Why aren't Marvel speedsters as interesting as DC's?

[Anthony W]

Just looking for a DC readers perspective. What is it about DC speedsters that make them so much better than Marvel speedsters?

[reis9999]

More about characterization than power per se

First flash is one of the core heroes from DC, with years of story and his own personal mythology (speed force).
Marvel basically has pietro, underpowered, inconsistence and the writers don't know how to make him cool.
Also there are more speedster in DC than marvel..marvel basically introduces some fast mutant that rapidaly go to limbo...

[Frontier]

I don't think any Marvel Speedster has gotten the sustained focus and popularity of any of the Flashes, and without that focus you can't really get the kind of mythos-building and character defining that makes a seminal and iconic character.

Plus, the Flashes are just cooler (and I say this as a Quicksilver fan) .

[kjn]

Apart from what has already been said, I think the creator of a knockoff character run the risk of constantly second-guessing themselves in order to make the character not feel like a knockoff, and that in and of itself limits creativity.

It is possible to re-use powers, but I think it needs to start with the character that should have some powers, not with a power in need of a character. That's arguably what Reed Richards and Kamala Khan have in common in their creation, relative to the earlier Elastic Man and Plastic Man. At least Plastic Man feels much more defined by his powers compared to Richards or Khan.

[The Cool Thatguy]

What speedsters does Marvel really have?

Quicksilver, Northstar, his sister and that's it, for high profile, really.

Marvel and DC seem to have long recognized when the other was better developing the better archetype.

[9th.]

Because DC's speedsters are gods

[Phoenixx9]

I liked when Quicksilver first joined the Avengers. He had his silvery hair wings and little ankle wings. When he ran, they drew him with all lines-like a green blur. I found that very interesting. Much later, when Pietro had returned to the Avengers in his silver costume, he would twirl like a top or "pong" off of things at high speed.

But after that, Marvel seemed to have lost any new and interesting ways to highlight their #1 Speedster.

[j9ac9k]

Because DC's speedsters are gods

True that. I was going to say that because DC is OP in general. A speedster of The Flash's abilities would destroy almost anyone at Marvel, which is based on more grounded powersets, rather than the god-like powers of Superman or Flash or Green Lantern. As it is, Flash already has to be a bit dumb-downed when not battling other speedsters and even at Marvel, Quicksilver has to be dumbed-down a bit.

Oddly enough, Quicksilver has been shown to be a lot more useful in the movies than the Flash when he appeared in JL.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Because DC roolz and Marvel droolz.

Also, I agree with the above in that Marvel has never developed their speedsters as solo characters. Quicksilver didn't get a solo until the late 90s, and the fact is that he was always a team character and never really showed solo potential, which his failed series proved.

Quicksilver works best, like a lot of Marvel characters, in a team setting where he can spark off other characters. He fits into that "Marvel hothead" character type like Human Torch, Thing, Hawkeye, Wolverine, and others. He's there on a team to stir the pot, but he really has no depth beyond that. Wolverine is a rare exception and that's because Chris Claremont really took his time to develop an intriguing backstory for the character.

Even when Peter David developed Quicksilver in X-Factor, it was still regarding how he relates to other people. "Everyone is so slow. I'm so fast. Oh, my God, you all suck." In and of himself, he's not particularly interesting.

It's like in the acting biz. There are some actors that are STARS. Then, there are some actors who will never get beyond being cast in supporting roles because their lot in life is to be a character actor. They add spice and flavor to the ensemble. They often get the funny lines or can be the wacky neighbor, but they are not interesting enough or magnetic enough to have stories be about them or to have a world built around them.

Flash is a star. Quicksilver is a supporting character actor. Quicksilver is the wacky neighbor of comics. And that's the way it's always gonna be.

[married guy]

I think a big part of it revolves around a word DC considers dirty these days. LEGACY.

DC's speedsters have a deep history and a sense of family that Marvel's speedsters just don't have.

[Slim Shady]

Yeah, big difference from Flash being A-list and others like Quicksilver being B-list and how much goes into each one.

Also, throughout the Flash's history, a lot of stuff is really focused on the speed. Stories and plots, characterizations, other speedsters, the speed force stuff, Reverse Flash. Flash's history is heavily filled with speed, it's a big deal.

But Quicksilver's story was never really about the speed. His history has always been more focused on personal stuff like with Magneto and Scarlet Witch and is he hero or villain. So since the speed isn't a focus point, it's kind of in the background in way. Fast is his power and that's about all there is to it.

[Frontier]

Quicksilver, Northstar, his sister and that's it, for high profile, really.

Whizzer and Speed Demon too, but I don't know if I'd call them high profile.

But there really isn't an equivalent to the Flash Family.

[Phoenixx9]

Y'all forgot:Spitfire!

There are also lesser known characters like The Black Racer and Triathalon.

Whirlwind should be included too as he could move at about 50 mph.

[mace11]

True that. I was going to say that because DC is OP in general.

If you saying dc is more OP then marvel then that's Not true.
It's a outdated view anyway.
It was true along time ago,but not anymore.

A speedster of The Flash's abilities would destroy almost anyone at Marvel, which is based on more grounded powersets, rather than the god-like powers of Superman or Flash or Green Lantern. As it is, Flash already has to be a bit dumb-downed when not battling other speedsters and even at Marvel, Quicksilver has to be dumbed-down a bit.

Again not true.There are plenty of marvel characters that are op these days the fact that marvel is not as op has dc is outdated
Quicksilver's power levels has gone up over the years by the way,just like hulk while dc power level went done after pre-crisis.

[mace11]

Here some past talk about this by the way.

Quote Originally Posted by lemonpeace View Post
Marvel's approach to comics has been more grounded and diverse as oppose who do more mythic and archetypal. Film audiences like to watch themselves in the characters rather than seminal archetypes like Batman and Superman.

Quote Originally Posted by Zeeguy91
I think that’s a mistake to make those assumptions. The idea that there’s this fundamental difference between DC and Marvel just in their DNA is just, from my perspective, wholly outdated. Does DC have characters that fill a mythic archetypal role? Yes. But Marvel has those as well. A lot. Captain America in the Marvel Universe fills pretty much the same role as Superman in the DC Universe. And actually, the Spider-Man mythos contains a lot of the same elements that the Batman mythos does: the mystery of his secret identity, heavily influenced by personal tragedy, the disdain from certain sectors of the population, and similar rogues galleries to boot. Plus, Spider-Man is about as mythic in the public consciousness as Batman is.
Marvel and DC are so much more similar than people want to admit. The only difference between their cinematic universes was that Marvel Studios had a singular creative influence driving everything. DC did not.