Speed (Thomas Shepherd)

• Core Identity: Speed is the super-fast, molecularly-accelerating son of the Scarlet Witch and the synthezoid Vision, whose soul was reincarnated into the body of Thomas Shepherd and became a founding member of the heroic Young Avengers.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Speed represents the next generation of Marvel heroes, directly inheriting the complicated legacy of two of the most powerful and controversial Avengers, Scarlet Witch and The Vision. As a core member of the Young Avengers, he functions as the team's primary speedster and scout, embodying a rebellious spirit that counterbalances his more magically-inclined twin brother, Wiccan.
• Primary Impact: The discovery and confirmation of Speed and Wiccan's existence served as the catalyst for one of the most significant modern Avengers storylines, The Children's Crusade. Their journey to find their mother and prove their lineage forced a universe-wide reckoning with Wanda Maximoff's past actions in Avengers Disassembled and House of M, ultimately leading to her partial redemption and the restoration of mutant powers.
• Key Incarnations: In the Prime Comic Universe (Earth-616), Thomas Shepherd is a teenager who discovers his powers and learns he is the reincarnated soul of Wanda Maximoff's lost son. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), his counterpart, Tommy Maximoff, was magically created by Wanda inside the Westview “Hex,” ceased to exist when it fell, and has been shown to exist as a real child in alternate universes, establishing a future potential for the character's return.

Speed first appeared in Young Avengers #10 (March 2006), with his civilian identity, Thomas Shepherd, being introduced. His first appearance in full costume as Speed was in Young Avengers #12 (August 2006). He was created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung. The creation of Speed and the entire Young Avengers team was part of a major Marvel initiative in the mid-2000s to introduce a new generation of heroes deeply connected to the legacies of classic Avengers. This occurred in the direct aftermath of the devastating Avengers Disassembled storyline, which had shattered the classic team. The concept of young heroes rising to fill the void left by their idols resonated strongly with readers. Speed's design and powers were an intentional homage to Wanda's brother, Quicksilver, with his white hair and super-speed abilities, while his rebellious and sometimes abrasive personality provided a stark contrast to his uncle's often arrogant demeanor. Heinberg and Cheung masterfully wove the character's origins into one of the most complex and emotionally charged histories in Marvel comics: the saga of the Scarlet Witch's lost children.

The origin of Thomas “Tommy” Shepherd is one of the most convoluted and mystically intricate in Marvel history, deeply tied to the magic of the Scarlet Witch and the demonic machinations of Mephisto. His journey from a magical construct to a fully realized hero is a testament to the enduring power of family and identity.

The story of Speed begins long before his birth, with the love between the Wanda Maximoff and her synthezoid husband, The Vision. Desperate for a family, Wanda used her reality-altering hex powers to magically conceive twin sons, Thomas and William. For a time, they lived a happy, albeit unusual, life as part of the West Coast Avengers. However, it was eventually revealed that the energy Wanda used to create her children was derived from fragments of the soul of the demon lord Mephisto, which he had lost in a prior battle with Franklin Richards. Upon discovering this, Mephisto reabsorbed the soul fragments, effectively erasing Thomas and William from existence. The trauma of losing her children was so immense that fellow witch Agatha Harkness cast a spell to make Wanda forget she ever had them, hoping to spare her the pain. This trauma, however, festered in her subconscious. Years later, a stray comment triggered her memories, shattering her psyche and causing her to lash out with her immense power. This mental breakdown led directly to the events of Avengers Disassembled, where she killed several teammates and destroyed the Avengers. Following this, the souls of the lost twins were reincarnated into two separate families. William Kaplan was born to a loving family in New York, eventually developing magical abilities and becoming the hero Wiccan. Thomas Shepherd's path was far darker. He was born to Frank and Mary Shepherd in Springfield, New Jersey, but his life was troubled. His powers manifested early, leading to him accidentally vaporizing his school. He was subsequently taken by the nefarious Corporation, a clandestine organization that performed brutal experiments on him in a high-tech facility, attempting to turn him into a living weapon. His salvation came with the formation of the Young Avengers. After the Vision's new synthezoid body accessed files from his original memory banks, he discovered the “Avengers Fail-Safe Program,” which listed potential next-generation heroes, including Tommy. The Young Avengers, accompanied by the Super-Skrull Kl'rt (who was temporarily posing as Longshot), located the facility where Tommy was being held. They broke him out, and his immediate resemblance to Wiccan and Quicksilver was undeniable. Initially volatile and distrustful due to his traumatic upbringing, Tommy was hesitant to join the team. However, his shared connection with Billy and the allure of a real family eventually convinced him to stay, and he adopted the codename Speed. His journey then became intertwined with his brother's as they sought the truth about their connection and the whereabouts of their long-lost mother.

