The Flash is one of the most enduring figures in the DC Multiverse's mythology. Since debuting in the Golden Age, the Flash mantle has been handed down many times and each Flash has made their mark on things, even if some have left a greater impression than others. General audiences know the Flash from the CW show and the DCEU movies but there is a lot of information that is left out of these adaptations.
The Flash's history in the comics is long and multi-faceted. There's a lot to learn about the character, as there are decades of developments.
10 Who Is Faster Than The Flash? It Depends On The Flash
The Flash is known as the fastest man alive and while this is mostly true, it depends on which Flash one is talking about. There have been several Flashes in the character's existence and each one has a different level of speed. Some Flashes are slower than others.
The two fastest Flashes, Barry Allen and Wally West, are pretty much the fastest humans ever and have even outrun the Black Racer, the god of death. With Barry, Wally is faster than him and for Wally, the only person who has ever been faster than him was Zoom but Wally was able to figure out how to overcome the villain's advantage.
9 Is Barry Allen The Best Flash? That's Highly Debatable
For fans of the CW show or the DCEU, the Flash is Barry Allen. Barry is an icon in the comics as well, having brought the Flash name to prominence in the Silver Age. For fans of the show, Barry is certainly the best Flash but is he in the comics? Well, that's a point of contention for Flash fans.
Barry actually had his book canceled in the early '80s and was killed off in Crisis On Infinite Earths. Barry was brought back in 2008 and was the main Flash for the next thirteen years and while he's had some great adventures, calling him the best Flash will start a flame war.
8 Why Do People Like Wally Better Than Barry? He Feels More Fleshed Out Than Barry
Wally West has a legion of fans and is the current Flash. For many fans, Wally was the Flash they grew up with. That said, there are a lot of definite reasons that Wally is considered better than Barry. Barry's biggest problem was that he was a refugee of the Silver Age and kind of a boring character when it came right down to it.
Wally always felt more real. He had an actual personality, was funny, and worked hard to become the best. Fans liked him as the Flash more because they could relate to him. One of the ironies of Barry's return is that they basically made him more like Wally, which proves just how effective Wally was at changing the Flash.
7 How Did Barry Allen Die? He Ran Himself To Death
CW fans got to see a version of Crisis On Infinite Earths but there were also a lot of differences from the comic. One of those was that in the comic, Barry Allen died. For years, this was his defining moment, as he sacrificed himself to save the universe. So, how exactly did he die?
He basically ran himself to death. In order to stop a massive anti-matter cannon from destroying the remaining Earths, Barry had to push himself harder than he ever did before. While he was able to destroy the cannon, his body was aged down to dust and he became one with the Speed Force, losing his life.
6 Where Does The Speed Force Come From? Barry Allen Creates It
For years, the Flash was just a guy who could run fast but writer Mark Waid, one of the best modern Flash writers, introduced a new explanation, the Speed Force. The Speed Force is an interdimensional energy that empowers speedsters and was one of the biggest changes to Flash lore. A lot of people may wonder where it comes from.
Writer Geoff Johns, in The Flash: Rebirth, revealed that Barry Allen himself created the Speed Force in the accident that gave him his powers. It sprang into being in that moment but then it basically always existed, as it was a force that was closely related to time.
5 Who Are The Rogues? The De Facto Team Formed By Flash's Villains
For non-comic Flash fans, they may have heard the name "the Rogues" getting thrown around but didn't know who they are. So, a valid question would be who are the Rogues? The answer to that is super simple: they're a group formed by Flash's non-speedster villains.
Flash and Batman villains have a lot in common and the Rogues can be looked at like Batman villains, as they all have themes and technology they use to fight the Flash. They've teamed up because on their own the Flash can pulverize them. They're a quite formidable group of villains and the best villain team around.
4 Why Has Superman Beaten The Flash In Races If Flash Is The Fastest? Because The Flash Lets Him
While the Flash is the fastest man alive, Superman is no slouch in the speed department. The two have raced each other many times over the years, with Superman winning some of these races. In a way, this kind of makes sense, since Superman isn't a "man", so Flash could lose a race to him and still be the fastest man alive. But should Superman be able to win?
The answer to that is no and the only reason he ever won a race with the Flash was revealed in The Flash: Rebirth #3. Because the races were for charity, the Flash has allowed Superman to win but can easily outrun him.
3 Can Flash Beat The Justice League? Yes, His Speed Is An Underestimated Power
The Justice League is the greatest assemblage of heroes ever and fans often wonder how each member of the team would do against the others, including the Flash. So, could the Flash beat the Justice League? The answer to one is a resounding yes.
The Flash is so fast, he can attack the rest before they even know what hit them. He can build up momentum and land blows that take out Wonder Woman and Superman, phase through anything Green Lantern tried to throw at him, and take out Batman with one punch. The League is powerful but Flash would destroy them.
2 What Powers Does The Flash Have Besides Superspeed? All Kinds Of Great Powers
The Flash is known for being superfast but that's not his only power. The Speed Force gives the Flash a lot of powers. For example, he can move his molecules so fast that he can phase through surfaces, allowing him to pass through most attacks. The closer he gets to the speed of light, his mass increases until he can pull off an infinite mass punch that will end anyone.
He's been able to run so fast he can move through the Multiverse and using the Cosmic Treadmill, has even been able to travel through time. Wally West developed the power to take momentum from other objects, something other Flashes have learned how to do as well.
1 Didn't Wally West Kill Bunch A People? Actually No, That Was The Speed Force
Wally West is the Flash again, something fans thought impossible not too long ago, especially because of the events of Heroes In Crisis. That story saw Wally lose control of his powers, accidentally kill a bunch of his fellow heroes, then cover it by framing Booster Gold and Harley Quinn and killing himself in the future.
It was recently revealed that the whole thing wasn't his fault at all. He didn't lose control of his powers but was hit by a Speed Force surge and it was what killed everyone. He was able to go back in time and stop the surge from destroying the Earth but couldn't save his friends.