Cannonball (comics)
Encyclopedia
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics
superhero
, associated with the X-Men
. Created by writer Chris Claremont
and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel
#4: The New Mutants
(1982).
Cannonball is a mutant
who possesses the ability to fly at jet
speeds while encased in an invulnerable force field. The eldest of a large Kentucky
coal mining
family, Cannonball is one of few X-Men from a southern
, rural
background and has maintained the values of civility, hard work, and a strong commitment to his beliefs throughout his career as a superhero. Several of his siblings are also mutants and have joined X-Men-related teams, including his sisters, Paige
and Melody
, and brothers Jay
and Jeb
. Other siblings include a brother named Lewis, and four more sisters: Joelle, Elizabeth, Cissie and another unnamed sister.
Cannonball was a founding member of the X-Men's junior team The New Mutants. He joined The New Mutants' later incarnation X-Force
, serving as second-in-command and field leader. He joined the X-Men, becoming the first member of a secondary team to "graduate". His tenure was complicated by clashes with superiors and he eventually rejoined X-Force and later the X-Men once more.
A "salt-of-the-earth", honest, well-mannered and responsible young man, Guthrie is a natural leader. Guthrie is a fan of science fiction, especially the works of Robert A. Heinlein
.
and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel
#4: The New Mutants (1982). After a guest appearance in Uncanny X-Men
#167, the character appeared regularly in the title The New Mutants
from its first issue, until its hundredth issue, at which point he continued to appear in its replacement title, X-Force
. Cannonball briefly became a member of the X-Men
team in the second volume of the X-Men series, with issue #44.
. 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. Given the dangerous nature of this work, Sam found himself trapped in a collapsing mine shaft. While trying to rescue his fellow worker, Mr. Lewis, a friend of his father's who had introduced him to the job, Sam unconsciously activated his mutant ability and used it to save himself and Lewis from the collapsing mine. This incident led to Sam being found by Donald Pierce
, who hired him as a mercenary for the Hellfire Club
, and used him in a plot to attack the New Mutants
. Sam eventually came to his senses and turned against Pierce. Professor Charles Xavier
saw the good qualities inside Sam and asked him to join his New Mutants. Cannonball left his large farming family in Kentucky
to join the team.
and Wolfsbane
. Sam had an ongoing rivalry with Psyche
with the two acting as the team's co-leaders. He also supervised other teammates, including Magik
, Karma
, Cypher
, Magma
, and Warlock
.
Professor X was under the control of the menacing alien race the Brood
when he formed the New Mutants, intending for the youths to become hosts for Brood embryos, but the X-Men returned and set matters straight.
Early on in his career with the team, Cannonball visits Nova Roma and meets Magma. With the team, he soon encounters the Hellions
for the first time. They later battle the Gladiators. The team next encounters Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King
, for the first time. Sam also dates Firestar
.
Cannonball saves the life of international rock star Lila Cheney
, with whom he became romantically involved. Due to the nature of Lila's career, their relationship went slowly. Cannonball helped lead the team through many adventures, which took them across time and space, from ancient Scotland
to other galaxies, even back home to Kentucky. There, he teams up with long-time X-Man Dazzler
and his own brother Jay
to save Lila's life.
He then encounters Spider-Man
, and teams up with him against the Incandescent Man
.
At the behest of the Norse God Loki
, the Enchantress
is sent to kidnap the X-Men. Based on the New Mutants being with Storm, they are taken by mistake. Magik creates a teleportation portal, but interference with the Enchantress' own spells sends the New Mutants bouncing through time and space in the Asgardian realm. Sam wanders the tunnels far below the land. He is not sure how much time has passed before he encounters a group of dwarves being attacked by Malekith
's warriors. He helps them, saving the life of Kindra, daughter of Eitri
, ruler of the dwarves. He takes a spear
in the back during this and the dwarves nurse him back to health. He develops an affection towards Kindra herself. He saves them again when Magma, ensnared and changed by other evil magics in the Asgardian realm, leads more of Malekith's forces against the dwarves. Again thankful, the dwarves manage to give Magma her mind back, but not her rightful form. The team makes it back to Earth with the help of the X-Men
(and Magma regains her rightful body).
Sam and the New Mutants had to take the lead against the senior X-Men team when the X-Men were regressed in age, body, and mind by Mojo
. Sam was forced to fight Longshot
, a confrontation in which he lost badly.
The New Mutants found themselves under the guidance of Magneto
at the behest of Professor Xavier. Magneto's heavy handed leadership did not sit well with the team, and Cannonball began to display a measure of independence and rebellion against authority. These traits would grow stronger as he matured.
The ancient entity, the Beyonder
, encounters the New Mutants, and in his curiosity, kills them. They are resurrected by the Beyonder soon after, but this trauma leaves the team deeply shaken. For a time, they go with Emma Frost
, to her Massachusetts Academy
to join the Hellions. They eventually recover from the trauma, especially after a fight with the Avengers
, in which they are forced to rescue Warlock and Magneto.
Over time with the New Mutants, Sam develops a brotherly affection for Rahne. He remains oblivious for some time that Rahne harbors much deeper feelings for him.
They worked with the Power Pack
when the latter group needed help dealing with a team of minor demons. Sam leads the group in chasing the Impossible Man
around the world, who had gotten into a potentially deadly one-upmanship competition with Warlock. Sam even meets (and fights) his older self when an alternate future version of the team travels to his time. This adventure is erased out of his mind by the future version of his friend Karma
.
Sam meets with Lila again. A jealous admirer of Lila drugs Sam, intending to kill him. The resulting fight leads to the accidental release of the creature Bird-Brain
, who would join the team for a while. Unfortunately for the team, taking Bird-Brain back to his island home ends with the shooting death of Douglas Ramsey by the Ani-Mator
, Bird Brain's creator.
The team also battles Cameron Hodge
and the Right
.
Defying Magneto, the team sneaks out to another Lila Cheney concert. They are swept up in a kidnapping of Lila and dealings with the powerful entity known as Gosamyr
. In preventing Gosamyr's relatives from endangering innocent lives, Lila seemingly dies.
Returning to Earth, the team got caught in the events of Inferno
. They team up with the X-Terminators
, who would eventually merge into their team. They help neutralize the demonic invasion plan by rescuing kidnapped infants high above New York City. One of the new members, Boom Boom
, soon became a primary romantic interest. The New Mutants fight the Hellfire Club
on the remains of the X-Mansion
, formally rejecting Magneto's leadership.