In the MCU (designated as Earth-199999), the origin of Speed's counterpart, Tommy Maximoff, is significantly streamlined and different, unfolding primarily in the Disney+ series WandaVision. Following the death of Vision at the hands of Thanos in Infinity War, a grief-stricken Wanda Maximoff unleashes a colossal wave of Chaos Magic, creating an alternate reality in the town of Westview, New Jersey. This reality, known as the “Hex,” reshaped the town and its residents into the setting of classic American sitcoms. Within this fabricated world, Wanda magically created a new version of Vision and, through a spontaneous and rapid magical pregnancy, gave birth to twin sons, Tommy and Billy. Unlike their comic book counterparts, the MCU's Tommy and Billy were not reincarnated souls but direct magical constructs, entirely dependent on the existence of the Hex and Wanda's power to sustain them. Their growth was supernaturally accelerated; they aged from infants to ten-year-olds within a matter of days. Tommy's powers manifested during a Halloween episode, where he displayed superhuman speed, mirroring his comic uncle Quicksilver (who also made a strange, alternate-reality appearance in the series). Tommy was portrayed as the more rambunctious and impulsive of the two twins, eagerly embracing his newfound abilities. The tragedy of their origin is that they were tied to the Hex. When Wanda finally made the heartbreaking decision to dismantle her false reality and free the people of Westview, the Hex dissipated, and with it, her husband and her two sons. In her final moments with them, she thanked them for choosing her to be their mom. As she sat alone in the aftermath, she heard the faint cries of her sons echoing from somewhere across the multiverse, setting her on a dark path. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it's revealed that Wanda's study of the demonic book known as the Darkhold has corrupted her. Her primary motivation is to use its power to “dreamwalk”—possess an alternate version of herself in another universe—specifically to be with a version of Billy and Tommy who are real. She targets America Chavez, a hero with the power to traverse the multiverse, to achieve her goal. She eventually succeeds in reaching Earth-838, where she confronts that universe's Wanda and her very real sons. However, the 838-Tommy and Billy are terrified of the corrupted “Scarlet Witch,” not recognizing her as their mother. This horrified realization is a key factor in Wanda breaking free from the Darkhold's influence and sacrificing herself to destroy it across all realities. The existence of the Earth-838 twins confirms that “real” versions of Speed and Wiccan exist in the MCU's multiverse, leaving the door open for their eventual reintroduction.

While both versions of the character are defined by their speed, their powersets and personalities diverge, reflecting their different origins and experiences.

Thomas Shepherd is an incredibly powerful superhuman, classified as a mutant. His abilities are derived from a combination of his genetic makeup and the mystical nature of his soul's origin.

• Powers and Abilities:
• Superhuman Speed: Speed's primary ability is to move and run at speeds far exceeding human potential, rivaling that of his genetic uncle, Quicksilver. He can easily break the sound barrier and has been shown to move fast enough to run across the surface of water or up the sides of buildings. His physiology is adapted to handle the rigors of high-velocity movement, granting him enhanced durability and a hyper-accelerated metabolism that requires significant caloric intake.
• Molecular Acceleration (Vibrational Destabilization): This is Speed's most unique and dangerous power, setting him apart from other speedsters. He can vibrate his own molecules or the molecules of any object he touches. By accelerating an object's molecules, he can cause it to become hyper-kinetic, violently exploding. He has used this ability offensively to detonate projectiles, shatter restraints, and even cause Super-Skrulls to combust from the inside out. This power is a manifestation of atomic-level kinetic energy manipulation, hinting at a power source beyond simple physical speed.
• Accelerated Perception: To navigate the world at super-speed, Tommy's brain processes information at a vastly accelerated rate. This makes the world appear to be moving in slow motion to him, allowing him to perceive and react to threats that a normal human wouldn't even see. This can sometimes make him seem impatient or easily bored in normal conversation.
• Mystical Potential: As the reincarnated son of the Scarlet Witch, one of the most powerful magical beings in the universe, Speed possesses a latent but largely untapped connection to magic. While his brother Wiccan inherited the lion's share of their mother's magical aptitude, it has been suggested that Speed's molecular acceleration ability may be a physically-oriented expression of Chaos Magic, similar to how Wanda's hex bolts are a magical expression of probability manipulation.
• Personality:
• Tommy is defined by his impulsive, rebellious, and often reckless nature. His traumatic youth spent in a laboratory fostered a deep distrust of authority and a fiercely independent streak. He is quick to act, quick to anger, and often speaks with a sarcastic wit that masks deeper insecurities. This contrasts sharply with his brother Billy's more thoughtful and cautious demeanor. Despite his rough exterior, Tommy is intensely loyal and protective of the people he considers family, especially Billy and his teammates on the Young Avengers. Over time, he has matured, learning to better control his temper and think more strategically, but the wild spark remains a core part of who he is.

