The DC Universe is filled with speedsters, beginning (but certainly not ending) with the famousFlashFamily, empowered by their mystical connection to the Speed Force. The mysterious source of the Flashes' power shows that there’s more than just fleet feet to the being a top speedster, meaning the fastest figures in the world is an honor that is constantly changing.
Being a speedster is an entire genre of superhero lore to itself, owed primarily to The Flash and his breaking open of the Multiverse. However, there are some speedysuperheroes outside The Flash Family, and when taking everyone into account on an equal playing field, these arethe fastest DC Comic characters right nowin the modern continuity. The group includes Scarlet Speedsters and others, and a few world records too.
10Avery Ho is One of the Newest Flashes
Receiving her powers from the Speed Force Storm of Central City, Avery Ho is the resident Flash of China and a current member of the Flash Family. One of the only speedsters to survive both Godspeed’s serial killing onslaught and Reverse-Flash’s carnage, she took on theFlash role and joined the Justice League Incarnate.The very fact thatBarry Allen, an achor Flash, appointed Avery Ho as his replacement on the team shows that he trusts her just as much as some more experienced speedsters.
Unlike other superhero families with one patriarchal superhero and a dozen sidekicks, the Flash Family is filled with heroes all sharing the same title. Barry Allen runs with his once-mentee Wally West, side by side, without comparison, and Avery Ho now runs with them. Characters like Ho break open the Speed Force in more than one way, representing not only female speedsters, but Asian superheroes.
9Jay Garrick Paved the Way For Every Speedster
An icon of the Flashes,Jay Garrick was there from the very beginning of DC Comics. As the original Flash with a World War 1 design, Jay Garrick paved the way for every speedster following him. While he can’t always keep up with some of the younger whippersnappers, this speed veteran has showed thathe still has what it takes to win a race now and again.
Two worlds collided when Barry Allen’s Flash crossed the barrier into another world, meeting Jay Garrick for the first time inFlash of Two Worlds (1961)by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino!
It’s not a Flash Family without Jay Garrick, and when the roster is called, Jay has never been missing from that list. Serving as a mentor for every Flash after him, he is also a founding member of the Justice Society of America and a hero in his own recent title featuring his speedster daughter. Aging much more slowly than other humans because of his connection to the Speed Force, maybe this speedster might finally be able to retired soon. Again, that is. He’s tried more than a few times to retire, butthe world always needs Jay Garrick.
8Max Mercury is the Flash Family’s Speed Force Mentor
Following along with the mentor sages of the Flash Family, Max Mercury is the resident Speed Force Guru of the Flash Family. After bouncing through time in his attempt at Speed Force mastery, he brought his knowledge to Wally West’s Flash with his introduction ofthe Speed Forceto DC’s continuity.
The Speed Force first appeared inThe Flash #91(1994), created by writer Mark Waid.
Preferring to mentor and meditate instead of fight, Max Mercury is the soul of the Flash Family. Most often seen as a grandfather figure to Bart Allen’s Impulse, he has been the guiding voice and presence for many a speedster trapped in the nebulous Speed Force. Like Gay Garrick, when trouble comes calling, Max will always be called. Practically ageless and timeless (and mysterious too), Max’s true speed is unknown, like any esoteric master.His fantastic speed is instead shown through the feats of those he has trained.
7Shazam’s Speed Is In His Very Name
Another mercurial speedster, Shazam’s very name is a testament to the powers of six gods that make up the acronym that gifts him with supernatural power. The “M” of Shazam stands for Mercury, the fleet-footed messenger god of the Roman Pantheon. When Shazam needs to borrow some speed necessary to win a battle,he uses one of his six powers and assumes godlike velocity.
While fans are most often feuding over the speed of Flash versus Superman, Shazam comes out as the underrated opposition. Recently, duringAbsolute Power,Shazam was able to fly from France to Washington in a heartbeat, makingDC’s speedsters look slow.Shazam doesn’t tap into the Speed Force either but into a god-like force, thanks to the power of Mercury. Combined with his wisdom and strength, among other powers,Shazam is one of the most powerful forces in DC Comics - fastest being only one of his modifiers.
6Bart Allen Has Sped Through Every Iteration of Flash
Constantly aging and de-aging, Bart Allen, the grandson of the famous Barry Allen, has had a tumultuous run as Flash. He has transformed from Impulse to Kid Flash to the fourth speedster to hold the mantle of Flash and all the way back down the pipeline to being one of the youngest (and most brash, as the name implies) Scarlet Speedsters: Impulse.