Danielle's adventures in Asgard, most of which took place while Sam had been healing, involved her rescuing Brightwind, one of the horses ridden by the Valkyrie
. Brightwind chose her as her new rider, granting her Valkyrie powers. This leads to the team being involved with the realm once again. The death goddess Hela managed to overwhelm all the Valkyries, including Danielle. With behind-the-scenes assistance from Doctor Strange
, the team heads to Asgard yet again. Sam's feelings for Kindra get the team in trouble. When he sees her being threatened, he rashly rushes out to save her and all the New Mutants are captured by Hela's forces. The group is split up, but Sam manages to lead his half safely through many dangers, later reuniting with his friends. The New Mutants form a resistance army, which includes the wolf-prince Hrimhari
and the Warriors Three
. All manage to save Odin, who was vulnerable, from a murder attempt.
Soon after returning to Earth, the team first encounters Cable
. They then assist Cable in fighting the Mutant Liberation Front
.
Wolfsbane, Warlock, Rictor, and Tabitha are kidnapped from the grounds of the X-Mansion
by Genoshan forces under the control of Cameron Hodge
. Warlock soon perishes, 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.
. Cable named Cannonball Second-In-Command and field leader of the team. It was early during this time that Sam was impaled and killed by the mutant Sauron
during a clash with an incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants
. However, only a few minutes later, he had healed and returned to life. Cable revealed that he had chosen Sam to lead the New Mutants initially because he suspected Cannonball to be an External
- a particularly rare type of mutant who is virtually immortal. Cable had come to train Sam to fight Apocalypse
, another External who, in Cable's future time, had conquered the world. Many other Externals, such as Saul
and Gideon
, also came to believe Sam was one of them. It was also around this time that Sam's sister, Paige
, was revealed to have mutant powers.
Though Cable did not stay with the team consistently, he and Sam developed a deep father-son type relationship.
Cannonball's existence as an External was disputed by Selene
, who once claimed that he was not an External. However, she is not a particularly trustworthy source and no alternate explanation has been given for his surviving the wounds Sauron had inflicted. His immortality was later brought up as the reason he survived 3 gunshot wounds to the chest, so his status as an External hasn't been completely forgotten by Marvel writers.
Sam's time in X-Force was not easy, as he was considered 'out of line' by the X-Men and X-Force were considered outright criminals by S.H.I.E.L.D.
This even devolved into a fight between a S.H.I.E.L.D. team led by Nick Fury
and supported by veteran superhero War Machine
.
Later, any rivalries were put aside as Sam was instrumental in helping the other X-Men, particularly Forge
and Wolfsbane defeat the Phalanx
.
Some time later, Sam and his friends had the unique experience of meeting their younger selves.
. Sam later officially accepts an invitation to join the X-Men. Initially, Sam is excited, this having been his dream since first arriving at Xavier's school. During this time, he was also a supporting character in Wolverine
's own comic. During this time, Sam becomes unsure of himself and his abilities. He privately expresses doubts about his abilities to Iceman
, causing the veteran X-Man much discomfort. Sam battles the head of the Shi'ar
Imperial Guard
, Gladiator to a standstill, despite being overpowered, thus facing his doubts about his abilities, only to be left behind as the rest of the X-Men were taken into space to save the Shi'ar Empire. This led Sam to again question his place on the X-Men.
During his time with the X-Men, Cannonball found his relationship with Tabitha strained. It was so strained she turned to Sam's best friend, Sunspot, for "support". Sam returned to the X-Men, for a brief period until he left the team to help his ailing mother. During his time with the X-Men, he also infiltrated the presidential campaign of anti-mutant candidate Graydon Creed
, using the alias "Samson Guthry". Despite the rather transparent alias, Sam was able to remain undetected until Creed was assassinated on the eve of the election.
Sam was there when the mutant entity Onslaught
erupted from Xavier's mind. The entity, before attacking, had enjoyed several minutes of tearing apart Sam psychologically.
Cannonball rejoined X-Force, now independent of Cable and operating in San Francisco
. Cannonball eventually became team leader again, after the injuries sustained by Siryn
. The team eventually found a new mentor named Pete Wisdom who introduced the team to the world of espionage
. During this time, Sam and Tabitha had gotten back together. After Wisdom's alleged death
, Sam led the team again and attempted to continue Wisdom's crusade.
Sam even came to care about trademark issues, as he and his allies confronted another version of X-Force
.
Eventually, Sam and the other members of X-Force had to fake their deaths.
, in the Paris, France
branch, of Professor X's international mutant task force X-Corporation
. His time with the X-Corporation wasn't a pleasant one. En route to a mission, later found to involve the Weapon Plus
program, his teammate Darkstar
poked fun at him for eating a sandwich that would have rather distasteful consequences for "everybody who went out without an umbrella in downtown Beauvais
." This moment of levity at Cannonball's expense did not last, as on that same mission, Darkstar died. At the funeral of Darkstar, Xavier gave Cannonball a note, with the whereabouts of Lila Cheney. Sam decided to take time away from the X-Corporation, as the stress of his life began to get to him. He worked for a time cleaning up damages to the France-England tunnel, a.k.a. the Chunnel
, which was partially destroyed in the very same mission which killed Darkstar.
, a group of X-Men operating outside of Professor X's leadership. For a time, he even was partnered with his old friend Wolverine during an adventure where they pursued long time X-Man foe William Stryker
. Sam also found himself having a reunion of sorts with former teammates Sunspot and Magma
. He and his teammates rejoined the central X-Men, after the events of Planet X. Sam is injured on a mission and once again decided to break for some peace. He uses the time to work on his own farm, which he had bought with his X-Corporation paychecks. While on the farm, Sam found himself teaming up again with Cable and reformed X-Force against the threat of the Skornn
.
Sam and former X-Force teammate, Siryn
, went in search of Cable with the mercenary
Deadpool
, who could track the missing man via a unique teleportation bond the two shared. Deadpool derisively refers to Sam as "Cannonballs".
Sam has once more joined the active roster of the X-Men, whose team is co-led by Nightcrawler
and Bishop
. For a while, he literally and figuratively watches over the younger, more carefree students at the X-Mansion. He also functions as a member of the XSE
. He has already participated in helping the 198
and fighting the Shi'ar
Death Commandos. He soon suffers the death of his brother Jay
, who is killed by William Stryker
. In the first part of The First Foursaken story arc, Cannonball went with the X-Men to Central Park
, where they fight the Foursaken, who then capture the X-Men and sent them elsewhere. After escaping, Cannonball accompanies the X-Men to Africa to help Storm assist mutant refugees.
, saying that he felt he needed to leave because of Jay's death and said that every time he walks through the door, he felt he was stepping on Jay's grave.
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 betrayed and attacked by the Marauders
who are on a mission to retrieve Destiny
's Diaries. It was revealed that Mystique
is an accomplice of the Marauders. After the surprise blitz, Emma Frost
(who was trying to help Rogue) was disabled by a neurotoxin
, but was able to upload everything she picked out of what was at the edges of the Marauders' psi-shielding into Sam's mind and takes limited possession over his body, causing him to flee (unwillingly) from the battle with Iceman. 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.'"
