Warning: contains spoilers for DC: Taste of Justice Preview Edition!
The Flash’s ultimate weakness is way, way worse than Kryptonite. The Flash’s super speed allows him to not only run superfast, but also think faster than his opponents as well as travel in time. Yet with these great powers comes a massive drawback, and in DC: Taste of Justice Preview Edition, the Flash gets bad news concerning it.
Taste of Justice: Preview Edition was written by Andrew Aydin and drawn by Domo. During the story, the Flash reflects on the sheer amount of calories he must take to sustain his speed.
In a flashback, Ted Kord (Blue Beetle) tries to help Flash overcome this huge weakness, but his attempts fail and even make Wally sick.
The Flash Has a Huge Weakness (That Has a Basis in Science)
The Flash Must Eat a Lot of Pizza and Wings to Stay in the Game
The Flash’s introduction early in comics’ Golden Age established a new archetype: the super-speedster. Other publishers, including Marvel precursor Timely Comics, followed suit, but the Flash remained ahead of the pack. The character has since become a pillar of the DC Universe, and a key figure in many of its “Crisis” events.
As the Flash’s lore developed, writers and artists introduced the idea that he would have to eat large amounts of food to maintain the caloric intake necessary to sustain his high speeds. Establishing this weakness kept the Flash rooted in scientific reality, as was the want for characters reintroduced during the Silver Age of Comics.
Creators have chosen different ways of addressing this weakness. It is not an uncommon sight to see the Flash eating one large pizza after another in rapid-fire fashion. Some of the Flash’s colleagues in the Justice League recognize this weakness: according to legend, Batman keeps emergency food rations just for the Flash to eat.
Unfortunately, this appears to be a weakness the Flash is stuck with.
Unfortunately, this appears to be a weakness the Flash is stuck with. DC Taste of Justice does not dwell on it too much, and instead shows one aborted attempt to cure it. Ted Kord is one of the finest scientific minds in the DC Universe, and it stands to reason others have taken a crack at the problem too.
The Flash’s Weakness is Far Worse Than Superman’s
The Flash’s Weakness Runs Deeper Than Kryptonite
This vulnerability of the Flash’s is far worse than Superman’s susceptibility to Kryptonite. Remnants of Krypton’s destruction, the various forms of Kryptonite affect the Man of Steel in different ways: Green will kill him, Gold saps his powers, whereas the Red variant can create unpredictable effects. Superman’s villains (and even other heroes) have exploited this weakness.
At the same time, the scientists of the DC Universe have been able to develop workarounds for Superman. Lead shielded armor and vehicles isolate the Man of Steel from Kryptonite’s harmful effects. In the classic Bronze Age Superman story “Kryptonite Nevermore,” a chemical reaction neutralized all Kryptonite on Earth.
It would appear that Superman’s vulnerability to Kryptonite gets more attention from DC’s scientific community than the Flash’s constant need to eat. DC has never offered any explanations as to why, but the inability to save the Flash from his own hyper metabolism may be rooted in factors far beyond human control, such as the Speed Force.
When the Flash’s weakness is compared to that of Superman’s vulnerability to chunks of Kryptonite, the winner, or the loser in this case, is clear. DC’s best minds have been able to help the Man of Steel with his Kryptonite problems, but the Flash’s constant need for calories stumps even them.
There is one more layer to consider when comparing the two vulnerabilities: Kryptonite is comparatively rare in the DC Universe. Villains have to go out of their way to acquire some, making their uses few and far between. The Flash’s weakness, however, is grounded in very “real world” concepts, ones very hard to overcome.
DC Taste of Justice: Preview Edition Can be Read on DC Universe Infinite!
