Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
He’ll make the Earth, move, under your feet: Rictor
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Appearances in Heroclix: House of X, Wolverine and the X-Men
First Appearance: X-Factor #17 (June 1987)
Team Affiliations: Purifiers, X-Factor, X-Terminators, New Mutants, X-Force
Powers/Abilities: Ability to generate and manipulate seismic energies
Created by: Louise Simonson – Walt Simonson
Rictor first comes into the X-World after being kidnapped by an anti-mutant organization called the “Right.” They connect Rictor to a machine that amplifies his seismic powers in an attempt to wreak havoc and stir up anti-mutant sentiment. X-Factor rescues Rictor from the Right twice before he joins them and connects with Boom Boom, telling her that he views her like a sister.
Rictor takes up residence on X-Factor’s base, the sentience vehicle called “Ship.” He is among the trainees of X-Factor that formally name themselves the X-Terminators while rescuing Leech and Artie. Soon Rictor and Boom Boom leave the X-Terminators to join the New Mutants.
Rictor develops romantic feelings for Wolfsbane and is very protective of her when the team travels to Asgard and battle Hela. When Cable begins mentoring the New Mutants, Rictor is at first resistant. Rictor believes that Cable killed Rictor’s father which creates friction between the pair. Over time, Rictor gains respect for Cable and the pair almost become friendly. They battle Stryfe and the Mutant Liberation Front.
Rictor, Storm, Boom Boom, Wolfsbane and Warlock are captured by Genoshan forces. Rictor and Boom Boom are able to escape and rally with the other X-Men teams. Wolfsbane refuses to leave the mutants suffering on Genosha, breaking Rictor’s heart.
Rictor eventually joins X-Force and helps them on several missions, including saving Sunspot from Gideon. X-Force is forced to go on the run when Stryfe poses as Cable and shoots Professor X. Wolfsbane personally interrogates Rictor and brings him in when he does not provide the information she wants, further pushing the pair apart. Cable is eventually cleared of the crime and the team is free again.
Rictor and Shatterstar begin to form a friendship after initially grating on each other’s nerves. Rictor leaves the team when he believes that Xavier is overreaching. He returns to help Shatterstar several times and the pair return to Mexico after Opearation Zero Tolerance in order to stop the criminal elements of Rictor’s family. The pair appear to be successful, leading to Rictor joining the young X-Corporation.
Rictor is among those mutants that lose his powers in the Decimation and is on the verge of attempting suicide because of it. A rogue Madrox dupe pushes him over the edge, literally, until Rictor is saved by Monet St. Croix. Rictor is recruited into X-Factor Investigations and is an asset to the team. He also instantly distrusts Layla Miller.
Rictor temporarily regains and loses his powers when Pietro Maximoff absorbs the Terrigen Crystals and attempts to use them to repower mutants. Rictor is near Pietro during a fight when the crystals explode out, leaving several shards in Rictor’s back. This seems to give him a limited access back to his powers.
Rictor remains depowered during the rise of the Purifiers, which makes him an ideal candidate to infiltrate them. He feeds crucial information back to the X-Men and helps Pixie escape a Reaver ambush. During the fall out from the baby Hope events, several fights begin to break out all over Mutant Town. Rictor is captured by Arcade under orders of the Purifier that let Rictor into the group. Rictor, along with X-Factor, eventually relocate to Detroit.
During a hunt for the missing Jamie Maddrox, Strong Guy and Rictor are attacked by a brain washed Shatterstar. The pair are able to break Shatterstar’s trance and when he is again himself, he grabs Rictor and the pair share a kiss. When the Young Avengers finally find a fully powered Scarlet Witch, Rictor is one of the first to volunteer to regain his powers.
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