| Colossus | |
|---|---|
 Textless variant cover ofAvengers vs. X-Men: Consequences #3 (October 2012). Art byAdi Granov. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975) |
| Created by | Len Wein Dave Cockrum |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Piotr Nikolayevich "Peter" Rasputin |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Place of origin | Ust-Ordynsky Collective nearLake Baikal,Russia |
| Team affiliations | X-Men Defenders Excalibur Acolytes Phoenix Five X-Force Quiet Council of Krakoa |
| Notable aliases | Rasputin The Proletarian[1] Peter Nicholas Juggernaut[2] |
| Abilities |
|
Colossus (PiotrNikolayevich "Peter"Rasputin;Russian:Пётр Николаевич Распутин) is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerLen Wein and artistDave Cockrum, he first appeared inGiant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975).
ARussianmutant, he is a member of theX-Men. Colossus is able to transform himself into a metallic form, making him the physically strongest of the team. He is portrayed as quiet, honest, and virtuous. He has had a fairly consistent presence in X-Men-relatedcomic books since his debut. A talented artist, he only reluctantly agrees to use his powers in combat, feeling it is his responsibility to use his abilities for the betterment of human- and mutant-kind.
Wizard ranked Colossus at 184 on the "Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time".[3] In 2006,IGN placed Colossus in the 10th spot of their list of "The Top 25 X-Men".[4] In 2013,ComicsAlliance ranked Colossus as No. 22 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".[5]
In film, Donald MacKinnon made a cameo appearance as Colossus inX-Men (2000) beforeDaniel Cudmore took over forX2 (2003),X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), andX-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) whileStefan Kapičić voiced a separate iteration of Colossus inDeadpool (2016),Deadpool 2 (2018) and theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmDeadpool & Wolverine (2024).
EditorRoy Thomas, in charge of reviving the X-Men forGiant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975), told the creative team to go home and create some characters for the new team.Dave Cockrum recalled:
I just went home and Colossus was one of the first ones that came to mind. We needed a strong guy for the team, so I drew up a strong guy. The character's armor just kind of fell into place. He was accepted pretty much as-is, except that I had given him bare legs because it seemed only logical that if we're going to show him armored up, the legs should be bare like the arms. ButLen Wein didn't like male characters with bare legs. So we decided that his costume would be blue when he wasn't armored up, and that we'd see his legs when he was armored up, due to the unstable molecules of his costume.[6]
Cockrum detailed more of the character's conception, "Colossus was loosely based on a character I had come up with in college, named 'Mr. Steel'"... As for why the character was chosen to be Russian... "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Everybody was intodétente and it was supposed to be an international group and the way I drew it, he looked like a Russian, so why the hell not? That was really all there was to it."... "Len Wein chose Peter's name. I imagine he usedRasputin because...it's a recognizable Russian name."[7]
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A mainstay of the X-Men comic book series until the 1990s, Colossus went on to appear regularly in the first series ofExcalibur. While a member of the team, he had his own self-titled one-shot that depicted him and his teammateMeggan battlingArcade at his new Murderworld facility.
After returning to the X-Men alongside Excalibur teammatesShadowcat andNightcrawler, Colossus stayed with the title until his death. He was later resurrected and was a regular in the third series ofAstonishing X-Men written byJoss Whedon. He is the feature of a limited series,Colossus: Bloodlines, in which he journeys back to Russia. Colossus has since returned as a regular in the X-Men series, appearing in various titles such asX-Men: Manifest Destiny,X-Men: Secret Invasion,X-Men, andAstonishing X-Men.
Colossus appears inCable and X-Force, a new series by writer Dennis Hopeless and artistSalvador Larroca which debuted in Dec. 2012.[8] He appears inExtraordinary X-Men, written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Humberto Ramos. He is part of a team which is led by Storm, and includes his sisterMagik,Iceman, a teenaged version ofJean Grey, Nightcrawler, a re-purposedSentinel named Cerebra, andOld Man Logan.
