Speed Demon: Bio, Origin & History
Join the community on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!
Real Name: James Saunders
First Appearance: As The Whizzer – The Avengers #69 (October, 1969). As Speed Demon – Amazing Spider-Man #222 (November, 1981)
Powers: Superhuman speed, reflexes, and durability.
Affiliation: Squadron Sinister, Thunderbolts, Sinister Syndicate
Did You Know? For a time Speed Demon was known as The Whizzer
A Little History
Created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema, Speed Demon first appeared as The Whizzer in the pages of The Avengers #69.
Tired of his average existence at his boring job, James Saunders was given a unique proposition. The Grandmaster contacted Saunders and offered him superpowers in exchange for his participation on a team that he was assembling. He said yes and upon his agreeing The Grandmaster gave him an exact formula to follow.
Saunders went to work doing exactly as he was told and the formula granted him Superhuman Speed.
Now going by The Whizzer, James Saunders did as he was asked and joined The Grandmaster and his Squadron Six in a battle against Kang and his Avengers. At the conclusion of the battle Kang had won and The Grandmaster returned the villains, as promised, to their home planet.
Shortly after their return, the Squadron Six were hired by Nebulon to melt the polar ice caps on Earth. The group was unsuccessful as Dr . Strange and The Defenders arrived to stop them. With the Six beaten, Dr. Strange places a spell on them that gives each amnesia and makes them forget that they had powers. This didn’t last long, however. During an interrogation by The Avengers asking about Squadron Six member Dr. Spectrum, Saunders found himself remembering his past. This led to him having his memories restored.
With his memories back, he begins experimenting with the formula that gave him his abilities. This resulted in a variant of the formula which he promptly took and received greater speed. He then changed his alias from The Whizzer to Speed Demon, where it has remained.
Liked this article? Join the community on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!
