There are two things Marvel Comics has never had a shortage of: obscenely wealthy superheroes and mutants. Roberto "Beto" da Costa, also known as Sunspot, is both. Much like Tony Stark, da Costa possesses an overabundance of charm, arrogance, and finances to throw at the betterment of mankind, even going as far as picking up the tab when Stark falls short. Unlike Stark's technology, Sunspot's powers draw their vast strength from the sun itself, rendering him one of the most powerful mutants alive.
Sunspot is hardly unique in being a billionaire superhero: Marvel Comics alone is littered with characters, hero and villain alike, with access to nigh-limitless wealth. Similar to Tony Stark or Danny Rand, Roberto da Costa inherited his wealth from his father upon his untimely demise. Sunspot's story and abilities, however, standalone from his counterparts. Despite all the similarities in his background, Roberto da Costa still stands as one of the more unique characters in the Marvel Universe.
A Childhood Attack Awakened Sunspot's Powers
Roberto da Costa was born to Afro-Brazilian millionaire Emmanuel da Costa and made his debut in The New Mutants #1 by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod. Not uncommon for a mutant, da Costa's abilities would first manifest as a teenager during a period of heightened stress. A victim of racial violence from an opposing team member during a soccer game, Roberto's dormant powers would first activate to protect Recognized as a mutant by Charles Xavier, da Costa would be brought to Professor X's school to the class of "new mutants" during the X-Men's absence.
Sunspot Boasts A Wide Spectrum of Abilities.
As Sunspot matured, the range and magnitude of his powers have grown with him. Da Costa's body is capable of absorbing solar radiation, the characteristic darkness that envelops him is a result of him leeching as much sunlight as he can to fuel a wide range of abilities. Along with his strength, da Costa also possesses superhuman speed, durability, agility and reflexes. Through a mastery of thermokinesis and photokinesis, Sunspot can absorb and emit incredible amounts of both heat and light, granting him immense destructive capability or allow him to simply make the room a few degrees cooler. He can even gain sustenance from solar radiation, allowing him to survive indefinitely without food, water, or oxygen. Throughout the early issues of X-Force (1991) by Rob Liefeld, Sunspot would be subjected to experiments by the villain, Gideon. Da Costa would be forcibly overloaded with solar radiation, drastically enhancing his powers while gifting him flight and the ability to fire concussive blasts of heat. At maximum strength, Sunspot has dropped a Hulk with a single knock-out blow.
Roberto de Costa Is A Formidable Leader and Businessman
Da Costa's superpowers aren't the only tool in his arsenal. Roberto's charm endears him to his teammates, while his peerless self-confidence lends to a natural leadership. Sunspot's time as CEO of Da Costa International has also seen him hone his business savvy. Da Costa would combine these skills during the 2015 Secret Wars event, engineering a "hostile takeover" of A.I.M. from a less-than-reluctant Scientist Supreme. Utilizing A.I.M.'s extensive scientific prowess funded by his own endless cashflow, da Costa would not only finance a device to launch a team of heroes across the multiverse, but Sunspot would also lead his own Avengers team in an effort to save all reality from collapsing. Freed from any obligations to the Avengers or A.I.M., da Costa has recently taken on a more humble role serving as a member of the team (and family) he chose, the New Mutants, as well as Storm's Brotherhood of Mutants in X-Men Red.
While his reputation for flashy displays of wealth and comical arrogance is well-deserved, Sunspot has remained an unwavering team player throughout his career, routinely placing the needs others ahead of his own. As Tony Stark is to the Avengers, Sunspot remains a powerful, influential cornerstone of the X-Men mythos.
