Jessica Jones: Who is the Whizzer?

Believe it or not, the hapless potential client in Jessica Jones season 2 is a Marvel Comics character who has been around almost as long as Captain America. The (ahem) Whizzer first appeared way the hell back in USA Comics #1 in 1941 by artist Al Avison.

Of course, the Whizzer of the comics isn’t the poor schmuck we see on the show, but he was definitely a speedster, and he did indeed have a fondness for yellow and blue, just like our fella here.

I know you don’t believe that I’m not making this up, so here’s a pic of the Whizzer in all his costumed glory (minus the backpack), straight from Marvel’s official site.

Of course, they did change a few things for the show. Here, the unfortunately named Whizzer goes by the name of Robert Coleman (played by Jay Klaitz). But in the comics, The Whizzer’s real name is “Robert Frank.” Maybe the TV Whizzer’s middle name is Frank or something. Anyway, Mr. Coleman’s fondness for a pet mongoose is a nod to the comic character’s origin story, which involved a transfusion of mongoose blood to save him from the poisonous bite of a cobra. The doctor who gave him the blood transfusion was named Emil. TV’s Whizzer has a pet mongoose named Emil. Stop looking at me that way, I didn’t write the story, I’m just here to report it to you.

The character was a member of such World War II Marvel hero teams as the All-Winners Squad and the Liberty Legion, but he was never exactly Avengers material. He did have some modern Marvel appearances as well, but he’s always been something of a joke.

Poor guy.