Hartley Rathaway

Lore & Background

Born deaf, Rathaway received hearing implants funded by his wealthy father, later revealed to be made by Dr. Will Magnus. Obsessed with sound, he invented a hypnotic technique via music and deadly vibration methods before turning to crime as the Pied Piper. After Barry Allen's death during Crisis on Infinite Earths, Hartley retired from villainy, becoming a socialist champion for the poor and one of DC's first openly gay characters, coming out in The Flash (vol. 2) #53 (August 1991). He became a close friend to Wally West and Linda Park. Later, he was falsely accused of murdering his parents; though he believed himself guilty, Wally discovered the true killer was Mirror Master. Following a brainwashing attempt by the 'good' Top, Hartley regained his memories when Flash unmasked himself, solidifying his place as one of the only reformed Rogues.

In Their Own Story

In the TV series, Rathaway began as a S.T.A.R. Labs protégé of Harrison Wells who was fired for exposing dangers in Wells' particle accelerator. When the accelerator exploded, Hartley gained superhuman hearing that caused constant agony, leading him to develop sonic-wave weaponry and implants that doubled as weapons. Initially seeking revenge on Wells by targeting the Flash, he escaped captivity but later joined forces with Barry in a flashback episode to defeat a Time Wraith following them through time. This timeline alteration reformed Hartley. However, after the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' crossover changed the multiverse, he reverted to being a criminal metahuman sonokinetic. In this altered reality, the Flash discovered that their original fight had accidentally destabilized the molecules of Hartley's henchman and boyfriend, Roderick.

Reader's Guide

Hartley Rathaway utilizes a sophisticated flute capable of hypnotizing anyone within range and creating deadly vibrations. His sonic technology allows him to make himself 'invisible' to perception and manipulate nearly any object that creates tones, from touch-tone phones to grass blade whistles. During his incarceration in Iron Heights, he incorporated prison rats into his gimmick, adding another similarity to the folklore Pied Piper. While initially focused on humans, his scope expanded to general mechanical tinkering. In some continuities, his power is linked to the manipulation of the Anti-Life Equation according to DeSaad. He has also used devices to generate or amplify sound for both destructive and protective purposes.

Did You Know?

• Hartley Rathaway first realized he was gay after becoming attracted to actor Rod Lauren while watching the movie The Crawling Hand.
• During a battle with Flash, Hartley chopped off the left hand of his ally and ex-partner Trickster because they were handcuffed together with explosive cuffs that could not be destroyed.
• In the New 52 continuity, Hartley is portrayed as the conductor of Central City's orchestra while dating David Singh, the director of the Central City Police Department.
• Hartley was briefly brainwashed into a hero by the Top, who had been reprogrammed by Barry Allen, before Flash restored his original memories by unmasking himself.
• In the TV series, Hartley's implants serve a dual purpose: they act as hearing aids to dull sound and function as discreet sonic weapons.