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Nitro (comics)
Encyclopedia
Nitro is a fictional character
, a supervillain
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. He first appeared in Captain Marvel
#34 (September 1974) and was created by Jim Starlin
.
Nitro is best known for being part of the tragedy that started off Marvel's Civil War
crossover
. He is also known by comic fans for playing a part in the death of the Kree
superhero Mar-Vell
.
. He was an electrical engineer. Due to genetic alteration carried out on him by the Kree
Lunatic Legion, Robert gained the ability to explode and reform himself at will and became a professional criminal. Some time later, he exposed Captain Marvel
to a carcinogenic nerve gas; this encounter ultimately caused Marvel's fatal cancer. Since then he has clashed with Earth's superhumans, who have found creative ways to defeat him, including using the "fractioning (separation) of his exploded mass" against him (essentially, if he can't reform himself after an explosion, he can't explode again).
Nitro later battled and was defeated by Omega the Unknown
. He later escaped from Project: Pegasus
, and then battled and was defeated by Spider-Man
. He was later freed from his containment canister by the Vulture
in Albany, New York. He battled Skids
of the New Mutants
, and was unable to re-form his body within Skids' force field.
One such appearance where a foe took advantage of his limitations was in Iron Man
vol. 3 #15, where he was hired to kill Tony Stark. A fight occurred between Nitro and Iron Man. Iron Man, whose sensors and telecommunications gear had been recently upgraded, noticed that every time he exploded, a high-frequency pulse was emitted by his body. Experimenting, Iron Man duplicated the pulse, causing Nitro to explode. After he exploded several times in a minute, he passed out from exhaustion (presumably, it takes energy to explode, and he could only spare so much before he passed out). Iron Man handed him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.
, along with a recommendation on constructing a null-harness. He was sent to prison.
On another occasion, when Nitro's lawyer had him released from captivity, the villain immediately escaped, attempting to rob a bank for money to travel to San Francisco to kill Captain Marvel. He was opposed by Spider-Man
, who defeated Nitro by webbing a barrel of tear gas to his body right before he exploded. As Nitro reformed, the suddenly evaporated tear gas mixed with his own molecules, leaving him violently ill and unable to fight back. Again, Nitro was arrested and sent to jail.
Later, Nitro is hired as a hit-man to kill Matt Murdock. He almost succeeds, killing several innocent people. Daredevil
and the police work together to capture him.
performed a videotaped raid of a house containing the Cobalt Man
, Speedfreek
, Coldheart
and Nitro, who had recently escaped from prison during the Ryker's Island Incident
. The New Warriors attacked each member, with Namorita
(the Sub-Mariner's cousin) going after Nitro. Slamming him into a school bus, Namorita continued to taunt him until Nitro let off a massive explosion. This explosion killed Namorita, Night Thrasher, Microbe
, and the supervillains he was with during the raid, along with sixty children at the nearby elementary school and some 600 people in the surrounding neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut
, where the fight took place.
Nitro escaped in the back of a pickup truck, and Wolverine
soon began hunting him. Eventually Wolverine and a group of S.H.I.E.L.D.
agents caught up with Nitro. The agents perished in the battle. Atlantean agents show up and capture Nitro for Namor and Wolverine follows them to New Pangea in an Iron Man armor
to find Nitro has killed his interrogators in an attempt to escape. Wolverine captures Nitro and slices off his arm, leaving Nitro a prisoner of Atlantis.
Namor used Nitro in the destruction of New Pangea after moving his civilization to Latveria
, a nation ruled by Doctor Doom
. Nitro was held prisoner in Latveria until Penance brought him back to America after forcing him to suffer for the Stamford explosion; leaving him in critical condition and close to death.
Nitro later popped up as a member of Hood
's crime syndicate.
in the House of M
reality. He is killed in battle by the Red Guard.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the Marvel Comics
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...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He first appeared in Captain Marvel
Mar-Vell
Captain Marvel is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan and first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created...
#34 (September 1974) and was created by Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
.
