From winning in the wrestling ring to leading a Super Hero team, Prodigy goes undefeated and comes to believe he’s never wrong. But during the Super Hero Civil War, he’s humbled and his brand of heroics evolves.
Pawn to Prodigy
Raised in the Bronx with his wheelchair-bound grandmother, Ritchie Gilmore attends Empire State University, excelling as a wrestler, but is a driven overachiever seeking a more satisfactory outlet. When ex-hero Dan Lyons, AKA Black Marvel, receives four costumed identities by demon-lord Mephisto, identities once used by Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, to grant to pawns to recreate and resolve a failed crisis of youth, he bestows the magic-cape empowered Prodigy identity upon Gilmore. Appointed leader of the Slingers Super Hero team, Gilmore drives his teammates Cassie St. Commons, AKA Dusk, Eddie McDonough, AKA Hornet, and Johnny Gallo, AKA Ricochet, almost as hard as he drives himself. When Dusk seemingly dies during training, an indifferent Prodigy focuses on foiling minor Maggia figure Jimmy Eyes, whose company oversees reconstruction of the Grand Royale Hotel, where Lyons intends to relive his past. When Hornet and Ricochet seemingly die during the Eyes investigation, Prodigy again feigns heartlessness, to Lyons’ approval. Prodigy confronts Eyes at the hotel’s reopening, but Lyons detonates explosives throughout the hotel. Prodigy’s three teammates, all having survived, rescue civilians while he supports the hotel’s structure long enough for everyone to escape. Realizing Lyons had deceived the team, Prodigy reconciles with his teammates; all four subsequently declined Robbie Baldwin, AKA Speedball’s offer to join a relaunched New Warriors.
Magic Armor
Prodigy’s bulletproof armor grants him superhuman strength (Class 25), speed and durability, enabling him to cross dozens of yards in a single leap and simulate flight by high-jumping and using his cape as a hang glider. He also wears magical versions of his armor and cape which grant identical abilities. He is an accomplished freestyle wrestler and hand-to-hand combatant.
Connections and Contenders
Prodigy joins the Slingers Super Hero team and the Fifty State Initiative. While with the Initiative, Prodigy trains Humerto Lopez, AKA Reptil.
Alongside the Secret Warriors, the Young Avengers and others, Prodigy battles the Skrulls.
Brave Deeds
Having imprisoned Lyons’ soul, Mephisto captured the “Slingers” and offered to release Lyons if the four youths forgave his manipulations. The four faced separate trials, with Prodigy battling his younger, more arrogant self, before reuniting to face Mephisto’s demons. Prodigy, discarding his Mephisto-empowered cape, was prepared to face the demon-lord alone, but the others refused to abandon him. When they expressed forgiveness, Lyons’ soul escaped Mephisto and the four returned to Earth.
Prodigy acquired armor to duplicate his mystic cape’s powers, but the foursome lost interest in teamwork, although they were forcibly reunited when the alien Coterie abducted them and other heroes for a “Contest of Champions,” setting them against the New Warriors, who defeated them.
Over the next few months, the Slingers were no more. Hornet apparently died battling a mind-controlled Logan/James Howlett, AKA Wolverine, Ricochet joined California’s Loners to discourage teenage Super Heroes, and Dusk was enslaved by Puppet Master but rescued by Carol Danvers, AKA Ms. Marvel. Prodigy remained the only Slinger still active as a Super Hero, although he declined the Great Lakes Avengers’ membership offer.
As the Superhuman Registration Act became law, Prodigy, concerned for his grandmother’s safety should his identity be revealed, uncharacteristically got drunk and publicly denounced the SHRA, drawing onlookers. Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, tried to calm him, but Prodigy recklessly attacked, so Stark disabled him. Incarcerated in Prison 42, Prodigy escaped when Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America’s Secret Avengers liberated anti-SHRA heroes, but after Cap’s forces surrendered, Prodigy was reimprisoned. He finally relented and registered, joining the Fifty State Initiative with Annex, Gorilla Girl and others; to his disgust, Yellowjacket (actually a Skrull spy) forced him to publicly apologize for his anti-SHRA outburst, attributed to a non-existent alcohol problem. The disgruntled Prodigy joined fellow Initiative recruits, the Secret Warriors, the Young Avengers and others in battling the Skrulls’ “Secret Invasion” force.
He later helped train newcomer Reptil; angered when he was remanded for further training, Prodigy received a reprieve when new Initiative head Norman Osborn, AKA Green Goblin, deeming him a suitable pawn, appointed Prodigy leader of Nevada’s Heavy Hitters. When Fred Myers, AKA Hitter Outback—one of many Super Villains Osborn placed in the Initiative—committed grand larceny, Prodigy publicly denounced Osborn, declaring the Hitters seceded from the Initiative. Osborn sent multiple Initiative teams to attack the Hitters, and although the Avengers Resistance rescued Prodigy’s teammates, Prodigy chose to remain and fight. Defeated by overwhelming numbers, he was re-incarcerated in Prison 42, where Osborn ordered him isolated from all human contact. Later, when Osborn’s corrupt administration finally fell, Prodigy was released from prison and honored for his anti-Osborn stance, later becoming a motivational speaker, and took a job at the Department of Justice.
Prodigy was soon asked by Commander Steve Rogers to resurrect the defunct Fifty State Initiative program and recall any and all available heroes. It was a difficult time for him and he turned to drinking though he was resolved after facing Tarene who deemed humanity unworthy and led heroes to prove her wrong.
Working in another government job pushing papers, he soon became bored and left it for a job at Jeremy Briggs’ Briggs Chemical LLC. He later joined the Slingers with Black Marvel against the vigilante Ben Reilly, AKA Scarlet Spider. But it was soon revealed that Black Marvel was actually a demon in disguise, leading Prodigy to turn on him and ally with Reilly, as long as he would give up his violent ways.
