Pyro

Origin

St. John Allerdyce was born in Sydney, Australia. Although named St. John (pronounced Sinjin), he preferred the name John. As he got older he learned he could manipulate and control fire, but was unable to create it. Little is known about his past life other than he was a writer and spent most of his time in South East Asia working as a journalist and later attempted a career as an author of Gothic novels.

Creation

Pyro was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne and first appeared in The (Uncanny) X-Men Vol.1 issue 14 (1981).

Character Evolution

Pyro was most commonly associated with a life of crime. He bounced from one ill opportunity to the next, though when he contracted the Legacy Virus he would die a hero. He was later resurrected and fought against the good guys once again.

Major Story Arcs

Brotherhood and Freedom Force

At some point, Allerdyce was found by Mystique and was recruited to join her version of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Within the group he made firm friendships with fellow Brotherhood team-mates, Blob and Avalanche. He was a part of Mystique’s plans to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, but was thwarted by the efforts of Kate Pryde traveling through time and occupying the body of Kitty Pryde. As a member of the Brotherhood, Pyro never worked under the team’s original mentor, Magneto. However, he has been loyal to Mystique and much later to Toad.

A few years later, while the Brotherhood were incarcerated, they were offered a chance to redeem themselves. Part of the Mutant Registration Act allowed a group of mutants to register and become the public face of law abiding mutant citizens who would fight to stop illegal non-registered mutants. As such, Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants was remodeled into Freedom Force. Pyro’s affiliation with both the Brotherhood and Freedom Force has brought him into conflict with various X-Men teams, and other American based teams such as the Avengers.

Rusty Collins

Early after their formation, Freedom Force, were tasked with arresting a naval cadet by the name of Rusty Collins. Rusty’s pyrokinetic powers were triggered by accident causing a lot of property damage, and severely scarring a young prostitute for life. Pyro found Rusty in the sewers and captured him, but Freedom Force were intervened by X-Factor. Iceman‘s powers countered the flames under Pyro’s control, and Cyclops blasted the flamethrower on Pyro’s back.

Freedom Force came across Rusty and his girlfriend Skids on many occasions. Every time Rusty tried to use his fire-powers, Pyro’s own ability to control and increase that fire power proved useful and turned Rusty’s powers against his team-mates in the X-Terminators and New Mutants. When Dani Moonstar had been possessed with a demonic spirit by Hela, she used her own mutant power to create an ice-generating machine to trap herself. However, when Pyro turned Rusty’s powers against the ice machine, Rusty saw no other option than to turn himself over to the authorities.

This lead to a confrontation between Freedom Force and the enigmatic man known as Cable. Cable was trying to liberate Rusty and Skids from both Freedom Force and the Mutant Liberation Front. While Freedom Force was pursuing Cable through the streets of New York, passing members of the New Mutants tried to help and battled with Pyro and Blob. However, with Cable’s superior tactical guidance, Freedom Force was defeated.

While with Freedom Force, Pyro found himself working with the Avengers to stop Venom and numerous other prisoners in the Vault. His time with Freedom Force ended after disastrous a mission in the Middle East. While in Kuwait, Freedom Force came under attack from Iraqi operatives known as Desert Sword. Both teams suffered injuries and fatalities. Super Sabre was beheaded when he ran at high speed into a cheese-wire line that was strung across the street, while Pyro used his fires to burn Desert Storm’s female member, Veil. Pyro was unwilling to leave Blob alone in Kuwait, and the two of them were abandoned by Crimson Commando. Left in Kuwait, they were forced to act as bodyguards for various military commanders, until Toad purchased their freedom.

Return to the Brotherhood and the Legacy Virus

Back in the United States, Pyro and Blob joined Toad’s version of the Brotherhood of Mutants. At this time they had a small alliance with the surviving Morlocks and their main goal was to take out X-Force. However, their plans were foiled by Cable, and they soon disbanded again.

