5 Marvel Characters Who Are Faster Than Quicksilver
From Golden Age Origins to Isotope E Upgrades
Quicksilver debuted in X-Men #4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants before later joining the Avengers, marrying Crystal of the Inhumans, and partnering with his sister, the Scarlet Witch. Initially capable of running at 175 miles per hour for up to four hours, his speed limitations were later lifted by Isotope E, allowing him to reach 3,080 miles per hour. Despite these enhancements, multiple characters within the Marvel continuity maintain higher top speeds.
The Whizzer Debuts with Extreme Superhuman Speed
Robert Frank debuted as the Whizzer in U.S.A. Comics #1 in 1941, fighting alongside Captain America and the Human Torch in World War II. The Whizzer could run up to one mile per second, with a theoretical top speed of 60,000 miles per second maintained for only a few seconds, translating to 3,600 miles per hour. In The Avengers #155 in 1977, Namor stated his belief that the Whizzer was faster than Quicksilver, though that observation occurred while Namor fought an aging Whizzer whose abilities had diminished to 100 miles per hour due to health risks.
FastForward, introduced as the amnesiac Buried Alien in Quasar #17 in 1990 by Mark Gruenwald and Mike Manley, demonstrated superior speed by winning a race against Quicksilver, Whizzer, Captain Marvel, Speed Demon, Black Racer, Super Sabre, and Makkari. Competing against these figures, FastForward earned the title “The Fastest Man Alive” before his final appearance in Quasar #58 in 1994.
Northstar and Makkari Utilize Superhuman Kinetic Energy
Northstar, introduced in The Uncanny X-Men #120 in 1979 by Chris Claremont and John Byrne as a member of Alpha Flight, channels kinetic energy from body molecules to move at superhuman speeds. While Northstar has claimed the ability to reach 189,299 miles per second in X-Factor #7 in 2021—exceeding the speed of light—such velocity would cause severe damage to the environment and the character, keeping routine travel at Mach 10 levels to prevent injury.
Makkari of the Eternals debuted in The Eternals #5 in 1976 by Jack Kirby, drawing inspiration from Timely Comics characters Mercury and Hurricane. Sacrificing other Eternal abilities for near-light-speed running, Makkari trained with the Eternal guru Elo and competed in the Galactic Marathon featured in Quasar #17 in 1990, securing a victory over competing speedsters while becoming trapped at hyper-speed.
The Runner, introduced in The Defenders #143 in 1985 by Peter B. Gillis and Don Perlin, is a five-billion-year-old Elder of the Universe powered by energy from the Big Bang. Possessing immortality, invulnerability, and cosmic awareness, the Runner achieved Absolute Speed, running tens of thousands of miles per hour on planets and consistently defeating opponents such as the Whizzer, Monica Rambeau, Quicksilver, FastForward, Black Racer, and Makkari in galactic races.
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