Fans of DC comics and the wildly popular "Arrowverse" TV show know that The Flash proclaims himself to be the "fastest man alive." Yet, other DC characters have debunked that claim. So who is faster than the Flash?
While more than one individual has held the title of The Flash, the second Flash, Barry Allen, is the most iconic. When a lightning bolt destroyed a container of mysterious chemicals and released its contents on young Barry, he was gifted with superhuman speed, sense, reflexes, and enhanced healing. He went on to use his powers for good and don his iconic red suit to fight crime.
The Flash's abilities go beyond mere super speed. It was revealed that his speed comes from extradimensional energy called the Speed Force that gives him a unique edge over many other "fast" heroes. While Barry has this force on his side, it isn't always enough. Here are some DC Characters who have outrun The Flash:
The Reverse-Flash
The Reverse-lash is Barry Allen's greatest foe. Eobard Thawne is a genius-level scientist who used his magnificent mind to recreate Barry's accident and create his own Negative Speed Force. The Negative Speed Force grants Eobard the ability to create speed mirages of himself and even move his molecules through solid objects, but what gives him an edge over Barry, is the ability to run at the speed of light. Light speed is not a part of Barry's core skill set and achieving lightspeed requires great strain.
Hermes
Hermes is the Messenger god of DC's Olympians. As a god, he possesses immortality, shapeshifting, super strength, and size-changing, but super speed is his trademark ability. Hermes is the fastest among the Olympian gods. Along with his speed, he has magical abilities and teleportation, giving him the ability to travel farther than Barry with the speed of thought. If that wasn't enough, he has even shown the ability to steal Barry's own speed to add to his own power.
Superman
The age-old question of Superman vs The Flash has haunted DC fans for decades. Throughout their comic book history, Superman and the Flash have had their fair share of races and it was allegedly confirmed that Supes is "slower."
Yet, Superman has had his moments of catching the Flash, and has actually outraced him. In Tom King's Superman: Up in The Sky #4 Superman and The Flash race around the world ten times. The Flash takes a significant lead against Superman, but in the end, The Man of Steel is victorious. Perhaps this is a matter of endurance over speed, but it doesn't negate the fact that Superman can outpace the Flash. Zack Snyder's Justice League hinted at Superman's ability to best The Flash as well. Hopefully, the sequel will show us for certain if Supes is a match for DCEU's version of The Flash.