How Fast Can The Flash Run? The Top Speed Of The Fastest Man Alive, Explained

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As a comic book enthusiast and avid fan of speedsters, I can confidently say that there’s no one faster than The Flash, especially when it comes to Wally West, the Fastest Man Alive. Growing up with these characters has been like a rollercoaster ride, filled with suspense, excitement, and the occasional heartbreak (looking at you, Crisis on Infinite Earths).

As a devoted fan, I’ve often pondered about the speed of the Fastest Man Alive in a footrace. Since his debut in “Flash Comics” Vol 1. #1 back in 1939, this character has proven to be an enduring figure in DC Comics, gaining more admirers with each passing decade. From captivating animated depictions on shows like “Justice League Unlimited,” a nine-season TV series, to the live-action portrayal by Grant Gustin in a nine-season television series, and even a movie version within the DC Extended Universe, it’s clear that The Flash’s speed is truly unparalleled. But exactly how fast can he run? That’s a question best left to the comics, where his speed is often measured in terms of time dilation and relative velocity. It’s safe to say though, he’d leave any human competitor far behind!

Across different versions of the character, their speeds can differ significantly. Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, and Wally West have all been recognized as the quickest superheroes on occasion, even outpacing Superman. However, the speed at which the Flash can move varies depending on which hero is being discussed. Although Jay Garrick was the initial Fastest Man Alive, Barry Allen and Wally West have often competed for the title of speedster supreme. The question of who holds the crown will be explored further as we delve into the DC Universe.

Exactly how fast is The Flash? It’s a little complicated

The Speed Force, which is the cosmic energy accessible by each iteration of the Flash, operates in a somewhat enigmatic manner, similar to many comic book concepts. As one of the Seven Forces of the Universe, it grants its users the ability to move at astounding speeds. The Flash can effortlessly outrun bullets and traverse vast distances across the globe within a short span of time (running on water is no challenge for him due to his super-speed). In fact, he can vibrate his body so fast that his molecules become unstable enough to pass through solid objects, a speed that’s difficult to comprehend.

In the “Final Crisis” comic book series penned by Grant Morrison, Jay Garrick (the first Flash) remarks that he, Wally West, and Barry Allen could all run at a thousand times faster than the speed of sound, which is approximately 761,000 mph. However, on various occasions, we’ve witnessed the Flash running even swifter than this staggering speed. For instance, in “JLA” Vol 1. #89 by Joe Kelly, we observe the Flash quickly evacuate an entire North Korean city just before a nuclear blast annihilates it. This was done at a speed that was almost as fast as light’s velocity. The Flash has also outpaced both the Black Racer and the Black Flash – two embodiments of death’s concept – which is no easy feat, considering these entities are closely linked to the inevitability of death. Despite this, the Flash can’t avoid dying forever, but achieving such feats against them is no small accomplishment.

The truth is, the Flash is only ever as fast as a writer needs him to be. Power levels may vary depending on the story, and even some of these examples are one-and-done operations. Still, he’s called the Fastest Man Alive for a reason.

Who is the fastest Flash in the DC comics?

Among all the Flashes, who’s the quickest? Well, Jay Garrick, the human equivalent of a thunderbolt, acknowledges his speed limitations in “JSA,” especially when Mr. Terrific thinks he can run at the speed of light — he can’t. Jay claims that only Wally West has this ability, but he’s only achieved it by utilizing the speed of others. However, an intriguing point to consider is that even Wally admits in “The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive” Vol 1. #2 that Bart Allen, who goes by Impulse or Kid Flash at times, holds the title as the swiftest of the Flashes.

In comics lore, Barry Allen is renowned as the fastest character due to his role in initiating the Speed Force. According to Geoff Johns’ “The Flash: Rebirth,” it was during his death at the end of “Crisis on Infinite Earths” that he transformed into a lightning bolt, which struck him and subsequently established the speed force. His ability to think at the speed of light, perceive events in an attosecond, and outrun time itself have been evident since his revival. Superman simply can’t compete with Barry Allen’s incredible speed.

Despite popular belief, it’s not Barry Allen who holds the title of the fastest Flash; that honor truly belongs to Wally West. Not only is Wally recognized as the fastest Flash by DC Comics, but numerous comics have demonstrated this fact. In “The Flash” Vol 1. #800, we learn that Wally can move beyond the Speed Force and run so quickly that he travels to different dimensions. The same issue shows him covering more than 200 miles in just a few microseconds. Indeed, it was Wally who evacuated an entire North Korean city before detonation, and with assistance, he can even surpass Trans-Time Velocity, which is faster than instant teleportation.

Who is the fastest Flash on-screen?

In the 1990s TV series “The Flash,” John Wesley Shipp portrayed Barry Allen, who at one point in the episode “Flash Forward” exceeded the speed of light due to an explosion’s additional power, traveling into the future. The show also demonstrated that his top speed was approximately 600 mph. Still, when comparing the fastest live-action interpretations of the original character, Shipp’s Flash faces stiff competition from Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller’s portrayals in their respective iterations of the series.

In simpler terms, both actors portray different iterations of the character Barry Allen, also known as The Flash. Grant Gustin’s Flash is featured in the Arrowverse series and its associated timeline, while Ezra Miller’s version appears in the DC Extended Universe (now rebranded as the DC Universe by James Gunn and Peter Safran). Both characters can run faster than what our eyes can see, even manipulating time to some extent. In the movie “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” Miller’s Barry demonstrates this ability by folding time to reverse a catastrophic explosion. In the upcoming 2023 film “The Flash,” Miller’s character is capable of moving so fast that he can surpass the speed of light, explore the multiverse, and alter time. On average, Miller’s Flash moves faster, but it’s likely that there are others who can move even quicker.

In Gustin’s Flash series, regular storylines often kept him confined to maximum speeds due to weekly constraints. However, the Season 4 episode “Enter Flashtime” demonstrates Flash moving so swiftly that it practically freezes time. For most of this episode, Barry is in flashtime mode and can even pull others along at his incredible speed. After the Oliver Queen/Spectre (played by Stephen Amell) unleashed Barry’s full powers during the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, Season 7’s “Heart of the Matter, Part 2” revealed that Barry can now move faster than Reverse-Flash (Tom Cavanagh), who appears to be moving at a snail’s pace in comparison. Notably, Barry was able to escape a black hole in “Into the Void,” something that light itself cannot achieve.

Is there anyone faster than The Flash in other media?

From Road Runner to Sonic the Hedgehog, the history of pop culture is littered with speedsters, and there are more than you probably realized in the realm of comic books. But could any of them catch up with DC’s Fastest Man Alive? From a purely comic book standpoint, inter-company crossovers such as “DC vs. Marvel” or “JLA/Avengers” have proven that the Wally West Flash is far superior in speed to the Marvel hero Quicksilver. Though, it’s worth noting that, disconnected from the Speed Force, Wally loses said advantage. As far as live-action goes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is nowhere near as quick as any live-action Flash, and though the “X-Men” movie version (played by Evan Peters) comes close, he could never reverse time.

In simpler terms, it has been suggested that characters like Sonic from other media could potentially outrun The Flash, given Sonic’s ability to come close to the speed of a black hole in “Sonic Colors.” Black holes are known to move at about one-tenth the speed of light, which is incredibly fast – but not as swift as The Flash. As we’ve previously discussed, The Flash can run faster than the speed of light itself when he reaches his maximum velocity, which solidifies him as the fastest character in this comparison.

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2024-12-10 18:30