Warning: Spoilers for Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6 ahead!
Summary
- The Flash is officially the most powerful member of the Justice League, not just in terms of raw power, but also because of his capacity for growth and compassion.
- Barry Allen's speed allows him to travel through and even warp the fabric of the multiverse, making him a formidable threat to the entire multiverse.
- The Flash's true power lies in his unwavering dedication to protect and help his friends, which sets him apart as the most dangerous and powerful member of the Justice League.
Power rankings amidst the Justice League come and go, but now there's definitive word, from a Kryptonian's perspective, that the Flash is in fact the most powerful member of the League. This isn't just in regard to raw power and capability, however; Barry Allen's capacity for growth and compassion also plays a major role in earning him this rank.
This revelation comes from Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6 by Tom Taylor, Clayton Henry, Jordie Bellaire, and Wes Abbott, wherein Jon Kent, stranded in the Injustice universe, prepares to take on Injustice Superman to save the lives of that world's Batman and Harley Quinn.
To get to Superman, however, Jon needs to take out the rest of the world's Justice League, starting, in his own words, "with the most dangerous first." This prompts him to seek out Barry Allen to try and talk him down in a conversation that seems to stretch for hours — but takes place in the span of just a few moments.
The Flash's Empathy and Compassion Are Powers, Too
Barry Allen's powers certainly make him one of the most dangerous threats to the multiverse. In this issue, Jon Kent outruns Wonder Woman (who can move at high hypersonic speeds), and not even that is comparable to what The Flash is capable of. Not only does Barry's speed mean that time travel is not an uncommon part of his repertoire, but it also enables him to travel through and even warp the fabric of the multiverse, such as in 2011's Flashpoint. As of the recent milestone The Flash #800, the Flash can even pass through multiple different realities in an instant. What truly makes the Flash so powerful, however, is the marriage of his abilities to his compassion.
As Barry and Jon talk, Jon muses that "he's not a bad man...he's trying not to abandon a friend who has made some terrible mistakes." That level of faith in a friend — combined with power that, at its peak, can reshape reality — is the Flash's true claim to being the Justice League's most powerful member. He can run across planets in an instant, but he will still take the time to talk to a hurting friend. Jon Kent recognizes the Flash as the most dangerous League member on Injustice Superman's team because he knows that there's nothing the Flash won't do to help a friend — and he has the power to back that up that conviction.
The Flash Will Always Protect His Friends
At the end of their encounter, Injustice Flash lets Jon go with a warning: "If you hurt Clark, I will catch up with you." Jon grimly acknowledges this as he flies off, knowing that, out of all the people in the multiverse, Barry is more than capable of carrying out that threat. No matter how many dimensions he must cross, the Flash simply cannot be stopped when trying to protect a friend — not even by barriers of reality that would make DC's other powerhouses pause — making him the most powerful member of the Justice League by a long shot.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6 is now available from DC Comics.