Pyro later discovered that he had contracted the mutant-targeting Legacy Virus. Unable to find a cure, his powers began raging out of control. He was rushed to hospital, as he began to burn up from the fires that raged around him. The doctors in the hospital refused to treat him, and forced Dr. Cecilia Reyes to attend to him. Although she managed to operate successfully on him, Pyro was still kept strapped down to his stretcher.

He asked that she loosen one of the restraints for comfort reasons, and thereby tricking her into helping him escape. This incident lead Pyro into a fight with Daredevil.

In an ironic twist, Pyro ended up risking his life by saving Robert Kelly, the man whom he had once tried to assassinate from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. However, the last stages of the Legacy Virus took over and killed Pyro. He spoke his last words to Kelly; that he wanted the hate and fighting between humans and mutants to stop. This had a great impact on Senator Kelly who changed his opinion on mutants and began to work towards Charles Xavier‘s goal of peaceful co-existence between humans & mutants.

A Short Resurrection

Pyro was one of the mutants resurrected as part of Selene’s Necrosha plans. He appeared on the shore of Utopia alongside Berzerker and Scaleface, when Archangel and Warpath returned from Angel’s Aerie with Hrimhari and Wolfsbane. He was aware that he was dead and forced to act by Eli Bard. However, despite acknowledging how he had died a hero, he quickly reverted to enjoying the life of a villain. Just as Pyro was announcing that he would gladly return to killing X-Men, Warpath comically hit him across the head with the hilt from one of his Vibranium Knives.

The fight raged on and Archangel believed he had defeated the resurrected mutants. His metallic wings sliced through them all repeatedly, decapitating them. However, they could not be killed since they were already dead. Pyro taunted Archangel as the transmode virus rebuilt his body, restoring him back to one-piece to continue the fight. After Selene was defeated, Pyro returned back to the dead.

Successor

After many months after the death of the original Pyro, a new person started calling himself Pyro and joined a new group named the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Return to Life: House of X and the Marauders

After Charles Xavier and a group of well-known X-men mutants (whom became know as The Five) conquered death, many mutants, both allies and former foes, where brought back to life. Pyro was one of them and was offered the choice to remain with the X-men with a clean slate, as part of the mutant race in their new socieity on the mutant Island nation of Krakoa. He accepted the offer and soon found a place alongside Kitty “Kate” Pryde, Storm and Bishop as one of the Marauders, a team of mutants whom saved other mutants from nations in the world hostile towards mutants. Feeling good in his new role as a mutant pirate helping other mutants, he eventually tatooed a skull on his face.

Powers

Fire Manipulator

Pyro is a pyrokinetic in the strictest sense; he can only manipulate flame, he cannot create it. Once there has been the smallest of flames, then he can mentally control and manipulate that fire any way he pleases. Notably, he can increase the size of the flames under his control, so even a small match can create a huge flame capable of fighting his enemies. The fires can be so strong that they can usually withstand the wind or rain, although in the past Pyro has struggled to maintain a flame against Storm’s intense hurricane force winds and torrential rains.

Pyro can manipulate the particles of the flame in order to turn the blazes solid. He can use the flames to not only envelope and burn, but also interact with objects. Usually he turns the flames under his control into specific shapes, including a bird of fire, which can swoop and attack his opponents. Pyro can also use his flames to create smoke clouds to asphyxiate someone’s breathing and create thick smoke clouds capable of blocking projectiles.

Since Pyro cannot create flame, his traditional red and yellow outfit features a portable tank that fits on his back, with two pipes leading along the arms and end at the wrists. This portable flamethrower instantly produces large amounts of fire at the wrists, which Pyro can then control. The movie version of this character carried a more compact and distinctive Zippo lighter as a fire source.

Weaknesses

Pyro is immune from the effects of fire that he personally manipulates but is not immune to the effects of fire that is not under his control. Since he can still be harmed by fire, he wears a special insulated suit to protect him briefly from non-controlled fires. It is generally accepted (but not proven) that he must be able to see a flame in order to take control of it, thereby limiting his mental influence to approximately 100 yards.