Sam and Iceman, telepathically prompted by Emma Frost, attempted to recover the Destiny Diaries, which are hidden in a dilapidated brewery. The Marauder's master, Mister Sinister
, used a reverse-engineered version of Xavier's Cerebro
to track the pair of X-Men to the brewery. The Marauders attacked Sam and Iceman and overtook them. After the battle, Sinister attempted to telepathically erase Sam's mind so that the X-Men would find him as an empty shell. This would serve as a lesson to them and to the Marauders as well. However, Sinister was distracted by Iceman, allowing Sam to activate his power to rocket his way out of the brewery and escape. Iceman was also able to escape, but it was revealed that Sam, who crashed through one of the brewery's walls, was seriously injured. It was discovered that his blast field, which protects him from concussive impact when he uses his power, was not working properly. As a result, Sam received compound fractures of the upper and lower legs, a broken collar bone, and other injuries.
Sam lies unconscious in the X-Mansion's infirmary. Dr. Henry McCoy
attends to his injuries and evaluates his condition. He notes that Sam's brain scan indicates sluggish and non-continuous activity. However, at the end of the issue, Sam is shown conscious, alert, and speaking clearly to Iceman. He quickly recovers and is capable of taking part in the final fight against the Marauders. It has yet to be seen if he has suffered any lingering mental effects from his ordeal at the hands of Mr. Sinister.
picks him up at the airport, extremely happy to have him back with the family - she tells him he's lucky they're not all there to mob him. Sam is moody and withdrawn, and as they drive, he asks Paige to stop at a local bar. As soon as he walks in, the local men begin to glare at him, and the bartender asks him not to start anything. Paige knows that Sam came to the bar for a fight, as it's filled with members of the Cabot family. Soon the Cabots confront Sam, and he pushes them to attack him, which they happily do. Paige refuses to participate, and Sam defeats all four men alone. She demands to know what's wrong with him, and he angrily blasts off into the sky, saying he should have never come home.
Later, the newly formed Young X-Men team is tricked by Donald Pierce, who had disguised himself as Cyclops and gathered the Young X-Men for his own ends. Donald Pierce tells them the new Lord Imperial
of the Hellfire Club
has formed a new incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants
. This Brotherhood is said to consist of Sunspot, Magma, Dani Moonstar and himself. Eventually, he helps the Young X-Men come to realize they have been tricked.
. Sam manages to plow into Magneto, disarming his artificial magnetism suit, and allowing the X-Men the upper hand in the battle. However, Magneto still manages to escape. He is later seen at a bar with Karma and Dani Moonstar where he accidentally insults the bartender. 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.
and Colossus
when the Skrull
s invade San Francisco.
from a box.
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 doesn't 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. However Sam tells Dani to go, she isn't 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.
In the aftermath of Utopia, Scott reveals to Dani that Sam didn't 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. Later, over a conversation about Sam's past romantic affiliations (particularly Lila Cheney
) Sam and Danielle share a kiss (for comparative purposes) that is interupted by the team.
In regenesis arc he is seen joining Wolverines side and apologizing to Dani saying that he can't lead anymore and needs to go somewhere else.
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 devastate several city blocks by plummeting to the ground from high altitude, as well as absorb (and redirect) the force of one of Gladiator's punches.
He may also be a member of the immortal mutant group the Externals
, due to his apparent ability to return to life after death. This however is highly disputed. Writer Zeb Wells has stated while he has no immediate plans to explore Sam's immortality further, he would not rule out the possibility if it could add to a potential story.
storyline, the Guthrie family was eliminated during the Cullings, with only Sam, Paige, Elisabeth, and Joshua being spared due to their mutant status. They were approached by Mister Sinister
, who offered them the chance to become part of his Elite Mutant Force. Sam took on the alias Cannonball and became a member of the EMF alongside his sister, Elisabeth, a.k.a. Amazon. He and his sister were particularly violent towards the prisoners of Sinister's breeding pens, as was their superior Havok, whom Cannonball was loyal to. When the Elite Mutant Force was taken over by Havok due to Prelate Cyclops' betrayal, Cannonball fought the Bedlam brothers, who sided with the older Summers brother. Cannonball and Amazon survived and eventually reunited with Husk
and Icarus
, and together they set out to fulfill Husk's revenge against the X-Men for Generation Next's abandonment of her in the Core. He, along with his siblings, was killed in fighting the X-Men, personally being crushed in a metallic orb along with his brother by Magneto.
reality, Cannonball and Husk are shown breaking mutants out of prison and slaying the mutant hunters. They are then approached by Magneto and his team of X-Men to join up with them.
series, set in 2043, an older Cannonball arrives when Cable is badly hurt and unable to time travel. Solicitations of the comics refer to Cannonball as Cable's "old war buddy." Cannonball implies that he, Cable, Bishop, and the baby are the last living mutants, and that he found him with Cerebra
, which was rigged for non-psychics to use after the last psychic died. Cannonball allows Cable to escape with the child, opting to stay and distract Bishop. Bishop pleads with Sam not to fight, but Cannonball persists, harboring a decades-long grudge against the traitorous former X-Man, and after a long fight, Bishop is forced to kill him using a claw-like tentacle from his new bionic arm (stolen from Forge) to rip out Guthrie's heart. As Cannonball dies, he asks Bishop why, to which Bishop responds, with visions of his future, mutants with M's on their faces and herded into concentration camps, "To save you".
counterpart because he was traveling through realities with Siryn
and Deadpool
when the change wave occurred. However, Wolverine did beat up a young blond man for his motorbike, which was called the 'Cannonball X'.
. They had tracked down the humans through the ruins of Manhattan; most of the rest of the Earth had been consumed already.
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 couldn't 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.
, 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.
When fellow student Lorna Dane is framed for murder and thus imprisoned in the Triskelion her boyfriend, Alex Summers, recruits a strike team. Sam and Alex are joined by Sunspot
, Douglas Ramsey
, and Northstar
. During the trip to New York, the team becomes lost and is ambushed by the X-Men
. Cannonball initially literally sweeps Wolverine off his feet, but is soon defeated. Magneto has him killed in the crossover called 'Ultimatum' along with the rest of the Academy of Tomorrow except for Havok.
the X-Men stayed in Asgard? Sam, among several members of the X-Men and the New Mutants, decided to stay in Asgard. He marries Kindra, daughter of Eitri. When Eitri dies, Sam becomes the new King of the Dwarves.
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...
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 —...
, associated with 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...
. Created by writer Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
#4: 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....
(1982).
Cannonball is a 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...
who possesses the ability to fly at jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
speeds while encased in an invulnerable force field. The eldest of a large Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
family, Cannonball is one of few X-Men from a southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
background and has maintained the values of civility, hard work, and a strong commitment to his beliefs throughout his career as a superhero. Several of his siblings are also mutants and have joined X-Men-related teams, including his sisters, Paige
Husk (comics)
Husk is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Guthrie is a superhero associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Husk has the ability to remove one layer of skin - or "husk" - revealing an epidermis of a different composition beneath...
and Melody
Aero (comics)
Aero is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in New Mutants #42.-Fictional character biography:...