Asone of DC’s Future Flashes, Bart Allen showed how quick he was right from the very beginning when he ran back in time to meet his grandfather and help him protect Central City.While time travel is a difficult ordeal for any Flash (usually carrying great consequences), Bart Allen makes it look effortless. Ever since his arrival, he’s become a long-standing member of the Flash Family, and as long as he stays in the past, he can waylay his future just a little bit longer, like the impulsive hero he is.
5Irey West Promises to Outpace Even Her Father
Less experienced than Impulse, Irey West is the twin sister of Jai West and the daughter of Wally West. With her natural connection to the Speed Force, which caused more than enough problems for her mother when she was in the womb, Irey is not only a Scarlet Speedster in her own right but has beenprophesied to achieve god-level speed.
InThe Flash #4, by Si Spurrier, Wally West met a being outside of time named the Rest, and he informed the Flash just what the future of his daughter would entail - and how fantastic it would be. Wally even got a chance to meet his future daughter, and she far exceeded his expectations. Comic fans have yet to see Irey West’s top speed, but it’s been hinted at more than enough.In the future, she just might become the fastest Flash, surpassing even her father.
4Lightray Showcases Godlike Speed
A forgotten member of DC Comics, Lightray is a member of the New Gods of New Genesis. Filling the role of the Roman pantheon’s Mercury, Lightray is the messenger and the speedster of the gods of the Fourth World, and his speed renders the Boom Tube, a teleportation device, practically useless. Known to cross space-time at a pace well past lightspeed,he can span the universe in an instant.
Along with the news of DC’s All-In Initiative, the New Gods are getting their own series, with Lightray set to appear along with the entire pantheon of New Genesis. With multiple character revamps happening across all of DC, speedster fans can expect to find Lightray’s powers tested to the limits and the barrier of his speed broken in new battles against their old foe - Darkseid.
3Superman Is Much Faster Than a Speeding Bullet
Superman versus Flash: a race as old as time. There have been well near a dozen matches between the Man of Steel and the Scarlet Speedsters, both winning a few and nearly half of them ending in a tie. Superman isn’t just one of the strongest heroes in DC, but he’s one of the fastest.There isn’t a lot that the Man of Tomorrow can’t do.
InThe Flash: Rebirth, (2005) by Geoff Johns, Barry Allen finally puts those victories to rest, informing Superman that those races were only for charity and not the real thing at all.
Like Shazam, he doesn’t have the Speed Force to utilize, but unlike Shazam, he doesn’t borrow the power of a god. His speed is all his own, and he showcased himself as one of the fastest when he beat the Flash inSuperman: Up In the Sky#4, by Tom King and Andy Kubert - by just a hair too. What strengthened him to win was knowing Lex Luthor’s multi-million dollar charity donation was on the line.It’s not just that he’s fast, but that his heart powers his speed.
2Barry Allen Changed the Game for Scarlet Speedsters
Quite possibly the most quintessential Scarlet Speedster, Barry Allen carried the Flash Family for more than thirty years until he passed the torch and sacrificed his life to save the world inCrisis on Inifinite Earths.Even before his resurrection, he revealed his top speed in howhe had been outracing the Black Racer all this time, a god-version of death on skis, for the entire time he had been “dead.”
He also was the first hero to travel within the multiverse as well as time travel.While his exploits haven’t always been for good, as inFlashpoint,when he reset DC’s timeline, Barry Allen’s optimistic nature and willingness to learn from his mistakes makes him one of the best Flashes out there. Wearing the iconic suit that has been passed down to mentees and to grandsons, Barry Allen is the very heart of the Flash Family and a symbol of the quickness of hope for the DC Universe.
1Wally West Can’t Stop Breaking World Records
There is no one faster than Wally West. Not only did this third Flash follow in his hero Barry Allen’s footsteps, but he surpassed him in every way - and he never catastrophically changed the timeline either. He was the first Flash to truly master the Speed Force, even manipulating Speed Force to fashion him a suit made entirely out of pure energy.
He has also outrun death, as inThe Flashby Mark Waid, when it was in the form of the Black Flash. Wally West ran so fast he traveled through time to the very end of existence, beyond any life in the universe where death was rendered meaningless and ceased to exist.This is the fastest feat that has ever been recorded by any speedster in the DC universe. With Wally West at the helm, and with his Flash Family and Flash Friends running alongside him, there is no nothing stopping them from winning the race and saving the day.
The Flash
The Flash is the superhero name given to the DC Comics character who utilizes unparalleled speed tied to a dimensional power known as the “speed force” to overwhelm their opposition. Premiering in 1939, the original Flash arrived as Jay Garrick. Still, it would be superseded by Barry Allen in popularity and featured status, but the Flash is one character that has met many of their alternate selves. The character is typically seen as a part of the Justice League in nearly all incarnations.
