Ricochet

Ricochet

When Johnny Gallo was six, he met a girl named Kathy. The two would often play together, but as they grew older their friendship turned into romance. He discovered his powers when a car started coming towards him and he simply jumped over it. Whilst he was doing this, his mother was killed by the Orphan Maker in the car park of a supermarket. As a result of his wife dying, Johnny's father withdrew and became quieter. Johnny is a mutant with enhanced agility and the ability to sense danger before it happens. He attempts to keep this secret from his widowed father and his girlfriend, Kathy. Black Marvel later discovered his powers, gave him the Ricochet costume, and offered him a place on the Slingers. He accepted, happy at a chance to help people without revealing his mutant powers. Johnny was the first member of this team. Ricochet was also offered a chance to be on the New Warriors, but he laughed in Speedball's face when offered. 

During fights, he likes to make wise-cracks, much to the annoyance of his team (especially his team leader, Prodigy.) He became friends with the Hornet, who gave him throwing disks ( ones that ricochet off objects, boomerang ones that come back to him and ones with explosives in them) , and Dusk had a crush on him, which he didn’t return. He also fought Spider-Man with his powers. Whilst Hornet was trying to coax Dusk into leaping across a rooftop, Ricochet lost his balance and fell off the adjacent roof. Prodigy caught him, but told him that someone would have to die for Ricochet to take being a hero seriously. Prodigy then let go of Ricochet's hand, and Ricochet would have fallen and died if he hadn't grabbed Prodigy's hand with his other hand. Just after that, Dusk stepped off the edge of the roof to her death.
 
Even though it was nobody's fault, Ricochet and Hornet were worried about Dusk's death, and agreed not to talk about it. Unknown to them, Dusk came back to life, although how she came back has never been explained. Shortly afterwards, Ricochet, Hornet and Prodigy had their first real adventure as a team, when they saved a man called Mac Garrity, who was trying to commit suicide by rerouting trains so that they'd kill him. Despite Ricochet and Prodigy stopping the trains whilst Hornet flew Garrity out of the way, this mission would come back to haunt the team when Garrity returned to kill them as the Griz.  
  
Ricochet and Hornet were soon sent to investigate the train lines beneath a hotel run by the Maggia when ordered to by Prodigy. There, they found that the Maggia were dumping radioactive waste which was mutating rats into monsters. During an encounter with the rats, Ricochet caused a cave-in in order to escape from the rats, but Hornet was trapped as a result of this. Ricochet then called Prodigy to ask for his help, but Prodigy coldly smashed his phone, saying that real heroes could save themselves. Hornet was rescued from the cave-in by Dusk, although he didn't realise it was her at the time. 

When the Black Marvel was captured by Mephisto, Johnny suggested leaving him, but was convinced by his teammate Hornet to save him. The Slingers disbanded shortly afterwards. He joined Excelsior alongside Julie Power, Chamber, Phil Urich, Turbo and Darkhawk and tried to dissuade teens from becoming super heroes, saying that it hasn’t helped him at all (he blames himself for Hornet’s death.) He retained his powers after M-Day. He is currently a group called the Loners which tries to help young superheroes who want to stop being superheroes. According to Civil War: Battle Damage Report, Ricochet is a potential recruit for the Initiative.

Powers

Ricochet has the mutant abilities of enhanced speed and agility. He was given throwing discs by Hornet which can bounce off walls and other such objects with amazing force. Combined with his powers of agility, this means that Ricochet is an excellent shot. In the Runaways series, Ricochet used an E.M.P. disc at one point, although where he got it is unknown. Ricochet can also sense things before they happen, much like Spider-Man's spider-sense.

Other Media

Wolverine and the X-Men

Wolverine and the X-Men

In Wolverine and the X-Men, Ricochet was a female with a different personality and look than the original version in the comics. As the Reavers hostages a ship named Avalon which carries mutants heading to Genosha, Nightcrawler formed a team to defeat them. As the Reavers are nearly in their defeat, Spiral commanded Ricochet to use her powers and produce cannonball like objects to attack them.