As a young boy created by magic, the MCU's Tommy Maximoff's abilities and personality are less developed but show clear parallels to his comic counterpart.

• Powers and Abilities:
• Superhuman Speed: Tommy's only demonstrated power in the MCU is incredible speed. Upon its manifestation in WandaVision, he was instantly able to move at superhuman velocities, becoming a blur of motion. He could outrun bullets and circle the entire town of Westview in seconds. His powers appeared to be instinctive and did not require any training to use effectively.
• No Other Known Powers: Unlike his comic version, the MCU's Tommy has not demonstrated any ability to accelerate molecules or cause explosions. His powerset, as presented so far, is a direct and pure homage to Quicksilver. It is possible that should he return as an older character, his powers could evolve to include these more exotic abilities.
• Personality:
• As a ten-year-old, Tommy's personality reflects that of a classic “cool twin” or mischievous child from sitcom television. He is energetic, slightly hyperactive, and loves to use his powers for fun and pranks. He has a typical sibling rivalry with Billy, often teasing him but also showing moments of brotherly affection. He is clearly the more action-oriented of the two. The Earth-838 version of Tommy is presented as a normal child, enjoying a quiet suburban life, and is understandably terrified when confronted by the corrupted Scarlet Witch, showing a vulnerability not seen in the Hex-created version.

Speed's identity is forged through his connections, from the twin he shares a soul with to the team that became his found family.

• Wiccan (Billy Kaplan): Billy is not just Speed's brother; he is his other half. Their bond is the central relationship in Tommy's life. They are yin and yang: Speed is the physical, impulsive speedster, while Wiccan is the magical, thoughtful sorcerer. They bicker like any siblings but share an unbreakable connection, able to sense each other and often finishing each other's sentences. Their shared quest to find their mother and understand their origins in The Children's Crusade solidified their bond into one of the strongest in the Marvel Universe.
• Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff): For most of his early life, Wanda was more of a myth than a mother. The search for her was the driving force behind many of the Young Avengers' early adventures. When they finally found her in Latveria, amnesiac and engaged to Doctor Doom, the reunion was fraught with danger and emotional turmoil. After her memories were restored, their relationship remained complex, colored by the immense pain her past actions had caused. Nonetheless, a deep maternal love exists, and she is fiercely protective of both her sons.
• Hawkeye (Kate Bishop): As a fellow founding member and eventual leader of the Young Avengers, Kate Bishop is one of Tommy's closest friends. Their relationship is built on a foundation of mutual respect and playful antagonism. Kate's level-headed leadership often clashes with Tommy's “act first, think later” attitude, but he respects her authority and trusts her judgment implicitly in the field. They operate as the team's veteran core, sharing a deep camaraderie forged in countless battles.

• Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom): While not a personal nemesis in the traditional sense, Doctor Doom was the primary antagonist of Speed's most important storyline, The Children's Crusade. Doom manipulated the amnesiac Wanda, intending to steal her reality-warping power for himself. He saw Speed and Wiccan as mere obstacles and magical batteries. The final battle against a god-powered Doom in Latveria was a defining moment for Speed and the entire Young Avengers team.
• The Mother (Parasite): During the second volume of Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, the team faced an insidious interdimensional parasite known simply as “The Mother.” This creature would be summoned by magic, kill the caster's parents, and then wear their forms while slowly consuming the caster's life. As a being who preys on the concept of family and parenthood, The Mother was a terrifying and deeply personal threat to a team of heroes so defined by their legacies and parental relationships.
• Kang the Conqueror: The Young Avengers' original and most persistent foe. The team was founded by a teenage version of Kang known as Iron Lad, who was trying to escape his destiny as a villain. This makes Kang the Conqueror their indirect creator and their ultimate adversary. Kang has repeatedly targeted the team, seeing their very existence as a threat to the timeline, and his temporal machinations have put Speed and his friends in jeopardy on numerous occasions.

