How Fast Is Shazam? Compared to Other Fast Superheroes
When it comes to superheroes, speed is often a defining characteristic. From the Flash to Quicksilver, there are plenty of heroes who are renowned for their ability to move at lightning-fast speeds. But where does Shazam fit into this pantheon of fast heroes? In this article, we’ll look closer at Shazam’s speed and compare it to some of the other fastest superheroes in comic book history. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the character or simply curious about his abilities, this article has everything you need to know about how fast Shazam is.
How fast is Shazam?
It’s a generally accepted fact that Shazam is incredibly fast. This is due to one of the godly blessings that allowed him to move at eye-watering speeds. Shazam was blessed with the “Speed of Mercury” Mercury is DC’s god of speed, and he is the source of speed for the rest of the Marvel Family as well. Generally, the Speed of Mercury allows Shazam to move “as fast as bolts of lightning.” The average speed of lightning is 270,000 mph (according to the first google result at least), which means that Shazam can easily reach speeds of 270,000 mph.
Now, Shazam can move at speeds greater than light as well, mostly when he is flying, which places him in the ranks of the fastest DC superheroes and among the fastest superheroes in comics. But if we were to compare him to the other speedsters in comics? How would he measure up against them?
Is Shazam faster than Superman?
Whether Shazam is faster than Superman really depends on the writers. Sometimes Shazam has been depicted as vastly surpassing Superman both on foot and in flight, and in some newer instances, Shazam has been depicted as slower. Still, when we consider that the source of Superman’s speed is his own unique Kryptonian physiology and Shazam got his powers from the god of speed himself, Shazam should, in theory, be faster than Superman.
How does Shazam’s speed compare to Supergirl?
Supergirl, like Superman, draws her speed from her Kryptonian physiology. While neither is faster than Flash, who can tap into the Speed Force, they have been shown to put up quite the challenge for other speedsters in the DC Universe. Still, the fact remains, Supergirl cannot surpass Shazam’s speed. Even though she was sometimes shown to be more skilled than Superman in speed, she can’t surpass Shazam’s blessing of Mercury.
Is Shazam faster than Wonder Woman?
The matchup between Shazam and Wonder Woman would be a tricky one due to the origin of their speed. As we’ve already mentioned before, Shazam has the Speed of Mercury. He has been blessed by the Roman god of speed himself. On the other hand, Diana is blessed by a Greek god of speed, Hermes, who serves as the messenger of gods. In theory, Hermes and Mercury are equally fast, so the talents they bestowed upon their champions should also be of equal potency. And while it truly depends on the writers, the general consensus is that Wonder Woman and Shazam are equally fast due to both being blessed by gods of speed.
Is Shazam faster than Black Adam?
Considering that Shazam and Black Adam have nearly identical powers from different pantheons of gods, this race would be a tie. Shazam has Mercury’s speed, while Black Adam has the speed of Horus. In that sense, it’s a tie. Black Adam might have experience with combat and utilizing his abilities, but they are equal when it comes to speed.
How fast is Shazam compared to Flash?
Many characters have carried the mantle of the Flash and many different versions of these famous speedsters over the years. We can confirm that Shazam is slower than all of them. It doesn’t matter whether we compare Shazam to Jary Garric, Wally West, or Barry Allen; why will Shazam never reach those speeds? Because he can’t tap into the Speed Force. Speed Force allows its conduit to move at incredible speeds, generate lightning, vibrate through solid objects, and manipulate time to a limited extent.
The Speed Force also serves as a means of inter-dimensional travel and can be used to access parallel universes. Shazam gets his speed from a different source; therefore, the speeds at which Flash moves are unattainable. The only exception to this rule is Kid Flash, as official sources indicate him being slightly slower than Shazam.
Is Shazam Faster than Quicksilver?
Marvel speedsters are generally much slower than DC equivalents. Sure, many characters are capable of achieving speeds that go well beyond the speed of light, like Sentry, for example, but when it comes to characters whose superpowers are mainly speed related, they fall short.
Pietro Maximoff, more famously known as Quicksilver, is known to be among the fastest characters in Marvel Comics. He can move at speeds that range between Mach 2 and orbital velocity, and this is surprisingly not enough to keep up with Shazam, so Shazam is faster than Quicksilver.
And there you have it; Shazam is pretty fast. He is depicted as being able to fly at supersonic speeds, move with incredible reflexes, and possess enhanced agility and endurance. His speed is often portrayed as being sufficient to keep up with or outrun speeding vehicles, dodge bullets, and perform other feats of incredible speed and agility, and if you take analysis into account, he moves fast enough to match some of the fastest characters in comics in general.
