SCORPION BOY
Real Name: Rico (last name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Human mutant
Occupation: Student
Group Membership: Bamfs, X-Men (Armor/Hisako Ichiki, Beast/Henry McCoy, Colossus/Piotr Rasputin, Crosta, Eye Boy/Trevor Hawkins, Iceman/Robert Drake, Ziggy Karst, Kid Gladiator/Kubark, Marvel Girl/Rachel Summers, Match/Ben Hamill, Mercury/Cessily Kincaid, Nature Girl/Lin Li, Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, Oya/Idie Okonkwo, Psylocke/Betsy Braddock, Sprite/Jia Jing, Storm/Ororo Munroe, Wolverine/James Howlett, others)
Affiliations: Bloody Bess
Enemies: Crimson Pirates (Bloody Bess, Broadside, Killian, Sea Dogs), Shadow King, Trimegas, Tullamore Voge
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Jean Grey School for Higher Learning in Westchester, New York
First Appearance: Nightcrawler IV#1 (June, 2014)
Powers/Abilities: Rico is a mutant who looks like a human sized scorpion with wings (allowing him to run faster, but not capable of flight), giving him two large pincers for hands (capable of crushing metal items) and a large tail with a stinger (Which can be used to hit enemies, though Rico has never used the stinger to stab a foe, so venom may be part of his mutation). Rico can climb walls and ceilings and stick to the surfaces.
Height: Unrevealed (4'3"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: White
Hair: Brown
History:
(Nightcrawler IV#1 (fb) - BTS) - After his mutant powers developed,
changing him into a human scorpion, Rico enrolled in the Jean Grey
School for Higher Learning. With dreams of becoming an astronaut, he
especially enjoyed working zero gravity situations as Marvel Girl
(Rachel Summers) trained him.
(Nightcrawler IV#1) - Rico briefly passed Nightcrawler.
(Nightcrawler IV#4) - When the deadly Trimegas attacked the school, Rico did his best to protect his fellow students, but he was cornered by one, though Wolverine soon saved him and Nightcrawler teleported him to Cecilia Reyes for protection behind her forcefield.
(Nightcrawler IV#5) - After observing Nightcrawler interacting with the Bamfs outside, Rico was invited by Nightcrawler and Marvel Girl to participate in a Danger Room training session alongside Mercury, Armor, Nature Girl, and Crosta. They engaged in combat with various holographic threats, including the White Queen and Sentinels, and Rico made a mistake by launching himself at "Frost," so Nightcrawler ended the session and asked Rico to use better strategy in the future. That night, Rico went exploring around the school and found Nightcrawler working on the Blackbird ship. When Nightcrawler asked if Rico wanted to join him in the Blackbird on the test flight, Rico enthusiastically agreed. In orbit, Nightcrawler gave Rico a chance to pilot the ship, then they received a mission from Storm to check out a new mutant presence.
(Nightcrawler IV#6) - Storm informed them that the new mutant was Ziggy Karst, and Nightcrawler and the Bamfs teleported Rico with them to find her. When they landed, they found the Crimson Pirates killing civilians. Despite his fear, Rico leapt in to protect the civilians, and he got them to safety before rushing back in to try and aid Nightcrawler. Rico saved Ziggy Karst from Killian, but then it appeared that she was vaporized after being shot. Rico launched himself at Killian, who grabbed Rico by the neck, but Nightcrawler freed Rico then threw Killian's gun to him, which Rico smashed. Nightcrawler soon realized that the guns were teleporters, and he used one on himself to find Ziggy and the other hostages, then soon returned with them. The Crimson Pirates escaped. Rico was shocked when Ziggy and Nightcrawler commended his heroism.
(NIghtcrawler IV#8) - Rico went to class with Iceman teaching, then saw Nightcrawler train against Colossus and Psylocke, then he saw Nightcrawler teleport away for a mission. Rico found Ziggy tinkering on Nightcrawler's Blackbird just as the X-Men rushed off on a mission. The Bamfs took over the Blackbird's controls and flew after them, with Rico and Ziggy on board.
(Nightcrawler IV#10) - The Blackbird took Rico and Ziggy to China, where they found Nightcrawler battling the Shadow King, who had taken control of the other X-Men. The Shadow King initially overwhelmed Rico, but Ziggy disrupted him, freeing the X-Men. After a chaotic battle that involved the Crimson Pirates, Rico and Ziggy were kidnapped by the villains and teleported away.
(Nightcrawler IV#11) - The Crimson Pirates took Rico and Ziggy to the interdimensional slaver, Tullamore Voge, who gave them a vision of what they might look like when they grew up and had full access to their powers. As slave owners bid on the mutants, Ziggy freed them and Rico attacked the slavers and the Crimson Pirates. The pirates and slavers closed in, and Rico bravely fought back, though he was thrilled when Nightcrawler and Bloody Bess arrived to save them. Nightcrawler tried convincing Rico and Ziggy to leave with him, but they refused to leave the rest of the enslaved kids behind. The Warwolves then attacked.
(Nightcrawler IV#12) - As Nightcrawler battled the Warwolves, Rico and Ziggy, with the kidnapped children, followed Bloody Bess back to the ship, stopping to fight a few guards and secure Tullamore Voge in a cell aboard the ship. Back at the school, Nightcrawler let Rico and Ziggy spraypaint symbols on the Blackbird as a reward. Rico was pleased to welcome all the new kids to the school.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont and Todd Nauck.
Rico's alias Scorpion Boy was revealed on the recap page of Nightcrawler IV#6 (November, 2014).
--Markus Raymond
This profile was completed 5/24/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Rico has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Nightcrawler IV#6, p13, pan1 (main)
Nightcrawler IV#6, p1, pan2 (face)
Nightcrawler IV#11, p6, pan1 (possible future version)
Appearances:
Nightcrawler IV#1 (June, 2014) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (artist), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Nightcrawler IV#4-6 (September-November, 2014) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (artist), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Nightcrawler IV#8 (January, 2015) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (artist), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Nightcrawler IV#10-12 (March-May, 2015) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (artist), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
First Posted: 09/11/2021
Last updated: 09/09/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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