Alternate Universe

Earth-295: Age of Apocalypse

Pyro was a mutant held in the Breeding Pens by Apocalypse and Dark Beast. Along with fellow captives Artemis, Avalanche, Newt, and Phantazia he tried to escape and confronted their chaser using his powers to generate flames burning his own body. However, they were recaptured and severely injured by Havok. He was then allegedly turned into protoplasmic soup by Dark Beast in order to create more Infinites soldiers for Apocalypse.

The Age of Apocalypse version of Pyro was able to generate flames without external assistance, but would burn his own body if he did so. However, this was apparently a result of genetic modifications by Dark Beast who appeared to have pushed Pyro’s genetic to a similar point that the Legacy Virus affected his body in the main Earth-616 continuity.

Earth-1610: Ultimate

A former member of the Morlocks, Pyro had enough of hiding underground. Not much is known about his background, however this version of Pyro seems to generate flames from his body. It has yet to be seen whether he has the same degree of control over the flames he creates as his Earth-616 counterpart.

Pyro was horribly scarred and physically disfigured from exposure to fire, indicating that he was not immune to the effects of the fire. It was unclear that he suffered from fires that he was controlling, or not. However, when he was wounded from a gunshot he proclaimed that fire was his friend and generated flame in his hands to cauterize the wounds. This indicated that he was able to use his own fire against himself, although this is unclear whether it was his own desire to rather than being susceptible to it 100% of the time.

He first appeared on a rampage because of the “death” of Charles Xavier. He was recruited by Bishop and Storm as part as their X-Men team, and he also stated that he was a fan of Angel.

He inexplicably later appears as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, having turned evil offscreen. After trying to attack Valkyrie, Pyro’s hands are cut off.

Earth-58163: House of M

In the mutant dominated world of the House of M, Pyro belong to the mutant supremacist government of Australia. He worked alongside Exodus and Vanisher in human oppression. Their oppression of humans went so far that they were harming the aborigines, who were affiliated with the Hulk. He confided to the Vanisher that he used to be an author of gothic novels and that there were hidden layers to him.

Earth-2149: Marvel Zombies

Pyro was one of the infected by the zombie virus. He was seen with other zombie super-beings trying to eat the Blob and fighting alongside the zombified Freedom Force against the X-Men.

Marvel Mangaverse

Unlike previous incarnations, this Pyro is a dark-haired girl. She was English, wore bright red & yellow clothes with a Union Flag emblem and goggles, and smoked. Whenever she used her pyrokinetic powers, her whole body would burst into flames.

X-Men: Misfits

In a complete redesign of his character, this manga incarnation of Pyro is no longer a blonde Australian. He was suave, dark-haired and a self-confident teenager who attended Xavier’s Academy for the Gifted. Like many of his alternate universe counterparts, this Pyro can generate fire without an external source. Part of the school’s elite Hellfire Club, Pyro soon began dating the only girl in school, Kitty Pryde. While on a date with Kitty he explained that he had a fascination with fire ever since he was a young boy. Although people warned him against pyromania, he found he had an affinity with fire and eventually realized his mutant power.

Pyro spent much of his time being protective of his relationship with Kitty. He dragged her out of class to play hookie, where they would sit on the roof to kiss while Kitty’s powers phased them down through all the floors into the basement. However, he grew over-protective and warned non-Hellfire Club mutants away from Kitty, therefore scaring away many of her friends like Cyclops and Nightcrawler. He was even jealous of the amount of time she spent with Forge, whom she treated like a brother. However, he wasn’t threatened by Havok or Longshot whenever they planned to dress Kitty in skimpy leather outfits.

However, on a school field trip into New York City they came across a small anti-mutant protest. Pyro used his powers to intimidate the protesters, therefore inciting a small riot. When Havok began to look possessed and his powers raged out of control, Pyro fled the scene yelling at Kitty to run for it. His impulsive nature towards violence and lack of chivalry caused the relationship to fail. By the end of the semester, Kitty had broken up with Pyro. However, since the Hellfire Club has displayed a collector’s nature they will most likely appeal to other new female students. How Pyro reacts around other girls has yet to be soon.

