[/note]]
** He's also a contrast to Season 1 Thawne. Both use wheelchairs, but in Thawne's case it was ObfuscatingDisability as he could walk, but he needed it to balance his powers. [=DeVoe=] on the other hand does truly need it due to his powers giving him a form of ALS and rather resents having to use a wheelchair. Thawne steals the likeness of people (or at least duplicates it) by putting their DNA on him while [=DeVoe=] possesses bodies.
** Unlike Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar but conversely [[EvilCounterpart very much like]] Barry, he happens to be in a relationship with someone who knows of and supports everything he does; by contrast, the previous three {{Big Bad}}s were [[LonersAreFreaks loners]] who didn't give a damn about anyone but themselves. Also worth noting, he's the only one of the antagonists who ''never'' got close to Caitlin[[note]]Thawne saw Caitlin and Cisco as his own children, Zoom developed feelings for Caitlin and wanted to [[WeCanRuleTogether draw her into his life]], and Savitar worked closely with Killer Frost after revealing his true identity.[[/note]].
** Much like Savitar, he is able to anticipate Team Flash's every move and develop an appropriate way to counter it. However, whereas Savitar could do that because his memories were constantly being rewritten by his past self and thus he could [[XanatosSpeedChess quickly develop a counter-measure]], [=DeVoe=] really is just [[TheChessmaster that good]] [[CrazyPrepared a planner]], being the WorldsSmartestMan and all. In fact, it turns out that trying to outsmart a man who has been able to plan for every single possible scenario turns out to be ''at least'' as difficult as trying to break a predestined time loop, if not even more so.
** Thawne and Zolomon stole the identities of real heroes to hide their identities, while Savitar used a few impersonations to trick people. [=DeVoe=] steals bodies of Bus Metas to get their powers.
* CoolChair: It flies and shoots lasers. And is probably quite comfortable as well. It also serves as a [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport means of life support]], granted to him by Marlize.
* CrazyPrepared: This guy plans for ''everything''.
** His EvilPlan was set into motion four years in the works, where he has planned for each subject to be on the bus to get hit with dark matter and predicting the specific powers they'd gain.
** He anticipated that Team Flash would try to destroy one of the satellites he built, so instead had the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite as a backup already in place.
* TheCynic: Even before gaining his Metahuman powers, [=DeVoe=] had a very negative viewpoint on people and believed that the advancement of technology would just lead to humans finding new ways to hurt each other. It's what eventually leads him to begin The Enlightenment and the rest is history.
* DarkReprise: He sings a rendition of "Goin' Out of My Head", which symbolizes his connection with Marlize, when he's shown brainwashing her with the Weeper's tears.
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget: As the season progresses, he becomes increasingly cruel with each bus meta power he acquires, and eventually the once WellIntentionedExtremist that he was to begin with is no more and in his place is a [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who kills without hesitation and only seeks to [[InTheirOwnImage remake the world in his own image]].
* DeadMansSwitch: On the chance that The Enlightenment failed and he was defeated, [=DeVoe=] implemented one last failsafe which would activate once he died. He has the main satellite plummet towards Central City which would trigger an extinction-level event [[TakingYouWithMe as one final screw you to Team Flash]]. Barry very nearly dies trying to stop it and is only saved due to his [[KidFromTheFuture future daughter]] Nora interfering with history and assisting him in taking it down.
* DeathByDepower: His M.O in killing metas: snag them with his CombatTentacles and drain their powers until they're nothing but a corpse.
* DeathOfPersonality: The original [=DeVoe=], who was a devoted husband to Marlize and a man who genuinely wanted to make the world a better place, is eventually revealed to be well and truly dead in the season finale when Barry enters his mind and finds the 'Good [=DeVoe=]' dead with a hole in his chest.
* DidntSeeThatComing:
** For all his claims of being smart enough [[TheChessmaster to plan for everything]] this happens to him twice over in ''True Colors.'' The first instance being a failure to predict Amunet and Warden Wolfe selling the Bus Metas he made before all of them were caught and gathered in one place. The second where he didn't expect Ralph's ability to shape shift, and pose as a still living Clifford [=DeVoe=], in order to free Barry from prison.
** Happens again in "Fury Rogue" when [=DeVoe=] fails to anticipate Barry freezing in fear, causing him to lose Fallout. This seems to overlap with EvilCannotComprehendGood as Marlize surmises that despite his incredible ability to account all possibilities, he cannot know how someone is feeling.
** He remarks his first miscalculation he ever made was letting Marlize build his CoolChair without his supervision, as she had put in a force field that even [=DeVoe=] couldn't penetrate. When she turns tail and abandons him, it's the one thing that keeps getting in his way.
* DomesticAbuse: While he starts out as a loving husband to Marlize, as time went on and [=DeVoe=]'s morals degraded, he became increasingly controlling and manipulative towards her, drugging her with Weeper's tears to keep her docile, and eventually falling into straight up emotional abuse, telling her that [[ItsAllAboutMe she's nothing without him and that her only purpose is to support him]].
* DrunkOnTheDarkSide: The [[PowerCorrupts more superpowers he acquires]] the more of a bastard he becomes. Although presented as being sympathetic at first, he's lost all his redeeming qualities by the season's end and is just as bad as his predecessors.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: When first introduced his relationship with Marlize was a loving one and they were equally devoted to each other, but as time went on his powers gave him a nasty case of DrunkOnTheDarkSide and he started to only care about himself, proven when he gave Marlize the Weeper's tears as an obedience sedative to keep her in line. It reaches the point where his last shred of humanity, his love for his wife, is lost and all that is left of him is The Thinker.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: PlayedForLaughs; while monitoring Hazard, he remarks that Sarasota, Florida is a terrible place to be born. That being said, even with all his scheming, he won't interfere with Barry's wedding, not wanting to disrupt true love.
* EvilCostumeSwitch: Whenever he steals the body of a bus meta, he dresses his new body in a [[EvilWearsBlack black outfit]]. After using Ralph's elastic body to regain his original form [=DeVoe=] dispenses with his frumpy hairstyle and goes for a much shorter one now that he is no longer masquerading as an AbsentMindedProfessor.
* EvilCounterpart:
** Despite being [[ContrastingSequelAntagonist so different to his predecessors]], [=DeVoe=] still manages to be one to Barry. Both of them were 'created' on the night of the Particle Accelerator explosion, and both of them were struck by lightning. But while Barry's physiology became super powered, [=DeVoe=]'s mind was what became enhanced. They similarly wanted to help the world, but while Barry was hailed as a superhero, [=DeVoe=] was slowly dying due to his mind siphoning all the energy from his body. They also have extremely different approaches, with Barry being well known for rushing in blindly, while [=DeVoe=] [[TheChessmaster plans out everything]] to the finest detail. Also, both he and Barry are in supporting relationships, which is more that can be said about all the other {{Big Bad}}s.
** He's also been played up as one to Harry Wells. Both of whom regard their intelligence as being their superpower. Harry even makes himself a Thinking Cap so that he could keep up with [=DeVoe=], almost making him a Good Thinker. And when both Thinking Caps went wrong [=DeVoe=]'s intelligence was supercharged to SuperIntelligence levels while Harry's intelligence got slowly sapped away until he was a complete simpleton with barely any functional brain power.
** He could also be one to Martin Stein. Both of them are renowned [[TheProfessor Professors]] and both have loving wives. Both became metahumans on the night of the Particle Accelerator explosion which they regard as CursedWithAwesome. However, Martin went on to become a superhero and resolved his condition with the help of his friends, while [=DeVoe=] became a villain who used his newfound powers to ruin the lives of others in his own interest.
* EvilCripple: Due to his superpowered brain slowly killing the rest of his body, he's become paralyzed from the waist down and can't move without his hovering chair or a wheelchair.
* EvilGenius: A supervillain who has SuperIntelligence.
* EvilGloating: Loves reminding Barry and Team Flash of how every failure they've experienced at his hands.
* EvilIsPetty: Goes out of his way to gloat about how much more intelligent he is than everyone else. He also ends up gratuitously killing Warden Wolfe simply for unwittingly interfering in his plans, much to his wife's shock.
* EvilPlan: Refers to his plan as "The Enlightenment". While it's [[HiddenAgendaVillain unclear]] at the start of the season what exactly it is, he'll go to [[TheUnfettered any]] lengths to make sure it succeeds. Near the end of the season its revealed that the Enlightenment is a plan to use five satellites orbiting the Earth to release a wave of Dark Matter to reset the brains of everyone on Earth in order to make them susceptible to being retaught by [=DeVoe=] and remake the world [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. Apparently, he was then going to use Barry's body to access the Speed Force and impose his will on all of time itself.
* EvilSoundsDeep: He has a low, resonant voice that adds to his cold, creepy aura. His second body also has a deep voice, which keeps up the trend, but [[AvertedTrope the third]] has a high-pitched voice that almost clashes with [=DeVoe=]'s highly intellectual dialogue.
* EvilTeacher: Before his alleged death, he hides his identity behind his job as a university professor. That said, he was already a professor before becoming a supervillain.
* EvilLuddite: It turns out he was a staunch detractor of technology.
* EvilWearsBlack: After stealing bodies, [=DeVoe=] dresses in black.
* ExactWords: In "True Colors", [=DeVoe=], in the telepathic body of Dominic Lanse, promises Marlize he will "erase every doubt from [her] head". Later he's shown using his telepathy to literally erase Marlize's memories of her discovering [=DeVoe=]'s true intentions.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:F-M]]
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Double subverted. He claims to have considered the possibility of failing in his plan and dying, but he goes out screaming and blubbering as Ralph takes back his body. The digital version of him, by contrast, doesn't bat an eye when Marlize prepares to destroy it.
* FaceHeelTurn:
** He goes from well-meaning professor to narcissist murderer and becomes more awful with each bus meta he hijacks. Marlize justifies this as being a result of the excessive dark matter corrupting his mind, though even she gradually turns on him.
** Even after becoming the Thinker, there is a very sharp contrast between the [=DeVoe=] at the start of the season, who genuinely loved and cared for his wife, to the [=DeVoe=] at the end of the season who was so devoid of humanity that he could not bring himself to see his wife as more than a mechanic to carry out his bidding.
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: After stealing Becky Sharpe's body, he/she has the face of a sweet young woman (which Becky genuinely was) and the mind of a calculating evil genius willing to murder someone else to take over their body. Later he steals Ralph Dibny's body, which also gives him an adorable appearance, but he uses Dibny's powers to have his original likeness back.
* FakingTheDead: After hijacking Dominic Lanse's body, [=DeVoe=] uses his old body to fake his own murder to frame Barry for it.
* FauxAffablyEvil: While he's not as vicious as Hunter Zolomon, [=DeVoe=]'s courtesy hides an absolute arrogance and distinct lack of regard for others. He also hides his true villainous persona by pretending that he's still an affable history professor. The façade grows thinner and thinner as he becomes more powerful and cruel, to the point that any time he acts polite, he's simply mocking whomever he's speaking with, and he's much more open with how callous he truly is. His tendency to call everyone with Mr. and Ms. just show condescension.
* FanDisservice: He dresses more provocatively while killing and hijacking two female bodies of attractive women, but it shows how careless [=DeVoe=] has become to his wife, who is not even lesbian or bisexual, not to mention that he has become outright abusive to her. Even back with the more or less handsome Dominic, his morality was decaying.
* FatalFlaw: His emotional detachment [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide as he becomes more powerful]] proves to be his undoing as his callousness alienates his wife, who later provides crucial aide to Team Flash in allowing Barry to enter his mind to find Dibny, and use the emotional bond created through the season to work together in allowing Dibny to take back control of his body.
* FlawExploitation: Clifford [=DeVoe=] has exploited Harry Wells' InferioritySuperiorityComplex to bring his undoing.
* {{Foil}}:
** He has a lot of parallels with Eobard Thawne. Both are an ArchEnemy to Barry Allen, both are [[TheChessmaster chessmasters]] who go to ridiculous lengths to plans and anticipate their opponent's every move. Both also created metas via dark matter as part of their plan, both made use of a wheelchair in their civilian identities, and both need The Flash to improve their bodies. However, the differences emerge with their personal connections. Thawne started as a TheSociopath who only desired to best The Flash, but after getting TrappedInThePast he slowly humanizes and grows genuinely fond of Team Flash and even Barry himself while retaining his hate. [=DeVoe=] was introduced as being in a loving relationship with his wife Marlize, but as the season progressed and he grew more detached from her, seeing her more as a tool to serve him rather than a lover, even keeping her drugged and erasing her memories so that she will stay compliant. Both sought to launch a dark matter wave from S.T.A.R. Labs, but Thawne's explosion was to empower some heroes including but not limited to Barry Allen while [=DeVoe=]'s wave was to activate satellites that would make everyone stupid.
