Reignfire
Encyclopedia
Reignfire is a fiction
al character
and villain
created by Marvel Comics
for their series X-Force
. His original creators were Fabian Nicieza
and Matt Broome, who had completely different plans for the villain than what evolved.
crossover event, the Mutant Liberation Front
(MLF) was incarcerate
d and left leaderless. To fill this void came a maniacal being named Reignfire. He liberated four members of the original MLF: Forearm
, Reaper
, Wildside
, and Tempo
, and added two more to their ranks: Moonstar
and Locus
. He charged his team with the mission of killing Henry Peter Gyrich
--a man who had always been a thorn in side of the mutant agenda. However, their attempt was foiled by X-Force and, during the battle, the powers of Locus and Sunspot
reacted together in an odd way, teleporting
the pair to parts unknown. Before doing so, Reignfire says Cable's real name, a big foreshadow
ing technique in Nicieza's original plan.
When Reignfire made his presence known, it was noticed how remarkably similar he was to Sunspot, not only in appearance but in powers as well. Since, at this time, Sunspot was missing in action
(MIA), that possibility was not ruled out by Cable
. His suspicions were revealed when, in the middle of a battle, Reignfire removes his mask to show that he is indeed Roberto.
Cable uses his telepathic
powers to forcefully remove/suppress the Reignfire persona
in Sunspot, and supposedly succeeds. As an unexpected side effect
, Sunspot gathered some knowledge from Cable's mind, including information about Askani
--Cable's religion and language. There were occasional moments when Sunspot would have a mental struggle to suppress evil urges, but for the most part all seems well.
Later, Sunspot goes to visit his friend and former New Mutants
teammate Skids
in Colorado
when the pair is attacked by none other than Locus and Reignfire. Although things once more go awry with Locus' powers when they come in contact with Skids' force field
, the mission is generally a success as Sunspot is captured. Once shackled to the wall, Reignfire begins to tell the story of his "real" origin: he was not an evil Sunspot, which many had believed, but a clone
of him created from his cellular material. He was once a protoplasm
ic entity possessed by the Celestials
with no real form until Gideon
injected a sample of Sunspot's blood into his container. With a set of genetic material to duplicate, the protoplasmic goo began to pattern itself on the DNA
sample given to it and thus shared Sunspot's appearance and powers. Another added bonus was the fact that, when he was within close proximity, he could activate a telepathic link with his host and psychically imprint himself onto Sunspot—explaining why Sunspot would sometimes seem to be evil. Reignfire wanted to kill Sunspot, but fails when several of his teammates came to his rescue.
When he next appeared, it was back with the Celestials' ship. X-Force found the ship and the protoplasmic figure inside and, after a battle, Reignfire was crushed to death by a Celestial golem
inside of the ship.
for flight, projection of heat and light as concussive blasts or in a stream of fiery rain, and the ability to forge a telepathic link
with his genetic host and psychically imprint himself onto his brain.
ing, slightly older, more mentally disturbed version of Sunspot. However, when a later writer John Francis Moore took over the title he changed the original plan and came up with the explanation about the protoplasmic, amorphous origin.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
created by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
for their series X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
. His original creators were Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
and Matt Broome, who had completely different plans for the villain than what evolved.
Fictional character biography
After the events of the X-Cutioner's SongX-Cutioner's Song
"X-Cutioner's Song" is a crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics' in twelve parts from the November 1992 to early 1993. It involved the Uncanny X-Men, X-Men , X-Factor, and X-Force....
crossover event, the Mutant Liberation Front
Mutant Liberation Front
The Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
(MLF) was incarcerate
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
d and left leaderless. To fill this void came a maniacal being named Reignfire. He liberated four members of the original MLF: Forearm
Forearm (comics)
Forearm is a fictional mutant villain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in New Mutants #86, after Rob Liefeld took over as the penciller of the series...
, Reaper
Reaper (Marvel Comics)
Reaper is the name of several fictional characters in the pages of Marvel Comics, most notably the Reaper whose real name is Pantu Hurageb, a mutant in the X-Force comic book series...
, Wildside
Wildside (comics)
Wildside is a fictional mutant villain and sadist in the Marvel Comics universe. He was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in the comic title New Mutants, when Rob Liefeld took over as the penciller of that series...
, and Tempo
Tempo (comics)
Tempo is a fictional, African-American mutant villain in the Marvel Comics universe. She was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in the comic title New Mutants, when Rob Liefeld took over as the penciller of that series...