In 2025, Colossus will be getting a solo X-Men project.[9]
Piotr "Peter" Rasputin was born on aSovietcollective farm called theUst-Ordynsky Collective nearLake Baikal inSiberia. He lived there with his mother Alexandra, father Nikolai, and sisterIllyana. His older brotherMikhail had been a Sovietcosmonaut and had apparently died in a rocket accident. The 2006 comic mini-seriesColossus: Bloodline established that the family was descended fromGrigori Rasputin and aRomani woman named Elena.[10]
Peter's superhuman powers manifested during his adolescence while saving his sister from a runaway tractor. He was then contacted byProfessor Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men.[11]
Peter Rasputin was part of the second generation of X-Men, formed by Charles Xavier to save the original X-Men from the living islandKrakoa. He agreed to leave the farm community where he was born to go to the United States with Xavier. Xavier gave him the name Colossus. After the battle was won, Colossus remained in the U.S. with the new X-Men.[11]
Colossus is typically portrayed as peaceful, selfless, reluctant to hurt or kill, and often putting himself in danger to protect others. In some of his earliest missions, he battled theShi'arImperial Guard,[12] and visited theSavage Land,[13] where he met Nereel.[14]
Peter's family always remained in his thoughts and he frequently wrote letters home. Shortly after joining the X-Men, a woman known asMiss Locke kidnapped many of the team's loved ones to force the X-Men to help her free her employer,Arcade, from captivity by one ofDoctor Doom's robots. Among her captives was Colossus' younger sister Illyana, whom Locke had kidnapped from the Siberian collective farm and transported to the United States. Arcade brainwashed Colossus into becoming "The Proletarian", who then battled the other X-Men until they countered the brainwashing.[15] The X-Men freed Illyana from captivity, and she went to live with her brother Peter atXavier's mansion. She was later held captive in a dimension known asLimbo, where she spent years while only mere moments elapsed on Earth, and became the adolescent sorceress Magik. As a result, an alternate-timeline version of Colossus dies in Limbo.[16]
When the X-Men fought the evil mutantProteus, Colossus attempted to kill Proteus, an act he found morally questionable even though he did it to saveMoira MacTaggert's life.[17] During his early career with the X-Men, Peter started what was arguably his most significant relationship with fellow X-ManKitty Pryde.[a] Although they were only a couple for a short while, the relationship provided the foundation of a deep and lasting friendship.
Colossus was later almost killed in a battle withMystique'sBrotherhood of Mutants, but was saved byRogue and theMorlockHealer.[18]
During the "Secret Wars", he became infatuated with the alien healer Zsaji,[19] and realized his feelings for his teammate were not wholly genuine, ending his relationship with Kitty Pryde.[20] Emotionally distraught, he afterwards engaged in a bar fight withJuggernaut.[20]
During the "Mutant Massacre", Colossus became heavily involved in the X-Men's efforts to save theMorlocks from theMarauders. When Kitty was severely injured byHarpoon, Peter gave in to his rage and snappedRiptide's neck.[21] He eventually passed out from previous wounds inflicted by Riptide.Magneto, with the aid of Shadowcat, used his powers to heal Peter's armored form, but the process left him paralyzed. He was sent to Muir Island to recuperate, along with Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and the surviving Morlocks.
Over time, Colossus' wounds healed, but he was trapped in his armored form and could maintain his human form only with the utmost concentration. When he saw the X-Men in Dallas during theFall of the Mutants, he had his sister teleport him to the battle, asDestiny had not seen him in her vision of the X-Men's demise. When the team decided to sacrifice themselves to stop theAdversary, Colossus gave his life alongside them to save the world. Like the rest of the X-Men, he was revived by Roma and decided to let the world believe him dead while he and the X-Men worked out of an Australian base.[22]
Following the "Inferno" event, Illyana was returned to her original Earth age.[23] Colossus decided it would be better for Illyana if she went back to live with their parents in Russia.
