Spoilers for Marauders #19 ahead!
Pyro, a former member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is one of the X-Men’s greatest villains. But now, thanks to the mutant community on Krakoa, he is on the road to rehabilitation. The Krakoan philosophy of “all are welcome, all is forgiven” has worked wonders for him, and readers can see it in Marauders #19.
Created by the legendary creative team of Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Pyro first appeared in 1981’s Uncanny X-Men #141. Pyro is a mutant who, as the name implies, can control and manipulate fire. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, led by Mystique at the time. As a member of the Brotherhood, he would come into conflict with the X-Men on multiple occasions - including in the film franchise based on the characters; but now, with Earth’s mutants making their way to the island utopia of Krakoa, Pyro has joined them and like many of them, is looking for a fresh start. He has joined Captain Katherine Pryde’s Marauders team, a group of sea-faring mutants, including Bishop, Callisto, and Storm. The team’s purpose is to liberate mutants from hostile nations and bring them to Krakoa, and readers can see it has had an amazing effect on Pyro.
The Marauders are docked outside of the nation of Madripoor, where a group of spoiled anti-mutant rich kids, calling themselves the Homines Verendi, have sent the Reavers, cybernetically enhanced humans, to raze “Lowtown” an impoverished region of Madripoor, with the goal of building luxury high rises. Captain Pryde dispatches Iceman and Pyro to the island, and as the two head off, Iceman states he has lived his life afraid of cutting loose, and Pyro replies he has lived his life in the opposite and that his powers led to a lot of misery. He then tells Iceman that missions like this feel like “restitution for the old days” and the Marauders are bringing out the best in him.
This is an incredibly touching scene and one that reinforces the idea that Krakoa can be a new beginning. Pyro, by his own admission, has been responsible for a great deal of misery, but now he fights side by side with Iceman, Bishop, and Storm. Furthermore, his teammates accept him, and he has even become friends with Iceman. This sense of community has helped Pyro find himself.
The island of Krakoa promises not only a safe space for the X-Men and Earth’s mutants in general, but also a place of second chances, and Pyro may be the best example of this. Marauders #19 is written by Gerry Duggan with art by Stefano Caselli and colors by Edgar Delgado; the issue is on sale now in stores and digital.