Sunspot (Marvel Comics)

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Template:Short description Template:In-universe Template:Infobox comics character Sunspot (Roberto "Bobby" da Costa) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups, the New Mutants and X-Force.

Classified as a mutant, Sunspot possesses the ability to absorb and channel solar power into physical strength. His personality is idealistic and impulsive, but despite this he is considered a close friend by many of his teammates. He is initially portrayed as an important member of the X-Men's 1980s-era junior team and its reincarnation X-Force. He later retires as Sunspot and garners a massive fortune that allows him to buy out the Advanced Idea Mechanics organization, which he re-brands to Avengers Idea Mechanics. He then operates under the code name Citizen V.

Adan Canto portrays the character in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Henry Zaga portrays the character at a younger age in The New Mutants. Gui Agustini voices the character in X-Men '97.

Publication history

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File:XMN Sunspot.jpg
Sunspot.
Art by Diogenes Neves.

The character of Sunspot was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod. The hero first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants (September 1982).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Immediately after this appearance, the character became part of the regular cast of The New Mutants, as part of the titular super group.

Sunspot is one of the first Latin American superheroes in mainstream US comics. He is the second Brazilian superhero, after Green Fury (DC).<ref>Frederick Luis Aldama, Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics, University of Arizona Press, 2017, p. 24-26.</ref>

He was a member of the Avengers in the 2012 relaunch of the Avengers title.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sunspot is one of the main characters in the U.S.Avengers series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fictional character biography

Origin

Sunspot, or Roberto da Costa, is a Afro-Brazilian, the son of wealthy Afro-Brazilian businessman Emmanuel da Costa and white American archaeologist Nina da Costa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In The New Mutants #7, his father is described as a very driven man, who "grew up [...] a barefoot houseboy", was "by age 20 [...] a millionaire [and] by 30, an economic and political force to be reckoned with." Emmanuel constantly pushes his son to reach for both his physical and intellectual peaks. Thanks to his father's encouragement, Roberto rises to the position of star soccer player at school<ref name="MGN4">Marvel Graphic Novel #4 (November 1982)</ref> and is considered by recruiters for the Olympic Games. When Roberto is playing a soccer game with his team, members of the opposing team assault him while hurling racialized insults at Roberto and his father for being black. While taking a brutal beating, his mutant powers manifest, suddenly transforming him into a creature of solid black solar energy. Surprised and terrified, everyone abandons the stadium except for his girlfriend, Juliana.<ref name=MGN4 />

New Mutants

Soon after Roberto discovers his powers, a mutant-hating faction of mercenaries led by Donald Pierce, called the Hellfire Club, kidnap Juliana and use her as bait to lure Roberto into a trap. He engages the kidnappers, but is eventually defeated when the solar power he absorbed runs out. A telepathic mutant named Professor Xavier hears about Pierce's evil plan and sends two young mutants called Karma and Psyche to rescue Roberto. During the following battle, Juliana sacrifices her life for Roberto, jumping in front of a bullet meant for him.<ref name="MGN4"/>

Roberto joins Karma and Psyche in pursuit of Pierce. The three are joined by Wolfsbane, and after the battle by Sam Guthrie (Cannonball), one of Pierce's misguided mutant hirelings, despite initial reservations from the others. Professor Xavier offers to train the five teenagers to control their new mutant powers. They accept the offer and become the founding members of the New Mutants, a group of junior X-Men.<ref name="MGN4"/> Although Professor X's intentions are for them to only be students, over the course of the New Mutants series, they grow into superheroes and travel to space, Asgard, and the Amazon, as well as the past and the future. During Roberto's tenure with the New Mutants, he and Sam become best friends.

