Whizzer
The Whizzer was a minor superhero created for Atlas Comics in the 1930s and 1940s.
Dr. Frank and his son Bob are on a trip to Africa. While there, in the deepest jungles, Bob is bitten by a deadly cobra. As the cobra turns on the good Doctor, a mongoose lunges at it from the bushes, landing atop it and killing it. Knowing that his son will not survive if a blood transfusion is not performed soon, Dr. Frank has the brilliant idea of taking the blood of the furry little mongoose and giving it to Bob. As Bob awakens, the strain proves too much for his father, who suffers a heart attack and dies. The mongoose blood, however, has given Bob amazing speed. Donning a gaudy yellow outfit, complete with fin atop his head and green cape trailing behind (later to be changed to a yellow and blue bodysuit), Bob calls himself the Whizzer!
The Whizzer lasted few issues in his own stories, appearing again in the All-Winners Squad at the end of 1945, and later in the modern day as a short-lived member of the Avengers. He erroneously believed himself to be the father of the mutant twins Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. He died in Vision and Scarlet Witch #3; the twins learned the identity of their actual father (Magneto) in #4.
The Whizzer has also been retconned into the recent Invaders stories, and remains a favorite among Golden Age fans, even if only for his insane origin.
Several characters calling themselves the Whizzer have also appeared in modern Marvel comics. The first was a supervillain who was a member of the Squadron Sinister; he later changed his name to the Speed Demon. The second is a member of the Squadron Supreme, and serves as that team's analogue to The Flash. (The latter's counterpart in Supreme Power calls himself The Blur.)
The Whizzer is a moped or autocycle with pedals and a 148cc engine. First produced in 1939, it was discontinued after some years, but has now made a comeback. It is retro-styled and produced in the USA.
