Flash Thompson

Flash Thompson is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, most commonly in Spider-Man stories. He first appeared in Marvel's Amazing Fantasy #15.

Fictional character biography

Flash Thompson, whose real name is Eugene, is a high school football player and a bully. Flash both insults and beats up Peter Parker making sure to humiliate him daily. Peter then gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gets its powers. Peter secretly uses his powers to fight criminals by becoming the superhero Spider-Man. Flash Thompson then becomes obsessed with Spider-Man and thinks he's great.

In the Amazing Spider-Man #4 Peter Parker fights Flash Thompson and beats him. After that Flash only insults Peter. Flash goes back to beating Peter up when he and Peter both like the same girl. Flash makes sure that his friends are with him to stop Peter from fighting back. After leaving high school Flash and Peter Parker still hate each other but both get along with Harry Osborn who becomes Peter's best friend. Flash later leaves the country to fight in the Vietnam War. When Flash comes back from Vietnam, he is disturbed by everything that happened there. Flash starts to drink alcohol to forget what happened and all of Flash's friends leave him, because he fought in Vietnam, except for Peter Parker. Flash and Peter become good friends after that.

In other media

Flash Thompson is played by Joe Manganiello in the 2002 movie Spider-Man. In it, he bullies Peter Parker and dates Mary-Jane Watson, who is the only student at their high school aside from Harry Osborne who is actually nice to Peter. Peter gets bitten by a genetically engineered super-spider and gets its powers. Flash attacks Peter in front of a locker and Peter fights back and beats Flash. Uncle Ben tells Peter "that Flash kid probably deserved what was coming to him. But just because you could beat him up doesn't mean you should have. What I'm trying to say is " with great power, comes great responsibility."

Chris Zylka plays Flash Thompson in the 2012 movie The Amazing Spider-Man. In it Flash plays basketball instead of football. He starts off as a bully and is mean to Peter Parker. Flash is embarrassed when Peter beats him at basketball. Flash is sad when he hears from Peter that Uncle Ben died and is nice to Peter. At the end of the movie Flash wears a Spider-Man t-shirt.

In the 2017 movie Spider-Man: Homecoming, Flash Thompson is played by Tony Revolori. Unlike the other two Flash Thompsons, he never beats Peter Parker up. He verbally bullies Peter but never actually fights him. In the 2019 sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home, Flash thinks Spider-Man is great but is mean to Peter Parker. In 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, everyone finds out Spider-Man’s secret identity so Flash writes a book saying he and Peter are best friends.