Summary

  • In DC's Absolute Power event, Barry Allen will prove he's the fastest Flash by outpacing Velocity, a robot infused with the the speed of every other member of the Flash Family.
  • Absolute Power will test many of DC's top heroes like never before, with Barry at the forefront of the challenge.
  • With this incredible feat, DC establishes Barry Allen as the undisputed fastest Flash, suring the accomplishments of the other of the Family.

As long as there have been multiple incarnations of DC's Flash, readers have debated which is the fastest. From Jay Garrick all the way to Wally West, there can only be one fastest Flash, and it seems that Barry Allen is about to prove that he's the absolute fastest member of the Flash Family, albeit in the darkest way possible.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 – written by Alex Paknadel, with art by Pete Woods – will put Barry Allen in a position to prove he tops the speed charts. DC has been building toward the Absolute Power event for the past year. The event is set to test many of DC's top heroes like never before, and evidently, Flash is prominent on that list.

ABSOLUTE POWER: TASK FORCE VII #5

Absolute Power Task Force VII #5 cover, Flash Barry Allen running from the Amazo Velocity.

Release Date:

August 28, 2024

Writers:

ALEX PAKNADEL

Artists:

PETE WOODS

Cover Artist:

PETE WOODS

Variant Covers:

SALVADOR LARROCA, JOHN TIMMS, DAN MORA, TAURIN CLARKE,

and STEPHEN PLATT

Barry Allen is the lone speedster to still have his powers, staying barely

a step ahead of the Flash-themed Amazo, VELOCITY, now powered by the

speed of the rest of the Flash Family. While Barry must keep moving to

avoid capture, he’s also working as a one-man communications network for

the remaining free heroes. Can Barry continue to aid the Resistance, or has

time run out for the Flash?

The solicit for the issue offers a tantalizing insight into how dire Absolute Power is going to be, and how pivotal a role Barry Allen will play.

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DC Proves Barry Allen Is The Fastest Flash By Pushing Him To His Limit

Absolute Power Will Test The Flash Family's Strength

Absolute Power Task Forces VII #5 Clarke Variant Cover: the Amazo Velocity grips Flash Barry Allen by the throat.

The solicitation mentions that Velocity manages to drain the speed from every other member of the Flash Family. This means, that since Barry Allen can outpace Velocity, he's faster than every other member of the Flash Family combined.

Taking the next step in her eternal quest for control, Absolute Power finds Amanda Waller enacting a plan to syphon out the powers of any metahuman, and instead, place them inside of her Amazo androids. This results in Amanda's Amazo Velocity draining the speed from the Flash family, except for Barry. Subsequently, previews for the series indicate Barry will have to go on the run to avoid having his own speed drained, with Velocity – having the combined speed of every Flash Family member – in hot pursuit.

The solicitation mentions that Velocity manages to drain the speed from every other member of the Flash Family. This means, that since Barry Allen can outpace Velocity, he's faster than every other member of the Flash Family combined. It is an effective, if dark, way to prove that Barry is the fastest member of the Flash Family, one that truly emphasizes Barry as the pivotal Flash of this era. While every incarnation of Flash has done some truly impressive things, like Wally outracing death itself, this is unfortunately just a feat of his speed, which was added to Velocity, which Barry is able to outrun.

"Velocity" Is The Combined Speed Of Every Flash Member – Except Barry Allen

And Barry Is Still Faster

While Wally has outraced death itself, and Jay Garrick can easily reach the speed of light, these feats only make Barry's race against Velocity all the more impressive.

When there's an entire family full of characters with the same superpower, it can be difficult to give them their own unique identities. It also always begs the question of who exactly is the fastest. DC has tried to answer this in a few ways, such as the iconic Flash Facts page, which explained things like: how certain characters are faster to start up, certain ones have a faster top speed, and some can maintain their speed for longer. It was a smart way to differentiate the characters, despite them having the same powers.

Now, however, DC is proving that Barry Allen is undoubtedly the fastest. Every member of the Flash Family has absurd feats of speed under their belt, but Barry Allen has them all beat with this new one. While Wally has outraced death itself, and Jay Garrick can easily reach the speed of light, these feats only make Barry's race against Velocity all the more impressive. Every feat the other Flash's have achieved simply makes Barry's race even harder, and the fact Barry is still outrunning Velocity, even temporarily, proves that he is DC's fastest Flash.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 is on sale from DC Comics on August 28, 2024!

Alias
Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart Allen, Avery Ho
Created By
Gardner Fox, Harry Lampert, Carmine Infantino
Franchise
D.C.
Race
Human
First Appearance
Flash Comics
Alliance
Justice Society of America, Justice League, Teen Titans

The Flash is the superhero name given to the DC Comics character who utilizes unparalleled speed tied to a dimensional power known as the "speed force" to overwhelm their opposition. Premiering in 1939, the original Flash arrived as Jay Garrick. Still, it would be superseded by Barry Allen in popularity and featured status, but the Flash is one character that has met many of their alternate selves. The character is typically seen as a part of the Justice League in nearly all incarnations.