Rictor
Encyclopedia
Rictor is a fiction
al comic book
superhero
in the Marvel Universe
, who appears in the X-Men
family of books published by Marvel Comics
. He was created by writer Louise Simonson
and artist Walt Simonson
and first appeared in X-Factor
vol.1 #17 (June 1987). In subsequent years, the character was featured as a member of the original New Mutants
team and the original X-Force
team, and continued to appear in various X-Men franchise publications thereafter. In comic books published in the 1980s and 1990s, Rictor's mutant
powers were to generate seismic energy and tremendously powerful vibrations in any nearby object, including inducing earthquake-like phenomena, causing objects to shatter or crumble. When the character was reintroduced in 2005, it was as one of many depowered mutants adjusting to civilian life. The character remained depowered until a 2011 comic.
Introduced in the late 1980s as a supporting character in X-Factor, Rictor appeared in Marvel comics for ten years under the pens of a number of different writers; much of his character development in this period came from Fabian Nicieza
's run on X-Force. The character returned to publication in 2005 with the X-Factor vol.3 and has been written by Peter David
continually since then. Responding to fan interest in the gay subtext surrounding the character in Loeb's X-Force run, Rictor's kiss with fellow teammate Shatterstar
in the pages of X-Factor vol.3 in 2009 became the first depiction of a same-sex kiss in a mainstream Marvel Comics publication. Since then, Rictor has been written as a non-stereotypical
out
gay man who is fully accepting of his sexual identity
, and one of few gay superheroes in the Marvel Universe
.
and artist Walt Simonson
, Rictor first appeared in X-Factor #17 (June 1987). Rictor was introduced in the late 1980s
under Louise Simonson's run on X-Factor vol. 1. X-Factor owed its early popularity to reuniting of the five original X-Men characters. As the series continued, it needed to distinguish itself from the earlier X-Men stories. New characters were introduced to the series, and Simonson's run introduced Mexican earth-manipulator Rictor as one of several young wards to the senior X-Men characters. These characters would be spun-off into their own title, Simonsons's X-Terminators
, in 1988. Simonson would later transfer Rictor to the cast of The New Mutants
, during her run on that series, when she made sweeping changes to the existing cast and folded several of the X-Terminators into the New Mutants team.
Later, under Rob Liefeld
's run on The New Mutants, Rictor would abandon the team in the final scenes of The New Mutants #98 (1991). At this point in the character's history, he was popular enough to feature in Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue vol.1 #1, also in 1991. In the next issue, Liefeld introduced one of several of his "edgier" additions to the series, namely Shatterstar
, a swashbuckling warrior from another dimension. With help from writer Fabian Nicieza
, who provided the dialogue for Liefeld’s plots, Liefeld transformed he New Mutants into X-Force in The New Mutants (vol. 1) #100, the book's final issue. Liefeld and Nicieza launched X-Force (vol. 1) in August 1991. Later in X-Force, Liefeld brought Rictor back; he appeared in X-Force #10 and joined the team in X-Force #15. Introduced to Shatterstar for the first time, Liefeld's issues — a high-octane, gritty run typical of 1990s comic book trends — would establish the characters' friendship.
After his time on X-Force, departing in X-Force #28, the character made appearances in issues of Cable
, Excalibur
, New Warriors, X-Men (vol. 2). Fabian Nicieza
brought the character back for X-Force (vol. 1) #38, and wrote a story in X-Force (vol. 1) #43 depicting Rictor's attempts to take Shatterstar to a nightclub and try to understand humans better just prior to Jeph Loeb
's run, which would explore, as a subplot
, the relationship between the characters mostly through subtext
; Loeb's intention to write the characters into a relationship was not followed-up by his successors writing the character, and the romantic connection between the characters was not made explicit. The character would make periodic guest appearances until X-Force (vol. 1) #64 in 1997, which would be the character's last appearance for five years.
In 2002, the character returned in the pages of New X-Men as a member of Professor Xavier's X-Corporation
. Following the House of M
company crossover event
storyline in 2005, which saw the character lose his mutant abilities, Rictor returned to the X-Factor title with Peter David
's third volume of the title. X-Factor vol. 3 began with Rictor extremely depressed
and suicidal
over the loss of his powers, joining as a civilian member of Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man)
's team of superhero detectives, X-Factor Investigations
. David's run would explore the character's romantic relationship with Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair)
, as first visited in the Liefeld run, and later made comic book history when the character was reunited with Shatterstar in X-Factor #45 (2009), which saw the two characters kiss. Storylines since, in the renumbered X-Factor #200 and onwards, have focused on the pair's explicitly romantic and sexual relationship.
In Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6 (2011), the Scarlet Witch successfully restored Rictor's powers.
, who connected him to a machine that amplified his already uncontrollable power of earthquake generation to wreak havoc in San Francisco. Rictor was freed by the original X-Factor
team and was accepted by them as a trainee member. During the chaos, he was assisted by Boom Boom
, who talked him out of a severe emotional crisis. He was recaptured by the Right shortly afterwards, but was again freed by X-Factor.
Rictor and his friends spent much time living on the sentient craft named 'Ship'. This was the base for X-Factor
whom he helped a few times. For a time, Rictor was part of the group known as the X-Terminators
. As a member of the X-Terminators, he contended with N'astirh
and his demons during the Inferno
attack. The team folded into the New Mutants
after the events of Inferno.
