The best speedsters in comics: the tier list

Q: Who is the best speedster in comics?

Barry AllenetWally Westare competing for first place at DC. Barry for its historical importance, Wally for the richness of its stories. Quicksilver dominates on the Marvel side.

The best speedsters (super-fast characters) in comics are, at the top,Flash (Barry Allen),Flash (Wally West),QuicksilveretReverse-Flash. This tier list classifies the cars of the comic book universe according to their importance, their stories and their cultural impact. Facts (publisher, creation) verified, no invented ratings; each character refers to its file.

Super-speed is one of the most spectacular powers in comics, and DC has made it a real dynasty with the “Speed Force”. This tier list classifies speedsters according to their narrative importance and their richness, from legend to second-rate. Criterion: the weight of the character, not their “quantified” speed.

Editorial Ranks, Factsverified. Each speedster refers to its file when it exists.

Tier list — the speedsters

Flash (Barry Allen)D.C., 1956 Flash (Wally West)DC, 1960 QuicksilverMarvel, 1964 Reverse-FlashDC, 1963

Jay GarrickD.C., 1940 Kid FlashD.C., 1959 Zoom (Zolomon)DC, 2003 Impulse (Bart Allen)DC, 1994

Max MercuryDC, 1940/1993 Jesse QuickDC, 1992 MakkariMarvel, 1976 GodspeedDC, 2016

XSDC, 1994 Johnny QuickD.C., 1941 SavitarDC, 1995 Wallace WestD.C., 2014

The WhizzerMarvel, 1941 Speed DemonMarvel, 1966 TurbineD.C., 2012

Tier S: the legends of speed

Barry Allen(1956) is the Flash who launched the Silver Age of comics and founded the mythology of the Speed Force.Wally West, long the "main" Flash, is a favorite of many readers for its emotional depth.Quicksilveris Marvel's flagship speedster, mutant and Avenger. AndReverse-Flash(Eobard Thawne) is the absolute nemesis, obsessed with destroying Barry.

Tier A: the swift dynasty

Jay Garrick(1940) is the very first Flash, a Golden Age figure.Kid FlashetImpulseembody the next generation, whileZoom(Hunter Zolomon) is one of the best modern villains of the character.

Tier B: confirmed speeds

Max Mercury, the “Zen of speed”,Jesse Quick, thereMakkariof the Eternals at Marvel andGodspeedenrich the gallery of speedsters, each with their own identity.

Tier C: secondary runners

XS(Barry's granddaughter),Johnny Quick,SavitaretWallace Westcomplete the Veloce Force: solid characters, a notch below the major figures.

Tier D: quick curiosities

The Whizzer(Marvel, 1941),Speed DemonetTurbineclose this selection: obscure but very real speedsters, for fans of deep cuts.

To remember

DC largely dominatesthe concept of speedster via the Speed Force.
Barry Allen (Flash #123, Showcase #4)concentrates the great key numbers of the genre.
The Flash/Reverse-Flash rivalryis one of the great duels of comics.
Each character refers to its file for its key numbers.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the best speedster in comics?

Barry AllenetWally Westare competing for first place at DC. Barry for its historical importance, Wally for the richness of its stories. Quicksilver dominates on the Marvel side.

Who is the fastest speedster?

The debate is eternal and varies between authors, but Wally West is often presented as the fastest, capable of outpacing the Speed Force itself in some stories.

Where does the Flash's story begin?

With Jay Garrick in Flash Comics #1 (1940), then especially Barry Allen in Showcase #4 (1956), a major key issue which launched the Silver Age of comics.

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