Thinker (DC Comics)

The Thinker is a name used by several super-villains in the DC Comics universe. The character was created by Gardner Fox and E.E. Hibbard, first appearing in All-Flash #12. (1943).

The original was Clifford DeVoe, a genius inventor who fought the Flash using his Thinking Cap. DeVoe was a member of the Injustice Society and the Suicide Squad. Cliff Carmichael later used the device and became an enemy to Firestorm. Desmond Connor also used the name as an enemy to Batman. Following DeVoe's death, Mister Terrific used the cap to create an artificial intelligence with his personality. This AI program gained sentience, and helps Checkmate as a hologram.

In other media

The character has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including television series and feature films. The Clifford DeVoe incarnation of the Thinker made his live-action debut in the television series The Flash, portrayed primarily by Neil Sandilands. In the DC Extended Universe, a variation of the unidentified Thinker called Gaius Grieves appears in The Suicide Squad (2021), portrayed by Peter Capaldi.