Rictor developed romantic feelings for Wolfsbane
while on the team. Rictor and friends traveled to Asgard
and battled Hela
, where he assumed a protective role over her, even helping her pass by Garm. Rictor would later face former X-Factor ally Caliban
, who had become the latest Horseman
of Apocalypse
known as Death, as well as Sabretooth
battling in the Morlock
tunnels under New York
. Rictor was severely injured by Sabretooth, but was saved by Cable
and the other New Mutants. Alongside the New Mutants, he assisted Cable in fighting Stryfe and the Mutant Liberation Front
.
Rictor was later captured alongside Storm, Boom Boom, Wolfsbane, and Warlock
by forces of the island nation Genosha
. Only he and Boom Boom escaped unscathed. The combined efforts of the X-Men
, X-Factor, and New Mutants led to him being freed and Rictor would be instrumental in toppling the Genoshan government. During the adventure, Rictor shared a heartfelt kiss with Wolfsbane and was later heart-broken when she chose (a bit against her will) to stay behind.
After the business in Genosha, Rictor left the New Mutants with the intent to bring Wolfsbane back from Genosha. Rictor was by then convinced that Cable — from whom Stryfe had been cloned — was the man who killed his father, and he agreed to join the Canadian government's Weapon P.R.I.M.E.
team. The team's sole purpose was the apprehension of Cable, but thanks to both Cable and the New Mutants now known as X-Force
, this was averted.
from Gideon
. Rictor and X-Force were then captured by the X-Men and X-Factor who were seeking Cable for an entirely different crime, the attempted murder of Professor X
. This had also been perpetrated by Stryfe. Rictor would meet up with Wolfsbane, again sharing a kiss. This ended badly, with Wolfsbane accidentally biting him. Rictor and the X-Force team were at first held captive in the X-Mansion
, before being officially released. Alongside X-Force, he battled War Machine
aboard Graymalkin
. Alongside X-Force, he rescued the captive X-Force members from Gideon and the Externals
. The team used the Mansion for a time as their headquarters before leaving.
Rictor would later leave X-Force when his cousin and uncle were shot during an arms deal, only to return when his close friend Shatterstar
was undergoing an identity crisis. Shatterstar decided to accompany Rictor to the Richter home in Mexico
to try and end Rictor's family's arms-dealing business. Both characters have since appeared separately so one assumes they succeeded. These stories show scenes from young Rictor's childhood, showing how he was forced to watch his father, an arms merchant, being killed by the time-tossed villain
known as Stryfe
.
After a five year absence from Marvel comic books, Rictor would appear in two issues of New X-Men in August and October 2002. As these issues reveal, Rictor is one of several mutants (amongst them other former members of X-Force) who joined Professor X's restructured X-Corporation
. X-Corporation's confrontation with Weapon XII
was a total catastrophe, however, and led to the death of one of their members, Darkstar
.
House of M
. That storyline's climax brought a new status quo the Marvel universe, wherein most mutant characters on the planets suddenly lost their powers; stories following this so-called 'M-day' were continued under the bannerhead Decimation
. Rictor is one of many mutants who lost their power. His Decimation narrative thread was started in the relaunch of X-Factor v.3. This series marks the in which Rictor has had a starring role in eight years.
In the first issue of X-Factor, Rictor once again attempts suicide but is overcome by confusion and doubt. A rogue duplicate of Jamie Madrox
nearly kills him but his life is saved by Monet St. Croix
, a former member of Generation X
. After some convincing from Monet and a gentle nudge from Layla Miller
, he joins X-Factor Investigations
under the employ of Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man. He also finds Siryn
after she has been attacked and kidnapped and becomes extremely mistrustful of Layla Miller.
Marvel's 2006-2007 Civil War
storyline would crossover into X-Factor. When the Superhuman Registration Act is introduced, Rictor and Monet sign up willingly but side with the rest of X-Factor against the pro-registration heroes.
Continuing the storyline from House of M follow-up series Son of M
, Quicksilver
features in X-Factor for a time. In that series, Quicksilver goes to desperate lengths to reacquire his lost mutant powers, and acquires an ability to restore the powers of other former mutants. Rictor visits Quicksilver, who takes an interest in Rictor being depowered and discusses the possibility of getting his powers back. When Madrox brings Pietro up, Rictor jokes about having had a sexual relationship with him. Madrox then makes a joking comment about making Shatterstar
jealous, causing Rictor to become flustered.
Quicksilver later manipulates Rictor, empowering him, in a plan to give other ex-mutants their powers. Unfortunately the process is unstable and several of these ex-mutants explode. Rictor confronts Quicksilver again, ending up with Rictor apparently depowered one more time and the mutagenic Terrigen Crystals
in Quicksilver's body destroyed. Afterwards, Wolfsbane and a distraught Rictor share a sexual encounter, but this new aspect of their relationship is marred by multiple arguments. During that time Rictor had several Terrigen Crystals embedded in his back (the remnants from the exploding crystals from Quicksilver), which helped him to defeat Josef Huber
.
During the X-Men: Messiah Complex
crossover storyline, Rictor is asked to infiltrate the Purifiers
, as he is still depowered. In an effort to gain the trust of the Purifiers, he, as planned with X-Men, saves them from an attack from Wolfsbane
. Rictor then informs the X-Men that the Purifiers' base extends beyond New York and all over America. He also catches the New X-Men
sneaking around in the Purifier base and when they are ambushed by the Reavers
, he helps Pixie to focus while using a teleportation spell.
