Cannonball (Marvel)
Cannonball is a male comic superhero who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Samuel Guthrie
He had two younger brothers with these being Josh Guthrie and Jebediah Guthrie. (ROM Annual v1 #3)
When Sam was 11 years old, his Uncle Lucas who often was involved in criminal acts was the driver of a warehouse heist that had gone wrong. When Luke’s partner died during the heist, he found that the corpse changed into something inhuman and that their cargo was some kind of inanimate golem. Unsure what to make of it, he asked his brother, Thomas, for back-up, as he was going to bring the cargo to his employer, a man called Finn. Young Sam followed the two men to Finn’s headquarters, an abandoned roadhouse. Finn and his partners were actually Deviants, a genetic offshoot of humanity created millennia ago by the alien Celestials. These Deviants had been performing experiments on children in order to improve their own species. The Deviants had no intention of letting the Guthries go, but they were aided by the mysterious figure named Sledge, who beat the Deviants’ golem and then erased that night from the memories of Sam and the other children. (X-Force v1 #96)
Whilst working in the Kentucky coal mines, Sam's father came to inhale too much coal dust and died as a result. Despite Sam being granted a college scholarship, the death of his father led to the 16 year old boy deciding to stay home in order to support his family. Sam got a job working in the coal mines as well. One day, the mine collapsed on the workers and Sam manifested his mutant blasting powers in order to save himself and his partner. The manifestation of his power was recognized by Donald Pierce of the Hellfire Club, who then recruited him to be one of his operatives. This occupation set him against Charles Xavier and the four young mutants he had met on his quest to stop Pierce's plot against both his X-Men and the Hellfire Club. They were captured, however, and Pierce ordered them killed. Sam refused and helped the mutants escape. Together, they defeated Pierce and Xavier decided to keep them together as a new team of mutants at his School for Gifted Youngsters. Along with Sam who was given the codename Cannonball, the original roster included Danielle Moonstar, Sunspot, Wolfsbane and Karma. (Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4)
New Mutants
Some time later, he attended rock concert with his New Mutants where Sam saved the life of international rockstar Lila Cheney. Lila was both an interstellar mutant teleporter and a thief who had planned to steal as well as sell the entire Earth. However, she fell for Sam and took him with her to her home base – a Dyson Sphere in another solar system. The New Mutants followed and saved Lila from the aliens who intended to double-cross her. Lila promised not to pull another stunt like this again afterwards and it became quickly clear that she was serious about Sam. Since Lila's powers and occupation kept her bouncing around the galaxy, however, the two proceeded very slowly in their relationship. (New Mutants Annual v1 #1)
The Beyonder would come to encounter the New Mutants where he killed them with his powers. (New Mutants v1 #37) He soon resurrected afterwards but the trauma of this experience left the team deeply shaken. This saw them deciding to go with the villainous Emma Frost to her Massachusetts Academy and join the ranks of the Hellions. (New Mutants v1 #39)
Later on, Sam made a brief visit his hometown to introduce Lila to his family. During this time, his younger brother Josh Guthrie expressed a wish that he did not want to become a Mutant. However, whilst spending time with his sibling, he came to enjoy a ride on Sam's back and decided that being a mutant would not be so bad if he would get to fly. (New Mutants v1 #42)
When Xavier had left Magneto, his former enemy, in charge of the school, Cannonball had stayed in the shadows, not fully being a leader, simply the guiding voice for the younger mutants. However, in time, Magneto had joined the Hellfire Club and decreed that the team could not use their powers unless he told them to. The X-Men were believed dead and so Cannonball and Mirage disobeyed Magneto and began to take the New Mutants into action, striking back and protecting the world as the X-Men once did. They even used a different set of costumes in these occasions. (New Mutants v1 #61)
Avenger
Guthrie later came to be recruited into the Avengers alongside Sunspot. (Avengers v5 #2)
During the war, he and Izzy Kane became romantically involved with one another as they two began dating. (Avengers v5 #22)
House of X
Overview
Personality and attributes
It was noted that Sam was an avid reader who was especially fond of the science fiction genre. (Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4)
He was shown to be quick in determining creative uses of his powers. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #341)
Among his siblings were his younger brothers Jedidiah and Josh Guthrie. (ROM Annual v1 #3)
It was known that he had a paternal uncle named Lucas Guthrie. It was known that Uncle Luke had a criminal based past as he had been arrested and sent to prison for grand theft auto. (X-Force v1 #96)
During his early adventures, he first came to meet the international rockstar and Mutant teleporter named Lila Cheney. She came to show a romantic interest in Sam after he saved her life. (New Mutants Annual v1 #1)
To Serafina, he was in love with her during the reality she manufactured in his mind where she took the identity of Sarah but when she said that it meant nothing to her then Sam buried his feelings for her. (X-Men v2 #193)
During the Builder War, he became involved with Izzy Kane who operated as the Imperial Guardsman Smasher on the Avengers. (Avengers v5 #22) The two later came to have a son together who they named Josiah Guthrie. (Avengers v5 #35)
Powers and abilities
It was remarked that he was an intelligent young man which gave him the opportunity to even get a scholarship to go to college. (Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4)
In one instance, he was able to expand his kinetic field which would destroy anything wrapped around him. Guthrie was also able to channel the kinetic energy from a blow and direct it into his force field. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #341)
He was able to generate his blast field without having to blast off though such a move was tricky to accomplish and required a lot of concentration. (U.S.Avengers v1 #3)
At one point, it was believed that Guthrie was a member of the immortal group of mutants known as the Externals. This stemmed from his apparent ability to return to life after death. (X-Force v1 #10)
Notes
- Cannonball was created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod where he made his first appearance in Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4 (November, 1982).
- In X-Men: Archives Sketchbook v1 #1 (2000), artist Bob McLeod noted that Sam's powers were supposed to be energy blasts from his hands and variants for his alias included Inferno and Holocaust.
Alternate Versions
- In Factor X v1 #1 (1995), an alternate version of Cannonball appeared in the Age of Apocalypse reality designated as Earth-295 in the Multiverse. Samuel Guthrie's father attempted to defend his family from the forces of Apocalypse when their genetic culling of humans reached the doorstep of the Guthrie farm in Kentucky. While his parents were killed, Sam, his sister Liz and brother Joshua were recruited by Apocalypse. The trio became members of the Elite Mutant Force where Sam began calling himself Cannonball whilst Liz took the name Amazon for herself with them being placed in the Slave Pens, answering to Prelates Cyclops and Havok. Their primary function was to maintain order in the slave pens. During an attempted breakout, Cannonball and Amazon helped to quell the uprising using violent means, earning the ire of Cyclops
In other media
Television
- In X-Men, Cannonball appeared as a minor guest character in the 1990s animated television series in the episode "Hidden Agenda" where he was voiced by actor Adrian Egan.
- In X-Men: Evolution, Cannonball appeared as a minor character in the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Bill Switzer.
Films
- In The New Mutants, Samuel "Sam" Guthrie appeared in the setting of the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Charlie Heaton.
Video games
- In X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, Cannonball appeared as a hidden exclusive character on the PSP version of video game.
- In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, Cannonball appeared as an unlockable character in the setting of the Facebook video game.
Appearances
- New Mutants v1: (1982)
- ROM Annual v1:
- X-Men v2:
- Avengers v5:
- U.S.Avengers v1:
- New Mutants v4:
External Links
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