** He's also this to Zoom. Both function as an EvilCounterpart to Barry and start out with merely trying to [[MortalityPhobia prevent their own death]], and their lethal conditions come from their overdose of powers. Both are also TheSociopath and alienated their LoveInterest as a result. However, [=DeVoe=] differs from Zoom as preventing his death was merely a step towards his actual goal to erase the intelligence of humanity while Zoom simply decided to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the multiverse]] because he had nothing better to do. [=DeVoe=] genuinely believed he was making [[WellIntentionedExtremist the world a better place]] by erasing humanity's intelligence before being DrunkWithPower. Zoom started out [[CardCarryingVillain well aware of how evil he is]]. Finally [=DeVoe=] got more sociopathic as his plan progressed while Zoom still retained some emotional bonds to his parents and Caitlin. They just weren't enough to overcome his sociopathy.
** To a lesser extent to Savitar. Both are villains who are both TheChessmaster and able to anticipate ''everything'' Team Flash does, only Savitar is able to do so because he's from the future and already lived it, while [=DeVoe=]'s SuperIntelligence allows him to account for all variables. Both are also among the only sympathetic {{Tragic Villain}}s who took a fall from grace and still having {{Morality Pet}}s believing they can be redeemed. Both also utilize one of Barry's sidekicks as an asset to achieve their EvilPlan, with Savitar using Wally to escape the Speed Force, while [=DeVoe=] uses Ralph and his SuperToughness to permanently stave off the degeneration of his body.
* ForceChoke: He can do so via Null's [[GravityMaster gravity powers]].
* ForeignCultureFetish: He appears to have a fixation on Japan, judging by his lectures on Japanese history and his decision to model his android on a samurai.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Talked up by both Abra Kadabra and Savitar prior to his appearance in Season Four. Savitar says that Barry will use a "cerebral inhibitor" against [=DeVoe=].
** [=DeVoe's=] body is rapidly deteriorating, and has already survived past its predicted death of four years ago due to the chair.
** [=DeVoe=] repeatedly emphasizes that he has predicted everything that has so far transpired, presumably including all the details on his new metas.
* ForTheEvulz: After acquiring all the bus meta powers, he develops an enjoyment in taking lives simply because he can.
** When a security guard tries to stop him and Marlize, he makes the guard perform a PsychicAssistedSuicide. Marlize's pleas that killing him was unnecessary, he unempathically states that there would be casualties and he brought his death upon himself for standing in [=DeVoe=]'s way.
** He cruelly slaughters all of the ARGUS guards when he goes to steal Fallout, for no reason other than his own amusement and because the modern music of one of the guards displeased him.
** He attempts to kill Gypsy just because even if she represents no threat to his plans and is only stopped by Marlize.
* FrameUp: He sets up his old body to be stabbed and left for Barry to find, leaving him to be arrested by the CCPD.
* FreudianExcuse: Realizing his super-intelligence is also slowly killing him is unfair. He sees certain metahuman living to become criminals as another unfair example.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From a mild-mannered professor, annoyed by the apathy of his students to a megalomaniac.
* AGodAmI: While he never outright claims to be god, he's under the impression he's the only one deserving of intelligence. He also [[AsTheGoodBookSays loves making biblical references]] as if he's the Messiah.
* GrandTheftMe: What he does to Dominic. And later to Becky. And then to Izzy. And to Edwin. Then Ralph, with the last body theft proving to be the last one he needs, as Ralph's powers allow [=DeVoe=]'s body to endure his enhanced intelligence without degrading.
* GreenEyedMonster: He's more than a little resentful that his powers cost him his mobility, while other metas -- especially the Flash did not pay a price for theirs; he specifically wants to teach Barry what it feels like to "lose".
* GoodHairEvilHair: After he steals Ralph's body and uses the {{Rubber Man}}'s {{ShapeShifting}} powers to assume his original form, he goes with a completely different style to what he had at the start of the season, signifying how he's no longer the [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-meaning professor]] [[VisionaryVillain he was was]] but now a [[TheSociopath cold-blooded killer]] who [[ItsAllAboutMe stops at nothing to get what he wants]].
* GottaKillThemAll: He created twelve metahumans to dispose of their lives.
* HappilyMarried: He loves his wife and helper Marlize. Or at least did before his mental health deteriorated.
* HandicappedBadass: His lethal condition has not made him any less of a menace; he is skilled with his flying chair and he kills and steals the body of people and copying powers, which hasn't cured his condition but makes him extremely dangerous.
* HateSink: Whatever sympathy the audience may have for him dissipates as his actions grow more and more vile. These include kidnapping the Weeper, stealing Dominic's body, ''and'' framing Barry for his own murder. But what really seals the deal that he's a villain meant to be despised is how he keeps stealing the bodies of bus metahumans that were about to befriend Team Flash, with the implication the original owner of the body dies, along with the revelation his once healthy relationship with his wife turned to a far more abusive one. He gets to the point of irredeemable when he steals Ralph's body, just after Ralph had decided to spare his life too.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: He was fighting at first against human evilness, but later he ended up becoming a serial killer, an abusive husband, and someone who desires to remake the world [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]].
* HeroKiller: He ultimately [[GrandTheftMe bodyjacks]] Ralph, leading to his apparent demise.
* HiddenAgendaVillain: While we get to see his face in the very first episode of his debut season, his exact plan and motives remain a mystery. He refers to his ultimate goal as "The Enlightenment", but exactly what this is remains unexplained. Whenever asked what he's planning, he always claims that no one else could comprehend what he's going to do. It's finally revealed that his EvilPlan is to reboot the brains of everyone in the world so that they become unintelligent, allowing him to reteach all of them and remake the world in his image.
* HiddenDepths: No matter what stage in life he's in, [=DeVoe=] is shown to have a fascination with music. "Goin' Out of My Head" is sung by him several times to illustrate his relationship with Marlize, and he shows off his genius by finishing Schubert's Unfinished Symphony and [[InstantExpert playing the violin right after picking one up]]. His attack on A.R.G.U.S. starts with him forcing a guard's phone to play the Hallelujah Chorus. He specifically singles out "modern music" as one of the many things he hates about the current world.
* IconicOutfit: He changes his appearance a lot, but his most iconic outfit is him donning the Thinking Cap, clad in black, and sitting in his [[CoolChair hoverchair]].
* IfICantHaveYou: When the Enlightenment is averted and he realizes that he will never become the ruler of humanity like he wanted, he decides to simply destroy the world. Knowing that Marlize has well and truly cut her ties with him, he's content with the idea of her dying with everyone else.
* InSpiteOfANail: In the original post-Flashpoint timeline, [=DeVoe=] was said to be one of the primary enemies of the Flash. Even with Savitar dead and [[StableTimeLoop his role in the timeline erased]], this is apparently still the case.
* InsufferableGenius: He never misses an opportunity to bring up how smart he is, or belittle Team Flash. He's ''amused'' that Barry thinks he'll understand his EvilPlan.
* InTheirOwnImage: This is the main point of the Enlightenment; he wants to use dark matter-equipped satellites to dumb down every other person on Earth so that he can rule over the stupefied masses. In this way, all human society will be turned into a giant monument to himself.
* InvincibleVillain: Initially, his [[TheChessmaster ridiculous]] [[CrazyPrepared planning]] and his wife's [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist scientific]] [[GadgeteerGenius acumen]] make him a formidable but rather even-handed match for Team Flash. But on top of that, then he gets [[PsychicPowers telepathy]]. And then the power to [[SizeShifting size]]-[[ShrinkRay shift]], to [[WindsOfDestinyChange manipulate probability]], to [[{{Technopath}} control technology]], and to [[AnimateInanimateObject bring inanimate]] [[AnimatedArmor objects to life]]. And then the power to [[MakeMeWannaShout induce soundwaves]]. [[OverlyLongGag And then]] [[GravityMaster gravity manipulation]], [[ThinkingUpPortals the ability to]] [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut create portals]], and the ability to [[PowerParasite siphon, transfer]] and/or [[PowerNullifier nullify]] the powers of other metahumans. [[RefugeInAudacity And then]] [[RubberMan all]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting of]] [[ImmuneToBullets Ralph's]] [[SuperStrength powers]]. And before his defeat, we learn he was gunning for SuperSpeed as well. Suffice to say, it would now be a gross understatement to say that Team Flash is an underdog going against him.
* {{Irony}}: An EvilLuddite ends up completely dependent on technology to get anything done.
* ItsAllAboutMe: As the season progresses it becomes clear that [=DeVoe=] is only out for his own self-interests even destroying his relationship with his wife if it means she gets in the way of '''his''' plans. His end goal, the Enlightenment is less about trying to better the world but rather to remake it [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]], effectively achieving [[AGodAmI godhood]].
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: "Therefore She Is" has him ''almost'' looking like he'll spare the security guard who stood in his way, but he forces him through a PsychicAssistedSuicide just as he teleports away.
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: Barry does this in the finale, traveling into [=DeVoe=]'s mind in the hopes they can find the "good [=DeVoe=]" to overpower the "evil [=DeVoe=]", only to find [[DeathOfPersonality the good [=DeVoe=] is dead]].
* KickTheDog:
** Not only did he steal the bus meta bodies but he takes great amusement in [[EvilGloating reminding Barry of his failures]], even speaking in Ralph's voice to further taunt him.
** When he raids ARGUS in "Think Fast", not only does he kill all of the guards, he does so very cruelly and painfully. He shrinks one of the guards and squashes him under his foot, [[{{Technopathy}} Kilg%re's the guards tasers to shock themselves]], {{Force Choke}}s several of them, and after he's killed a whole heap of them he uses his [[MindOverMatter effigy animation]] to reanimate the dead guards' corpses to kill the reinforcements sent in. To top it all off he had no reason to kill a single one, as he had already gone to the trouble of impersonating John Diggle to bypass security, he killed the guards [[ForTheEvulz for the fun of it]].
* KickTheMoralityPet:
** When Marlize starts questioning [=DeVoe=]'s plans, [=DeVoe=] responds by drugging her with Weeper's tears to keep her in line.
** When Marlize starts pleading him not to kill anyone else and reminds him they were trying to save people, [=DeVoe=] scoffs and states that they couldn't save everyone. Marlize then declares she would not watch him take another innocent life, to which [=DeVoe=] uses his [[GravityMaster gravity powers]] to turn her around and [[ForcedToWatch forces her to watch him kill Gypsy]]. Though Marlize does manage to talk him out of it by appealing to his ego on teaching lessons.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: In "Subject 9" after Barry is hit with a MindRape, [=DeVoe=] proceeds to kick the incapacitated Barry while he's on the ground.
* KnightOfCerebus: As with previous season-long {{Big Bad}}s before him, his very presence creates a dark and oppressive atmosphere wherever he goes, which is especially evident in the DenserAndWackier Season Four. Most of his appearances immediately precede some major tragedy (by his hands).
* LackOfEmpathy: [=DeVoe=] often speaks of others as if they're specimens beneath a microscope, rather than human beings with their own thoughts and feelings. He calls the bus metas "test subjects" and views them as nothing more than assets that house powers. He's not totally void of compassion ([[TookALevelInJerkass at least, not at first]]), but he still seems rather detached from the rest of the human race. He becomes more and more apathetic as time goes on.
* LastNameBasis:
** For the first six episodes of Season Four, he's only referred to by his last name as opposed to his full name from the comics, Clifford [=DeVoe=]. Even after being nicknamed "The Thinker" he is mostly called [=DeVoe=].
** This also holds true on his end, always referring to everyone by their Mr. or Mrs. title.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [=DeVoe=] has a very creepy, mechanical almost [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader-esque]] sounding [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4nh23GmtTM theme music]].
* LoveIsAWeakness: Comes to believe this after seeing Marlize get distracted through affectionate gestures, before fully adopting it when she turns on him.
* MesACrowd: When Barry invades his mind and battles him alongside Ralph, [=DeVoe=] conjures hundreds of copies of himself to fight them.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: He holds the legitimate title of a Professor of History, but he's secretly a criminal mastermind.
* MoralMyopia: He does not appear to think of himself as a villain, more as a NecessarilyEvil who will help achieve his endgame of "The Enlightenment".
* MortalityPhobia: Despite claiming that his main goal is carrying out a plan called "The Enlightenment," [=DeVoe=] spends much of Season Four trying to ward off his death by any means necessary, including the theft of multiple metahumans' bodies.