As part of the X-Men: Divided We Stand
crossover storyline, while walking down the street, he sees a prostitute who looks just like Layla. When he tries to follow her thinking she is Layla, he gets into a fight with an ex-mutant with horns in his head. He kicks him in the crotch and eventually gets into a fight with the prostitute's pimps until Strong Guy
steps in. He is later escorted to the hospital where he learns that a lot of fights have been breaking out all over Mutant Town
. He is the last to learn that Rahne has left and ends up captured by Arcade
when he tries to leave X-Factor. He eventually frees himself and finds that the person who hired Arcade is Taylor, the Purifier who he tricked into letting him into their organization. He later relocates with the rest of X-Factor to Detroit.
In the pages of X-Factor v. 3, After finding out a dupe of Madrox's has been living in New England as a priest, Rictor and Strong Guy
take a road trip to visit him, hoping to find out where Madrox had disappeared to. While traveling, Rictor brushes off Guido's questions of his mental state, but acknowledges his reaction to Madrox's absorption of his baby may not have been the greatest. The two question Father Maddox on Jamie's disappearance, but in the middle of this, a masked man crashes through the window, swords pointed toward Rictor. Guido manages to grab the attacker and pull off his mask before being thrown out the window, revealing the masked man to be a possessed Shatterstar. After a brief fight, Shatterstar is broken out of his trance-like state. Upon recognizing Rictor, the two grab one another and finally share a kiss.
capable of generating and releasing seismic energy and tremendously powerful waves of vibrations in any nearby object, causing objects to shatter or crumble. When used against objects with a larger surface, the effects are much like an earthquake. Rictor's powers appear to affect organic objects in much the same way as inorganic ones; he is depicted using them to explode a cactus plant in X-Force #25. Rictor himself is immune to the harmful effects of the vibrations he creates. He has expressed reluctance to use his powers in tectonically unstable areas, for fear that he could not control the effects, as when he visited the fictional island of Madripoor
, which is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire
, in New Mutants
#93 (September 1990).
In New X-Men #128 Jean Grey
also states that Rictor has some kind of telepathic defense against Weapon XII's infestation.
In issue #1 of the 2005 relaunch of X-Factor
#1, he is depicted as suicidal, lamenting the loss of his power after M-Day
. During the series he talks about how he had some sort of empathic connection with the earth itself and misses it.
Rictor's body briefly had Terrigen Crystals embedded in his back, small fragments left over from when Quicksilver's crystals had exploded. In a confrontation with the Isolationist
, Rictor's was shown to be immune or resistant to the various powers the Isolationist manifested because of these crystals. Physical contact with Rictor reversed the villain's Colossus
-like transformation, a direct assault with Cyclops
-like optic blasts had no effect, and an Iceman
-style ice construct melted around Rictor. According to writer Peter David, these crystals have since burnt out.
Rictor is the most skilled member of X-Factor at using computers, a trait he utilized during his time with that agency to compensate when he did not have his seismic abilities.
In early comics featuring Rictor and Shatterstar
together (most notably Jeph Loeb
's X-Force), there was a persistent subtext that the two were in a relationship together. Over the 1990s
, Rictor certainly developed a close—and somewhat ambiguous—relationship with Shatterstar. Although Shatterstar was initially introduced by creator Rob Liefeld
as an asexual
killing machine, writer Peter David
reflects that the character's "prolonged exposure to humanity" changed this. X-Force writer Jeph Loeb hinted that Shatterstar had romantic feelings for Rictor and was planning on making the two a couple, but he left the title before this could happen. Though the romantic subtext between the characters was never quite explicit in Loeb's series, fans nevertheless picked up on it. Over the course of the characters' appearances, Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship would evolve from a subtext in 1990s X-Force comics to Marvel naming them one of the company's top ten supercouple
s in 2010. In 2011, writer Peter David won a GLAAD Award
for the portrayal of Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship in X-Factor.
In 2007, a joke in Peter David's X-Factor v. 3 #14 features Rictor insinuating to Madrox that he and Quicksilver
might have been romantically or sexually intimate, which he later denies only on account of Quicksilver being "evil". This was the first explicit hint of Rictor's ambiguous sexuality. With regards to this scene, as the writer continued to develop Rictor's personal relationships, David expressed the idea that:
Although creator Louise Simonson did not initially conceive of the character as being gay
or indeed non-heterosexual, canonically
, Rictor has had romances with men and women. In X-Factor v. 3, under the pen of Peter David, Rictor dated both Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane)
and Tabitha Smith (Boom Boom)
. Although in X-Factor #21 in 2007, Rictor had begun a sexual relationship with Rahne, she later left the team "under abrupt circumstances" because editorial had decided to move the character to another book. This created an opening for David to bring back Shatterstar. David was drawn to revisit Loeb's unresolved Rictor-Shatterstar romance because of fans' requests for Shatterstar to return "and to see Rictor and Shatterstar pick up where they left off." David remarks it was the storyline he got the most requests to write. Because neither character is a "household name", David was given more freedom by Marvel to interpret the characters and write the storyline as he wished; there was no trouble getting the storyline approved. David writes Rictor's embrace of his love for Shatterstar as a maturation for the character, whom he sees "fully committed to the gay lifestyle... honest about it both with others and himself."
In X-Factor #45, in 2009, Rictor kissed Shatterstar.
