Speedster (fiction)

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Cover to The Flash #750 (March 2020), showing the title character with fellow speedsters Speedsters (The Flash 750).jpg
Cover to The Flash #750 (March 2020), showing the title character with fellow speedsters

A speedster is a character, primarily in superhero comics, whose powers primarily relate to superhuman speed (also known as superspeed). Primary abilities shared by all speedsters include running at speeds far in excess of human capability (to varying degrees) and resistance to the side effects of such velocities (air resistance, inability to breathe, dynamic shock resulting from contact with objects at high speed, etc.). In almost all cases, speedsters can physically attack opponents by striking them at high speed, imparting great kinetic energy without themselves being harmed or at times even affected at all. A variety of other powers have been attributed to speedsters, depending on the story, their power's origin, and their universe's established continuity and rules.

Contents

Plausibility and artistic license

The use of speedsters in fiction requires artistic license due to the laws of physics that would prohibit such abilities. Moving at the speed of sound, for example, would create sonic booms that are usually not heard in such stories, and generate substantial heat. An enormous amount of energy would also be required to achieve such speeds, and speedsters would need to consume massive amounts of calories to sustain their energy.

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe states that the character Nova maintains speeds which can be considered "modest", especially when carrying a passenger. It also concedes that a solid object moving in the Earth's atmosphere at several times the speed of sound or faster would wreak havoc on the planet, and that moving at such speeds would prohibit Northstar from breathing, while the generated wind/friction would ravage his body. On the other hand, it states that the character Quicksilver was born with adaptations that make high speeds possible, such as enhanced cardiovascular, respiratory, musculature, and digestive systems, a more efficient metabolism, better lubricated joints, tendons with the tensile strength of spring steel, unidentified bone composition that can withstand the dynamic shock of his touching the ground at speeds over 100 miles an hour, and a brain that can process information fast enough for him to react to his surroundings at high speed. [1]

Writer John Byrne maintained modest abilities for the speedster character Danny Hilltop in his series John Byrne's Next Men . Although Danny can keep pace with a race car, the friction generated by his speed melts any foot wear he wears, burning his feet. Thus he runs bare foot, having toughened the soles of his feet through a regimen of pounding increasingly harder materials. [2]

Speed Force

In DC Comics, the Flash family of speedsters derive their abilities from an extradimensional energy source known as the Speed Force, which grants them superspeed and various other abilities required to use it, such as durability. [3] The Speed Force is a cosmic force based around velocity and movement and is the in-universe representation of reality in motion, being the very cosmic force that pushes space and time forward. However, the Speed Force is not the source from which all DC characters with superspeed get their powers. For example, Superman runs and flies quickly owing to his alien physiology, while Captain Marvel/Shazam and Wonder Woman are empowered by the gods. Other writers choose not to offer any scientific explanations for the questions raised by the actual use of such abilities. Peter David, whose run on the series Young Justice included the junior speedster Impulse, has opined that speedsters are inherently difficult to write: "Speedsters make me nervous, because if you play them accurately, they're impossible to beat ... I could deal with Impulse because he was easily distracted." [4] [5]

Additionally, there are alternative velocity-based power sources for speedsters: the Negative Speed Force was created by Eobard Thawne to manipulate time as the Reverse-Flash and additionally corrupted Fast Track as the Negative Flash, [6] [7] [8] and the Forever Force has the power to manipulate time which Hunter Zolomon used to control the flow of time while appearing as the speedster Zoom. [9]

In other media

Speedster characters appear in other media such as film, video games, anime and manga, the most notable being the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog and supporting characters, and Looney Tunes characters Speedy Gonzales and the Road Runner.

Others include:

Speed Force in other media

Two versions of the Speed Force appear in The Flash (2014).

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace West</span> Comics character

Wallace "Ace" West is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was originally introduced as a biracial interpretation of Wally West as part of DC's The New 52 relaunch. The comic DC Rebirth #1 later established that he is a new character of the same name, being a Reverse-Flash's son and Wally's cousin, both named after their great-grandfather. To avoid confusion, the character was renamed in later comics as Wallace West, and later simply as Ace West.

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References

  1. ↑ Gruenwald, Mark ; Sanderson, Peter  ( w ). The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe ,no. 5,p. 55 & 128(February 1992). Marvel Comics .
  2. ↑ Byrne, John  ( w ),Byrne, John ( a ). John Byrne’s Next Men ,no. 7(September 1992). Dark Horse Comics .
  3. ↑ Jacobs, Eammon (January 5, 2018). "15 Things You Didn't Know The Speed Force Can Do". CBR.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018.
  4. ↑ David, Peter (October 21, 2003). "WHAT'CHA WANNA KNOW". Peterdavid.net. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  5. ↑ David, Peter (August 26, 2003). "ANY QUESTIONS?". Peterdavid.net. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ The Flash: Rebirth #4 (September 2009). DC Comics.
  7. ↑ The Flash (vol. 5) #26
  8. ↑ The Flash (vol. 5) #35
  9. ↑ The Flash (vol. 5) #80-81
  10. ↑ Gramuglia, Anthony (March 27, 2020). "DC Vs. DBZ: Is Goku Faster Than Flash (Not Counting Instant Transmission)?". CBR.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ Godino, Edward (August 30, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Does Goku also Have Super SPEED?". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ The character is referred to as a "speedster" on Page 3 of the August 25, 2008 TV Guide , and refers to herself as such in "The Second Coming".
  13. ↑ "Characters & Cast: The Speedster: Brea Grant". BBC. 2014. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  14. ↑ Francis, Zac (January 3, 2021). "One Punch Man: 10 Fastest Characters In The Franchise, Ranked". CBR.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  15. ↑ Mazzuca, Anthony (November 1, 2020). "One Punch Man: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Flashy Flash". CBR.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  16. ↑ Adler, Liz (May 11, 2020). "One-Punch Man: 10 Interesting Facts About Flashy Flash You Need To Know". CBR.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  17. ↑ Toluanguy (June 15, 2020). "One-Punch Man: Speed-o'-Sound Sonic Could Be the Most Powerful S-Class Hero". CBR.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  18. ↑ Ahmad, Suzail (August 18, 2020). "One-Punch Man: 5 Anime Characters Who Are Faster Than Sonic (& 5 Who Can't Keep Up)". CBR.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ Angulo Chen, Sandie (June 19, 2018). "'Incredibles 2' is a super first acting job for 10-year-old". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
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  21. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (February 24, 2012). "Better Child-Rearing Through Chemistry and Genetics". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Disney XD Set to Premiere "Lab Rats," A Comedy About a Teenager and His Three Super-Human Siblings, on Monday, February 27". Disney XD. January 9, 2012. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021– via The Futon Critic.
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  24. ↑ "Mighty Med: The Mother of All Villains". Screener. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
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  29. ↑ Sullivan, Michael Patrick. "Faerber Concludes "Noble Causes". Comic Book Resources. August 19, 2008
  30. ↑ Arrant, Chris. "The Other Family of Superheroes: Retiring NOBLE CAUSES". Newsarama. August 3, 2010
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