2012-02-21
Explanation
This comic satirizes the unrealistic depiction of superpowers in comic books by examining the real-world consequences of the Flash's super-speed. When told that Captain Boomerang has thrown a woman off the Empire State Building three thousand miles away, the Flash races to save her. As he runs, he notes that he is "really superheating the air" by moving so fast, acknowledging that displacing air at near-light speed would generate enormous friction and heat.
The Flash successfully saves the woman and delivers a cheesy one-liner ("I don't want you... falling for me"), and everyone shares a laugh. However, the final panel reveals the catastrophic collateral damage: a newspaper headline reads "Tornadoes Wrack Entire Nation! Millions Feared Dead." The joke is that realistically, a person moving at super-speed across the continent would create devastating atmospheric disturbances. The comic highlights the absurdity of superhero physics, where heroes routinely perform feats that would, in reality, cause far more destruction than they prevent.