# The Flash S02E18: Versus Zoom **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2016, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flash-s02e18-versus-zoom/752718 "2016-04-20T13:04:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flash-s02e18-versus-zoom/752718/21 "2016-04-21T16:07:26Z")
> [@CorneaGenii](#): > > I too think Wally is the man in the iron mask and that, due to last-minute, save-the-world shenanigans, Earth-1 Wally will end up a speedster as well. Otherwise, the character is simply useless. The only thing that makes sense is that it’s Jay Garrick, who is Zolomon’s doppelganger from another Earth (3?). This ‘Zoloman’ is a reminder of the life Hunter could have had if things had worked out differently for him and he can’t bear to look at him, hence the mask. Jessie (quick) said that the man in the mask was already in the cage when she was taken there. Why would you cover the face of a man no one would see, except to hide him from yourself? Why would Zoloman need to cover Wally West’s face, why would he even keep him alive? We’ve seen that Zoloman has emotional weaknesses, hence his issues with his parents and why he grabbed Caitlin when she appealed to his emotional connection to her. What’s more emotional then seeing a version yourself unbroken and happy and knowing that could’ve been you? If you’re emotionally unable to kill him and you can’t bear to look at him, you cover his face. It has to be Jay in the mask. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flash-s02e18-versus-zoom/752718/22 "2016-04-21T16:29:50Z")
the man in the mask is Jay’s dad. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flash-s02e18-versus-zoom/752718/23 "2016-04-24T03:47:18Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Glaring plot hole of the episode - Wells said that everyone on Earth 2 knew Hunter Zolomon’s face. How is it that on Earth 2, no one looked at Flash (who runs around sans mask there) and noticed that he looks uncannily like the escaped serial killer? > > Other than that, I mostly liked the episode. The Jay Garrick in the comics just moved fast and vibrated his face so that people just saw a blurred outline. > [@Chet\_Manley](#): > > Any ideas regarding who is in the mask? Zoom said something along the lines of “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Then he mentioned something about family which made me think it was Barry’s Dad. Does that fit within the time line of when we last saw him? > > If Jay Garrick is Hunter Zolomon from the past does this mean he was faking not having the speed force? I thought Caitlin had performed tests. It is the Earth 2 Jay Garrick. Zoom defeated him, stole his power, and has been keeping him prisoner. While Barry and Jesse were prisoners, he used a code to tap out Jay. He was trying to tell them who he was, but Barry misunderstood. He wasn’t faking anything about no having the Speed Force. He started using Velocity 6 to get even faster, and it started damaging his cells, the only way he could survive was the fast healing from the Speed Force. But the Velocity 6 was cutting off his connection, so he needed to steal the Speed Force from other speedsters to stay alive. So no Speed Force when Caitlin tested him. > [@Quimby](#): > > I think the guy in the Iron Mask is the real (for Earth 2) Jay Garrick and he is either already a speedster or will become one. This story-line has to end with Earth 2 having a hero named Jay Garrick/The Flash, I think. Yeah, that is how it will play out. My bet is he was taken prisoner at the same time he lost his helmet through the wormhole. Zoom’s story about playing at being the Flash at the same time he was being Zoom is just a lie to keep the Flash team in the dark. > [@Munch](#): > > Nah - it’s gotta be Wally in the mask. Not sure where that is coming from. First, the guy in the mask is white. You can see his hands. Second, Wally just made his first trip to Earth 2, how did he get there in prison when Jesse was first captured? Wally is going to end up with speed sometime soon, possibly at the end of this season. But he isn’t the guy in the mask. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flash-s02e18-versus-zoom/752718.md?page=1)