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

[JackDaw]

Maybe because it wasn’t a power set that on its own, pushed to the limit, that really interested the main “architects” of the Marvel universe??

Marvel has always struck me...certainly in its early decades..as a much more coherent integrated universe than DC. If you put in a light speed character ..as a regular big character..it maybe makes too many of the big stars (Spider-man, Daredevil) look a wee bit ineffective.

DC architects have never bothered about overall coherence (we’re supposed to believe Batman or Green Arrow can go up against gods, for pity’s sake)...but maybe Marvel wanted a more coherent feel?

[BohemiaDrinker]

Speedsters work best as happy people. It's just the archetype.

Marvel caps their speedsters at Quicksilver, who's pretty much insuferable.

So, there.

[Electricmastro]

Speedsters work best as happy people. It's just the archetype.

Marvel caps their speedsters at Quicksilver, who's pretty much insuferable.

So, there.

That and stretch/morphing powers, which is arguably the funniest power.

[Dr. Ellingham]

Because the Flash is way cool.

Pretty much the right answer. Put another way: Talent always wins.

The Flash was a concept and world developed by Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, John Broome and Carmine Infantino. Those are "all-century", hall of fame-level creators.

Their initial work was so inspired and popular it reignited superheroes as a thing that sells. They turned the Flash into a pillar of the DC universe for decades to come.

After? Well, it was usually fans of their work that took over, and did their best to refurbish and update the house - the two most notable being Cary Bates in the 1970s, and Mark Waid in the 1990s.

[Electricmastro]

I quite liked Bluestreak. I think she had the potential to become interesting like how the DC speedsters are had she gotten more development (A-Next #5, 9, and 12, 1999).

[DrNewGod]

Another thing about DC's speedsters is that DC put real effort into making their powers more interesting than Runs Fast. The Silver Age Flash was loaded with pseudo-science lessons showcasing what could be done with the character's abilities. Silver Age Marvel spent a lot less time on that kind of thing.

[LordAllMIghty]

I quite liked Bluestreak. I think she had the potential to become interesting like how the DC speedsters are had she gotten more development (A-Next #5, 9, and 12, 1999).

Horrible look. Did she steal one of the Wasp's customs in the future?

[comicstar100]

The Speedforce to me makes the DC Speedsters a bit more interesting. Plus the Flash is a A list hero with multiple people taking up the mantle. Marvel doesn't really have a hero counterpart on that level. Quicksilver is probably the closest one from Marvel.

[superduperman]

Marvel's speedsters appear to be mutants, near as I can tell. Which means they are tied to the X-Men which means they aren't really independent characters on their own. When was the last time Quicksilver had his own book? One of the things that I think works against Marvel characters to some degree is having everyone in the same city. So they get lost in the shuffle, so to speak. Marvel characters do best when they don't really have a big name DC counterpart. There is no DC version of Spiderman for instance. There's no real DC Hulk. No DC Wolverine. There's a DC Captain America but he came along after the real Captain America. Meanwhile, how many Superman allegories does Marvel have? How many stand out in the public's mind? The Carol Danvers Captain Marvel and even that's because Marvel put a real effort into making her a household name. She even got her own movie. Quicksilver was a fun character in the X-Men movies but he's not treated as an individual.

There was a thread a while back about why Batman is more popular than Superman. My conclusion is that DC just put more effort into Batman than Superman. Flash has his own TV show. He's getting his own movie. Meanwhile the MCU killed off their version of Quicksilver. Characters become popular when the companies that own them make an effort to put them in the public consciousness. Marvel doesn't seem to invest in their speedsters as much as they do their other characters.

[9th.]

Because DC's speedsters are Demigods with lightning powers that can vibrate your soul away and steal your friction.

[Cruelrain]

What speedsters does Marvel have to?

Quicksilver is the most famous but Northstar, Aurora, America Chavez (maybe) are out there

I don't know if Spectrum can be Tagged as one i mean she can...

[king81992]

Marvel actually established limits to their speedster and doesn't have the Speed Force aka 'whatever the current writer wants it to be'.

[Electricmastro]

What speedsters does Marvel have to?

Quicksilver is the most famous but Northstar, Aurora, America Chavez (maybe) are out there

I don't know if Spectrum can be Tagged as one i mean she can...

Marvel’s Flash-esque speedsters are said to include: https://comicvine.gamespot.com/profi...edsters/63588/

Mercury (1940)

The Whizzer (1941)

Quicksilver (1964)

Speed Demon (1969)

The Thunderbolt (1970)

Spitfire (1976)

Hermod (1978)

Moonstalker (1980)

The Runner (1985)

The Blur (1986)

Speed (1986)

Super Sabre (1987)

Black Racer (1988)

Buried Alien (1990)

Impulse (1990)

Speedfreak (1991)

Meanstreak (1993)

Allegra (1994)

Burnout (1996)

Bluestreak (1998)

Torque (1998)

Whiz Kid (2004)

Calamity (2006)

Le Vent (2007)

Non-Stop (2008)

Slingshot (2008)

Burst (2009)

Velocidad (2010)

[Frontier]

Marvel actually established limits to their speedster and doesn't have the Speed Force aka 'whatever the current writer wants it to be'.

Though with the Speed Force every DC Speedster trounces every Marvel Speedster .

[Cruelrain]

Marvel actually established limits to their speedster and doesn't have the Speed Force aka 'whatever the current writer wants it to be'.

This was actually good i think... DC speedsters are to overpowered