Sunspot (Roberto "Bobby" da Costa) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups, the New Mutants and X-Force. Classified as a mutant, Sunspot possesses the ability to absorb and channel solar power into physical strength. His personality is idealistic and impulsive, but despite this he is considered a close friend by many of his teammates. He is initially portrayed as an important member of the X-Men's 1980s-era junior team and its reincarnation X-Force. He later retires as Sunspot and garners a massive fortune that allows him to buy out the Advanced Idea Mechanics organization, which he re-brands to Avengers Idea Mechanics. He then operates under the code name Citizen V. Adan Canto portrayed the character in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Henry Zaga portrayed the character at a younger age in The New Mutants. Gui Agustini voices the character in X-Men '97.
Publication history
The character of Sunspot was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod. The hero first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants (September 1982). Immediately after this appearance, the character became part of the regular cast of The New Mutants, as part of the titular super group. Sunspot is one of the first Latin American superheroes in mainstream US comics. He is the second Brazilian superhero, after Green Fury (DC). He was a member of the Avengers in the 2012 relaunch of the Avengers title. Sunspot is one of the main characters in the U.S.Avengers series.
Fictional character biography
Origin Sunspot, or Roberto da Costa, is an Afro-Brazilian, the son of wealthy Afro-Brazilian businessman Emmanuel da Costa and white American archaeologist Nina da Costa. In The New Mutants #7, his father is described as a very driven man, who "grew up [...] a barefoot houseboy", was "by age 20 [...] a millionaire [and] by 30, an economic and political force to be reckoned with." Emmanuel constantly pushes his son to reach for both his physical and intellectual peaks. Thanks to his father's encouragement, Roberto rises to the position of star soccer player at school and is considered by recruiters for the Olympic Games. When Roberto is playing a soccer game with his team, members of the opposing team assault him while hurling racialized insults at Roberto and his father for being black. While taking a brutal beating, his mutant powers manifest, suddenly transforming him into a creature of solid black solar energy. Surprised and terrified, everyone abandons the stadium except for his girlfriend, Juliana.
New Mutants
Soon after Roberto discovers his powers, a mutant-hating faction of mercenaries led by Donald Pierce, called the Hellfire Club, kidnap Juliana and use her as bait to lure Roberto into a trap. He engages the kidnappers, but is eventually defeated when the solar power he absorbed runs out. Professor Xavier hears about Pierce's evil plan and sends two young mutants called Karma and Psyche to rescue Roberto. During the following battle, Juliana sacrifices her life for Roberto, jumping in front of a bullet meant for him. Roberto joins Karma and Psyche in pursuit of Pierce. The three are joined by Wolfsbane, and after the battle by Sam Guthrie (Cannonball), one of Pierce's misguided mutant hirelings, despite initial reservations from the others. Professor Xavier offers to train the five teenagers to control their new mutant powers. They accept the offer and become the founding members of the New Mutants, a group of junior X-Men. Although Professor X's intentions are for them to only be students, over the course of the New Mutants series, they grow into superheroes and travel to space, Asgard, and the Amazon, as well as the past and the future. During Roberto's tenure with the New Mutants, he and Sam become best friends.
X-Force When the time travelling antihero Cable takes over the New Mutants and turns them into the paramilitary group X-Force, Sunspot parts ways with the team. During this time, Sunspot is tutored by Gideon of the Externals, an old business partner of Emmanuel da Costa (who has since died), who suspects Sunspot to be a fellow External. Gideon experiments on Sunspot, granting him new powers such as flight and the ability to fire blasts of solar energy. Sunspot becomes lost in the spacetime continuum after interfering with the teleportation powers of Locus.
Reignfire
The villain Reignfire first appears before Sunspot's disappearance and assumes command of the Mutant Liberation Front. Dani Moonstar, who has infiltrated the MLF, sees Reignfire without his mask and believes him to be Sunspot. During a battle with X-Force, Reignfire removes his mask to reveal himself as Sunspot. Cable 'heals' Sunspot of Reignfire's persona, giving him knowledge of the Askani's language and meditation techniques. It is later revealed that Reignfire is actually a protoplasmic entity who was injected with Sunspot's blood. Reignfire is defeated when Sunspot removes his powers, reducing him to his original protoplasmic state.
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