Pyro (Marvel Comics)
This is an article about the Marvel Comics character Pyro. For other uses of the word, see Pyro.
| Pyro | |
|---|---|
| File:Pyro.png Pyro | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Uncanny X-Men #141 |
| Created by | Chris Claremont John Byrne |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | St. John Allerdyce |
| Team affiliations | Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Freedom Force |
| Abilities | Manipulating and controlling fire |
Pyro (real name St. John Allerdyce) is a mutant in the Marvel Universe with the power to control fire.
Character history
Born in Sydney, Australia, his mutant power to manipulate flame emerged in his teens, but he could not think of a practical way to use 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. He served in this team under several leaders, including Toad, but not under Magneto, its original leader. Mystique's Brotherhood later offered its services to the United States government, in exchange for protection and a pardon, and became known as Freedom Force.
Some years ago, Pyro contracted the Legacy virus, a fatal disease affecting mainly mutants. He committed several crimes in attempts to find a cure, but was not successful. He died just after saving Senator Robert Kelly's life from a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but the Senator was shot and killed soon after by a human-supremacist.
Pyro later played a prominent role as one of the rulers of Australia in the House of M reality, due to the machinations of the Scarlet Witch. However, since reality returned back to normal, he's been confirmed as dead again.
Marvel Database
St. John Allerdyce was born and raised in Australia. His powers emerged at puberty, but since he could not think of a way to use them for profit, for years he did not use them except in emergencies. For a time, Allerdyce drifted from job to job around the South Seas. Eventually, he became a journalist for an Australian wire service and covered Viet Nam and Indonesia. What he saw and experienced in his travels became the basis for novels he began writing. (He also wrote torrid Gothic romances.) Allerdyce's novels were despised by serious novelists and the critics, but they found wide readership throughout the English-speaking world. Under circumstances that have yet to be revealed, Allerdyce met the mutant called Mystique, who learned of his mutant powers. As a result, Allerdyce joined her new version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants under the name of Pyro.
The Brotherhood made a name for itself by attempting to assassinate anti-mutant politician Senator Robert Kelly, only to be thwarted by the X-Men and time-travelling Kate Pryde. Most of the members were sent to prison, and fought major battles with the Avengers and Rom the Spaceknight when they attempted to break out of jail.
Months later, Mystique's Brotherhood, renamed Freedom Force, entered the employ of the United States government, which pardoned its members for their past crimes in exchange for service. After several missions for Freedom Force, which brought Allerdyce and his comrades into conflict with various super-powered teams, the U.S. government disbanded the group following a disastrous mission in Kuwait. Pyro and his teammate Blob were abandoned in the Middle East, and spent some time as Iraqi prisoners of war.
Pyro resurfaced as a member of another version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, headed up by the X-Men's old foe (and member of the original Brotherhood) the Toad. Toad had bartered for Pyro and Blob's freedom from the Iraqis, so they joined his team out of obligation or gratitude. This Brotherhood went up against the fledgling mutant team X-Force and the new government group X-Factor, and met defeat.
Soon after, Pyro discovered that he had contracted the Legacy Virus, a terminal illness that affects mutants. At first he sought help from the millionaire Jonathan Chambers, alias Empyrean, but Chambers was using his own powers to drain Pyro's energies. Wanting to go out in a blaze of glory rather than die a slow death in bed, Pyro committed a spectacular crime that brought him into conflict with the costumed crimefighter Daredevil. Pyro narrowly escaped being killed in a burning building at the end of this encounter. Mystique later recruited Pyro to prevent the assassination of her son, Presidential candidate Graydon Creed, but he failed.
Recently, Pyro robbed a New York City bank to get money to pay a scientist who claimed he could cure him by removing his mutant genes. In the course of the robbery Pyro was shot several times in the abdomen. He was taken to a nearby hospital where Dr. Cecilia Reyes, a surgeon who was a mutant and had recently joined the X-Men, operated on him. Shortly afterwards, Pyro tricked Dr. Reyes into loosening his bonds and he escaped.