In time, Colossus was reunited with Nereel in the Savage Land and met her son.[24]
After the X-Men began falling apart with Rogue vanishing,Wolverine taking off,Longshot quitting, and Storm apparently killed,Psylocke telepathically prodded the remaining three to disband and travel through theSiege Perilous to gain new lives.[25] Peter emerged in New York with no memory of his past life, inventing a new persona for himself as 'Peter Nicholas', where he quickly became a successful artist. He battled theGenoshan Magistrates.[26] He began having visions of a beautiful model, who turned out to beCallisto transformed byMasque. The two were kidnapped by the Morlocks, though Peter had no memory of his time with the X-Men.[27] He resumed his armored form and defeated Masque.[28] He was saved byForge,Banshee, andJean Grey, who decided it better that he live his new life rather than be dragged back into theirs.[29]
Peter was psychically dominated by theShadow King and sent to hunt downStevie Hunter and Charles Xavier.[30] Xavier had no choice but to destroy the Peter Nicholas persona to break the Shadow King's hold.[31] Colossus joined in the battle of Muir Island, and rejoined the X-Men as a member of Storm's Gold Strike Force.[32] Peter is shown to be traveling to the Savage Land, where he locates Nereel. He is astonished to learn that the child she bore was not his, but that of another lover. Disheartened, he departs the Savage Land.[volume & issue needed]
The X-Men later found themselves in another dimension, where they discovered that Colossus' brother Mikhail was alive and acting as amessiah to the population of that world.[33] Mikhail returned to Earth with the X-Men, but was distraught with having been responsible for the deaths of the original crew from his first trek into the other dimension.[34]
Mikhail established himself as leader of the Morlocks and planned to use them as a part of his mass suicide which he thought would grant him retribution or at least reprieve from his guilt.[35] This would prove to be a great source of grief for Peter in an upcoming string of family deaths that would lead to him temporarily disbanding from the X-Men.[36]
However, unbeknownst to the X-Men, Mikhail survived. In a seemingly last second change of mind, Mikhail transported himself and the Morlocks to another world.[37] Later, upon learning this, Peter was disappointed by his brother's departure and blamed himself.[volume & issue needed]
Back in Siberia, Peter's parents were slain and Illyana kidnapped by the Russian government, who hoped to genetically evolve Illyana to the point where she would have the use of her powers again, to defeat the mutant known as theSoul Skinner. Colossus, with the help of the X-Men, saved Illyana and brought her back to the Mansion.[38]
Later, Illyana became an early victim of theLegacy Virus and died from it.[39] The loss of his immediate family, as well as brain damage that forced him to remain in armored form, caused Colossus to rethink his position with the X-Men and joinMagneto and hisAcolytes, who had offered him an alternative to the X-Men'spacifist philosophy of peaceful mutant/human coexistence.[36] Colossus recovered from the brain damage soon after,[40] but decided to remain with the Acolytes of his own volition, hoping he could temper their extremist methods with what he had learned from Professor Xavier.[41]
His stay with Magneto was not long once he realized thatAvalon was not the place for him, either, particularly after Magneto was left brain-dead and the space station was destroyed byHolocaust.[volume & issue needed] He left in search of the only person he felt truly cared for him, his former love and teammateShadowcat, now a member ofExcalibur. Colossus traveled to England, where he found Kitty in the arms of her new love,Pete Wisdom. Colossus, exhausted, mentally ill, and enraged, attacked Wisdom and, although the battle was short, Piotr nearly killed him. Colossus was subdued byCaptain Britain andMeggan,[42] later cured of his illness byMoira MacTaggert.[volume & issue needed]
