DC's Flash refuted one of the darkest moments in The Boys—the plane scene. By pushing his powers beyond their limits, the Scarlet Speedster saved a falling airplane and showed what heroism really is.
Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's The Boys is a story known for its stark criticism of the superhero genre. Set in a universe where superhumans known as Supes are the product of a large corporation. In fact, these heroes are far from the noble figures that are traditionally found in most comic books. The most popular hero in The Boys is the thinly-veiled parody of Superman, Homelander, who leads an equally transparent pastiche of the Justice League known as The Seven. In a moment that showed how ineffective the team is, The Seven botches a plane rescue on 9/11 and cause the death of thousands from the resulting crash.
While The Boys' plane scene is mired in nihilism, the Flash opted for a more optimistic route. In The Flash #3 by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, a mysterious power surge has plunged Central City into absolute darkness. If the blackout wasn’t bad enough, a plane is heading straight for a collision with a bridge and Barry Allen's Flash, is the only one who can stop it. Barry uses his speed to launch himself from the ground and onto the plane. While doing so, he details the amazing things his connection to the Speed Force allows him to pull off. Barry recalls how he accidentally learned to phase through solid matter after drinking espresso. With that in mind, the Flash connects himself to the plane and vibrates the molecules of the plane so much, the aircraft completely phases through a bridge and lands safely in the water.
It should be noted that this particular issue of The Flash was released in 2011, a mere three years after the The Boys’ 21st issue featured its infamous plane scene. That's not to say this scene was intended to be a direct response to Ennis and Robertson's bleak rescue attempt. However, it is interesting that Barry was able to save a plane solo when The Boys' Flash parody, Mister Marathon, is shown to be woefully out of his league when it came to saving the day.
The Boys is a dark parody of the superhero genre that paints heroes as cowardly at best and downright cruel at worst. The Boys' plane crash scene served to show how much could actually go wrong with a group of non-professionals handling a crisis situation. But the heroes of the DC Universe are much more experienced and willing to give their lives in order to protect those in need. Flash probably had no idea if he was able to expand his phasing technique to an entire plane, but he attempted it anyway. While The Boys' lampooned the idea of how ineffective a speedster would be rescuing a plane, the Flash's success reinforces the idea that for a hero, there's always a way to save the day.
Join Amazon Prime - Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime