Whizzer (comics)

Whizzer
The Whizzer and the Squadron Supreme as depicted on the cover of Avengers (vol. 3) #5 (June 1998). Art by George Pérez.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceFrank: USA Comics #1 (Aug. 1941)
Sanders: The Avengers #69 (Oct. 1969)
Stewart: The Avengers #85 (Mar. 1971)
Created byFrank: Al Avison (penciller; writer unknown)
Sanders and Stewart: Roy Thomas and John Buscema
In-story information
Alter egoRobert Frank
James Sanders
Stanley Stewart
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliationsSquadron Supreme
AbilitiesSuperhuman speed
Marvel Comics alternate universes
Marvel stories take place primarily in a mainstream continuity called the Marvel Universe. Some stories are set in various parallel, or alternate, realities, called the Marvel Multiverse.
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 designates the mainstream continuity as "Earth-616", and assigns other Earth numbers to each specific alternate reality.
In this article the following characters, or teams, and realities are referred to:
Character/team Universe
Robert Frank Earth-616
James Sanders Earth-616
Stanley Stewart Earth-712
Stanley Stewart Earth-31916

Whizzer is the name of several characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character debuted during the Golden Age in USA Comics #1 (Aug. 1941),[1] and was reintroduced in Giant-Size Avengers #1 (Aug. 1974). A second villainous version debuts during the Silver Age in The Avengers #69 (Oct. 1969), and a second heroic version debuting in The Avengers #85 (Feb. 1971).

The Whizzer appeared in the second season of the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Jessica Jones, portrayed by Jay Klaitz.

Publication history

The first character named the Whizzer first appeared during the Golden Age of comics, and later appeared briefly during the Silver Age.[2]

The second, villainous version appears in the final panel of The Avengers #69 (Oct. 1969), the first chapter of a three-issue storyline by writer Roy Thomas and penciller Sal Buscema.[3] The story arc introduced the supervillain team the Squadron Sinister, whose four members were loosely based on heroes in DC Comics' Justice League of America, with the Whizzer based on the Flash.[4]

Fictional character biographies

Golden Age

Main article: Whizzer (Robert Frank)

Silver Age

Main article: Speed Demon (Marvel Comics)

The Squadron Sinister are created by the cosmic entity the Grandmaster to battle the Avengers, who are the champions of the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror. The Whizzer, James Sanders, battles Avenger Goliath, but the fight is interrupted by the Black Knight. The Avengers eventually defeat the Squadron, who are abandoned by the Grandmaster.[5] The Squadron reappear in the title The Defenders, reunited by the alien Nebulon. The villains receive greater power in exchange for the planet Earth, and create a giant laser cannon in the Arctic to melt the polar ice caps, thereby covering Earth in water. The Defenders prevent the scheme and defeat the villains and Nebulon; Namor the Sub-Mariner humiliates the Whizzer.[6]

Whizzer and his two remaining teammates are teleported off world by Nebulon, returning with an energy-draining weapon. The Squadron Sinister plan to threaten the Earth again, but are thwarted by the Defenders and the Avenger Yellowjacket.[7] The Whizzer separates from the Squadron Sinister and adopts a new costume and alias, Speed Demon.

Bronze Age

See also: Squadron Supreme

Roy Thomas and penciller John Buscema created an alternate-universe team of heroes called the Squadron Supreme, who debut in Avengers #85 (Feb. 1971). After an initial skirmish with four Avengers, the teams unite to stop a common threat.[8] The characters including the Whizzer, whose name is Stanley Stewart, were identical in name and appearance to the Squadron Sinister. This caused confusion in Marvel's production department, as the covers of The Avengers #85 and #141 (Nov. 1975) "cover-blurbed" appearances by the Squadron Sinister, when in fact it was the Squadron Supreme that appeared in both issues.

As a result of exposure to the mutagenic effects of a fogbank of unknown nature, Stanley Stewart possesses superhuman speed, stamina, and reflexes. When moving at subsonic speed, Stewart can create cyclones (by running in circles); run up walls and across water. The character has limited immunity to the effects of friction (Stewart wears goggles to protect his eyes), although still generates normal fatigue poisons. As a result, Stewart must consume large amounts of calories and rest after using his superhuman speed powers extensively.

The heroic Whizzer and the Squadron Supreme have another series of skirmishes with the Avengers engineered by the group the Serpent Cartel, but eventually team together and prevent the use of the Serpent Crown.[9] The character and his teammates briefly feature in the title Thor, when the evil version of Hyperion attacks the Earth-712 version and then Thunder God Thor.[10] The Squadron are mind-controlled by the entities the Overmind and Null the Living Darkness, but are freed by the Defenders and aid the heroes in defeating the villains.[11]

Whizzer and the Squadron Supreme starred in a self-titled 12-issue miniseries (Sept. 1985 – Aug. 1986) by writer Mark Gruenwald.[12] The series explains that Grandmaster deliberately modeled the Squadron Sinister after the preexisting Squadron Supreme of Earth-712.[13] Gruenwald, Ryan, and inker Al Williamson created a graphic-novel sequel,[14] which stranded the team in the mainstream Marvel universe. The Squadron Supreme encounter the hero Quasar, and relocate to the government facility Project Pegasus.

The entire Squadron Supreme appear in a two-part story with the Avengers that finally returns them to their home universe, where they disband for a time.[15] The Whizzer rejoins his teammates to aid the interdimensional team the Exiles.[16]

Modern Age

See also: Squadron Supreme (Supreme Power)

The mature-audience Marvel MAX imprint showcases the adventures of the Earth-31916 version of the Whizzer, the Atlanta Blur. Also named Stanley Stewart, the character is a young African-American man who develops super-speed as a result of exposure to an alien retrovirus.[17] He initially hides his ability, with the "Atlanta Blur" regarded as an urban legend,[18] but when Hyperion is publicly revealed Stewart also goes public,[19] becoming a celebrity with numerous endorsements. As the Blur, he reluctantly fights crime at the request of Nighthawk.[17]

Squadron Supreme of America

A variation of the Stanley Stewart version of Blur appears as a member of the Squadron Supreme of America.[20] This version is a simulacrum created by Mephisto and programmed by the Power Elite. Stewart was programmed to forcefully watch endless loops to keep up his brain speed while watching numerous S.H.I.E.L.D. files and unscrupulous videos. As a civilian, Stewart works as a computer programmer at an office building in Washington DC.[21]

During the War of the Realms storyline, Stewart and the Squadron Supreme are summoned to Washington D.C., where Phil Coulson informs the of Malekith the Accursed's invasion. Blur and the Squadron Supreme fight an army of Rock Trolls and Frost Giants. After the Frost Giants retreat, Coulson sends the Squadron to assist in an ongoing battle in Ohio.[21]

Powers and abilities

Each of the Whizzers possess superhuman speed.

In other media

See also: Whizzer (Robert Frank) § In other media, and Speed Demon (Marvel Comics) § In other media
  • The Robert Frank incarnation of the Whizzer appears in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series five-part episode "Six Forgotten Warriors", voiced by Walker Edmiston.
  • The Robert Frank incarnation of the Whizzer appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy", voiced by Robert Patrick.
  • A character based on James Sanders / Speed Demon appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Jason Spisak.
  • An original incarnation of the Whizzer named Robert Coleman appears in the second season of Jessica Jones, portrayed by Jay Klaitz. This version got his powers after the biotech clinic IGH experimented on him.[22] Introduced in the episode "AKA Start at the Beginning", Coleman comes to Jessica Jones twice, claiming to have abilities and that someone is after him. When he returns a third time, Jones witnesses him using his powers as he rushes outside and is killed by falling construction debris.[23] In the episode "AKA Freak Accident", Jones investigates his apartment and finds a video log of Coleman trying to get in touch with Trish Walker.[24]

References

  1. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 408. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ^ Markstein, Don. "The Whizzer". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  3. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Manning, Matthew K. (2012). Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. DK Publishing. p. 122. ISBN 978-0756692360.
  4. ^ Interview with Roy Thomas and Jerry Bails in The Justice League Companion (2003) pp. 72 – 73
  5. ^ Avengers #69 – 71 (Oct. – Dec. 1969)
  6. ^ Defenders #13 – 14 (May – July 1974)
  7. ^ Giant-Size Defenders #4 (1974)
  8. ^ Avengers #86 (Mar. 1971)
  9. ^ Avengers #141 – 144 (Nov. 1975 – Feb. 1976) & #147 – 149 (May – July 1976)
  10. ^ Thor #280 (Feb. 1979)
  11. ^ Defenders #112 – 114 (Oct. – Dec. 1982)
  12. ^ Squadron Supreme #1 – 12 (Sep. 1985 – Aug. 1986)
  13. ^ Squadron Supreme #8 (May 1986)
  14. ^ Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (1989)
  15. ^ Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual '98 and the one-shot Squadron Supreme: New World Order (both Sept. 1998)
  16. ^ Exiles vol. 2, #77 – 78 (Apr. – May 2006)
  17. ^ a b Supreme Power #12 (Oct. 2004)
  18. ^ Supreme Power #3 (Dec. 2003)
  19. ^ Supreme Power #4 (Jan. 2004)
  20. ^ Avengers #700. Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ a b Avengers (vol. 8) #18
  22. ^ Kevin Melrose (March 8, 2018). "Jessica Jones Introduces a Classic Marvel Hero (Well, Sort of)". CBR. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  23. ^ Foerster, Anna (director); Melissa Rosenberg (writer) (March 8, 2018). "AKA Start at the Beginning". Marvel's Jessica Jones. Season 2. Episode 1. Netflix.
  24. ^ Spiro, Minkie (director); Aida Mashaka Croal (writer) (March 8, 2018). "AKA Freak Accident". Marvel's Jessica Jones. Season 2. Episode 2. Netflix.
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