Colossus accepted Shadowcat's new life and chose to become a member of Excalibur.[43] Although Colossus and the rest of the team eventually accepted Kitty Pryde's relationship with Wisdom, her pet dragon,Lockheed, did not and frequently attempted to reunite her with Peter Rasputin, whom he favored. One notable instance occurred at the wedding of Meggan and Captain Britain, when Lockheed seized the garter and dropped it into Colossus's hand, obliging him to place it on Kitty's leg after she had caught the bridal bouquet..[44] With Excalibur, he participated in many adventures, including helping to save London from an ancient demon.[volume & issue needed] Excalibur eventually disbanded, after which Colossus returned to the X-Men alongside Nightcrawler and Shadowcat. Upon their return, the trio confronted a group ofimpostors led by Cerebro, which was masquerading as Professor X.[45][46] During this time, he repaired his friendships withWolverine andStorm, that were broken when he had joined the Acolytes.[volume & issue needed] He formed a deep friendship withMarrow.[volume & issue needed] Peter again found his long thought-dead brotherMikhail, but unfortunately lost him again whenApocalypse collectedThe Twelve in his quest for power.[volume & issue needed]
Using thoughts and notes from the recently murderedMoira MacTaggert, the X-Men's resident scientist,Beast, claimed to have found the cure for the Legacy Virus. Unfortunately, it could only be made airborne with the death of its first user. Rather than wait for a safer version and allow others to die as Illyana had, Colossus injected himself with the cure. By using his powers and sacrificing himself, Colossus enabled the release of an airborne cure, effectively eradicating the disease. His body was cremated and Shadowcat took his ashes back to Russia to be scattered on his native soil.[47]
Nearly two years later, it was brought to the attention of the X-Men that a medical company, entitled Benetech, had developed a mutant cure. After gaining a sample of the cure,Dr. Henry (Beast) McCoy discovered a string ofDNA hidden deep within the recesses of the formula. After matching the DNA, Beast and the other X-Men set out to investigate the truth behind Benetech.
During their infiltration, they discovered thatOrd, analien from the Breakworld, was responsible for the means with which the company was able to develop the cure. While the team was separated, Kitty descended into a hidden complex beneath the Benetech building and was able to unlock the true secret behind the cure: shortly after Peter's self-sacrificing death, Ord had captured his body and left a duplicate that the X-Men had cremated.[48]
After reviving him, Ord had used the Legacy Virus cure in Peter's bloodstream to develop his mutant cure. After unknowingly releasing Peter from his cell, Kitty rejoined him with the X-Men. Together they subdued Ord as he tried to escape Earth. Since reuniting with his friends, Peter has returned to fight with the X-Men, and he and Kitty were able to resume their romantic relationship.[48]
During theColossus: Bloodline limited series, Colossus made a trip to Russia in response to a call for help from his cousin, journalist Larisa Mishchenko. Her research had established that their family descended fromGrigori Rasputin, and that their relatives were being systematically murdered. Rasputin is established as having been a powerful mutant, whose power and life essence had been passed down to his descendants. As his descendants are murdered, his great power is invested in greater measure in the remaining descendants. When there is only one descendant left, Rasputin will be reborn within that individual.Mister Sinister, an old ally of Rasputin, is revealed as the man behind the murders.[volume & issue needed]
Larisa is murdered by Sinister, but Colossus and his brother Mikhail foil Sinister's plot, and Mikhail banishes himself to a dimension where he can never die, but from which he can never return. If Sinister were to murder Colossus, Rasputin would be reborn in Mikhail, but locked in a dimension on his own. However, all those involved remained unaware of Colossus' son, Peter, in theSavage Land, whose presence could severely alter the situation. Colossus returned to the X-Men, a man without family. It is rumoured that the boy Michael Termani escaped the extermination and made his way to the United States of America in search of Colossus, whom he may be related to.[volume & issue needed]
