Among his many other powers, Superman also possesses super speed sufficient enough to challenge The Flash without the benefit of the Speed Force.
Superman is equipped with many amazing powers, including his rather underrated super-speed. While The Man of Tomorrow might not be on the same level as other speedsters, he’s still one of the fastest DC characters. This incredible speed may vary depending on continuity, but it’s often been essential in some of Superman’s most impressive feats.
Most of the time, Superman’s speed is measured by his performance against The Flash. The traditional Superman/Flash race was introduced in Superman #199, by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan, where the two heroes ran around the Earth three times for the whole world to witness. Of course, the mob tried to fix the race, leading the heroes to team-up against their enemies and finish their competition in a tie. More often than naught, these races would end in a similar fashion, leaving no answer as to whether Superman or the Flash was faster.
Yet, in the Post-Crisis continuity, The Flash became significantly faster than Superman. In Flash: Rebirth #3, by Geoff Johns and Ethan van Scriver, Barry Allen ran towards his demise, sacrificing himself to the speed force, believing that other speedsters would live. Superman, in an effort to save his friend, tried chasing after The Flash. Barry, however, demonstrated how easy he was taking things on Superman before, effortlessly outrunning the Man of Tomorrow.
It wasn’t until the New 52/Rebirth that Superman approached The Flash’s speed again. In Superman: Up In the Sky #4, by Tom King and Andy Kubert, Superman and The Flash raced around the globe for a charity event. Believing Superman would lose, Lex Luthor announced that he would donate a billion dollars to a new children’s home if his nemesis won. This knowledge motivated The Man of Steel to win, pushing himself to the absolute limit. Superman beat The Flash by a hair, truly proving how fast he can be.
Generally, Superman’s speed varies depending on the change in DC’s continuity. Pre-Crisis, for example, The Man of Tomorrow was extremely fast, moving far beyond the speed of light. In Superman #309, by Gerry Conway and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Clark Kent flew from Earth to the planet Xonn to save his cousin, Supergirl. The comic explains that Superman flew eleven light years within a few minutes, at “a speed faster than light.” Indeed, this speed is thousands of times beyond lightspeed. When Superman arrived, he still possessed enough energy to tear through the J’ai warriors who took over the planet.