History
Origin
Growing up largely unaware of his family's illegal gun-smuggling syndicate, young Julio Esteban Richter saw many hardships. After spending some time in jail with his father, Julio was forced to watch his father's murder, by the time-tossed villain Stryfe, during an arms deal gone bad. When his mutant seismic powers manifest, Julio accidentally destroyed three city blocks. This brought Julio to the attention of The Right, an anti-mutant organization, who kidnapped him. Dubbing him "Rictor", they explained to him his mutation, tortured him and attempted to force Rictor into using his seismic powers to destroy San Francisco, while claiming to be allied with the mutant terrorists, X-Terminators, X-Factor's alter egos. Thankfully, Rictor was saved by X-Factor and accepted their invitation to join as a trainee member, at the X-Factor Complex.
X-Factor Trainee
While training at the Complex, Rictor was among the first to notice, X-Factor PR man, Cameron Hodge's devious acts, as he noticed that Hodge's voice matched that of the leader of The Right. After X-Factor battled Apocalypse's Horsemen, in Central Park, Rusty Collins decided to melt the mountain of ice, that Iceman had used to subdue the villains, and Rictor fist-fought him, to stop Rusty. Deciding to leave anyway, Rictor saved Rusty from a gang and he and Rusty worked together to melt the ice and leave a message: "By Their Deeds You Shall Know Them - Mutants Were Here". The children of X-Factor were captured, by The Right, and Rictor was, again, to be used as a weapon. Rictor was rescued, by fellow student, Boom Boom, but Rictor and Boom-Boom were immediately recaptured, however, until X-Factor arrived and rescued them.
Living on Ship
After their defeat of Apocalypse, his Ship crash landed on their Complex and X-Factor began living on Apocalypse's sentient Ship, that had a barrier only mutants could enter, and Caliban left with Apocalypse. After the children were given Christmas gifts as donations, they decided to give them to the children who lost their homes during X-Factor's battle. While sleeping, X-Factor and the kids were attacked by Ship, still under the control of Apocalypse, until Rusty freed it's consciousness and X-Factor expelled a bomb and Ship, now able to speak, asked to join them. Ship had complete control over every part of it's structure and could fashion rooms, weapons, and vehicles as needed from various storehouses and parts it had. Ship was able to design and run training programs for X-Factor, as well as make living quarters and workshop areas for them. While playing around on Ship, the students ran into Beast, who was going over old photos of X-Factor in their teens and revealed their origins, as the original X-Men and students at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. After Iceman was tricked by Infectia to allow her on Ship, Beast attempted to warn Iceman, who was being seduced by her, but due to Beast's lack of intelligence, Iceman couldn't understand him and the students kept her from kissing Iceman. When the Xartans and Lord Zano, in Avengers disguise, attacked X-Factor, the children were protected by Ship, but later aided X-Factor. After finding that they were going to be sent to a private school, Marvel Girl and Iceman took the kids shopping for clothes, where they were attacked by the Alliance of Evil. After defeating the Alliance of Evil, Freedom Force showed-up and ordered Rusty and X-Factor to register, to which X-Factor accepted and Rusty turned himself into the Navy.
X-Terminators
After seeing Rusty off at a Naval base, Skids, Boom-Boom, and Rictor were enrolled in Phillips Academy, in Exeter, New Hampshire. After a cold reception, from the other students of the academy, the students were awaken in their dorms, by Takashi Matsuya (Wiz Kid), informing them that Artie Maddicks and Leech had been kidnapped, by demons. After leaving the dorms, the students rescued Rusty from his prison and began the search for Artie and Leech. After stopping to get new outfits, Rictor suggested the name X-Terminators for the group, to honor X-Factor, and the group was attacked by demons, kidnapping Taki. Following a mental image from Artie, the X-Terminators battled an invasion of demons. After being captured by the demons, the X-Terminators were teleported to Times Square, where the New Mutant, Magik, was opening a portal to return her teammates from the demon infested dimension of Limbo and the demon N'Astirh, using ten kidnapped mutant infants, one of them being Nathan Summers, as the points of an inverted pentagram (focusing beams of power because of their purity and openness to use them as natural, living conduits who could not block the flow of power and who would not know how to shut it off), kept the portal open.
