DC Comics two fastest characters are Superman and the Flash, with each having absurd feats of strength to their names, such as being able to phase through solid objects, or even being able to run backwards or forwards through time. While this might lead some readers to believe that the two are evenly matched, DC revealed one fact that proves Flash will always have the edge over Superman when it comes to speed.
Justice League Beyond 2.0 – by Christos Gage, Iban Coello, Randy Mayor, and Saida Temofonte – brings readers to one of DC’s many possible futures, in which Superman’s powers begin going out of control, due to something changing the sun. His cells become supercharged, and his powers fluctuate, making it difficult for him to control himself. One minute he might have to exert himself to lift a building, and the next minute that same level of exertion might throw the building into space.
As a result of this, he tries to burn out the excess energy by running, and this is where the major difference between Superman and Flash’s powers becomes clear.
Superman Just Mastered Flash’s Speed Powers BETTER Than Wally West
When Superman is trapped in an inescapable situation, he manages to copy one of the Scarlet Speedster’s best abilities with his own unique twist.
Superman And Flash Are Not Beyond Some Friendly Competition
Superman’s powers come from the solar radiation in his cells, whereas Flash’s power comes from the Speedforce. This ends up making all the difference, as seen in Justice League Beyond 2.0. Superman gets his powers from the yellow sun; without the radiation of the sun empowering him, he’d essentially be no different from a regular human being. Flash, on the other hand, gains power from the Speedforce, the energy that moves all things. If an object is in motion, the energy it requires to be in motion comes from the Speedforce. The Speedforce is a major natural part of the DC Universe, a force of nature the Flash can simply tap into.
As Justice League Beyond 2.0 plays out, Flash and Superman ultimately don’t get the opportunity for an evenly-matched race – Clark’s misfiring powers cause him to jump the gun, running ahead of Flash and technically resulting in a disqualification; what’s more, his out-of-control abilities result in a tsunami, which the heroes have to turn their attention to, instead of dwelling on the distinctions between their powers. Nevertheless, the explanation provided by the issue as to why Flash will always be able to out-perform Superman in the speed department is as definitive as DC Comics has ever provided regarding this crucial comparison between the two characters.
The Speedforce Makes Flash Faster Than Superman
While Superman is undeniably fast, his powers come at a cost. Flash can run essentially forever, as long as their body holds out. Superman will eventually lose his powers if he uses them too much. Every bit of power Superman uses consumes some of that yellow radiation in his cells, with heat vision consuming the most. If he were to run at super speed for a long enough period of time, he woule lose his powers entirely. The Flash can continue running for as long as they’re physically able, and while they may need to stop and rest, they’ll never actually lose access to their super speed itself.
Ultimately, the display of their contrasting speed powers in Justice League Beyond 2.0 is only conclusive proof until the next Superman-Flash race – as the Man of Steel notes to Flash in the issue, “I’ve raced you before…I’ve even won some of those races.” They’re both incredibly fast heroes, but Flash has both a higher top speed and higher endurance. Superman can move at absurd speeds and has even matched some of Flash’s more impressive feats, but if Superman pushes himself too far, he will run out of power and simply won’t be able to keep up. The Flash will never run out of speed, as long as the Speedforce continues to exist.
