Superman And Flash Race? Who Ever Heard Of Such A Thing?

In case there's a soul on the planet who doesn't know this already, last week's inspired Hurley/Charlie dialogue about who'd win in a race between Superman and Flash wasn't just plucked out of thin air. Within the confines of Lost, this may seem like a novel idea; but in the world of comics, the two super-speedsters have actually gone head-to-head a number of times, as documented nicely here. In fact, I daresay the question of who'd win such a contest is one that's occupied the average comic fan's mind way more than it ever should have!

A much deeper concept to ponder is this: any possessor of superspeed ought, by rights, to take out nearly any opponent before the other person can even see them move! If you can attain the kinds of speeds Flash and Superman do, or even the much more subdued Quicksilver-level velocity, how exactly do you not use that power to get the early jump on your enemy in less time than it takes them to complete a blink? Comic writers famously dodge this question, issue after issue...