He might be the Fastest Man Alive, but even the Flash admits that may not be enough thanks to one weakness. Barry Allen owned up to the one thing that his powers can't withstand and could pose a serious risk to his life.
There are few power sets as amazing in the DC Universe as super speed. As people like Barry and Wally West have discovered, speed can unlock some truly impressive skills with a bit of technical know. By applying their speed correctly, Flashes can enhance their strength, run on air, and even travel to other worlds in DC's vast multiverse. These extra abilities brought on by Flash's tremendous speed have made him an invaluable member of the Justice League. On a team that contains god-level superhumans, Barry Allen and other speedsters have proven that they are some of the most powerful of the bunch.
However, even the Flash admits that for all his speed, he has a vulnerability that makes it pretty easy to take him down. In The Flash #42 by Robert Venditti, Van Jensen, and Brett Booth, Barry’s father, Henry, has just escaped from Iron Heights prison with a band of supervillains. After sneaking evidence, the Flash pursues the escapees, hoping to catch them before the cops do. Thankfully, one of the supervillains that helped Henry break out is Girder, and unlike the other villains, he has family in the area. Girder makes a stop to his grandmother’s house, only to be greeted by the Scarlet Speedster. Flash presses Girder for information but unfortunately, Girder isn't talking, and is determined to get rid of the Flash. Girder notes that all it will take him is one solid punch to deal with Barry, something the hero even agrees with.
Brute Force Is Something Flash Can't Handle
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Flash can’t stand up to brute force. After all, while Barry may have been given the speed of the gods, he’s still mostly human, even with his powers. Barry can and has been hurt by things such as knives and bullets in the past. Granted, he has the speed to avoid such obstacles, but even a speedster can only move so fast. Meaning that Barry is theoretically at the mercy of anyone who can get one lucky strike in between his fast-paced moves.
Now, Barry’s smart enough to know how to handle himself. Even if he can’t dodge a punch, the Flash can phase through solid matter, making most blunt objects completely harmless to him. But what is Barry’s plan against people who can match him in speed? Sure, there are very few speedsters that also have the capacity for overwhelming strength, but villains like the Reverse-Flash or Zoom know how to hurt Flashes. If Barry is essentially admitting he’s pretty much defenseless if not for his speed, all it takes is a resourceful enough villain to find the gap they need to deliver a killing blow and end the Flash for good.