He is at some point reunited with his parents, and then with the New Mutants, when he visits Nova Roma.<ref>The New Mutants #9–11 (November 1983 - January 1984)</ref> Some time after, Sunspot and Wolfsbane are injected with the drug that helped create Cloak and Dagger and he briefly becomes a monster.<ref>Marvel Team-Up Annual #6 (October 1983)</ref> He then encounters the White Queen and her Hellions for the first time.<ref>The New Mutants #16–17 (June - July 1984)</ref> He is later abducted and forced to serve as one of the Gladiators.<ref>The New Mutants #29–31 (July - September 1985)</ref> On another adventure with the New Mutants, he visits Asgard.<ref name=":0">New Mutants Special Edition #1 (December 1985)</ref><ref>Uncanny X-Men Annual #9 (December 1985)</ref> Alongside the New Mutants, he fights Warlock's father, the Magus.<ref name=":1">The New Mutants #50 (April 1987)</ref> He also battles Cameron Hodge and the Right.<ref>The New Mutants #60 (February 1988)</ref> With the New Mutants, he battles Freedom Force. He also falls in love with the alien Gosamyr.<ref name="New Mutants #65">The New Mutants #65 (July 1988)</ref>

X-Force

When the time travelling antihero Cable takes over the New Mutants and turns them into the paramilitary group X-Force, Sunspot parts ways with the team.<ref>The New Mutants #99 (March 1991)</ref> During this time, Sunspot is tutored by Gideon of the Externals, an old business partner of Roberto's father (who has since died), who suspects Sunspot to be a fellow External.<ref>The New Mutants #98 (February 1991)</ref> Gideon experiments on Sunspot, granting him new powers such as flight and the ability to fire blasts of solar energy.<ref>X-Force #14–17 (September - December 1992)</ref> For a time, Sunspot becomes lost in the spacetime continuum after interfering with the teleportation powers of Locus.<ref>X-Force #28 (November 1993)</ref>

Reignfire

Template:Main The villain Reignfire first appears before Sunspot's disappearance and assumes command of the Mutant Liberation Front.<ref>X-Force #26 (September 1993)</ref> Dani Moonstar, who has infiltrated the MLF, sees Reignfire without his mask and believes him to be Sunspot,<ref>X-Force Annual #3 (October 1994)</ref> and in a battle with X-Force, Reignfire removes his mask to reveal himself as Sunspot.<ref>X-Force #43 (February 1995)</ref> Cable 'heals' Sunspot of Reignfire's persona, giving him knowledge of the Askani's language and meditation techniques.Template:Efn<ref>Cable #29 (March 1996)</ref> It is later revealed that Reignfire is actually a protoplasmic entity who was injected with Sunspot's blood.<ref>X-Force #78 (June 1998)</ref> Reignfire is defeated when Sunspot removes his powers, reducing him to his original protoplasmic state.<ref>X-Force #80 (August 1998)</ref>

X-Force roadtrip

Roberto joins the rest of the X-Force on an extended road trip, separating themselves from Cable.Template:Issue Along the way, they have several problems, including Roberto's money being tied up in litigation,Template:Issue forcing the team into doing a variety of odd jobs, including providing protection for a small businessman being hassled by the mob.Template:Issue During this time, Roberto has a short fling with Sam's girlfriend Tabitha Smith, a teammate.Template:Volume needed

Hellfire Club

Later during his X-Force career, Roberto is approached by Selene of the Hellfire Club. She offers Roberto his deceased father Emmanuel's seat in the club's Inner Circle, as the seats are inherited.<ref>X-Force #94–97 (September - December 1999)</ref> She promises Roberto that she will resurrect Juliana if he joins and he agrees.Template:Volume needed Selene does bring back the spirit of Juliana, but put it into the body of a comatose girl.Template:Volume needed Possibly because he feels obliged to fulfill his promise, Roberto decides to stay, becoming Selene's Black Rook.Template:Volume needed Roberto attempts to contact the resurrected Juliana, but seeing she has no memory of her previous life, he decides to leave her alone.<ref>X-Force #98–100</ref>

Roberto next surfaces in the title X-Treme X-Men as the head of the Los Angeles branch of X-Corporation, along with former New Mutant Magma and former Hellion Empath.Template:Volume needed Roberto's ties to the Hellfire Club are not severed, as Sebastian Shaw approaches, having taken over the position of Hellfire Club's Lord Imperial and wanting Roberto as his Black King. Shaw claims that he is trying to turn the Club into a force of good, so Roberto accepts, though he keeps his involvement with Shaw a secret.Template:Volume needed