* MovieSuperheroesWearBlack: The Thinker of the comics generally wore civilian clothes or a purple costume. This Thinker has a black leather outfit for when he uses his chair, and later takes to wearing a black BadassLongcoat after stealing Ralph's body.
* MythologyGag: In "We are the Flash" he performs a BrainUploading, essentially existing as an AI, which is what he did become in the comics.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:N-W]]
* {{Narcissist}}: In the present, he's all but in love with himself and his intelligence. The effects of this range from him proclaiming himself to be the Fastest Mind Alive to boasting that he's more of a threat to Team Flash than even the likes of Eobard Thawne. Then it turns out that his plan revolves around making everyone else a simpleton, meaning he can reshape the world of idiots in his own image.
* NearVillainVictory: He was mere moments away from finishing the execution of The Enlightenment and almost killed Team Flash. Only the timely intervention of Barry freeing Ralph from the grasp of [=DeVoe=]'s mind and having him take back control of his body put a stop to his plans.
* NeverMyFault: After Marlize leaves him when he crosses one line to many [=DeVoe=] never once considers that his own abusive actions were the cause and concludes that LoveIsaWeakness and one that must be purged from humanity with the Enlightenment.
* NewBodyOldAbilities: It doesn't matter which body he takes over, he keeps every single ability of every metahuman he has ever possessed before.
* NewMediaAreEvil: In "Think Fast", he professes a distaste for modern music and bemoans the use of "idiot phones."
* NoNonsenseNemesis: While the other Big Bads like Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar kept Barry either because their evil plans required it, or just to toy with him -- [=DeVoe=] is very blunt, he frames Barry for his own murder and sends a tip to Captain Singh to have him arrested.
* NoSell: He knows to negate the seer skills of a Vibe character.
* NonActionBigBad: He creates plans and sends his minions to fulfill them while monitoring them from his control room rather than try to fight Barry himself. Justified, as he has an advanced form of ALS and must rely on his CoolChair to delay the effects. {{Subverted}}, as the mid-season finale shows that his chair is indeed capable of kicking ass. Completely averted in the second half of the season, where he steals the bodies and/or powers of the bus-metas, making it so he's more than capable of putting up a fight. By the end of the season he might very well be the most powerful BigBad Barry has ever faced, physically ''and'' intellectually.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He surely ''started out'' wanting humankind to live up to its intellectual potential before he got his powers, but as of now, it's made very clear that the one thing he is interested in is gaining power for himself. Not even his own wife is safe from him. He loses all redeeming qualities after taking all of the bus metas powers for himself, he's all about carrying out his Enlightenment, and everyone in the way will die. The Enlightenment itself, as Barry points out, is ''not'' out of a desire to actually improve the world as he so claims, but to effectively [[ControlFreak gain control]] over a newly stupefied world and [[AGodAmI lead it]] [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. When foiled, he is more than willing to have a massive satellite crash into Central City and kill countless people as well starting an extinction-level event that would wipe out all life on Earth, simply out of spite.
* ObviouslyEvil: When hooked up to his [[DarkIsEvil black]] CoolChair and dressed in [[HellBentForLeather a dark leather shirt]] he very much looks like a stereotypical EvilOverlord. Though this is [[AvertedTrope averted]] entirely in his civilian guise.
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: After using his Thinking Cap, he easily outclasses a neurologist consult; [=DeVoe=] not only corrects the timeframe for his deterioration but within moments deduces his new mind is the cause of it. He's also shown casual brilliance at music theory, and especially high-end probability, claiming he can predict thousands of variables with certainty. Oddly, his chair is solely his wife's creation.
* OneManArmy: After acquiring all the bus meta powers, he is, in Cisco's words, a "one man LegionOfDoom".
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Subverted. He certainly qualifies at first glance considering he usually delegates tasks to his assistant and is always shown sitting in his chair (in fact, it's initially unclear whether or not he even can leave it). However, it turns out his chair is ''highly'' mobile (it can literally fly) and as such, [=DeVoe=] is entirely capable of going to different locations if he wants to. He also can't leave it for very long, given that it balances out how much dark matter is powering his brain to the rest of his body.
* PetTheDog: Despite all his later {{Domestic Abuse}}r tendencies towards her, he ''does'' spare Gypsy after the pleading of his wife.
* PossessionBurnout: He can prolong his life by pulling a GrandTheftMe on one of the bus metas, but his new body will have the same problems with ALS his old one had. As a result, he's had to go through four metas so far; Dominic, Becky, Izzy, Edwin and Ralph. Ralph's body ends up solving this problem, as Ralph's abilities allow his body to host [=DeVoe=]'s enhanced intellect without degrading.
* PowerAtAPrice: Basically, his super intelligence comes from his brain taking energy from his body rather than the other way around, resulting in his paralysis.
* PowerParasite: He [[BodySurf body surfs]] between the bus metas his scheme created, adding each one's powerset to his own in the process, making for a [[AllYourPowersCombined dangerous combination]]. Though with some of them he absorbs their powers without explicitly transferring his consciousness into them.
* PretenderDiss: He calls Harry's own Thinking Cap a "counterfeit cap."
* PunnyName: It sounds like "The Foe".
* PurpleIsPowerful: Thanks to Kilg%re's powers, [=DeVoe=] becomes heavily associated with the color purple, including that of The Enlightenment.
* PuttingOnMyThinkingCap: Wears his literal trademark Thinking Cap and states "I'm thinking" in his debut.
* RageBreakingPoint: Although he keeps himself composed in the face of his disease and upcoming death, ''Therefore I Am'' has him finally losing his cool when he realizes that [[NotSoStoic he's so weak that he can't even get a book off his shelf]].
* RageQuit: After the Enlightenment fails and he himself is reduced to a digital hologram on his chair, he spitefully decides to drop the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite right on Central City.
* RealityWarper: His eventual AllYourPowersCombined lets him manipulate gravity, matter, probability, and space.
* RedBaron: "The Fastest Mind Alive".
* RememberTheNewGuy: Although he was only introduced in Season 4, [=DeVoe=] was retroactively present at the night of the particle accelerator explosion and had been a metahuman all this time despite never making an appearance until 4 years later.
* RevealingSkill: During his initial interview with Barry and Joe, they mention the name "[=DeVoe=]" was revealed to be part of several investigations. Thinker responds that the city must have upwards of 1100 people by that name; in fact, it's 1122, so close Barry latches onto the slip.
* RoguesGalleryTransplant: The [=DeVoe=] Thinker was typically an enemy of the Jay Garrick and Wally West Flashes, before later moving over to Mr. Terrific. This [=DeVoe=] is a very personal enemy to Barry Allen having personally strived to destroy his life.
* SanitySlippage: With every jump from one body to another, [=DeVoe's=] mind becomes more and more unstable due to the excess amounts of dark matter he absorbs from each meta. Whatever goodness he once had is entirely gone, and just to drive the point home, Barry discovers that the [=DeVoe=] ''killed'' the goodness inside of him.
* SecretIdentity: Inverted. Unlike previous [[BigBad Big Bads]], he wears no mask, and we know what he looks like right from the start of the season (and find out his name even before that). Even so, he's still a mystery because ''very little else'' is known about him (it's mentioned that he has neither a criminal record nor any social media), least of all his motives.
* SerialKiller: He hunts down the bus metas, taking over their bodies and, with the execption of Ralph, destroying their consciousness.
* ShowingOffTheNewBody: After stealing bodies of attractive bus metas, he wears somewhat sexily.
* SlidingScaleOfVillainThreat: Each BigBad has become progressively more powerful, from Thawne, to Zoom, to Savitar. But that seemed to be averted with [=DeVoe=] who was a NonActionBigBad. This all changes after he steals the powers of the bus metas, and becomes ''easily'' the most powerful antagonist Barry has gone up against, being an InvincibleVillain who was almost unstoppable.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: He's shown playing chess against himself in "Luck Be A Lady".
* SmugSuper: He's very smug about his intellect and just loves rubbing it into Barry's face. After he acquires all of the bus meta powers he becomes even more arrogant, letting Barry strike him with the Sonic Scepter, just so he can demonstrate his body being completely invulnerable all the while smugly smiling.
* TheSociopath: Granted he didn't start as one as he genuinely cared for his wife originally but as the season progresses, he becomes one. With his LackOfEmpathy, manipulations, arrogance about his own powers and intelligence and selfishness to the point he's willing to start abusing his own wife and has thrown their once loving relationship away.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: No matter whose body [=DeVoe=] steals or who he happens to be impersonating, what always gives him away is his distinctive CreepyMonotone and use of technical words.
* StartXToStopX: He is a luddite that wants to destroy technology but not only is he alive thanks to technology, but also his plan depends on technology.
* StoryBreakerPower: When [=DeVoe=] steals the powers of almost all the bus metahumans, he becomes nigh-unbeatable to Team Flash. Brainwashing tears, brain damage, electronic control, bad luck, sonic waves, genetic control, gravity manipulation, portal creation, super resistance and shapeshifting. All of this combined with SuperIntelligence makes him unbeatable, so as a weakness he became unable to recognize emotions.
* StrawNihilist: He's very fond of delivering {{Hannibal Lecture}}s, is extremely cynical, pretty much believes himself to be the only one either capable of, or even worthy of, intelligent thought. He even quotes Nietzsche at Barry in ''Think Fast''.
* SuperIntelligence: [=DeVoe=]'s metahuman power is that his intellect was enhanced to superhuman levels. WordOfGod has described him as [[NotHyperbole literally]] the WorldsSmartestMan. Given that this is the ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'', filled to the brim with super scientists, hackers, and brilliant tacticians[[note]]e.g. [[Series/{{Arrow}} Deathstroke and Prometheus]][[/note]], that is saying '''a lot'''.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Even before he gains his super intelligence.
* TakeOverTheWorld: What "the Enlightening" ends up becoming, from helping humanity achieve intellectual potential to sapping away their intelligence and emotion to make the world more to his liking.
* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: When complaining to Captain Singh about Barry's stalking, [=DeVoe=] tells Barry to call him "Professor".
* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: While he does ''have'' a costume, when Barry and Joe finally manage to track him down he appears to be just an ordinary-looking guy in a wheelchair.
* TomTheDarkLord: He's a criminal mastermind and supervillain named "Clifford." In-universe, he shares his surname [=DeVoe=] with over a thousand people, making it difficult for Team Flash to single him out.
* TookALevelInBadass: He started off as the BigBad with the ''least'' physical threat in ''Series/{{The Flash|2014}}'', but over the course of the season he [[PowerParasite continuously steals the powers of the bus metas he created]], by the end of the season he's a [[AllYourPowersCombined walking arsenal of superpowers]] and was the most powerful villain Barry had ever gone up against at that point, reaching InvincibleVillain levels.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Between the flashbacks and present day, he became an ''enormous'' dick. While he still ''claims'' that he wants to improve the world, it's called into question as he seems mostly motivated to save himself now. He only gets worse as he grows more powerful, gradually losing any capacity he once had for empathy, occasionally devolving into cruelty for cruelty's sake, and even drugging his wife to keep her in line.
* UngratefulBastard:
** Marlize was a devoted wife and assistant to her husband, but that doesn't stop Clifford from drugging her into submission when she starts thinking in ways he doesn't like.
** Ralph spared [=DeVoe=]'s life after overpowering him. This proved to be a lethal mistake as [=DeVoe=] repaid his mercy by stealing his body without a hint of remorse.
* UnholyMatrimony: His assistant Marlize is also his wife. While their relationship is initially supportive, this evaporates once he becomes DrunkWithPower.
* UnskilledButStrong: [=DeVoe=] has no fighting abilities or significant combat experience. When he begins to take over the bodies of the bus metas, he generally fights by taking his opponents head-on and overwhelming them with his new powers.
* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Season 4 sought to return the series to its comedic tone, but this villain is quick to delete any goodwill since he is willing to incriminate, take the bodies of metahumans that bonded with Team Flash, mistreat his wife and dominate everyone with technology while depriving anyone else of intelligence.
* VillainHasAPoint: As he points out in a flashback, it doesn't seem fair that one of the few metahumans who wants to use his powers for a higher purpose should have to suffer paralysis and a slow death. He's also somewhat right in believing that technology may someday doom humanity. He is also right when mentioning that men corrupt even the best of ideas, and Marlize takes it as HypocriteHasAPoint.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: What makes it so hard to deal with [=DeVoe=] is there is absolutely nothing to legally pin him down. His record is squeaky clean so that the police refuse to press charges against him, and even the other members of Team Flash had a hard time believing he was the one behind everything. Part of Iris' plan is to write an exposé against him, making the public aware of his activities so that he can no longer stay hidden.
