Why is Kid Flash faster than Flash?

The Flash (Barry Allen) is widely considered the fastest DC superhero by fans and official canon sources alike. But occasionally his former sidekick Wally West, who became the hero Kid Flash, has exceeded Barry‘s top speed in certain storylines. How can Kid Flash temporarily outpace the Fastest Man Alive himself?

Wally West‘s Speed Force Connection Grows Over Time

After being struck by a bolt of lightning identical to the one that hit Barry Allen, Wally West gained a connection to the extra-dimensional Speed Force which grants speedsters their metahuman abilities. But Wally‘s access to this energy was more limited compared to Barry who acts as a conduit directly mainlining its power.

However, as Wally practiced using his abilities more over time, his connection to the Speed Force gradually expanded, allowing him to absorb more of its energy. Like a muscle, his capacity for channeling the Speed Force grew stronger the more he pushed it. So while Barry Allen may have a wider "pipeline" to this energy, Wally learned how to increase his own smaller access point to match and even at times exceed Barry‘s limits.

Wally West‘s speed over time as Kid Flash before taking on the Flash mantle

The chart above visualizes how Wally West slowly closed the speed gap between himself and Barry Allen over the first 8 years of his superhero career until finally surpassing the velocity Barry capped at around Year 7. So one reason why Kid Flash becomes faster is his Speed Force access widened more rapidly early on.

Reckless Abandon for the Sake of Others

Not only did Wally West‘s raw capacity for the Speed Force grow quicker at a young age, but he would often recklessly push himself past safe limits when desperate situations called for it. Barry Allen was more disciplined and practiced restraint when using his powers, but Kid Flash risked overexerting himself if it meant saving someone‘s life.

In The Flash Vol. 2 #150, Wally is crushed that he failed to save a mother and her baby from a collapsed building in time. His grief triggers a dangerous burst of speed that makes him fast enough to break the time barrier and travel to the future. Barry reminds him afterwards that he must accept his limitations rather than reactively push past them at great risk. Wally‘s occasional reckless abandon turns out to be an advantage against opponents when Barry continues holding back.

A grieving Wally desperately accelerates beyond his safe limits to go back in time and save a mother and child

So in high stakes situations, Wally West‘s determination to exceed his presumed limits results in feats of speed beyond what Barry can or chooses to match for safety reasons. Kid Flash‘s risk tolerance pays off albeit dangerously.

Specific Story Arcs Where Kid Flash Temporarily Surpasses Flash

While Barry Allen clocked the DC Universe‘s fastest running speed at one point early on, as analyzed above, his successor Wally West did definitively outpace him for stretches of certain storylines through risky speed boosts. Some notable examples include:

• Crisis on Infinite Earths – A grieving Wally pushes himself so hard to stop the universe-destroying Anti-Monitor that he nearly fades out of existence
• Titans #11-13 – Wally taps into the Speed Force on an intergalactic race course to save his friends and devastates the competition
• Flash Vol. 2 #150+ – Going all out to prevent Linda Park‘s death, Wally exceeds light speed and enters the Speed Force itself

Once Wally took over the mantle of Flash after Barry‘s death, the tables turned again as he struggled balancing superheroics with domestic life. Mark Waid‘s famous comics run showed Wally losing a step and questioning his dedication. However, through further Speed Force training, he ultimately achieved speeds well beyond Barry‘s, effectively becoming DC‘s fastest speedster during this era as both Flash and formerly Kid Flash.

Wally taps into the Speed Force to outpace incoming shrapnel faster than Barry ever has

So when necessary, Wally West as Kid Flash has pushed past personal tragedy or conflict to exceed Barry Allen‘s limits for brief periods before settling back into a slower paced everyman life. But his repeated breakthroughs prove why Kid Flash has what it takes to eventually become the Fastest Man alive himself.

The Next Generation Surpasses the Last

Wally West learning how to eclipse his predecessor Barry Allen at key moments reinforces a theme among DC mentors and sidekicks – the next generation will someday exceed the last by learning from them and improving upon their foundations. Just as Wally mastered accessing the Speed Force faster, so too did Barry push past his mentor Jay Garrick‘s limits generations ago.

This passing-of-the-torch progression spurs anger in some mentors. But ultimately this growth through guidance enables the DC Universe‘s heroes to accelerate faster collectively against escalating future threats. Each speedster expanding their limits teaches new tricks to newcomers seeking to carry on their legacy someday. So while Barry Allen is considered the paragon of speed, he, like Jay before him, can take pride in his students like Wally West eventually leaving him in the dust when the situation demands it.