The Grandmaster created the Squadron Sinister to battle the champions of the time-traveling Kang – the superhero team the Avengers. The Whizzer battles Avenger Goliath, but the fight is interrupted by the Black Knight. The Avengers eventually defeat the Squadron and they in turn are abandoned by the Grandmaster.[3] The Squadron reappear in the title Defenders, reunited by the alienNebulon. 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 the entirety of the Earth's surface in water. The superhero team the Defenders prevent the scheme and defeat the villains (and Nebulon), with Namor the Sub-Mariner humiliating the Whizzer.[4]
After this defeat the Whizzer and his teammates are teleported off-world by Nebulon, returning with an energy-draining weapon. The Squadron Sinister plan to threaten the Earth again but are defeated once more by the Defenders and the Avenger Yellowjacket.[5] The character has another brief encounter with several members of the Avengers, who seek a way to separate the power prism of Doctor Spectrum from fellow Avenger the Wasp.[6] The Whizzer disassociates himself from the Squadron Sinister and adopts a new costume and alias, Speed Demon.
Speed Demon is recruited to join the New Thunderbolts[18] but is eventually ejected from the team by heroine Songbird for stealing money to fund the team (including from the company of former teammate Kyle Richmond, who tracks the character as Nighthawk).[19] After a confrontation and unexpected skirmish with an apparently resurrected Hyperion and a new Doctor Spectrum (Alice Nugent, former lab assistant of Hank Pym), Speed Demon defects to join the reformed Squadron Sinister.[20]
Courtesy of a phenomenon known as the Wellspring of Power, an interdimensional source of superhuman abilities, the Grandmaster – guiding force behind the return of the Squadron Sinister – has been increasing the Squadron Sinister's powers. He directs Speed Demon and the Squadron (now joined by Nighthawk, who wishes to stop New Thunderbolts team leader Baron Zemo) to find the main source of the Wellspring. For a time the character, deprived of the use of the Wellspring, is powerless and has his legs broken in a battle with New Thunderbolts member Joystick. Empowered in the final battle against the New Thunderbolts, Speed Demon takes advantage of the chaos caused when Zemo defeats the Grandmaster to viciously beat Joystick in retaliation for his injuries. Speed Demon and the members of the Squadron scatter and escape.[21]
Speed Demon later appears robbing a pawn shop with Man Mountain Marko when they are caught by Rage. After a brief fight, they escape while Rage gets arrested by the Americops.[25] He is later captured by Sam Wilson, as the former Captain America, who forced him to confess of his and Marko's involvement in the pawn shop robbery.[26]
Speed Demon was among the villains who were killed by Black Ant and a restored Hank Pym and revived to join the Lethal Legion.[27]
As a result of mutagenic chemicals concocted under the Grandmaster's mental guidance, Speed Demon possesses superhuman speed, stamina, and reflexes. The character can create cyclones (by running in circles) and run up walls and across water. Speed Demon's superhumanly fast thought processes and reflexes enable him to perceive his surroundings while moving at high speeds, pick up objects, and execute complex acrobatic maneuvers.
James Sanders possesses a master's degree in chemistry.
Reception
In 2018, Comic Book Resources (CBR) ranked Speed Demon 12th in their "25 Fastest Characters In The Marvel Universe" list.[28]
In 2020, CBR ranked Speed Demon 5th in their "10 Most Powerful Members of the Sinister Syndicate" list.[29]
In 2022, CBR ranked Speed Demon 10th in their "Marvel: The 20 Fastest Speedsters" list.[30]
Other versions
House of M
An alternate universe variant of James Sanders from Earth-58163 appears in New Thunderbolts #11. This version is a biochemist.[31]
Marvel Zombies
A zombified alternate universe variant of Speed Demon from Earth-2149 appears in Marvel Zombies.[32]
In other media
An original incarnation of Speed Demon appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Jason Spisak.[33] This version is an alien and member of the Squadron Supreme who joined them in destroying their home planet and derives his powers from a speed belt. He and the Squadron battle the Avengers before being defeated and incarcerated in the Vault.
^"Speed Demon Voice - Avengers Assemble (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved February 4, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