The two characters' first on-panel kiss became the first male-male kiss between two mainstream male superheroes in mainstream Marvel comic book history. X-Factor editor Jody Leheup knew that the kiss would make "a cool moment for the fans" but stated it had not occurred to him that it would be such an important scene to gay and straight comic fans. He also remarked on the need to not over-hype the scene as he and David "really want[ed] things like this to be seen as normal." David felt this was an interesting direction to take Rictor in, which particularly allowed the character — currently, emotionally vulnerable — to deal with the abruptness of Rahne's departure without having to have Rictor so much as break the fourth wall
and resign himself to Rahne being in another book. Shortly after X-Factor v.3 #45, Peter David confirmed Rictor's same-sex sexuality in his blog and expressed his desire to develop the relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar further. In X-Factor #210 (2010), Rictor seems to suggest he has always known deep down that he was gay and was in the closet
. Explaining Rictor's prior straight relationships, David compares him to real-life "women who eventually decided they were lesbians had involvements with men that they ultimately considered unfulfilling."
For David, the relationship opened up other avenues for character development in the series. For example, he was able to explore Strong Guy
's "liberal hypocrisy": his socially liberal personal values alongside his discomfort around gay people, in that character's reaction. Peter David expressed that he does not want the relationship to become boring by having no problems. However, he wishes to avoid killing off
either character; he opines that both characters are too well-established to fall into the pattern of killing off the more minor character to elicit angst in the more major one
. One major facet of the relationship is that this is Shatterstar's first real relationship, meaning the two men might want very different things. As David sees it, newly out bisexual Shatterstar is "like a kid in a candy store", whereas Rictor is ready to fully commit. David feels that these issues are interesting because they are new to superhero comic books; he does note, however, that the view he brings to the characters comes from the perspective of a heterosexual writer and his own personal experiences, and might not be the same as a gay writer's.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, who appears in the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
family of books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. He was created by writer Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
and artist Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
and first appeared in X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
vol.1 #17 (June 1987). In subsequent years, the character was featured as a member of the original New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
team and the original X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
team, and continued to appear in various X-Men franchise publications thereafter. In comic books published in the 1980s and 1990s, Rictor's mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
powers were to generate seismic energy and tremendously powerful vibrations in any nearby object, including inducing earthquake-like phenomena, causing objects to shatter or crumble. When the character was reintroduced in 2005, it was as one of many depowered mutants adjusting to civilian life. The character remained depowered until a 2011 comic.
Introduced in the late 1980s as a supporting character in X-Factor, Rictor appeared in Marvel comics for ten years under the pens of a number of different writers; much of his character development in this period came from Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
's run on X-Force. The character returned to publication in 2005 with the X-Factor vol.3 and has been written by Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
continually since then. Responding to fan interest in the gay subtext surrounding the character in Loeb's X-Force run, Rictor's kiss with fellow teammate Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
in the pages of X-Factor vol.3 in 2009 became the first depiction of a same-sex kiss in a mainstream Marvel Comics publication. Since then, Rictor has been written as a non-stereotypical
LGBT stereotypes
Stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are conventional, formulaic generalizations, opinions, or images about persons based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Stereotypes and homophobia are a learned outlook, i.e...
out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay man who is fully accepting of his sexual identity
Sexual identity
Sexual identity is a term that, like sex, has two distinctively different meanings. One describes an identity roughly based on sexual orientation, the other an identity based on sexual characteristics, which is not socially based but based on biology, a concept related to, but different from,...
, and one of few gay superheroes in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Publication history
Created by writer Louise SimonsonLouise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
and artist Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
, Rictor first appeared in X-Factor #17 (June 1987). Rictor was introduced in the late 1980s
1980s in comics
This article lists major events in the field of comics during the 1980s.Publications: 1980 - 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989-1982:*Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo debuts in Young Magazine.- March :...
under Louise Simonson's run on X-Factor vol. 1. X-Factor owed its early popularity to reuniting of the five original X-Men characters. As the series continued, it needed to distinguish itself from the earlier X-Men stories. New characters were introduced to the series, and Simonson's run introduced Mexican earth-manipulator Rictor as one of several young wards to the senior X-Men characters. These characters would be spun-off into their own title, Simonsons's X-Terminators
X-Terminators
The X-Terminators are fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-History:The name "X-Terminators" was originally used by X-Factor at that group's inception. The five original X-Men had founded X-Factor Investigations, and posed as normal humans purported to be an organization of mutant-hunters...
, in 1988. Simonson would later transfer Rictor to the cast of The New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
, during her run on that series, when she made sweeping changes to the existing cast and folded several of the X-Terminators into the New Mutants team.
Later, under Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
's run on The New Mutants, Rictor would abandon the team in the final scenes of The New Mutants #98 (1991). At this point in the character's history, he was popular enough to feature in Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue vol.1 #1, also in 1991. In the next issue, Liefeld introduced one of several of his "edgier" additions to the series, namely Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
, a swashbuckling warrior from another dimension. With help from writer Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
, who provided the dialogue for Liefeld’s plots, Liefeld transformed he New Mutants into X-Force in The New Mutants (vol. 1) #100, the book's final issue. Liefeld and Nicieza launched X-Force (vol. 1) in August 1991. Later in X-Force, Liefeld brought Rictor back; he appeared in X-Force #10 and joined the team in X-Force #15. Introduced to Shatterstar for the first time, Liefeld's issues — a high-octane, gritty run typical of 1990s comic book trends — would establish the characters' friendship.
After his time on X-Force, departing in X-Force #28, the character made appearances in issues of Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
, Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
, New Warriors, X-Men (vol. 2). Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
brought the character back for X-Force (vol. 1) #38, and wrote a story in X-Force (vol. 1) #43 depicting Rictor's attempts to take Shatterstar to a nightclub and try to understand humans better just prior to Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
's run, which would explore, as a subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
, the relationship between the characters mostly through subtext
Subtext
Subtext or undertone is content of a book, play, musical work, film, video game, or television series which is not announced explicitly by the characters but is implicit or becomes something understood by the observer of the work as the production unfolds. Subtext can also refer to the thoughts...
