The X-Men franchise features some of the most memorable characters in Marvel's massive catalog. Wolverine, Gambit, Professor X, and several other icons originated in the School for Gifted Youngsters. However, not every graduate of Xavier's unorthodox education system can become a universally beloved hero. If there's one character who absolutely should be a star, it's Roberto da Costa, better known as Sunspot.
The most well-known roster of the X-Men team was introduced in the comics more than half a century ago. While the movies have mostly stuck to those classic characters, the comics consistently allowed their characters to age and be replaced by new young heroes. A good superhero team needs a constant stream of fresh blood.
Who is Sunspot?
Roberto "Bobby" da Costa was created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod in 1982. He first appeared in the fourth issue of the Marvel Graphic Novel line's New Mutant origin story. Bobby was immediately popular, so he became a central member of the New Mutants in later issues. Bobby would go on to join the junior roster of the proper X-Men team. He stuck around for X-Force when the original team fell apart. Bobby later became a member of the Avengers when the group reformed in 2012. Outside the comics, Bobby appeared in the early-2000s X-Men: Evolution animated series. He's appeared in live-action twice. His character was written into X-Men: First Class, but he was unfortunately cut from the roster. He first appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past, where he briefly tangled with the new sentinels. He also appeared in the tragically ill-fated adaptation of The New Mutants.
Roberto da Costa was born in Brazil to successful businessman Emmanuel and American archaeologist Nina. His father rose from humble beginnings to become incredibly financially and politically powerful. He consistently pushed young Bobby to be the best. Bobby was a star soccer player at his school. He was so gifted at the sport that he was briefly considered for the Olympics. Bobby was mixed-race. His father was Afro-Brazillian, and his mother was white. As a result, he suffered abuse at the hands of his racist peers. In the middle of a soccer game, the opposing team attacked Bobby on the field. During the beating, Roberto's mutant powers were activated, transforming him into a monster made of solar energy. Both teams and the entire audience fled the stadium.
The incident made the news, drawing attention to Bobby's newfound mutation. Anti-mutant supervillain Donald Pierce sets a trap to capture or kill the young mutant. Pierce hired mercenaries to kidnap Bobby's girlfriend, Juliana. Bobby set out to save her, but his power reserves eventually failed him. Roberto was only rescued from Pierce thanks to the intervention of fellow mutants Psyche and Karma. Roberto joins his new friends in the fight against Pierce. During the brawl, Juliana jumped in front of a bullet rocketing toward Bobby, sacrificing her life to save his. Roberto insists on joining his allies, hunting down Donald Pierce, and bringing him to justice. Along the way, he becomes fast friends with Cannonball and a founding member of the New Mutants.
What are Sunspot's Mutant Powers?
Sunspot is capable of absorbing solar energy and converting it into a variety of useful forms. He can increase his physical strength, use updrafts to fly, create heat or light, and fire destructive energy blasts. When Sunspot uses his powers, he typically transforms into an alternate form. His body is cloaked in non-reflective darkness, which drains all the light from his body and allows him to soak up more solar radiation. His eyes and teeth glow bright white. His body emits small black orbs or a consistent yellow aura.
Sunspot's powers are directly controlled by his exposure to the sun. If he's inside for too long, he'll burn through his energy reserves quickly. His powers have substantially improved since his early appearances, partially thanks to some unethical experimentation. His strength has increased fivefold. His speed has been shown to reach escape velocity. He's demonstrated that he's considerably stronger on other planes of existence. Earth is simply too far away from the sun to make full use of his potential. If he travels to space or other worlds like Asgard, he could potentially harness the power of a star.
Sunspot is a clever character with a visually excellent set of powers. No version of the New Mutants would be complete without him. X-Men: The Animated Series never mentioned him, but the upcoming revival, X-Men '97, will introduce him to the team. It's likely to be the biggest showcase for the character in years. Longtime fans already love Roberto da Costa, but newcomers will finally get to meet this solar-powered hothead for the first time. Sunspot deserves to be a star, and the upcoming series could finally give him that.