Foxfire (comics)

Foxfire is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appeared in the original Squadron Supreme series.

Fictional character biography

Olivia Underwood was born in Nexusville, New Brunswick, in the United States of Earth-712. She later became a criminal and supervillain using the alias Foxfire. She was a member of the Institute of Evil, a criminal organization opposed by the superhero team called the Squadron Supreme. This was complicated somewhat by the fact that Foxfire was in love with Squadron member Doctor Spectrum, although he did not seem to return her feelings.

She was among the Institute of Evil members who battled the Squadron Supreme in their final attempt to destroy the heroes.^[1] When the Institute of Evil was captured by the Squadron and its members mind controlled by the Behavior Modification device, Foxfire and the other former super-criminals became members of the Squadron, to assist them in their efforts to forcibly turn the world into a Utopia. Her criminal record was pardoned, and she became a public crusader and government superhero.^[2] She accompanied Hyperion to supervise the behavior modification process at a prison.^[3] She finally later began a relationship with Doctor Spectrum.^[4]

The hero named Nighthawk opposed the Squadron and formed a rebel group, the Redeemers. He undid the Behavior Modification of Foxfire and several others, and recruited them into his group.

During the final battle between the Redeemers and the Squadron at Squadron City, Foxfire, who was still in love with Doctor Spectrum, tried to gain his approval by betraying Nighthawk, thus allowing the Squadron to win the fight. She used her powers to kill Nighthawk by blasting his heart. Foxfire was then killed by fellow Redeemer Mink, who had been in love with Nighthawk, when she was stabbed through the heart by Mink's artificial claws. The death of Nighthawk caused the Squadron members to realize that they had become the very thing that they had intended to oppose, and thus ended the fight, though not in the way that Foxfire had intended.^[5]

Powers and abilities

Foxfire had the ability to project some form of bioluminescent energy through her fingertips that could disintegrate matter by breaking its molecular bonds. Her power manifested as a "glow" which she projected from her body, usually from her hands. She needed to touch an object in order to affect it.

Squadron member Tom Thumb designed a special pair of decay-retardant gloves for her to wear, which were immune to her powers.

She received standard Squadron hand-to-hand combat training.

References