Roberto Da Costa

Roberto da Costa is a Brazilian mutant whose solar-absorbing powers first manifested during a heated soccer match, transforming him into a darkened, superhumanly strong form. He became a founding member of the New Mutants after Charles Xavier recruited him to his school for mutants.

Born in the pages of Marvel Graphic Novel #4 in 1982, Roberto Da Costa is a Bronze Age original whose four-decade presence across 428 catalog appearances marks him as one of Marvel's most enduring young heroes. Introduced by Chris Claremont and Bob McLearn alongside fellow New Mutants like Sam Guthrie, Dani Moonstar, Rahne Sinclair, and the unforgettable Warlock, he grew up in the pages of The New Mutants and New Mutants before graduating to the harder-edged world of X-Force — a trajectory that mirrors the evolution of Marvel's mutant universe itself. Now a card-carrying X-Man with 27 key issues to his name, Roberto is the rare character who has genuinely grown with his readership, accumulating history, complexity, and collector significance across nearly half a century of comics. If you're serious about the mutant corner of the Marvel universe, his shelf is one you'll want to build.