Emmett Brown's Time Machine
Wherever you're going, you don't need roads—you just need eighty-eight miles per hour.
The DeLorean DMC-12 modified by Dr. Emmett Brown transcends its role as a vehicle; it is the physical manifestation of impossible physics. The car houses the flux capacitor, a rectangular compartment with three flashing tubes arranged in a "Y" configuration that Doc describes as "what makes time travel possible"; the DeLorean is still powered by an internal combustion engine for propulsion. It does not merely travel through time; it demands eighty-eight miles per hour to ignite the spark that tears a hole in reality.
Quick Facts
- Original manufacturer
- DeLorean Motor Company
- Primary power source
- Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor (later models)
- Activation speed
- 88 Miles Per Hour
- Key material
- Stainless Steel Body with Flux Capacitor
Lore & Background
The transformation began in Doc Brown's garage, where he adapted a plutonium-powered reactor concept for automotive use. The time machine was originally powered by a plutonium-fueled nuclear reactor, using plutonium Doc stole from Libyan terrorists. The Flux Capacitor, mounted on the dashboard, served as the gateway. Following the events of 2015, Doc upgraded the vehicle with a Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor found in the future. This allowed the DeLorean to run on household waste and engage hover mode, liberating it from road constraints.
Reader's Guide
The history of this temporal vehicle is defined by its evolution from a ground-based plutonium-powered machine to an airborne fusion unit. Initially, the DeLorean required a massive amount of energy generated by splitting atoms, which limited its use to specific moments where such power could be stolen or induced. When Marty was stranded in 1955 without plutonium, Doc outfitted the car with a large pole and hook to channel a lightning bolt into the flux capacitor; from the end of the first film the plutonium reactor is replaced by a Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor that converts household waste to power.
More in Production & Legacy
Elsewhere in Back to the Future
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