While several different people have taken up the mantle of The Flash over the years, the DC universe is home to a number of superpowered speedsters as well. But out of all those science-breaking heroes and villains, there is only one who saw fit to name himself after a literal god: Savitar.
Savitar first appeared in The Flash vol 2 #108 in 1995. While his real name has never been revealed, comic fans know his story: originally a pilot who enlisted to test a supersonic fighter jet during the Cold War era. During the test run, the jet was struck by lightning (sound familiar?) and the aircraft crashed in enemy territory, where the pilot discovered he could move at super-speed. He easily defeated the enemy soldiers sent to apprehend him and became obsessed with learning all he could about his newfound power, dubbing himself 'Savitar,' derivative of Savitr, the Hindu god of motion. A God of Speed that DC's heroes never saw coming.
Savitar unlocked powers no other speedster has ever achieved, including force fields, near instantaneous healing from wounds, and the ability to transfer kinetic energy to people or objects. He also amassed a cult following (which is fitting, considering he named himself after a religious entity). But Savitar wasn’t the only speedster of that era. He sought out Johnny Quick, one of the superheroes of the All-Star Squadron who also had super-speed, and an altercation ensued. Savitar lost when Max Mercury, another speedster, appeared and led Savitar into the Speed Force, which, as all Flash fans know, is the gateway to time travel.
Both Savitar and Max Mercury were shot forward in time, with Max appearing earlier and becoming a mentor of sorts to the Flash family. When Savitar reemerged, he discovered that his cult had continued to grow over the years, patiently awaiting his return. Savitar’s new goal was to eliminate all the other speedsters, but encountered an obstacle in Wally West, whose direct connection to the Speed Force prevented Savitar from stealing his speed. Eventually, Wally managed to stop Savitar by trapping him inside the Speed Force, where he stayed until The Flash Rebirth mini-series, when he managed to escape before being accidentally disintegrated by Barry Allen. Oops.
While Savitar’s true identity in the comics has never been made known, it’s a different story in other media. In the CW’s The Flash TV series, Savitar’s story was altered so that he was actually a future, evil version of Barry Allen who came back in time to wreak havoc on The Flash of the present.
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