Many new Marvel Comics characters have been introduced alongside Spider-Man. Sometimes they are new heroes. Sometimes they are villains, seeking to make a name for themselves by tackling New York City’s most famous superhero. In this case, however, the character’s ultimate destiny has yet to be determined.
The new character makes their debut in “Rapid Advancements,” a story by Chip Zdarsky and Cafu in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1. The story finds Peter Parker investigating an explosion in New Jersey. This explosion is notable, however, in that it was seemingly caused by an expanding energy field.
Everything within the field appears to be frozen in place. However, Peter Parker observes that there is one figure inside the field who seems to be capable of moment. A figure clad in an unusual costume which suggests he is either a superhero or supervillain.
Who is the new Spider-Man character?
The costumed newcomer is eventually revealed to be a man named Roger. He is a devoted family man, with a wife and son, who is estranged from his scientist father. Despite this, Roger goes running to his father’s lab after receiving a panicked phone call apologizing for having neglected their family for his research.
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When Roger gets to the lab, he finds it under attack by the villain Electro. Roger is caught in the crossfire, when Electro blasts his father and his invention. When the smoke clears, Roger discovers that he now has the power to create a forcefield that slows the flow of time.
Roger learns that his father had been researching a way to slow cancer cell development to cure his own brain cancer. Unfortunately, his financers were more interested in the weapons potential of time dilation rather than using it to save lives. This led them to hire Electro to recover their investment. Roger turned to thievery to get the equipment needed to continue his father’s research and save his life, while evading Electro.
With the assistance of Spider-Man, Roger was able to stop Electro. More, he got his father’s research partner set up in a Stark Industries lab. Unfortunately, this still left Roger focusing his powers to slow time for his father, ironically so they could make up for the time they’d lost.
The comic ends with Roger uncertain if he will “keep living my life” or join the superhero community. Tony gets Spider-Man’s endorsement, however, because he tried to save Electro. Tony Stark suggests the codename Captain Rapid, though Roger thinks just ‘Rapid‘ has a better ring to it.
Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