Soon after, Shaw is injured in battle by Donald Pierce.Template:Volume needed His injuries make him incapable of overseeing the Hellfire Club. Roberto takes over as Lord Imperial.Template:Volume needed At his side is Sage, who leaves the X-Men to make sure Roberto is not corrupted by power.Template:Volume needed After the events of M-Day, Cyclops calls for the shutting down of all branches of the X-Corporation to better pool the resources of the X-Men.Template:Volume needed In Endangered Species, Sebastian Shaw is thinking of reclaiming his place and is angry at Sunspot.Template:Volume needed

Secret Invasion

During the Secret Invasion storyline, Sunspot is among the several X-Men helping to fight off the Skrulls during their invasion of San Francisco.<ref>Secret Invasion: X-Men #1 (October 2008)</ref>

Young X-Men

Sunspot, who remains Lord Imperial of the Hellfire Club, is revealed by Cyclops to belong to the newest incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants along with Danielle Moonstar, Cannonball, and Magma.<ref>Young X-Men #1 (June 2008)</ref> However, while battling members of Cyclops' new team of X-Men alongside Cannonball, there is confusion after Rockslide makes reference to the two mutants' membership in the Brotherhood. During the battle, Sunspot is seriously wounded by Wolf Cub, who slashes his face and stomach with his claws.<ref>Young X-Men #3 (August 2008)</ref> It is eventually revealed that "Cyclops" is in reality Donald Pierce, the former White King of the Hellfire Club, who is posing as the X-Men leader using an image inducer.<ref>Young X-Men #4 (September 2008)</ref> Pierce's reasons for recruiting these "X-Men" is unknown, but it appears that his primary focus is to eliminate the Lord Imperial and he created the ruse that Sunspot and his allies formed a new Brotherhood to convince the former Xavier students to attack their former teachers and allies.

Later on, Sunspot leaves the Hellfire Club and joins the X-Men in San Francisco, as noted by Sebastian Shaw, who is currently looking for a replacement. Cyclops later asks Sunspot and Danielle Moonstar to help train the Young X-Men and both accept.<ref>Young X-Men #6 (November 2008)</ref>

Reforming the New Mutants

After receiving an anonymous tip in Colorado about a young mutant endangering a small town, Dani and Shan are sent to investigate and calm the locals. During their mission, Magik reappears back at the X-Men's base in San Francisco after teleporting into the future after the events of X-Infernus. Upon her return, she informs Sam and Roberto that Shan and Dani are in fatal danger. Sam assembles a team with Sunspot, Magma, and Magik to go find them. Sam and Roberto come across a tied-up and comatose Shan in the back of a bar, while Magik and Magma are tricked into freeing Legion from a box, who apparently has Shan's personality imprisoned inside of him.<ref>The New Mutants (vol. 3) #1 (July 2009)</ref> Roberto and Sam approach Shan's body but when Roberto gets too close he almost gets pulled into Legion's mind. After they leave the bar, they find they're surrounded by police; Roberto and Sam fly away to the jail to find Dani.<ref>The New Mutants (vol. 3) #2 (August 2009)</ref>

When they arrive, Legion is trying to kill Dani. After Roberto and Sam repel him, Legion comes back and Roberto fights him. Cannonball soon joins him and they fend Legion off and regroup.<ref>The New Mutants (vol. 3) #3 (September 2009)</ref> During the fight, Legion takes on Magma, Cannonball, and Roberto, who gets seriously injured when Legion slashes him with a shard of metal.<ref>The New Mutants (vol. 3) #4 (October 2009)</ref>

Avengers

After the events of Avengers vs. X-Men, Roberto and Sam are offered membership in the Avengers by Captain America and accept.<ref>The Avengers (vol. 5) #2 (February 2013)</ref> The two become involved in a time travel plot involving the Next Avengers, children of the Avengers from an alternate future, but their memories of this event are wiped by Maria Hill.<ref>Avengers World #6-10 (July - September 2014)</ref>

