Warning: contains spoilers for X-Men #22!
The Avengers‘ most underrated member has just unleashed her powers like never before. As the new X-Men team takes on the anti-mutant organization Orchis, a former Avenger, Firestar, lets loose a god-level attack–one showcasing her fantastic powers in a way never before seen, and proving she is one of the most underrated Marvel heroes.
X-Men #22 is written by Gerry Duggan, drawn by Joshua Cassara, colored by Marte Garcia, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. The X-Men, including Firestar, Cyclops, and Forge arrive at an Orchis facility, one claiming to “cure” mutants. The Orchis’ henchmen attack the team, and at first the X-Men hold back, believing the goons are humans. Forge soon discovers that they are, in fact, robots and advises Firestar to “not hold back.” Firestar uses her powers to disintegrate the robot; their victory is short-lived, however, as Orchis’ Sentinel Zero comes online. This new Sentinel model based on Wolverine is extremely dangerous due to its adamantium skeleton. Firestar tells the assembled crowd to disperse, and she proceeds to unload on Sentinel Zero, destroying it in a fiery blast. The heat from her attack is felt for blocks, and the light can be seen from space.
Firestar’s Life Has Been Divided Between The Avengers And The X-Men
Over the past forty years, Firestar has been both an Avenger and a member of the X-Men; however, she did not debut in the comics. Firestar was created for the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon that aired in the early 1980s; the cartoon paired Spider-Man with Iceman and Firestar for weekly adventures. After the cartoon ended, Firestar made the leap into the comics, where she was originally a member of the Hellfire Club. Firestar soon left the group. From there she joined the first incarnation of the New Warriors before joining the Avengers during Kurt Busiek and George Perez’s run. Recently, Firestar has been getting back in touch with her mutant heritage, returning to Krakoa and finding a spot on the new X-Men team elected during the Hellfire Gala.
Firestar is a vastly underrated character–and this issue proves her worth. Since returning to the X-Men, Firestar has struggled to prove her worth to the team. While Firestar did not actively shun the X-Men, being a member never seemed to be on her radar; instead, she focused on non-mutant teams such as the New Warriors and the Avengers. While this gave a huge boost to Firestar’s public profile, it did not endear her to her fellow mutants. There were protests when Firestar was appointed to the X-Men, feeling that her distance from Krakoa was a liability. Since then, Firestar has spent most of her time justifying her place on the team.
Firestar Has Silenced Her Critics For Good
But now, after unleashing a god-level attack on the Orchis, Firestar has dispelled all doubt over whether she belongs to the X-Men. Firestar’s attack not only saved the lives of her teammates, but other mutants as well. Fans knew Firestar was powerful, but her attack in this issue showed a range never seen before–so much that NORAD believed it to be a nuclear device. Firestar had to prove herself once to the Avengers, and she did so with flying colors, but her performance with the X-Men proves that every superhero team should want her as a member.
X-Men #22 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!