During an attack on the institute, Colossus engagesSebastian Shaw, although "Shaw" turned out to be an illusory attack byCassandra Nova. It was revealed that Colossus is the mutant destined to destroyBreakworld according to Breakworld's precogs. However, on a mission to Breakworld, the X-Men discover that this was not an actual prophecy but an elaborate scheme created by Aghanne, the insane leader of a Breakworld reform cult, intended to bring about that world's destruction. Colossus is chosen for the prophecy as his unique organic steel form would allow him to destroy the planet's power source, initiating a chain reaction that would destroy the entire world. Realizing this, Colossus refuses to kill the planet although he does threaten to seize power and rule it if Breakworld destroys the Earth as planned.[49]
During the "World War Hulk" storyline, Colossus is one of the X-Men members who try to defend Professor X against theHulk, who has come looking for Charles as he is one of the members of the secretIlluminati that exiled him from Earth. During their battle, the Hulk reflects on Colossus' bravery, mentioning that Colossus might have made a "decent opponent" to the Hulk's previous incarnations. Locked in a test of strength, Hulk demonstrates his superior power by bending Colossus's arms backwards at the forearms, breaking them.[50] Beast later uses a laser in the lab to heat his arms up near their melting point, whileStrong Guy bends them back into place; his arms needed to be re-set in their metal form before he transformed back to his human form to avoid serious injury to them.[51]
Colossus returns to Russia with Wolverine and Nightcrawler along for the ride. The trio are captured by the Russian government, who wish to find out why all their mutant agents succumbed to M-Day, and Colossus did not. This led to a battle against the Russians andOmega Red, who was being examined by their captors. After defeating Omega Red, the heroes receive a call from Cyclops informing them of their new home in San Francisco. They soon arrive back in the States, where they aid in rebuilding the X-Men.[52]
Colossus was briefly a member of theFifty State Initiative team calledThe Last Defenders alongsideNighthawk,She-Hulk, andBlazing Skull.[53]
Joining the rest of the X-Men, Colossus relocates to San Francisco.[54] Still mourning Kitty, the other X-Men try to cheer him up using various different methods from picking fights with him to throwing a party. In the end he tells them to leave him be, he just needs time. Later while walking through Golden Gate Park, he come across a little girl who needs help rescuing her cat from a tree to which he replies that nothing would make him happier.[55]
Colossus feels the X-Men are not doing enough to rescue Illyana from Limbo, and is upset.[56] With the aid ofPixie, the team is able to enter Limbo, where they encounter hostile demons.[57] After defeating the demons, the X-Men locate Illyana, who has been defeated by Witchfire.[58] The X-Men and Magik defeat Witchfire by trapping her in the dimension that houses the Elder Gods. Illyana leaves Limbo with the X-Men whenCyclops and Colossus offer her a home.[59]
When the Dark Avengers head into San Francisco to battle any X-Men they can find, Colossus battles Venom.[60] They later face off again when the combined Dark Avengers and Dark X-Men attack Utopia, with Colossus and the X-Men emerging victorious.[61]
It's also during this time that Colossus suffers from depression due to the loss of Kitty prior to the Messiah Complex. During this period, Magik arrives at Utopia to ask for help from the X-Men and her former teammates as there's a battle coming in Limbo. The reunion helps alleviate some of Colossus's depression, but after Magneto comes to Utopia, Magneto brings the bullet carrying Kitty back to Earth to save her in a show of good faith and Kitty and Colossus are reunited, but are initially unable to touch as Kitty spent so long phased to stop the bullet hitting something that she has 'forgotten' how to resume a tangible state on her own.[62] Due to Warlord Krunn's mutant cure, Colossus was temporarily depowered and beaten in battle by him,[63] but other Breakworld residents were able to restore Kitty to her fully tangible state.[volume & issue needed]
After theJuggernaut became Kuurth: Breaker of Stone during the "Fear Itself" storyline, one of the Heralds of a long-dormant god of fear known as theSerpent, Colossus made a bargain withCyttorak, the other-dimensional being who originally empowered the Juggernaut, to gain the power to stand against Kuurth. Colossus became the new avatar of the Juggernaut and was able to push Cain Marko back until Cain was summoned by The Serpent. This decision caused Kitty to break up with Colossus, as she cannot cope with his increasingly displayed willingness to sacrifice himself when she wants someone who will be willing to live for her.[64]