During an eight-month time-skip, Roberto engages in a hostile takeover of Advanced Idea Mechanics and gets rid of the villainous upper management.<ref>Avengers (vol. 5) #35 (September 2014)</ref> He uses the resources of A.I.M. to intervene in the conflict between the forces of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Illuminati, while also sending a team of Avengers to deal with the multiversal threat of the Incursions.<ref>Avengers (vol. 5) #36 (October 2014)</ref>

New Avengers

After the events of Secret Wars, Roberto re-tools A.I.M. into Avengers Idea Mechanics, hiring various superheroes as a new Avengers team consisting of Hawkeye, Songbird, Squirrel Girl, Hulking, Wiccan, Power Man and White Tiger. S.H.I.E.L.D. sends two operatives, Dum Dum Dugan and Hawkeye, to keep on eye on the team. Despite orders to spy on the new A.I.M., both men reveal their mission, as they have come to respect Sunspot.<ref>New Avengers (vol. 4) #1–3 (December 2015 - January 2016)</ref> His new team faces off against W.H.I.S.P.E.R., an organization run by the Maker, the Ultimate Universe's version of Reed Richards. The Maker's plans cause trouble for the Avengers all along the time stream.<ref>New Avengers (vol. 4) #4–5 (February - March 2016)</ref>

During the events of Avengers: Standoff!, Roberto orders his Avengers team to free Rick Jones from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. In response, the American government sends the American Kaiju to attack A.I.M. Island. Roberto, having seen this coming, has the island evacuated, and the American Kaiju are depowered by Avenger-5, a giant mech suit.<ref>New Avengers (vol. 4) #8-10 (May - June 2016)</ref> As a result, Maria Hill decides to try and shut down A.I.M., at the same time the Maker launches his own attack. However, Roberto also sees these attacks coming, aided by Songbird playing double agent, and manipulates both sides so that W.H.I.S.P.E.R. is destroyed and the Maker imprisoned. It is also revealed that Roberto has been exposed to Terrigen Mist, which is toxic to mutants; every use of his powers now accelerates his aging. With the Maker captured, Roberto strikes a deal with the U.S. government to round up the remaining rogue branches of A.I.M.<ref>New Avengers (vol. 4) #12-17 (August - December 2016)</ref>

U.S.Avengers

Following the deal that would get the Avengers Idea Mechanics to merge with the U.S. government as the American Intelligence Mechanics, Sunspot leads the U.S.Avengers under the alias of Citizen V.<ref>U.S.Avengers #1 (March 2017)</ref> Their first mission takes place at the Secret Empire's floating volcanic island base. Red Hulk crash-lands into the floating volcanic island base, destroying it. The team is approached by a future version of Danielle Cage as Captain America, who tells them that her nemesis, the Golden Skull, came to their timeline to steal all its wealth. In Miami, Florida, the team crash a charity gala only to discover that the wealthy CEOs were kidnapped and replaced by robots. During the battle, the team manages to defeat and capture the Golden Skull. Danielle then goes back to her timeline with the Golden Skull as her prisoner. Sunspot sends Red Hulk to confront and defeat an out-of-control American Kaiju, who was attacking Europe.<ref>U.S.Avengers #2-4 (March - May 2017)</ref>

During the Secret Empire storyline, Captain America, whose memory has been altered by Red Skull's clone using the powers of Kobik, has a meeting with Roberto and tells him that he is no longer in charge of the team. Roberto then sees footage of the supervillain attacks in Manhattan, deep space, and in Europe.<ref>U.S.Avengers #5 (June 2017)</ref> Roberto assembles the team but is attacked by one of his scientists who has allied with Hydra. He's later seen in a prison cell, nearly dead, by Red Hulk and Toni Ho. Toni heals Roberto just in time when Hydra soldiers show up at their cell. Roberto uses his powers to defeat the guards and free Red Hulk from the nanites controlling him, taking control of the prison.<ref>U.S.Avengers #6-9 (July - October 2017)</ref> In the aftermath, Roberto, during a meeting with the team's new congressional liaison in the White House, resigns from his position despite objections from the senator. He meets Izzy Kane, Cannonball's wife, who tells him that Cannonball, who went missing in action during the takeover and was presumed dead, is still alive on another planet.<ref>U.S.Avengers #10 (November 2017)</ref>