Other Media

Television

Pryde of the X-Men

This was Pryo’s first multimedia appearance. Pyro was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutant terrorist who have planned on destroying the entire human race with a power circuit. When the X-Men arrived to their headquarters to retrieve the machine, Pyro appeared to block them but Dazzler told them that she will fight him so that the other X-Men can continue looking for the machine.

Pyro was identified as an Australian, and was played by Pat Fraley.

X-Men: The Animated Series

In the animated series, he was still a member of the Brotherhood of Mutant. Mystique saw Pyro as the most experienced member. He and Avalanche were waiting for Mystique in a bar located on an island, when they came across Rogue. They confused her, but when they threatened Rogue she quickly roughed them up. He then eavesdropped on Rogue and learned about Doctor Adler who could ‘cure’ mutant powers for a cost. After a quick battle with Cable, he and Avalanche kidnapped the doctor but it transpired that the doctor was really part Mystique. However, seeing Pyro and Avalanche with ‘Dr. Adler’, Rogue fought them both again.

Pyro also appeared in the animated version of Days of Future Past. He and the Brotherhood attacked people outside the Senate while Mystique tried to assassinate Senator Kelly while she was disguised as Gambit. He also appeared in A Rogue’s Tale where he was shown in a flashback working with Rogue and the other brotherhood members.

This version of Pyro was characterized as British rather than Australian, using quaint colloquialisms like ‘old bean’. He was voiced by Graham Halley.

X-Men: Evolution

Pyro was a member of Magneto’s Acolytes. This version was younger, impatient & more maniacal. However, his loyalty for Magneto was false as he watched repeats on the news of Apocalypse’s triumph over Magneto. His powers are supported by his costume, yet, the story is unclear about his powers’ differences in terms of manifesting in some episodes.

He was voiced by Trevor Devall.

Wolverine and the X-Men

Pyro was one of the mutants alongside Boom Boom, Rockslide and Dust in the MRD mutant prison. He was rescued by Wolverine and during the escape he used his fire manipulation on Boom Boom’s time-bombs to attack the guards. He later appeared as a member of Magneto’s Acolytes on Genosha. Partnered with Mercury, he fought Nightcrawler when he discovered the secrets of Genosha. He would later attack a MRD facility with Senyaka.

This rendition of Pyro was voiced by Nolan North, and did not appear to have any particular Australian or British traits, and was overall closer to his film incarnation.

The Super Hero Squad Show

Pyro appears in the episode “A Brat Walks Among Us,” “Night in the Sanctorum” and “The Ice Melt Cometh!” voiced by Steven Blum.

Film

X-Men

In the first of the three movies, John Allerdyce makes a brief cameo appearance. Here, rather than being an Australian terrorist, he is an American student at the Xavier Institute who tries to impress Rogue by using his fire powers in class. However, his fireball is frozen by Iceman. When the flames turn into ice, he drops it, and the noise of the shattering ice draws the attention of the teacher, thus getting John into trouble.

John Allerdyce was played by Alexander Burton.

X2: X-Men United

By the time the second film started, John has become close friends with Iceman & Rogue. On a school trip, they are idly hanging out in the cafe when a couple of regular teenagers try to stir up trouble. John causes the burning end of a cigarette to flare, scaring the youths, but his attack is soon stopped by Iceman’s powers.

During the attack on the mansion, Pyro accompanies Iceman, Rogue and Wolverine as they escape out the back. While hiding at Iceman’s family home, John displays a casual distaste towards Iceman’s mutant-fearing family. When Iceman’s brother calls the police, claiming that mutants are holding his family hostage, Wolverine is shot. Pyro uses his shark-painted Zippo lighter to create a flame and uses it to direct blasts of fire at the police cars. He is only stopped when Rogue who uses her absorption abilities to steal his powers.

When the X-Men join forces with Magneto and Mystique to rescue their comrades from William Stryker, Magneto takes an interest in the boy, telling him he is a “god among ants” and that his abilities are incredible. When Magneto and Mystique escape after betraying the X-Men and tricking Professor X into using to attack humankind, John chooses to go with them.