* VillainousAromanticAsexual: As he falls deeper and deeper into villainy, his love for his wife diminishes. It's also implied he was asexual even before turning evil.
* VillainousBreakdown:
** Begins to show signs of this in "Subject 9" when his second host body (Becky) is beginning to fail him faster than his wife can keep up, leading to him lashing out verbally at her.
** He doesn't take it well when he fails to anticipate the outcome. In "Fury Rogue" he had anticipated that the Flash would defeat Siren-X, but [[EvilCannotComprehendGood to his confusion]] Barry stands there frozen and doesn't retaliate, and this makes him absolutely lose it. This is due to his LackOfEmpathy as he doesn't understand the grief Barry is going through over losing Ralph which in turn affects him out in the field.
** He [[SoreLoser doesn't take actually losing]] well, screaming in disbelief that he's lost. While he regains some composure, his last spiteful act is [[TakingYouWithMe attempting to take the whole world with him]].
--> '''[=DeVoe=]:''' THIS IS NOT MY WILL!
* VillainousLegacy: While he dies in the season four finale, the events of The Enlightenment drive most of the plot in season five.
** [[spoiler:The falling pieces of the dark matter-infused satellite create more metahumans as well as meta-''technology'', and kill and injure several people--including young Grace Gibbons, motivating her uncle to hunt down ''every'' metahuman as a result of [=DeVoe=]'s actions.]]
** In addition to the above, [[spoiler:S.T.A.R. Labs loses their satellite, making it now very difficult to track metahumans and other dangers...at least until they figure out to [[StatusQuoIsGod hijack the other four satellites [=DeVoe=] launched]].]]
* VirtueIsWeakness: He starts to believe this after stealing Ralph's body which deeply hurts his wife and ultimately drives her into leaving him. Which is ultimately the flaw that brings him down.
* VisionaryVillain: Whatever his plans are, it vaguely involves uplifting humanity to its intellectual potential. In a conversation with Barry and Joe in his civilian identity, he almost tips his hand with a monologue about not just teaching people but changing how they think so they can learn. It was revealed later that he wants to strip everybody else of their intelligence so that he can teach them from scratch.
* VoicesAreNotMental: He takes on the voice of whatever body he steals. It's averted in the case of Ralph; he takes advantage of his current host's powers to regain his old voice and face.
* WickedCultured: He's very fond of classical pieces. He's seen playing classical piano quite skillfully and is even able to compose the rest of Schubert's Symphony No. 8, aka the "Unfinished Symphony," after listening to [[BeyondTheImpossible all 600 symphonies in the span of a single morning]]. In "Think Faster" while raiding ARGUS, he disapproves the modern music one of the guards is playing and uses Kilg%re's powers to change it to "Hallelujah To The King Of Kings" which continues playing as he slaughters all of the ARGUS guards.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: After getting his enhanced intelligence, he has become more and more immoral. This worsens when he kills and hijacks bodies of benevolent metahumans, growing increasingly unhinged with even the most minor setbacks in his plans, and becoming abusive to his wife even when he uses Ralph's body to regain his original likeness. He even loses the ability to understand other people's emotions, disregarding emotion as "[[EvilCannotComprehendGood that most aberrant of human weaknesses]]".
* WorldsSmartestMan: WordOfGod has stated he is the smartest person on Earth-1 and possibly TheMultiverse.
[[/folder]]
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[-'''[[Characters/{{Arrow}} Star City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamArrow Team Arrow]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseOliverQueen Oliver Queen]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseDinahLaurelLance Dinah Laurel Lance]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamArrowFamilyMembers Family Members]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseStarCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseStarCityCriminalGroups Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseMalcolmMerlyn Malcolm Merlyn]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseSladeWilson Slade Wilson]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseSimonMorrison Prometheus]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseStarCityIndependentCriminals Independent Criminals]]\\
'''[[Series/TheFlash2014 Central City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseWestAllenFamily West-Allen Family]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseBarryAllen Barry Allen]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseIrisWestAllen Iris West-Allen]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseTeamFlash Team Flash]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseCaitlinSnowAndKillerFrost Caitlin Snow & (Killer) Frost]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityCriminalGroups Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheRogues Rogues]] / '''The Thinker''') | [[Characters/ArrowverseCentralCityIndependentCriminals Independent Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/Supergirl2015 National City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCitizens Citizens]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseKaraZorEl Kara Zor-El]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLuthorFamilyAndAssociates Luthor Family & Associates]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLenaLuthor Lena Luthor]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseNationalCityCriminals Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/BlackLightning2018 Freeland]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowversePierceFamily Pierce Family]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseFreelandCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseFreelandCriminals Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/Batwoman2019 Gotham City]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseBatFamily Bat-Family]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseGothamCityCitizens Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseGothamCityCriminals Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/SupermanAndLois Smallville & Metropolis]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseSmallvilleCitizens Smallville Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMetropolisCitizens Metropolis Citizens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMetropolisCriminals Metropolis Criminals]]\\
'''[[Characters/LegendsOfTomorrow The Legends]]:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTheLegends The Team]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsCurrentMembers Current Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseSaraLance Sara Lance]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseMickRory Mick Rory]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseLegendsFormerMembers Former Members]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseLeonardSnart Leonard Snart]])\\
'''Organizations:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseUSGovernment U.S. Government]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseUSMilitary U.S. Military]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseARGUSAndTaskForceX A.R.G.U.S.]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseTheDEO The D.E.O.]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseJusticeSocietyOfAmerica The J.S.A.]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseLeagueOfAssassins The League of Assassins]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseCriminalGroupsAndOrganizations Criminal Groups]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheHIVE H.I.V.E.]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseVandalSavageAndFollowers Savage & His Followers]])\\
'''Time Travel:''' [[Characters/ArrowverseTimeTravelers Time Travelers]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseTheLegionOfSuperHeroes The Legion]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseEobardThawne Eobard Thawne]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseDamienDarhk Damien Darhk]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseSavitar Savitar]]) | [[Characters/ArrowversePastCharacters The Past]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseFutureCharacters The Future]]\\
'''Miscellaneous''': [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherLocales Other Locales]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMetahumans Metahumans]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseFirestorm Firestorm]] / [[Characters/ArrowverseTheHawks The Hawks]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseAliens Aliens]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseMystics Mystics]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEntities Other Entities]]\\
'''The Multiverse (Pre-Crisis):''' [[Characters/ArrowverseOtherEarths Other Earths]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth2 Earth-2]] ([[Characters/ArrowverseHunterZolomon Hunter Zolomon / Zoom]]) | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarth38 Earth-38]] | [[Characters/ArrowverseEarthX Earth-X]]]]-]]]
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!!Clifford [=DeVoe=]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9_12.jpg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7_copy_8.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You may be the fastest man alive, Allen. I'm the fastest mind."'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:In the Bus Metas]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dominic_lanse.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clifford_devoe_as_becky_sharpe.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devoeizzy.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/evilfoldingman.png\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/evilralph.png[[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Species''': Metahuman
!!!'''Known Aliases:''' The Thinker
!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/NeilSandilands, Creator/KendrickSampson (as Dominic Lanse), [[Creator/StephanieBeard Sugar Lyn Beard]] (as Becky Sharpe), Miranda [=MacDougall=] (as Izzy Bowen), Arturo del Puerto (as Edwin Gauss), Hartley Sawyer (as Ralph Dibny), Creator/DavidRamsey (impersonation of Diggle)
!!! '''First Appearance:''' "[[Recap/TheFlash2014S4E1TheFlashReborn The Flash Reborn]]" (''The Flash'' 4x1)
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Series/TheFlash2014''
''The Fastest Mind Alive.''
A professor at Central City University who was transformed into a metahuman with SuperIntelligence and became the Thinker. He makes his presence known as soon as Barry returns to Central City and has been manipulating his life ever since.
--> see the Characters/DCEUTaskForceXNewTeam page for the character in an undesignated Earth who bears his name and background
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:A-E]]
* AbsentMindedProfessor: Was this before gaining his powers, bumbling about in a lecture and failing to grasp student attention.
* AchillesHeel:
** Savitar suggested that the cerebral inhibitor would be important to defeat [=DeVoe=]. Double subverted: In "Subject 9", as pointed out by Cisco and shown by how [=DeVoe=] shorted it out with his {{Technopath}}y, Savitar never said it would work. But in an ironic twist, Savitar was right all along, as while the cerebral inhibitor doesn't ''directly'' work on [=DeVoe=], it was instrumental in defeating him, as it allowed Barry to enter into [=DeVoe=]'s mind so that Ralph could take back control and kick [=DeVoe=] out.
** His real AchillesHeel turns out to be [[TheSociopath his inability to understand emotions]], which causes him to miscalculate on a number of occasions. It's even pointed out by his wife for why he ultimately failed as he loses control of Dibny's body.
** After acquiring the bus meta powers, powerful kinetic sound waves are one of the few things that can hurt him such as those generated by the Fiddler. Ralph very nearly kills him using the Sonic Scepter. Unfortunately, he loses this weakness after gaining Ralph's elastic body.
** Ironically, or perhaps not, many of the Bus Metas that he created have the potential to disrupt his plans. As previously mentioned the Fiddler's sonic powers almost killed him in their first encounter, Melting Point could potentially remove [=DeVoe=]'s abilities and Folding Man's powers can enter his pocket dimension. Unfortunately [=DeVoe=] foresees these complications and manages to absorb all of their abilities before they have the chance to overwhelm him.
** While he can anticipate anything within the scope of his vast knowledge, he's not [[TheOmniscient omniscient]] and can be caught off:guard by what he doesn't know about. Ralph is able to ruin his plan to keep Barry in prison with his newly acquired shapeshifting abilities, and his plan to destroy the Earth is foiled by Nora II, who was born in the future.
** It's shown later in the season that not even he can disable the force fields his chair creates, as shown when Marlize uses them against him.
* AdaptationalBadass:
** This Thinker's intellectual status has been moved from being merely having SuperIntelligence to being WorldsSmartestMan. A [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] so proficient he's pretty much an InvincibleVillain.
** Due to him [[PowerParasite stealing the powers of eleven other metas]], this Thinker boasts [[AllYourPowersCombined an assortment of powers]] that allows him to overwhelm the Flash with ease.
* AdaptationalJerkass: While he's still a villain in this continuity, he ends up performing far more personal misdeeds, like framing Barry for murder and drugging his wife into compliance.
* AdaptationalJobChange: From an attorney to an university professor.
* AdaptationalNationality: He's from South Africa here instead of America, although he still has American citizenship. This was likely put in just as a way to explain the actor's accent, since it has no real bearing on the story.
* AlasPoorVillain: The ‘Good [=DeVoe=]’ that Marlize considers to be “[[ThatManIsDead The Thinker's first victim]]”. Barry and Ralph find said [=DeVoe=] murdered in Ralph's mind by the Evil [=DeVoe=].
* AllAccordingToPlan: Much of his dialogue consists of him saying this.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: How his relationship with Marlize seems to play out. She builds his tech, keeps him as healthy as possible, and helps him evade the eye of the law, making her a target for Team Flash as well, and he doesn't even have to say "thank you." Even worse, she's completely fine with this arrangement as long as he remains alive and successful in his plans, and he knows this. [[spoiler:Later subverted when Marlize comes to see how vile [=DeVoe=] really is and he uses measures to forcefully keep her compliant.]]
* AllYourPowersCombined: He stole all the powers of the Bus Meta inmates which includes: {{Technopath}}y, [[WindsOfDestinyChange good fortune]], [[FantasticDrug psycho-active tears]], [[AnimateInanimateObject effigy animation]], {{Telepathy}}, [[{{Sizeshifter}} size shifting]], [[MakeMeWannaShout powerful sound wave generation]], [[PowerParasite taking and]] [[SuperEmpowering giving powers]], [[GravityMaster personal gravity manipulation]], [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut dimensional teleportation]], and lastly Dibney's [[RubberMan stretching and shape shifting power]].
* AmbitionIsEvil: His desire for tracking knowledge drives him into villainy.
* AmoralAfrikaner: Although he lacks common elements of this kind of character, such as mercenary work or bloodthirstiness, he is a villain who was born in South Africa. It's hardly important to the story outside of explaining his accent.
* ArchEnemy:
** Initially presented as one to Future Barry, with Abra Kadabra grouping [=DeVoe=] in the same breath as Barry's other archenemies: Eobard Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar. By the midpoint of Season 4, he absolutely cements this when [[spoiler:he arranges to frame Barry for his own murder.]]
** Also one to Ralph, especially after murdering Izzy Bowen and with Ralph in constant fear of his own life. Ralph soon develops a burning hatred for [=DeVoe=] and very nearly kills him when he had the chance and had to restrain himself at the last moment.