While travelling through space, Smasher and the U.S.Avengers are attacked by space pirates known as warpjackers. After a brief fight, the pirates tell them that Glenbrook is actually a planet named Kral X ruled by the ruthless Ritchie Redwood.<ref>U.S.Avengers #11 (December 2017)</ref> Arriving on Kral X, the heroes help Cannonball and the planet's rebels overthrow Redwood, and head home.<ref>U.S.Avengers #12 (January 2018)</ref>

On return to Earth, Roberto redubs himself Citizen X. He assists Agent Jimmy Woo with his investigations into the mysterious Eternity Mask.<ref>Marvel Comics #1000 (October 2019)</ref>

The War of the Realms

After the Age of X-Man sends most X-Men members to an alternate reality, Sunspot reappears to assist Mirage and the remaining X-Men in repelling Malekith's invasion of Midgard.<ref>Uncanny X-Men: War of the Realms #2 (July 2019)</ref> In a ploy to allow Magik to teleport the invading horde to Limbo, he breaks a cursed amulet blocking Mirage's powers, and in doing so, is vaporized, joining the fallen Valkyries in their journey to the afterlife.<ref>Uncanny X-Men: War of the Realms #3 (August 2019)</ref>

Dawn of X

Roberto is resurrected on the newly established mutant nation of Krakoa. He invites Cannonball, still living in Shi'ar space, to join him, and talks several of the New Mutants into accompanying him.<ref>The New Mutants (vol. 4) #1 (January 2020)</ref>

Powers and abilities

File:XMEN SunspotPowerup.jpg
Sunspot's energized state.
New Mutants (vol. 4) #6
Art by Diogenes Neves.

Sunspot is a mutant whose cells have the ability to absorb solar energy and convert it for use as physical strength. He is also able to create thermal updrafts for flight, project heat and light, and create concussive blasts of solar energy.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> At will, he is able to take on a superhuman form that is entirely nonreflective black,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> save for his eyes and teeth which turn a solid bright white. The color black optimizes solar absorption, but he absorbs solar power at all times, not only in his "powered up" form. If he has not absorbed sufficient amounts of solar energy in normal form, he will be too weak to "power up". Likewise, when not in direct sunlight, use of his superhuman strength rapidly exhausts the stores of energy within his body.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In his solar form, Sunspot has a corona effect, an aura that has been depicted in multiple ways, though two predominant conventions exist for its portrayal: the air close to him manifests black globes of various sizes, reminiscent of Kirby dots, or his aura is a unified field glowing bright yellow or white. Although Sunspot can absorb energy from stars and reflected solar energy from the Moon, the amounts that reach him on Earth are too minuscule to add significantly to his power. In other regions, such as Asgard, his power is significantly enhanced, allowing him - with much effort - to lift Volstagg off the ground for a few seconds before suffering a backache.<ref name=":0" />

Originally, Sunspot's superhuman power was limited solely to superhuman strength and enhanced durability, and only in his solar form. Unlike many superhumanly strong heroes, Sunspot's physical resistance to impact only increased somewhat when he employed his superhuman strength, and he was not bulletproof. Sunspot's powers have radically changed and grown since his introduction; he can now withstand the force of a speeding eighteen-wheeler traveling at speeds of 100 mph, and survive an A.I.M explosive charge attached to his side.<ref>Avengers World #18 (May 2015)</ref>

