Universe
Marvel Universe

Real Name
Thomas Shepherd

Aliases
None

Identity
Secret

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Cresskill, New Jersey

Origin
Young Avengers #11 (2006)

Often erupting into violent behaviors, Thomas was arrested & placed in the NJ Youth Correctional Facility after "accidentally" vaporizing his school where they attempted to turn him into a weapon. When the Hulkling (Teddy Altman) was abducted by the Super-Skrull (Kl'rt), the Vision used the Avenger's fail-safe program to locate Thomas to recruit him into the Young Avengers. Upon being rescued, the Young Avengers discovered Thomas & Wiccan (William Kaplan) looked nearly identical & Wiccan later came to believe the two were both sons of the Scarlet Witch. After rescuing Hulkling & narrowly averting a war between the interstellar Skrull & Kree Empires, which both claimed custody over Hulkling, Wiccan & Thomas, now calling himself "Speed," planned to locate their missing mother; but they were interrupted when the SHRA (Superhuman Registration Act) passed & the Young Avengers were banned as outlaws when they failed to register. Captured by a SHIELD Superhuman Restraint Unit, the Young Avengers were soon rescued by Captain America (Steve Rogers) & joined his underground resistance movement. Afterward, the Young Avengers helped the young Runaways team escape a similar arrest by SHIELD & teamed up against Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr), a nanite-controlled agent of the top-secret Cube prison facility. Speed was among the heroes captured by the Cube's Warden, although he was promptly rescued by the Young Avengers & Runaways who had not been apprehended.