After Artie and Leech freed the X-Terminators, they battled the horde of demons that flowed out of the portal and, after Cannonball rescued Rusty and Skids, joined the New Mutants in rescuing the infants being used to keep the portal open. Rusty suggested that the X-Terminators rescued their teammate, Taki, while the New Mutants continued to rescue the infants and disrupt the pentagram. After rescuing Taki, Julio joined the New Mutants as they began searching for the demonic Magik.
While searching for the Darkchilde through-out the city, Rictor and the New Mutants witnessed Magneto, the New Mutants new headmaster, and the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club meeting with N'Astirh and lost all trust in him. The New Mutants, Boom-Boom, and Rictor found Darkchilde battling the demon, S'ym, at the same time her brother, the X-Man Colossus, appeared. Colossus was shocked to see his Little Snowflake in such a state and Darkchilde was embarrassed and teleported away, taking the young heroes with her to Limbo, where she finally decided to stop running from her responsibilities as the ruler of Limbo. Unwilling to loose her friend and teammate, Wolfsbane, jumped into a teleportation disc and found the younger Illyana Rasputin and delivered her before the Darkchilde. Darkchilde emerged from her armor and began to glow of pure light, attempting to kill her younger self, but Wolfsbane stopped her, stating that saving the young Illyana would bring peace to the older Darkchilde. Darkchilde found a way to stop Inferno, although she knew it risked her no longer existing. Darkchilde opened a tremendous portal and sucked all of the remaining demons back to Limbo. Burning so bright with energy, that it hurt to look at her, the Lightchilde hurled her Soulsword into the air and the demons were gone, leaving only the charred remains of her eldritch armor. Colossus cradled the badly damaged armor and heard someone call his name from inside. Opening the armor, Colossus found Illyana had returned to her natural age of a seven year old.
New Mutants
The X-Terminators and New Mutants returned to X-Factor's Ship, with the mutant babies and Gosamyr. Due to his actions during the demonic invasion, Julio was expelled from Phillips Academy and, while the New Mutants returned home and X-Factor attended funerals, the X-Terminators found an Atlantean horn and accidentally called a giant sea creature. The New Mutants returned and, with the aid of Namor the Submariner, they defeated it. After the creature's defeat, X-Factor returned and the New Mutants began to live on Ship, merging with the X-Terminators as Professor X's mansion had been destroyed. The all-new New Mutants team returned Illyana to her home in Ust-Ordynski Collective, Siberia, with her parents. On their return home, Mirage and Brightwind, her winged horse, became ill with a mystical fever. Unaware of how to save Mirage, Ship suggested that the New Mutants go to Dr. Strange to help her. After arriving at the Sanctum Sanctorum, the New Mutants were startled to learn that Dr. Strange was apparently "dead" and they were attacked by a possessed, inflamed Mirage and Brightwind. Mirage reasserted control and Dr. Strange, disguised as "Dr. Sanders", returned all that her body had damaged to normal. While returning Mirage and Brightwind to Ship, the New Mutants were attacked by Freedom Force (government-chartered mutant enforcers composed of former members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants), believing Rusty caused all of the flames. The battle between the New Mutants and Freedom Force awoke Mirage and Brightwind and Ship suddenly warped-off into space with X-Factor. After Rusty and Skids learned that the government never returned the infants to their parents, Dr. Strange teleported the remaining New Mutants to Asgard.
After arriving in Asgard, the New Mutants realized that it had been sent to the Negative Zone and Dani Moonstar left them. After being captured, by the Dwarves, the New Mutants were released and joined them, due to Cannonball's relationship with Eitri, king of the Dwarves.