Sunspot maintained his original powers for roughly the first ten years of his appearances, remaining a super strong but vulnerable individual throughout the entire New Mutants series. During the mid-1990s in X-Force his powers begin to change, under writer Fabian Nicieza. Nicieza had the supervillain Gideon capture Roberto and subject him to experimentation where the limits of his power absorption are tested by feeding him immense amounts of solar power. Sunspot is rescued by X-Force, but the overload permanently alters his powers so he is able to release concussive blasts of solar energy, with considerable heat and light projection; this experimentation also makes him immune to all types of heat and fire. He can also absorb other forms of energy; such as heat, light or radiation.<ref>Hulk (vol. 3) #3 (July 2014)</ref><ref name="Avengers World Vol. 1 #19">Avengers World #19 (June 2015)</ref> Sunspot has some capacity to manipulate light-based energy effects, but it remains a largely unexplored aspect of his mutant power.<ref name="Avengers World Vol. 1 #19"/>

In X-Force #28, Sunspot uses the concussive solar blasts as a means of propulsion, flying by blasting in the opposite direction of where he wants to go – initially he leaves a slight trail behind him, but in later years, he learns to use the propulsion more subtly – appearing to hover in place with no blast wake at all other than his usual "powered up" corona effect. His capacity to fly has similarly been enhanced as he is able to breach planetary orbit and reach Saturn's belt with relative ease.<ref>Hulk (vol. 3) #4 (August 2014)</ref>

Sunspot has the rituals and ideas of the Askani inside his head, due to telepathic contact with Cable. He is strongly influenced by this for a while, but the memories seem to fade.

His non-superhuman abilities include business administration; he owns and runs a multibillion-dollar international conglomerate. He is an Olympic-class athlete as the result of being trained in combat by the X-Men and Cable. He is fluent in many languages and has other minor talents such as piloting aircraft. He was trained in swordsmanship by the Gladiators, and is also an excellent soccer player.

Reception

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

An alternate universe version of Sunspot from Earth-295 appears in Age of Apocalypse. This version is a member of the X-Ternals, a group of thieves who take money from Apocalypse and give it to the poor. Sunspot dies after absorbing too much energy in an attempt to help his teammates escape.<ref>Gambit and the X-Ternals #1–4 (1995–96)</ref>

Days of Future Past

An alternate universe version of Sunspot from Earth-87050 appears in New Mutants #50. This version is a member of the Arbitrators police force in a mutant-dominated society.<ref name=":1" />

Days of Future Now

An alternate universe version of Sunspot from Earth-5700 appears in Days of Future Now. This version is the leader of the Gene Nation.<ref>Weapon X: Days of Future Now #4 (October 2005)</ref>

Mutant X

An alternate universe version of Sunspot from Earth-1298 appears in Mutant X. This version is a member of the Marauders.<ref>Mutant X #26 (October 2000)</ref>

Ultimate Marvel

An alternate universe version of Sunspot from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel imprint. This version is from Harlem and views the X-Men as decadent Uncle Tom figures who consider themselves separate from "second-class muties" like himself. He harbors a deep hatred for Magneto and his followers because of the anti-mutant hysteria that followed the Brooklyn Bridge's destruction at the hands of the Brotherhood of Mutants.Template:Volume needed Sunspot later joins Emma Frost's Academy of Tomorrow, a school for gifted beings.Template:Volume needed In the Ultimatum event, Sunspot and the other students of the academy are killed by Magneto.<ref>Ultimatum #3 (March 2009)</ref>

Ultimate Universe

An alternate universe version of Roberto da Costa from Earth-6160 appears in the Ultimate Universe imprint. This version is an unwilling associate of his father Emmanuel, who harnesses his blood to maintain his youth.<ref>Ultimate Universe - One Year In one-shot (February 2025)</ref>

What If?

An alternate universe version of Sunspot from Earth-904 appears in What If? #12. This version, among other X-Men and New Mutants, chose to remain in Asgard during his visit there. He is later killed by Hela.<ref>What If? #12 (April 1990)</ref>

In other media

Television

Film

File:Sunspot-film.jpg
Adan Canto as Sunspot as he appears in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Video games

Notes

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References

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