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Arclight (Philippa Sontag) is a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.
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Fictional character biography
Arclight served with the American ground forces during the Vietnam War, and she is still haunted by memories of that place. She has redirected her rage into bodybuilding, which she uses to augment her mutant powers. Her mutant ability enables her to create shockwaves through physical contact, usually combined with her super strength in form of punches. During a few of her appearances she has been shown to project a bright light upon impact of her hands. As a war veteran, she is well versed in battle, and is known as one of the most bloodthirsty members of the mutant massacring group, the Marauders. Her relationship with teammate Scalphunter has also made her second-in-command. During their first mission, Arclight killed dozens of underground-dwelling mutants known as Morlocks. She also took some time off to answer Superia's invitation to join her female group of villains, the Femizons. Though the details of her recruitment by Mister Sinister to the Marauders remain unrevealed, she has participated in all of the group's major operations. Due to Sinister cloning the Marauders multiple times, it is hard to determine if the 'original' Arclight has been present in all of them. Following M-Day, Arclight became one of the so-called 198, one of the few remaining mutants retaining their powers, and a refugee at the X-Mansion. In X-Men #200 she returns as a member of the New Marauders, alongside old members like Scalphunter and new ones like Sunfire and Lady Mastermind.
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of Apocalypse, a member of the Brotherhood is named Arclight. However, this Arclight was a male, and it is unknown if he has any relation to the Earth-616 version, or what powers he possesses.
In other media
- Arclight appeared numerous times in the X-Men Animated Series, most notably in the episode "Sanctuary," where she joins Magneto's mutant haven.
- Arclight appeared in the motion picture X-Men: The Last Stand, played by Dominican fashion model Omahyra Mota. Arclight had no lines in the film. In the movie, her shockwave-based superpowers are more refined than in the comic book: her shockwaves project in an outward fashion and she can target specific materials. She is a member of the Omegas and was killed along with Quill and Psylocke by Dark Phoenix's disintegration wave.
Notes
- Arclight's codename comes from the B-52 bombings during the Vietnam War, also called Operation Arc Light.
- Arclight was at one point depicted as unusually tall, and with the physique of a bodybuilder, but in recent appearances she has gained a more conventional comic-book female appearance.
Bibliography
- Cable Annual 1999
- Captain America vol. 1 #387-392
- Civil War: X-Men #3
- Power Pack vol. 1 #27
- Thor vol. 1 373
- Uncanny X-Men #210-211, 213, 215, 219, 221-223, 240
- X-Factor vol. 1 #10
- X-Man #13, 18
- X-Men vol. 1 #183-185
- X-Men: The 198 #2-5
- X-Men: The 198-Files
