Possessing the ability to generate light, teenage mutant Christian Cord joins the students at Xavier Institute to learn more about his powers. He quickly makes friends with some troublemakers and experiences the ups and downs of being a young mutant trying to make his way through a world that hates and fears him.
Mutant Powers Manifest
Christian’s mutant powers manifest while at church alongside his sister, Christine. Christian generates such a powerful light from his body that it leaves him temporarily blind. He and his sister enroll at the Xavier Institute around the same time that the head of the school, Charles Xavier, AKA Professor X, comes out as a mutant to the public.
Light Generation
Possessing the superhuman ability to generate ultraviolet light, Christian uses his power to generate blinding light energy. He can control the intensity of the energy, sometimes resulting in blindness or burns.
After being depowered from the effects of M-Day, Christian dons the Torpedo Armor, which is equipped with a multi-phasic photon accelerator that projects beams of energy as intense concussive bursts from various parts of his body. His chest armor and gauntlets emit this energy as either a blinding flash of light to disorient his opponents, or as a weapon, capable of destruction. The suit also comes with an anti-gravity disc that allows him to fly.
Mutant Allies and Malevolent Enemies
After enrolling at the Xavier Institute, Christian, alongside his sister, both team up with omega-level telepath Quentin Quire, AKA Kid Omega, troublemaker with a jelly-grip Robert Herman, AKA Glob Herman, and the thermo-kinetic Vincent Stewart, AKA Redneck, as the Omega Gang. Christian takes the codename Radian while his sister with her chameleon skin goes by Tattoo. Christian joins up with Kid Omega to rebel against Professor X’s tolerant teachings and the gang members all get hooked on a new drug called KICK, which enhances their powers.
Alongside the students at the Xavier Institute, Christian goes up against Xavier’s sister, Cassandra Nova, whose mutant mental abilities are as strong as her brother’s. She mind controls the students, including Christian, who turn against the X-Men. Fellow students, the Stepford Cuckoos, intervene and liberate Christian and the others.
When Christian becomes hooked on a power-amplifying drug, he goes up against the X-Men alongside the Omega Gang, led by Kid Omega. He ends up in jail for his misdeeds but when out and after losing his powers from M-day, he joins the latest iteration of the New Warriors and trains under X-Man Jubilation Lee, AKA Jubilee. The team goes up against the new Zodiac Cartel a number of times, though he loses his sister in a battle against them and out of grief blames the New Warriors.
Christian’s Chronology
After Cassandra Nova attacked the school, Christian and the other students faced her but ended up under her control, and turned against the X-Men. The Stepford Cuckoos intervened and freed them.
Christian joined Kid Omega’s gang to avenge the death of mutant and fashion guru Jumbo Carnation who was lynched by human bigots. He and the group got hooked on KICK, a drug that amplified their powers up to five times. Angry over Jumbo’s death and high, they attacked the humans who lynched him. Following the attack, they caused a riot at the school the day before it was due to accept human students. Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops, intervened during the student-led riot and stopped Christian by breaking his leg. Afterwards, Christian, his sister and Redneck were chastised by Logan/James Howlett, AKA Wolverine. Christian protested and claimed that the group was under the influence of Quentin’s superior mind and that he made them do it. Wolverine did not accept his statement and he and the others were sent to a human jail.
After many mutants lost their powers after M-Day thanks to an insane Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlet Witch, Christian was one of them. Though the loss of his powers didn’t stop him from joining the new New Warriors team led by Donyell Taylor, AKA Night Thrasher, taking the codename Phaser and donning technologically advanced armor, known as torpedo armor. It generated bursts of energy from the chest plate and gauntlets. It also came equipped with an anti-gravity disc that enabled him to fly.
Alongside the team, Christian faced the new Zodiac Cartel. During one of their battles, Zodiac member Cancer killed Christian’s sister. After holding her in his arms, he shot a blast of energy at Cancer, but Night Thrasher pulled him back.
Night Thrasher disbanded the team, which meant they lost their funding as well. When the team complained about it, Christian felt that the team trivialized their vigilantism, especially considering his sister just died fighting their cause.
The New Warriors later traveled to Earth-81156 but the team disbanded shortly afterward. Despite no longer being part of a team, Christian held onto his armor.
