DC Comics has no shortage of speedsters. From heroes like Superman and the Flash to villains like Savitar and Reverse-Flash, it seems there's always another speedster making their debut. Some use their gifts for heroic missions, while others employ their speed for selfish or criminal endeavors, but each relishes the chance to put their speed to the test.
Across 80 years of publication, DC's greatest speedsters have proved their mettle against each other, whether competing in friendly face-offs or laying it all on the line during world-shattering events. By analyzing each speedster's greatest feats, comics fans can finally determine who is the fastest speedster alive.
Updated on July 17, 2023, by Scoot Allan: Barry Allen discovered a few of the dark consequences of his superspeed in 2023's live-action The Flash film. He met another variant of himself as well as a fellow speedster in Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. However, fans have met quite a few different speedsters in the DC universe over the years that have challenged or joined the Flash over the years.
30 Eliza Harmon/Trajectory
First Appearance: 52 #17 (October 2006) by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Chris Batista, Ruy José, Jack Jadson, David Baron and Phil Balsman
Eliza Harmon dreamed of being a speedster her entire life. When Lex Luthor selected her for his Everyman Project, she saw it as the opportunity of a lifetime. In line with their efforts to usher in a new generation of superheroes, the Project granted Eliza superpowers. She donned the mantle of Trajectory and joined Luthor's superhero team, Infinity, Inc.
Finally the speedster she always wanted to be, Trajectory's only struggle was slowing down. She relied on the drug Sharp to reduce her speed. Shortly after her debut, Eliza and her teammates engaged Blockbuster in battle. To further his schemes, Lex Luthor depowered Trajectory during the conflict, costing the young hero her life.
29 Don And Dawn Allen/Tornado Twins
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #373 (October 1968) by Jim Shooter, Jim Shooter, Win Mortimer, and Ben Oda
Barry Allen briefly retired to the 30th Century with his wife, Iris West-Allen. They had twins named Don and Dawn Allen before Barry returned to his original time to sacrifice his life in the Crisis. The twins inherited a portion of their father's speed, which allowed them to create superfast cyclones that earned them the name of the Tornado Twins.
Don Allen and Meloni Thawne would later have Bart Allen/Impulse, while Jeven Ognatz and Dawn Allen had Jenni Ognatz/XS. Reverse-Flash used the Negative Speed Force to corrupt the Tornado Twins and manipulate them into joining his Legion of Zoom. He turned them against the Flash Family, though Impulse helped free them from his control.
28 Daniel West/Reverse-Flash
First Appearance: The Flash #0 (November 2012) by Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato, Ian Herring, And Wes Abbott
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Daniel West had a rough childhood and ran away from home to become a small-time crook. After he stumbled upon a Speed Force battery that gave him the power to turn back time, it looked like his luck would finally change. Hoping to heal his relationship with his sister Iris, Daniel decided to travel back in time and kill their father.
Daniel started draining anyone connected to the Speed Force and embarked on his mission as Reverse-Flash. After traumatizing his younger self and Iris, he begged The Flash to help set things right. Danial seized his chance at redemption and joined the Suicide Squad. Reverse-Flash saved a group of children from a bomb, sacrificing his life in the process.
27 Ivana Christina Borodin Molotova/Lady Flash
First Appearance: The Flash #7 (December 1987) by Mike Baron, Jackson Guice, Larry Mahlstedt, Carl Gafford, and Steve Haynie
Looking to replicate the Flash's speed, Soviet scientists conducted experiments that helped them create a trio of speedsters. Calling themselves the Blue Trinity, the team comprised Gregor Gregorovich, Boleslaw Uminski, and Ivana Christina Molotova. Vandal Savage captured Blue Trinity and subjected them to experiments with the speed-enhancing drug, Velocity 9.
After Vandal seemingly killed the Flash, Molotova wore Barry's costume and became Lady Flash. The Flash returned and gave her the inspiration she needed to resist Vandal's influence. She also followed Savitar as Lady Savitar before her later death at the hands of Black Flash. While she boasted impressive speed, Molotova couldn't keep up with speedsters fueled by the Speed Force.
