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- This is an article about a Marvel Comics character. For other uses of the word, see Pyro.
Pyro (St. John (pronounced "Syngeon") Allerdyce) was a Marvel Comics supervillain and an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981).
Character History
Born in Sydney, Australia, Pyro's mutant power to manipulate flame emerged in his teens, but he was unable to find a practical use for his ability. After years of working in Southeast Asia as a journalist and novelist, Pyro met the mutant Mystique, who later recruited him to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Though he never served under the team's original leader, Magneto, Pyro did work with the Brotherhood under the command of several of Magneto's subordinates who alternately supervised the group. Mystique's Brotherhood later offered its services to the United States government in exchange for protection and an official pardon for its crimes, and was renamed Freedom Force.
Some years later, Pyro contracted the Legacy Virus, a fatal disease affecting mainly mutants. He went to great lengths to find a cure, several times at the expense of others, but was unsuccessful in his search and succumbed to the virus just after saving Senator Robert Kelly from a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Unfortunately, the Senator was shot and killed soon after by a human-supremacist.
Pyro later played a prominent role as one of the rulers of Australia in the House of M reality, due to the machinations of the Scarlet Witch. Since reality returned to normal, however, he has been confirmed once again as deceased.
Powers and abilities
Pyro's power is the psionic ability to manipulate flame by shaping it as he desires, increasing or decreasing its heat, intensity, and size. He cannot actually create fire himself, however, and consequently wears a costume with a built-in flame-thrower (in the first two films the teenage Pyro simply carries a small Zippo lighter with him at all times, though in The Last Stand he gains a flame thrower device attached to his arm). He can psionically manipulate the flame to do whatever he desires, and sometimes induces it to take semi-solid form as an animate flame being (these creations, though capable of movement and of grasping or carrying solid objects, are not alive and do not think or act on their own). The degree of Pyro's concentration necessary to manipulate a flame being is directly proportional to the being's size, power, and flame.
Though he cannot be burned by a flame which he is manipulating, Pyro can be harmed by any fire that he does not mentally control. It is generally accepted that he must be able to see a flame in order to take control of it (hence limiting his mental influence to approximately 100 yards).
The Age of Apocalypse version of Pyro was able to generate flames without external assistance, but would burn his own body if he did so. This was apparently a result of genetic modifications by Dark Beast (the evil, AoA version of the X-Men's Beast, who in that reality was a subordinate of Mister Sinister).
Appearances in other media
- Pyro appeared in three episodes of the 1990s X-Men animated series, as well as the original X-Men animated pilot episode, "Pryde of the X-Men".
- Pyro also appeared in the Evolution series as part of Magneto's elite team (also known as the Acolytes) where he is voiced by Trevor Devall in an Australian accent. Interestingly, this Pyro seems to need a constant stream of flame to sustain his power, as evidenced when Wolverine severed his flamethrower pack and the flaming dragon he had created faded out.
- Pyro has appeared in the X-Men films, played by different actors. He had only a brief cameo in X-Men, played by Alexander Burton, where he formed a fireball before Bobby froze it with his powers, but his role was greatly expanded in the sequel X2: X-Men United and was played by Aaron Stanford who also portrays him in The Last Stand. In the movies, Pyro (named John Allerdyce rather than St. John, and seemingly an American rather than an Australian, though the official website for X2 states he was born in Australia) attends Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. He is friends with Bobby Drake/Iceman and Marie/Rogue, though his cocky and brash attitude made their friendship uneasy. Midway through X2: X-Men United, when the three of them escape an attack on the mansion with Wolverine and retreat to Bobby's house, Pyro is shown examining a series of family photos displayed in Iceman's house with an expression of envy, indicating that he most likely comes from a very dysfunctional home. Ultimately, Pyro is tempted away from Xavier's school by Magneto, who observes the young man's ambition and the strength of his powers. Magneto feeds Pyro's already oversized ego by telling him he is "a god among insects", flattery which appeals much more to Pyro than does Professor X's message of level-headedness and self-restraint. Appearing in X3 as a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, he fights Bobby Drake while Wolverine and Beast neutralise Magneto, but is defeated when Bobby triggers his ability to transform into solid ice, putting out Pyro's fires and knocking his former friend out. His fate after the climactic battle of the film is unknown (he was presumed dead when Phoenix disentegrated everything around her), though in the third movie's novelization he is saved by Bobby as the facility around them collapses.
- He has appeared in several of the X-Men video games, including The Official Game, as a boss enemy in X-Men Legends, and as a playable character in the PC version of X-Men Legends II. Pyro is also the first boss in X-Men: The Arcade Game.
X-Men villains | Marvel Comics mutants | Fictional Australians | Fictional pyrokineticists | Fictional writers | Marvel Legends | X-Men members
"Pyro (comics)"