, and brothers Jay
Icarus (comics)
Icarus , is a fictional character, a mutant superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute and a member of the New Mutants training squad....
and Jeb
Jebediah Guthrie
Jebediah "Jeb" Guthrie is a fictional character, a comic book mutant from the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Rom Annual. Jeb was a mutant who had the ability to shoot out electrical discharge.-Fictional character biography:...
. Other siblings include a brother named Lewis, and four more sisters: Joelle, Elizabeth, Cissie and another unnamed sister.
Cannonball was a founding member of the X-Men's junior team The New Mutants. He joined The New Mutants' later incarnation 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...
, serving as second-in-command and field leader. He joined the X-Men, becoming the first member of a secondary team to "graduate". His tenure was complicated by clashes with superiors and he eventually rejoined X-Force and later the X-Men once more.
A "salt-of-the-earth", honest, well-mannered and responsible young man, Guthrie is a natural leader. Guthrie is a fan of science fiction, especially the works of Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
.
Publication history
Created by writer Chris ClaremontChris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
#4: The New Mutants (1982). After a guest appearance in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#167, the character appeared regularly in the title 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....
from its first issue, until its hundredth issue, at which point he continued to appear in its replacement title, 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...
. Cannonball briefly became a member 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...
team in the second volume of the X-Men series, with issue #44.
Origin
Sam Guthrie was born in Cumberland, KentuckyCumberland, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,611 people, 1,076 households, and 723 families residing in the city. The population density was 570.5 people per square mile . There were 1,288 housing units at an average density of 281.4 per square mile...
. As a young boy, he attempted to help out his family by working in the coal mine
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in which his father had worked before he died. Given the dangerous nature of this work, Sam found himself trapped in a collapsing mine shaft. While trying to rescue his fellow worker, Mr. Lewis, a friend of his father's who had introduced him to the job, Sam unconsciously activated his mutant ability and used it to save himself and Lewis from the collapsing mine. This incident led to Sam being found by Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #132. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Donald Pierce is a cyborg.-Fictional character biography:...
, who hired him as a mercenary for the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
, and used him in a plot to attack 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....
. Sam eventually came to his senses and turned against Pierce. Professor Charles Xavier
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....
saw the good qualities inside Sam and asked him to join his New Mutants. Cannonball left his large farming family in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
to join the team.
New Mutants
As part of the New Mutants, Sam formed close friendships with his teammates, 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....
and 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...
. Sam had an ongoing rivalry with Psyche
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
with the two acting as the team's co-leaders. He also supervised other teammates, including Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
, Karma
Karma (comics)
Karma is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities...
, Cypher
Cypher (comics)
Cypher is a fictional mutant character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #13 .-Fictional character biography:Doug Ramsey was born to Philip and Sheila Ramsey...
, Magma
Magma (comics)
Magma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series New Mutants, also associated with various X-Men-related comics. She was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, and debuted in New Mutants #8...
, 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:...
.
Professor X was under the control of the menacing alien race the Brood
Brood (comics)
The Brood are a race of insectoid, parasitic, extraterrestrial beings that appear in the comic books published by Marvel Comics, especially Uncanny X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, they first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #155 .The Brood possess wings, fanged teeth and...
when he formed the New Mutants, intending for the youths to become hosts for Brood embryos, but the X-Men returned and set matters straight.
Early on in his career with the team, Cannonball visits Nova Roma and meets Magma. With the team, he soon encounters the Hellions
Hellions (comics)
There have been several groups of fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe who have been known as the Hellions. These groups were rivals of various teams of younger mutant heroes in the X-Men franchise....
for the first time. They later battle the Gladiators. The team next encounters Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King
Shadow King
The Shadow King, also known as Amahl Farouk, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shadow King exists as an entity of pure psychic energy that feeds on the hatred of humanity...
, for the first time. Sam also dates Firestar
Firestar
Firestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
.
Cannonball saves the life of international rock star Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She is a mutant with the ability to teleport, but only over vast intergalactic distances.-Publication history:...
, with whom he became romantically involved. Due to the nature of Lila's career, their relationship went slowly. Cannonball helped lead the team through many adventures, which took them across time and space, from ancient Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to other galaxies, even back home to Kentucky. There, he teams up with long-time X-Man Dazzler
Dazzler
Dazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
and his own brother Jay
Icarus (comics)
Icarus , is a fictional character, a mutant superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute and a member of the New Mutants training squad....
to save Lila's life.
He then encounters Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, and teams up with him against the Incandescent Man
Incandescent Man
Incandescent Man is the name of a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain.-Fictional character biography:The man who would become the Incandescent Man was a product of an experiment by Project: PEGASUS that will draw electrical energy into one's body. At first, the man was fine until the electricity...
.
At the behest of the Norse God Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
, the Enchantress
Enchantress (Marvel Comics)
The Enchantress is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe, the first of which is a powerful sorceress named Amora and is one of the most notable antagonists of Thor.-Publication history:...
is sent to kidnap the X-Men. Based on the New Mutants being with Storm, they are taken by mistake. Magik creates a teleportation portal, but interference with the Enchantress' own spells sends the New Mutants bouncing through time and space in the Asgardian realm. Sam wanders the tunnels far below the land. He is not sure how much time has passed before he encounters a group of dwarves being attacked by Malekith
Malekith the Accursed
Malekith the Accursed is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, and has come into conflict with Thor. He once wielded the Casket of Ancient Winters.-Fictional character biography:...
's warriors. He helps them, saving the life of Kindra, daughter of Eitri
Eitri
In Norse mythology, Eitri is a dwarf and the brother of Brokkr.According to Skáldskaparmál, when Loki had Sif's hair, Freyr's ship Skidbladnir and Odin's spear Gungnir fashioned by the Sons of Ivaldi, he bet his own head with Brokkr that Eitri would not have been able to make items that matched...
, ruler of the dwarves. He takes a spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
in the back during this and the dwarves nurse him back to health. He develops an affection towards Kindra herself. He saves them again when Magma, ensnared and changed by other evil magics in the Asgardian realm, leads more of Malekith's forces against the dwarves. Again thankful, the dwarves manage to give Magma her mind back, but not her rightful form. The team makes it back to Earth with the help 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...
(and Magma regains her rightful body).
Sam and the New Mutants had to take the lead against the senior X-Men team when the X-Men were regressed in age, body, and mind by Mojo
Mojo (comics)
Mojo is a Marvel Comics supervillain, primarily an enemy of the X-Men and one of its members, Longshot. Mojo is one of the "Spineless Ones," an alien race that is immobile without advanced technology. He is a slaver who rules the Mojoverse, a dimension where all beings are addicted to his...
. Sam was forced to fight Longshot
Longshot
Longshot is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero best known as a member of the X-Men. He was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams.-Publication history:...
