10 Times Wally West Was The Fastest Man Alive

The Flash is a cornerstone of DC Comics, famous for launching the Silver Age and introducing the idea of multiple universes. While both Jay Garrick and Barry Allen were incredibly fast, Wally West, the third Flash, surpasses them in power. Originally known as Kid Flash and Barry Allen’s sidekick, Wally became the Flash after Barry’s death. He quickly began to redefine the boundaries of super speed, achieving feats that no other comic book character has ever matched – breaking the rules of time, space, and reality itself.

When Barry Allen, the Flash, died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, his nephew Wally West had a difficult task ahead of him. However, Wally quickly proved himself and became a fan-favorite hero in DC Comics, largely because of his imaginative ways of using super speed. Like most of DC’s speedsters, Wally gets his powers from the Speed Force—a limitless cosmic energy that’s the source of all movement. Over the years, Wally has become incredibly skilled at tapping into the Speed Force, allowing him to accomplish amazing feats, sometimes even rivaling Superman.

10) Evacuated a City in an Instant

When it comes to rescuing people from danger, Wally is an incredibly valuable hero, thanks to his amazing speed. He demonstrated this perfectly in JLA #89 when Martian Manhunter was taken over by a dangerous villain. This villain detonated a nuclear bomb in Chongjin, North Korea, a city of over half a million people. In an unbelievably short amount of time – 0.00001 microseconds (that’s one-millionth of a second!) – Wally ran into the city, gathered everyone, and moved them 35 miles away to safety, protecting them from the blast and radiation. Because of his quick actions, no one died in the explosion or from the fallout.

9) Invented the Infinite Mass Punch

Everyone knows that the faster an object moves, the more destruction it causes upon impact. In JLA #2, the Flash (Wally West) was battling a super-speed villain named ZüM and debuted a new attack he’d been working on: the Infinite Mass Punch. This punch works by increasing Wally’s fist’s mass to an unbelievably high degree as he approaches the speed of light. Later stories explained the punch hits with the force of a white dwarf star. When Wally used the Infinite Mass Punch on ZüM, the villain was blasted across the entire planet. He would go on to use this powerful technique against other enemies, including the Reverse-Flash and the Anti-Monitor.

8) Escaped a Black Hole

During the “Human Race” storyline, Wally is challenged like never before when two powerful beings make him compete in a race that will decide Earth’s destiny. One of the first hurdles in the race against the alien speedster, Krakkl, is running through a black hole. The immense gravity stretched Wally out dangerously, but entering the black hole proved easier than escaping. Because black holes have gravity so strong that even light can’t get away, Wally had to exceed the speed of light to break free – and he also managed to save Krakkl! Even when defying the laws of physics, Wally maintains his good sportsmanship.

7) Chased Mordru Across Time and Space

In The Flash #800, there’s a perfect example of Wally West’s heroism: he pursues a villain throughout all of time and space. It starts when the wizard Mordru steals a little girl’s lollipop. Wally immediately tries to stop him, but Mordru teleports to another planet. To Mordru’s surprise, Wally is already there! This begins a wild chase through the age of dinosaurs, the distant future, and even a hellish dimension. No matter where Mordru jumps in time or space, Wally is always right behind him. Eventually, Mordru teleports to the very end of time, only to find Wally waiting. Wally simply asks for the lollipop back, and the frightened wizard quickly gives it up.

6) Outran the Black Racer

In DC Comics, the Black Racer is one of the many beings who represent death. During the ‘Final Crisis’ storyline, Barry Allen returns to life after being dead for over 20 years, which angers the Black Racer. The Flash Family realizes they can use the Black Racer’s pursuit of Barry to their advantage in the fight against Darkseid’s plan to take over the multiverse. As they desperately try to escape the Black Racer’s deadly touch, Wally and Barry reach speeds so fast that they essentially become pure information. Their risky plan works: they phase through Darkseid, allowing the Black Racer to touch him instead of Barry, ultimately claiming Darkseid’s soul.

5) Raced the Black Flash to the End of the Universe

Wally West, also known as the Flash, has faced death more than once. The Black Flash is a terrifying being that is death, specifically hunting those who use the Speed Force. In The Flash #141, Wally found himself targeted and had to run for his life. He pushed himself to incredible speeds, racing billions of years into the future – past the end of the universe and even time itself – to a place where death no longer existed. This act caused the Black Flash to vanish, meaning Wally essentially defeated death itself.

4) Outran the Big Bang

Even after defeating the Black Flash in The Flash #141, Wally West faced an impossible challenge. At the very end of time, as the universe prepared for a new Big Bang, everything was collapsing into chaos. To escape this, Wally needed to run faster than the creation of the entire universe – a speed at least six hundred and thirty-three septillion times the speed of light (that’s a 1 with 81 zeros after it!). He not only managed this incredible feat, but he also went back in time and rescued his fiancée, Linda Park. The fact that he did all of this immediately after defeating the Black Flash makes his accomplishment even more unbelievable.

3) Ran Faster Than Instant Teleportation

In the thrilling climax of the “Human Race” story, Wally faces aliens who have been recklessly endangering Earth for their entertainment. He challenges them to a race across the universe. Because the aliens can teleport, Wally needs a unique strategy. He asks everyone on Earth – over 8 billion people, plus the entire Flash Family – to run at top speed. By channeling their combined energy, Wally briefly reaches an unimaginable velocity, faster than time itself. This incredible speed allows him to warp time and space, ultimately winning the race and saving Earth.

2) Threatened the Infinite Multiverse

During a major storyline change, Wally West and his twin children, Irey and Jai, mysteriously disappeared. While Wally eventually returned, his children remained lost. Driven to find them, Wally was tricked by the villain Zoom, who convinced him that Irey and Jai were trapped inside the Speed Force and could only be rescued by destroying it. This led to a massive conflict with Barry Allen, resulting in a high-speed race around the world. As their speed increased, the energy they generated threatened to unravel the entire DC multiverse. Ultimately, Wally won the race, but thankfully, the Speed Force and the multiverse were saved.

1) Outran the Speed Force

Even among all of Wally’s incredible powers, exceeding the limits of the Speed Force is his most impressive feat. In Flash Forward #5, Wally finds himself on a desolate planet within the Dark Multiverse, where he discovers his children, Irey and Jay. Tragically, they are nearly overcome by a wave of dark matter. Luckily, the cosmic being Tempus intervenes, saving Wally. Devastated by almost losing his children again, Wally attempts to obliterate the planet. He pushes his speed beyond anything previously imagined, running across the planet faster than the Speed Force itself – the infinite energy source that powers all speedsters and all movement. Ultimately, Wally succeeds in rescuing Irey and Jay.

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2026-03-12 23:18