X-Force
As part of the New Muntants, Rictor helped battle Mystique's Freedom Force, Hela, and former ally Caliban, who had become the Horseman Death and Sabretooth while battling in the Morlock tunnels under New York City. Rictor was severely injured by Sabretooth, but was saved by Cable and the other New Mutants.[2]
During this time, Rictor first became interested in his teammate Wolfsbane, which in turn made Boom Boom extremely jealous.
Rictor was later captured alongside Storm, Boom Boom, Wolfsbane, and Warlock by forces of the island nation Genosha. Only he and Boom Boom escaped unscathed. The combined efforts of the X-Men, X-Factor, and New Mutants led to him being freed. During this adventure, Rictor shared a heartfelt kiss with Wolfsbane and was later heart-broken when she chose to stay behind.[3] [4] [5]
After the business in Genosha, Rictor left the New Mutants with the intent reuniting with Wolfsbane back on Genosha.[6] Unable to find Wolfsbane, Rictor joined the Canadian government's Weapon P.R.I.M.E. team[7], who's sole purpose was the apprehension of Cable. At this time, Rictor was still convinced that Cable was the man who killed his father when Stryfe, Cable's evil clone, was actually his father's murder.
Rictor and the original X-Force
After Rictor learned the truth about his fater's death, he rejoined his friends in the New Mutants, now formed came into the paramilitary team X-Force. Almost immediately after joining X-Force, Rictor and his new teammate were captured by the X-Men and X-Factor who were seeking Cable for the attempted murder of Professor X; an act that had also been perpetrated by Stryfe. Cable was eventually cleared of the charges and Rictor continued on with X-Force where he first met Shatterstar. Shatterstar and Rictor formed a close friendship that developed into a secret romance.
With X-Force, Rictor battled War Machine on board Graymalkin and saved his teammate from Gideon and the Externals. After Rictor helped Shatterstar through a personal crisis, the pair left X-Force to travel to Mexico and put an end to the Ritcher family gun-smuggling business.
X-Corporation
Rictor would later be one of several former members of X-Force who joined Professor X's restructured X-Corporation. Rictor was located in the Paris X-Corp center and participated X-Corporation's confrontation with Weapon XII, which was a total catastrophe and led to the death one of their members, Darkstar.[8] It is unclear if Rictor left X-Corp before or after it disbanded following M-Day.[9][10]
X-Factor Investigations
After loosing of his powers on M-Day, Rictor battled with severe depression and suicidal thoughts. Recently he accepted Multiple Man's offer to join his detective agency in Mutant Town, X-Factor Investigations.[11]
Rictor
After Quicksilver arrived to Mutant Town, Rictor started hanging out with him, hoping to get his powers back. Along with Elijah Cross, Callisto, Fatale, Blob, Marrow, Abyss and Reaper, they formed the X-Cell group which blamed the U.S. government for M-Day. X-Cell members briefly regained their powers by the time X-Factor made their ambush. When Rictor realized Quicksilver was wrong, he used his powers against him and blasted the Terrigen Crystals through his body, leaving him powerless.[12] Residual crystals embedded in Rictor's skin enabled afforded him immunity to The Isolationist's many mutant powers.[13]
Rictor and Wolfsbane's romantic relationship intensified during their time together in X-Factor. However, their romance ended when Rahne suddenly left X-Factor to join Wolverine's black-ops X-Force team.[14][15]
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Rictor and Shatterstar kissing
Coming Out
While searching for Madrox, Rictor and Strong Guy discovered a dupe of Madrox's has been living in New England as a priest. They decide to investigate further, hoping to find the whereabouts of Madrox Prime. Upon meeting Father Maddox, a masked man crashes through the window with swords blaze. After a brief battle, the attacker was revealed to be Shatterstar, possessed by unknown forces. Once Shatterstar is broken out of his trance-like state,[16] and recognized Rictor, the two embraced one another and finally shared a kiss.[17]
