Speed Demon (comics)

Speed Demon
Speed Demon. Art by Walt Simonson.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	(as the Whizzer) The Avengers #70 (Nov. 1969) (as Speed Demon) Amazing Spider-Man #222 (Nov. 1981)
Created by	Roy Thomas Sal Buscema
In-story information
Alter ego	James Sanders
Team affiliations	Squadron Sinister Sinister Syndicate Thunderbolts Sinister Six
Notable aliases	Whizzer, Harvey James
Abilities	Genius chemist Superhuman speed, stamina and reflexes

Speed Demon (James Sanders) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema, the character made his first appearance in The Avengers #69 (Oct. 1969) as a member of the Squadron Sinister known as the Whizzer.

James Sanders first appears as the Whizzer 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. 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.

The Squadron Sinister are created by the cosmic entity the Grandmaster 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. The Squadron reappear in the title 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 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.