Pyro (Marvel)

Pyro in X-Factor v5 #3.

Pyro is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

St. John Allerdyce in X-Factor v1 #82.

St. John Allerdyce

Brotherhood

The Brotherhood’s first mission was to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, a U.S. politician who was a proponent of the Mutant Registration Act being debated in Congress. Pyro was with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants when they attacked Senator Robert Kelly during a speech, attempting to assassinate him. Unfortunately for the Brotherhood, their plans came to be thwarted in their first ever encounter with the X-Men, who had been warned of the Brotherhood’s plans and rushed to save the Senator. Pyro used his mutant gift of manipulating fire by creating towering flames in the middle of the rally to scatter the crowd and keep the X-Men occupied. When Cyclops and Storm engaged him, he shaped the fire into monstrous figures that surged forward at the heroes. Ultimately, Storm generated torrential winds and rain to extinguish his flames, forcing Pyro to retreat along with the rest of the Brotherhood. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #141) In their continued assault against Kelly, Pyro targeted the senator at the National Guard Armory. Pyro conjured large flame constructs that filled the sky, forcing soldiers and civilians to scatter while diverting attention from the Brotherhood’s true objective. He attempted to block the X-Men’s advance with walls of fire and fire-beasts, engaging Colossus and Storm directly. His attacks were once again neutralized by Storm’s control over weather, and he was subdued as the X-Men pushed the Brotherhood back. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #142) Mystique quickly hatched a plan to free her teammates from prison but this endeavor too faced unexpected opposition, this time in the form of the Avengers. Once again, Pyro held his own against more experienced & powerful heroes. Using Destiny’s predictions as a guide, Pyro managed to briefly take down Wonder Man with a hammer of flame and threatened the entire team with a gigantic flame beast. It was only by the unpredictable powers of the Scarlet Witch that Pyro was defeated. Once more, most of the team, including Pyro, were recaptured and sent back to prison. (Avengers Annual v1 #10)

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, Pyro was a Caucasian male of Australian origin. He was depicted as tall and lean with light hair, often colored blond or sandy brown depending on the artist. His costume was a flame-resistant suit of red and yellow, fitted with a harness containing a portable flamethrower apparatus that supplied him with a source of fire. The suit included protective gloves, boots, and a chest rig designed with nozzles to project and direct flames for him to manipulate with his powers. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #141)

In personality, Pyro was portrayed as flamboyant and theatrical, often reveling in the spectacle of his fire constructs. He frequently taunted opponents and seemed to enjoy the chaos his flames caused, speaking with a bravado that made him stand out among the Brotherhood. Despite his destructive tendencies, he was not above following Mystique’s leadership and tended to operate within her commands when on missions. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #142)

Powers and abilities

Mutant power to control flames in X-Force v3 #21.

In powers, Pyro was a human mutant whose physiology granted him pyrokinetic control over fire. He could not generate flame on his own but required an external source, most often supplied by his flamethrower rig. Once fire existed, he could manipulate it freely, shaping it into lifelike constructs such as beasts, walls, and weapons that obeyed his mental direction. His control allowed him to enlarge flames, extend them over vast distances, and maintain them in shapes that appeared solid until they were extinguished. However, his flames could be disrupted by weather manipulation, lack of oxygen, or sheer force. (Avengers Annual v1 #15)

Pyro was resistant to any fire he had placed under his control. He has been shown to absorb and redirect flames, commanding them to slide across his skin and even reach his heart. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #206)

He was shown to have the ability to use his flames to elevate Colossus's steel form's temperature near its melting point. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #177)

After his return, Allerdyce's powers have increased in some ways, showing he can prevent the gunpowder in a loaded pistol from igniting as well as generate fires on his own accord, without need of a heat source or fuel generated ignition point to get malleable combustible substance. (Marauders v1 #27)

Allerdyce was unable to create fire himself and wore a kerosene-based flame-thrower on his costume. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #142)

Initially, he started off as being a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #142)

Notes

• Pyro was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne where he made his first appearance in Uncanny X-Men v1 #141 (January, 1981).
• Another Mutant with a similar powerset named Simon Lasker took on the identity for a time until the original Pyro's resurrection in Marauders v1 #1 (October, 2019).
• In Comic Book Legends on CBR, Byrne intended for new Brotherhood member, Pyro, to be gay and drew him with that in mind. Claremont, though, decided to instead make him British. Ultimately, the plotline never occurred as Byrne left the book before the revelation could be made in the book.

Appearances

• Uncanny X-Men v1: (1981)
• Marauders v1: (2019)

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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