Even before Marvel Comics existed, superhuman speed was one of the first powers humans ever imagined. They imagined the messengers of their gods possessing the ability to get almost anywhere instantly. It wasn't a surprise that when comic books began publishing superheroes, superhuman speed was one of the first notable abilities.

Superhuman speed affects many other powers, especially flight. While never formally defined, the definition of a speedster generally refers to characters with the ability to run and think at accelerated speeds. These are the fastest of the many speedsters in Marvel Comics.

Updated on December 27, 2023 by Jordan Iacobucci: This article has been updated to include more information about Marvel's fastest speedsters and to conform to current CBR guidelines.

20 3-D Man Has Physical Abilities Three Times Greater Than A Top Athlete

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Marvel Premiere #35

Roy Thomas & Jim Craig

1977

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The original 3-D Man (men) were the Chandler brothers, able to combine and transform into a speedy hero. However, it was Delroy Garret Jr. who took on the role in the modern era after he debuted as an Avenger named Triathlon.

Enhanced by an organization known as the Triune Understanding — which enhanced his physical abilities three-fold — it made Delroy three times stronger and faster than an athlete at peak physical condition. While 3-D Man wasn't as quick or as popular as Marvel's other speedsters, he could hold his own.

19 The Whizzer Is An Elderly Speedster Who Fought During WWII

The Whizzer in Marvel Comics

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

U.S.A. Comics #1

Al Avison

1941

Robert Frank was bitten by a cobra while on an expedition in the jungle with his scientist father, who attempted to save his life by injecting mongoose blood into his veins. The blood interacted with Frank's mutant physiology and activated his super-speed, allowing him to run faster than 100 miles.

Robert Frank fought during World War II as a member of the All-Winners Squad, and he continued his crime-fighting career well into his old age. His speed diminished as he grew older, and the exertion from running soon took its toll on the elderly hero. Whizzer's heart gave out on him in his final battle.

18 Slingshot Can Speed Away From Any Given Point Before Snapping Back

Slingshot in Marvel Comics

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Mighty Avengers #13

Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev

2008

Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez is the daughter of the mutated villain Griffin, whose altered genetics resulted in Elena gaining a unique super-speed ability. She used this power to join the Secret Warriors, taking the superhero name Slingshot.

Elena's super-speed ability allowed her to quickly run away from the point where she was standing. However, she'd ultimately snap back to her starting point. Her speed was incredible, but she was limited by the distance she could run before returning to her original place.

17 Black Racer Can Strike Quickly Like Her Serpent Namesake

Black Racer from the Serpent Society

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Captain America #337

Mark Gruenwald & Tom Morgan

1987

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Ariana Saddiqi first appeared as Black Racer alongside the Serpent Squad, who also used the names of snakes for their codenames. Black Racer's was fairly appropriate, as her superspeed allowed her to strike quickly, like a snake. She eventually became one of the Serpent Society's most powerful members after the two teams merged.

Fans witnessed the upper limits of Black Racer's speed when she was invited to a cosmic race to the moon held by an Elder of the Universe known as the Runner. The contest was to determine Earth's fastest speedster. While she gave it her all, Black Racer fell out of the race early when she couldn't keep up with the others.

16 Nonstop's Superspeed Made Her One Of The Initiative's Heavy Hitters

Nonstop and the Heavy Hitters

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Avengers: The Initiative #17

Christos N. Gage, Dan Slott, & Harvey Talibao

2008

Following the Superhuman Civil War, the Initiative was launched to train new heroes and instill each American state with its own team of registered heroes. Nevada's team of Initiative-trained heroes were the Heavy Hitters. They stood above some other teams thanks to their teammate Nonstop.

While it was never revealed how Madeleine Michaels received her superspeed, she knew how to use it. She could create powerful winds and cyclones and served as the team's emergency relief if any of them were injured. Nonstop operated during the Secret Invasion and Fear Itself events, but disappeared after Norman Osborn brought down the Initiative.

15 Hurricane Was Created To Rival The Ultimates' Quicksilver

HUrricane in Ultimates 2 #13

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Ultimates 2 #9

Mark Millar & Bryan Hitch

2005

The Liberators gathered super-powered operatives from countries that had been targeted by the United States for terrorism in Marvel's Ultimate universe. North Korea created a speedster named Hurricane, who relished using her power, and she thoroughly enjoyed the takeover of the nation's capital.

However, Quicksilver proved how the North Koreans had underestimated his abilities. Although they'd gotten Hurricane to the point she could search the White House three times in a matter of seconds, Quicksilver took her to speeds so fast she disintegrated.

14 Spitfire Was An Invader With Superspeed Who Gained Vampiric Abilities

Spitfire from Marvel Comics

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Invaders #7

Roy Thomas & Frank Robbins

1976

Jaqueline Falsworth was the daughter of World War I hero Union Jack. She was severely injured by her uncle, the Nazi vampire known as Baron Blood. However, her life was saved through a blood transfusion by the original Human Torch, Jim Hammond.