, a confrontation in which he lost badly.
The New Mutants found themselves under the guidance of Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
at the behest of Professor Xavier. Magneto's heavy handed leadership did not sit well with the team, and Cannonball began to display a measure of independence and rebellion against authority. These traits would grow stronger as he matured.
The ancient entity, the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
, encounters the New Mutants, and in his curiosity, kills them. They are resurrected by the Beyonder soon after, but this trauma leaves the team deeply shaken. For a time, they go with Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
, to her Massachusetts Academy
Massachusetts Academy (comics)
The Massachusetts Academy is a fictional prep school in the Marvel Universe. Created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod, it first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #151 .-Fictional history:...
to join the Hellions. They eventually recover from the trauma, especially after a fight with the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, in which they are forced to rescue Warlock and Magneto.
Over time with the New Mutants, Sam develops a brotherly affection for Rahne. He remains oblivious for some time that Rahne harbors much deeper feelings for him.
They worked with the Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
when the latter group needed help dealing with a team of minor demons. Sam leads the group in chasing the Impossible Man
Impossible Man
The Impossible Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #11 The Impossible Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four...
around the world, who had gotten into a potentially deadly one-upmanship competition with Warlock. Sam even meets (and fights) his older self when an alternate future version of the team travels to his time. This adventure is erased out of his mind by the future version of his friend Karma
Karma (comics)
Karma is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities...
.
Sam meets with Lila again. A jealous admirer of Lila drugs Sam, intending to kill him. The resulting fight leads to the accidental release of the creature Bird-Brain
Bird-Brain
Bird-Brain is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Bird-Brain first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #55 , and was first fully seen in New Mutants vol. 1 #56...
, who would join the team for a while. Unfortunately for the team, taking Bird-Brain back to his island home ends with the shooting death of Douglas Ramsey by the Ani-Mator
Ani-Mator
The Ani-Mator is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Ani-Mator appeared in New Mutants vol...
, Bird Brain's creator.
The team also battles Cameron Hodge
Cameron Hodge
Cameron Hodge is a fictional comic book supervillain and opponent of the X-Men, as seen in Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bob Layton and artist Jackson Guice, Hodge first appeared as a supporting character in X-Factor #1 , and was later revealed to be secretly acting against that group as the...
and the Right
Right (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:...
.
Defying Magneto, the team sneaks out to another Lila Cheney concert. They are swept up in a kidnapping of Lila and dealings with the powerful entity known as Gosamyr
Gosamyr
Gosamyr is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Gosamyr first appeared in New Mutants #66 , and was created by Louise Simonson and Bret Blevins....
. In preventing Gosamyr's relatives from endangering innocent lives, Lila seemingly dies.
Returning to Earth, the team got caught in the events of 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...
. They team up with 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...
, who would eventually merge into their team. They help neutralize the demonic invasion plan by rescuing kidnapped infants high above New York City. One of the new members, 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...
, soon became a primary romantic interest. The New Mutants fight the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
on the remains of 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...
, formally rejecting Magneto's leadership.
Danielle's adventures in Asgard, most of which took place while Sam had been healing, involved her rescuing Brightwind, one of the horses ridden by the Valkyrie
Valkyrior (Marvel Comics)
-Fictional group history:The Valkyrior are warrior goddesses of Asgard who ride winged horses. Originally, under the leadership of Brunnhilde, they took mortally wounded human heroes from German and Scandinavian battlegrounds and brought them to Valhalla, an area of the Asgardian dimension where...
. Brightwind chose her as her new rider, granting her Valkyrie powers. This leads to the team being involved with the realm once again. The death goddess Hela managed to overwhelm all the Valkyries, including Danielle. With behind-the-scenes assistance from Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, the team heads to Asgard yet again. Sam's feelings for Kindra get the team in trouble. When he sees her being threatened, he rashly rushes out to save her and all the New Mutants are captured by Hela's forces. The group is split up, but Sam manages to lead his half safely through many dangers, later reuniting with his friends. The New Mutants form a resistance army, which includes the wolf-prince Hrimhari
Hrimhari
Hrimhari is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. He was first introduced in the New Mutants Special Edition #1 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Art Adams.-Fictional character biography:...
and the Warriors Three
Warriors Three
The Warriors Three are a group of fictional characters who served as supporting cast members in Thor, published by Marvel Comics. The Warriors Three is made up of the Asgardians Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg...
. All manage to save Odin, who was vulnerable, from a murder attempt.
Soon after returning to Earth, the team first encounters 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...
. They then assist Cable in fighting 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 ....
.
Wolfsbane, Warlock, Rictor, and Tabitha are kidnapped from the grounds of 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...
by Genoshan forces under the control of Cameron Hodge
Cameron Hodge
Cameron Hodge is a fictional comic book supervillain and opponent of the X-Men, as seen in Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bob Layton and artist Jackson Guice, Hodge first appeared as a supporting character in X-Factor #1 , and was later revealed to be secretly acting against that group as the...
. Warlock soon perishes, 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.
X-Force
Cannonball and the other New Mutants left the X-Men's supervision, and joined forces with the mysterious Cable to become the hard-edged X-ForceX-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...
. Cable named Cannonball Second-In-Command and field leader of the team. It was early during this time that Sam was impaled and killed by the mutant Sauron
Sauron (comics)
Sauron is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. An enemy of the X-Men, the character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams. He first fully appeared as Sauron in X-Men #60 ....
during a clash with an incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
. However, only a few minutes later, he had healed and returned to life. Cable revealed that he had chosen Sam to lead the New Mutants initially because he suspected Cannonball to be an External
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,...
- a particularly rare type of mutant who is virtually immortal. Cable had come to train Sam to fight 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...
, another External who, in Cable's future time, had conquered the world. Many other Externals, such as Saul
Saul (comics)
Saul is a fictional character in Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in X-Force #10. He is both a mutant and one of the Externals.-Fictional character biography:...
and 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...
, also came to believe Sam was one of them. It was also around this time that Sam's sister, Paige
Husk (comics)
Husk is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Guthrie is a superhero associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Husk has the ability to remove one layer of skin - or "husk" - revealing an epidermis of a different composition beneath...
, was revealed to have mutant powers.
Though Cable did not stay with the team consistently, he and Sam developed a deep father-son type relationship.
Cannonball's existence as an External was disputed by Selene
Selene (comics)
Selene Gallio is a fictional character, a comic book supervillainess from the Marvel Comics universe. She is a mutant, and an enemy of the X-Men often associated with the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.-Publication history:...
, who once claimed that he was not an External. However, she is not a particularly trustworthy source and no alternate explanation has been given for his surviving the wounds Sauron had inflicted. His immortality was later brought up as the reason he survived 3 gunshot wounds to the chest, so his status as an External hasn't been completely forgotten by Marvel writers.
