Sam Guthrie first appeared in 1982 as a part of the newest class of the X-Men, known as the New Mutants. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod along with the rest of his team, who quickly gained popularity. Sam was a Kentucky-bred coal miner's son who was the first (but not the last) of the Guthrie children to develop mutant powers. His particular ability allowed him to 'blast' himself forward explosively while shielding him from damage, earning him the name Cannonball. Sam's connection to the overall story of Apocalypse has to do with a long-forgotten storyline that has followed Sam around over the years, a trait that pops up or disappears depending on the writer or the storyline. Early on in Sam's 'graduation' from the New Mutants to the strike team known as X-Force, it was suggested that Sam Guthrie was an External, a rare species of mutant that were thought to be immortal, and were key players in the rise of Apocalypse over the centuries. The other Externals were killed off and the plotline was left unresolved, but ties the two mutants together as the last remaining Externals. Sam's involvement in X-Men: Apocalypse would be the first step in seeing the New Mutants finally brought to the big screen. After seven X-Men films (counting the Wolverine spin-offs), we had yet to see the appearance of any New Mutants. Finally, we saw Roberto da Costa AKA Sunspot pop up in the Days of Future past trailer as a member of the future X-Men. So with Sunspot making an appearance in the future, it's time for his best friend and fellow New Mutant to show up on the big screen in 2016.
Sent to Earth from a dying planet, young Scott Fraser grew to adulthood in Alberta, Canada with a love for comics, film, games, and all things deep fried. He has dedicated his life to pedantic ramblings about continuity, superhero superiority, and Han shooting first. He also writes for Geek Magazine.
