Hero Profile: Sunfire

Dropping the atomic bombs on Japan sure has caused them a lot of trouble, both in real life and in fiction. Horrible genetic deformities, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and areas of Japan that are barren and lifeless to this day, in the real world. In fiction it leads to weird superpowers, more widespread destruction, and GODZILLA! The next guy will focus on the first two points. Sunfire, the atomic hero. Let’s get to it.

See this guy hurling fireballs, and I guarantee you'll never
forget the name Sunfire. 

Shiro Yoshida’s mother was pregnant with him and near Hiroshima when the bombs dropped. The residual radiation gradually killed Shiro’s mother, and gave him immense powers based around solar radiation. Because of his mother’s death, Shiro developed an intense hatred for the United States. And, since we kind of DID kill his mom, I can’t exactly blame him. His pain and anger were augmented by his Uncle Tomo, whom desired to turn his nephew into a weapon against the US. Shiro didn’t need much convincing. After a few years of training, he used his powers, which include flight and fireball throwing, to attack the US Capital. He might have been successful, had the X-Men not intervened. The combined might of the original five Mutants forced Shiro to disengage and return home. Back in his family’s home, he witnessed Tomo murder Shiro’s father. Enraged by the loss of his father, and the obvious betrayal of his mentor/uncle, Shiro incinerated his Uncle, and then turned himself over to the authorities.

He was eventually released, and started crossing paths with some of Marvel’s greatest heroes. Like Namor, the Sub-Mariner, and Iron Man. He’s eventually tracked down by Charles Xavier, and recruited to help save the original X-Men from that living island, Krakoa, that I keep mentioning. After the X-Men were saved, Shiro left in a huff, claiming that saving the Team didn’t mean he wanted to be a part of the X-Men. Despite this claim, he seems to cross paths with them on a fairly regular basis. The X-Men help him save Japan from a villain named Moses Magnum, who wanted to sink the island nation. And later, he teams with Wolverine and Cable to stop another villain named Stryfe.

After a few adventures, he learned about one he forgot. When he was first starting out, he worked with the Brotherhood of Mutants, on a mission to steal the secret adamantium bonding process from a man named Lord Dark Wind. He worked closely with Rogue, and another Mutant named Blindspot. The mission ended poorly, no one got the bonding process, and Blindspot used her powers to make everyone forget her and the mission. Imagine the look on her face when she learned Dark Wind’s daughter, Lady Deathstrike was out to get them all. Deathstrike kidnapped Blindspot and released a photo of Sunfire, Rogue, and Mystique breaking into her mansion to draw their attention. Mystique never showed, but Sunfire and Rogue did. When they arrived, Deathstrike struck.

Really isn't a better slot on
Apocalypse's roster for him
than Famine.

Sunfire attacked first, and while he put up a valiant effort, he was fighting a trained cyborg assassin. During their fight, Deathstrike severed both of Shiro’s legs. Rogue surrendered, and when the two were imprisoned with Blindspot, did her best to helps save Shiro. They made him comfortable, but they could only stave off the inevitable. Deathstrike returned to finish them off. In the precious moments they had before her arrival, Sunfire begged Rogue to take his powers and save herself and Blindspot. Rogue had recently lost the powers she got from Captain Marvel, hence her giving up so quickly in the earlier fight, and was hesitant of using her powers on Shiro. Mostly because the power drain would kill him faster. Blindspot took Rogue’s desires out of the equation, and shoved her into Shiro. Rogue absorbed Shiro’s power and personality, and used them both to exact vengeance on Deathstrike. She’d have killed Deathstrike, had the other X-Men not arrived and forced her to relent. They went to check on Shiro’s body, but it had disappeared in the fight.