; Loeb's intention to write the characters into a relationship was not followed-up by his successors writing the character, and the romantic connection between the characters was not made explicit. The character would make periodic guest appearances until X-Force (vol. 1) #64 in 1997, which would be the character's last appearance for five years.
In 2002, the character returned in the pages of New X-Men as a member of Professor Xavier's X-Corporation
X-Corporation
The X-Corporation is a fictional institution from the X-Men comic book series by Marvel Comics. This organization was created to ensure the protection of mutant rights throughout the world due to the increasing number of mutants....
. Following the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
company crossover event
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
storyline in 2005, which saw the character lose his mutant abilities, Rictor returned to the X-Factor title with Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
's third volume of the title. X-Factor vol. 3 began with Rictor extremely depressed
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
and suicidal
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
over the loss of his powers, joining as a civilian member of Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man)
Jamie Madrox
James Arthur "Jamie" Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men...
's team of superhero detectives, X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations is a fictional detective agency created by writer Peter David for the Marvel Comics comic book series X-Factor . The agency first appears under the name XXX Investigations in the first issue of the Marvel Comics limited series Madrox #1...
. David's run would explore the character's romantic relationship with Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair)
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...
, as first visited in the Liefeld run, and later made comic book history when the character was reunited with Shatterstar in X-Factor #45 (2009), which saw the two characters kiss. Storylines since, in the renumbered X-Factor #200 and onwards, have focused on the pair's explicitly romantic and sexual relationship.
In Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6 (2011), the Scarlet Witch successfully restored Rictor's powers.
Origins: X-Factor and New Mutants (1980s)
In his introductory story in X-Factor vol.1 #17, Rictor is a captive of the anti-mutant organization called the RightRight (comics)
The Right is a fictional anti-mutant organization in the Marvel Comics universe. The group first appeared in X-Factor #17 in June 1987.-Fictional biography:...
, who connected him to a machine that amplified his already uncontrollable power of earthquake generation to wreak havoc in San Francisco. Rictor was freed by the original X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
team and was accepted by them as a trainee member. During the chaos, he was assisted by Boom Boom
Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...
, who talked him out of a severe emotional crisis. He was recaptured by the Right shortly afterwards, but was again freed by X-Factor.
Rictor and his friends spent much time living on the sentient craft named 'Ship'. This was the base for X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
whom he helped a few times. For a time, Rictor was part of the group known as the X-Terminators
X-Terminators
The X-Terminators are fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-History:The name "X-Terminators" was originally used by X-Factor at that group's inception. The five original X-Men had founded X-Factor Investigations, and posed as normal humans purported to be an organization of mutant-hunters...
. As a member of the X-Terminators, he contended with N'astirh
N'astirh
N'astirh is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics as a demonic inhabitant of Limbo. He first appeared in X-Factor #32 and was created by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove.-Fictional character biography:...
and his demons during the Inferno
Inferno (Marvel Comics)
Inferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants...
attack. The team folded into the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
after the events of Inferno.
Rictor developed romantic feelings for Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...
while on the team. Rictor and friends traveled to Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
and battled Hela
Hela (comics)
Hela is a fictional character, the Asgardian goddess of death in the Marvel Comics universe, based on the Norse goddess, Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niffleheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor...
, where he assumed a protective role over her, even helping her pass by Garm. Rictor would later face former X-Factor ally Caliban
Caliban (comics)
Caliban is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Caliban's first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #148 , written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Dave Cockrum.-Fictional character biography:...
, who had become the latest Horseman
Horsemen of Apocalypse
The Horsemen of Apocalypse is a team of fictional supervillain characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team is first mentioned in X-Factor #10 , and makes their full appearance in X-Factor #15...
of Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
known as Death, as well as Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
battling in the Morlock
Morlocks (comics)
The Morlocks are a group of several fictional comic book mutants associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. They first appeared...
tunnels under New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Rictor was severely injured by Sabretooth, but was saved by Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
and the other New Mutants. Alongside the New Mutants, he assisted Cable in fighting Stryfe and the Mutant Liberation Front
Mutant Liberation Front
The Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
.
Rictor was later captured alongside Storm, Boom Boom, Wolfsbane, and Warlock
Warlock (New Mutants)
Warlock is a fictional character, a cybernetic alien superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #18 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.-Publication history:...
by forces of the island nation Genosha
Genosha
Genosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
. Only he and Boom Boom escaped unscathed. The combined efforts of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, X-Factor, and New Mutants led to him being freed and Rictor would be instrumental in toppling the Genoshan government. During the adventure, Rictor shared a heartfelt kiss with Wolfsbane and was later heart-broken when she chose (a bit against her will) to stay behind.
After the business in Genosha, Rictor left the New Mutants with the intent to bring Wolfsbane back from Genosha. Rictor was by then convinced that Cable — from whom Stryfe had been cloned — was the man who killed his father, and he agreed to join the Canadian government's Weapon P.R.I.M.E.
Weapon P.R.I.M.E.
Weapon P.R.I.M.E. is a group of superhuman operatives acting under the authority of Canada's Department K. They became Canada's preeminent superhero team in 1994 after the demise of Alpha Flight. Their first appearance and mission was in X-Force #11-14...
team. The team's sole purpose was the apprehension of Cable, but thanks to both Cable and the New Mutants now known as X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
, this was averted.