Rictor and Shatterstar began a steady romantic relationship after Shatterstar's return though not without it's difficulties. Rictor, having finally come to terms with his sexual identity, wanted a stable monogamous relationship with Shatterstar. Shatterstar, on the other hand, found himself interested in a more open relationships which would allow him to explore other sexual possibilities. The two resolved that they would work things out, and proceeded to make up both emotionally and physically. However, before they could get very far, the two were interrupted when pregnant Wolfsbane barged in. Alhtough, Wolfsbane was actually pregnant with Hrimhari's child, she lead Rictor and the others to believe it is he was the father.[18] However, a brief encounter between Hrimhari and Shatterstar in Niffleheim cleared up the question of paternity.[19]
Although initial upset about Rahne's deception, Rictor promised to stand by her and offer any aid he could.[19] Rictor and the rest of the X-Factor Investigations crew helped protect Rahne from several lupine and feline demons until the birth.[20]
_Avengers_the_Children%27s_Crusade_Vol_1_6.png){kind=link}
Rictor's powers restored
Children's Crusade
When Wanda Maximoff was rescued by the Young Avengers, Beast asked her if she would be able to reverse the affects of M-Day by undoing the spell she had cast. Hoping to confirm his theory Jessica Jones called in X-Factor Investigations hoping one of its former mutant members would be willing to participate. Rictor accepted her offer. Wanda's attempt to undo the spell succeeded and his powers were restored.[21][22]
After the birth and abandonment of Rahne's son, she remained with X-Factor but fell into a depression. Because Polaris and Banshee brought Wolfsbane to Rev. Maddox for grief counseling, she decided to find her son.[23] Both Rictor and Shatterstar volunteered (unsolicited) to accompany her.[24] The trio first traveled to Hel and receive a mystic amulet to locate the child. The trio final finds him in Sproul State Forrest in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, he is being tracked independently by both Darwin and Vanora. They evaded the attacks, and escaped without harm. Once reunited with her son, Wolfsbane chose to leave X-Factor and raise him with the aid and protection of Jack Russell, the Werewolf By Night.[25] Shatterstar and Rictor, however, returned to X-Factor Investigation in New York City.[26]Attributes
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Powers
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Rictor using his powers
Rictor was a mutant who lost his mutant powers due to the effects of M-Day.[9][10] However, Rictor's powers were later restored by the personal intervention of the Scarlet Witch.[21] Rictor's power once again include:
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Rictor explaining his connection to Earth
- Seismic Energy Manipulation: Rictor is capable of generating and releasing seismic energy and tremendously powerful waves of vibrations in any object he came into physical contact with, the vibrations starting in his body, and then emanating outwards, mostly through his fingers, causing objects to shatter or crumble and also using it to create earthquakes, shock-waves or otherwise transport earth matter. When used against objects with a larger surface, the effects were much like an earthquake. The extent of Rictor's power was never fully explored. His powers appeared to affect organic objects in much the same way as inorganic ones.
- Power and Telepathic Immunity (possibly formerly): While fighting The Isolationist, Rictor was shown to be immune to every one of Huber's powers. This was seemingly due to the Terrigen Crystals embedded in Rictor's skin. The crystals were shown to fall into the sewer.[13] It is unknown if he still retains this immunity. He had already displayed some kind of natural psychic defenses against Weapon XII's infection.[27]
Abilities
- Rictor is a competent hand-to-hand combatant.
- Rictor is very skilled with computers.
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Trivia
- Rictor and Shatterstar are currently dating.[17][28] Rictor has previously dated Boom Boom and Wolfsbane[29].
- Rictor is openly gay. Rictor has seemed to suggest he has always known deep down that he was gay and was deep in the closet.[18] This had been a point of debate among fans for almost two decades.
