Pyro (Marvel Comics)

Pyro is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

St. John Allerdyce Pyro
St. John Allerdyce (a.k.a. Pyro)
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981)[1]
Created by	Chris Claremont (writer) John Byrne (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	St. John Allerdyce
Species	Human mutant
Team affiliations	Brotherhood of Mutants Freedom Force Lethal Legion Marauders
Abilities	Pyrokinesis

Pyro
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	X-Men Gold (Vol. 2) #1 (April, 2017)
Created by	Marc Guggenheim Ardian Syaf
In-story information
Alter ego	Simon Lasker
Species	Human mutant
Team affiliations	Brotherhood of Mutants X-Men
Abilities	Pyrokinesis Flame generation

The first character known as Pyro is St. John Allerdyce, a recurring enemy of the X-Men and later an agent of the U.S. government. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne and introduced in The Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981) as part of the Brotherhood of Mutants.^[2] Pyro has the mutant power to control fire, but not create it. Pyro and the Brotherhood of Mutants are the antagonists in the X-Men story Days of Future Past as they attempt to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, which in an alternate timeline leads to a dystopic future where Mutants are hunted, killed or captured by the Sentinel robots. The assassination is thwarted, and at a later date the Brotherhood become agents of the US government in exchange for a full pardon, and the team becomes known as the Freedom Force.

The second character known as Pyro is Simon Lasker, an American teenage mutant with the ability to create and control fire. Lasker was created by Marc Guggenheim and Ardian Syaf and introduced in X-Men Gold (Vol. 2) #1 (April, 2017). He was initially hynotised by Mesmero into joining his Brotherhood of Mutants, but later joined the X-Men.

An Americanized version of Pyro named John Allerdyce appeared in the X-Men film franchise produced by 20th Century Fox. He was portrayed by Alexander Burton in X-Men (2000), and was subsequently replaced by Aaron Stanford for its sequels X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).

Publication history

St. John Allerdyce

Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the St. John Allerdyce version of Pyro first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #141 (January 1981).^[3]

As part of the Dawn of X initiative, Pyro subsequently starred in the Marauders series in October 2019 alongside Kitty Pryde, Iceman, Emma Frost, Storm, and Bishop.^{[citation needed]}

Simon Lasker

Simon Lasker as Pyro was introduced in the first three issues of X-Men Gold as a member of Mesmero's Brotherhood, leaving the team in issue 22 and joining the X-Men in the next issue. He stayed with the team until the titles end with issue 36, appearing in X-Men: The Wedding Special before this. He appeared in Marvel's Voices (Vol. 1) #1 before appearing dead in X-Force (Vol. 6) #11 (August, 2020).

Fictional character biography

St. John Allerdyce

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, St. John Allerdyce is a mutant who possesses the elemental power to control fire and flame, though not generate it. As such, he wields a flamethrower to provide heat for him to control. After years of working in Southeast Asia as a journalist and novelist, Pyro met the mutant Mystique, who later recruited him to the Brotherhood of Mutants as a professional criminal and subversive. With the Brotherhood of Mutants, he attempted to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, and first battled the X-Men.^[4] With the Brotherhood, he later battled the Avengers,^[5] and then the X-Men again.^[6] Though he never served under the team's original leader, Magneto, Pyro did work with the Brotherhood under the command of several of Magneto's subordinates who alternately supervised the group.

Mystique's Brotherhood later offered the team's services to the United States government in exchange for protection and an official pardon for its crimes, and was renamed Freedom Force. As part of their first mission, the team captured Magneto.^[7] With Freedom Force, he next captured the Avengers on behalf of the federal government.^[8]

During Freedom Force's final mission, the team confronts a group of Iraqi operatives known as Desert Sword in Kuwait. Pyro and Blob are abandoned in Kuwait and captured. Blob and Pyro are forced to serve as bodyguards to the Kuwaiti military. Later, Toad buys their release. Blob and Pyro join Toad's new Brotherhood of Mutants.^[9]

Some years later, Pyro contracts the Legacy Virus, a fatal disease affecting mainly mutants.^[10] He goes to great lengths to find a cure, but is unsuccessful and dies from the virus.^[11] Pyro dies shortly after helping rescue Robert Kelly from his former allies in the Brotherhood of Mutants, with his actions being instrumental in changing Kelly's opinion on mutants as a whole.^[11]

During the "Necrosha" storyline, Pyro is resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene's army of deceased mutants.^[12] He later joins a new Brotherhood of Mutants led by Magneto's clone Joseph, who claims to be Magneto.^[13]

Simon Lasker

Simon Lasker is an American teenage mutant who manifested pyrokinesis by accidentally burning down his high school building and killing everyone inside it. Suddenly appearing before him in the form of Professor X, Mesmero brainwashed him into becoming the new Pyro and to join his Brotherhood of Mutants, which was secretly funded by anti-mutant activist Lydia Nance. After learning of Nance's anti-mutant agenda, Pyro leaves the Brotherhood of Mutants and joins the X-Men.^[14]

Pyro is revealed to be gay in X-Men Gold (vol. 2) #32, where he is romantically involved with Iceman.^[15]