Sam's time in X-Force was not easy, as he was considered 'out of line' by the X-Men and X-Force were considered outright criminals by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
This even devolved into a fight between a S.H.I.E.L.D. team led by Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
and supported by veteran superhero 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...
.
Later, any rivalries were put aside as Sam was instrumental in helping the other X-Men, particularly Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
and Wolfsbane defeat the Phalanx
Phalanx (comics)
The Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species in the Marvel Comics universe. They have come in conflict with the X-Men and related groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathy-like system....
.
Some time later, Sam and his friends had the unique experience of meeting their younger selves.
X-Men
In the mid 1990s, X-Force reestablished ties with the X-MenX-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...
. Sam later officially accepts an invitation to join the X-Men. Initially, Sam is excited, this having been his dream since first arriving at Xavier's school. During this time, he was also a supporting character in Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
's own comic. During this time, Sam becomes unsure of himself and his abilities. He privately expresses doubts about his abilities to 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, ....
, causing the veteran X-Man much discomfort. Sam battles the head of the Shi'ar
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...
Imperial Guard
Imperial Guard (comics)
The Imperial Guard is a team of fictional super-powered alien warriors in the Marvel Comics universe. The Imperial Guard serves the rulers of the Shi'ar Empire, both by enforcing Shi'ar Imperial law on all planets within the Shi'ar Galaxy and as the Emperor or Empress's personal guard...
, Gladiator to a standstill, despite being overpowered, thus facing his doubts about his abilities, only to be left behind as the rest of the X-Men were taken into space to save the Shi'ar Empire. This led Sam to again question his place on the X-Men.
During his time with the X-Men, Cannonball found his relationship with Tabitha strained. It was so strained she turned to Sam's best friend, Sunspot, for "support". Sam returned to the X-Men, for a brief period until he left the team to help his ailing mother. During his time with the X-Men, he also infiltrated the presidential campaign of anti-mutant candidate Graydon Creed
Graydon Creed
Graydon Creed is a fictional character created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Brandon Peterson. The character is an enemy of the X-Men and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #299 .- Fictional character biography :...
, using the alias "Samson Guthry". Despite the rather transparent alias, Sam was able to remain undetected until Creed was assassinated on the eve of the election.
Sam was there when the mutant entity Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
erupted from Xavier's mind. The entity, before attacking, had enjoyed several minutes of tearing apart Sam psychologically.
Cannonball rejoined X-Force, now independent of Cable and operating in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Cannonball eventually became team leader again, after the injuries sustained by 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...
. The team eventually found a new mentor named Pete Wisdom who introduced the team to the world of espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. During this time, Sam and Tabitha had gotten back together. After Wisdom's alleged death
Comic book death
In the comic book fan community, the apparent death and subsequent return of a long-running character is often called a comic book death. While death is a serious subject, a comic book death is generally not taken seriously and is rarely permanent or meaningful...
, Sam led the team again and attempted to continue Wisdom's crusade.
Sam even came to care about trademark issues, as he and his allies confronted another version of X-Force
X-Statix
X-Statix was a fictional team of mutant superheroes in Marvel Comics, specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in X-Force #116 and originally assumed the moniker X-Force, taking the name of the more traditional superhero team,...
.
Eventually, Sam and the other members of X-Force had to fake their deaths.
X-Corporation
After X-Force’s dissolution, Cannonball joined several of his former teammates and former members of Generation XGeneration 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...
, in the Paris, France
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
branch, of Professor X's international mutant task force 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....
. His time with the X-Corporation wasn't a pleasant one. En route to a mission, later found to involve the Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus is a fictional clandestine program that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. It was created by Grant Morrison during his run in New X-Men. The program's purpose is the creation of supersoldiers intended to fight the wars of the future, especially a Mutant-Human war...
program, his teammate 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:...
poked fun at him for eating a sandwich that would have rather distasteful consequences for "everybody who went out without an umbrella in downtown Beauvais
Beauvais
Beauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
." This moment of levity at Cannonball's expense did not last, as on that same mission, Darkstar died. At the funeral of Darkstar, Xavier gave Cannonball a note, with the whereabouts of Lila Cheney. Sam decided to take time away from the X-Corporation, as the stress of his life began to get to him. He worked for a time cleaning up damages to the France-England tunnel, a.k.a. the Chunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
, which was partially destroyed in the very same mission which killed Darkstar.
Back to basics
While away, Sam rekindled his romantic relationship with Lila Cheney for a time. Sam couldn't find peace with his life, so he was asked by Storm to join her X-Treme X-MenX-Treme X-Men
X-Treme X-Men was a comic book published by Marvel Comics from 2001 through 2004. All 46 issues of the series were written by Chris Claremont. The first 24 issues were drawn by Salvador Larroca, and the final 22 issues were drawn by Igor Kordey....
, a group of X-Men operating outside of Professor X's leadership. For a time, he even was partnered with his old friend Wolverine during an adventure where they pursued long time X-Man foe William Stryker
William Stryker
Col. William "Bill" Stryker, M.D. is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson, he first appeared in the 1982 graphic novel X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills.Rev...
. Sam also found himself having a reunion of sorts with former teammates Sunspot and Magma
Magma (comics)
Magma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series New Mutants, also associated with various X-Men-related comics. She was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, and debuted in New Mutants #8...
. He and his teammates rejoined the central X-Men, after the events of Planet X. Sam is injured on a mission and once again decided to break for some peace. He uses the time to work on his own farm, which he had bought with his X-Corporation paychecks. While on the farm, Sam found himself teaming up again with Cable and reformed X-Force against the threat of the Skornn
Skornn
The Skornn is a fictional character created by writer Fabian Nicieza for Marvel Comics.-History:The Skornn is an ancient evil demon. The monster was very well known throughout the universe, and its horrors were even known in the Shi'ar Empire. On Earth, the Skornn's evil plans were mostly thwarted...
.
Sam and former X-Force teammate, 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...
, went in search of Cable with the mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
, who could track the missing man via a unique teleportation bond the two shared. Deadpool derisively refers to Sam as "Cannonballs".
Sam has once more joined the active roster of the X-Men, whose team is co-led by Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
and Bishop
Bishop (comics)
Bishop is a fictional comic book superhero, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books...
. For a while, he literally and figuratively watches over the younger, more carefree students at the X-Mansion. He also functions as a member of the XSE
X-Treme Sanctions Executive
The X-Treme Sanctions Executive is a fictional paramilitary police force charged with keeping the peace between mutants and humans. The team was first mentioned in X-Treme X-Men #40, when Storm presented her team with an offer to join a new, government-backed squad.-Creation:During the final issues...
. He has already participated in helping the 198
X-Men: The 198
X-Men: The 198 is a comic book limited series that was published by Marvel Comics and set in the Marvel Universe shortly after the House of M and Decimation events...
and fighting the Shi'ar
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...