Hammond's artificial blood caused Jaqueline to develop abilities that included super-speed. As the costumed hero Spitfire, her body adapted, increasing her speed and ability to run without feeling fatigued. Spitfire began to develop vampiric abilities as a side effect of her brush with Baron Blood. However, they further increased her speed and endurance.

13 Meanstreak Was A Brilliant Speedster Who Joined The X-Men 2099

Meanstreak running in 2099

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

X-Men 2099 #1

John Francis Moore & Ron Lim

1993

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Henri Huang was an Alchemax scientist in the year 2099, whose mutant abilities gave him incredible speed. He could rapidly process information and became the hero Meanstreak. Huang joined the X-Men of the future, becoming one of the team's most integral members.

As a computer genius, Meanstreak used his speed in conjunction with his hacking skills to break into systems faster. Huang fatally found his own limit when he tried reaching supersonic speeds to detect quick phantoms known as Zoomers and was lost in another dimension.

12 Speed Is The Reincarnated Son Of Scarlet Witch Who Joined The Young Avengers

Tommy Shepherd as Speed running with the Young Avengers

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Young Avengers #10

Allan Heinberg & Jim Cheung

2006

When Scarlet Witch and Vision married during their time with the Avengers, they took time off from the team to start a new family. Wanda used her powerful magic to create two twin boys named William and Tommy using the splintered souls of Mephisto. The twins were ultimately erased from reality and Scarlet Witch and Vision separated.

However, a team of teen heroes known as the Young Avengers formed with heroes like Wiccan and Speed, who were eventually revealed to be Scarlet Witch's reincarnated sons. Speed is nearly as fast as his uncle Quicksilver and will likely get even faster as he matures.

11 The Blur Runs So Fast He Can Travel Through Time

Blur running with a smirk

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Avengers (vol. 8) #10

Jason Aaron & Ed McGuiness

2018

The Blur is one of the strongest members of the Squadron Supreme and constantly breaks the time barrier. A frequent trick of his, Blur sometimes uses it to take breaks during battle. He even loses track of where he should be in the timeline.

Nevertheless, the Blur has demonstrated that he's one of the fastest mortals on the planet. He gained his powers from studying under the Ancient One, and if there's one thing in the Marvel Universe that could break the laws of physics, it's magic.

10 Speed Demon Enhanced His Speed After He Was Empowered By The Grandmaster

Speed Demon with money raining around him

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Avengers #69

Roy Thomas & Sal Buscema

1969

James Sanders was a chemist offered incredible power by the Grandmaster if he agreed to join his Squadron Sinister. Based on the alternate reality heroes the Squadron Supreme, these villainous characters were created to compete against the Avengers. However, Sanders eventually left the group and struck out on his own as Speed Demon.

Sanders further enhanced his speed by creating a new version of the formula, which first gave him his powers. Speed Demon could easily run faster than sound and deliver thousands of punches a second, making him a force to be reckoned with.

9 Aurora Is (Probably) Just Slightly Slower Than Her Brother

Aurora with popcorn and Amazing Baby in her lab while visiting Krakoa in X-Factor

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

X-Men #120

Chris Claremont & John Byrne

1979

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Aurora joined Alpha Flight and created half of the fastest team in Marvel Comics. Her instability was always an issue, but what initially broke up this team was her brother, Northstar, who assumed she'd sleep with a villain to avoid his wrath.

Aurora dissolved the partnership and resumed her relationship with Walt Langowski, alias Sasquatch. She also asked him to alter her powers, making her slightly slower than her brother. Supposedly, that change was removed following her resurrection on Krakoa.

8 Quicksilver Has Just Gotten Faster Over His Time With The Avengers

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

X-Men #4

Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

1964

Originally, Quicksilver could run just shy of 200 mph. Over time, he managed to go faster; however, exposure to the High Evolutionary's Isotope E kicked him up to the next level of speed. Having originally gained his powers from the High Evolutionary probably helped a little.

Quicksilver thinks faster than a person usually can and describes himself as living in a world moving in slow motion. He can run up to Mach 10 and has been adapted to physically function at that speed. In the Heroes Reborn continuity, his sister also has speed powers as the Silver Witch.

7 Northstar Is One Of The World's Fastest Mutants

Northstar speeds around Daken and Aurora

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

X-Men #120

Chris Claremont & John Byrne

1979

In recent issues of X-Factor, Northstar has stated to his fellow speedsters that he can travel at the speed of light. Of course, he acknowledges the problems this would cause since he'd still be subject to the laws of physics. For all his speed, he can't defy the laws of nature.

