Origin

Roberto da Costa came from a rich family in Brazil. He was also a very skilled soccer player with a promising future until the day his mutant powers manifested. During a game, he was taunted by a player on the opposing team and ended up beating the player down.

He was shunned by everyone around him but did attract the attention of Donald Pierce, a member of the inner circle of the Hellfire Club. Pierce tried to kidnap da Costa but Charles Xavier and his team, the New Mutants, stopped Pierce. Xavier then invited da Costa to join the team and attend his school to learn more about his powers.

He took the name Sunspot and experienced several adventures with them. When he accidentally injured teammate, Sam Guthrie, Cannonball, Sunspot left the New Mutants. Another teammate, Warlock, followed him and the two met up with the group, the Fallen Angels (which included the mutants Multiple Man and Siryn).

Later he was contacted by mutant businessman, Gideon after his father died. Gideon persuaded Sunspot into joining him claiming to help him manage the family fortune. Gideon was actually a member of a group of mutants known as the Externals who believed themselves to be immortal. Gideon believed that Sunspot was also an External but after several harsh tests and experiments Gideon was proven wrong.

He was saved by his former teammates of the New Mutants that had reformed as X-Force. Sunspot joined the team. When Gideon experimented on Sunspot, he was able to copy his powers and give them to a test subject. The result was Reignfire.

Reignfire became the leader of the Mutant Liberation Front, a mutant terrorist group. Reignfire gave hints that he was really Sunspot. X-Force's leader, Cable, telepathically restored Sunspot's memories. It turned out that Reignfire actually switched places with Sunspot through a telepathic link. Sunspot finally regained control.

Sunspot was later blackmailed by the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club into joining. She really wanted his help in stopping a foundation fun by Gideon. Sunspot also became the head of the Los Angeles branch of X-Corporation, a search and rescue organization for mutants.

At the beginning of the Young X-Men series, Sunspot was revealed to be the new leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. He is joined on the team by his former New Mutants comrades Cannonball, Danielle Moonstar, and Magma have joined him.

Powers

Sunspot's mutant ability allows him to absorb solar energy and convert it into superhuman strength. He can also use his power to fire energy blasts of intense heat and light from his hands. If he projects these blasts downward, it allows him to fly. It should be noted that, while Sunspot has superhuman strength, he does not have superhuman durability.

When Sunspot uses his powers, he is surrounded in some sort of aura of glowing black energy.