** He also becomes one to Harry, being built up as his EvilCounterpart and leading Harry to feel absolutely helpless against him, even more so after losing his own intelligence.
* AsTheGoodBookSays: [=DeVoe=] does not seem like a religious man, but he does highlight his messiah complex in ''Think Fast'' by quoting lines from the Literature/BookOfGenesis.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Comes hand in hand with having SuperIntelligence. He's able to finish Schubert's Unfinished Symphony simply through listening to his entire body of work in a single morning.
--> '''Marlize:''' All 600 symphonies?\\
'''[=DeVoe=]:''' I woke up early this morning.
* AxCrazy: It's done more subtly than with the likes of Zoom, but he does gain a taste for random and horrific violence, as shown by his butchery of the A.R.G.U.S. agents that were standing between him and Fallout.
* BadassLongcoat: He takes to wearing a knee-length black coat after stealing Ralph's body.
* TheBadGuyWins: The first phase of his plan is a complete success, as he manages to steal the powers of every bus meta and kill them all in the process, something Team Flash spent all season trying to prevent.
* BaitTheDog: He does this quite a few times in Season Four.
** In ''Therefore I Am'', he evokes more sympathy than the two earlier Big Bads with his former wishes to serve the world, his unfortunate transformation that ruined his health, his crippled condition and his willingness [[Series/CrisisOnEarthX to let Barry and Iris marry]]. The very next time he appears, he unhesitatingly steals Dominic's body to save himself and frames Barry for murder, using his own "wedding present" as the alleged murder weapon no less.
** He is initially shown to have a rather supportive and loving relationship with Marlize. When she begins questioning his actions, he drugs and brainwashes her into obedience, even telling her that she's nothing without him.
** Even with the above, one can be forgiven for thinking that he was a good man who became DrunkOnPower. Then it is revealed he intended to make everyone stupid all along.
* BatmanGambit: Thanks to his SuperIntelligence, he can anticipate Team Flash's every move and quite often ''counts on'' their certain actions to further his own agenda. For instance, he wanted Team Flash to find and capture all of the bus metas, as it put all of them in one place and made it easier for him to take them.
** One notable instance is in "Lose Yourself" where [=DeVoe=] allowed Team Flash to capture Folded Man and anticipated they would try to use his powers to invade his lair. The instance Team Flash's super members cross over into the lair, [=DeVoe=] and Marlize enter S.T.A.R. Labs where they have easy access to Folded Man and Ralph.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Achieves his dream of super intelligence, but at the cost of his lifespan, which frustrates him to no end.
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: A flashback revealed that in his younger days he advocated against technology due to the risk of power in the hands of someone intelligent being used to harm. After acquiring the bus meta powers he is ''exactly'' that, an EvilGenius who kills anyone who gets in his way and using technology to further his goals.
* BeneathTheMask: He acts rather normally in his civilian identity, without any hints of the arrogance from his SuperIntelligence with his Thinker persona.
* BeyondRedemption: He becomes increasingly violent and coldblooded over the course of Season 4, but Marlize still banks her final plan to save the world on Barry going into his mind and appealing to his good side. When he reports that [=DeVoe=] has no good side to appeal to, she finally realizes that he has to be stopped by any means and ends up pulling the plug on him herself.
* BigBad: Of Season 4, being the main driving force for all of the problems Team Flash face; specifically, all of the VillainOfTheWeek metas Team Flash encounters are his personal pawns.
* BodyHorror: The seventh episode of the season shows exactly how the process of attaching himself to the chair goes: first, Marlize removes his artificial scalp, revealing ''his pulsating, energized brain underneath''. Then the chair reaches out with mechanical tentacles attached to his helmet, which goes over his dark matter-powered brain before he himself enters the chair.
* BorrowedCatchPhrase: When using Kilg%re's powers, [=DeVoe=] repeats his line "Call me Kilg%re.".
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: Seems to be building up to this, as [=DeVoe=] accomplishes things using his mind while Barry relies on his speed.
* BrainUploading: Uses [[{{Technopathy}} Kilg%re's power]] to transfer his mind to his chair after Dibney takes back his body. Lasts just long enough to drop a giant satellite on the city in revenge for his plan being foiled, before Marlize pulls the power source and kills him for good.
* BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: His end goal, he wants to subject the world to subpar intelligence so it can't be perverted.
* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: He never makes any attempt to kill Barry or go after his body. Ultimately it's revealed that [=DeVoe=] needed Barry alive as well as his access to the Speed Force, which would give eternal knowledge. Putting Barry into [=DeVoe=]'s mind was exactly what he wanted.
* CardCarryingVillain: No matter how he started, by the end of the season he's straight-up evil and he ''knows'' it. In the finale, he even refers to himself as "the BigBad" while taunting Barry.
* CastFromHitPoints: His brainpower takes up too much energy for his body to handle, causing him to become slowly paralyzed similar to ALS.
* CatchPhrase: One he shares with Marlize is that he often tells her that "I'm nothing without you" which becomes less sincere as the season goes on.
* ChekhovsGunman: He's been mentioned quite a few times before he even makes a proper appearance.
* TheChessmaster: Straight from the get-go, he's been shown manipulating Team Flash's every move. Tricking them into releasing the Flash from the Speed Force, using the Speed Force dark matter to create a dozen metas, planting the Samuroid head as a surveillance device in S.T.A.R. Labs, breaking Team Flash apart, and perfectly orchestrating Barry to be framed for his murder. Barry likens him to treating them all like chess pieces, and [=DeVoe=] is actually seen [[SmartPeoplePlayChess playing chess]] to hone the analogy through. Team Flash discover [=DeVoe=] has been setting his plan in motion for ''three'' years, that's three years to orchestrate getting everyone onto the bus so they could get hit by dark matter.
* ColonyDrop: In a final supreme act of spite, [=DeVoe=] sends the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite into a decaying orbit to destroy Central City.
* CombatClairvoyance: In "We Are The Flash", the [[MesACrowd [=DeVoe=] clones]] conjured up in his mind can read Barry and Ralph's thoughts and able to perfectly counter their attacks. However, Ralph gets around it by thinking up something he loves ([[TrademarkFavoriteFood shrimp]]) to act as a PsychicBlockDefense.
* ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: He's almost exclusively referred to by his last name. His supervillain moniker "The Thinker" wasn't established till the seventh episode of Season 4, and even then characters generally call him [=DeVoe=] with Thinker being scarcely used.
** Thinker himself finds this amusing, and is glad they chose it over the alternative, The Teacher.
** Played straight with his Thinking Cap, which is his own description of it.
* TheComicallySerious: His ponderous speaking style suddenly becomes hilarious when he's describing people's regular lives before becoming metas.
* CompositeCharacter: He uses a Thinking Cap like his classic comic self, but he also takes some traits from his New 52 incarnation, most notably his deteriorating body. In the finale, he uploads his consciousness into his chair, making him the show's counterpart of the AI Thinker created by Mr. Terrific. In addition, this Thinker combines traits from many other characters from DC comics, from both Flash lore and other sources.
** Appearance-wise, he takes cues from Metron (sitting in a chair and a helmet over his head) and Brainiac (exposed brain connected to a machine with wires with a hexagonal helmet).
** He's also the WorldsSmartestMan; typically in the [[Creator/DCComics DC]] mythos, the person with that title is ComicBook/LexLuthor.[[note]]We know that Lex himself does exist on [[Series/Supergirl2015 Earth-38]], but it's unknown what his status is on Earth-1[[/note]] He also has a similar BrainsEvilBrawnGood relationship with the Flash, which fits with Barry being TheCape for Earth-1's Arrowverse.
** He's the one who controls Samuroids, something that was done by Baron Katana in the comics.
** His characterization is very similar to the Ultra-Humanite, who is a scientist who has genius-level intelligence and transferred his brain or consciousness into other bodies, including women's, and hi-jacking their bodies as his own. In addition, both UH and [=DeVoe=] shared a degenerative disease that was slowly destroying their bodies pre-transformation.
** Speaking of {{Body Surf}}ing, him doing so through a set of wires attached to a CoolChair brings to mind the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'''s version of Ra's Al-Ghul.
** His costume is very similar to that of Brainstorm (specifically the Axel Storm version) being a purple suit with pauldrons and massive silver headgear used for amplifying their powers and utilising a hovering CoolChair. Fittingly, [=DeVoe=] actually takes over the body of Brainstorm in the series.
** He takes the place of Eobard Thawne as the one Barry Allen is put on trial for murdering in ''ComicBook/TheTrialOfTheFlash'' story.
** His ultimate plan (the Enlightenment) is identical to Dr. Sivana's from a 2000s [[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Outsiders]] arc.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: He is the first major villain who isn't a speedster. He also breaks the trend of the BigBad hiding a secret identity underneath a mask, as both his name and face have been shown off since the first episode of the season, while Team Flash track him down and confront him by Episode 7, "Therefore I Am".
** [=DeVoe=] never used to be a member of Team Flash unlike the three previous Big Bads[[note]]Thawne masquerading as Harrison Wells was a founding member and defacto TeamDad, Zoom under the guise of "Jay Garrick" helped fight the VillainOfTheWeek metas and substituted for Barry when the time called, while Savitar being a future time remnant of Barry himself has all of the knowledge of his past self's time as a member of Team Flash.[[/note]]
** He's also a contrast to Season 1 Thawne. Both use wheelchairs, but in Thawne's case it was ObfuscatingDisability as he could walk, but he needed it to balance his powers. [=DeVoe=] on the other hand does truly need it due to his powers giving him a form of ALS and rather resents having to use a wheelchair. Thawne steals the likeness of people (or at least duplicates it) by putting their DNA on him while [=DeVoe=] possesses bodies.
** Unlike Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar but conversely [[EvilCounterpart very much like]] Barry, he happens to be in a relationship with someone who knows of and supports everything he does; by contrast, the previous three {{Big Bad}}s were [[LonersAreFreaks loners]] who didn't give a damn about anyone but themselves. Also worth noting, he's the only one of the antagonists who ''never'' got close to Caitlin[[note]]Thawne saw Caitlin and Cisco as his own children, Zoom developed feelings for Caitlin and wanted to [[WeCanRuleTogether draw her into his life]], and Savitar worked closely with Killer Frost after revealing his true identity.[[/note]].
** Much like Savitar, he is able to anticipate Team Flash's every move and develop an appropriate way to counter it. However, whereas Savitar could do that because his memories were constantly being rewritten by his past self and thus he could [[XanatosSpeedChess quickly develop a counter-measure]], [=DeVoe=] really is just [[TheChessmaster that good]] [[CrazyPrepared a planner]], being the WorldsSmartestMan and all. In fact, it turns out that trying to outsmart a man who has been able to plan for every single possible scenario turns out to be ''at least'' as difficult as trying to break a predestined time loop, if not even more so.
** Thawne and Zolomon stole the identities of real heroes to hide their identities, while Savitar used a few impersonations to trick people. [=DeVoe=] steals bodies of Bus Metas to get their powers.
* CoolChair: It flies and shoots lasers. And is probably quite comfortable as well. It also serves as a [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport means of life support]], granted to him by Marlize.
* CrazyPrepared: This guy plans for ''everything''.
** His EvilPlan was set into motion four years in the works, where he has planned for each subject to be on the bus to get hit with dark matter and predicting the specific powers they'd gain.
** He anticipated that Team Flash would try to destroy one of the satellites he built, so instead had the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite as a backup already in place.
* TheCynic: Even before gaining his Metahuman powers, [=DeVoe=] had a very negative viewpoint on people and believed that the advancement of technology would just lead to humans finding new ways to hurt each other. It's what eventually leads him to begin The Enlightenment and the rest is history.
* DarkReprise: He sings a rendition of "Goin' Out of My Head", which symbolizes his connection with Marlize, when he's shown brainwashing her with the Weeper's tears.
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget: As the season progresses, he becomes increasingly cruel with each bus meta power he acquires, and eventually the once WellIntentionedExtremist that he was to begin with is no more and in his place is a [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who kills without hesitation and only seeks to [[InTheirOwnImage remake the world in his own image]].
* DeadMansSwitch: On the chance that The Enlightenment failed and he was defeated, [=DeVoe=] implemented one last failsafe which would activate once he died. He has the main satellite plummet towards Central City which would trigger an extinction-level event [[TakingYouWithMe as one final screw you to Team Flash]]. Barry very nearly dies trying to stop it and is only saved due to his [[KidFromTheFuture future daughter]] Nora interfering with history and assisting him in taking it down.
* DeathByDepower: His M.O in killing metas: snag them with his CombatTentacles and drain their powers until they're nothing but a corpse.
