Cannonball (Marvel Comics)
Cannonball | |
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Notable aliases | Samson Guthry |
Abilities |
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Cannonball (Samuel Zachary Guthrie) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in The New Mutants (Sept. 1982).
Cannonball is a
Charlie Heaton portrayed Sam Guthrie in the 2020 film The New Mutants (2020).
Publication history
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2019) |
Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in The New Mutants graphic novel (September 1982) as a member of the titular super-group.[1] McLeod later commented, "I always liked Cannonball the best [of the New Mutants]. I tried to give all the mutants distinct body types and characteristics, and with his big ears and lanky frame, he was just the most fun to draw."[2]
After a guest appearance in The Uncanny X-Men # 167, the character appeared regularly in the title The New Mutants from its first issue to its hundredth issue (1983–1991), and continued to appear in its replacement title X-Force (1991). In X-Force # 44 (1995), Cannonball leaves X-Force to join the X-Men, appearing regularly in X-Men #48–89 and The Uncanny X-Men #323–355 (1995–1998). He rejoins his friends in X-Force while on an extended road trip in X-Force # 86 (1998), and stays with the team through issue # 117 (2001), after which the title changes drastically, taken over by the team later to be known as X-Statix.
Cannonball next appears as a member of the X-Corporation in New X-Men #128, 130, 131 and 140 (2002–2003), and then rejoins the X-Men in a splinter team led by Storm in
In 2009, New Mutants was relaunched in its third volume, penned by
Cannonball would be featured during Second Coming in the X-Men: Hellbound miniseries #1–3 (2010), leading the team of
In the
Cannonball and Sunspot were asked by
He later rejoined the X-Men in The Uncanny X-Men vol. 5 #1 (2018) and remains in regular publication in that title.
Fictional character biography
This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. |
Origin
Sam Guthrie was born in Cumberland, Kentucky. As a young boy, he attempted to help out his family by working in the coal mine in which his father had worked before he died. One day, Sam finds himself trapped in a collapsing mine shaft. While trying to rescue his fellow worker, Mr. Lewis, from a collapsing mine shaft, his mutant ability unconsciously manifests and saves the two. Sam is soon hired by Donald Pierce of the Hellfire Club to help attack the New Mutants. When Pierce orders Sam to kill the defeated New Mutants, Sam rebels against him, and Charles Xavier asks Sam to join the New Mutants, which he does under the alias "Cannonball".[4]
New Mutants
As part of the New Mutants, Cannonball becomes close friends with his teammate
Cannonball and
The
Wolfsbane, Warlock, Rictor, and Tabitha are kidnapped from the grounds of the X-Mansion by Genoshan forces under the control of Cameron Hodge. Warlock is murdered by Hodge in an attempt to get his powers. Sam joins the X-Men on a rescue mission and Genosha's government is toppled. Rahne stays behind to help the fellow victims of Genosha's regime.[9]
X-Force
Cannonball and the other New Mutants leave the X-Men's supervision
Sam's time in X-Force is not easy, as he is considered 'out of line' by the X-Men and X-Force are considered outright criminals by
X-Men
Sam later joins the X-Men.[18] Initially, he is excited, but begins to doubt his abilities. He faces these when he battles the Shi'ar Gladiator[19] to a standstill.
Cannonball finds his relationship with Tabitha strained, and she turns to Sam's best friend, Sunspot, for "support".[20] Sam leaves the X-Men to help his ailing mother.[21] During his time with the X-Men, he also infiltrates the presidential campaign of anti-mutant candidate Graydon Creed, using the alias "Samson Guthry".[22] Despite the rather transparent alias, Sam is able to remain undetected until Creed is assassinated on the eve of the election.[23]
Cannonball rejoins X-Force, now operating in San Francisco,[24] and becomes team leader after Siryn is injured.[25] Cable has left, but the team find a new mentor in Pete Wisdom, who introduces the team to the world of espionage.[26] Sam and Tabitha get back together.[volume & issue needed] After Wisdom's alleged death,[27] Sam leads the team again and attempts to continue Wisdom's crusade.[28] Eventually, Sam and the other members of X-Force have to fake their deaths.[29]
Back to basics
Sam has once more joined the active roster of the X-Men, whose team is co-led by
Rogue's team
Cannonball serves on Rogue's team of X-Men.[31] After the team fights the Hecatomb and Rogue suffers a severe mental injury, the team decide to rest in Rogue's childhood home, but are attacked by the Marauders, who are on a mission to retrieve Destiny's Diaries. Emma Frost (who was trying to help Rogue) is disabled by a neurotoxin, but uploads everything she got from the edges of the Marauders' psi-shielding into Sam's mind and takes limited possession over his body.[volume & issue needed] Aboard the Blackbird, the two are engaged in midair by Sunfire, who cripples the jet. Cannonball manages to escape and battle Shiro, who reveals that he killed Cable. Cannonball shakes it off, explaining that it "wouldn't matter who told me that, ah'd still be sayin' 'show me the body.'"
