Honestly, if you ask any casual fan who wins in a Flash and Superman race, they’ll probably say Superman. He’s the Man of Steel. He can move planets. But if you’ve actually cracked open a comic book in the last forty years, you know that’s not really how it works.
The truth is, DC Comics spent decades being terrified of answering this question. They didn't want to upset the kids who loved Clark, but they also didn't want to make the Flash look like a sidekick. This led to years of "ties" and weird alien interference.
But when the gloves come off? It’s not even close.
The History of the Flash and Superman Race
It all started back in 1967. Superman #199 featured the first sanctioned race between Barry Allen and Clark Kent. The UN Secretary-General asked them to run around the world for charity. Sounds simple, right?
Well, the writers panicked. They had two different gambling syndicates trying to fix the race. To keep the crooks from winning and to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, the heroes decided to cross the finish line at the exact same time. Total cop-out.
Later that same year, in Flash #175, they tried again. This time they were racing across the entire Milky Way. Again, it ended in a tie because of some nonsense about the camera angles at the finish line. DC was basically the king of the "everyone wins" trophy before it was a thing.
Who Actually Has More Wins?
If you look at the raw data, the record is actually pretty lopsided once you get past the Silver Age silliness.
- Barry Allen: He has roughly 3 clear wins against Superman.
- Wally West: He’s even faster. Wally has beat Superman at least 3 times, once so convincingly in Flash #209 that Superman was left in the dust while Wally was just trying to get home to his wife.
- Superman: He has 2 "technical" wins, but they usually come with an asterisk. For instance, in Superman #709, he caught a mind-controlled Barry, but Barry later pointed out he was literally fighting his own brain at the time.
- Ties: There are at least 3 major ties that everyone remembers, mostly from the early days.
The "Those Were For Charity" Moment
There is one specific moment in The Flash: Rebirth #3 (2009) that basically ended the debate forever.
Superman is chasing Barry, trying to talk him out of running back into the Speed Force. Clark says, "I've raced you before, Barry. I even won some of those races."
Barry doesn't even look back. He just says, "Those were for charity, Clark."
Then he shifts into another gear and leaves Superman standing still. It was a massive mic-drop moment for speedster fans. It established that the Flash has a "top speed" that Superman simply cannot touch because the Flash is connected to the Speed Force, while Superman is just... really, really fast.
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Is Superman Faster in the Movies?
This is where it gets messy. In the 2017 Justice League movie (and the Snyder Cut), we see Superman's eyes track the Flash while everything else is frozen. It was a shock to the system for Barry.
In the post-credits scene, they start a race, but the movie cuts to black before we see the winner. Classic DC. However, in the comics, the physics are different. Superman has to deal with friction and air resistance. If he runs too fast on Earth, he’ll literally ignite the atmosphere. The Flash? He has a "Speed Force aura" that protects him and the environment. Basically, he cheats at physics.
Why Does This Even Matter?
You’ve gotta realize that "Fastest Man Alive" isn't just a nickname for the Flash; it’s his entire identity. If Superman is stronger, tougher, has laser eyes, can fly, and is faster, then why does the Flash even exist?
Writer Geoff Johns and others have leaned into the idea that while Superman is the jack-of-all-trades, the Flash is the master of one. He isn't just fast; he is speed.
What You Can Do Next
If you want to see the definitive proof for yourself, don't just take my word for it. Go check out these specific issues:
- Read Flash #209 to see Wally West make Superman look like he’s walking.
- Watch the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Speed Demons" for a great 90s take on the rivalry.
- Check out Superman: Up in the Sky #4 for one of the rare times Superman actually manages to pull off a win in a ten-lap race.
Most people get this wrong because Superman is the "alpha" of the DC Universe. But when it comes to a straight Flash and Superman race, the guy in the red suit with the lightning bolts has the edge. Every time.