26 Tad Thawne/Inertia
First Appearance: Impulse #50 (July 1999) by Todd Dezago, Ethan Van Sciver, Prentis Rollin, Rick Taylor, Digital Chameleon, and Janice Chiang
In the 30th century, President Thaddeus Thawne created a clone of Bart Allen/Impulse that possessed some of Thawne's genetic material. Taking the name Inertia, Thaddeus "Tad" Thawne II learned patience and methodical strategy from the elder Thawne. Taught to hate the Allen family with a burning passion, Tad traveled back in time to replace Bart Allen.
Inetrtia's genetic composition granted him incredible speed, but he'd later turn to the Velocity 9 drug after losing access to the Speed Force. Hoping to steal Bart's speed, Inertia gathered a group of villains to hunt him down and kill the short-lived Flash. Before he could take advantage of the stolen speed, Inertia's allies betrayed him and left him for dead.
25 Baroness Blitzkrieg
First Appearance: Justice Society of America #2 (March 2007) by Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham, Ruy José, Jeromy Cox, and Rob Leigh
Baroness Blitzkrieg was a member of the Fourth Reich, a terrorist organization Vandal Savage formed to kill the descendants of patriotic heroes from the Golden Age. Loyal to Vandal's wicked cause, Baroness used her speed to target and murder several of Commander Steel's descendants.
Before Baroness Blitzkrieg could target Stripesy's son, Mike Dugan, Jay Garrick/Flash prevented any more bloodshed. While the villainous speedster's reputation wasn't as notable as some others, she proved fast and ruthless enough to make an impact in the brief time she appeared in the comics.
24 Edward Clariss/The Rival
First Appearance: Flash Comics #104 (February 1949) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Bernard Sachs
Scientist and university professor Edward Clariss believed he'd re-created the formula that gave Jay Garrick his speed. When the skeptical scientific community rejected his findings, Clariss decided to test the formula on himself. Expressing his anger through criminal actions, he donned a darker version of Garrick's costume and became an evil version of Flash known as The Rival.
After going toe-to-toe with Garrick's Flash, Rival discovered his speed wasn't permanent. He continued to cause the Golden Age speedster serious trouble throughout the years. While he manufactured his speed, Rival still ran fast enough to disappear into the Speed Force in one of his final appearances.
23 Jenni Ognats/XS
First Appearance: Legionnaires #0 (October 1994) by Tom McCraw, Mark Waid, Jeffrey Moy, Ron Boyd, and Pat Brosseau
The granddaughter of Barry Allen and Iris West, Professor Zoom targeted Jenni Ognats shortly after her birth. Her family relocated to another Earth, and years later, her powers emerged in response to a crisis. Taking the codename XS, Jenni joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, met up with her cousin Bart Allen, and united with the Flash Family.
As a descendant of Barry Allen, Jenni shares the Allen family's affinity toward superheroics and their great power. She teamed with the Flash Family and took on Savitar during the "Dead Heat" event, proving herself among DC's top speedsters and a stand-out member of the Legion.
22 Lia Nelson/Lightray
First Appearance: Tangent Comics: Flash #1 (December 1997) by Todd Dezago, Gary Frank, Cam Smith, Patricia Mulvihill, and Chris Eliopoulos
While she first appeared in the Tangent Universe as Earth 9's Flash, Lia Nelson later found herself on the mainstream Earth during DC's Infinite Frontier era. In her reality, Nelson was the first human child born in space, aboard a station that orbited Mars. She developed incredible abilities as a new light-based being, which allowed her to become a celebrity and superhero.
As Earth 9's Flash, Lia could travel at the speed of light and even manipulate light energy in various ways. She adopted the new costumed alter ego of Lightray when she joined Supeman's roster of The Authority. While Lia Nelson was one of the team's fastest members, she wasn't able to outrun her own death or resurrection as the deadly creature known as Black Razor.