Months later, Shiro awoke in a hospital in Aspen. A group of ninja had apparently dropped him off there. Shiro was feeling pretty bummed at this point, losing two of your four limbs and your superpowers can do that to a fella, which made him a perfect target for everyone’s favorite Egyptian Megalomaniac. I’m talking, of course, about Apocalypse. Apocalypse offered Shiro his legs and powers back, but in exchange Shiro would have to agree to be one of Apocalypse’ new Horsemen. Shiro, sadly, agreed. He regretted his decision almost immediately. Shiro was forced to listen to the tortured screams of Gazer, a Mutant that was being transformed into the Horseman of War. Shiro tried to escape, with Gazer, but unfortunately he’d been completely transformed into War, and attacked Shiro for his efforts. Shiro was transformed into The Horseman of Famine, regaining his old powers, and the ability to induce feelings of intense weakness and hunger. With his new Horsemen, Apocalypse attacked the X-Men. In the ensuing battle, Shiro was shot down, captured by Rogue, and then mentally healed by the X-Men’s new telepath, Emma Frost. Or so they thought. Shiro was able to break free of Apocalypse’s control, but when the fighting broke out, he captured an unconscious Gambit, and brought them both to his new boss, Mr. Sinister. Shiro and Gambit became members of Sinister’s attack force, The Marauders.

I feel like his name sounds better in Japanese.
Let's see, Fire of the Sun translated is
Taiyo no hi. Yeah, sounds way better. 

Shiro remained with The Marauders until the Mutant Messiah was discovered. This baby was the first Mutant born since Magneto’s daughter Scarlet Witch caused M Day, and took away the powers of 90% of the worlds Mutants. Naturally, everyone wanted a piece of that baby. She was eventually sent into the far future with Cyclops’s son, Cable, and after the fighting dies down, the various teams split up. Years later, Wolverine tracks Shiro down. The former Sunfire had become a drunken homeless man, living on the streets of Tokyo. Wolverine wanted Shiro to join a new team, “The Avengers Unity Squad.” The new Avengers were comprised of classic Avengers, and former and current X-Men. The team was created after the disastrous battle between the X-Men and Avengers over the fate of Hope Summers a year or so before. Shiro was hesitant to join, given his past, and even Wolverine’s assurances that Xavier believed in his potential couldn't convince Shiro to become a hero again. But, when Shiro heard that the villainous Red Skull had stolen the brain of the recently deceased Xavier, he jumped right back into action. It took a while, but Sunfire had found his way back to the light.

Shiro’s powers essentially let him act like a miniature sun. He can absorb solar radiation, and convert it into his own power. Once he has enough juice, he can create giant flames, produce deadly amounts of radiation, and fly using his flames to give him thrust. He has the ability to “psionically shield” himself from both flames and radiation. Basically, he can't be burned, period. He temporarily lost all his powers to Rogue. He regained them and some new ones after becoming Famine for Apocalypse. He gained the power to create bright flashes of light that, when seen, trigger the parts of the brain that feels hunger. Basically, looking into this light makes it feel like you haven’t eaten in weeks. Not pretty. He’s also very skilled in several martial arts, including Kendo, Judo, and Karate.

As X-Men characters go, Sunfire is underutilized. To my knowledge, he’s only appeared once in a series outside the comics, and that was back in the 90s. And it was a cameo at best.

He was a background character in several episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series. I really only knew it was him because he had on his distinctive Sunfire Mask. The most important role I remember him playing was in “Graduation Day,” the series finale. In it, he was one of many Mutants that awaited Magneto’s orders after Charles Xavier was outed as a Mutant and nearly killed by an anti-Mutant terrorist. It’s not much.

He was also a playable character in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. He’s got his standard fire power and flight in this game. I used him a couple of times, but not often.

Overall, Sunfire is a character that I don’t know much about, but I do enjoy him. Conceptually, if nothing else. He’s a lot like the humans that the X-Men have to deal with on a regular basis, but towards the US. He has a semi-rational, semi-irrational hatred for a group that harmed him personally. And, that hatred has shaped his every waking moment. It probably would have consumed him, had he not seen his father’s murder and seen what intense hatred gets you. A buck of crazy, curtesy of Uncle Tomo. The combination of his white and red costume, and that kabuki style mask makes him a very visually striking character, if nothing else. He’s the Rising Sun, the Flame of Vengance, he’s Sunfire. Next time, the New Year begins with Jubilation. Jubilation Lee, that is. The X-Man Jubilee, for those who don't get the reference. Happy New Year, everyone.

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