Origin
As a child, Robert Frank was attacked and bitten by a cobra. Believed poisoned, his father injected him with mongoose blood believing it would serve as an antidote. The transfusion seemingly gave him superhuman speed (in actual fact it kick-started his latent mutant power) and as Robert grew into an adult he became the superhero known as Whizzer.
Creation
Whizzer was created by an unknown writer and the artist Al Avison and first appeared in USA Comics #1 in August 1941.
Character Evolution
Whizzer was one of Timely’s Golden Age characters who appeared in USA Comics and later in All-Winners Comics. Rather minor next to fellow Golden Age creations Captain America, Human Torch and Sub-Mariner, Whizzer was never-the-less brought back into the spotlight in 1974 by Roy Thomas first in Giant-Size Avengers #1 and subsequently in Thomas’ Invaders series (set during the war). It was in Invaders and subsequent appearances in The Avengers (both teams of which he became a member) that his origin was retconned to make him a mutant, much of his backstory was fleshed out and his connection to the Avengers’ Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch was revealed.
Major Story Arcs
Liberty Legion
During the war, Whizzer was one of many American superheroes fighting against Axis powers. When the Red Skull captured and brainwashed the Invaders, Whizzer was among the heroes who formed a new team called the Liberty Legion to battle and free the Invaders from the Red Skull’s control.
The Liberty Legion stayed together following the adventure and Whizzer subsequently was welcomed as a member of the Invaders as well. During his time with the Legion and the Invaders he met and began romancing his team-mate Miss America.
After the War
Whizzer and Miss America both joined the All-Winners Squad following the war’s climax. Serving alongside the team for a few years, the two eventually retired and were married. Miss America was soon pregnant with their first child. The two began working for the Government but a nuclear project they were involved with was sabotaged by their old enemy Isbisa resulting their unborn child was affected by the radiation. Miss America gave birth to Robert Frank, Jr. (aka Nuklo) who was born deformed and was emitting dangerous levels of radiation. Whizzer used his government contacts to place the child in stasis and contain his energies until they had some way to cure him. Nuklo was hidden away in a government facility pending a cure and Whizzer told his wife that their son had instead died.
Later, the couple were expecting another child which took them to Mount Wundagore seeking the High Evolutionary‘s aid. Unfortunately Miss America died during child birth and so did her child. Feeling sympathy for the husband who had lost both his wife and child, the High Evolutionary had Bova present Whizzer with the abandoned twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff under the pretense that they were actually his children that his wife had just gave birth too. An angst-ridden Whizzer instead fled from Mount Wundagore at super-speed, leaving his presumed children behind.
The Forgotten Invader
Decades later, when the Avengers discovered the building where Nuklo was being held in a cryogenic tube. Taking him back to their mansion for study, Whizzer discovered that his son had been found by the Avengers and donned his costume again to confront them. After arriving at Avengers Mansion, Nuklo was accidentally released from his slumber; now the size of an adult with the mind of a young child. Whizzer suffered a heart attack in the ensuing scuffle to re-contain his son and the Scarlet Witch soon learnt of her connection to Whizzer and that Whizzer was supposedly her father. Nuklo was finally re-contained and Scarlet Witch and Whizzer had now discovered their erroneous relationship.
No Final Victory
The Whizzer was tricked by the Living Laser (in possession of the Serpent Crown) to attack the Avengers. After a short battle with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Whizzer joined the team and together they set out to defeat the Living Laser and retrieve the Serpent Crown from his possession.
As it turned out the Living Laser also had kidnapped Nuklo and had him at his disposal. The mentally retarded Nuklo was easy to manipulate into attacking the team. In the ensuing battle, Whizzer had another heart attack after sacrificing himself for the team by battling his son. Living Laser was eventually defeated, Nuklo subdued and the Serpent Crown thrown away to sea.
Private War of Doctor Doom
Hospitalized after the Avengers battle with the Living Laser, Whizzer was one of the Avengers who wasn’t captured by Doctor Doom and forced to battle Attuma and the Atlanteans on his behalf. Whizzer, Beast and Wonder Man were the remaining Avengers who teamed up with Namor to free the other Avengers from Doctor Doom.
Siege by Stealth and Storm
Whizzer remained alongside the Avengers and the woman he believed was his daughter and battled against the supervillain Graviton who easily defeated the entire team of Avengers. As the team continued their attempts to defeat Graviton, Whizzer was frustrated to be sidelined by the rest of the team and taken out of the fight due to his continuing heart problems.
Nefaria Supreme
When the Lethal Legion broke out of prison and attempted to rob a bank, the Whizzer ran into action with the Avengers but again was told to take it easy on account of his recent heart attack. Forced to sit out the battle by the Scarlet Witch, it wasn’t until Count Nefaria attacked the Avengers that Whizzer jumped back into action.
Whizzer confronted the villain one-on-one and was furious with the villain for having endangered and threatened his daughter. Needlessly outclassed, Whizzer still fought valiantly against Nefaria. When the Count reigned supreme over the hero, Whizzer won psychologically by reminding Nefaria that he too is only mortal and, despite all his power, eventually he will be forgotten about. Nefaria, frustrated by the realisation of his own mortality, fled leaving a defeated Whizzer the some what victor of the battle.
Korvac Saga
When the Collector began capturing and imprisoning Avengers, Iron Man called together a large team of members to tackle the threat of disappearing former and present members. Among the Avengers gathered was Whizzer. Even though there was danger at hand, Whizzer regretted not being able to help the Avengers because he had chosen to quit the team and finally retire. Iron Man gave him his blessing and agreed it was probably for the best that Whizzer hang up his costume.
Yesterday Quest
Despite his decision to call it a day on his superhero career, Whizzer returned alongside the Avengers when the Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch went missing at Mount Wundagore and Scarlet Witch was possessed by Chthon. Discovering that the Whizzer wasn’t her father, Scarlet Witch however elected to not tell him her discovery.
Contest of Champions
Whizzer was next seen among the hundreds of heroes who were abducted by the Grandmaster to take part in his contest against Death. Whizzer wasn’t chosen as one of their personal champions however.
Faith of our Fathers
Isbisa returned still seeking revenge on Whizzer and posing as a doctor he had Nuklo taken away. Whizzer, with help from Scarlet Witch and the Vision, again sought out his son and confronted Isbisa. Whizzer died battling Isbisa but his son was finally cured of his radiation problems at the cost of losing his father.
Powers and Abilities
Whizzer is a mutant who can run at superhuman speeds. In his prime he could run at up to 100 mph and his reflexes were similarly enhanced.
In Other Media
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Whizzer appeared prominently in Season 5 of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Whizzer was one of the “Six Forgotten Warriors” who allied with Spider-Man and Silver Sable to battle the Red Skull and Electro.