How Fast is Reverse-Flash? Faster Than You Can Imagine.

As a hardcore fan of shows like The Flash and movies like X-Men, I‘m constantly awestruck by the ridiculous speeds fictional heroes and villains can achieve. Seriously, some of their best speed feats sound more absurd and unbelievable than anything we witness in reality.

But the speedster who never fails to drop my jaw is the infamous Reverse-Flash. When this sinister speed demon gets rolling, almost no one in DC or Marvel can touch him.

So…just how fast is the Reverse-Flash really? Let‘s analyze the cold, hard numbers and feats behind the epic velocity of Eobard Thawne.

Unlocking the Negative Speed Force

The source of Thawne‘s bewildering speed is his connection to an extra-dimensional energy source known as the Negative Speed Force (NSF). This twisted counterpart to the regular Speed Force is what fuels Eobard‘s powers.

See, most speedsters draw their abilities from the normal Speed Force dimension that underpins space/time. But by replicating the accident that gave Barry Allen his speed, Thawne managed to sync up with the NSF instead.

This alternative energy source enhances Thawne‘s connection to the quantum realm and provides effectively unlimited speed potential. That‘s why no matter how much faster the Flash gets, Reverse-Flash continues outpacing him.

According to Professor Zoom himself:

"With the Negative Speed Force at my command, I will always be the fastest man alive!"

Let‘s analyze some actual numbers and feats that support this claim.

Breaking the Light Barrier

Reverse-Flash can easily exceed the speed of light (672 million mph). This allows him to pull off tricks like time travel, dimensional jumping, and flash-step combat.

Thawne doesn‘t just "break" the light barrier either – he utterly shatters it. Estimates for his top speed range from 10x to 100x faster than light (or 6.72 billion mph on the low end).

For comparison, the average Flash caps out around lightspeed. Only specialized versions like Wally West eventually reach higher super-luminal velocities.

But for Reverse-Flash, surpassing lightspeed is child‘s play. He does it casually with no extra effort or enhancements. This raw speed couples with his genius intellect makes Thawne an incredibly dangerous villain no matter the timeline or dimension.

Speed Force Siphoning

An underrated aspect of Professor Zoom‘s skillset is his ability to leech kinetic energy from other speedsters. By synchronizing with opponents via the Speed Force, he dampens their movement and adds their speed to his own.

For example, in a classic Silver Age story, Barry Allen tries pursuing a full powered Reverse-Flash, only to have his own speed drained completely upon contact. This leaves Flash helpless as Thawne pummels him with hundreds of super-speed blows per second.

As a result, Zoom can potentially amp his velocity even higher by sapping the Speed Force itself. Unfortunately, we lack definitive math for this upper limit – but it‘s undoubtedly faster than any recorded measurement.

Breaking Down Key Speed Feats

Below are some of Reverse-Flash‘s most astonishing speed-based accomplishments, with analysis:

So in essence, Reverse-Flash boasts complete speed-based mastery over the fabric of reality itself. He exceeds virtually any measurable speed statistic and uses his velocity to bend time, space, matter, and energy to his will.

Nothing lays this truth bare more than when Professor Zoom confronts the very embodiment of Death itself (the Black Flash) and simply outruns it through the timestream.

This intellect-enhanced speed makes Reverse-Flash practically unbeatable in the DC Universe.

Now let‘s see how Zoom‘s pace compares with rival Marvel speed demons…

vs. Marvel Speedsters

While DC heroes have the edge in raw speed, Marvel possesses its share of hyper-fast heroes and villains. How does Reverse-Flash measure up against the best of Marveldom?

As this table shows, Reverse-Flash would leave even Marvel‘s fastest beings choking on dust if they raced him. Maybe an enraged Makkari or Buried Alien would pose a challenge…but likely not for long.

The only possible exception is Johnny Blaze‘s Ghost Rider. This angelic-powered Spirit of Vengeance can perhaps match Zoom‘s speed, especially atop his Hell Cycle.

But one fact remains obvious: Nothing lays claim to the fictional speedster throne faster than Eobard Thawne himself.

The Reverse-Flash stands peerless astride the comic book pantheon as the fasted runner in town (multiverse included).

Why So Fast?

At the end of the day, what truly separates Reverse-Flash from the competition comes down to intelligence and ruthlessness. His genius-level intellect, mastery of time travel paradoxes, and lack of morality all fuel Thawne‘s desire for ever-greater speed and power.

While heroes like Flash or X-Men‘s Quicksilver have self-imposed limits, Professor Zoom embraces the spectacular breadth of his Negative Speed Force without reservation. And with limitless velocity theoretically at his fingertips, his Mach numbers will only continue growing.

So while reading comics as a youth, I admired pure-hearted runners like Barry Allen who used their gifts for good. But as an adult, I must admit being awed by Eobard Thawne‘s mesmerizing talents for destruction. Just look at him annihilate those Avengers with a wicked glint in his eye!

In many ways, Reverse-Flash represents the pinnacle of comicdom‘s speedster powers. And that unlimited potential for conceptual destruction at inhuman velocities both captivates…and terrifies me as a fan.

So while new Flash variants may arise, Ruby-Quartz beings burst onto the scene, or cocky punks like Quicksilver grab headlines…never count out the gold standard of velocity itself:

Professor Eobard "Reverse-Flash" Thawne

He is and will forever remain the undisputed, fastest man alive.