Back to the Future Part II ends on a cryptic note when the DeLorean, hovering above the Hill Valley town square in 1955, is struck by lightning, sending Doc Brown hurtling through time and leaving Marty stranded in the past. As the vehicle vanishes, we’re left with a mysterious image of a flaming, backwards 99 burned into the celluloid. For decades, fans have debated the meaning of the numeric symbol, positing theories about Easter eggs and scientific references, in an attempt to decode the intentions of director Robert Zemeckis.
Turns out the official answer is more practical than esoteric, though no less fascinating. According to the official Back to the Future FAQ, those backwards nines aren’t actually supposed to be numbers or symbols at all, but simply the fire trails left behind by the DeLorean. The spiral shape only appears because the lightning strike sent the car spinning violently on its axis.
This logistical explanation hinges on an understanding of how the DeLorean’s time travel system actually works. Throughout all three films, whenever the car successfully jumps through time, it leaves twin trails of fire (typically straight lines) as it’s propelled forward at 88 mph. But in this scenario, the DeLorean was hovering motionless when the lightning struck. Supposedly, the bolt’s electrical charge sent the machine into a breakneck spin. Since the components were then technically moving at a speed of 88 miles per hour (on the axis), the flux capacitor engaged, sending Doc hurdling through the years. So the mirrored 99? According to the creators, it was simply the same old fire trails, manifesting as spirals due to the rotation.
Of course, the official explanation hasn’t stopped fans from spinning more elaborate yarns. Some astute viewers have pointed out that the twin numbers look a lot like the big orange 9-shaped sign pointing into the Western Auto Store, and have suggested it could be a fun Easter egg for sci-fi superfans. Others have noted that Einsteinium is element 99 on the periodic table, suggesting a clever allusion to both Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (which makes time travel theoretically possible) and Doc Brown’s dog Einstein, who was the first time traveler in the original film. While these interpretations might technically be reading too much into Zemeckis’ intentions, they are strange enough synchronicities to keep fans wondering.
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