* DeathOfPersonality: The original [=DeVoe=], who was a devoted husband to Marlize and a man who genuinely wanted to make the world a better place, is eventually revealed to be well and truly dead in the season finale when Barry enters his mind and finds the 'Good [=DeVoe=]' dead with a hole in his chest.
* DidntSeeThatComing:
** For all his claims of being smart enough [[TheChessmaster to plan for everything]] this happens to him twice over in ''True Colors.'' The first instance being a failure to predict Amunet and Warden Wolfe selling the Bus Metas he made before all of them were caught and gathered in one place. The second where he didn't expect Ralph's ability to shape shift, and pose as a still living Clifford [=DeVoe=], in order to free Barry from prison.
** Happens again in "Fury Rogue" when [=DeVoe=] fails to anticipate Barry freezing in fear, causing him to lose Fallout. This seems to overlap with EvilCannotComprehendGood as Marlize surmises that despite his incredible ability to account all possibilities, he cannot know how someone is feeling.
** He remarks his first miscalculation he ever made was letting Marlize build his CoolChair without his supervision, as she had put in a force field that even [=DeVoe=] couldn't penetrate. When she turns tail and abandons him, it's the one thing that keeps getting in his way.
* DomesticAbuse: While he starts out as a loving husband to Marlize, as time went on and [=DeVoe=]'s morals degraded, he became increasingly controlling and manipulative towards her, drugging her with Weeper's tears to keep her docile, and eventually falling into straight up emotional abuse, telling her that [[ItsAllAboutMe she's nothing without him and that her only purpose is to support him]].
* DrunkOnTheDarkSide: The [[PowerCorrupts more superpowers he acquires]] the more of a bastard he becomes. Although presented as being sympathetic at first, he's lost all his redeeming qualities by the season's end and is just as bad as his predecessors.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: When first introduced his relationship with Marlize was a loving one and they were equally devoted to each other, but as time went on his powers gave him a nasty case of DrunkOnTheDarkSide and he started to only care about himself, proven when he gave Marlize the Weeper's tears as an obedience sedative to keep her in line. It reaches the point where his last shred of humanity, his love for his wife, is lost and all that is left of him is The Thinker.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: PlayedForLaughs; while monitoring Hazard, he remarks that Sarasota, Florida is a terrible place to be born. That being said, even with all his scheming, he won't interfere with Barry's wedding, not wanting to disrupt true love.
* EvilCostumeSwitch: Whenever he steals the body of a bus meta, he dresses his new body in a [[EvilWearsBlack black outfit]]. After using Ralph's elastic body to regain his original form [=DeVoe=] dispenses with his frumpy hairstyle and goes for a much shorter one now that he is no longer masquerading as an AbsentMindedProfessor.
* EvilCounterpart:
** Despite being [[ContrastingSequelAntagonist so different to his predecessors]], [=DeVoe=] still manages to be one to Barry. Both of them were 'created' on the night of the Particle Accelerator explosion, and both of them were struck by lightning. But while Barry's physiology became super powered, [=DeVoe=]'s mind was what became enhanced. They similarly wanted to help the world, but while Barry was hailed as a superhero, [=DeVoe=] was slowly dying due to his mind siphoning all the energy from his body. They also have extremely different approaches, with Barry being well known for rushing in blindly, while [=DeVoe=] [[TheChessmaster plans out everything]] to the finest detail. Also, both he and Barry are in supporting relationships, which is more that can be said about all the other {{Big Bad}}s.
** He's also been played up as one to Harry Wells. Both of whom regard their intelligence as being their superpower. Harry even makes himself a Thinking Cap so that he could keep up with [=DeVoe=], almost making him a Good Thinker. And when both Thinking Caps went wrong [=DeVoe=]'s intelligence was supercharged to SuperIntelligence levels while Harry's intelligence got slowly sapped away until he was a complete simpleton with barely any functional brain power.
** He could also be one to Martin Stein. Both of them are renowned [[TheProfessor Professors]] and both have loving wives. Both became metahumans on the night of the Particle Accelerator explosion which they regard as CursedWithAwesome. However, Martin went on to become a superhero and resolved his condition with the help of his friends, while [=DeVoe=] became a villain who used his newfound powers to ruin the lives of others in his own interest.
* EvilCripple: Due to his superpowered brain slowly killing the rest of his body, he's become paralyzed from the waist down and can't move without his hovering chair or a wheelchair.
* EvilGenius: A supervillain who has SuperIntelligence.
* EvilGloating: Loves reminding Barry and Team Flash of how every failure they've experienced at his hands.
* EvilIsPetty: Goes out of his way to gloat about how much more intelligent he is than everyone else. He also ends up gratuitously killing Warden Wolfe simply for unwittingly interfering in his plans, much to his wife's shock.
* EvilPlan: Refers to his plan as "The Enlightenment". While it's [[HiddenAgendaVillain unclear]] at the start of the season what exactly it is, he'll go to [[TheUnfettered any]] lengths to make sure it succeeds. Near the end of the season its revealed that the Enlightenment is a plan to use five satellites orbiting the Earth to release a wave of Dark Matter to reset the brains of everyone on Earth in order to make them susceptible to being retaught by [=DeVoe=] and remake the world [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. Apparently, he was then going to use Barry's body to access the Speed Force and impose his will on all of time itself.
* EvilSoundsDeep: He has a low, resonant voice that adds to his cold, creepy aura. His second body also has a deep voice, which keeps up the trend, but [[AvertedTrope the third]] has a high-pitched voice that almost clashes with [=DeVoe=]'s highly intellectual dialogue.
* EvilTeacher: Before his alleged death, he hides his identity behind his job as a university professor. That said, he was already a professor before becoming a supervillain.
* EvilLuddite: It turns out he was a staunch detractor of technology.
* EvilWearsBlack: After stealing bodies, [=DeVoe=] dresses in black.
* ExactWords: In "True Colors", [=DeVoe=], in the telepathic body of Dominic Lanse, promises Marlize he will "erase every doubt from [her] head". Later he's shown using his telepathy to literally erase Marlize's memories of her discovering [=DeVoe=]'s true intentions.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:F-M]]
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Double subverted. He claims to have considered the possibility of failing in his plan and dying, but he goes out screaming and blubbering as Ralph takes back his body. The digital version of him, by contrast, doesn't bat an eye when Marlize prepares to destroy it.
* FaceHeelTurn:
** He goes from well-meaning professor to narcissist murderer and becomes more awful with each bus meta he hijacks. Marlize justifies this as being a result of the excessive dark matter corrupting his mind, though even she gradually turns on him.
** Even after becoming the Thinker, there is a very sharp contrast between the [=DeVoe=] at the start of the season, who genuinely loved and cared for his wife, to the [=DeVoe=] at the end of the season who was so devoid of humanity that he could not bring himself to see his wife as more than a mechanic to carry out his bidding.
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: After stealing Becky Sharpe's body, he/she has the face of a sweet young woman (which Becky genuinely was) and the mind of a calculating evil genius willing to murder someone else to take over their body. Later he steals Ralph Dibny's body, which also gives him an adorable appearance, but he uses Dibny's powers to have his original likeness back.
* FakingTheDead: After hijacking Dominic Lanse's body, [=DeVoe=] uses his old body to fake his own murder to frame Barry for it.
* FauxAffablyEvil: While he's not as vicious as Hunter Zolomon, [=DeVoe=]'s courtesy hides an absolute arrogance and distinct lack of regard for others. He also hides his true villainous persona by pretending that he's still an affable history professor. The façade grows thinner and thinner as he becomes more powerful and cruel, to the point that any time he acts polite, he's simply mocking whomever he's speaking with, and he's much more open with how callous he truly is. His tendency to call everyone with Mr. and Ms. just show condescension.
* FanDisservice: He dresses more provocatively while killing and hijacking two female bodies of attractive women, but it shows how careless [=DeVoe=] has become to his wife, who is not even lesbian or bisexual, not to mention that he has become outright abusive to her. Even back with the more or less handsome Dominic, his morality was decaying.
* FatalFlaw: His emotional detachment [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide as he becomes more powerful]] proves to be his undoing as his callousness alienates his wife, who later provides crucial aide to Team Flash in allowing Barry to enter his mind to find Dibny, and use the emotional bond created through the season to work together in allowing Dibny to take back control of his body.
* FlawExploitation: Clifford [=DeVoe=] has exploited Harry Wells' InferioritySuperiorityComplex to bring his undoing.
* {{Foil}}:
** He has a lot of parallels with Eobard Thawne. Both are an ArchEnemy to Barry Allen, both are [[TheChessmaster chessmasters]] who go to ridiculous lengths to plans and anticipate their opponent's every move. Both also created metas via dark matter as part of their plan, both made use of a wheelchair in their civilian identities, and both need The Flash to improve their bodies. However, the differences emerge with their personal connections. Thawne started as a TheSociopath who only desired to best The Flash, but after getting TrappedInThePast he slowly humanizes and grows genuinely fond of Team Flash and even Barry himself while retaining his hate. [=DeVoe=] was introduced as being in a loving relationship with his wife Marlize, but as the season progressed and he grew more detached from her, seeing her more as a tool to serve him rather than a lover, even keeping her drugged and erasing her memories so that she will stay compliant. Both sought to launch a dark matter wave from S.T.A.R. Labs, but Thawne's explosion was to empower some heroes including but not limited to Barry Allen while [=DeVoe=]'s wave was to activate satellites that would make everyone stupid.
** He's also this to Zoom. Both function as an EvilCounterpart to Barry and start out with merely trying to [[MortalityPhobia prevent their own death]], and their lethal conditions come from their overdose of powers. Both are also TheSociopath and alienated their LoveInterest as a result. However, [=DeVoe=] differs from Zoom as preventing his death was merely a step towards his actual goal to erase the intelligence of humanity while Zoom simply decided to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the multiverse]] because he had nothing better to do. [=DeVoe=] genuinely believed he was making [[WellIntentionedExtremist the world a better place]] by erasing humanity's intelligence before being DrunkWithPower. Zoom started out [[CardCarryingVillain well aware of how evil he is]]. Finally [=DeVoe=] got more sociopathic as his plan progressed while Zoom still retained some emotional bonds to his parents and Caitlin. They just weren't enough to overcome his sociopathy.
** To a lesser extent to Savitar. Both are villains who are both TheChessmaster and able to anticipate ''everything'' Team Flash does, only Savitar is able to do so because he's from the future and already lived it, while [=DeVoe=]'s SuperIntelligence allows him to account for all variables. Both are also among the only sympathetic {{Tragic Villain}}s who took a fall from grace and still having {{Morality Pet}}s believing they can be redeemed. Both also utilize one of Barry's sidekicks as an asset to achieve their EvilPlan, with Savitar using Wally to escape the Speed Force, while [=DeVoe=] uses Ralph and his SuperToughness to permanently stave off the degeneration of his body.
* ForceChoke: He can do so via Null's [[GravityMaster gravity powers]].
* ForeignCultureFetish: He appears to have a fixation on Japan, judging by his lectures on Japanese history and his decision to model his android on a samurai.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Talked up by both Abra Kadabra and Savitar prior to his appearance in Season Four. Savitar says that Barry will use a "cerebral inhibitor" against [=DeVoe=].
** [=DeVoe's=] body is rapidly deteriorating, and has already survived past its predicted death of four years ago due to the chair.
** [=DeVoe=] repeatedly emphasizes that he has predicted everything that has so far transpired, presumably including all the details on his new metas.
* ForTheEvulz: After acquiring all the bus meta powers, he develops an enjoyment in taking lives simply because he can.
** When a security guard tries to stop him and Marlize, he makes the guard perform a PsychicAssistedSuicide. Marlize's pleas that killing him was unnecessary, he unempathically states that there would be casualties and he brought his death upon himself for standing in [=DeVoe=]'s way.
** He cruelly slaughters all of the ARGUS guards when he goes to steal Fallout, for no reason other than his own amusement and because the modern music of one of the guards displeased him.
** He attempts to kill Gypsy just because even if she represents no threat to his plans and is only stopped by Marlize.
* FrameUp: He sets up his old body to be stabbed and left for Barry to find, leaving him to be arrested by the CCPD.
* FreudianExcuse: Realizing his super-intelligence is also slowly killing him is unfair. He sees certain metahuman living to become criminals as another unfair example.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From a mild-mannered professor, annoyed by the apathy of his students to a megalomaniac.
* AGodAmI: While he never outright claims to be god, he's under the impression he's the only one deserving of intelligence. He also [[AsTheGoodBookSays loves making biblical references]] as if he's the Messiah.
