Arclight (Philippa Sontag) is a <!--Do not add "fictional" as it is tautological; supervillains (and characters in general) are by definition implied to be fictionalized to some extent.-->supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita Jr., the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #210 as a shadow, making a full appearance in Uncanny X-Men #211 (November 1986). Arclight is a former military officer who later becomes an assassin, with the mutant ability to create powerful shockwaves from her hands.
She is primarily known as a member the original Marauders team, a group of mutants who often work for the mad scientist villain Mister Sinister. As a Marauder, she has often fought the X-Men as well as related teams and heroes like X-Factor and X-Force. Like many of the Marauders, Arclight has been killed in battle more than once, only to be revived each time by Sinister through advanced human cloning techniques.
The character has made minor appearances throughout other forms of media, such as animated television series and the film X-Men: The Last Stand, portrayed by Omahyra Mota, and the video game Deadpool, voiced by Chani Krich.
Publication history
Arclight first appeared in silhouette in Uncanny X-Men #210 (Oct. 1986), then made her first full appearance the following month in issue #211 (Nov. 1986). Both issues served as chapters in the "Mutant Massacre" crossover that involved the X-Men, the spin-off team X-Factor, and other Marvel Comics heroes such as Thor, Power Pack, and Daredevil. Arclight, along with many of the Marauders, was created specifically for the "Mutant Massacre" story by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr. In reference to this crossover, X-Factor writer/artist Walt Simonson said that "when Jon Bogdanove drew Arclight in Power Pack, she had a much different figure than I gave her in X-Factor. But I went back and did a little bit of revision work in my book after I'd seen what John had done".
Originally, Arclight is said to be a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Following conflicts with the X-Men in "Mutant Massacre" and the 1989 crossover "Inferno", Arclight was depicted as a member of the Femizons team in the comic book series Captain America. She was then seen again as a member of the Marauders in 1996 and was often part of the team in their subsequent stories.
In the 2019 event Dawn of X, a new mutant community was formed on the living island Krakoa, providing sanctuary and amnesty for mutants. While Mister Sinister and the Marauder Scalphunter relocated to the island, Arclight and the other original Marauders (with the exception of Sabretooth) declined the offer of amnesty. Dawn of X featured a new team calling itself the Marauders formed on Krakoa, led by Kitty Pryde and involving several former X-Men members. The 2020 series Hellions revealed that Arclight and her teammates had made their new home in the Essex State Home for Foundlings, an orphanage formerly owned by Sinister where he secretly kept a lab and clone banks.
Fictional character biography
As part of the US military, Philipa Sontag serves with the ground forces during the Siancong War.
Before engaging on their mission against the Morlocks, Sinister sends the Marauders to kidnap Nathan Summers, the recently born child of Cyclops. Once Nathan is secured, Sinister sends the Marauders into the sewers of New York to attack the Morlocks. Their attack becomes known as the "Mutant Massacre". Arclight kills dozens of Morlocks before the Marauders are attacked by the X-Men and X-Factor, forcing them to retreat. Sinister combines his mental powers with his genetic manipulation to ensure that the clones will not betray him.
The terrorist Superia plots to conquer the world, hoping to dominate men and sterilize all other women. To help her overthrow society, she recruits an army of women warriors, including Arclight. After learning that there exists a possible future where Earth is ruled by women overlords called Femizons, Superia names her own present-day army the Femizons. Her efforts are thwarted by a collection of fighters led by Captain America. Later on, Arclight leaves, eventually joining the New Marauders team that includes former X-Men members. This team fights the X-Men and other heroes in the crossover "X-Men: Messiah Complex". During this crossover, Arclight joins a battle on Muir Island and is seriously injured by Wolfsbane. She is later seen having recovered (or having been cloned again), only to be defeated by Rockslide. Arclight later rejoins the Marauders when the team is briefly reorganized under the leadership of Da'o Coy Manh, the half-sister of Karma.
Deciding they are long overdue for vengeance in the name of the Morlocks their predecessors killed, Magneto hunts down and kills these clones, including Arclight. After tracking a group of remaining clones that have yet to be activated, Magneto decides instead to alter their personalities to obey his own commands in the future. Magneto later unleashes his loyal Marauder clones against S.H.I.E.L.D., using them as a distraction while he destroys much of the organization's collected data on mutants. Magneto and his Marauders then retreat and go separate ways. Eventually, Mister Sinister forms a new team of Marauders.
The Marauders later reform with Scalphunter, Arclight, Harpoon, Blockbuster, Vertigo, and Malice. The X-Men confronts this group, accusing them of committing a second Morlock Massacre. The Marauders deny this charge, but the X-Man Chamber burns them alive with his psionic flames. As he burns, Harpoon impales Chamber in the back, killing him. The Marauders are later seen without injury, indicating they were once again cloned by Sinister.
- A male incarnation of Arclight appears in Wolverine and the X-Men, voiced by André Sogliuzzo. This version is the field leader of Mister Sinister's Marauders.
Film
Arclight appears in X-Men: The Last Stand, portrayed by Omahyra Mota. This version is a member of the Omegas, who join forces with Magneto's Brotherhood to oppose the creation of a mutant cure, only to be killed by the Phoenix.
Video games
Arclight appears as a boss in Deadpool, voiced by Chani Krich. This version is a member of Mister Sinister's Marauders, who encounter the eponymous character after they unknowingly cost him a bounty. While seeking revenge on them, Deadpool kills Arclight in battle and later faces several clones of her.