Wonder Woman Proved Flash is Even Faster Than The GODS

The exact top speed of The Flash is a topic of much debate, but the Justice League adventure that saw him win a race against Wonder Woman has got to count for something. After all, she may not be the first DC superhero Flash has outrun. But this revelation opens up the world of motion beyond simple foot speed.

In JLA #43 by Mark Waid and Howard Porter, it’s Ra’s al Ghul masterminding a coordinated attack against the Justice League. The chaos starts in Germany, where a forest fire burns out of control, cutting off Martian Manhunter from the rest of his teammates. Powerless thanks to this raging inferno, Wonder Woman and The Flash must rush to his aid and extinguish the blaze. Which is as good a reason for a footrace as anything.

In the spirit of teamwork during a crisis, it’s actually Wonder Woman who challenges Flash to see who’s fastest, reminding him that she possesses “the speed of Mercury” (a magical gift Shazam ALSO has). But still, The Flash outruns her… before she cheats and throws a flaming log at him. Now, Diana has never been renowned among superheroes for her sprinting ability, but this adds more evidence to the argument that The Flash is the fastest being in the DC universe. Flash has also beaten Superman, and even Marvel’s Quicksilver at several points in his racing career. Most recently, Wally West was declared the fastest being alive — the same Flash that beat Wonder Woman in this race.

For all their theoretical top speeds and intimate connections with the Speed Force, there are still plenty of times The Flash has been outrun as well. Despite numerous examples and stories to the contrary, the most recent match-up saw Superman finally beat Flash in a race. The Reverse-Flash is the king of out-thinking the scarlet speedster and beating him to the finish line that way. And in a twist to just tie everything in knots, Hermes, the messenger god has also beaten the Flash in a race.

Debates about ultimate top velocity and who’s the fastest, are mostly only good for turning conversations in knots, but the Flash is playing a larger game with speed now. Thanks to the speed force, The Flash can travel through time, in addition to space. At that point, as long as you’re not racing against the clock or a villain, it doesn’t matter how many records you smash… and that’s the point. The Flash just wants to run faster than anyone, and see what happens when you push yourself toward the unimaginable. Ultimately, the reader wants The Flash to win all of these races, because that’s what he represents: always being a step ahead.