Pyro (comics)

Publication history

Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981).

Fictional character biography

Born in Sydney, Australia, Pyro is a mutant who possesses the power to psionically control fire and flame, though not generate it. He wears a flame thrower on his back to provide the flame which he then takes control of. His ability to manipulate flame emerged in his teens, but he was unable to find a practical use for it. After years of working in Southeast Asia as a journalist and novelist, Pyro met the mutant Mystique, who later recruited him to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as a professional criminal and subversive. With the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, he attempted to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, and first battled the X-Men. With the Brotherhood, he later battled the Avengers, and then the X-Men again. Though he never served under the team's original leader, Magneto, Pyro did work with the Brotherhood under the command of several of Magneto's subordinates who alternately supervised the group.

Mystique's Brotherhood later offered the team's services to the United States government in exchange for protection and an official pardon for its crimes, and was renamed Freedom Force. As part of their first mission, the team captured Magneto. With Freedom Force, he next captured the Avengers on behalf of the federal government. Later, he clashed with the original X-Factor in seeking to arrest Rusty Collins. With Freedom Force, he fought the X-Men in Dallas, and was present at the X-Men's apparent demise. With Freedom Force, he battled Cyclops and Marvel Girl, sought to arrest Rusty Collins again, battled the New Mutants, and finally arrested both Rusty and Skids. He and Blob under Spiral's orders attempted to capture a young mutant girl named Amanda, but were defeated by Daredevil. He later teamed with Blob and Avalanche against the Avengers during the "Acts of Vengeance".

During Freedom Force's final mission, the team confronts a group of Iraqi operatives known as Desert Sword in Kuwait. There are fatalities on both sides. Super Sabre is decapitated and Pyro kills the Sword operative Veil. Ultimately Freedom Force is defeated and Pyro and Blob are abandoned in Kuwait and captured. Blob and Pyro are forced to serve as bodyguards to the country's military commanders. Later, Toad buys their release. Blob and Pyro join the Toad's new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and with them battled X-Force.

Some years later, Pyro contracted the Legacy Virus, a fatal disease affecting mainly mutants. He went to great lengths to find a cure (encountering Cecilia Reyes at one point), several times at the expense of others, but was unsuccessful in his search and succumbed to the virus. This was just after saving Senator Robert Kelly from a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This act of heroism was also instrumental in changing Senator Kelly's opinion on mutants as a whole, and led to his decision to work toward peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants.

Despite his heroic death, Pyro is resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene's army of deceased mutants. Under the control of Selene and Eli Bard, he takes part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia.

Powers and abilities

Pyro is a mutant who has the psionic ability to manipulate flame by shaping it as he desires, increasing or decreasing its heat, intensity, and size. He cannot actually create fire himself, however, and consequently wears a specially insulated costume with a built-in flamethrower that can throw a stream of flame a maximum distance of 25 feet (7.6 m). He can psionically manipulate the flame to do whatever he desires, and sometimes induces it to take semi-solid form as an animate flame being (these creations, though capable of movement and of grasping or carrying solid objects, are not alive and do not think or act on their own). The degree of Pyro's concentration necessary to manipulate a flame being is directly proportional to the being's size, power, and flame.

Though he cannot be burned by a flame which he is manipulating, Pyro can be harmed by any fire that he does not mentally control. It is generally accepted that he must be able to see a flame in order to take control of it (hence limiting his mental influence to approximately 100 yards). Any of Pyro's fiery creations will immediately revert to ordinary flame if he turns his interest from it.

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse, Pyro is one of the many mutants imprisoned in Sinister's breeding pens for refusing to join his Elite Mutant Force. He is killed alongside Avalanche, Artemis, Phantazia, and Newt when the five prisoners attempt to escape. This version of Pyro is capable of creating flames by himself, though he is not immune to being burned.

House of M

In the House of M, Pyro was a member of the mutant supremacist government in Australia. He works alongside the powerful Exodus. He works closely with Vanisher in the oppression of the human population. They gain the attention of the Hulk when his friends, a community of Aboriginal Australians, are harassed. Here Pyro retains his background as a writer and a sentimental side; he briefly crafts a tiny pixie out of the flame from a match, commenting to the Vanisher, "I used to write Gothic romances. I've got more layers than a parfait".

Marvel Adventures

In Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, the Human Torch shows up at Midtown High for a demonstration, but loses control of his powers. Spider-Man (then Peter Parker) spots a mysterious figure who turns out to be Pyro, who is manipulating Human Torch out of jealousy that he doesn't get credit for being a fire manipulator. Peter knocks him into the school swimming pool, where Human Torch knocks him out.

Marvel Zombies

Pyro is shown as a zombie twice in the Marvel Zombies reality. He is seen in the background along with a group of zombies trying to catch Blob. He is also seen fighting the X-Men alongside zombie versions of Freedom Force.

Ronin

Pyro works as a murderous mutant ninja for the Japanese-based Hellfire Club. He battles the X-Men alongside fellow ninjas Iceman and Avalanche.

Ultimate Marvel

In Ultimate X-Men #80 Pyro is seen fighting the Friends of Humanity and meeting Nightcrawler. This Pyro is a member of the Ultimate Morlocks, and a supporter of Xavier's cause who tells Nightcrawler that he would have liked to have been a member of the X-Men. In issue #82 he is rescued from a Sentinel attack by Bishop and Storm, who recruit him as a member of their new team of X-Men. It is hinted by Bishop that the recruits are "legends" of the future, meaning that Pyro may have much potential. He briefly works undercover in the Mutant Liberation Front, after pretending to defect to their side. Stryfe, the leader of the group, revealed his knowledge of Pyro's intentions but allows him to continue watching, but eventually Stryfe abandons most of the Front, including Pyro, at the mercy of some approaching Sentinels. Pyro is later rescued by Beast, and aids the team in defeating the Sentinels.

Bishop dies in Ultimate X-Men #90 and Xavier returns alive from the future. Pyro moves into the Xavier Institute and becomes one of Xavier's X-Men. Pyro begins wondering if he belongs at the Institute and Wolverine assures him that he does.

Pyro has apparently defected from the Xavier Institute to Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, as he and Mastermind are shown capturing the superhero Valkyrie in The Ultimates 3 #4. It is as yet unknown how or why Pyro joined Magneto's Brotherhood. His face is not scarred and he is now immune to flame, despite previous portrayals.

During the confrontation, he and Mastermind find the unconscious Valkyrie. Pyro suggest they 'play' with her. The woman wakes up, slays Mastermind and despite Pyro's claims of innocence, cuts off his hands.

Ultimate Pyro, like his Age of Apocalypse counterpart, can generate flames without the aid of machines. He also isn’t as resistant to fire, as his face is horribly burned and most of his body is bandaged. At one point, he cauterizes a bullet wound by pressing flames against it. Because he burnt off his nerves, he does not feel pain.

Television

Film

Video games