Due to this, Colossus decides to stay on Utopia with Cyclops' team of X-Men instead of returning to Westchester due to his fear of his new Juggernaut powers being unsafe around children.[65] After another stressful battle, Colossus realized that his powers were far more dangerous than he realized, and he requested to be locked up alongside his sister, only to be freed when needed on missions.[66]
At the onset of the "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline, Colossus is featured in fights against several characters, includingSpider-Man,[67]Red Hulk,[68] andThing.[69] He is one of the few X-Men teleported by Magik to the dark side of the moon to confront the Avengers overHope Summers. When the disruptor devised byIron Man blasts and divides thePhoenix Force, part of it bonds to Colossus, who becomes one of the Phoenix Five along with Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik and Namor.[70] He attempts to release his Juggernaut powers, but Cyttorak refuses, citing his affiliation with the Phoenix due to his newfound destructive powers.[71] While empowered with his fragment of the Phoenix Force, Colossus attempts to regain Kitty's affections, but she rejects him—wary of his power-mongering and that the Phoenix has changed him for the worse—he reacts angrily.[72] Colossus is eventually defeated when Spider-Man manages to provoke him and Magik into attacking each other, causing them to incapacitate each other. Their Phoenix powers dissipate and are absorbed by Emma Frost and Cyclops (Namor having already been defeated).[73] Following the defeat of Cyclops as the last of the Phoenix Five, Colossus and the other former members of the Phoenix Five did not surrender themselves to the authorities.[74] Magik later purges the Juggernaut powers from Colossus with her Soulsword.[75] Knowing that Magik could have repelled his servitude to Cyttorak at any time and that she made him keep the Juggernaut powers to teach him a lesson, Colossus evinces hatred toward the sister he once loved, going so far as to say he wants her killed.[76]
Colossus's powers have gone out of control, apparently as a result of losing the Phoenix Force, causing parts of him to shift between flesh and organic steel rather than all flesh or all organic steel.[77] He now appears as a member of Cable's new X-Force team after Cable provides him with a device that stabilizes his condition.[78]
Colossus rejoined Wolverine's team of X-Men after his sister convinced him to,[79] after quitting Cable's X-Force team following the results of the Cable and X-Force/Uncanny X-Force: Vendettas storyline.[volume & issue needed] He has since regained control of his organic steel powers and has stopped wearing Cable's harness which helped him to stabilize his flesh and steel forms.[79]
During this time, Cyttorak caused the Crimson Gem to reappear in the ancient temple and triggered a call for suitable candidates to become a new Juggernaut, which led to Colossus and Cain Marko joining a team of X-Men to stop the Gem from being claimed by forces such asMan-Killer and the formerLiving Monolith. However, when Adbol acquired the Gem for himself, Colossus invoked Cyttorak to confront him about the failure of all of his past Juggernauts, suggesting that Cyttorak withdraw his power from Adbol and empower a new avatar to a greater extent than any before. Unfortunately, Cyttorak chose to empower Marko rather than Colossus, with Marko resolving to destroy the X-Men present and then move on to kill Cyclops for the death of Professor X. With Marko now even immune to psychic attacks, he appeared truly unstoppable, but Colossus was able to defeat him by outmaneuvering the super-empowered Marko until he could strike the sea side cliff edge where they had been fighting, causing Cain to fall into the ocean below, taking him out of the fight at least for the moment.[80]
During the "Secret Wars" storyline, Colossus is with the X-Men when they take part in the incursion event between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. Hulk uses Colossus in a Fastball Special that destroys the Triskelion.[81]
