Speed Demon

 In: Characters
 Posted: 2006
File Photo
Attributes
Eyes:

Black

Features:

Blue, red and yellow costume with red sunglasses.

Hair:

Gray

Height:

5' 11"

Weight:

175 lbs

Powers
Abilities:

Just his super speed.

Limitations:

All the Speed Demon has is his super speed. To be able to run at such fast velocity the Speed Demon needs room to maneuver. If Spidey can get him in a confined space and fill it with webs, Speed Demon can't run away.

Powers:

Speed Demon, as his name suggests, can run at super human speed roughly 160 miles per hour.

Strength Level:

Super strength in his legs which allows him to run as fast as he can.

Summary
Citizenship:

United States

Created By:

Bill Mantlo, Bob Hall

Current Aliases:

The Whizzer

Current Groups:

Thunderbolts

Current Occupation:

Criminal

Education:

High school, college, Ph.D?

Former Aliases:

Jim

Former Bases:

Mobile

Former Groups:

Sinister Syndicate & Squadron Sinister

Former Occupation:

Pharmaceutical chemist

Known Allies:

The Beetle (Mach-IV)

Known Confidants:

Unrevealed

Legal Status:

Criminal record

Major Enemies:

Spider-Man, Avengers, The Fabulous Frog-Man

Marital Status:

Single

Place of Birth:

New York City, New York

Real Name:

James Sanders

Usual Bases:

Mobile

Background

James Sanders was working as a pharmacist and a chemist when the alien Grandmaster approached him and made him an offer to join his super villain group called the Squadron Sinister. By giving Sanders a formula that he made, the Grandmaster granted Sanders with the power to move at incredibly fast speeds. James originally called himself the Whizzer and left his life in pharmacy behind to pursue a life as a criminal.

Later Sanders improved the formula that the Grandmaster gave him and increased his super speed, at the same time leaving the name of the Whizzer behind, now calling himself the Speed Demon. With his new and improved powers and his new name, the Speed Demon joined the Sinister Syndicate (Hydro-Man, Rhino, Beetle, Boomerang) to help eliminate Silver Sable, who just recently had Spider-Man in her employ. With Spider-Man's help and that of the Sandman, the Syndicate was defeated. (He has also been "defeated" by the Fabulous Frog Man.)

The syndicate rejoined later to pull some robberies together for some quick cash. During their first bank job, another member of the Syndicate, Boomerang, was arrested for going back to the scene of the crime to try and finish off a fallen Spider-Man. With Boomerang out of the picture, Speed Demon made many attempts to get together with Boomerang's girl-friend, Leila Davis, who was also the new get-away driver for the Syndicate.

Leila was just using Boomerang to get close enough to the Beetle who she blamed for being a factor in the Scourge killing her husband, the Ringer. With Boomerang now in prison and the Speed Demon showing her so much attention, Leila decided to now use Sanders to help her enact her revenge. Of course she doesn't get to kill the Beetle and everyone goes their separate ways after the Syndicate is broken up by Spider-Man and the Kingpin, who was working in the background against them.

Later still, James joined up with the Thunderbolts, a newly-formed team made up of ex-super-villains trying to make it as super heroes. The new team is led by MACH-IV, formerly known as the Beetle. In the team, James, constantly walking the line between good guy and bad, acts as the bad influence on his fellow teammates, especially that of the Blizzard.

Sanders joined a weak version of the Sinister Six, joined by the Living Brain, Boomerang, Shocker, Beetle II and Override (whom was in control of the Big Wheel). The group was stealing weather controlling equipment and planning on holding New York hostage, but they were defeated by the new Superior Spider-Man. Speed Demon was beaten by an anti-friction substance that made him fall when he tried to run. (Superior Spider-Man #1)

Appearances

Cover Date Appearance Information
Oct 1969 App: Avengers (Vol. 1) #69
  First Appearance
Nov 1969 FB: Avengers (Vol. 1) #70
Date TBD App: Defenders #13
Date TBD App: Defenders #14
Apr 1975 App: Giant-Size Defenders #4
Year 1978 App: Avengers (Vol. 1) Annual #8
Nov 1981 FB: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #222
Sep 1982 App: Marvel Team-Up #121
Sep 1986 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #280
Oct 1986 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #281
Dec 1990 App: Quasar #17
May 1991 App: Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #1
Jun 1991 App: Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #2
Jul 1991 App: Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #3
Aug 1991 App: Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #4
Year 1991 App: Web of Spider-Man Annual #7 (Story 1)
Year 1992 App: Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) Annual #12
Year 1992 App: Web of Spider-Man Annual #8 (Story 1)
Year 1992 App: New Warriors (Vol. 1) Annual #2
Jan 1993 App: Sleepwalker #20
Jan 1993 App: Captain America (Vol. 1) #411
Feb 1993 App: Captain America (Vol. 1) #412
Mar 1993 App: Captain America (Vol. 1) #413
Year 1997 FB: Thunderbolts Annual 1997
Date TBD App: Cable #55
Feb 2000 App: Thunderbolts #35
Mar 2000 App: Thunderbolts #36
Mar 2013 App: Superior Spider-Man #1
Sep 2013 App: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1
Oct 2013 App: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #2
Nov 2013 App: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #3
Dec 2013 App: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #4
Jan 2014 App: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #5

Thanks To

 The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

 Some of the above information is extracted from the various versions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe and the more recent Marvel Encyclopaedias.

 In: Characters
 Posted: 2006