How Firestar Became One of the Most Important Heroes in Current Marvel Comics

When Firestar was first elected as a member of the X-Men, she had little connection to Krakoa. In fact, it took a fan vote to secure her a spot on the team in the first place. Pitted against Armor, Avalanche, Bling!, Gentle, Gorgon, Micromax, Penance, Siryn, and Surge, the X-Men fanbase looked at the competition and ordered Firestar to enjoy her moment in the sunlight. The former Avenger seemed like an odd choice for an X-Men team, but she quickly found a place among her fellow mutants. Since that fateful day, however, Firestar has quickly emerged as the most important member of the X-Men.

Orchis decimated the mutants at the Third Annual Hellfire Gala. Countless mutants were banished to Arakko, outer space, or to the depths of the unknown at Mother Righteous’ whim. With so much chaos around them, Firestar managed to find a place with Doctor Stasis, serving as a double agent. Firestar’s new role within Orchis puts her in a prime position to protect her fellow mutants. As the perfect spy, she could very well be the difference between the survival of the X-Men or the rise of Orchis.

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Firestar’s Role Before Krakoa

Today, Firestar is a friend to mutants who is working tirelessly to protect those who have looked down on her. Yet, despite her loyalty, she has little reason to risk her life to protect a country led by Emma Frost. When she was still a student at Emma’s Massachusetts Academy, she was personally victimized by the diamond hero. In an effort to isolate the young mutant in Firestar #2 (created by Tom DeFalco, Mary Wilshire, Bob Wiacek, Daina Graziunas, Tom Orzechowski, and Lois Buhalis), Emma outright framed Firestar for murder. She lit Firestar’s beloved horse on fire and telepathically stopped the poor animal’s heart. Firestar was devastated and looked to Emma for comfort, only to eventually learn what truly happened. She abandoned the Massachusetts Academy, betrayed by her trusted mentor.

While the murder of her horse upended her life, Firestar was more than capable of finding hope in the ashes. After her escape, Firestar quickly rose to relative prominence within the Marvel universe. She served as a major member of the New Warriors, earned the title of Avenger, and even helped the X-Men when they were still trying to run a school for young mutants. She may have avoided Krakoa from the start, but it was not out of any particular enmity for the Krakoan people. Firestar is a hero at heart, and she is always determined to remain a hero.

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Becoming the Most Important X-Man

If Firestar was known for her time with the New Warriors and the Avengers, it is her time with the X-Men that is quickly coming to define her. Her first year with the X-Men was a fairly muted affair. She rarely actually played much of a major role in the overall plot. In many ways, she was a victim of the toxic conflict between Cyclops and Jean Grey that dominated the book. There simply was not much space for the character. She was left in the same listless position that Iceman was in. Despite being a team book, there were never many opportunities for every member of the team to shine.

X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 (created by Gerry Duggan, Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli, Carlos Villa, Rain Beredo, Frank Martin, Matt Milla, Matthew Wilson, and Cory Petit) changed that. With her dying wish, Jean asked for a single favor. With a legendary X-Man seeking her support, Firestar was not in a position to refuse. She accepted a role that would make her one of the most despised mutants in the world. Vilified by anti-mutant humans and by her fellow mutants alike, being a double agent has left Firestar with few friends. There’s a good reason that Shadowkat tried to kill her in X-Men #26 (created by Gerry Duggan, Jim Towe, Javier Pina, Marte Gracia, and VC’s Clayton Cowles).

While Firestar was able to explain her status as a double agent to Shadowkat, the other mutant has done her no favors. Instead, Shadowkat insisted on leaving the rest of mutantkind ignorant of her true mission. After all, the fewer people aware of Firestar’s role, the fewer who can reveal it to Orchis. It’s a clever position, but it has left Firestar in a truly precarious position. If Orchis discovers her deception, she will have nowhere to escape to. Trapped on a space station and unable to use the Krakoan gates, she is as much of a prisoner as Juggernaut or Cyclops. Unfortunately, Shadowkat and the hypocritical mutants don’t seem to care about her struggles.

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What’s Next for Firestar?

Life after the Fall of X is frightful and deadly, but it isn’t likely that Firestar will remain a double agent forever. X-Men #27 (created by Gerry Duggan, Phil Noto, and Clayton Cowles) revealed that Stasis is already planning to take out some of his prisoners. If the villain isn’t simply testing the loyalty of his partner, the survival of Juggernaut and Cyclops could be at stake. No matter how much Firestar respects her role as Jean’s secret spy, it isn’t likely that she will allow innocent people to be murdered just to keep up appearances.

However life as a spy ends for Firestar, it will likely change the public perception of her forever. Instead of appearing to be a loyal Avenger, she will forever be a hero to the X-Men. She sacrificed months living behind enemy lines in a vain attempt to keep her fellow mutants alive. While Professor X hid away to preserve a graveyard, Firestar is actively working to preserve the survival of her people. The Quiet Council was already discussing absconding their roles in favor of more representative mutants. After suffering vilification around the galaxy to protect the citizens of Krakoa, Firestar could very well become a new leader if the Krakoan Era returns.

Firestar has always been a hero. She abandoned the Massachusetts Academy and helped to found the New Warriors because she profoundly believed in the good that she could do. She may have spent a short time as an Avenger, but she has never been the sort to avenge the fallen. Instead, she fights to preserve the survival of her people. Working with Orchis has left her in a prime position to report enemy movements to Tony Stark and Shadowkat. While they struggle with life on Earth, she is sacrificing her freedom and security to become a larger-than-life weapon. If she makes the right moves, she could save the lives of every mutant. Since the Fall of X, Firestar has become one of the most important heroes in Marvel Comics, and she proves it with every passing issue.