- Originally writer Peter David enjoyed playing with and joking about Rictor's ambiguous sexuality:
- "I have much more fun tweaking the fans than actually spelling anything out...I certainly don't think we could say at this point that Rictor is definitively gay. I think we could make the argument that he's bi, but I don't see the point at this juncture in spelling it out – not because of any sense of homophobia or anything like that but out of a sense that I think it's more entertaining and more thought-provoking if we keep it ambiguous." -Peter David
- Rictor made this passing comment in X-Factor (Vol. 3) #14 where he talks about gayness and then he says ‘not that I have any problem with it myself' and there are some people who interpreted it as a Seinfeld ‘not that there's anything wrong with that' kind of thing and there are some people, including Rich Johnson (who reported that this exchange definitely made clear that Rictor was gay) ... I think it's much more interesting to have Rictor's comments be a litmus test for the agenda of the readers than if you just show him involved in some sort of bisexual relationship.
- Later explaining Rictor's prior heterosexual relationships with Boom Boom and Wolfsbane, Peter David compares Rictor to real-life "women who eventually decided they were lesbians, had involvements with men that they ultimately considered unfulfilling."[30]
- In X-Factor (Vol. 3) #45, Rictor and Shatterstar shared the kiss first on-panel male-male kiss between two mainstream male superheroes in mainstream Marvel comic book history.[31]
- Originally writer Peter David enjoyed playing with and joking about Rictor's ambiguous sexuality:
- Rictor lost his mutant powers due to the effects of M-Day. However, Quicksilver's Terrigen mutations briefly restored his powers. He later had is X-Gene and powers fully/permanently restored by the Scarlet Witch.[21]
- Rictor has suffered from severe depression and suicidal thoughts since he was young.
- When The Right kidnapped several X-Factor students, Rictor actually contemplated suicide rather than face Cameron Hodge again.
- After losing his powers on M-Day, Rictor facing severe depression again would spent time on rooftops while trying to work up the courage to jump.
- Rictor once tried to take several O*N*E* agents at gun point to protect Siryn and her unborn baby.[32] This act was recognized by several of his teammates (including Siryn) as being suicidal, over emotional and needlessly reckless.[16]
- He is one of the few people with whom Shatterstar "connected", and who can be used as an "anchor" for his teleportation powers.[33]
See Also
- 292 appearance(s) of Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 12 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 17 minor appearance(s) of Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 20 mention(s) of Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 6 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 290 image(s) of Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 17 quotation(s) by or about Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 5 victim(s) killed by Julio Richter (Earth-616)
- 2 item(s) used/owned by Julio Richter (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ X-Factor (Vol. 3) #8
- ↑ New Mutants #90–91
- ↑ New Mutants #93–94
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #270–272
- ↑ X-Factor #60–62
- ↑ New Mutants #98
- ↑ X-Force #10
- ↑ New X-Men #128–130
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 House of M The Day After #1
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 X-Factor (Vol. 3) #1
- ↑ X-Factor (Vol. 3) #1 #4
- ↑ X-Factor (Vol. 3) #17 #20
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 X-Factor (Vol. 3) #24
- ↑ X-Factor (Vol. 3) #28
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #1
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 X-Factor (Vol. 3) #43
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 X-Factor (Vol. 3) #45
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 X-Factor #210
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 X-Factor #212
- ↑ X-Factor #220 #224
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6
- ↑ X-Factor #225
- ↑ X-Factor #237
- ↑ X-Factor #238
- ↑ X-Factor #242
- ↑ X-Factor #245
- ↑ New X-Men #130
- ↑ X-Factor #200
- ↑ X-Factor (Vol. 3) #21
- ↑ Peter David's "X-Factor": Earth Moving, Star Shattering
- ↑ Peter David's "X-Factor": Earth Moving, Star Shattering
- ↑ X-Factor (Vol. 3) #38
- ↑ X-Factor (Vol. 3) #49
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 9
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