Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Action Comics #1057Regardless of who’s currently wearing the scarlet and gold, every hero who has called themselves The Flash has at one time or another been referred to as DC Comics‘ Fastest Man Alive. Despite their shared moniker however, not every Scarlet Speedster can be the fastest of them all. And even Superman and Lois Lane know who the fastest Flash truly is.
Action Comics #1057 by Philip Kennedy Johnson, Rafa Sandoval, Matt Herms, and Dave Sharpe finds the Man of Steel’s lunch interrupted as his wife and editor, the one and only Lois Lane, takes advantage of Clark’s super-hearing and calls him back to The Daily Planet. Getting her husband’s attention, Lois says, “Smallville, I need you back quick. Maybe not Wally quick, but like…Barry quick.“
And if managing editor of The Daily Planet knows Wally West is the fastest, it can hardly be up for debate.
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Barry Allen Can’t Keep Up With Wally West
Whether Lois is aware of Wally’s superior speed because of her career as a journalist or because of her close ties to the heroes of the Justice League and superhero community is unclear, but either way, there’s no doubt her intel is solid. After all, Wally West’s speed as Kid Flash never reached his mentor Barry’s top velocity, but the young hero’s time filling his predecessor’s gold boots saw him surpass Barry Allen’s speeds by a landslide. Since Barry’s return as one of the primary Flashes, he’s had more than a few impressive feats of his own, but ultimately, he’s clearly still secondary to Wally. This fact has been cemented in continuity by Wally leaving Barry in the dust during the events of the “Flash War” story arc by Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, and Hi-Fi in the pages of the Scarlet Speedster’s titular solo series.
Wally Is Fastest – And Barry Knows It
Prior to gaining access to the Speed Force, Barry Allen had a reputation as a bit of a slowpoke, and despite his great power, that’s still a pretty strong personality trait of his. Odds are he wouldn’t love being referred to as the slower option, but even the Silver Age Flash can’t argue with Wally’s velocity. Luckily, for the most part, Barry has never been anything but proud of his successor, so if he’s going to be happy about being slower than any other Flash, it would probably be Wally.
The Flash is always the Fastest Man Alive, but the Fastest Man Alive isn’t always the same Flash. Wally West may be the successor to Barry Allen, but he’s far and away faster than his Silver Age mentor. And even Superman and Lois Lane know that in the race to be DC Comics‘ fastest Flash, Barry Allen comes in second place.
Action Comics #1057 is on sale now from DC Comics.
Everyone knows who the fastest Flash really is. Read More