Pyro then led a group of mutants to obtain a Legacy cure by acquiring the High Evolutionary's Isotope E, under the instructions of Exodus and the Acolytes. They failed, and the Acolytes (who never intended to help them at all) abandoned them in the Savage Land. Not long after, Pyro had returned to the United States by unknown means, and was chased across Nebraska by the X-Men's rogue sentient Cerebro. Despite the X-Men's attempts to stop him (for they misunderstood his predicament), he managed to destroy the Cerebro unit and finally collapsed, exhausted. SHIELD took him into custody, but it is not known how he eventually became free again. Finally, Pyro surreptitiously attended a rally held by presidential candidate Senator Robert Kelly, and when his former teammates in the Brotherhood attempted to assassinate the politician, Pyro warned the X-Men and killed Post to save Kelly's life. Severely weakened by the strain, Pyro pleaded with Kelly to stop the hatred between humans and mutants, and then died in Kelly's arms.
Movie Bio
Can manipulate fire. Pyro is cocky and brash, always looking for a stage to show off his considerable powers and has no respect for authority. This has lead to him coming in conflict with his teachers and fellow classmates at the Xavier School.
He has struck a close friendship with Rogue and Iceman, though his powers are the complete opposite to those of Pyro's as his name suggests. Midway through the film, Pyro scans over photos of Iceman's normal life with his family, which only indicates the broken home Pyro came from, judging by the expression of jealousy on his face.
Pyro was more than happy to proclaim himself the "worst one" (in other words, most powerful or dangerous) when confronted with dozens of police officers at Iceman's home. Where his fellow mutants were happy to try and find a peaceful solution, a police officer fired his gun off at Wolverine in a fit of panicking. Thus, Pyro was keen to show off his powers and proceeded to throw fireballs at the officers. The tactic worked but had Professor Xavier been there he would not have approved.
Ultimately Pyro was tempted away from Xavier's school by Magneto, aware of the young man's youth and power, told him he was "a God among insects," which pandered to Pyros ego much better than the strict discipline of Professor Xavier.
In a future film Pyro is almost certain to face off against his former friend Iceman.
Powers and abilities
Pyro's power is the psionic ability to manipulate flame by shaping it as he desires, increasing or decreasing its heat, intensity, and size. However, he cannot actually create fire and usually carries a flamethrower or cigarette lighter. Pyro cannot be burned by any fire he controls, but if he turns his attention from them, the flames will return to normal and can harm him. Pyro sometimes uses his powers to shape semi-solid creatures out of fire. (Such fire creatures, however, have no intelligence or life.) He can psionically manipulate the flame to do whatever he desires. Pyro's fiery creations have greater solidity than normal flame; hence a giant "bird" he created from fire could grasp and carry a solid object with its claws. The degree of Pyro's concentration necessary to manipulate a flame being is directly proportional to the being's size, power, and flame.
Pyro can be harmed by any fire that he does not mentally control. Pyro has to be able to see a flame in order to take control of it; in practical terms the flame must be within a 100-yard radius of him. Pyro cannot affect flames that he sees on television but which are not within this radius. Any of Pyro's fiery creations will immediately revert to ordinary flame if he turns his interest from it.
Appearances in other media
Pyro has appeared in the X-Men films, played by different actors. He had only a brief cameo in X-Men, but his role was greatly expanded in the sequel X2: X-Men United and was played by Aaron Stanford who will also portray him in X-Men 3. In the movies, Pyro attends Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted before joining Magneto's Brotherhood. He, ironically, is friends with Bobby Drake, aka, Iceman, and Rogue. It is hinted he has feelings for Rogue and is jealous over her relationship with Iceman.
Pyro also appeared in the X-Men: Evolution series as part of Magneto's elite team (also known as the 'Acolytes') where he is played by Michael Dobson in an Australian accent.
He appeared in three episodes of the 1990s X-Men animated series, as well as the original X-Men animated pilot episode, Pryde of the X-Men.
He has appeared in a number of video games, notably as a playable character in the PC version of X-Men Legends II.