Powers: Cannonball possesses the ability to bodily generate thermo-chemical energy and release it from his skin. This energy, released by an act of will, is accompanied by smoke, flame and condensation, propelling him much like a rocket engine. As a side effect of forming the thermo-chemical energies over the surface of his body, Cannonball is also virtually invulnerable. Accompanying the release of energy is a half-inch thick energy field which channels the explosion and protects his skin from the direct effects of the blast. It also negates momentum and related energy effects thereby cushioning his entire body from any impact up to a half-minute from the depletion of his energy. Not only is he protected from rough landings, but he is also protected from nearly all types of injury while in flight.
History: Sam Guthrie is a mutant whose latent superhuman abilities first manifested themselves when he was trapped with co-workers in a coal mine. The stress of trying to save his partner and himself triggered his propulsive power and enabled them to escape. Donald Pierce, a renegade member of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, located Guthrie and learned of his superhuman powers by means of a machine the Hellfire Club had built by adapting plans they had stolen from Professor Xavier's Cerebro device (see Hellfire Club). Pierce recruited Guthrie to be one of his operatives, and sent him into battle against Xavier and his newly organized group, the New Mutants. However, during the battle, he refused to obey Pierce's order to kill the New Mutants, and Pierce attempted to kill Guthrie in retaliation. Xavier, however, saved Guthrie's life by defeating Pierce. Realizing that Guthrie was not an evil person, Xavier invited him to join the New Mutants, and Cannonball rose to become one of the New Mutants' leaders.
When the mutant warrior from the far future, Cable, reorganized the New Mutants into X-Force, Cannonball became a member of the new team (see Cable).On one of X-Force's first missions, Cannonball was apparently slain in combat by Sauron, a member of the Toad's new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. However, Cannonball soon returned to life and full health. Cable theorized that Cannonball was one of the Externals, a small number of immortal mutants. Whether or not Cannonball really is an External remains to be seen.
Recently, Sam graduated from his leadership role on the mutant team, X-Force, to the X-Men, and has been an inactive member of the new team due to it's recent restructuring.
