Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
The twin brother of Barry Allen who was switched at birth and raised as a criminal, that’s: Cobalt Blue
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Appearances in Heroclix: The Flash
First Appearance: Speed Force #1 (November 1997)
Team Affiliations: N/A
Powers/Abilities: Energy Based Constructs; Fire Control; Magic; Siphon Abilities/Power; Super Speed (via Siphon)
Created by: Mark Waid – Brian Augustyn
Nora Allen and Charlene Thawne both go to Dr. Asa Gilmore to give birth on the night that the good doctor has been drinking heavily. In the course of the two labors, Nora gives birth to twins while Charlene’s child dies during childbirth. Making an awful drunk decision, the doctor tells the Allens that one of the twins died during childbirth and gives one of their children to Charlene. The Allens name their baby Barry and raise him to be a hero. Charlene and her husband Hugo name their baby Malcolm, and raise him as part of their con artist life style.
The Thawnes use a real magical power, the healing touch of the blue flame, to heal people and afterwards sell them useless blue petroleum jelly. This power runs in the family and they mock young Malcolm for lacking it. When the boy is seventeen, his mother finally reveals to him in an argument that he was adopted. After seeking out Dr. Gilmore, Malcolm learns his true parentage and, in a rage, kills the doctor.
Malcolm travels the world, committing petty crimes until he is ready to confront his long lost brother. He soon learns that Barry is a police officer and so Malcolm gets a job as a janitor at the Central City Police Station. Malcolm grows to hate Barry over time, feeling that his brother got all the “good stuff,” and even witnesses the accident that creates the Flash.
Malcolm returns to his adoptive grandmother and begs her to teach him the power of the blue flame. She teaches him that the true power of the blue flame is to steal anything your heart desires, if you just want it enough. Together they forge a talisman into which Malcolm places all his hatred and jealousy of Barry. Malcolm wears this talisman and uses it to become the villain Cobalt Blue.
The first time he challenges the Flash ends up with Malcolm trapped inside his talisman. Years after Barry’s disappearance, and assumed death during The Crisis, Malcolm escapes his talisman and attempts to draw Barry out by attacking the Flash museum, Barry’s home and lab at the police station. Jay Garrick confronts Cobalt only for the villain to steal the original Flash’s speed. Wally West, now acting as the Flash, confronts Cobalt at Barry’s tombstone and is able to defeat the villain by buying time after pushing Malcolm to share his life story.
Malcolm continues to haunt Barry as the Blue Flame gem travels through time and comes into contact with various speedsters, allowing Thawne’s spirit to temporarily possess them. Malcolm is ultimately defeated when Wally uses a blast of Speed Force energy to overload and destroy the gem.
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