Pyro joins the mutant nation of Krakoa, but is killed in an invasion by Russian armed forces.^[16]

Powers and abilities

St. John Allerdyce is a mutant with the ability to manipulate flame by shaping it as he desires, increasing or decreasing its heat, intensity and size. As he cannot create fire himself, he wears a specially insulated costume with a built-in flamethrower that can throw a stream of flame a maximum distance of 25 feet (7.6 m). He can manipulate the flame to do whatever he desires and sometimes induces it to take semi-solid form as a non-sentient flame being that he commands. Though he cannot be burned by a flame which he is manipulating, Pyro can be harmed by any fire that he does not mentally control. After his return, Pyro's powers have increased in some ways, showing he can prevent the gunpowder in a loaded pistol from igniting as well as generate fire on his own.^[17]

Simon Lasker has the mutant ability to elementally generate, control and manipulate fire; similar to the original Pyro. But unlike Allerdyce, he seems capable of igniting fire on his own and does not require outside sources of existing flame to manipulate.

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

An alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears in Age of Apocalypse. He is one of many mutants imprisoned by Mister Sinister after refusing to join his Elite Mutant Force and is later killed during an escape attempt.^[18]

House of M

An alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears in House of M. This version is a member of the mutant supremacist government in Australia.^[19]

Marvel Adventures

An alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Marvel Zombies

A zombified alternate universe version of St. John Allerdyce / Pyro appears in Marvel Zombies.^[20]

Ronin

Pyro works as a murderous mutant ninja for the Japanese-based Hellfire Club. He battles the X-Men alongside fellow ninja Iceman and Avalanche.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Ultimate Marvel

An alternate universe version of Pyro from Earth-1610 appears in Ultimate X-Men. This version is a member of the Morlocks and a supporter of Charles Xavier's cause. He later joins the X-Men before defecting to Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants.^[21] Additionally, he is able to generate fire rather than manipulating it.^[22]

In other media

Television

• Pyro appears in X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, voiced by Pat Fraley.^[23] This version is a member of the Brotherhood of Mutant Terrorists.
• The St. John Allerdyce incarnation of Pyro appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Graham Halley.^[23] This version is a British member of Mystique's Brotherhood of Mutants.
• The St. John Allerdyce incarnation of Pyro appears in X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Trevor Devall.^[23] This version is initially a member of Magneto's Acolytes. Following Magneto's death and the Acolytes' disbandment, a reformed Pyro joins S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside the Brotherhood of Bayville in a vision of the future depicted in the two-part series finale "Ascension".
• The St. John Allerdyce incarnation of Pyro appears in Wolverine and the X-Men, voiced by Nolan North.^[23] He is initially depicted as a prisoner of the Mutant Response Division before becoming a member of Magneto's Acolytes and subsequently imprisoned in Genosha for failing Magneto.
• Pyro appears in The Super Hero Squad Show, voiced by Steve Blum.^[24] This version is a member of Doctor Doom's Lethal Legion.
• Pyro appears in Lego Marvel Avengers: Strange Tails, voiced by Patrick Stump.^{[citation needed]}

Film

Aaron Stanford as Pyro in X-Men: The Last Stand.

• Pyro appears as a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants in early drafts for X-Men (2000), but had to be removed for the film to be greenlit by 20th Century Fox due to budget concerns.^[25] Nonetheless, Pyro makes a cameo appearance in the final film as a student of the Xavier Institute, portrayed by Alexander Burton.^[26][27]
• John Allerdyce / Pyro appears in X2 (2003), portrayed by Aaron Stanford. This version is initially a friend of fellow Xavier Institute students Iceman and Rogue who keeps a Zippo lighter on him at all times before he is tempted by Magneto into joining the Brotherhood.
• John Allerdyce / Pyro appears in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), portrayed again by Stanford. Now sporting a miniature wrist-mounted flamethrower and serving as Magneto's right hand, he and the Brotherhood fight to stop a "mutant cure" from being produced until he is defeated by Iceman.
• John Allerdyce / Pyro appears in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), portrayed again by Stanford.^[28] This time, he works for Time Variance Authority agent Mr. Paradox, who tasked him with infiltrating Cassandra Nova's forces.

Video games

• Pyro appears as a boss in X-Men (1992).^[23]
• Pyro appears as a playable character in the Game Boy Color version of X-Men: Mutant Academy.^[29]
• Pyro appears as a playable character in the Xbox version of X-Men: Next Dimension, voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.^[23]
• Pyro appears as a boss in X-Men Legends, voiced again by Robin Atkin Downes.^[23] This version is a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
• Pyro appears as a playable character in the PC version of X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, voiced by John Kassir.^[23] This version is a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
• John Allerdyce / Pyro, based on the film incarnation, appears as a boss in X-Men: The Official Game, voiced by Steve Van Wormer.^[23]
• Pyro appears in X-Men: Destiny, voiced again by Steve Blum.^[23] This version is a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
• Pyro appears as a boss in Marvel Heroes, voiced by Crispin Freeman.^[23]
• Pyro appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes,^[30] voiced by Andrew Kishino.^[23] This version is a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants.