Warning: Contains spoilers forHellfire Vigil #1!!
X-Menjust confirmed thatColossus has been acting against his naturefor years as a member of the team.Colossus has long been called the X-Men’s “gentle giant,” yet he’s constantly pulled into battlesor forced to commit acts he’s inherently opposed to. By never letting Piotr truly be himself, his potential is wasted.
In author Geoffrey Thorne and artist Marcus To’s section ofHellfire Vigil#1, Colossus is one of many mutants getting ready to celebrate and grieve their lost nation of Krakoa.
As he waits for his sister, Magik, to arrive, a conversation with John Wraith reveals that Colossus' heart has never truly been with the X-Men, or in any fight at all.
Hellfire Vigil#1, Written By Geoffrey Thorne; Art By Marcus To; Color By Fer Sifuentes-Sujo; Lettering By Travis Lanham
Colossus' dreams of being an artist have long since been eclipsed by war and bloodshed. At Xavier’s urging, he set aside his kind, peaceful nature to become a soldier. Which is whyJohn Wraith’s advice that “maybe it’s about time [you] pushed back"might be the best that Piotr has ever received.
It is no secret that Piotr Rasputin is an inherently peaceful man.Despite being the X-Men’s powerhouse, thanks to his organic steel skin, he isn’t predisposed to violence. He grew up working on a farm in his native Russia and seeks nothing more than peace and protecting the people he loves most.
[Colossus] became a weapon, taking hits and dishing them out, all while laboring under the idea that it was his duty, not his choice, to do so.
That is at odds with being a mutant in a world full of hatred for anyone with the X-Gene, but even when Krakoa was in full swing, it was never a safe space for Colossus. He went from being a soldier with the X-Men, constantly engaged in some kind of fight, to being a pawn for his brother, Mikhail.
Under the direction of Charles Xavier, and essentially any other leader of the X-Men or the variety of other teams he participated in, he was taught to fight for mutant survival. He became a weapon, taking hits and dishing them out, all while laboring under the idea that it was his duty, not his choice, to do so.
Colossus Is Known As A Mutant Powerhouse, But Piotr Has More to Offer
A Sensitive Artist Trapped In A Brawler’s Body
AsHellfire Vigilmakes clear, Colossus' life is nothing like what he tells John Wraith he envisioned. The man who wanted to be an artist and spent his days toiling in the field ended up with his hands drenched in blood. No one gets to knowthe real Colossus, and that’s a tragedy.
No one could reasonably deny that the X-Men must fight to defend themselves, andCharles Xavier wasn’t inherently wrongto recruit people capable of fighting to do exactly that. The trouble comes from those like Colossus never having the opportunity to explore other parts of themselves. Piotr’s life became war, and it never stopped.
As impressive as his mutant gifts are, their use in battle has ended up defining him as a person one too many times. He’s been taken advantage of and left to pick up the pieces of messes that he did not actually cause, whether he’s literally out of control, as he was for most of Krakoa, or is just being directed.
Colossus is more than his strength and durability, however, and the X-Men often devalue his nature rather than find ways to uphold it. There are plenty of young mutants who would benefit from a mentor not inclined to violence, yet one who understands what it is like to constantly face it anyway, and there’s room for gentleness.
Let Piotr Rasputin Be True To Himself
There is no way to undo what Piotr has already been part of, nor to rewind the clock and let him grow up as the man he pictured himself becoming. However,there’s still plenty of opportunity to incorporate that person into his future with the X-Menand among his fellow mutants.
It is time for Marvel to find a new way to utilize this complex, layered character.
As a fan-favorite character, there’salways room for Colossus in anyX-title. He’s been a beloved hero for decades, but fans are weary of seeing him misused. He’s often cast as a villain in alternate realities, dragging him away from who he is at his core. At this point, it would be more subversive to let him be himself.
It is time for Marvel to find a new way to utilize this complex, layered character. He’s suffered a great deal for being both a mutant and a gentle person in a world that doesn’t welcome either one, and John Wraith is right to say that it’s past time that he stands up for who he is.
It would certainly be a gift for fans to watch Piotr finally get back to who he is at heart. He hasn’t been allowed to be the “gentle giant” everyone knows him to be for far too long, and it’s time for a change. TheX-Menhave wasted Colossus for years, and it’s time for a major change.
