Nitro (character)

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Nitro
Nitro
Cover to Captain Marvel #34, by Jim Starlin.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceCaptain Marvel #34 (September 1974)[1]
Created byJim Starlin (writer)
Steve Englehart (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoRobert Hunter
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliationsHardcore's Untouchables[2]
Army of Evil
Notable aliasesExploding Man
Living Bomb
AbilitiesSelf-detonation and reformation

Nitro (Robert Hunter) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in 1974.[3]

Nitro is known for playing a part in the death of the Kree superhero Mar-Vell. He is also known for being responsible for the devastation of Stamford, Connecticut, which began Marvel's "Civil War" event.

Publication history

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Nitro first appeared in Captain Marvel #34 (September 1974) and was created by Jim Starlin.[4]

Fictional character biography

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Robert Hunter was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was an electrical engineer. Due to genetic alteration performed by the Kree Lunatic Legion, Hunter gains the ability to explode and reform himself at will and becomes a professional criminal.[5][6] In his first appearance, he exposes Captain Marvel to a carcinogenic nerve gas, which later causes him to develop cancer and die.[5][6][7][8][9] Since then, Nitro has clashed with Earth's superhumans, who have found creative ways to defeat him, such as preventing him from reforming his body after exploding.

Nitro later battles and is defeated by Omega the Unknown.[10] He escapes from Project Pegasus, and then battles Spider-Man.[11][12] Nitro is later freed from his containment canister by the Vulture in Albany, New York. He battled Skids of the New Mutants, and is unable to re-form his body within Skids' force field.[13] He is recruited by Thanos to serve him in a mission alongside several other supervillains,[14] including Rhino, Super-Skrull, and Titanium Man. While Silver Surfer captures the other villains, Nitro decides to take a space craft and explore space.[15]

At the start of the Civil War storyline, Nitro escapes from Ryker's Island along with Cobalt Man, Speedfreek, and Coldheart. The New Warriors attack each villain, with Namorita going after Nitro. Nitro causes a massive explosion that kills Cobalt Man, Speedfreek, Coldheart, Namorita, Night Thrasher, Microbe, sixty children at a nearby elementary school, and 600 people in Stamford, Connecticut.[5][6][16] Soon afterward, Nitro is captured by Wolverine, who cuts off his right arm.[17]

In later appearances, Nitro joins the Hood's crime syndicate and Helmut Zemo's Army of Evil.[18][19][20]

Powers and abilities

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Nitro can forcefully convert his whole body into gas, resulting in a violent explosion. This transformation can be limited to discrete portions of himself, such as his fist and aim the force in a specific direction. While in a gaseous form, he cannot reform if any fraction of his body is separated from the rest and must completely reconstitute himself before detonating again. The process does not have any healing qualities, so any wound received due to the explosion would be present when he reforms.[21]

In other media

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Television

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Nitro appears in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Time Bomb", voiced by Liam O'Brien. This version is a mutant who is willingly imprisoned by the Mutant Response Division due to lacking control of his powers.[22]

Video games

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References

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  1. ^ Conroy, Mike (2004). 500 Comicbook Villains. Collins & Brown. ISBN 1-84340-205-X.
  2. ^ Cage #3
  3. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains. New York: Facts on File. p. 248. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.[1]
  4. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 258. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  5. ^ a b c Dodge, John (July 30, 2023). "Civil War's Original Villain is Back to Kill Another Captain Marvel". CBR. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Donahue, Casey (August 9, 2023). "A Marvel Villain Too Deadly for the MCU Just Got a God-Tier Power Upgrade". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  7. ^ Captain Marvel #34 (September 1974)
  8. ^ The Death of Captain Marvel (January 1982)
  9. ^ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 166. ISBN 978-1465455505.
  10. ^ Omega the Unknown #8 (May 1977)
  11. ^ Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #55
  12. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Manning, Matthew K. (2012). Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. DK Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 978-0756692360.
  13. ^ The New Mutants #86 (February 1990)
  14. ^ The Secret Defenders #12 (February 1994)
  15. ^ The Secret Defenders #14 (April 1994)
  16. ^ Civil War #1 (July 2006)
  17. ^ Wolverine (vol. 3) #45 (October 2006)
  18. ^ Dark Reign: The Hood #1 (July 2009)
  19. ^ Captain America: Steve Rogers #16 (June 2017)
  20. ^ Secret Empire #0 (June 2017)
  21. ^ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4 (December 2007)
  22. ^ "Cartoon Review: Wolverine And The X-Men Ep. 8". Comic Book Revolution. March 20, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
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