Makkari vs The Flash: Which Movie Speedster Is Faster
Both the MCU and DCEU include speedsters in their pantheons of superheroes, and some viewers might wonder who is faster, The Flash from Zack Snyder’s Justice League or Makkari from Eternals. The two superheroes are among the most powerful in their respective universe and they’re each certainly the fastest, but when comparing their abilities and histories in the films and their respective comic source material, determining who’s faster is actually possible. Each speedster performs incredible feats in their respective films, but no matter which character is the fastest, The Flash and Makkari are both compelling and likable members of their respective superhero teams.
Created by the Celestials to protect the Earth from Deviants, Makkari is one of the ten members of the Eternals. Each Eternal is a synthetic being with incredibly potent superpowers, and each member has a specific specialty. Makkari’s greatest ability is her super speed, which she uses to scout the Earth on behalf of the Celestials. Played wonderfully by Lauren Ridloff, Makkari turned against her programmer upon discovering her true purpose of using the Earth—thereby sacrificing its population—to create a new Celestial. In Eternals, Makkari helped save the world from the destructive birth of Tiamut the Communicator, battling her teammate, Ikaris, in the process and making full use of her incredible super speed.
The DCEU’s iteration of The Flash closely resembles his comic counterpart, only younger. Barry Allen, a student studying forensic science, gained his powers after being struck by lightning while doused with a mysterious combination of chemicals. The incident not only gave him the ability to move at unfathomable speeds, but it also connected him to the Speed Force, a fundamental form of energy that can alter time and reality itself. Donning a red friction-proof costume, Barry Allen eventually joined the Justice League, saving the world from the conquests of Darkseid and calling himself The Flash after encountering an alternate universe version of himself. The Flash’s greatest feats and most in-depth characterization in the DCEU are shown in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
In Marvel’s mainstream comic universe, Eternals choose how and where to focus the cosmic energy that gives them their superpowers. Makkari chose to focus the energy on super speed, making him the fastest Eternal. For much of Makkari’s initial comic history, his top speed wasn’t specified, but he could exceed the speed of light and, if he wanted, affect time and space, making his abilities extremely potent. Seemingly dying in a 2008 issue of Eternals, Makkari was resurrected in 2021 and is now a woman who closely resembles her MCU counterpart. The reborn Makkari has a top speed of around Mach 3 (2301.81 miles per hour), which is considerably slower than before, but she now has additional superpowers, such as super strength and durability.
The MCU’s version of Makkari seems to resemble her pre-resurrection comic counterpart more than the current comic incarnation, in terms of super speed. While Eternals doesn’t specify exactly how fast Makkari’s top speed is, her feats in the film are astounding. Makkari moved across continents in a matter of seconds in the film, and MCU non-movie material has her playfully searching the planet for fellow Eternal Druig by running around the world multiple times in a similar manner. The MCU’s Makkari can easily exceed Mach 3, moving at speeds that appear more comparable to the speed of light than the speed of sound. Makkari is known as “The Fastest Woman in the Universe” in the MCU, and the title is well-deserved.
Barry Allen became a conduit for the Speed Force when he gained his superpowers. The full extent of The Flash’s powers is only hinted at in the films, however, Barry Allen, aware of his powers of speed being a potential hazard to his timeline and reality, constantly restrains himself. Using only a fraction of his power, Barry tore up pavement, broke a window with a single touch, and rescued Iris West, all without being perceivable by a normal human. Barry Allen’s restraint proved to be a liability at one point, however, as a disoriented and hostile Superman could perceive him during their brief fight, allowing the Kryptonian to incapacitate the speedster.
Easily the best example of Barry Allen’s powers comes at the end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Despite the best efforts of the fledgling Justice League, Darkseid’s forces succeed in terraforming the Earth into an Apokolips-like planet, but Barry's powers protect him from the attack, and he unleashes his Super Speed unrestrained. Moving far beyond the speed of light, in his words, Barry Allen moves fast enough to reverse time and give his teammates the edge they need to prevent Darkseid’s victory. The Flash’s remarkable ability to travel through time using the Speed Force was also utilized to prevent a potential dystopian future (the Knightmare) and will likely be used once more in his upcoming solo film, The Flash.
The DCEU’s Barry Allen is easily faster than the current comic incarnation of Makkari. Following her resurrection, Makkari’s top speed is only about three times the speed of sound, which is hardly comparable to The Flash’s reality-warping movement speeds. Before her resurrection, however, Makkari worried about similarly affecting time and space, making their speeds likely far more similar. But even with this in mind, Barry Allen only barely tapped into the full potential of his powers in the DCEU but still managed to travel through time on more than one occasion.
When compared to the MCU version of Makkari, the DCEU’s Barry Allen is still the faster speedster. Makkari, like her original comic incarnation, moves at relativistic speeds, traveling across the Earth in mere seconds. While undeniably fast, Makkari was a well-trained speedster who honed her abilities by the events of Eternals, yet she never moved fast enough to travel through time and alter reality. Barry Allen is gradually growing into his role as The Flash in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and his feats far outclass those of all three Makkari incarnations, making him the fastest speedster.