• Young Avengers: This is Speed's family and his defining affiliation. He is a founding member and has served on every incarnation of the team. The Young Avengers are not just a superhero team but a tight-knit group of friends who have faced immense trauma and world-ending threats together.
• Secret Avengers: During the Avengers vs. X-Men conflict, Speed, along with several other young heroes, was briefly drafted by Captain America to be part of his Secret Avengers faction. This demonstrated a growing trust from the veteran heroes in the younger generation's capabilities.
• Krakoa / X-Men: Following the establishment of the mutant nation of Krakoa, Speed, as the son of the Scarlet Witch (long believed to be the daughter of Magneto and a “pretender” mutant), had a complicated status. However, he was eventually welcomed on the island and participated in events like the Hellfire Gala, signaling his acceptance within the broader mutant community.

This is Speed's introduction to the Marvel Universe. Initially found in a high-security institution, the volatile and amnesiac Tommy is broken out by the Young Avengers. The story arc focuses on his integration into the team, the immediate and uncanny connection he feels with Wiccan, and the slow, dawning realization that they are brothers. His arc in this series is about finding a place to belong and trading a life as a lab rat for a role as a hero. The culmination of the first volume sees the team confront the Kree and Skrull empires, firmly establishing them as a credible and powerful new force for good.

During the first Superhuman Civil War, the Young Avengers refused to comply with the Superhuman Registration Act, siding with Captain America's anti-registration faction. This was a pivotal moment for Speed and the team, as it was their first major involvement in a universe-spanning conflict. They fought alongside their idols and were forced to make difficult moral choices. Speed's role was primarily as a high-speed combatant and rescuer, showcasing his growing power and his unwavering loyalty to his friends and their shared ideals of freedom.

This is the definitive storyline for Speed and Wiccan. Driven by Wiccan's desire to find their mother, the Young Avengers embark on a globe-trotting quest that puts them in conflict with the Avengers, the X-Men, and Doctor Doom. The series definitively answers the question of their parentage, confirming that they are the reincarnated souls of Wanda and Vision's children. For Speed, the journey is transformative. He is forced to confront the legacy of his mother, battle a god-like Doom, and ultimately witness the sacrifice of his teammate Stature (Cassie Lang). The event ends with Wanda's redemption and the return of several depowered mutants' abilities, but leaves the Young Avengers fractured and Speed more mature and sobered by the true cost of heroism.

In this critically acclaimed run, a reconstituted Young Avengers (including Speed, Wiccan, Kate Bishop, and newcomers like Miss America and Prodigy) come together to battle the interdimensional parasite known as The Mother. This series delved deeper into Speed's personality and personal life. It established his romantic relationship with fellow teammate David Alleyne (Prodigy), a significant moment of LGBTQ+ representation. The story's reality-bending, dimension-hopping plot pushed Speed's powers and his trust in his team to their absolute limits.

• MCU (Earth-199999 / Earth-838): The most prominent variant is Tommy Maximoff from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As detailed above, he was first a magical construct within the Westview Hex before being erased, and a “real” human version was later shown to exist on Earth-838. He is significantly younger than his comics counterpart and has yet to adopt a codename or develop his full range of powers.
• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): While Speed himself does not exist in the Ultimate Universe, Quicksilver (Pietro Lensherr) fills a similar role as a young, white-haired speedster on the Ultimates and later the Brotherhood of Mutants. His personality is far more antagonistic and villainous for much of his history compared to Speed.
• The Last Avengers Story (Earth-9511): In this grim alternate future, an adult Tommy and his brother Billy are held captive by Kang the Conqueror and Ultron. They are eventually freed by Vision and lead an attack on the villains, but are tragically killed in the final battle, showcasing a dark potential end for the twins.
• Avengers Fairy Tales: In a fairy tale-themed one-shot, Speed appears as the White Rabbit in an Alice in Wonderland-inspired story, with the other Young Avengers filling out the cast. This is a lighthearted, non-canon depiction of the character.

• Wiccan
• Scarlet Witch
• Quicksilver
• Young Avengers
• The Children's Crusade

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