DC's Scarlet Speedster has been a fan-favorite among comic book fans since his debut in 1940. He has been at the center of many adventures, changing timelines, affecting history, and saving the multiverse while he was at it.
Over the past few decades, The Flash has ventured into the mainstream a little more regularly and it all has to do with his various appearances on TV and in movies. The 1990s TV series on CBS really kickstarted that momentum before some animated programming took it to the next level. It was the 2014 TV series on The CW that really changed the game for Barry Allen, introducing him to a whole new generation of fans and eventually paving the way for the character to headline his very first movie in the DC Extended Universe.
He might still be catching up to the DC trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman when it comes to popularity, but make no mistake about it; The Flash is one of the most powerful superheroes in DC Comics. The Fastest Man Alive and a speedster capable of travelling through time, his power levels are limitless as long as his feet are on the ground.
We've seen that come to life in various adaptations over the years. With that in mind, let's revisit all of the live-action iterations of The Flash and find out which one of these speedsters is the most powerful.
8. The original live-action Flash
The Flash made his live-action debut all the way back in the 1979 Legends of the Superheroes TV specials for NBC, portrayed by Rod Hasse. The specials weren't exactly cutting edge even for their time and were mostly played for laughs, with the only really notable thing about them being that Adam West and Burt Ward reprised their legendary roles as Batman and Robin from the classic 1966 Batman TV series.
As for The Flash, he didn't have much to do at all. Like, at all. He did a bit of running (or blipping from one spot to another) and was a potential husband for Aunt Minerva when she was interested in marrying one of the heroes, only for her to reject him. That's it; that's the height of what the specials had for the Scarlet Speedster.
We'll never know the full extent of the original live-action Flash's powers because they were rarely showcased in the Legends of the Superheroes special, but it's safe to say that he's not quite as powerful - or as fast as some of his modern day counterparts. With that in mind, he unfortunately has to come bottom of our list.
7. The Justice League of America Flash
The Flash made what was just his third live-action appearance in the 1997 TV movie Justice League of America. It's hard to believe that this one has been so forgotten by history since it features some of the most iconic Justice League characters, but its reputation was not good and the CBS show it was supposed to launch was not picked up.
It was intended to be a bit of a comedy movie, so it's easy enough to overlook the poor costumes and questionable special effects. Sure, it's a bit of an issue that this looks considerably worse than The Flash TV series that aired seven years prior to that, but it did what it could given the budget.
That brings us to the Scarlet Speedster himself, played by Kenny Johnston. He used his speed quite a lot throughout the movie, but its crowning moment was definitely when he managed to use it to prevent a huge tornado from destroying the city of New Metro, running around it to unravel it.
Other than that, though, there isn't much to say. The Flash was a great speedster and a great source of comic relief for the movie, but we learn very little about him and his abilities in the film.
6. Smallville's Flash
Smallville was known for telling its own story with the Superman and DC lore, so its version of The Flash was Bart Allen. As DC Comics fans will likely know, Bart is actually the Scarlet Speedster's grandson in the source material and takes on the alias of Impulse. The codename comes with him into Smallville as he becomes a member of the show's Justice League, using his powers for good alongside the likes of Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Cyborg, Green Arrow and, of course, Clark Kent.
We only get to spend three episodes with Bart throughout Smallville's 10-season journey, so viewers never really get the chance to see him grow into his powers that much (or learn new ones). He already knows a thing or two about how to use his speed when we first meet him, and his subsequent journey is much more character-based, as he learns to use those powers to help others. When he shows up next, he has a suit and has become a member of the show's Justice League.
Bart is a developed speedster with a trick or two up his sleeve. He's also faster than Clark, thanks in no small part to his ability to boost his own speed mid-run. However, we also learn that using his powers too much can wear him out pretty quickly - which was showcased when he suffered a nosebleed after Lex Luthor trapped him and refused to allow him to stop running.
We wish we got to see more of Impulse to appreciate him and his powers in more detail, but as he wasn't the main character of the show, his powers never really got the chance to grow or develop outside of the typical speedster abilities.
5. Kid Flash
Wally West goes on to become The Flash in the comics, but in his younger years he is often referred to as Kid Flash. We saw this adapted in The CW's version of The Flash when Keiynan Lonsdale portrayed the character on the show. In the third season, Wally became Kid Flash and joined Barry Allen on plenty of missions, helping him defeat Savitar. He then jumped on over to DC's Legends of Tomorrow where he helped the Legends in their battle against Mallus.
In the Flashpoint timeline, Wally was portrayed as a formidable superhero, protecting Central City from harm. The writing never did him that much justice in the show's main timeline as he never really graduated from the young-speedster-in-training category it had placed him in when he was on the show full-time. Much of the third season was spent showing him how to master his abilities (which he did) before relegating him to a supporting hero who either ended up trapped in the Speed Force or injured.
When Lonsdale left the show, it was revealed that Wally was traveling the world and eventually formed a strong spiritual connection with his identity, powers, and the Speed Force. When he returned sporadically, we saw glimpses of how his abilities had grown, as he could now move so fast that he left after-images everywhere he ran (making it hard to know where the real Wally actually was at all times) and even form electrical shapes with his hands.