Death Commandos. He soon suffers the death of his brother Jay
Icarus (comics)
Icarus , is a fictional character, a mutant superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute and a member of the New Mutants training squad....
, who is killed by William Stryker
William Stryker
Col. William "Bill" Stryker, M.D. is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson, he first appeared in the 1982 graphic novel X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills.Rev...
. In the first part of The First Foursaken story arc, Cannonball went with the X-Men to Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, where they fight the Foursaken, who then capture the X-Men and sent them elsewhere. After escaping, Cannonball accompanies the X-Men to Africa to help Storm assist mutant refugees.
Rogue's team
Cannonball serves on Rogue's team of X-Men. After defeating the Children of the Vault, Rogue announced the departure of her team from the mansion. Sam explained his personal feelings about leaving to CyclopsCyclops (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...
, saying that he felt he needed to leave because of Jay's death and said that every time he walks through the door, he felt he was stepping on Jay's grave.
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 betrayed and attacked by the Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
who are on a mission to retrieve Destiny
Destiny (Irene Adler)
Destiny is a Marvel Comics fictional character, known as an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141...
's Diaries. It was revealed that Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
is an accomplice of the Marauders. After the surprise blitz, Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
(who was trying to help Rogue) was disabled by a neurotoxin
Neurotoxin
A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
, but was able to upload everything she picked out of what was at the edges of the Marauders' psi-shielding into Sam's mind and takes limited possession over his body, causing him to flee (unwillingly) from the battle with Iceman. Aboard the Blackbird
Blackbird (comics)
The Blackbird is the aircraft used by the fictional superhero team the X-Men. There have been several incarnations of this craft over the years, with Cyclops and Storm as the main pilots.-History:...
, 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.'"
Sam and Iceman, telepathically prompted by Emma Frost, attempted to recover the Destiny Diaries, which are hidden in a dilapidated brewery. The Marauder's master, Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
, used a reverse-engineered version of Xavier's Cerebro
Cerebro
In the Marvel Comics universe, Cerebro is a device that the X-Men use to detect humans, specifically mutants. It was created by Xavier and Magneto, and was later enhanced by Dr. Hank McCoy...
to track the pair of X-Men to the brewery. The Marauders attacked Sam and Iceman and overtook them. After the battle, Sinister attempted to telepathically erase Sam's mind so that the X-Men would find him as an empty shell. This would serve as a lesson to them and to the Marauders as well. However, Sinister was distracted by Iceman, allowing Sam to activate his power to rocket his way out of the brewery and escape. Iceman was also able to escape, but it was revealed that Sam, who crashed through one of the brewery's walls, was seriously injured. It was discovered that his blast field, which protects him from concussive impact when he uses his power, was not working properly. As a result, Sam received compound fractures of the upper and lower legs, a broken collar bone, and other injuries.
Sam lies unconscious in the X-Mansion's infirmary. Dr. Henry McCoy
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
attends to his injuries and evaluates his condition. He notes that Sam's brain scan indicates sluggish and non-continuous activity. However, at the end of the issue, Sam is shown conscious, alert, and speaking clearly to Iceman. He quickly recovers and is capable of taking part in the final fight against the Marauders. It has yet to be seen if he has suffered any lingering mental effects from his ordeal at the hands of Mr. Sinister.
Divided We Stand
After Cyclops disbands the X-Men, Cannonball goes home. PaigeHusk (comics)
Husk is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Guthrie is a superhero associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Husk has the ability to remove one layer of skin - or "husk" - revealing an epidermis of a different composition beneath...
picks him up at the airport, extremely happy to have him back with the family - she tells him he's lucky they're not all there to mob him. Sam is moody and withdrawn, and as they drive, he asks Paige to stop at a local bar. As soon as he walks in, the local men begin to glare at him, and the bartender asks him not to start anything. Paige knows that Sam came to the bar for a fight, as it's filled with members of the Cabot family. Soon the Cabots confront Sam, and he pushes them to attack him, which they happily do. Paige refuses to participate, and Sam defeats all four men alone. She demands to know what's wrong with him, and he angrily blasts off into the sky, saying he should have never come home.
Later, the newly formed Young X-Men team is tricked by Donald Pierce, who had disguised himself as Cyclops and gathered the Young X-Men for his own ends. Donald Pierce tells them the new Lord Imperial
Sunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
has formed a new incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
. This Brotherhood is said to consist of Sunspot, Magma, Dani Moonstar and himself. Eventually, he helps the Young X-Men come to realize they have been tricked.
Manifest Destiny
Sam is soon called by Cyclops, informing him that the X-Men are reforming and establishing themselves now in San Francisco. Sam agrees to join this new team. He arrives in San Francisco just as Magneto is attacking the city with a group of antique SentinelsSentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
. Sam manages to plow into Magneto, disarming his artificial magnetism suit, and allowing the X-Men the upper hand in the battle. However, Magneto still manages to escape. He is later seen at a bar with Karma and Dani Moonstar where he accidentally insults the bartender. 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.
Secret Invasion
Sam is seen working alongside ArmorArmor (comics)
Armor is a fictional character who exists in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe. She is a mutant Japanese teenager who is enrolled at the Xavier Institute who retains her powers after the events of Decimation. She first appeared in Astonishing X-Men, vol...
and 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...
when the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s invade San Francisco.
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. When asked what he thinks about the situation, Sam says that when it comes to the New Mutants, he doesn't need to think about it. He assembles a team consisting of himself, Sunspot, Magma and Magik to go find them. While searching for them, Sam and Roberto come across a tied up and unconscious Shan in the back of a bar, while Magik and Magma are tricked into freeing LegionLegion (Marvel Comics)
Legion is a Marvel Comics character, created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz.David is the mutant son of Charles Xavier and Israeli Holocaust survivor Gabrielle Haller...
from a box.
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 doesn't 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. However Sam tells Dani to go, she isn't 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.
In the aftermath of Utopia, Scott reveals to Dani that Sam didn't 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. Later, over a conversation about Sam's past romantic affiliations (particularly Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She is a mutant with the ability to teleport, but only over vast intergalactic distances.-Publication history:...
) Sam and Danielle share a kiss (for comparative purposes) that is interupted by the team.
In regenesis arc he is seen joining Wolverines side and apologizing to Dani saying that he can't lead anymore and needs to go somewhere else.
Powers and abilities
Cannonball 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...
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 devastate several city blocks by plummeting to the ground from high altitude, as well as absorb (and redirect) the force of one of Gladiator's punches.
He may also be a member of the immortal mutant group 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,...
, due to his apparent ability to return to life after death. This however is highly disputed. Writer Zeb Wells has stated while he has no immediate plans to explore Sam's immortality further, he would not rule out the possibility if it could add to a potential story.
Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of ApocalypseAge of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
storyline, the Guthrie family was eliminated during the Cullings, with only Sam, Paige, Elisabeth, and Joshua being spared due to their mutant status. They were approached by Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
, who offered them the chance to become part of his Elite Mutant Force. Sam took on the alias Cannonball and became a member of the EMF alongside his sister, Elisabeth, a.k.a. Amazon. He and his sister were particularly violent towards the prisoners of Sinister's breeding pens, as was their superior Havok, whom Cannonball was loyal to. When the Elite Mutant Force was taken over by Havok due to Prelate Cyclops' betrayal, Cannonball fought the Bedlam brothers, who sided with the older Summers brother. Cannonball and Amazon survived and eventually reunited with Husk
Husk (comics)
Husk is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Guthrie is a superhero associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Husk has the ability to remove one layer of skin - or "husk" - revealing an epidermis of a different composition beneath...
and Icarus
Icarus (comics)
Icarus , is a fictional character, a mutant superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute and a member of the New Mutants training squad....
, and together they set out to fulfill Husk's revenge against the X-Men for Generation Next's abandonment of her in the Core. He, along with his siblings, was killed in fighting the X-Men, personally being crushed in a metallic orb along with his brother by Magneto.
Age of X
In the Age of XAge of X
"Age of X" is a comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics which features an alternate reality of the X-Men. The first issue of the storyline, Age of X: Alpha, was published in January 2011. Publication continued in February, March, and April 2011...
reality, Cannonball and Husk are shown breaking mutants out of prison and slaying the mutant hunters. They are then approached by Magneto and his team of X-Men to join up with them.
Year 2043
In the ongoing CableCable (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...
series, set in 2043, an older Cannonball arrives when Cable is badly hurt and unable to time travel. Solicitations of the comics refer to Cannonball as Cable's "old war buddy." Cannonball implies that he, Cable, Bishop, and the baby are the last living mutants, and that he found him with Cerebra
Cerebra
Cerebra is a mutant comic book character in the fictional Marvel Universe. She is a founding member of the X-Men 2099 of 2099 and founder of X-Nation 2099...
, which was rigged for non-psychics to use after the last psychic died. Cannonball allows Cable to escape with the child, opting to stay and distract Bishop. Bishop pleads with Sam not to fight, but Cannonball persists, harboring a decades-long grudge against the traitorous former X-Man, and after a long fight, Bishop is forced to kill him using a claw-like tentacle from his new bionic arm (stolen from Forge) to rip out Guthrie's heart. As Cannonball dies, he asks Bishop why, to which Bishop responds, with visions of his future, mutants with M's on their faces and herded into concentration camps, "To save you".
House of M
Cannonball had no House of MHouse 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...
counterpart because he was traveling through realities with 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...
and Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
when the change wave occurred. However, Wolverine did beat up a young blond man for his motorbike, which was called the 'Cannonball X'.
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, Magneto and 'Ultimate' Reed RichardsMister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
. They had tracked down the humans through the ruins of Manhattan; most of the rest of the Earth had been consumed already.
Mutant X
In the Mutant XMutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....
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 couldn't 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.
Ultimate Cannonball
In the Ultimate universeUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
, Cannonball is a member of Emma Frost's
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
Academy of Tomorrow, a somewhat more pacifistic alternative to the X-Men
Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
. He is the newest member.
When fellow student Lorna Dane is framed for murder and thus imprisoned in the Triskelion her boyfriend, Alex Summers, recruits a strike team. Sam and Alex are joined by Sunspot
Sunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
, Douglas Ramsey
Cypher (comics)
Cypher is a fictional mutant character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #13 .-Fictional character biography:Doug Ramsey was born to Philip and Sheila Ramsey...
, and Northstar
Northstar
Northstar is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the twin brother of Aurora. Through his mutation, Northstar gains superhuman powers, which he uses for the betterment of society...
. During the trip to New York, the team becomes lost and is ambushed by 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...
. Cannonball initially literally sweeps Wolverine off his feet, but is soon defeated. Magneto has him killed in the crossover called 'Ultimatum' along with the rest of the Academy of Tomorrow except for Havok.
What If?
In What IfWhat If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
the X-Men stayed in Asgard? Sam, among several members of the X-Men and the New Mutants, decided to stay in Asgard. He marries Kindra, daughter of Eitri. When Eitri dies, Sam becomes the new King of the Dwarves.
Television
- Cannonball made an appearance in the original X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
animated series along with his sister Paige Guthrie in the episode "Hidden Agenda". The episode featured RogueRogue (comics)Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
learning about a new mutant that has been making waves in a small Kentucky mining town. However, his appearance caused a violation of continuity, as Cannonball had already made several quick cameos throughout the series already employing his mutant power, and with blond hair, and his X-Force uniform complete with his signature goggles. His first appearance in the series is in the first episode entitled "Night of the Sentinels: Part I"). He, Sabretooth, Magneto, and Domino are on the televisions JubileeJubilee (comics)Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
accidentally turns on with her powers while exploring the X-Mansion. - In the 2001 X-Men: EvolutionX-Men: EvolutionX-Men: Evolution is an American animated television series about the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. In this incarnation many of the characters are teenagers rather than adults...
animated television series, he appeared infrequently as one of the New Mutants and was voiced by Bill SwitzerBill SwitzerBill Switzer is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on the animated television series series Mummies Alive!. He has also played the title roles in Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension and Sabrina, the Animated Series...
. He was similar to his comic book counterpart, though he wasn't an official X-Man and his legs were covered with a black swirl rather than orange and yellow smoke when he used his powers. In the Season 4 episode "Ghost of a Chance" it is revealed that he is skilled in motocrossMotocrossMotocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
racing. He also enjoys a budding relationship with his fellow New Mutant AmaraMagma (comics)Magma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series New Mutants, also associated with various X-Men-related comics. She was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, and debuted in New Mutants #8...
. - Cannonball will appear in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
voiced by Travis WillinghamTravis WillinghamTravis Hampton Willingham is an American actor and voice actor who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games....
.
Video games
- He is an exclusive hidden character in the X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
video game for the PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. His powers in the game revolve around his "blast shield," in the form of rushing attacks, powered punches, and shields.
Film
- In the film X2X2 (film)X2 is a 2003 superhero film based on the fictional characters the X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer, it is the second film in the X-Men film series...
, his name along with that of his sister Paige, appears on a list of names MystiqueMystique (comics)Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
scrolls through on Stryker's computer while looking for Magneto's file.
Novels
- In the novelization of X-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
by Chris ClaremontChris ClaremontChris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, he is introduced towards the end when Logan is giving a class for new potential X-Men including GambitGambit (comics)Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
, SageSage (comics)Sage, also known as Tessa, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She has most often been associated with the X-Men and the Hellfire Club, whom she spied upon for Professor Charles Xavier....
, and Danielle MoonstarDanielle MoonstarDanielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
.
External links
- Cannonball II - A "Spotlight On" biography at UXN.
- Cannonball (Sam Guthrie) at the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
- Propulsion - TFL Cannonball Fanlisting