Superman #199
Superman #199 is the originating chapter of one of the Silver Age's most enduring rivalries: the first organized race between Superman and Barry Allen's Flash, a concept that would recur across decades of DC storytelling and transcend comics into animation, film, and popular culture debate. Writer Jim Shooter — still a teenager at the time — devised a structurally clever conclusion in which the two heroes deliberately tie the finish to prevent criminal syndicates from profiting, a narrative move that artfully dodged settling the 'who's faster' question while making the story feel genuinely consequential rather than arbitrary. The issue cemented the race itself as a repeatable DC storytelling device, with a direct sequel following only months later in The Flash #175 (1967) and further installments continuing through the 1970s and beyond. Its cover, penciled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson — two artists at the peak of their Silver Age powers — has become one of the most recognizable images of the era.
In "Superman's Race with the Flash!", the Man of Steel and the Fastest Man Alive team up for a globe-spanning challenge to raise funds for the United Nations—only to find their heroic effort threatened by shadowy gambling rings looking to manipulate the outcome. Written by Jim Shooter and brought to life with Curt Swan’s dynamic art and George Klein’s precise inks, this 1967 classic captures the thrill of speed and the stakes of integrity, with Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson’s iconic cover setting the pace.
Superman and The Flash kick off a globe-spanning race around the Earth, uniting for a charity event that draws global attention — but when the American and Continental Crime Syndicates see a chance to profit, they’ll stop at nothing to rig the outcome. With Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and even members of the Justice League watching, the stakes rise as speed meets sabotage in a high-stakes test of heroism and integrity.
In "[Superman's Race with the Flash!] Part II: 'Faster Than a Speeding Bullet'", Superman and The Flash ignite a globe-spanning showdown, racing around the Earth three times to raise funds for the United Nations. As the world watches, rival syndicates—American Gambling and Continental Crime—plot to sabotage the event, turning the race into a high-stakes battle of wits and speed. With the Justice League watching from the sidelines, the heroes must outmaneuver every trick and trap, proving that true strength lies in unity.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 21 grades ▾
Find on ebay
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was scripted by Jim Shooter, who had first sold scripts to Superman editor Mort Weisinger at age 14 and was only around 15 years old when he wrote this story — already one of Weisinger's most reliable contributors on the Superman line. Weisinger's editorial method, which favored strong hook-driven concepts often developed from cover images outward, provided the environment in which a race premise could flourish. The interior art was handled by the Superman title's workhorse penciler Curt Swan, inked by George Klein, while Carmine Infantino — then in the process of transitioning from full-time artist to an editorial management role at DC — contributed the cover alongside Murphy Anderson; notably, neither interior nor cover credits appeared in the published issue itself. The book was published on June 20, 1967, carrying an August 1967 cover date.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First-ever race between Superman and the Flash (Barry Allen), titled 'Superman's Race With the Flash!' — the foundational event for a rivalry that would span numerous rematch issues across multiple decades.
- Written by Jim Shooter, who was approximately 15 years old at the time of publication and had been writing for editor Mort Weisinger's Superman line since age 14.
- Interior pencils by Curt Swan, inked by George Klein; cover penciled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson — credits that went unpublished in the original printing.
- Edited by Mort Weisinger, with E. Nelson Bridwell also credited as editor on some database sources.
- The race's premise: the UN Secretary asks the two heroes to compete around the globe three times as a charity fundraiser; rival American and European crime syndicates place enormous bets on the outcome and hire scientists to sabotage whichever hero they want to lose.
- The race concludes in a deliberate tie — Superman and Flash discover the criminal fix and cross the finish line simultaneously to deny either syndicate a payout, leaving Green Lantern's closing question ('Which one IS faster?') conspicuously unanswered.
- The Justice League of America (including Batman, Atom, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, and Robin) makes a cameo appearance.
- Reprinted in Limited Collectors' Edition #C-48 (Superman vs. the Flash treasury) and later in The Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Lynet #5/1968 (1968), Superman #9/1969 (1969), Superman Supacomic #143 (1971), Limited Collectors' Edition #C-48 (1976), Superman contre Flash #[nn] (1979), Gigant #1/1982 (1982), Gigant #2/1982 (1982), Superman [Bradman Commission] #[nn] (1988), Superman vs. Flash #[nn] (2005), Superman: Cover to Cover #[nn] (2006), Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years #[nn] (2015), Serieskatter #2 (2015), DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection #49 (2016), Supermán #642
Key issues in Superman
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.