X-Corporation Los Angeles
Membership: Sunspot, Empath, Magma, Stringfellow, Skitz, Skids
First appearance: X-Treme X-Men #31
Before
- In exchange for the soul of his deceased girlfriend, Julianna, getting a new lease at life, Sunspot had to join Selene’s Hellfire Club IV as Black Rook, loyal to her. [X-Force #98-100] Whatever became of this incarnation of the Hellfire Club or Julianna is unknown, though it seems that Sunspot is no longer bound to his promise.
- Empath was in a happy relationship with Magma, both of them living in Nova Roma, until he discovered that all citizens had been brainwashed by Selene and were actually from the outside world. For a time, he tried his best to keep everything as it was, but eventually the “truth” came out and, hurt by his betrayal, Magma left him to search for her real family. [New Warriors (1st series) #31, X-Force (1st series) #34.
- Magma’s search was unsuccessful, though, and, in need of money, she briefly joined up with the Hellions II, before realizing that she was not cut out to be a villain. [X-Force (1st series) #87-90] After dropping out of sight for a while, she wound up at the front lawn of the Xavier Institute, crucified by the church of humanity. Fortunately, her life could be saved, though she remained in a come for several weeks. When a rather new student, Elixir, used his healing touch on her, she not only woke up but also found out that her Nova Roma origin was indeed to valid one, and the “brainwashed kidnapping victim” the lie. [Uncanny X-Men #423, New Mutants (2nd series) #7]
- After her boyfriend, Rusty Collins, was killed, Skids withdrew from the constant battles between rivaling fractions of mutants and tried to live a normal life instead, getting a college education in Denver. [X-Force (1st series) # 78]
Chronology
| X-Treme X-Men #31: | When a mutant runs amok in the streets, X-Corporation L.A. leader Sunspot uses his business contacts to convince the mayor to let Bishop of the X-Men handle the situation. He also orders Empath to influence the crowd, making them remember that it was a mutant who saved them, but to forget that the crisis was caused by one in the first place. |
| X-Treme X-Men #32: | The X-Men stop a bombing attempt by a young woman named Marie D’Ancanto, who lost the rest of her family to the actions of mutants. She also claims that she was pressured to sell her house, like many other people in her neighborhood, who all had recurring nightmares until they signed the papers. The entire area was turned into a district exclusively for mutants. |
| X-Treme X-Men #33: | Sunspot and Empath follow news reports of Marie being put on trial, they even talk to the governor on the phone, asking him to make her an example, as to stop similar hate crimes from happening. The same day, Rogue, currently powerless and owing a house in the area, finds herself under attack by Revenant, the mutant responsible for the nightmares. When a lawyer offers to buy her house, Rogue secretly follows him on a bike, only to see him enter the X-Corp L.A. building. |
| X-Treme X-Men #34: | Cannonball picks up Magma from the airport. She says that she still is trying to sort out her life, now that she knows her true heritage. They head to the X-Corp building, where Magma is shocked to meet Empath, though Sunspot tells her to get over their quarrel, for they are colleagues now. Cannonball brings up the X-Men’s suspicion regarding the lawyer and his connection to X-Corp, and Sunspot promises to look into it after a fund-raising party that night. Unfortunately, after a second attack by Revenant, Rogue is tired of waiting and crashes the party. |
| X-Treme X-Men #35: | Sunspot doesn’t tolerate being humiliated in front of his guests and has two members of X-Corp, Skitz and Stringfellow, throw out Cannonball and Rogue. Magma wants to help them, but stops when Bobby tells her that he believes their story and promises to investigate. After the party is over, they use the base’s computers to uncover evidence that indeed the lawyer’s actions were not correct. Suddenly, though, they start to kiss and embrace, apparently manipulated by Empath, who in return is under the spell of a the mysterious pet telepath of Bogan. All three, Empath, Magma and Sunspot, are in tears, but unable to break out of their torture scenario. The next day, though, they don’t remember anything of it and Sunspot announces to the press that the situation will be rectified and that the lawyer was acting without his permission. |
