The Flash is known as the Fastest Man Alive, and several heroes have taken on this title over the years. They’re part of a larger group, the Flash Family, all incredibly fast – able to move faster than light and even escape death. At one point, Barry Allen, a famous Flash, said he could even see things happening in less than an attosecond – an unbelievably short amount of time! Their powers come from the Speed Force, a unique energy source that is essentially the power of motion itself. But the Flash Family isn’t the only group of speedy characters in the DC Universe.
Let’s explore the ten fastest heroes in the DC Universe who aren’t the Flash or powered by the Speed Force. We’re focusing only on heroes not connected to the Flash family. While none of them are as fast as the Flash himself – or even some of his sidekicks – these heroes are still incredibly quick and can react before you even notice there’s a problem. Here’s our list of some of DC’s fastest characters.
10) The Ray
Raymond Terrill—or his father, the original Ray—earns a place on this list thanks to their ability to absorb, redirect, and become living light. This allows them to travel at the speed of light, making them exceptionally fast. While lightspeed travel would be the ultimate limit of speed in reality, in a world of super-powered individuals and advanced technology, it’s simply the starting point for many others.
9) Apollo
Apollo started as a character in the Wildstorm Universe and is heavily inspired by Superman, gaining incredible strength and speed by absorbing solar energy. Though not quite as powerful as Superman, he’s proven he can keep pace with him. Initially, he could circle the globe in under thirty seconds, which is slower than the speed of light. However, the more recent version of Apollo is much faster, able to dodge attacks from powerful villains like Mongul and move at Superman’s speed. While he may not be among the absolute fastest characters, Apollo is definitely worth recognizing.
8) Takion
Takion is a largely overlooked character in the DC Universe. First appearing in 1996 – a difficult time for new comic book characters – he was intended to be the successor to Highfather. He has a unique link to the Source, the original energy that created the entire DC Multiverse, giving him immense power, including near-limitless abilities, energy manipulation, and incredible speed. His name even comes from tachyons, theoretical particles that travel faster than light, and he is very fast – he’s been shown to evade attacks from the incredibly speedy Wally West. However, compared to other powerful characters, Takion doesn’t have as many impressive accomplishments demonstrated. While he’s likely faster than most on this list, because we haven’t seen enough evidence of his speed, I’d rank him eighth.
7) Supergirl
Supergirl isn’t just a copycat like some other heroes – she’s a true Kryptonian with the same amazing abilities. This includes incredible speed; she can travel across the world in an instant and has repeatedly flown to the edge of the universe and back. She’s even fast enough to travel through time! While not quite as fast as Superman, she’s proven she has the potential and is certainly on par with him.
6) Martian Manhunter
Though he’s not as well-known as other Justice League members, Martian Manhunter is incredibly powerful – arguably on par with Superman. He possesses the same amazing speed as the Kryptonian and can keep pace with virtually anyone in the universe. In fact, he once demonstrated this by being the only hero fast enough to intercept Supergirl when she raced off to battle an evil twin. While often overlooked, Martian Manhunter is undoubtedly one of the fastest heroes in existence.
5) Green Lantern
As a film fan, I’m always fascinated by the power scaling in superhero universes, and the Green Lantern ring is seriously impressive when it comes to speed. It doesn’t just let you move quickly, it lets you go absurdly fast – routinely exceeding light speed while traveling between star systems. It’s like hopping on a bus for them! But the craziest example I’ve read about involved Hal Jordan. He needed to intercept a New God named Lightray, who was trying to get Highfather away from Darkseid, and he pushed the ring so hard it almost ripped a hole in the fabric of space-time! Apparently, he nearly created a speed-force singularity – basically a speed black hole – just trying to catch up. It’s a mind-blowing concept, and a great example of how powerful a Green Lantern can be.
4) Lightray
Lightray is a powerful New God representing hope and joy, and his main ability is incredible speed – he can move as fast as life itself. He’s the fastest being among the New Gods, often racing against Black Racer, who is essentially the personification of death. Black Racer is so fast he can almost keep up with the Flash, and Lightray has been running from him his entire life. One time, even the powerful Hal Jordan struggled to catch up to Lightray, and was exhausted while dragging Highfather along – demonstrating just how incredibly fast Lightray truly is when he’s not being pursued.
3) Shazam
Billy Batson, also known as the Captain, gains his superpowers from six different gods. The ‘S’ in the magic word ‘Shazam’ represents the speed of Mercury, the Roman messenger god known for his incredible swiftness. This gives Shazam the ability to move as fast as, or even faster than, many other speedsters. While he hasn’t officially outrun the Flash, he’s proven he can push beyond any speed limit.
2) Wonder Woman
Billy’s abilities are godlike, but Wonder Woman’s divine speed has actually exceeded that of the god who gave it to her. Everyone knows she can deflect bullets with her bracelets, but her true speed shines when she fights her greatest enemy, Cheetah. Cheetah’s curse made her incredibly fast, even surpassing the gods, and she once beat Wally West in a speed contest as shown in Wonder Woman (1987) #214 after training with Zoom. Although Diana isn’t as fast as Cheetah, she can still effectively fight her and other speedsters like Reverse-Flash, proving she’s in their league. She might not be able to beat them consistently, but she remains a moving force even in the incredibly fast world of the Flashes.
1) Superman
It’s no surprise that Superman is the fastest hero who doesn’t rely on the Speed Force. His speed is often measured against the various Flashes, and the fact that they even race shows how close they are in ability. Superman has demonstrated incredible speed feats, like winning a race against the Flash in Superman: Up in the Sky #4, exceeding the limits of reality in DC Comics Presents #29, and even moving during the incredibly fast “One Minute War.” While the Flash is still faster, Superman would be the quickest hero available if the Speed Force didn’t exist.
That covers ten of the quickest DC characters who don’t get their speed from the Speed Force. Who else do you think deserves a spot on this list? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-02-12 20:12