Cannonball and Iceman attempt to recover the Destiny Diaries, which are hidden in a dilapidated brewery.
Divided We Stand
After Cyclops disbands the X-Men, Cannonball goes home. His sister Paige picks him up at the airport, extremely happy to have him back, but Sam is moody and withdrawn, and after she confronts him about his mood he angrily blasts off into the sky saying he should have never come home.[34]
Manifest Destiny
Sam is soon called by Cyclops, informing him that the X-Men are reforming in San Francisco, and he agrees to join the new team. He arrives in San Francisco as Magneto is attacking the city with a group of antique Sentinels. Sam manages to plow into Magneto, disarming his artificial magnetism suit, and giving the X-Men the upper hand in the battle. However, Magneto still manages to escape.[35] He is later seen at a bar with Karma and Dani Moonstar, where he reveals himself to be disillusioned by the idea of changing the world and instead is content with making sure no one else dies the way his brother Jay did. He is called upon to help deal with Empath.[36]
Reforming the New Mutants
After receiving an anonymous tip in Colorado about a young mutant endangering a small town, Dani and Shan are sent to investigate and calm the locals. During their mission, Magik reappears back at the X-Men's base in San Francisco after teleporting off into the future after the events of "X-Infernus". Upon her return, she informs Sam and Roberto that Shan and Dani are in trouble and it will result in their deaths. Cannonball, Sunspot, Magma and Magik go to find them. They eventually find an unconscious Shan and are tricked into freeing Legion.[37]
The personalities in Legion's mind want to kill Dani because she can help Legion get them under control. Legion locates Dani in a jail cell and is about to kill her when Sam stops him. Dani tells Sam to let her out but Sam refuses, saying she'll be safer in the cell since she does not have her powers anymore. Sam and Roberto go off to fight Legion leaving Dani behind. Unbeknownst to them, one of Legion's personalities has the ability to project himself and is stalling them while he prepares to kill Dani only to be stopped by Magik and Magma. They free Dani as Legion retreats, Sam apologizes but gets punched in the face by an angry Dani. When asked where she's going Dani replies "to make myself useful"; she returns brandishing numerous firearms and tells the others that they're going after Legion.[38] However Sam tells Dani to go, she is not a mutant anymore and to stop pretending she is because one of the most powerful mutants on earth wants her dead. Dani, upset gets into a van and drives away only to turn back minutes later after Sam and the rest of the New Mutants are badly beaten. After Legion is caught, Sam tries to apologize but Dani limps away, ignoring him. Sam confesses to Cyclops he feels as if he has messed up but Cyclops congratulates him on keeping everyone alive and that's all that matters.[39]
In the aftermath of Utopia, Scott reveals to Dani that Sam did not pick her for his team, making her very upset and angry. The two fight and come to an understanding and Sam allows Dani on the team.
Regenesis
Wolverine hires him to work at his new school. Cannonball teaches a course in flying; those who have no natural flying abilities use jetpacks. Samuel takes time to check in with his sister Husk, who works for the school full-time, and is worried about her mental state.[41]
As part of the
U.S.Avengers
Cannonball becomes a member of the
During the "Opening Salvo" part of the
While the team travels through space, Cannonball is introduced to the townspeople by Ritchie Redwood, ruler of the planet, and, upon discovering the people's troublesome behavior, tries to escape only to be defeated and captured. Awakening in a dungeon, Cannonball meets other prisoners, including a teen named Bugface.[50] Cannonball stages a prison break and they head out to overthrow Ritchie. During the fight, Smasher and the U.S.Avengers arrive to help. After Ritchie and his army are sent to prison, the heroes head back home.[51]
Powers and abilities
Cannonball is a mutant who possesses the ability to bodily generate thermo-chemical energy and release it from his skin. This energy is used as thrust to cause his body to be propelled through the air like a rocket, at great heights and speeds with considerable maneuverability. He can control his speed and direction through sheer act of will. At first, he could only release this energy from his feet and legs, but now he can fire it from almost any part of his body, to a wide variety of effects. This energy also manifests itself as an impenetrable and virtually indestructible "blast field" that protects him from bodily harm. He can use this blast-field for the following effects: to function as a personal shield or extending it to encompass others, to shape the field around another person to imprison them, or to absorb outside kinetic impact into his own energy supply, enabling him to increase the bludgeoning power of his blows or to create explosive shock waves upon impact.
