The Man of Steel has many admirable attributes. Among them are strength, intelligence, and speed.
Those who are familiar with Superman probably remember that he is faster than a locomotive or a speeding bullet. That gives us a good indication of Superman’s speed, but how fast is Superman?
Superman has become much faster over the years. References to the speed of sound and light have become common tools for measuring how fast he is.
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How Fast is Superman in the Comics?
Superman emerged in a comic series in the late 1930s. Writers Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster designed this character to save humanity from all kinds of crises. During the Great Depression, readers looked to Superman for hope as he confronted common criminals or crashed automobiles.
These deeds and others required great speed. One source indicates that back in this early comic period, Superman flew at 100 mph. Others specify that Superman’s early years were roughly 60 mph. These are fast by human standards, but not as fast as he would become.
A few decades later, Superman moved at about the speed of sound, or over 760 mph. He started to get as fast as supersonic jets like the Concorde.
Some theories about Superman’s speed claim that the speed of sound is the top reference to use. For example, Superman may have a maximum speed of Mach 10 or 10 times faster than the speed of sound.
In the newer comics, however, Superman has gone faster than the speed of sound.
For instance, he traveled from Pluto to the Earth in seconds. Since he covered five billion miles, that means Superman is extremely fast in the comics–in this case going thousands of times past the speed of light.
This happened in another issue, too. In Superman #309, Superman saved Supergirl by flying from Earth to Xonn, a distance of eleven light years in minutes.
So, measuring Superman’s speed in terms of light travel may be a better indication of how fast he goes.
Superman and Speed of Light
By more recent standards, Superman can move at light speed. If needed, he can go faster–in the range of 1,000 times faster than the speed of light.
This superhero is thus faster than 186,000 miles per second, which is the constant speed light travels at across our universe. On occasion, he exceeds this speed limit by leaps and bounds.
Superman once flew from the planet Vega to Earth in 10 to 15 minutes. Since these planets are 25 light years apart, Superman was 52 million times faster than the speed of light.
Given his ability to fly from one galaxy to the next, Superman may even have infinite speed. Superman’s bioelectric-auro lets him move that fast and take people safely with him.
Many fans agree with Superman moving faster than the speed of light, with some noting that he moved faster than the speed of light in the comics regardless of his incarnation.
From comics to the screen, this makes sense. Yet, in our world, nothing moves faster than light. Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity indicated the speed of light is the top speed of our universe.
So, if we pulled Superman down to reality, he could not move that fast.
How Fast is Superman Compared with the Flash?
But since we are talking about comics and movies, Superman exceeds the speed of light and may be as fast as the Flash.
In the comic Superman Up In the Sky #4, Superman beats the Flash in a race around the globe. He barely does so, but it provides an indication that later versions of Superman could be faster than the Flash.
Flash is known for being the top speedster in the DC Universe. The Flash’s energy field called Speed Force makes him the “Fastest Man Alive.”
As with Superman, the Flash’s speed varied depending on the men portraying him–Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, and Wally West.
Wally West was recognized as the fastest of the Flash characters. Barry Allen may be the fans’ choice for the top speedster, but Wally West edges him out.
How fast does Wally West go? DC has this Flash covering 7,000 miles in six seconds, and also accelerating beyond the speed of light.
This starts to put Flash on the level of Superman’s speed. Other posts extend this range and place Wally West Flash at perhaps an infinite speed, or well beyond the speed of light.
This would make Flash faster than even Superman’s 50 million times faster mark.
In a direct comparison, we also see Flash outrunning Superman. It’s Flash’s Speed Force that makes the difference: the Flash does not slow down, whereas Superman eventually does.
We are talking about lightspeed for both, which places them at incomprehensible speeds. Yet, the edge goes to Flash because he can maintain that beyond-light-speed range.
How Fast is Superman Prime and Superman & Lois?
The DC Comics Superman Prime provides another layer for assessing the speed of Superman. This Superman has increased powers, such as Yellow Stellar Radiation Absorption and Microscopic Vision.
This version of Superman is also trillions of times faster than the speed of light. Superman thus reaches mind-bending levels of speed.
In the television show Superman and Lois, we get another reference point for speed. This Superman has super speed added to his powers. Yet, his speed in this show does not seem to be at the top Prime or later comic levels.
Superman & Lois bring Superman’s speed back to more supersonic, but not lightspeed barometers.
Superman’s Speed
By any measure, Superman is fast. He is at least faster than a speeding bullet and potentially trillions of times faster than the speed of light.
In later comic standards, Superman tends to be faster than light, using this speed to travel between planets and galaxies. With his speed, Superman bends the theory of special relativity and our imagination.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan who has expanded into writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has written about recent shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor and classic topics like Darth Vader, the Jedi, and Boba Fett. His recent articles include the MCU’s Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Todd is the author of a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.