Nitro is best known for being part of the tragedy that started off Marvel's Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
. He is also known by comic fans for playing a part in the death of the Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
superhero Mar-Vell
Mar-Vell
Captain Marvel is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan and first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created...
.
Fictional character biography
Robert Hunter was born in Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
. He was an electrical engineer. Due to genetic alteration carried out on him by the Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
Lunatic Legion, Robert gained the ability to explode and reform himself at will and became a professional criminal. Some time later, he exposed Captain Marvel
Mar-Vell
Captain Marvel is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan and first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) is a fictional character owned by Marvel Comics. The character was created...
to a carcinogenic nerve gas; this encounter ultimately caused Marvel's fatal cancer. Since then he has clashed with Earth's superhumans, who have found creative ways to defeat him, including using the "fractioning (separation) of his exploded mass" against him (essentially, if he can't reform himself after an explosion, he can't explode again).
Nitro later battled and was defeated by Omega the Unknown
Omega The Unknown
Omega the Unknown was an American comic book published by Marvel Comics from 1976 to 1977, featuring the eponymous fictional character. The series, written by Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes and illustrated by Jim Mooney, ran for 10 issues before cancellation for low sales...
. He later escaped from Project: Pegasus
Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One...
, and then battled and was defeated by 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...
. He was later freed from his containment canister by the Vulture
Vulture (comics)
The Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
in Albany, New York. He battled Skids
Skids (comics)
Skids is a Marvel Comics mutant. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice, she first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #7 .-Morlocks:...
of 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....
, and was unable to re-form his body within Skids' force field.
One such appearance where a foe took advantage of his limitations was in Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
vol. 3 #15, where he was hired to kill Tony Stark. A fight occurred between Nitro and Iron Man. Iron Man, whose sensors and telecommunications gear had been recently upgraded, noticed that every time he exploded, a high-frequency pulse was emitted by his body. Experimenting, Iron Man duplicated the pulse, causing Nitro to explode. After he exploded several times in a minute, he passed out from exhaustion (presumably, it takes energy to explode, and he could only spare so much before he passed out). Iron Man handed him over to 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....
, along with a recommendation on constructing a null-harness. He was sent to prison.
On another occasion, when Nitro's lawyer had him released from captivity, the villain immediately escaped, attempting to rob a bank for money to travel to San Francisco to kill Captain Marvel. He was opposed by 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...
, who defeated Nitro by webbing a barrel of tear gas to his body right before he exploded. As Nitro reformed, the suddenly evaporated tear gas mixed with his own molecules, leaving him violently ill and unable to fight back. Again, Nitro was arrested and sent to jail.
Later, Nitro is hired as a hit-man to kill Matt Murdock. He almost succeeds, killing several innocent people. Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
and the police work together to capture him.
Civil War and beyond
The New WarriorsNew Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
performed a videotaped raid of a house containing the Cobalt Man
Cobalt Man
Cobalt Man is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Cobalt Man was created by writer Roy Thomas and penciller Werner Roth in X-Men #31 ....
, Speedfreek
Speedfreek
Speedfreek is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Leon Shappe has always been a ruthless killer, even before he got his super-powers as Speedfreak. At some point in his life, Speedfreek became addicted to the drug called "snap". He killed the owner...
, Coldheart
Coldheart
Coldheart is a fictional comic book supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe. The ice-powered, sword-using female was created by Howard Mackie and Tom Lyle. Unseen for years, she presumably died during the start of Civil War....
and Nitro, who had recently escaped from prison during the Ryker's Island Incident
Ryker's Island
Ryker's Island is a fictional prison facility for both conventional criminals, and superhuman criminals in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 called simply "Island Prison"....
. The New Warriors attacked each member, with Namorita
Namorita
Namorita Prentiss is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Universe, commonly known by the name of Nita. She is a mutant clone of her mother, Namora, and a member of the New Warriors. She was killed in the explosion in Stamford that started the Superhero Civil War.-Publication history:Namorita first...
(the Sub-Mariner's cousin) going after Nitro. Slamming him into a school bus, Namorita continued to taunt him until Nitro let off a massive explosion. This explosion killed Namorita, Night Thrasher, Microbe
Microbe (comics)
Microbe is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. He debuted in New Warriors Vol. 3 #1. He is a mutant with the ability to communicate with germs and other microscopic organisms. He was a member of the New Warriors.-Origin:Smith has a rather tragic past...