Colossus later joins Storm's new team of X-Men who are living in an isolated part ofLimbo after magically transporting the mansion there, renaming itX-Haven. Their mission is to provide a refuge and protect mutants from the effects of the M-Pox that has infected the mutants and rendered almost all of the mutant species sterile due to theTerrigen in the atmosphere.[volume & issue needed] During the Apocalypse Wars, Colossus,Ernst,Anole,Glob Herman, andNo-Girl are separated from Storm's team. When they re-encounter the missing students, they discover them to now be adults protecting an ark of 600 artificially created mutant embryos from the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, one of whom is a celestially altered Colossus.[82]
After Beast discovers that there is no cure for the M-Pox and no way to alter the Terrigen Mist cloud, the X-Men are left with the choice to either stay on earth and fight for their right to live and risk becoming extinct in a matter of weeks or leave earth and start fresh somewhere else. The X-Men decide to go towar against theInhumans to decide the fate of the Terrigen. With the war underway Colossus is stationed at X-Haven to protect it from a potential Inhuman counter-attack. When theInhuman Royal Family arrives to do just that, Colossus is left to face them on his own. He later joins the rest of the X-Men in Iceland in the final battle against the Inhumans, whereMedusa finally understands what the X-Men are fighting for and voluntarily destroys the Terrigen.[83]
After the Terrigen is destroyed, the X-Men send the refugees back home from X-Haven now that earth is habitable for mutants again. Still, the X-Men find themselves wondering how to move forward with the events of the war still fresh in their minds. Storm asks Kitty Pryde to return to the X-Men and take her place as leader, and in doing so Kitty moves the mansion from Limbo to Central Park and creates a new field team and recruits Colossus. Colossus and Kitty share many awkward moments given their history, trying to move forward as friends but still feeling a chemistry.[84]
Colossus is amutant with the ability to transform his entire body into a form of "organic steel", with properties similar toosmium but of still unknown composition. Colossus must transform his entire body into this armored state; he cannot transform only a portion of his body. When he transforms, he gains approximately 1 ft (30 cm) in height; official figures state his height at about 7 ft 7 in (230 cm) in transformed state versus 6 ft 7 in (200 cm) in normal human form. His weight is more than doubled.[85] In his armored form, Colossus possesses superhuman strength, as well as superhuman stamina and durability. His physical strength is currently greater than when he first joined the X-Men, due to the realignment of his cells by Magneto following an injury during theMutant Massacre. While in his armored form, Colossus requires no food, water or even oxygen to sustain himself and is extremely resistant to injury. He is capable of withstanding great impacts, large caliber bullets, falling from tremendous heights, electricity, and certain magical attacks.[86] While he has great resistance to temperature extremes of hot and cold, extreme heat followed by rapid super-cooling has been shown to cause damage. As he is vulnerable to the anti-metalAntarctic Vibranium in his metal form, his body instinctively shifts to human form when faced with an Antarctic Vibranium weapon.[87]
Colossus is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, having been trained inJudo byCyclops.[88] He has had training in acrobatics and sword fighting[89] fromNightcrawler. In his human form, he is still exceptionally strong and in superb physical condition, though not superhumanly so. He has completed college-level courses at Xavier's school.[volume & issue needed]
As the unstoppableAvatar of Cyttorak, Colossus gained additional superhuman strength and resistance to injury, as well as other mystical powers. Among these was the power to ignore impediments to his movement, hence the "unstoppable" moniker.[64] These powers were later taken away from Colossus and returned to Cain Marko.[80]
An alternate universe version of Colossus from Earth-295 appears inAge of Apocalypse. This version is the leader of the Super Soldiers and one ofMagneto's original recruits for his X-Men.[volume & issue needed] After years of fighting for Magneto's cause, Colossus eventually decides to retire from the X-Men.[volume & issue needed]
