Rictor

Julio Esteban Richter first appeared as a teenager whose family's illegal arms dealings drew the attention of the mutant-hunting organization the Right, leading to his rescue by X-Factor. He joined their junior team, the X-Terminators, developing into a capable combatant and tech-savvy hero.

Few characters capture the restless, searching energy of Marvel's Copper Age quite like Rictor, who burst onto the scene in X-Factor #17 in 1987 courtesy of the dynamic creative duo of Louise and Walter Simonson. Over nearly four decades of publication, he's woven himself into the fabric of Marvel's mutant universe, racking up 229 catalog appearances across X-Factor, The New Mutants, and X-Force — three of the most beloved corners of that world. He keeps genuinely compelling company, sharing adventures with the likes of Shatterstar, Tabitha Smith, Sam Guthrie, and Cannonball, a roster that reads like a who's-who of the era's most interesting young mutants. With nine key-issue appearances to his name and a publishing run stretching all the way to 2026, Rictor is the rare Copper Age character who never stopped mattering — a true collector's deep cut with genuine staying power.