WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Men #2 from Marvel Comics, available now.
Omega-level mutants have always hogged the spotlight throughout the Marvel universe because they wield incredible power, while the comparatively less powerful Alpha-level mutants get significantly less attention. But Alpha-level mutants are still extremely strong, capable of holding their own against any threat the world throws at them. No one embodies this power more than the newly minted X-men member, Sunfire, who just destroyed one of the most dangerous threats in the Marvel universe in one attack.
Introduced during the “Annihilation” event in 2006, the Annihilation Waves were originally controlled by the Fantastic Four villain Annihilus. He rallied together a smorgasbord of terrifying monsters from every dimension to wage an intergalactic war against the strongest cosmic Marvel heroes. The heroes, who called themselves the United Front, included Nova, Silver Surfer, Drax and the Human Torch. They had to use every ounce of their powers to keep their enemy at bay and even then, they almost lost. But the X-Men just faced an Annihilation Wave and won easily, thanks to Sunfire’s Alpha-level mutant powers, showing how strong they can be.
In X-Men #2 by Gerry Duggan, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia and VC’s Clayton Cowles, one of Cordyceps Jones’s patrons sent an Annihilation Wave to Earth in hopes of destroying the planet. Knowing that the attack could be a potential “extinction-level event,” the X-Men swung into action quickly. While the other X-Men were protecting the town, the Wave attacked. Sunfire demonstrated the power of an Alpha-level mutant by incinerating it with one single attack. While the Annihilation Waves the United Front faced were admittedly larger than this one, the fact that Sunfire was able to destroy it so quickly shows how powerful Alpha-level mutants can be if they use their powers to the fullest.
First introduced in X-Men #64 by Roy Thomas and Don Heck in 1970, Sunfire was one of the first mutants the X-Men ever encountered. He can absorb solar radiation and convert it into a plasma that bursts into flames when exposed to oxygen, an ability he calls his “solar fire.” His first meeting with the X-Men wasn’t exactly amicable, but it wasn’t completely adversarial either. Since then, he’s become an occasional ally of the X-Men, even helping the second generation of the team rescue the first from Krakoa’s grasp in Giant Size X-Men #1 by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. Like most mutants, he relocated to the island nation of Krakoa after it was declared a mutant haven. He was an integral part of keeping the island safe from Knull’s Wrath during the “King in Black” event, using a power boost he got from Fabian Cortez to become Krakoa’s sun.
While Omega-level mutants wield God-like powers, Alpha-level mutants wield slightly weaker powers, but it doesn’t mean that they’re not still extremely strong. Sunfire, Rogue, Cable, Polaris, Namor and Havok are all Alpha-level mutants, all capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the strongest characters the Marvel universe has to offer because of their Alpha-level mutant powers. Rogue is one of the strongest X-Men, capable of stealing other people's abilities for herself, making her a jack-of-all-trades on the field. Meanwhile, Cable has repeatedly been called one of the strongest mutants based on his powers alone, without counting his cybernetic augmentations. Polaris, who also forms part of this new X-Men team alongside Sunfire, has magnetic abilities that almost match her father’s powers. Namor was strong enough to go to war with Wakanda and live to tell the tale.
Sunfire being able to decimate the Annihilation Wave with only one attack shows how strong the often-ignored Alpha-level class of mutants can be when they need to be. While the Wave the X-Men faced was smaller than what the United Front fought during “Annihilation,” it could have easily turned deadly for Earth if they had let it out of control. While their powers are not limitless, Alpha-level mutants still wield incredible amounts of power and are more than capable of facing any threat that comes their way.