He was portrayed by Aaron Stanford.

X-Men: The Last Stand

Pyro returns as a full member of the Brotherhood in the third movie, with Aaron Stanford reprising his role. He is now shown in possession of a special harness that releases flame jets from his wrists, allowing him to create and manipulate the fire without needing his lighter. He accompanies Magneto when recruiting other mutants to join the Brotherhood and destroy the mutant cure that is being developed in San Francisco.

During the rescue of Mystique, Juggernaut, and Multiple-Man, he attacks a human guard who attempts to shoot the cure into Magneto. He is later seen in the crowd of curious and demonstrating mutants, outside a building that is dispensing the cure. Iceman arrives there in search of Rogue, and the two former friends have a tense confrontation. When he fails to goad Iceman into a fight, Pyro creates a large fireball to send a message to the anti-mutant demonstrators, as well as the mutants who want the cure.

Pyro is among the Brotherhood when Magneto makes his attack on Alcatraz (the site where the cure is being produced). When confronted by the X-Men, he begins to ignite civilian cars, which Magneto hurls as giant firebombs. When the Morlocks surge into the line of fire, Magneto holds Pyro back while educating him on tactical fighting. However, Magneto relents, and Pyro is given the chance to fight Iceman man-to-man. During their fight Pyro nearly overpowers Iceman. Just as it appears that Iceman was about to become overwhelmed by Pyro’s fire, he discovered his ice-form. Fully iced over, Iceman blocks out Pyro’s flames and knocks him unconscious with an icy head butt.

Video Games

X-Men

Pyro made his video game debut in the first X-Men arcade game from Konami (an adaptation of the Pryde of the X-Men animated pilot) as the first boss villain. He was very acrobatic and shot a stream of fire, as well as a fireball in the shape of a dragon.

X-Men: Legends

He was a member of the Brotherhood assisting to kidnap Magma at the start of the game. In the park he warded off Wolverine with a wall of fire. He was later seen as the third boss of the game attacking the X-Men in the Canadian laboratory. He appeared again later in the game but as an alternate version of him in the Shadow King‘s Dimension.

He is voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.

X-Men: The Official Game

Pyro appears in X-Men: The Official game, which is set in the continuity of the movies (taking place between X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand). Pyro, now a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, appears as a boss character in Iceman’s portions of the game, battling his former friend at a power plant.

His appearance here is closer to the one he sports in the comics, as he now wears a special suit that shoots out fire for him to manipulate. His powers are also far more advanced than they are in the movies, with him even creating a giant, dragon-like creature made of flames at one point.

He is voiced by Steve Van Wormer.

X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse

Pyro appeared as a prisoner in Genosha before the battle with Abyss. He has two special dialogues; first with Gambit when he is trapped inside a force filed trap and tries to convince Gambit to release him. When he is freed by the X-Men he joined the party as a non-playable character; then he has another special conversation with Sunfire just before enter to battle Abyss, in this ocassion Pyro tries to stop Sunfire to go further into Abyss but is useless so he goes away.

He is an exclusive playable character on the PC version, but he is basically Sunfire with different names for his powers and the absence of flight. He si voiced by John Kassir.

X-Men: Destiny

Pyro appears in the 2011 game, voiced by Steven Blum.

Marvel Heroes

Pyro appears as a boss character, voiced by Crispin Freeman.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes

Pyro appears as one of the numerous playable characters.

Merchandise

• Pyro was featured in ToyBiz’s X-Men: X-Force line in the 90s.
• Pyro was featured in ToyBiz’s Marvel Legends line as part of the Onslaught Build-a-Figure wave.
• Pyro was featured in Diamond Collectibles’ Minimates line as part of a two-pack with Banshee.
• Bowen Designs released a Pyro Bust.
• Pyro was featured in the Classic Marvel Figurine Collection from Eaglemoss Publications.
• Pyro was featured in the HeroClix figure game.
• Pyro was featured in Hasbro’s Super Hero Squad line.
• Pyro was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Mashers line.
• Pyro was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as part of a box set with Rogue.