, and added two more to their ranks: Moonstar
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
and Locus
Locus (comics)
Locus is a fictional mutant villainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in the comic title X-Force under the leadership of Reignfire...
. He charged his team with the mission of killing Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
--a man who had always been a thorn in side of the mutant agenda. However, their attempt was foiled by X-Force and, during the battle, the powers of Locus and Sunspot
Sunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
reacted together in an odd way, teleporting
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
the pair to parts unknown. Before doing so, Reignfire says Cable's real name, a big foreshadow
Foreshadow
Foreshadow is a Polish record label.The label formarly included such artists as As All Die, Moss, Niko Skorpio, Oktor, Quercus, The River, Transcendent Device, Váli. Current artists include Dream System, Nadja, and Newbreed....
ing technique in Nicieza's original plan.
When Reignfire made his presence known, it was noticed how remarkably similar he was to Sunspot, not only in appearance but in powers as well. Since, at this time, Sunspot was missing in action
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
(MIA), that possibility was not ruled out by Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
. His suspicions were revealed when, in the middle of a battle, Reignfire removes his mask to show that he is indeed Roberto.
Cable uses his telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
powers to forcefully remove/suppress the Reignfire persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
in Sunspot, and supposedly succeeds. As an unexpected side effect
Unintended consequence
In the social sciences, unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the outcomes intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton...
, Sunspot gathered some knowledge from Cable's mind, including information about Askani
Askani
The Askani are fictional characters, a fictional organization in the Marvel Universe in the future/alternate timeline designated as Earth-4935, also known as Earth Askani...
--Cable's religion and language. There were occasional moments when Sunspot would have a mental struggle to suppress evil urges, but for the most part all seems well.
Later, Sunspot goes to visit his friend and former New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
teammate Skids
Skids (comics)
Skids is a Marvel Comics mutant. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice, she first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #7 .-Morlocks:...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
when the pair is attacked by none other than Locus and Reignfire. Although things once more go awry with Locus' powers when they come in contact with Skids' force field
Force field
A force field, sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield is a concept of a field tightly bounded and of significant magnitude so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the central axis of the field and reach the...
, the mission is generally a success as Sunspot is captured. Once shackled to the wall, Reignfire begins to tell the story of his "real" origin: he was not an evil Sunspot, which many had believed, but a clone
Molecular cloning
Molecular cloning refers to a set of experimental methods in molecular biology that are used to assemble recombinant DNA molecules and to direct their replication within host organisms...
of him created from his cellular material. He was once a protoplasm
Protoplasm
Protoplasm is the living contents of a cell that is surrounded by a plasma membrane. It is a general term of the Cytoplasm . Protoplasm is composed of a mixture of small molecules such as ions, amino acids, monosaccharides and water, and macromolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and...
ic entity possessed by the Celestials
Celestial (comics)
The Celestials are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in Eternals #1 and were created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
with no real form until Gideon
Gideon (comics)
Gideon is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza...
injected a sample of Sunspot's blood into his container. With a set of genetic material to duplicate, the protoplasmic goo began to pattern itself on the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
sample given to it and thus shared Sunspot's appearance and powers. Another added bonus was the fact that, when he was within close proximity, he could activate a telepathic link with his host and psychically imprint himself onto Sunspot—explaining why Sunspot would sometimes seem to be evil. Reignfire wanted to kill Sunspot, but fails when several of his teammates came to his rescue.
When he next appeared, it was back with the Celestials' ship. X-Force found the ship and the protoplasmic figure inside and, after a battle, Reignfire was crushed to death by a Celestial golem
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
inside of the ship.
Powers and abilities
Since Reignfire was the genetic clone of Sunspot, he shared all of his abilities: absorption rechanneling of solar energy, either within his own body or externally, to create multiple abilities including, super strength, thermal updraftsVertical draft
An updraft or downdraft is the vertical movement of air as a weather related phenomenon. One of two forces causes the air to move. Localized regions of warm or cool air will exhibit vertical movement. A mass of warm air will typically be less dense than the surrounding region, and so will rise...
for flight, projection of heat and light as concussive blasts or in a stream of fiery rain, and the ability to forge a telepathic link
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
with his genetic host and psychically imprint himself onto his brain.
Creation history
Originally, Fabian Nicieza had meant for Reignfire to be a time travelTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
ing, slightly older, more mentally disturbed version of Sunspot. However, when a later writer John Francis Moore took over the title he changed the original plan and came up with the explanation about the protoplasmic, amorphous origin.