Savitar has shown himself to be an insane level of speed above the Flash. But beyond that, the CW hasn’t told us much yet. Who is he? What does he want?
Savitar: Comic Origins And Source Material
In the comics, Savitar is an unnamed fighter pilot who acquired his speed while testing an experimental aircraft. The plane was struck by lightning, giving him access to the Speedforce, and triggering an obsession over speed. This fighter pilot fancied himself a god, and he began to search for ways to become faster.His mastery of the speedforce granted him abilities that no other speedster prior to him had. He is able to imbue others with speed, regenerate instantaneously, force otehr objects to move by granting kinetic energy, and even nullify kinetic energy around him.
Savitar founded a cult dedicated to him, and he began to train his followers to kill speedsters who would not bow down to him. However, he met his death when Barry Allen touched him whilst under the effects of a “Negative Speedforce.” Powerful feedback reduced the speedster-god to ashes and bones.
Savitar: What We Know So Far
So far, CW has been very secretive about Savitar and his endgame. However, we do know two defining traits.
First, Savitar perceives himself as a god, much in the same way that his comic book counterpart does. This is important to note as it may help in developing a theory for who he really is. Second, Savitar speaks of his “return,” meaning whoever or whatever he is, he has been on Earth One before.
Theory: Who Is Savitar?
It’s entirely possible that Savitar is not an entirely new villain, but someone we have seen before. But who could possibly be this fast, and how could he have gotten these abilities? Looking at the clues, I believe the being called Savitar is none other than Hunter Zolomon.
That’s right. I think Zoom is Savitar. This is first and foremost because of the CW’s writing style. The CW never confirms or denies the existence of gods. Religion is a sensitive matter in terms of pop culture shows. Nobody wants to have religiosity shoved down their throats. This suggests that whoever Savitar is must have at one point been human. This would tie in neatly with his comic book origins. More importantly, it would solve the problem most people have with the original Savitar: nobody cares about who he was before his transformation. Nobody would care about Savitar if it was explained mid-season that he was just some random fighter pilot. Villains need backstories.
But let’s take a look at the connections a bit more. The CW’s Zoom and Savitar actually have so much in common. Both are obsessed over speed. Both fancy themselves as gods. Both have blue lightning.
Theory: Savitar’s Plan
How did Zoom become the God of Speed? The last we saw of Zoom, he was being transformed into something inhuman. Two speed wraiths had shown up to drag him into the Speedforce itself. It’s never revealed what goes on in there, but we know he was changing into something else. We know time in the Speedforce works differently from outside it, so who’s to say Zoom didn’t experience a dramatic power spike over what felt like thousands of years inside it?
That brings us to his endgame. Savitar speaks of his “return,” suggesting that a part of him is still locked away from the world. This might explain why most people cannot see him. Is it possible he wants to return to Earth and finish what he started as Zoom? Time will tell.
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