Savitar

A Cold War pilot for a third-world nation, the man who would become known as Savitar was to test a supersonic fighter plane. As he reached top speed, his plane was struck by what appeared to be lightning, and he went down in hostile territory. Discovering he could defeat the enemy by moving at super-speed, he became obsessed with speed, naming himself after the Hindu god of motion and dedicating his life to unlocking its secrets. As he studied, he learned new powers that no other known speedster has mastered. He can protect himself in a null-inertia force field, give speed to other objects or people—even from rest—and heal injuries almost instantly.

Savitar’s obsession gained followers, and he became the leader of a cult. In search of more knowledge, he sought out the only super-speed hero operating at the time: Johnny Quick. This encounter became a battle, the tide of which was turned with the arrival of Max Mercury, who led Savitar toward the speed field, but caused him to bounce off.

Savitar reappeared decades later to find that his cult had grown in his absence, awaiting his return. He recruited former Blue Trinity member Christina Alexandrova and discovered a way to use her speed to divert all energy from the speed force to his own army of ninjas. He then sought to eliminate the competition: Flash, Impulse, and the others—and especially Max. Fortunately, Wally’s direct line to the speed field prevented Savitar from stealing his speed, and a coalition of—well, just about everyone but the Kouriers—foiled his plans. Hell-bent on at least destroying Flash’s world in retribution, he led the Flash on a world-wide race of destruction, until Flash chose to give Savitar what he wanted: union with the speed field. His earlier encounter had shown him that the others who had arrived before would deal with Savitar as they saw fit.

• Primary Sources
• Art Credits
• Profiles in Print
• Appearances
• Further Notes

Primary Sources

• “Dead Heat Part 2: A Swiftly Tilting Planet” - The Flash (second series) #109 (January 1996), Mark Waid

Art

• Flash (second series) #111 (March 1996) - Oscar Jimenez and José Marzan, Jr.

Profiles

• Flash Secret Files #1 (November 1997)
• The DC Comics Encyclopedia (2004)

Significant Appearances

• Flash #108–111, Impulse #10–11 (December 1995–March 1996): “Dead Heat,” Mark Waid

Notes

According to Flash #110, Savitar’s fortress is in the Balkan mountains. Wonder Woman Plus Jesse Quick places it in South America. The Flash Secret Files #1 places him in Tibet. Hypertime, or simply bad research? You be the judge (though I’m going with the latter).

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