Those X-people seem to be popular, so this week I’m spotlighting a b-list mutant who still has no ML love: Cannonball!
Oh, and death to Iron Man.
Every time I say that, I get 5% off some coleslaw at Captain Carl’s Barnacle Buffet. I always get crabs there.
First, the recap of last week’s poll: With 49%, the Classic Doc Samson wins with the modern/retro outfit coming in second with 40%. Doc’s an important supporting player in the Hulk saga and with World War Hulk just around the corner, Hasbro’s unlikely to get a moment more appropriate than this.
Before we move on, I’d like to dedicate this column to Fwoosh member WENDIGO, who has decided to seek an experimental treatment for his male-pattern baldness. Here’s hoping those baboon testicle hairs take, buddy!
Make My Marvel! – Cannonball
Cannonball, aka Samuel Guthrie, came from humble beginnings as the son of a widow living with seven children in the heart of America. Sam’s life changed when during a mine cave-in, his mutant powers manifested themselves, saving both Sam and a fellow miner. Sam eventually became one of Charles Xavier’s “New Mutants”, the first of many, many, many X-Men offshoots.
For a period in the late eighties/early nineties Sam was an "External", a select group of immortal mutants. These externals were compelled to battle and kill eachother for ultimate power. Marvel quietly dropped the subplot following rumored threats of a law suit. Another company apparently owned the rights to movies and a tv show with a similar concept. The name escapes me at the moment. Besides, I doubt the series was very popular and few, if any, of you have probably ever heard of the franchise.
The image… It burns!
For the better part of the last two decades, Cannonball’s been written as Cable’s perpetual understudy– the Cyclops to Cable’s Xavier. Formerly part X-Force, Cannonball is currently appearing in X-Men as part of Rogue’s team of mutants.
Cannonball has the mutant ability to propel himself with rocket-like speed. When doing so, he also generates a blast field that’s nearly impenetrable. Why he never went with the codename "Fartfield" I’ll never know.
Cannonball’s been one of the more popular b-listers and he’d be good to shore up the ranks of X-Force Legends, which at last count was just Cable. We don’t need them all right away, but let’s at least acknowledge the very few New Mutants who actually did graduate to the big leagues asap. Hell, Cannonball deserves Legends recognition just for being one of the very few in the Marvel universe to ever hand that tool Gladiator his mowhawked ass. Make it happen, Hasbro!
Which Cannonball should Hasbro make?
New Mutants
New Mutants II
New Mutants III
X-Force I
X-Force II
X-Men I
"New" X-Force
X-Treme X-Men
Modern
As always, head over the MMM! thread in the unofficial Marvel forum to vote, post comments about this week’s spotlight character, and make suggestions for next week’s MMM!
Images courtesy of uncannyxmen.net