| X-Treme X-Men #40: | Sage of the X-Men knows that there must have been more to it and continues to investigate, while Sunspot and Magma meet with some of the X-Men and their friends to talk about old times. Meanwhile, Bishop is attacked and defeated by Bogan’s mystery telepath, a female hidden in shadows. |
| X-Treme X-Men #41: | Sage reveals to her teammates that Bishop let himself be captured on purpose to lure Bogan and his telepath into making a move. Well aware that they will brainwash Bishop and use him against them, the X-Men decide to split up – one team to keep Bishop and other to deal with the telepath. To exactly pinpoint Bogan’s headquarters, some catacombs beneath the X-Corp building, Magma helps with her geothermal awareness of the Earth. |
| X-Treme X-Men #42: | The X-Men receive further help from X-Corp members, Sunspot and Skids. The group splits up and the first team (Skids and Sunspot among it) quickly engages Bishop in a battle. At first, they seem to win, until they are knocked out by Bogan’s mystery telepath. The second squad (including Magma) meanwhile prepares to enter Bogan’s headquarters. |
| X-Treme X-Men #43: | Sage, Shadowcat and Magma combine their powers to enter Bogan’s base from underground. However, inside, they are met by the other team, now all mentally controlled by the telepath. Just when all seems lost, Gambit and Bishop overcome their brainwashing and the fighting starts anew. In the confusion, Sage slips away to the heart of Bogan’s base, only to be found by Magma, now under Bogan’s control. |
| X-Treme X-Men #44: | Although Magma encases Sage in a block of molten lava, she has enough free will left not to kill her. The X-Men and their allies reassure their trust in each other and eventually all of them shake off Bogan’s influence. They even manage to free the mystery telepath – it’s none other than Rachel Summers. |
| X-Treme X-Men #45: | The X-Men and the members of X-Corp L.A. search the base for further clues on Bogan and find themselves trapped in several illusionary scenarios, all aimed at their personal fears. Still the mutants manage to come through and drive Bogan away, even though it takes Magma to destroy the entire catacombs and the X-Corp building above. |
Afterwards
- In the wake of Magneto’s attack on New York City, Sunspot and Magma accompanied the X-Men to help with rebuilding the city and Xavier’s mansion, and they also took part in a brief reunion of the original New Mutants. [X-Treme X-Men #46, New Mutants (2nd series) #13]
Members
Sunspot (Roberto “Bobby” DaCosta)
First appearance: Marvel Graphic Novel #4
First X-Corporation appearance: X-Treme X-Men #31
All X-Corporation appearances: X-Treme X-Men #31-35, 40, 42-45
Powers: absorb sunlight and other sources of heat energy, re-channeling them into concentrated solar energy that he can direct as waves of intense heat, dark plasma blasts, and thermal updrafts that allow him to fly
Empath (Manuel de la Rocha)
First appearance: New Mutants (1st series) #16
First X-Corporation appearance: X-Treme X-Men #31
All X-Corporation appearances: X-Treme X-Men #31, 33-35
Powers: psychic sensitivity allows him to feel the emotional states of others, and then manipulate them to experience any emotions he wishes to project into their minds
Magma (Amara Aquilla)
First appearance: New Mutants (1st series) #8
First X-Corporation appearance: X-Treme X-Men #34
All X-Corporation appearances: X-Treme X-Men #34-35, 40-45
Powers: geothermal power allows her to create small earth tremors and assume an energized state that gives off intense heat and light while enabling her to manipulate the planet’s tectonic plates, causing seismic upheavals, summoning volcanoes to the surface, and telekinetically propelling bedrock, either in its normal state or superheated by her power into a molten stage
Stringfellow
First appearance: X-Treme X-Men #35
All X-Corporation appearances: X-Treme X-Men #35
Powers: mentally cause organic beings to lose all rigidity in their physical structure, making them collapse like loose, pliant bands of flesh
Skitz
First appearance: X-Treme X-Men #35
All X-Corporation appearances: X-Treme X-Men #35
Powers: create a temporary psychosis where her victim is lost among the presence of multiple parallel aspects of themselves drawn from their own mind
Skids (Sally Blevins)
First appearance: X-Factor #7
First X-Corporation appearance: X-Treme X-Men #42
All X-Corporation appearances: X-Treme X-Men #42-45
Powers: generates a deflection field around herself and others that disperses kinetic impact, absorbs energy assaults into itself, and negates friction so that she can glide across its surface