X-Force (1990s; 2002)
Rictor came to join X-Force, and aided them in saving SunspotSunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
from Gideon
Gideon (comics)
Gideon is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza...
. Rictor and X-Force were then captured by the X-Men and X-Factor who were seeking Cable for an entirely different crime, the attempted murder of Professor X
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
. This had also been perpetrated by Stryfe. Rictor would meet up with Wolfsbane, again sharing a kiss. This ended badly, with Wolfsbane accidentally biting him. Rictor and the X-Force team were at first held captive in the X-Mansion
X-Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
, before being officially released. Alongside X-Force, he battled War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
aboard Graymalkin
Ship (comics)
The fictional A.I. entity originally known as Ship has appeared in several incarnations in the Marvel Universe. At times controlled by both the X-Men and their enemies, the sentient Ship A.I. has been at the core of a Celestial starship, two space stations, and a techno-organic being.-Ancient...
. Alongside X-Force, he rescued the captive X-Force members from Gideon and the Externals
Externals
The Externals were a fictional group of X-Men antagonists and subspecies of mutants.-Background:All of the Externals were originally portrayed as immortal and important, playing an extremely major role in the future and Apocalypse's rise to power , but eventually most were killed off. Only Selene,...
. The team used the Mansion for a time as their headquarters before leaving.
Rictor would later leave X-Force when his cousin and uncle were shot during an arms deal, only to return when his close friend Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
was undergoing an identity crisis. Shatterstar decided to accompany Rictor to the Richter home in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to try and end Rictor's family's arms-dealing business. Both characters have since appeared separately so one assumes they succeeded. These stories show scenes from young Rictor's childhood, showing how he was forced to watch his father, an arms merchant, being killed by the time-tossed villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
known as Stryfe
Stryfe
Stryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
.
After a five year absence from Marvel comic books, Rictor would appear in two issues of New X-Men in August and October 2002. As these issues reveal, Rictor is one of several mutants (amongst them other former members of X-Force) who joined Professor X's restructured X-Corporation
X-Corporation
The X-Corporation is a fictional institution from the X-Men comic book series by Marvel Comics. This organization was created to ensure the protection of mutant rights throughout the world due to the increasing number of mutants....
. X-Corporation's confrontation with Weapon XII
Huntsman (comics)
Huntsman, also known as Weapon XII, is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe and enemy of the X-Men. Huntsman first appeared in New X-Men #128 and was created by Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey.-Fictional character biography:...
was a total catastrophe, however, and led to the death of one of their members, Darkstar
Darkstar (comics)
Darkstar is a fictional character, a mutant superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She has been a member of various super-teams in her career, including X-Corporation and Champions of Los Angeles.-Fictional character biography:...
.
Powerless detective
In 2005, Marvel launched the X-Men-centric crossover limited seriesLimited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
. That storyline's climax brought a new status quo the Marvel universe, wherein most mutant characters on the planets suddenly lost their powers; stories following this so-called 'M-day' were continued under the bannerhead Decimation
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
. Rictor is one of many mutants who lost their power. His Decimation narrative thread was started in the relaunch of X-Factor v.3. This series marks the in which Rictor has had a starring role in eight years.
In the first issue of X-Factor, Rictor once again attempts suicide but is overcome by confusion and doubt. A rogue duplicate of Jamie Madrox
Jamie Madrox
James Arthur "Jamie" Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men...
nearly kills him but his life is saved by Monet St. Croix
M (comics)
M is a fictional comic book superheroine, a mutant who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics...
, a former member of Generation X
Generation X (comics)
Generation X is a fictional comic book superhero team, a spin-off of the X-Men franchise published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, the team formed during the 1994 "Phalanx Covenant" storyline, and appeared in their own monthly series in September 1994...
. After some convincing from Monet and a gentle nudge from Layla Miller
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...
, he joins X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations is a fictional detective agency created by writer Peter David for the Marvel Comics comic book series X-Factor . The agency first appears under the name XXX Investigations in the first issue of the Marvel Comics limited series Madrox #1...
under the employ of Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man. He also finds Siryn
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...
after she has been attacked and kidnapped and becomes extremely mistrustful of Layla Miller.
Marvel's 2006-2007 Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
storyline would crossover into X-Factor. When the Superhuman Registration Act is introduced, Rictor and Monet sign up willingly but side with the rest of X-Factor against the pro-registration heroes.
Continuing the storyline from House of M follow-up series Son of M
Son of M
Son of M is an American comic book limited series, a follow up to Marvel Comics' "House of M" event, starring the depowered Quicksilver. Quicksilver was one of the many mutants to lose his powers as part of the Decimation, which he was, in part, responsible for.-Background:Following his sister's...
, Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
features in X-Factor for a time. In that series, Quicksilver goes to desperate lengths to reacquire his lost mutant powers, and acquires an ability to restore the powers of other former mutants. Rictor visits Quicksilver, who takes an interest in Rictor being depowered and discusses the possibility of getting his powers back. When Madrox brings Pietro up, Rictor jokes about having had a sexual relationship with him. Madrox then makes a joking comment about making Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
jealous, causing Rictor to become flustered.