His power levels have varied over the years – but at his peak, he has been able to absorb (and redirect) the force of one of Gladiator's punches.[52]
He may also be a member of the immortal mutant group the Externals, due to his apparent ability to return to life after death.[53]
Reception
- In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Cannonball 42nd in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[54]
- In 2018, CBR.com ranked Cannonball 11th in their "20 Most Powerful Mutants From The '80s" list.[55]
- In 2018, CBR.com ranked Cannonball 16th in their "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members" list.[56]
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In the
Age of X
In the Age of X reality, Cannonball and Husk are shown breaking mutants out of prison and slaying the mutant hunters.[volume & issue needed] They are then approached by Magneto and his team of X-Men to join up with them.[volume & issue needed]
Days of Future Past
During a fight with
Year 2043
In the ongoing
House of M
Cannonball had no
Last Avengers Story
In an alternate future, Hank Pym recruits Cannonball to be part of a new Avengers, to fight Ultron and Kang. In the climactic battle, Kang murders Guthrie with a shot to the head.[61]
Marvel Zombies
In Ultimate Fantastic Four #23, Sam, wearing his yellow and black New Mutants uniform, is one of the dozens of zombies endangering a small trio of humans,
Mutant X
In the Mutant X universe, Sam was drawn as a very overweight mutant while his sister had an ugly appearance. The two would constantly insult one another. Due to his increased weight, Sam could not stay in Cannonball mode for long. The two worked with Wolfsbane, Sunspot, and Jubilee as the 'Marauders', a murderous band of thieves based in the sewers.[62]
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate universe, Cannonball is a member of Emma Frost's Academy of Tomorrow, a somewhat more pacifistic alternative to the X-Men. He is the newest member.[volume & issue needed]
When fellow student
What If?
In
In other media
Television
- Cannonball appears in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode "Hidden Agenda", voiced by Adrian Egan.[citation needed]
- Cannonball appears in X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Bill Switzer.[citation needed] This version is a member of the X-Men's junior team, the New Mutants.
Film
Samuel "Sam" Guthrie appears in The New Mutants, portrayed by Charlie Heaton.[67] This version accidentally killed his father, along with a group of miners.
Video games
- Cannonball appears in the PSP version of X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.[citation needed] This version's powers revolve around a "blast shield".
- Cannonball appears as an unlockable character in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.[citation needed]
Miscellaneous
Cannonball appears in the novelization of
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^ Buchanan, Bruce (August 2008). "The New Mutants: From Superhero Spin-Off to Sci-Fi/Fantasy". Back Issue! (#29): 63.
- ^ "Marvel Gets Patriotic with "U.S.Avengers" Series from Ewing & Medina". comicbookresources.com. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants
- ^ The New Mutants Annual #1 (November 1984)
- ^ The New Mutants #37
- ^ The New Mutants #38–39
- ^ The New Mutants #40
- ^ The New Mutants #95–97
- ^ The New Mutants #100
- ^ X-Force #1
- ^ X-Force #7 (February 1992)
- ^ X-Force #9 (April 1992)
- ^ a b X-Force #10
- ^ X-Force #32
- ^ X-Force #20
- ^ X-Factor #106, X-Force #38, Excalibur #82
- ^ X-Force #44
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #341
- ^ X-Force #75
- ^ X-Men #79
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #338
- ^ X-Factor #130
- ^ X-Force #84
- ^ X-Force #93
- ^ X-Force #94–95
- ^ X-Force #105
- ^ X-Force #109
- ^ X-Force #115
- ^ X-Force vol. 2 #1–6
- ^ X-Men #188
- ^ X-Men #203
- ^ X-Men #207
- ^ X-Men: Divided We Stand #1 (2008)
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #500
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #503
- ^ New Mutants vol. 3 #1
- ^ New Mutants vol. 3 #3
- ^ New Mutants vol. 3 #4
- ^ New Mutants vol. 3 #5
- ^ Wolverine and the X-Men #9 (June 2012)
- ^ Avengers vol. 5 #1 (2013)
- ^ Avengers vol. 5 #35 (September 2014)
- ^ U.S.Avengers #1–3
- ^ U.S.Avengers #5
- ^ U.S.Avengers #6–7
- ^ U.S.Avengers #8
- ^ U.S.Avengers #9
- ^ U.S.Avengers #10
- ^ U.S.Avengers #11
- ^ U.S.Avengers #12
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #341 (February 1997)
- ^ X-Force #9 (July 1993)
- ^ June 09, Darren Franich Updated; EDT, 2022 at 12:31 PM. "Let's rank every X-Man ever". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ C. B. R. Staff (2018-09-02). "Fast Times At Mutant High: The 20 Most Powerful Mutants From The '80s". CBR. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ Wyse, Alex (2018-04-11). "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members Ranked From Weakest To Strongest". CBR. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ Factor X #4
- ^ New Mutants Vol.1 #47
- ^ New Mutants Vol.1 #48 and #50
- ^ Cable vol. 2 #4
- ^ The Last Avengers Story #1–2 (November 1995)
- ^ Mutant X #26–27 (December 2000)
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #62
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #63
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #100 (March 18, 2009)
- ^ What If... vol. 2 #12 (April 1990)
- ^ Kit, Borys (June 2, 2017). "Fox's 'New Mutants' Casts Newcomer Blu Hunt in Danielle Moonstar Role (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 2, 2017.