Rusty Collins

Russell "Rusty" Collins, formerly known as Firefist, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Russell Collins
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceX-Factor #1 (February 1986)
Created byBob Layton
Jackson Guice
In-story information
Alter egoRussell "Rusty" Collins
SpeciesHuman mutant
Team affiliationsAcolytes
Mutant Liberation Front
New Mutants
X-Terminators
X-Factor
United States Navy
Notable aliasesFirefist
Abilities"Pyromorphing" (Pyric Form or Fiery Form), Pyrokinesis

Firefist was portrayed in the 2018 film Deadpool 2, by actor Julian Dennison.

Publication history

Created by Bob Layton and Jackson Guice, Rusty Collins first appeared in X-Factor #1 (February 1986).[1]

Fictional character biography

Rusty Collins was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Raised by his uncle, Rusty joins the US Navy at sixteen years of age. His mutant power, generation of fire, manifests itself violently, burning a woman. Rusty is arrested, but when a prison guard playfully threatens him with deadly harm, he bursts into flames again and escapes.[2]

X-Factor is alerted and comes to Rusty's aid, helping him to control his powers. He comes to live with X-Factor,[2] who are slowly gathering a small team of mutant wards. Rusty forms a relationship with Skids, a former Morlock.[3]

For a time, they all live upon Ship, a sentient being in the form of a long, rectangular spacecraft that towered over all other Manhattan skyscrapers. Rusty and the X-Terminators help X-Factor when an old booby-trap activates, threatening Ship's brain with a gigantic bomb. Ultimately, the bomb explodes harmlessly far above Manhattan.[4]

"Inferno"

During the 1989 "Inferno" storyline, Skids and the other wards, taking the name X-Terminators, the name their mentors used when traveling in their mutant guises, teamed up with the New Mutants to help rescue mutant babies from N'astirh, who was using them to help keep open a portal to Limbo.[5] Rusty himself had gone back into custody at the Navy but willingly goes with the group when he realizes his younger friends, Leech and Artie Maddicks have been captured by demonic forces.[6] At the conclusion of Inferno, with Artie, Leech and the even younger kidnapped children involved rescued from the demons, Rusty joins the New Mutants, along with Skids, Rictor and Boom Boom.[7]

Rusty and Skids help out when long time New Mutants member Danielle Moonstar loses control of her mystical powers. During the incident they are separated from the rest of the group. Mystique's Freedom Force attacks them at Liberty Island. Part of this conflict involves the ultimate fate of the children Rusty helped rescue; he believes that Freedom Force had wrongfully taken them into custody.[8]

Due to a fight with Nitro and Vulture, Rusty is brought back into the sights of Freedom Force. While attempting to escape, he was severely injured by the Blob.[9] While recovering in the hospital, he and Skids were contacted by members of the Mutant Liberation Front. With soldiers opening fire on them, they felt there was no other choice than to join them.[10]

Brainwashed

Shortly after, Rusty and Skids were brainwashed by Stryfe into being two of his soldiers. During this, Rusty is part of an MLF strike team sent to a museum to steal an ancient artifact. Cable, the man who took over the New Mutants soon after Rusty left, is there. Cable slays MLF member Sumo. He attempts to kill the rest of the group but only gets two of them in the arm, Rusty included.[11]

Due to the brainwashing, Rusty had no qualms about attacking former teammate Cannonball during the X-Cutioner's Song storyline.[12] At the end of this story, the Mutant Liberation Front are turned over to the authorities.

Shortly after, Rusty and Skids were kidnapped by the Friends of Humanity. While being transported, X-Force (the team created by the former members of the New Mutants), rescued them.[13] Arriving back to their base, X-Force was soon confronted by Exodus. He was inviting original New Mutants Cannonball and Sunspot to Avalon, a "safe haven" for selected mutants. Cannonball refused to go unless all former New Mutants present (Boom Boom, Rictor, Rusty and Skids) were invited also. While Exodus complained that Rusty and Skids were "damaged" due to their brainwashing, he finally acquiesced.[14]

Upon arriving at Avalon, the mutants were taken to "the Savior" (in reality Magneto), who used his powers to undo the brainwashing done to Rusty and Skids. When X-Force arrived to save their friends, Rusty and Skids decided they would stay with Magneto, feeling that they owed him. With this being done, they joined the Acolytes.[14]

When a mutant body belonging to Holocaust, a "survivor" from the Age of Apocalypse, was discovered floating in space near Avalon, it was brought on board. While on guard duty watching over the thought-to-be frozen body, Rusty's life force was drained by Holocaust, killing him.[15]

Return

Rusty is resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene's army of deceased mutants. Under the control of Selene and Eli Bard, he takes part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia.[16]

Powers and abilities

Rusty Collins is a mutant with the psionic ability of pyrokinesis. He can control and manipulate fire, as well as turn some or all of his body into flames. He is immune to the effects fire would otherwise normally have on his body.

In other media

Television

A younger version of Rusty Collins appeared in the X-Men animated series episode "No Mutant is an Island". This version is an orphan living in Nebraska who has difficulty controlling his pyrokinetic powers until a telepathic mutant named Killgrave offers to help. After adopting him, Killgrave attempts to use Rusty, among other mutants, to become Nebraska's governor. However, his plan is foiled by Cyclops, who manages to snap Rusty and the others out of Killgrave's hypnotic brainwashing.

Film

Russell Collins / Firefist appears in the live-action film Deadpool 2, portrayed primarily by Julian Dennison, with Sala Baker portraying an older version from a post-apocalyptic future. This version is a New Zealand youth who was tortured at the "Essex School" along with other mutant children. After killing his primary tormentor, the school's headmaster, he becomes fascinated with killing and goes on to kill Cable's family in the future. When Cable travels back in time to kill a young Russell and avert his family's deaths, Deadpool is charged with protecting the youth and ensuring he does not become a killer.

References
  1. DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. X-Factor #1 (February 1986)
  3. X-Factor #16 (May 1987)
  4. X-Factor #28 (May 1988)
  5. X-Terminators #1-4 (October 1988-January 1989), The New Mutants #72-73 (February–March 1989). Marvel Comics.
  6. X-Terminators #1 (October 1988). Marvel Comics.
  7. The New Mutants #76 (June 1989). Marvel Comics.
  8. New Mutants #80. Marvel Comics.
  9. New Mutants #86 (February 1990)
  10. The New Mutants #87 (March 1990). Marvel Comics.
  11. Cable: Blood and Metal #1 (October 1992)
  12. X-Men vol. 2 #15 (December 1992)
  13. X-Force #24 (July 1993)
  14. X-Force #25 (August 1993)
  15. X-Men vol. 2 #42 (July 1995)
  16. X-Force (3rd Series) #21, January 2010
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