Savitar (DC)

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Savitar is a male comic supervillain who features in DC Comics.

Contents

Biography

Origin

Savitar was the name taken by a male human who lived in the Cold War and was a citizen of a third-world nation where he grew up to be a patriot. He served as a military pilot for his country where he elected to test an experimental supersonic aircraft that he pushed to the limit. It was then that he reached top speed when his jet was struck by something that appeared to be lightning. He survived the explosion and awoke to find himself on the ground and unharmed where he was thousands of miles from home. The man was then surrounded by soldiers who were convinced that his arrival heralded an attack and they opened fire on him. In response, he fought them with ferocity where he came to find that he gained the ability to travel at super-speed where he massacred the soldiers. The experience was an epiphany for himself where he believed himself being gifted by the gods and dedicated his worship into a religion of speed. He travelled the world to learn more about this force that empowered him where in this time he adopted the name Savitar. (The Flash v2 #109)

After the retirement of Jay Garrick, Savitar came to seek someone to help enlighten him on the Speed Force. At this time, the only other speedster operating was Johnny Chambers where he asked him the secret of their speed. However, Johnny Quick only knew of it by speaking an equation with this being seen as blasphemy to Savitar who attacked the superhero. He was only saved by a time-travelling Max Mercury who forced the villain to flee to his recently made temple where he was among his followers. However, both Johnny Quick and Max Mercury had pursued him leading to a battle among the three. Max then conceived of a way of defeating their foe where he ran to the edge of the speed field with Savitar in hot pursuit. In that state, the villain came to see that he was near his goal and that he could push beyond the barrier allowing him to reach the Speed Force itself. However, Max then caused him to fall into the timestream leading to Savitar being lost for decades where it was expected that he would re-emerge in some point in the future. (The Flash v2 #109)

A Cold War pilot for a third-world nation, the man who would become known as Savitar was to test a supersonic fighter jet. 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 Savitr the Hindu "god of motion", and dedicating his life to unlocking its secrets. As Savitar studied, he discovered new powers that no other living speedster has mastered. He can protect himself in a null-inertia force field, give speed and kinetic energy to objects or people, even those in a rest state, he could also heal his own 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 Force, 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 Lady Flash (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 (Wally West), Impulse, Golden Age Flash (Jay Garrick), Johnny Quick, Jesse Quick, XS, and especially Max Mercury.

Fortunately, Wally’s direct line to the Speed Force prevented Savitar from stealing his speed, and a coalition of just about every speedster (except for Red Trinity), foiled his plans. Hell-bent on at least destroying Flash’s world in retribution, he led the Flash on a worldwide race of destruction, until Flash chose to give Savitar what he wanted: union with the Speed Force. His earlier encounter had shown him that the others who had arrived before would deal with Savitar as they saw fit.

After the resurrection of Barry Allen, Savitar managed to escape from the Speed Force. However, he was run down by Barry Allen who touched him whereupon he disintegrated and left only a pile of bones behind. (The Flash: Rebirth v1 #1) It was later revealed that this incident was due to Professor Zoom as he had altered Barry Allen's powers creating a reverse Speed Force. As such, this shift led gave Allen the power to kill any Speed Force user with a single touch though this was seemingly undone following Zoom's defeat. (The Flash: Rebirth v1 #4)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Though seemingly destroyed, Savitar found himself in a dark prison where he could hear the voices of others trapped in this realm. For years, he attempted to find a means of escape and tried by accessing the Speed Force with him eventually succeeding in igniting a spark. With this power, he escaped and ascended into the Speed Force itself where he used knowledge he had acquired to make himself its master. The Speed Force attempted to expel himself from it where its connection to the Multiverse became unstable but despite its efforts Savitar came to absorb its power. However, a threat towards his control came when Wally West emerged back in the world. Confronting Wally West at Sanctuary, he attempted to drain the Speed Force which would have been an act that would destroy the Omniverse unless the Flash absorbed it into himself. This ended up creating the an explosion from Wally that ended up killing people around him in the tragedy that occurred at the time. This caused a time displaced Wally West to emerge with Savitar in the present where they arrived at the Speed Lab at Central City. Several heroes were at the scene attempting to save Wally where they fought Savitar but his control over the Speed Force allowed him to evade their attacks. However, the distraction allowed Wally West to be a the precise moment when he experienced a surge of energy allowing him to outrun Savitar and drain the Speed Force from him. Defeated, he was then captured and taken away by the mysterious being that had imprisoned him once more. (The Flash 2021 Annual v1 #1)

Overview

Personality and attributes

He took the name Savitar after the Hindu god of motion. (The Flash v2 #109)

After gaining his powers, he gained an epiphany where in his mind he believed that the gods had gifted him power that saved him from death on two occasions. Thus, speed became his religion and Savitar became a zealot where he made himself into a high priest of his own cult. (The Flash v2 #109)

He longed sought to improve his speed so that he could enter into the Speed Force once again. Such was his dedication and fervour that he descended into madness after failing to reach it. (The Flash v2 #109)

Powers and abilities

Originally, he was noted to had been an ordinary human being with no special abilities. This was until he was exposed to the extra-dimensional force of the speed field. (The Flash v2 #109)

Savitar can move at super speed, and is able to lend or steal speed from moving objects. He has accelerated healing due to increased metabolism and can generate a null inertia force field.

Within the Speed Force, he once gained the power of one of the most powerful forces of the Multiverse. (The Flash 2021 Annual v1 #1)

Notes

  • Savitar was created by Mark Waid and Oscar Jimenez where he made his first appearance in Flash v2 #108 (December, 1995).

Alternate Versions

In other media

Television

Savitar in The Flash.
  • In The Flash, Savitar appeared as an antagonist in the third season of the 2014 live-action television series set in the Arrowverse where he was played by actor Andre Tricoteux and voiced by actor Tobin Bell. He was a large metallic covered being referred to as the god of speed who ruled the Speed Force who was able to reach incredible speeds to the point that he was only visible to a speedster. The intense static charge built by his body required him to be within a suit of armor that contained the charge. He was revealed to actually be a time-remnant of Barry Allen who created him to help defeat Savitar. Though all the time-remnants were killed, the lone survivor was spared but was shunned by the original and his friends. In time, this caused him to slowly go insane and in his intense pain he decided to become a god-like speedster. Thus, he sought to become Savitar where he travelled back in time and seek to kill Iris West in order to ensure his own birth. By travelling through time, he instigated the myth of himself being the first speedster and created a cult that desired to free himself from being trapped in the Speed Force. Following the Flashpoint, he chose a disciple who took the identity of Alchemy that was giving powers to various individuals that were Metahumans in the alternate timeline. This was part of a plot to ensure a future that Savitar had shown them where he stated to Alchemy that he wanted to be free from his imprisonment. He was freed after he tricked Wally West into taking his place and he began to orchestrate his own rise. During this time, he enlisted Caitlin Frost's loyalty after she became Killer Frost where he promised her to be her true self. At this time, Barry Allen concluded that Savitar was a time-remnant of himself and confronted him with his alternate self emerging from the armor. He revealed his origins and that he could operate the armor without being inside of it.

Video games

  • In Injustice 2, Savitar was referenced in gear items named after him that were available for the Flash in the fighting video game.

Appearances

  • The Flash v2:
  • The Flash: Rebirth v1: (2009)
  • The Flash 2021 Annual v1: (2021)

External Links

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