Quicksilver later manipulates Rictor, empowering him, in a plan to give other ex-mutants their powers. Unfortunately the process is unstable and several of these ex-mutants explode. Rictor confronts Quicksilver again, ending up with Rictor apparently depowered one more time and the mutagenic Terrigen Crystals
Terrigen Mist
The Terrigen Mist is a fictional substance from the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the stories of the Inhumans, a fictional race of super-humans...
in Quicksilver's body destroyed. Afterwards, Wolfsbane and a distraught Rictor share a sexual encounter, but this new aspect of their relationship is marred by multiple arguments. During that time Rictor had several Terrigen Crystals embedded in his back (the remnants from the exploding crystals from Quicksilver), which helped him to defeat Josef Huber
Isolationist (comics)
The Isolationist is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, created by Peter David and Pablo Raimondi. The character's first appearance was in X-Factor vol. 1, #89 on a single page, but his story wasn't continued until X-Factor vol...
.
During the X-Men: Messiah Complex
X-Men: Messiah Complex
"Messiah Complex" is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics from October 2007 to January 2008, which ran through the various X-Men books....
crossover storyline, Rictor is asked to infiltrate the Purifiers
Purifiers
The Purifiers, also known as the Stryker Crusade, are a fictional paramilitary/terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe and enemies of the X-Men...
, as he is still depowered. In an effort to gain the trust of the Purifiers, he, as planned with X-Men, saves them from an attack from Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...
. Rictor then informs the X-Men that the Purifiers' base extends beyond New York and all over America. He also catches the New X-Men
New X-Men
New X-Men was a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics within the X-Men franchise. After the end of Grant Morrison's run on X-Men , titled New X-Men, the title was used for a new series, New X-Men: Academy X, serving as a continuation of the second volume of New Mutants...
sneaking around in the Purifier base and when they are ambushed by the Reavers
Reavers (comics)
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe the Reavers are a team of criminal cyborgs. The most significant team of Reavers were dedicated to the destruction of the mutant X-Men, and a number of them especially wanted to take revenge on one particular X-Man, Wolverine. The name was originally used by...
, he helps Pixie to focus while using a teleportation spell.
As part of the X-Men: Divided We Stand
X-Men: Divided We Stand
"X-Men: Divided We Stand" is a 2008 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics as a follow-up storyline to the "Messiah Complex" story arc. The story started with the issues of the X-Men-related titles cover dated April 2008. This included: The Uncanny X-Men; Wolverine vol. 3; X-Factor vol. 3;...
crossover storyline, while walking down the street, he sees a prostitute who looks just like Layla. When he tries to follow her thinking she is Layla, he gets into a fight with an ex-mutant with horns in his head. He kicks him in the crotch and eventually gets into a fight with the prostitute's pimps until Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
steps in. He is later escorted to the hospital where he learns that a lot of fights have been breaking out all over Mutant Town
District X
District X, also known as Mutant Town or the Middle East Side, is a fictional location in Marvel Comics. It is a neighborhood in New York City, first seen during Grant Morrison's run on the series New X-Men in New X-Men #127, which was primarily populated by mutants...
. He is the last to learn that Rahne has left and ends up captured by Arcade
Arcade (comics)
Arcade is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Arcade first appeared in Marvel Team-Up, vol...
when he tries to leave X-Factor. He eventually frees himself and finds that the person who hired Arcade is Taylor, the Purifier who he tricked into letting him into their organization. He later relocates with the rest of X-Factor to Detroit.
In the pages of X-Factor v. 3, After finding out a dupe of Madrox's has been living in New England as a priest, Rictor and Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
take a road trip to visit him, hoping to find out where Madrox had disappeared to. While traveling, Rictor brushes off Guido's questions of his mental state, but acknowledges his reaction to Madrox's absorption of his baby may not have been the greatest. The two question Father Maddox on Jamie's disappearance, but in the middle of this, a masked man crashes through the window, swords pointed toward Rictor. Guido manages to grab the attacker and pull off his mask before being thrown out the window, revealing the masked man to be a possessed Shatterstar. After a brief fight, Shatterstar is broken out of his trance-like state. Upon recognizing Rictor, the two grab one another and finally share a kiss.
Powers restored
In the 2010-2011 miniseries Avengers: The Children's Crusade, a fully restored Scarlet Witch is asked if she would re-power former mutants. The group invites X-Factor Investigation and ask them to bring former mutants who wish to be re-powered. X-Factor refuses, but Rictor volunteers. During the process, the building shakes, nearly bringing it down on top of them. Jamie blames Wanda, but Rictor replies "It wasn't her... It was me. That tremor was me."Powers and abilities
In his early appearances, Rictor is a mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
capable of generating and releasing seismic energy and tremendously powerful waves of vibrations in any nearby object, causing objects to shatter or crumble. When used against objects with a larger surface, the effects are much like an earthquake. Rictor's powers appear to affect organic objects in much the same way as inorganic ones; he is depicted using them to explode a cactus plant in X-Force #25. Rictor himself is immune to the harmful effects of the vibrations he creates. He has expressed reluctance to use his powers in tectonically unstable areas, for fear that he could not control the effects, as when he visited the fictional island of Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
, which is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire
Pacific Ring of Fire
The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements...
, in New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
#93 (September 1990).
In New X-Men #128 Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
also states that Rictor has some kind of telepathic defense against Weapon XII's infestation.
In issue #1 of the 2005 relaunch of X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
#1, he is depicted as suicidal, lamenting the loss of his power after M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
. During the series he talks about how he had some sort of empathic connection with the earth itself and misses it.
Rictor's body briefly had Terrigen Crystals embedded in his back, small fragments left over from when Quicksilver's crystals had exploded. In a confrontation with the Isolationist
Isolationist (comics)
The Isolationist is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, created by Peter David and Pablo Raimondi. The character's first appearance was in X-Factor vol. 1, #89 on a single page, but his story wasn't continued until X-Factor vol...