Wally found inner peace and became a much more accomplished superhero because of that, but as the show never really highlighted his abilities when he was a full-time Arrowverse character and often relegated him in the process, it's hard to know just how powerful he is. We wish they had treated us to more of Wally.
4. Jay Garrick
This won't be the last time you see a speedster played by John Wesley Shipp appear on this list. The veteran actor is best known for playing Barry Allen on the original The Flash series from CBS in the '90s, but he also played veteran speedster Jay Garrick on the CW reimagining. Jay was DC's original Flash, so it was rather fitting that Shipp played the character on the show. He's great in the role too.
Jay is always on hand to provide Barry with wisdom and knowledge - wisdom and knowledge that only comes from years of experience as a speedster. He's an accomplished superhero, who knows all too well about the dangers of messing with the timeline. Remember, he was the one who warned Barry against altering things during the third season. He also advised against throwing a nuclear bomb into the Speed Force as it could have destroyed it.
The character is a remarkable hero capable of the vast majority of feats that his younger Earth-1 counterpart could do. While he didn't develop some of the more advanced abilities that Barry did (like Flashtime), he did develop some of his own - like that awesome ability to absorb lightning that he showcased in the series finale. Furthermore, his knowledge as one of the earliest speedsters in the Arrowverse's multiverse has seen him - and Team Flash - through some major trials. Heck, he even figured out how to charge his helmet with lightning and throw it like a fast frisbee - now that's cool!
Jay may have slowed down for a period of time due to his age but he defied age more often than not, proving himself a valuable ally to Team Flash and one of the best live-action speedsters we had ever seen.
3. The DCEU Flash
The DC Extended Universe may have missed its opportunity to produce a successful Flash movie, but it did manage to give us the Scarlet Speedster's first foray onto the silver screen in a headlining capacity. But by the time The Flash was actually released in movie theaters, we were already pretty familiar with Ezra Miller's Barry Allen, as he was one of the DCEU's recurring heroes and played a substantial role in Justice League.
"Substantial" means two different things depending on which version of Justice League you're talking about. He appeared for a significant amount of time in the reviled theatrical cut, but it was Zack Snyder's Justice League that actually made use of him, showcasing what he could do.
The Barry we meet in the DCEU is young and inexperienced, but he is capable of mastering his abilities on occasion; look no further than the epic moment where he ran back in time to save the Justice League from Darkseid's arrival. This Flash doesn't just run fast, he can run through time, altering events and creating whole new timelines and universes. That was, after all, the plot of the character's own movie.
The Flash is one of the most powerful members of the Justice League and the DCEU was only beginning to acknowledge that when it ended. That leaves this iteration of the character feeling like a case of "what could have been". Nevertheless, he had all the potential in the world to be the most powerful, but his inexperience and impulsiveness held him back a great deal.
2. The original TV Flash
The moment that The Flash finally graduated into the mainstream came when he headlined his first ever TV show. CBS' The Flash aired on screens in 1990 and starred John Wesley Shipp as the titular hero in an adventure that was very cinematic for television at the time, and very much inspired by the successes of the Superman and Batman movies.
While the series didn't last beyond one season, it was a great adaptation of the character. Barry Allen was struck by lightning on that fateful night in his lab and developed super-speed as a result. He then saw this an opportunity to save a city in need of a hero, donning a red uniform with a lightning bolt symbol on its chest, and the rest was history.
The Flash we met in the series was pretty comic-accurate at the time, and he possessed all of the abilities that the Scarlet Speedster is known for, including the speed, durability, and connection to the Speed Force. He could also absorb electricity from nearby sources and, as we saw during his return 30 years later in the Arrowverse's Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover, he can also momentarily steal another speedster's speed.
This Flash has seen it all and, throwing in all of the abilities he has picked up over the years, this makes him one of the most powerful we've ever seen in live-action.
1. The Arrowverse's Flash
The Flash was an instant hit for The CW when it premiered back in 2014, showcasing Barry Allen and his abilities off to a whole new legion of fans - fans who clearly liked what they saw as the show remained on the air for nine seasons. Over the course of that show's run, Barry experienced just about every emotion you could possibly feel, and it constantly drove him to be the best version of himself. It's safe to say he accomplished that.
This version of The Flash had it all; incredible speed, the ability to travel through time, throw lightning, phase in and out of solid objects, and heart. So much heart. In many ways, that might have been his greatest weapon, for the man who became the Paragon of Love was capable of inspiring hope in so many people, teaching all of them how to be their own hero.
But in terms of physical abilities, the thing that sets the Arrowverse's Flash apart from his predecessors is experience - and the amount of it. There used to be a running joke throughout the first three seasons about how the Fastest Man Alive literally wasn't the fastest man on the show, as he always had to contend with other evil speedsters. But he always did contend with them, growing from the experience and advancing his own abilities in the process.
By the time the series ended in 2023, Barry was the Fastest Man Alive and had been so for many years. He was a battle-tested warrior worthy of the title as Central City's hero, and from his innate ability to overcome the odds, to the fact that he literally phased a nuclear explosion, he is by far the most powerful Flash of all time.
The fact that the Reverse-Flash couldn't even touch him in the season 7 finale says all you need to know about how fast Barry got before the end of the show.