| Pyro | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981)[1] |
| Created by | Chris Claremont (writer) John Byrne (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | St. John Allerdyce |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations | Brotherhood of Mutants Freedom Force Lethal Legion Marauders |
| Abilities | Pyrokinesis |
| Pyro | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Men Gold (Vol. 2) #1 (April, 2017) |
| Created by | Marc Guggenheim Ardian Syaf |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Simon Lasker |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations | Brotherhood of Mutants X-Men |
| Abilities | Pyrokinesis
|
Pyro is the name of two fictionalcharacters appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics.
The first character known as Pyro isSt. John Allerdyce, a recurring enemy of theX-Men and later an agent of the U.S. government. He was created byChris Claremont andJohn Byrne and introduced inThe Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981) as part of theBrotherhood of Mutants.[2] Pyro has the mutant power to control fire, but not create it. Pyro and the Brotherhood of Mutants are the antagonists in the X-Men storyDays of Future Past as they attempt to assassinate SenatorRobert Kelly, which in an alternate timeline leads to a dystopic future where Mutants are hunted, killed or captured by theSentinel robots. The assassination is thwarted, and at a later date the Brotherhood become agents of the US government in exchange for a full pardon, and the team becomes known as theFreedom Force.
The second character known as Pyro isSimon Lasker, an American teenage mutant with the ability to create and control fire. Lasker was created byMarc Guggenheim andArdian Syaf and introduced inX-Men Gold (Vol. 2) #1 (April, 2017). He was initially hypnotized byMesmero into joining his Brotherhood of Mutants, but later joined the X-Men.
An Americanized version of Pyro namedJohn Allerdyce appeared in theX-Men film franchise produced by20th Century Fox. He was portrayed by Alexander Burton inX-Men (2000), and was subsequently replaced byAaron Stanford for its sequelsX2 (2003) andX-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmDeadpool & Wolverine (2024).
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Created by writerChris Claremont and artist/co-writerJohn Byrne, the St. John Allerdyce version of Pyro first appeared inThe Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981).[3]
As part of theDawn of X initiative, Pyro subsequently starred in theMarauders series in October 2019 alongsideKitty Pryde,Iceman,Emma Frost,Storm, andBishop.[citation needed]
Simon Lasker as Pyro was introduced in the first three issues ofX-Men Gold as a member of Mesmero's Brotherhood, leaving the team in issue 22 and joining the X-Men in the next issue. He stayed with the team until the titles end with issue 36, appearing inX-Men: The Wedding Special before this. He appeared inMarvel's Voices (Vol. 1) #1 before appearing dead inX-Force (Vol. 6) #11 (August, 2020).
Born and raised inSydney,Australia, St. John Allerdyce is amutant who possesses the elemental power to control fire and flame, though not generate it. As such, he wields a flamethrower to provide heat for him to control. After years of working inSoutheast Asia as a journalist and novelist, Pyro met the mutantMystique, who later recruited him to theBrotherhood of Mutants as a professional criminal andsubversive. With the Brotherhood of Mutants, he attempted to assassinateSenatorRobert Kelly, and first battled theX-Men.[4] With the Brotherhood, he later battled theAvengers,[5] and then the X-Men again.[6] Though he never served under the team's original leader,Magneto, Pyro did work with the Brotherhood under the command of several of Magneto's subordinates who alternately supervised the group.
Mystique's Brotherhood later offered the team's services to the United States government in exchange for protection and an official pardon for its crimes, and was renamedFreedom Force. As part of their first mission, the team captured Magneto.[7] With Freedom Force, he next captured the Avengers on behalf of the federal government.[8]
During Freedom Force's final mission, the team confronts a group of Iraqi operatives known asDesert Sword inKuwait. Pyro andBlob are abandoned in Kuwait and captured. Blob and Pyro are forced to serve as bodyguards to the Kuwaiti military. Later,Toad buys their release. Blob and Pyro join Toad's new Brotherhood of Mutants.[9]
Some years later, Pyro contracts theLegacy Virus, a fatal disease affecting mainly mutants.[10] He goes to great lengths to find a cure, but is unsuccessful and dies from the virus.[11] Pyro dies shortly after helping rescue Robert Kelly from his former allies in the Brotherhood of Mutants, with his actions being instrumental in changing Kelly's opinion on mutants as a whole.[11]
During the "Necrosha" storyline, Pyro is resurrected by means of theTransmode Virus to serve as part ofSelene's army of deceased mutants.[12] He later joins a new Brotherhood of Mutants led by Magneto's cloneJoseph, who claims to be Magneto.[13]
Simon Lasker is an American teenage mutant who manifested pyrokinesis by accidentally burning down his high school building and killing everyone inside it. Suddenly appearing before him in the form of Professor X,Mesmero brainwashed him into becoming the new Pyro and to join his Brotherhood of Mutants, which was secretly funded by anti-mutant activist Lydia Nance. After learning of Nance's anti-mutant agenda, Pyro leaves the Brotherhood of Mutants and joins the X-Men.[14]
Pyro is revealed to be gay inX-Men Gold (vol. 2) #32, where he is romantically involved withIceman.[15]
Pyro joins the mutant nation ofKrakoa, but is killed in an invasion by Russian armed forces.[16]
St. John Allerdyce is amutant with the ability to manipulate flame by shaping it as he desires, increasing or decreasing its heat, intensity and size. As he cannot create fire himself, he wears a specially insulated costume with a built-inflamethrower that can throw a stream of flame a maximum distance of 25 feet (7.6 m). He can manipulate the flame to do whatever he desires and sometimes induces it to take semi-solid form as a non-sentient flame being that he commands. Though he cannot be burned by a flame which he is manipulating, Pyro can be harmed by any fire that he does not mentally control. After his return, Pyro's powers have increased in some ways, showing he can prevent the gunpowder in a loaded pistol from igniting as well as generate fire on his own.[17]
Simon Lasker has the mutant ability to elementally generate, control and manipulate fire; similar to the original Pyro. But unlike Allerdyce, he seems capable of igniting fire on his own and does not require outside sources of existing flame to manipulate.
An alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears inAge of Apocalypse. He is one of many mutants imprisoned byMister Sinister after refusing to join his Elite Mutant Force and is later killed during an escape attempt.[18]
An alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears inHouse of M. This version is a member of the mutant supremacist government in Australia.[19]
An alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears inMarvel Adventures Spider-Man.[volume & issue needed]
A zombified alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears inMarvel Zombies.[20]
Pyro works as a murderous mutant ninja for the Japanese-basedHellfire Club. He battles the X-Men alongside fellow ninjaIceman andAvalanche.[volume & issue needed]
An alternate universe version of Pyro from Earth-1610 appears inUltimate X-Men. This version is a member of theMorlocks and a supporter ofCharles Xavier's cause. He later joins the X-Men before defecting toMagneto'sBrotherhood of Mutants.[21] Additionally, he is able to generate fire rather than manipulating it.[22]