, Rictor's was shown to be immune or resistant to the various powers the Isolationist manifested because of these crystals. Physical contact with Rictor reversed the villain's Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
-like transformation, a direct assault with Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
-like optic blasts had no effect, and an Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
-style ice construct melted around Rictor. According to writer Peter David, these crystals have since burnt out.
Rictor is the most skilled member of X-Factor at using computers, a trait he utilized during his time with that agency to compensate when he did not have his seismic abilities.
Sexual orientation
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
together (most notably Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
's X-Force), there was a persistent subtext that the two were in a relationship together. Over the 1990s
1990s in comics
See also:1980s in comics,other events of the 1990s,2000s in comics and thelist of years in comicsPublications: 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999-1992:See also: 1992 in comics...
, Rictor certainly developed a close—and somewhat ambiguous—relationship with Shatterstar. Although Shatterstar was initially introduced by creator Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
as an asexual
Asexuality
Asexuality , in its broadest sense, is the lack of sexual attraction and, in some cases, the lack of interest in sex. Sometimes, it is considered a lack of a sexual orientation...
killing machine, writer Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
reflects that the character's "prolonged exposure to humanity" changed this. X-Force writer Jeph Loeb hinted that Shatterstar had romantic feelings for Rictor and was planning on making the two a couple, but he left the title before this could happen. Though the romantic subtext between the characters was never quite explicit in Loeb's series, fans nevertheless picked up on it. Over the course of the characters' appearances, Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship would evolve from a subtext in 1990s X-Force comics to Marvel naming them one of the company's top ten supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
s in 2010. In 2011, writer Peter David won a GLAAD Award
GLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
for the portrayal of Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship in X-Factor.
In 2007, a joke in Peter David's X-Factor v. 3 #14 features Rictor insinuating to Madrox that he and Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
might have been romantically or sexually intimate, which he later denies only on account of Quicksilver being "evil". This was the first explicit hint of Rictor's ambiguous sexuality. With regards to this scene, as the writer continued to develop Rictor's personal relationships, David expressed the idea that:
Although creator Louise Simonson did not initially conceive of the character as being gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
or indeed non-heterosexual, canonically
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, Rictor has had romances with men and women. In X-Factor v. 3, under the pen of Peter David, Rictor dated both Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane)
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...
and Tabitha Smith (Boom Boom)
Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...
. Although in X-Factor #21 in 2007, Rictor had begun a sexual relationship with Rahne, she later left the team "under abrupt circumstances" because editorial had decided to move the character to another book. This created an opening for David to bring back Shatterstar. David was drawn to revisit Loeb's unresolved Rictor-Shatterstar romance because of fans' requests for Shatterstar to return "and to see Rictor and Shatterstar pick up where they left off." David remarks it was the storyline he got the most requests to write. Because neither character is a "household name", David was given more freedom by Marvel to interpret the characters and write the storyline as he wished; there was no trouble getting the storyline approved. David writes Rictor's embrace of his love for Shatterstar as a maturation for the character, whom he sees "fully committed to the gay lifestyle... honest about it both with others and himself."
In X-Factor #45, in 2009, Rictor kissed Shatterstar.
The two characters' first on-panel kiss became the first male-male kiss between two mainstream male superheroes in mainstream Marvel comic book history. X-Factor editor Jody Leheup knew that the kiss would make "a cool moment for the fans" but stated it had not occurred to him that it would be such an important scene to gay and straight comic fans. He also remarked on the need to not over-hype the scene as he and David "really want[ed] things like this to be seen as normal." David felt this was an interesting direction to take Rictor in, which particularly allowed the character — currently, emotionally vulnerable — to deal with the abruptness of Rahne's departure without having to have Rictor so much as break the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
and resign himself to Rahne being in another book. Shortly after X-Factor v.3 #45, Peter David confirmed Rictor's same-sex sexuality in his blog and expressed his desire to develop the relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar further. In X-Factor #210 (2010), Rictor seems to suggest he has always known deep down that he was gay and was in the closet
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
. Explaining Rictor's prior straight relationships, David compares him to real-life "women who eventually decided they were lesbians had involvements with men that they ultimately considered unfulfilling."
For David, the relationship opened up other avenues for character development in the series. For example, he was able to explore Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
's "liberal hypocrisy": his socially liberal personal values alongside his discomfort around gay people, in that character's reaction. Peter David expressed that he does not want the relationship to become boring by having no problems. However, he wishes to avoid killing off
Kill off
The killing off of a character is a device in fiction, whereby a major character dies but the story continues. The term, frequently applied to television, film and chronological series, often denotes an untimely or unexpected death motivated by factors beyond the storyline...
either character; he opines that both characters are too well-established to fall into the pattern of killing off the more minor character to elicit angst in the more major one
Women in Refrigerators
Women in Refrigerators is a website that was created in 1999 by a group of comic book fans. The website features a list of female comic book characters that had been injured, killed, or depowered as a plot device within various superhero comic books...
. One major facet of the relationship is that this is Shatterstar's first real relationship, meaning the two men might want very different things. As David sees it, newly out bisexual Shatterstar is "like a kid in a candy store", whereas Rictor is ready to fully commit. David feels that these issues are interesting because they are new to superhero comic books; he does note, however, that the view he brings to the characters comes from the perspective of a heterosexual writer and his own personal experiences, and might not be the same as a gay writer's.