Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for Superman: Up in the Sky #4, by Tom King, Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope, Brad Anderson and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Superheroes being not quite heroic isn't exactly a new thing. But even though productions like The Boys and Watchmen have shown heroes behaving very badly, it's especially odd seeing iconic classic characters like Superman and the Flash act out of character.
In Superman: Up In the Sky #4, Superman and the Flash have another one of their iconic super-speed races. The result, however, has the Flash apparently endangering a familiar looking civilian's life, and the Scarlet Speedster even seems to smile about it.
During the race, the Flash is shown nearly colliding with a civilian who was simply crossing the street at a crosswalk. Given the man's distinct appearance, namely his glasses, brown coat and mustache, he bares an uncanny resemblance to Batman's Commissioner Gordon.
Elsewhere in the issue, we see the race take the two speedsters into Gotham City, and it's not impossible to imagine them bumping into Commissioner Gordon along their route. More than likely, however, this unnamed character is just a generic character model who just bares a resemblance to Gotham's top cop.
Regardless of who the is, the Flash could have very easily caused this man's death. Since he was moving at the top of his super-speed, he could've crushed anything or anyone he ran into. While Superman and the Flash learned that the hard way in this week's DCeased #5, the Flash could've given this civilian a serious jolt that did a lot more than knock him off his feet.
While the civilian in question is probably fine, there is some precedent for the Flash's casual disregard for his surroundings. Superman: Up in the Sky collects stories that were originally released as Wal-Mart exclusives, and to evoke the classic Superman and DC stories of the Golden and Silver Age with modern sensibilities. This story's main plot, which sees Superman and the Flash racing across the Earth to see who really was the Fastest Man Alive.
While the stories of this era featured heroes with godlike abilities playing with their powers and a complete disregard for the safety of mere mortals, it was also an era filled with joy. On this page, that sense of joy is palpable, thanks to the smirk on the Flash's face as he runs by. Still, the speedster could probably be a little more aware of his surroundings, especially when he's not Up in the Sky and around the people of Earth.
Superman: Up In the Sky #4 is available now.