* GrandTheftMe: What he does to Dominic. And later to Becky. And then to Izzy. And to Edwin. Then Ralph, with the last body theft proving to be the last one he needs, as Ralph's powers allow [=DeVoe=]'s body to endure his enhanced intelligence without degrading.
* GreenEyedMonster: He's more than a little resentful that his powers cost him his mobility, while other metas -- especially the Flash did not pay a price for theirs; he specifically wants to teach Barry what it feels like to "lose".
* GoodHairEvilHair: After he steals Ralph's body and uses the {{Rubber Man}}'s {{ShapeShifting}} powers to assume his original form, he goes with a completely different style to what he had at the start of the season, signifying how he's no longer the [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-meaning professor]] [[VisionaryVillain he was was]] but now a [[TheSociopath cold-blooded killer]] who [[ItsAllAboutMe stops at nothing to get what he wants]].
* GottaKillThemAll: He created twelve metahumans to dispose of their lives.
* HappilyMarried: He loves his wife and helper Marlize. Or at least did before his mental health deteriorated.
* HandicappedBadass: His lethal condition has not made him any less of a menace; he is skilled with his flying chair and he kills and steals the body of people and copying powers, which hasn't cured his condition but makes him extremely dangerous.
* HateSink: Whatever sympathy the audience may have for him dissipates as his actions grow more and more vile. These include kidnapping the Weeper, stealing Dominic's body, ''and'' framing Barry for his own murder. But what really seals the deal that he's a villain meant to be despised is how he keeps stealing the bodies of bus metahumans that were about to befriend Team Flash, with the implication the original owner of the body dies, along with the revelation his once healthy relationship with his wife turned to a far more abusive one. He gets to the point of irredeemable when he steals Ralph's body, just after Ralph had decided to spare his life too.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: He was fighting at first against human evilness, but later he ended up becoming a serial killer, an abusive husband, and someone who desires to remake the world [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]].
* HeroKiller: He ultimately [[GrandTheftMe bodyjacks]] Ralph, leading to his apparent demise.
* HiddenAgendaVillain: While we get to see his face in the very first episode of his debut season, his exact plan and motives remain a mystery. He refers to his ultimate goal as "The Enlightenment", but exactly what this is remains unexplained. Whenever asked what he's planning, he always claims that no one else could comprehend what he's going to do. It's finally revealed that his EvilPlan is to reboot the brains of everyone in the world so that they become unintelligent, allowing him to reteach all of them and remake the world in his image.
* HiddenDepths: No matter what stage in life he's in, [=DeVoe=] is shown to have a fascination with music. "Goin' Out of My Head" is sung by him several times to illustrate his relationship with Marlize, and he shows off his genius by finishing Schubert's Unfinished Symphony and [[InstantExpert playing the violin right after picking one up]]. His attack on A.R.G.U.S. starts with him forcing a guard's phone to play the Hallelujah Chorus. He specifically singles out "modern music" as one of the many things he hates about the current world.
* IconicOutfit: He changes his appearance a lot, but his most iconic outfit is him donning the Thinking Cap, clad in black, and sitting in his [[CoolChair hoverchair]].
* IfICantHaveYou: When the Enlightenment is averted and he realizes that he will never become the ruler of humanity like he wanted, he decides to simply destroy the world. Knowing that Marlize has well and truly cut her ties with him, he's content with the idea of her dying with everyone else.
* InSpiteOfANail: In the original post-Flashpoint timeline, [=DeVoe=] was said to be one of the primary enemies of the Flash. Even with Savitar dead and [[StableTimeLoop his role in the timeline erased]], this is apparently still the case.
* InsufferableGenius: He never misses an opportunity to bring up how smart he is, or belittle Team Flash. He's ''amused'' that Barry thinks he'll understand his EvilPlan.
* InTheirOwnImage: This is the main point of the Enlightenment; he wants to use dark matter-equipped satellites to dumb down every other person on Earth so that he can rule over the stupefied masses. In this way, all human society will be turned into a giant monument to himself.
* InvincibleVillain: Initially, his [[TheChessmaster ridiculous]] [[CrazyPrepared planning]] and his wife's [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist scientific]] [[GadgeteerGenius acumen]] make him a formidable but rather even-handed match for Team Flash. But on top of that, then he gets [[PsychicPowers telepathy]]. And then the power to [[SizeShifting size]]-[[ShrinkRay shift]], to [[WindsOfDestinyChange manipulate probability]], to [[{{Technopath}} control technology]], and to [[AnimateInanimateObject bring inanimate]] [[AnimatedArmor objects to life]]. And then the power to [[MakeMeWannaShout induce soundwaves]]. [[OverlyLongGag And then]] [[GravityMaster gravity manipulation]], [[ThinkingUpPortals the ability to]] [[ExtraDimensionalShortcut create portals]], and the ability to [[PowerParasite siphon, transfer]] and/or [[PowerNullifier nullify]] the powers of other metahumans. [[RefugeInAudacity And then]] [[RubberMan all]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting of]] [[ImmuneToBullets Ralph's]] [[SuperStrength powers]]. And before his defeat, we learn he was gunning for SuperSpeed as well. Suffice to say, it would now be a gross understatement to say that Team Flash is an underdog going against him.
* {{Irony}}: An EvilLuddite ends up completely dependent on technology to get anything done.
* ItsAllAboutMe: As the season progresses it becomes clear that [=DeVoe=] is only out for his own self-interests even destroying his relationship with his wife if it means she gets in the way of '''his''' plans. His end goal, the Enlightenment is less about trying to better the world but rather to remake it [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]], effectively achieving [[AGodAmI godhood]].
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: "Therefore She Is" has him ''almost'' looking like he'll spare the security guard who stood in his way, but he forces him through a PsychicAssistedSuicide just as he teleports away.
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: Barry does this in the finale, traveling into [=DeVoe=]'s mind in the hopes they can find the "good [=DeVoe=]" to overpower the "evil [=DeVoe=]", only to find [[DeathOfPersonality the good [=DeVoe=] is dead]].
* KickTheDog:
** Not only did he steal the bus meta bodies but he takes great amusement in [[EvilGloating reminding Barry of his failures]], even speaking in Ralph's voice to further taunt him.
** When he raids ARGUS in "Think Fast", not only does he kill all of the guards, he does so very cruelly and painfully. He shrinks one of the guards and squashes him under his foot, [[{{Technopathy}} Kilg%re's the guards tasers to shock themselves]], {{Force Choke}}s several of them, and after he's killed a whole heap of them he uses his [[MindOverMatter effigy animation]] to reanimate the dead guards' corpses to kill the reinforcements sent in. To top it all off he had no reason to kill a single one, as he had already gone to the trouble of impersonating John Diggle to bypass security, he killed the guards [[ForTheEvulz for the fun of it]].
* KickTheMoralityPet:
** When Marlize starts questioning [=DeVoe=]'s plans, [=DeVoe=] responds by drugging her with Weeper's tears to keep her in line.
** When Marlize starts pleading him not to kill anyone else and reminds him they were trying to save people, [=DeVoe=] scoffs and states that they couldn't save everyone. Marlize then declares she would not watch him take another innocent life, to which [=DeVoe=] uses his [[GravityMaster gravity powers]] to turn her around and [[ForcedToWatch forces her to watch him kill Gypsy]]. Though Marlize does manage to talk him out of it by appealing to his ego on teaching lessons.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: In "Subject 9" after Barry is hit with a MindRape, [=DeVoe=] proceeds to kick the incapacitated Barry while he's on the ground.
* KnightOfCerebus: As with previous season-long {{Big Bad}}s before him, his very presence creates a dark and oppressive atmosphere wherever he goes, which is especially evident in the DenserAndWackier Season Four. Most of his appearances immediately precede some major tragedy (by his hands).
* LackOfEmpathy: [=DeVoe=] often speaks of others as if they're specimens beneath a microscope, rather than human beings with their own thoughts and feelings. He calls the bus metas "test subjects" and views them as nothing more than assets that house powers. He's not totally void of compassion ([[TookALevelInJerkass at least, not at first]]), but he still seems rather detached from the rest of the human race. He becomes more and more apathetic as time goes on.
* LastNameBasis:
** For the first six episodes of Season Four, he's only referred to by his last name as opposed to his full name from the comics, Clifford [=DeVoe=]. Even after being nicknamed "The Thinker" he is mostly called [=DeVoe=].
** This also holds true on his end, always referring to everyone by their Mr. or Mrs. title.
* {{Leitmotif}}: [=DeVoe=] has a very creepy, mechanical almost [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader-esque]] sounding [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4nh23GmtTM theme music]].
* LoveIsAWeakness: Comes to believe this after seeing Marlize get distracted through affectionate gestures, before fully adopting it when she turns on him.
* MesACrowd: When Barry invades his mind and battles him alongside Ralph, [=DeVoe=] conjures hundreds of copies of himself to fight them.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: He holds the legitimate title of a Professor of History, but he's secretly a criminal mastermind.
* MoralMyopia: He does not appear to think of himself as a villain, more as a NecessarilyEvil who will help achieve his endgame of "The Enlightenment".
* MortalityPhobia: Despite claiming that his main goal is carrying out a plan called "The Enlightenment," [=DeVoe=] spends much of Season Four trying to ward off his death by any means necessary, including the theft of multiple metahumans' bodies.
* MovieSuperheroesWearBlack: The Thinker of the comics generally wore civilian clothes or a purple costume. This Thinker has a black leather outfit for when he uses his chair, and later takes to wearing a black BadassLongcoat after stealing Ralph's body.
* MythologyGag: In "We are the Flash" he performs a BrainUploading, essentially existing as an AI, which is what he did become in the comics.
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[[folder:N-W]]
* {{Narcissist}}: In the present, he's all but in love with himself and his intelligence. The effects of this range from him proclaiming himself to be the Fastest Mind Alive to boasting that he's more of a threat to Team Flash than even the likes of Eobard Thawne. Then it turns out that his plan revolves around making everyone else a simpleton, meaning he can reshape the world of idiots in his own image.
* NearVillainVictory: He was mere moments away from finishing the execution of The Enlightenment and almost killed Team Flash. Only the timely intervention of Barry freeing Ralph from the grasp of [=DeVoe=]'s mind and having him take back control of his body put a stop to his plans.
* NeverMyFault: After Marlize leaves him when he crosses one line to many [=DeVoe=] never once considers that his own abusive actions were the cause and concludes that LoveIsaWeakness and one that must be purged from humanity with the Enlightenment.
* NewBodyOldAbilities: It doesn't matter which body he takes over, he keeps every single ability of every metahuman he has ever possessed before.
* NewMediaAreEvil: In "Think Fast", he professes a distaste for modern music and bemoans the use of "idiot phones."
* NoNonsenseNemesis: While the other Big Bads like Thawne, Zoom, and Savitar kept Barry either because their evil plans required it, or just to toy with him -- [=DeVoe=] is very blunt, he frames Barry for his own murder and sends a tip to Captain Singh to have him arrested.
* NoSell: He knows to negate the seer skills of a Vibe character.
* NonActionBigBad: He creates plans and sends his minions to fulfill them while monitoring them from his control room rather than try to fight Barry himself. Justified, as he has an advanced form of ALS and must rely on his CoolChair to delay the effects. {{Subverted}}, as the mid-season finale shows that his chair is indeed capable of kicking ass. Completely averted in the second half of the season, where he steals the bodies and/or powers of the bus-metas, making it so he's more than capable of putting up a fight. By the end of the season he might very well be the most powerful BigBad Barry has ever faced, physically ''and'' intellectually.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He surely ''started out'' wanting humankind to live up to its intellectual potential before he got his powers, but as of now, it's made very clear that the one thing he is interested in is gaining power for himself. Not even his own wife is safe from him. He loses all redeeming qualities after taking all of the bus metas powers for himself, he's all about carrying out his Enlightenment, and everyone in the way will die. The Enlightenment itself, as Barry points out, is ''not'' out of a desire to actually improve the world as he so claims, but to effectively [[ControlFreak gain control]] over a newly stupefied world and [[AGodAmI lead it]] [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]]. When foiled, he is more than willing to have a massive satellite crash into Central City and kill countless people as well starting an extinction-level event that would wipe out all life on Earth, simply out of spite.
* ObviouslyEvil: When hooked up to his [[DarkIsEvil black]] CoolChair and dressed in [[HellBentForLeather a dark leather shirt]] he very much looks like a stereotypical EvilOverlord. Though this is [[AvertedTrope averted]] entirely in his civilian guise.