21 Max Mercury
First Appearance: National Comics #5 (November 1940) by Jack Cole and Chuck Mazoujian
Max Mercury was initially known as "The Whirlwind of the West," though his interest in the Speed Force saw him jump through time a few times over the years. He used a few speedster alter egos that included Lightning, Blue Streak, and even Quicksilver. Years after he returned as Max Mercury, he started mentoring Bart Allen/Impulse.
Unfortunately, a run-in with The Rival left Mercury imprisoned in the Speed Force. He wouldn't return until Infinite Crisis, where he helped the other speedsters battle Superboy-Prime. As a classic speedster, Mercury's experience proved as valuable as his superpowers. While not as famous as his colleagues, Mercury proved himself a reliable and capable teammate in any circumstance.
20 Johnny Chambers/Johnny Quick
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #71 (September 1941) by Mort Weisinger
One of the first Golden Age speedsters was Johnny Chambers. He was a newsreel photographer who used a mathematical formula to tap into the Speed Force as Johnny Quick. After he created his costumed alter ego, he joined the All-Star Squadron with other Golden Age heroes.
Johnny Quick met and fell in love with the heroic Liberty Belle during his time with the All-Star Squadron. The duo continued to work with the Justice Society of America for years until the birth of their superpowered daughter, Jesse. Johnny never ran as fast as the rest of the Flash Family, though his mathematical formula has helped give other speedsters a boost when needed.
19 Jonathan Allen/Johnny Quick (Earth 3)
First Appearance: Justice League of America #29 (August 1964) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Bernard Sachs, and Gaspar Saladino
Jonathan Allen was the Flash's evil Earth 3 counterpart and core member of the Crime Syndicate of America, one of the darkest versions of the Justice League. During DC's "Forever Evil" storyline, Johnny and his comrades invaded Earth 1, hoping to make it their new home.
The Crime Syndicate successfully captured several members of the League before the Injustice League stopped them in their tracks. Johnny played an instrumental role in "Forever Evil" as his superspeed allowed him to catch his enemies off guard. While Mazahs killed the New 52 version, a new variant appeared in the Infinite Frontier era to carry on his dark legacy.
18 Jay Garrick/The Flash
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (January 1940) by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert
After a laboratory experiment at his university went wrong, Jay Garrick gained incredible superpowers. He fought as a core member of the Justice Society of America and battled with the likes of the Shade, the Fiddler, and the Thinker. After Barry Allen stepped into the Flash role, Garrick took on a mentor role and trained up younger heroes.
Garrick was a speedster for decades, though he only recently gained a connection to the Speed Force. Jay Garrick recently regained his youthfulness when he returned alongside the rest of the JSA during the Infinite Frontier event, allowing him to return to his role as a mentor while running near his prime.
17 Wally West II/Kid Flash
First Appearance: The Flash Annual #3 (June 2014) by Van Jensen, Robert Venditti, Ron Frenz, Brett Booth, John Livesay, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse, and Taylor Esposito
The son of Daniel West, Wally received his superspeed from a future version of himself and decided to follow in the Flash's footsteps. After Godspeed killed one of Wally's friends, Barry mentored young Wally and the two stopped Godspeed. Adopting the codename Kid Flash, Wally joined Damian Wayne's roster of Teen Titans.
When the Negative Speed Force corrupted the Flash, Wally saved Barry from being torn apart. When the original Wally West returned, he became yet another older mentor to the young Kid Flash. He guided Kid Flash and help him become one of DC's fastest speedsters.
16 John Fox/Flash
First Appearance: Flash Special #1 (July 1990) by Mark Waid, Mike Parobeck, José Marzan, Jr., Glenn Whitmore, and Tim Harkins
John Fox is the Flash from the 27th century. Fox started out as a historian for the National Academy of Science, but he went above and beyond the call of duty when the villain named Manfred Mota came to his city. The Academy sent him into the past to get help from the Flashes. Although he failed, he gained powers from temporal radiation exposure during his journey.
