Superman vs The Flash: Who Won More Of Their Races?

While the title of Fastest Man Alive is most often given to the Flash, Superman can certainly give the Scarlet Speedster a run for his money. The two have raced each other many times over the years with varying results, but which hero has the winning track record?

The History of Superman & The Flash’s Feud

The first race between Superman and the Flash occurred in Superman #199 by Jim Shooter. Published in 1967, this issue saw the heroes agree to race one another as a way of raising funds for the United Nations. The course takes them around the entire globe, and whoever completes it three times will be declared the winner. However, unbeknownst to the heroes, rival gangs have placed billion dollar wagers on the race – the American gang bets on Superman, while the European gang bets on the Flash. To ensure they win, each gang sets up traps for Superman and the Flash and has imposters take the place of the hero they want to lose. The plan backfires since both gangs had the same idea, meaning both imposters intend on throwing the race, allowing the real Superman and Flash to recover and easily overtake them. In order to prevent either gang from winning, the heroes agree to cross the finish line at the same time, resulting in a tie.

Superman and the Flash would race again later that same year in The Flash #175 by E. Nelson Bridwell, though the results were no more indicative of which hero is faster. When the Justice League is captured by two aliens, the captors, displeased that the first race ended in a tie, demand that the Flash and Superman race again to determine the real winner. This time, the heroes need to run across the entire Milky Way galaxy and back, and whoever loses will see their city destroyed. However, the race once again ends in a tie, after which Superman and the Flash fight the aliens and force them to reveal their true identities as Professor Zoom and Abra Kadabra, longtime adversaries of the Flash. Turns out the entire thing was a ploy to kill the Scarlet Speedster, but all it did was prove that Superman and the Flash truly are evenly matched… or are they?

How Superman Beat The Flash in Their Races

Superman: Up In The Sky #4 by Tom King once again saw Superman and the Flash race each other for charity. This time, however, the heroes need to circle the globe not three times, but ten. Who knows – maybe they thought adding more laps would prevent another tie. In any case, the race kicks off and Flash takes the lead. Thinking that the Scarlet Speedster’s victory is all but guaranteed, Lex Luthor announces that if Superman wins, he will donate a billion dollars towards building a new children’s home. Of course, all Lex really wants is to make the public upset with the Man of Steel for losing the race and depriving the charity of a billion dollars, but Luthor should know better than anyone never to count Superman out.

Superman manages to overhear the details of Luthor’s plot due to his superhuman hearing, and now that he knows there is a billion dollars for charity on the line, he pushes himself to the max in an attempt to overtake the Flash. Granted, he could just tell Flash what’s going on, but that wouldn’t be very sportsmanlike, and Superman is nothing if not fair. With tremendous willpower, Superman manages to push past the Flash right at the finish line and take home the victory, forcing Lex to donate a billion dollars to charity as promised.

How The Flash Beat Superman in Their Races

The Man of Steel may have taken home the gold once before, but the Flash has had his share of victories, as well. In 2016’s The Flash #49 by Joshua Williamson, the third part of the Flash War saga, Wally West and Barry Allen are locked in a chase that sends Speed Force shockwaves across the planet, which could have devastating ramifications. Superman is deployed in an attempt to stop them, as he’s the only other hero who may have a chance of catching the Flashes. Unfortunately, Superman comes back to the other heroes completely out of breath. “I couldn’t catch up to them,” he says between pants. “They’re going too fast.” Unfortunately for Superman, this wasn’t the only time the Flash would leave him in the dust.

The Flash Rebirth #3 by Geoff Johns forced Barry to make an incredibly difficult decision, one that involved sacrificing his life to restore balance to the Speed Force. As Flash runs to his presumed demise, Superman catches up and pleads with Barry to find another way. Flash refuses and insists that Superman isn’t fast enough to stop him, but the Man of Steel disagrees. “I’ve raced you before, Barry. I even won some of those races,” he says. Flash simply replies, “Those were for charity, Clark.” Without another word, Barry zooms past Clark, leaving him well behind and proving he’s always been the faster hero.

The Flash Has Beaten Superman More Times in The Comics

Looking at the records of these races between Superman and the Flash, it seems there have been two ties, one victory for the Man of Steel, and two for the Scarlet Speedster. While the two have raced each other in other comic issues as well, there have almost always been some other shenanigans that disrupt the race and make it difficult to ascertain a fair winner. However, judging by Barry’s comment in The Flash Rebirth #3, it seems like he always chooses to take it easy on Clark when they race for charity, but when the stakes are high, the Flash can outrun Superman any day.

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