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: After using his Thinking Cap, he easily outclasses a neurologist consult; [=DeVoe=] not only corrects the timeframe for his deterioration but within moments deduces his new mind is the cause of it. He's also shown casual brilliance at music theory, and especially high-end probability, claiming he can predict thousands of variables with certainty. Oddly, his chair is solely his wife's creation.
* OneManArmy: After acquiring all the bus meta powers, he is, in Cisco's words, a "one man LegionOfDoom".
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Subverted. He certainly qualifies at first glance considering he usually delegates tasks to his assistant and is always shown sitting in his chair (in fact, it's initially unclear whether or not he even can leave it). However, it turns out his chair is ''highly'' mobile (it can literally fly) and as such, [=DeVoe=] is entirely capable of going to different locations if he wants to. He also can't leave it for very long, given that it balances out how much dark matter is powering his brain to the rest of his body.
* PetTheDog: Despite all his later {{Domestic Abuse}}r tendencies towards her, he ''does'' spare Gypsy after the pleading of his wife.
* PossessionBurnout: He can prolong his life by pulling a GrandTheftMe on one of the bus metas, but his new body will have the same problems with ALS his old one had. As a result, he's had to go through four metas so far; Dominic, Becky, Izzy, Edwin and Ralph. Ralph's body ends up solving this problem, as Ralph's abilities allow his body to host [=DeVoe=]'s enhanced intellect without degrading.
* PowerAtAPrice: Basically, his super intelligence comes from his brain taking energy from his body rather than the other way around, resulting in his paralysis.
* PowerParasite: He [[BodySurf body surfs]] between the bus metas his scheme created, adding each one's powerset to his own in the process, making for a [[AllYourPowersCombined dangerous combination]]. Though with some of them he absorbs their powers without explicitly transferring his consciousness into them.
* PretenderDiss: He calls Harry's own Thinking Cap a "counterfeit cap."
* PunnyName: It sounds like "The Foe".
* PurpleIsPowerful: Thanks to Kilg%re's powers, [=DeVoe=] becomes heavily associated with the color purple, including that of The Enlightenment.
* PuttingOnMyThinkingCap: Wears his literal trademark Thinking Cap and states "I'm thinking" in his debut.
* RageBreakingPoint: Although he keeps himself composed in the face of his disease and upcoming death, ''Therefore I Am'' has him finally losing his cool when he realizes that [[NotSoStoic he's so weak that he can't even get a book off his shelf]].
* RageQuit: After the Enlightenment fails and he himself is reduced to a digital hologram on his chair, he spitefully decides to drop the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite right on Central City.
* RealityWarper: His eventual AllYourPowersCombined lets him manipulate gravity, matter, probability, and space.
* RedBaron: "The Fastest Mind Alive".
* RememberTheNewGuy: Although he was only introduced in Season 4, [=DeVoe=] was retroactively present at the night of the particle accelerator explosion and had been a metahuman all this time despite never making an appearance until 4 years later.
* RevealingSkill: During his initial interview with Barry and Joe, they mention the name "[=DeVoe=]" was revealed to be part of several investigations. Thinker responds that the city must have upwards of 1100 people by that name; in fact, it's 1122, so close Barry latches onto the slip.
* RoguesGalleryTransplant: The [=DeVoe=] Thinker was typically an enemy of the Jay Garrick and Wally West Flashes, before later moving over to Mr. Terrific. This [=DeVoe=] is a very personal enemy to Barry Allen having personally strived to destroy his life.
* SanitySlippage: With every jump from one body to another, [=DeVoe's=] mind becomes more and more unstable due to the excess amounts of dark matter he absorbs from each meta. Whatever goodness he once had is entirely gone, and just to drive the point home, Barry discovers that the [=DeVoe=] ''killed'' the goodness inside of him.
* SecretIdentity: Inverted. Unlike previous [[BigBad Big Bads]], he wears no mask, and we know what he looks like right from the start of the season (and find out his name even before that). Even so, he's still a mystery because ''very little else'' is known about him (it's mentioned that he has neither a criminal record nor any social media), least of all his motives.
* SerialKiller: He hunts down the bus metas, taking over their bodies and, with the execption of Ralph, destroying their consciousness.
* ShowingOffTheNewBody: After stealing bodies of attractive bus metas, he wears somewhat sexily.
* SlidingScaleOfVillainThreat: Each BigBad has become progressively more powerful, from Thawne, to Zoom, to Savitar. But that seemed to be averted with [=DeVoe=] who was a NonActionBigBad. This all changes after he steals the powers of the bus metas, and becomes ''easily'' the most powerful antagonist Barry has gone up against, being an InvincibleVillain who was almost unstoppable.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: He's shown playing chess against himself in "Luck Be A Lady".
* SmugSuper: He's very smug about his intellect and just loves rubbing it into Barry's face. After he acquires all of the bus meta powers he becomes even more arrogant, letting Barry strike him with the Sonic Scepter, just so he can demonstrate his body being completely invulnerable all the while smugly smiling.
* TheSociopath: Granted he didn't start as one as he genuinely cared for his wife originally but as the season progresses, he becomes one. With his LackOfEmpathy, manipulations, arrogance about his own powers and intelligence and selfishness to the point he's willing to start abusing his own wife and has thrown their once loving relationship away.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: No matter whose body [=DeVoe=] steals or who he happens to be impersonating, what always gives him away is his distinctive CreepyMonotone and use of technical words.
* StartXToStopX: He is a luddite that wants to destroy technology but not only is he alive thanks to technology, but also his plan depends on technology.
* StoryBreakerPower: When [=DeVoe=] steals the powers of almost all the bus metahumans, he becomes nigh-unbeatable to Team Flash. Brainwashing tears, brain damage, electronic control, bad luck, sonic waves, genetic control, gravity manipulation, portal creation, super resistance and shapeshifting. All of this combined with SuperIntelligence makes him unbeatable, so as a weakness he became unable to recognize emotions.
* StrawNihilist: He's very fond of delivering {{Hannibal Lecture}}s, is extremely cynical, pretty much believes himself to be the only one either capable of, or even worthy of, intelligent thought. He even quotes Nietzsche at Barry in ''Think Fast''.
* SuperIntelligence: [=DeVoe=]'s metahuman power is that his intellect was enhanced to superhuman levels. WordOfGod has described him as [[NotHyperbole literally]] the WorldsSmartestMan. Given that this is the ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'', filled to the brim with super scientists, hackers, and brilliant tacticians[[note]]e.g. [[Series/{{Arrow}} Deathstroke and Prometheus]][[/note]], that is saying '''a lot'''.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Even before he gains his super intelligence.
* TakeOverTheWorld: What "the Enlightening" ends up becoming, from helping humanity achieve intellectual potential to sapping away their intelligence and emotion to make the world more to his liking.
* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: When complaining to Captain Singh about Barry's stalking, [=DeVoe=] tells Barry to call him "Professor".
* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: While he does ''have'' a costume, when Barry and Joe finally manage to track him down he appears to be just an ordinary-looking guy in a wheelchair.
* TomTheDarkLord: He's a criminal mastermind and supervillain named "Clifford." In-universe, he shares his surname [=DeVoe=] with over a thousand people, making it difficult for Team Flash to single him out.
* TookALevelInBadass: He started off as the BigBad with the ''least'' physical threat in ''Series/{{The Flash|2014}}'', but over the course of the season he [[PowerParasite continuously steals the powers of the bus metas he created]], by the end of the season he's a [[AllYourPowersCombined walking arsenal of superpowers]] and was the most powerful villain Barry had ever gone up against at that point, reaching InvincibleVillain levels.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Between the flashbacks and present day, he became an ''enormous'' dick. While he still ''claims'' that he wants to improve the world, it's called into question as he seems mostly motivated to save himself now. He only gets worse as he grows more powerful, gradually losing any capacity he once had for empathy, occasionally devolving into cruelty for cruelty's sake, and even drugging his wife to keep her in line.
* UngratefulBastard:
** Marlize was a devoted wife and assistant to her husband, but that doesn't stop Clifford from drugging her into submission when she starts thinking in ways he doesn't like.
** Ralph spared [=DeVoe=]'s life after overpowering him. This proved to be a lethal mistake as [=DeVoe=] repaid his mercy by stealing his body without a hint of remorse.
* UnholyMatrimony: His assistant Marlize is also his wife. While their relationship is initially supportive, this evaporates once he becomes DrunkWithPower.
* UnskilledButStrong: [=DeVoe=] has no fighting abilities or significant combat experience. When he begins to take over the bodies of the bus metas, he generally fights by taking his opponents head-on and overwhelming them with his new powers.
* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Season 4 sought to return the series to its comedic tone, but this villain is quick to delete any goodwill since he is willing to incriminate, take the bodies of metahumans that bonded with Team Flash, mistreat his wife and dominate everyone with technology while depriving anyone else of intelligence.
* VillainHasAPoint: As he points out in a flashback, it doesn't seem fair that one of the few metahumans who wants to use his powers for a higher purpose should have to suffer paralysis and a slow death. He's also somewhat right in believing that technology may someday doom humanity. He is also right when mentioning that men corrupt even the best of ideas, and Marlize takes it as HypocriteHasAPoint.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: What makes it so hard to deal with [=DeVoe=] is there is absolutely nothing to legally pin him down. His record is squeaky clean so that the police refuse to press charges against him, and even the other members of Team Flash had a hard time believing he was the one behind everything. Part of Iris' plan is to write an exposé against him, making the public aware of his activities so that he can no longer stay hidden.
* VillainousAromanticAsexual: As he falls deeper and deeper into villainy, his love for his wife diminishes. It's also implied he was asexual even before turning evil.
* VillainousBreakdown:
** Begins to show signs of this in "Subject 9" when his second host body (Becky) is beginning to fail him faster than his wife can keep up, leading to him lashing out verbally at her.
** He doesn't take it well when he fails to anticipate the outcome. In "Fury Rogue" he had anticipated that the Flash would defeat Siren-X, but [[EvilCannotComprehendGood to his confusion]] Barry stands there frozen and doesn't retaliate, and this makes him absolutely lose it. This is due to his LackOfEmpathy as he doesn't understand the grief Barry is going through over losing Ralph which in turn affects him out in the field.
** He [[SoreLoser doesn't take actually losing]] well, screaming in disbelief that he's lost. While he regains some composure, his last spiteful act is [[TakingYouWithMe attempting to take the whole world with him]].
--> '''[=DeVoe=]:''' THIS IS NOT MY WILL!
* VillainousLegacy: While he dies in the season four finale, the events of The Enlightenment drive most of the plot in season five.
** [[spoiler:The falling pieces of the dark matter-infused satellite create more metahumans as well as meta-''technology'', and kill and injure several people--including young Grace Gibbons, motivating her uncle to hunt down ''every'' metahuman as a result of [=DeVoe=]'s actions.]]
** In addition to the above, [[spoiler:S.T.A.R. Labs loses their satellite, making it now very difficult to track metahumans and other dangers...at least until they figure out to [[StatusQuoIsGod hijack the other four satellites [=DeVoe=] launched]].]]
* VirtueIsWeakness: He starts to believe this after stealing Ralph's body which deeply hurts his wife and ultimately drives her into leaving him. Which is ultimately the flaw that brings him down.
* VisionaryVillain: Whatever his plans are, it vaguely involves uplifting humanity to its intellectual potential. In a conversation with Barry and Joe in his civilian identity, he almost tips his hand with a monologue about not just teaching people but changing how they think so they can learn. It was revealed later that he wants to strip everybody else of their intelligence so that he can teach them from scratch.
* VoicesAreNotMental: He takes on the voice of whatever body he steals. It's averted in the case of Ralph; he takes advantage of his current host's powers to regain his old voice and face.
* WickedCultured: He's very fond of classical pieces. He's seen playing classical piano quite skillfully and is even able to compose the rest of Schubert's Symphony No. 8, aka the "Unfinished Symphony," after listening to [[BeyondTheImpossible all 600 symphonies in the span of a single morning]]. In "Think Faster" while raiding ARGUS, he disapproves the modern music one of the guards is playing and uses Kilg%re's powers to change it to "Hallelujah To The King Of Kings" which continues playing as he slaughters all of the ARGUS guards.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: After getting his enhanced intelligence, he has become more and more immoral. This worsens when he kills and hijacks bodies of benevolent metahumans, growing increasingly unhinged with even the most minor setbacks in his plans, and becoming abusive to his wife even when he uses Ralph's body to regain his original likeness. He even loses the ability to understand other people's emotions, disregarding emotion as "[[EvilCannotComprehendGood that most aberrant of human weaknesses]]".
* WorldsSmartestMan: WordOfGod has stated he is the smartest person on Earth-1 and possibly TheMultiverse.
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