Fox defeated Mota and took on the Flash codename. Shortly after, Fox joined Wally West in his era to stop Polaris and Abra Kadabra from beginning a new Ice Age. John Fox eventually became the Flash of the 853rd Century thanks to his strong connection to the Speed Force and advanced time-traveling technology.
15 Jesse Chambers/Jesse Quick
First Appearance: Justice Society of America #1 (August 1992) by Len Strazewski, Mike Parobeck, Mike Machlan, Glenn Whitmore, and Bob Pinaha
The daughter of Golden Age speedster Johnny Quick and JSA member Liberty Belle, Jesse Chambers inherited her parent's abilities. She soon learned how to tap into and use energy from the Speed Force as well. Jesse lent her abilities to teams like the Justice Society and helped Wally West take on Savitar, even when she had lost her powers.
While Jesse regained her speed, she lost something far more precious; her father sacrificed his life to protect her from Savitar. Jesse may have had a slower learning curve compared to her heroic peers, but she could run with the best of them. Jesse Quick was up to any challenge with teams like the JSA and Teen Titans, and she even briefly took on the mantle of The Flash.
14 Walter West/Dark Flash
First Appearance: The Flash #150 (July 1999) by Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn, Paul Pelletier, Vince Russell, Tom McCraw, and Gaspar Saladino
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Walter West came from a different timeline than Wally West, yet much of their lives seemed the same. Their futures diverged when Kobra killed Linda Park. After losing Linda, Walter cut loose, didn't hold back on criminals, and ventured into morally questionable territory.
Becoming more anti-hero than hero, Walter earned a violent reputation as the Dark Flash. Believing Wally West and his Linda had died, Walter used his superspeed to travel to Wally's reality, hoping to replace him. His presence created an imbalance, eventually forcing him to return to his own reality.
13 Avery Ho/Flash
First Appearance: The Flash #3 (September 2016) by Joshua Williamson, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, and Steve Wands
A Speed Force Storm shot lightning across Central City, empowering a number of speedsters. Unfortunately, some of the Speed Force connections were unstable and required some extra help. When Avery Ho gained her powers, she discovered that she could vibrate at superfast speeds. However, she also soon discovered that she couldn't stop vibrating.
Barry Allen/Flash helped Avery Ho take control of her superspeed. She eventually debuted as her own version of the Flash alongside teams like the Justice League of China. Avery Ho has shown she is not only a dependable member of the modern Flash Family, but she is also a multiversal hero due to her membership with the Justice Incarnate.
12 Bart Allen/Impulse
First Appearance: The Flash (Vol. 3) #92, By Writer Mark Waid, Penciler Mike Wieringo, Inker José Marzan, Jr., Colorist Gina Going, And Letterer Gaspar Saladino
Bary Allen'\s grandson Bart Allen was born with super-speed, though his unstable connection to the Speed Force caused him to age at an accelerated rate. Bart traveled back through time so Wally West could teach him how to master his powers. West used the Speed Force to stabilize Bart Allen, and he became the speedster known as Impulse.
Impulse worked alongside other speedsters like Max Mercury and helped found the team, Young Justice. Bart Allen would become Kid Flash while he was a member of the Teen Titans, and he suited up as the Flash after Infinite Crisis. While he died in the role of The Flash, the youthful Bart Allen returned as Impulse to help found a new roster of Young Justice and rejoin the Flash Family.
11 August Heart/Godspeed
First Appearance: The Flash: Rebirth #1 (August 2016) by Joshua Williamson, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascenci, and Steve Wands
August Heart started out as Barry Allen's detective partner and witnessed the event that granted Barry his powers. Sometime later, Heart received his own powers from a Speed Force Storm. For a time, Heart acted as Flash's partner. Unbeknownst to Barry, Heart was also the vigilante known as Godspeed, an anti-hero desperately seeking vengeance for his brother's death.
When Barry discovered the truth, he confronted Godspeed. The latter would've escaped if Kid Flash hadn't intervened. Godspeed proved a formidable opponent, but over time, he began reforming his ways, gradually aligning himself with the side of the angels.