Marvel’s Runner vs. DC’s Flash: Which Speedster’s Story is More Tragic in the Comic Book Universe?

The Flash of MCU, the Runner, belonged to an ancient civilization who faced a tragedy during his fight with Thanos.

The Flash is one of the most powerful superheroes in the DC Universe who possesses an ability to move at incredible speed which also affects him to think extremely fast and use tricks which is normally defied by the laws of physics. Given his iconic powers, comic-book fans must be well-versed in his tragic story that left a grave impact on his life.
Flash [Credit: DC Entertainment]
However, many might be surprised to know that Marvel Comics also had a speedster in their universe, better known as, the Runner who was one of the elders of the Universe. However, things went awry when he fought with Thanos. 

What Happened to The Flash of MCU – Runner?

Runner, Speedster of MCU [ Image via Comicvine.gamespot ]
The Runner originally belonged to one of the ancient civilizations that existed over 5 billion years ago. He was one of the fastest beings in the Marvel Universe who came into existence after accidentally absorbing the Power Primordial, gaining incredible cosmic power left over from the Big Bang ( the cataclysmic event that resulted in the universe’s creation.)

He was one of the few survivors of the Big Bang, who gained new powers. As he explored his abilities, he found his new powers to move at infinite velocity with regeneration abilities, that allowed him to travel faster than the speed of light. As per Comics Unlocked, his speed was faster than instant teleportation which made him quite a formidable personality in the universe. 

While he fought several battles, he eventually faced off with the Mad Titan, Thanos, and encountered a tragic incident thereafter. The Mad Titan desired his Power gem which he had obtained during his time in the Elder Council. This led the duo to engage in battle but unfortunately, things did not fall out in his favor.

He got his age accelerated to 1,000,000-years-old by Thanos, making him incapable of fighting. After stealing his gem, Thanos transformed the Runner into an infant and handed him to the Collector in exchange for the Reality Stone. Though, his story arc had quite a tragic chapter that was linked with the Mad Titan, the tragedy faced by DC’s speedster is quite personal. 

What Happened to DC’s Flash? 

A still from The Flash (2023)
Flash, who is also referred to as the Scarlet Speedster is one of the fastest beings in DC Comics, who faced a major tragedy during his childhood, that somehow affected his heroic journey. 

When it comes to how Flash got his powers, it all started with Barry Allen, who accidentally gained his super abilities when he got struck by lightning at a lab. But, before anything, we need to take a look at his childhood.

His parents did not have a good relationship, which was becoming evident with time. His mother, Nora, was struggling to encourage her child with studies after already going through double work shifts and divorce paperwork with his father, Henry. Eventually, they had to tell their son about the divorce at some point. In the comics, his mother once sent Allen to the bookstore, to think of how can they break the news to him.

By the time Allen returned home, he found out that his mother had been murdered. His father was arrested over the murder charges, though he was steadfast about being innocent. 

During his quest to solve his mother’s murder case, he became a forensic scientist for the Central City Police Department. While he continued working on the case, his father admitted the charges, leaving his son depressed and shocked. His anger eventually led him to tear the lab apart on the same night when a sudden bolt of lightning struck him in the chest, resulting in him gaining powers.