The Untold Truth Of Sunspot

Few heroes of Marvel's X-Men mythos have evolved as much over the years as Roberto da Costa, a.k.a. Sunspot. As one of the original members of the New Mutants, Sunspot was a courageous member of the team while at the same time earning a well-deserved reputation as a hothead. Sunspot is no less heroic these days, though he's mellowed noticeably, having developed a penchant for using his head before his fists as well as becoming an accomplished leader. 

Roberto da Costa is a mutant of Brazilian birth, first appearing in 1982's The New Mutants original graphic novel. His abilities allow him to absorb solar energy and channel it. When he first appears in the panels, channeling the solar power manifests primarily as physical strength and endurability, making him one of the New Mutants' toughest bruisers. Due to a series of experiments forced upon Sunspot, he later develops more powers — though the comics aren't always consistent about whether those expanded abilities remain at any given time. 

Sunspot has been a New Mutant, an X-Man, one of the earliest additions to X-Force, and one of the very first New Mutants to be recruited into the Avengers. He's even led his own Avengers team, something few alumnus of Xavier's School for Gifted Children can say. To learn more, keep reading for the untold truth of Sunspot.

Sunspot and Sam Guthrie, a.k.a. Cannonball, aren't particularly friendly when they first meet. In The New Mutants original graphic novel that marks both characters' first appearances, the villain Donald Pierce fools Cannonball into working for him, and he attacks Roberto and his friends. By the end of the story Sam has seen the light. When Sam shows up at Xavier's school toward the end of The New Mutants, Roberto is initially the only one unwilling to accept him, but his new friends convince him to give Sam a second chance. 

Roberto and Sam's friendship is forged early in The New Mutants ongoing series, helped in no small part by the fact that of all the founding members, they're the only two boys, though they're soon joined by Doug Ramsey, a.k.a. Cypher. Their friendship faces some difficult tests, such as when Roberto unintentionally hurts Sam in 1987's Fallen Angels #1 and later when the two feud over the affections of fellow X-Force member Meltdown (better known as Boom-Boom). 

Their friendship remains so strong that in the New Mutants revival that launched in late 2019, Sunspot insists the team's very first adventure be to blast into space so they can find Cannonball — who is living with his wife Smasher and son Josiah among the stars — and bring him back to the new mutant homeland of Krakoa (without bothering to first ask Sam if he wants to be come back). 

Sunspot's powers originally seem limited to physical strength and durability, but that changes around the time he joins X-Force. 

In 1992's X-Force #15, the team — including old teammates of Roberto's like Cannonball — rescue Sunspot from the villain Gideon who had kidnaps the hero and subjects him to experiments that increase his powers. Sunspot joins the team's ranks and learns he now has the power to release concussive blasts from his body. No longer limited to solar power, Sunspot can absorb all kinds of energy including heat and even radiation. In 1993's X-Force #28, in a moment of desperation, Sunspot learns he can fly. 

It isn't clear if the villain Gideon's experiments add powers Sunspot wouldn't otherwise have access to, or if they allow him to discover abilities he always had the potential to use. Regardless, the comics haven't always been consistent in terms of his newer powers. In some instances, after long absences, Sunspot returns with his expanded powers having disappeared or reappeared without explanation. 

The Avengers haven't included a ton of mutants in their ranks, though they've had their share. Most of the mutants who have become Avengers were either Avengers before they ever joined any X teams like Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, or characters with long and distinguished careers with the X-Men like the Beast and Wolverine. But it wasn't until 2012's Avengers #2 that any of the former New Mutants joined the ranks of Earth's mightiest heroes — and one of them was Sunspot. 

In the 2012 Avengers relaunch, a whole host of new members were invited, including Sunspot and Cannonball. In Avengers #2 the best friends are hanging out on a beach when Sam gets a call from Wolverine and Captain America, the latter of whom invites the pair into the fold. Assuming Logan was inviting them back into active X-Men service, Roberto refuses. Once Sam tells him it's not the X-Men but the Avengers they're being invited to, Roberto instantly agrees.

The pair join the new team in the following issue for a rescue mission to Mars, where most of the core team of Avengers are being held hostage. Sunspot eventually becomes not just a member of the Avengers, but one of its leaders.

Sunspot leaves the Avengers after conflict breaks out between the Avengers and the Illuminati — a secret group of superheroes manipulating events behind closed doors. But in 2015, the Marvel Universe finds itself heading towards destruction due in part to a growing number of so-called "incursions" in which different, alternate Earths are colliding and being destroyed. Not willing to be a part of the war between the Avengers and the Illuminati but also not willing to stand on the sidelines, Roberto uses his family's wealth to buy A.I.M., aka Advanced Idea Mechanics. 

A.I.M. has been around in Marvel for decades, and Roberto has some serious housecleaning to do after taking over the organization. Soon, most of the worst elements in A.I.M. are gone and it's renamed Avengers Idea Mechanics. He uses the vast scientific resources of the once evil group to research and stop the incursions. To this end he forms his own team of Avengers, including other heroes not interested in the Avengers/Illuminati conflict like Odinson, Hyperion, Nightmask, Abyss, Starbrand, Smasher, and Manifold.

Unfortunately, in spite of everyone's best efforts, the end comes with the 2015-16 event Secret Wars, in which the Marvel Universe is reduced to a single world ruled by Doctor Doom, but eventually the multiverse is restored. In the post-Secret Wars Marvel, Sunspot has at least one more Avengers team to lead.

In the 2019 line-wide Marvel Comics event War of the Realms, the Dark Elf Malekith leads his armies to Earth, a.k.a. Midgard, to bring the final of the ten realms under his rule. Avengers and even street-level heroes like Daredevil and Punisher rise to protect Earth against against hordes of dark elves, trolls, frost giants, and more, and they aren't alone. In the miniseries War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men, mutant heroes lead civilian survivors to a baseball stadium in Queens. Unfortunately, Sunspot doesn't survive the final battle. 

The villain Sabretooth allies himself with Malekith's armies and captures the mutant Magik earlier in the miniseries, saddling her with a mystical gem that stops her from using her powers which include her mutant ability to teleport herself and others. In the third and final issue of the miniseries, as Sabretooth and his forces overwhelm the stadium's defenders, Sunspot grabs the magic gem and absorbs its energy, fearing it will hurt him but also hoping the act will allow Magik to use her powers. Roberto's powers work on the gem, but the hero's body explodes moments later. 

Soon after, Sabretooth pays for his treachery. Magik decapitates the villain and, perhaps worried about his healing factor, teleports his head to points unknown.