For example, Northstar has to breathe. Thankfully for him, he has enough experience with his powers to know his limits. Combined with his ability to fly, Northstar can outrun anything, making him one of the fastest characters in the Marvel Universe.

6 Ultimate Quicksilver Is An Unbelievably Fast Speedster

Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch on The Ultimates

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Ultimate X-Men #1

Mark Millar & Adam Kubert

2000

Quicksilver is, quite literally, unbelievably fast. Others around him assume he's doing nothing even when he suggests slowing down camera footage so they can see what he's been doing. It provides some fantastic humor to incredibly serious superhero stories.

When the Liberators take over Washington, Quicksilver wakes up as Hurricane is beating up Hawkeye with her speed. He grabs her and shows her just how fast he can go. He breaks Mach 10, shaking her to death before Hawkeye can fall to the ground. Even then, nobody believes he's as fast as he claims.

5 Ghost Rider Is Demonically Powered And Capable Of Incredible Speeds

Ghost Rider from Marvel Comics

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Heroes Reborn (vol. 2) #3

Jason Aaron & Federico Vicentini

2021

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Blur relived some of his greatest races, one of which is against Johnny Blaze of another reality. Blaze never had a bike and was known as Ghost Runner. Instead, he used his demonic powers to run incredibly fast. It's just one panel, but in it, readers see that demonic speed can combat Blur's impressive ability.

In legend, the devil is often described as using superspeed, which is why it's not surprising that Marvel's resident demonic hero would be one of the fastest speedsters. Even the mainstream universe versions of Ghost Rider can reach cosmically fast speeds with their hellfire-powered vehicles.

4 Makkari Is An Eternal Who Was Mistaken For The Greek God

Makkari in superspeed

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Eternals #5

Jack Kirby & Martin A. Burnsten

1976

The Eternals' Makkari is known for his speed and penchant for running everywhere. The speed he exhibits borders on the speed of light. Many speedsters throughout Marvel's history have been retconned to be Makkari in another guise.

For example, Makkari has been confused with the Greek and Roman messenger gods. His Eternal physiology allows for him to run at speeds that bend the laws of physics. He even sacrifices many of his other Eternal powers to increase his top speed. The character was reimagined on the big screen as a female speedster, which then transferred to the comics.

3 FastForward Is Marvel's Fastest Man Alive Who Might Have Also Been The Flash

Fastforward and the Flash split image

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Quasar #17

Mark Gruenwald & Mike Manley

1990

A mysterious man appeared in the pages of Quasar just before a cosmic race of speedsters was organized to determine which character was the fastest. He wore a torn red and yellow costume when he first appeared out of what appeared to be a dimensional rift. The only name he remembered sounded like Buried Alien, and he recalled trying to save his friends from a crisis.

Buried Alien was invited to the cosmic race by the Runner, but he arrived in a new costume using the name FastForward. While he clearly demonstrated his incredible speed during the race, he also showcased his heroism when he sacrificed the title to help his fellow runners. FastForward eventually disappeared, further fueling the belief that he was DC's Barry Allen/The Flash.

2 Hermes Is The Greek God That Started The Fascination With Speedsters

Hermes from the Greek Gods

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

Venus #3 Thor #129 (modern)

Don Rico, Stan Lee, & Jack Kirby

1948 1966 (modern)

Hermes is the ancient god of speed. The messenger of the Greek gods, he was often tasked with fetching whichever of the pantheon brought undue attention in the eyes of Zeus. His presence inspired the heroic fascination with speed.

As a god, Hermes' power doesn't have to obey the laws of physics. While his greatest feats of speed involve running from Olympus to Earth in seconds, he may be making use of some method to shorten the distance. Most of these demonstrations come in the Golden Age adventures of Venus.

1 The Runner Is An Elder Of The Universe, Devoting Eons To Developing Speed

A Marvel Comic panel of Runner running through Space at top speed

First Appearance

Created By

Year of Debut

New Defenders #143

Peter B. Gillis & Don Perlin

1985

The Elders of the Universe tend to specialize. For example, the Gardener grows massive gardens on alien worlds, the Champion favors combat, and the Runner focuses on traveling the universe in a manner that resembles running. When on a planet, Runner moves almost entirely by running. He also stages competitions to prove he's the fastest being in the universe.

Unfortunately, the Runner came upon the Space Gem and began relying on its intoxicating power to boost his speed, without realizing its true nature. Thanos eventually took it from him and left Runner with nothing but his extraordinary and unfathomable speed.

The Avengers members
The Avengers

Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Marvel's Avengers first appeared in 1963. While Marvel Comics premier superhero team has boasted a rotating cast of heroes, and even spinoff franchises like the West Coast Avengers, heroes like The Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, The Wasp, and Thor are mainstays of this potent franchise that has helped defined Marvel Comics and the MCU.