Colossus and his wifeKitty Pryde (Shadowcat) attempt to save his sisterIllyana, who was presumed dead. She is alive, but is being held prisoner in a slave camp, and they need to save her to restore the true timeline. After learning that Illyana had died in themain timeline, Colossus goes mad. He tries to follow his sister into theM'Kraan Crystal, injuring Iceman and killing Shadowcat before being killed byGambit.[93]
Years after Colossus' death,Sugar Man andDark Beast recover his body and manage to resurrect him. Along with many other "alphas", his mind is altered, forcing him to serveWeapon Omega. When Colossus is sent to confrontPenance, she uses her telepathy to restore his memories. Colossus swears to help Penance in her efforts to rebuild society.[volume & issue needed]
A possible future version of Colossus appears in "Age of Revelation". This version is a member of the Expatriate X-Men who possesses a cybernetic arm, has rusted parts, and has a close relationship withBronze. He and the Flotilla partake in the trip to the Limbo Lands since Colossus wants to see his sister Darkchild again. Amidst the Flotilla's evacuation from the Limbo Lands, Colossus elects to stay behind and get through to his sister.[94]
An alternate universe version of Colossus from Earth-811 appears inDays of Future Past. This version was detained in the South Bronx Mutant Containment Facility along with most of the survivingX-Men. He infiltrates theBaxter Building on a suicide run, during which he is killed by Sentinels.[volume & issue needed]
InEarth X, Colossus has becomeTsar Piotr of Russia. His country's massive grain supply, protected by an army of Crimson Dynamos, provides one of the greatest food sources for the world. It is mentioned in passing that at some point in the future, he will travel back in time and becomeMister Sinister.[95]
Several versions of Colossus appear inExiles:
An alternate universe version of Colossus appears inMarvel Zombies: Dead Days. He is among the few surviving heroes in a world infested by zombies. Colossus joinsNightcrawler,Storm,Doctor Strange,Nick Fury, andThor in protecting a teleporter from the zombie forces. However, the group realizes that their plan to evacuate survivors might lead to another innocent world being infected, so they destroy the machine and willingly give themselves up to the zombies.[98]
An alternate universe version of Piotr Rasputin / Colossus from Earth-1610 appears in theUltimate Marvel imprint. This version is gay and is not romantically involved with Kitty Pryde. As a teenager, Piotr was banished from his home by his father after he learned that Piotr was gay. He comes to work as an arms smuggler for theRussian mob, who saved him from a firing squad. During an illegal arms transaction, Piotr's associates are killed and his mutant powers activate.Jean Grey finds him soon after and offers him a place among theX-Men.[99] Unlike his mainstream counterpart, Colossus does not possess superhuman strength, which he derives from the drug Banshee.
An alternate universe version of Colossus from Earth-6160 appears in theUltimate Universe imprint. This version is a member of the Rasputin family, who are members of theMaker's council. The Rapustin family are theautocratic rulers of the Eurasian Republic, a power bloc with Russia as its center of political power.[100] WhenWolverine raids the Eurasian Republic's capital of Moscow, Colossus confronts Wolverine, only to be melted to death by the Phoenix Specimen.[101]
InX-Men Forever, Colossus returns to Russia after the events ofX-Men #1-3, where he becomes a government agent, handled byNatalia Romanova, the Black Widow, with whom he has struck up a romance. Although overjoyed to see his old teammates again, he is intent on staying and serving his country.[102]
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-Men: Colossus: God's Country | X-Men Origins: Colossus, material fromClassic X-Men #5, 21, 29,Marvel Comics Presents #10-17,X-Men Unlimited (vol. 1) #29,X-Men Unlimited (vol. 2) #14 | February 2016 | 978-0785195252 |
| X-Men: Colossus: Bloodline | X-Men: Colossus: Bloodline #1-5 | April 2006 | 978-0785119005 |
| Excalibur Epic Collection: The Battle For Britain | Colossus #1 andExcalibur #104-115, -1,Kitty Pryde: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1-3,New Mutants: Truth or Death #1-3 | March 2022 | 978-1302934460 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)[Tim Miller:] I did actually call Daniel Cudmore to ask him if he wanted to do this, even though he'd be entirely CG the whole time. He was very nice about it. He was like, 'I appreciate your offering, but nah.'