, and the supervillains he was with during the raid, along with sixty children at the nearby elementary school and some 600 people in the surrounding neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, where the fight took place.
Nitro escaped in the back of a pickup truck, and 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...
soon began hunting him. Eventually Wolverine and a group of 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....
agents caught up with Nitro. The agents perished in the battle. Atlantean agents show up and capture Nitro for Namor and Wolverine follows them to New Pangea in an Iron Man armor
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
to find Nitro has killed his interrogators in an attempt to escape. Wolverine captures Nitro and slices off his arm, leaving Nitro a prisoner of Atlantis.
Namor used Nitro in the destruction of New Pangea after moving his civilization to Latveria
Latveria
Latveria is a nation in the . It is an isolated European country ruled by the supervillain Doctor Doom, supposedly located in the Banat region. It is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, and also borders the Symkaria to the south. Its capital is Doomstadt.-Publication history:Latveria first...
, a nation ruled by Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
. Nitro was held prisoner in Latveria until Penance brought him back to America after forcing him to suffer for the Stamford explosion; leaving him in critical condition and close to death.
Nitro later popped up as a member of Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
's crime syndicate.
Powers and abilities
As a result of genetic re-engineering by the Kree, Nitro can transform his body into a gaseous state and explode with a maximum force equivalent to 350 lbs of TNT - which can however be multiplied under influence of MGH - and reconstitute himself. He can also explode discrete portions of his body; for instance, he can channel his explosive power to his hands in the act of punching, thereby delivering a great impact force equal to 10 lbs of TNT). He can use his superhuman power to explode in a particular direction, reassembling himself when his particles lose forward momentum, and repeating the process as necessary. While in his gaseous state, he cannot reform if any fraction of his body is separated from the rest, and he must completely reform his body from a gaseous state before he can detonate a second time. He does not possess any enhanced self-healing capabilities outside of reassembling after an explosion, as shown when Wolverine cut off his hand.House of M: Masters of Evil
Nitro appears as a member of Hood's Masters of EvilMasters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
in the House of M
House 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...
reality. He is killed in battle by the Red Guard.
Television
- Nitro appears in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Time Bomb", voiced by Liam O'BrienLiam O'BrienLiam Christopher O'Brien is an American voice actor and voice director perhaps best known for his roles as Gaara of the Sand in Naruto, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, War in the video game Darksiders, 'Vincent Law' in Ergo Proxy and 'Illidan Stormrage' in the 'Warcraft' game series...
. He is depicted as a mutant who willingly accepts confinement in a government mutant prison due to his lack of control over his powers. When they try to lock him in a cell, he resists, saying he cannot be around other people. He then flees the building until he is far enough away to avoid harming anyone with the massive energy blast that follows. However, this entire spectacle is observed by the mutant ToadToad (comics)Toad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 ....
, who informs QuicksilverQuicksilver (comics)Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
about Nitro's destructive abilities. He is then forcibly removed by the Brotherhood of MutantsBrotherhood of MutantsThe 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...
, who want to use his destructive powers to their benefit. They first use him to destroy the Mutant Response Division's archives, then prepare to bring him to GenoshaGenoshaGenosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
as an offering to MagnetoMagneto (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...
. They use PsylockePsylockePsylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
(who can barely telepathically block his powers) to keep him in control. He establishes an understanding with the sympathetic 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...
due to her own uncontrolled powers and her disagreement with the Brotherhood's ways of handling him. His powers almost cause him to destroy both the Brotherhood and the X-Men, though Storm is able to suspend him in the air while he detonates. The Brotherhood realizes that he is too dangerous to have around and Nitro willingly returns to confinement.
Video games
- Nitro appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (which is based upon the Civil War storyline), voiced by Steven BlumSteven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
. When Namorita subdues Nitro, he explodes destroying a neighborhood in Stamford, ConnecticutStamford, ConnecticutStamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
.