The current era of X-Men comics has reintroduced plenty of obscure and fan-favorite mutants alike, with the ability to resurrect fallen mutants opening up the world to find their place in the modern era. Among those not yet revived is a powerful but short-lived mutant whose connection to a classic hero makes her ideal for a revival.
Introduced in Uncanny X-Men #392 by Scott Lobdell and Salvador Larroca, Sunspyre remains one of the many mutants still not formally resurrected by the Five on Krakoa. But that should change in the near future, as having another Alpha-Level fire-wielding Yashida would be a huge boon for the X-Men and their allies.
Sunspyre was introduced as part of the “Eve of Destruction” crossover. When a vengeful Magneto threatened to murder every non-mutant on the planet, Jean Grey was forced to recruit a team of obscure unknown mutants to assist the scattered X-Men — including Leyu Yoshida. The half-sister of Shiro Yoshida aka Sunfire developed fire-based powers similar to her brother. Sunspyre took part in the battle against Magneto, though her apparent disdain for her fellow heroes led her to quit the team shortly after the mission. Instead, Sunspyre found a position with an early version of X-Corp. Serving as a scientist outside of the field, she was analyzing other mutants like Abyss when she was attacked and murdered by Mystique. Notably, Leyu was one of the few mutants who actually stayed dead for an extended period.
She was even replaced by an alternate reality counterpart, who ended up serving as a member of Big Hero Six instead of Leyu herself being revived for the team. But in the age of Krakoa, Sunspyre could be a perfect addition to the ranks of mutant heroes. Sunspyre’s abilities make her a potential powerhouse, even if they’re just in the same category as her Alpha-level brother. They could make her an asset in almost any situation — especially if she were to accompany her brother on his mission into Otherworld to rescue Arakko’s missing mutant Redroot. She could also be resurrected and take his place on Arakko itself, helping protect the planet from incursions by the forces of Orchis and their allies. Alternatively, her experience as a scientist could make her a crucial assistant to Madrox in X-Corp or even to Beast and Sage with X-Force.
Sunspyre’s firey side also introduces the possibility that she could become a bit of the volatile wildcard that her brother has previously been (and only recently fully outgrew). Liyu’s own demise at the hands of a Quiet Council member could introduce interesting perspectives on Krakoan justice, particularly if she looks to settle the score with the woman who previously slit her throat. Seeing her perspective and attitude as someone who is invested in furthering the mutant race but has little patience for the pomp and circumstance of costumed combat, could be a refreshing point-of-view to explore, especially with someone who has very specific and limited experience with the X-Men.
One of the most exciting elements of the characters is based on her relatively few appearances. Sunspyre’s brief early history means creators would have a lot of room to further develop the character and potentially even explore her personal life and set her up as the Earth-616 version of the LGBT Sunfire who appeared as a member of the Exiles. Sunpyre being the family member of a major X-Man also would give her precedent to be moved to the front of the Krakoa resurrection queue — and given the increasing dangers threatening the mutant nation, having someone like Sunpyre around could be a huge boon for the X-Men, and serve as a major force for good for the nation either reunited with her brother or standing guard in his place.
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