This 'Back to the Future' Flux Capacitor Replica Might Send You Back in Time

Aug 16, 2023

Factory Entertainment will be showcasing the scale replica all weekend at SDCC.

If you're looking to build a DeLorean time machine like Doc Brown, then Factory Entertainment has the final piece necessary to make it all possible. The prop replica company is bringing a detailed recreation of the flex capacitor from Back to the Future to San Diego Comic-Con. Made in conjunction with Amblin Entertainment, the limited edition replica will be available to view at Factory's Booth #2743 at the convention, with pre-orders opening down the line. And no, the Flux Capacitor can't help you get there any faster.

While the DeLorean is easily the most recognizable piece of imagery from the 1985 classic, the flux capacitor is the key to time travel that Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) had spent his life working to construct. The idea to build the contraption came to him in a vision after hitting his head back in 1955, but it took him years to finally perfect it. It wasn't until 1985 that he finally showed off the finished device to Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) who, after Doc was gunned down by the Libyan he stole Plutonium from to make it work, fled in the DeLorean to the year 1955. The capacitor was only able to work under certain conditions - the vehicle it was affixed to had to reach 88 mph, and it needed a power source that could generate 1.21 gigawatts of energy, whether that be plutonium or a lightning bolt.

The prop flux capacitor nails every detail of the original featured in the film, right down to the warning stickers that remind users to "shield eyes from light" and "disconnect capacitor drive before opening." It's not as dangerous to look into this flux capacitor as it is the real deal, but it does still light up with three small bulbs situated in a Y pattern that glow with a yellowish hue. Every wire and connection is in place, making the prop feel as if it's ready to immediately slap inside a DeLorean right now. This professional prop replica won't come cheap though, selling for $1,199 for diehard Back to the Future fans.

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Almost 40 years after its release in theaters, Back to the Future is still hailed as one of the great classics of its time with a creative premise, a stellar screenplay from director Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and especially memorable performances from Fox and Lloyd. As proof of its enduring relevance, a musical based on the film featuring an accompanying book by Gale and new music by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard was brought to Broadway this summer after earning rave reviews. A reboot could one day come to fruition given the love for the franchise, but the original franchise's two stars have some reservations if that were to ever happen.

The flux capacitor will be available at Factor Entertainment's Booth #2743 at SDCC. Check out more images of the excellent replica of the time travel device below, as well as a video of it in action:

Ryan O'Rourke is a senior news writer for Collider and lifelong gamer. A diehard Cubs fan, he contributes to a FanSided blog on the side and can be found glued to a baseball game or his Switch during his spare time.