Cerebra's Files

Years ago, Shiro's uncle Tomo planned to attack the United States, and contracted with Mystique to steal Lord Darkwind's adamantium bonding process, sending Sunfire along for firepower. When that plan failed, Sunfire became his uncle's main tool of attack. The X-Men first met Sunfire when he was an angry young man who had been brainwashed by his uncle Tomo to attack the United States Capitol building. Although things started off tense, but when Tomo murdered Shiro's father Sunfire understood what had happened and stopped his assault. A few years later Shiro agreed to help Professor X restart the X-Men when the original team was captured by Krakoa. However, Shiro had no patience for teamwork, and left imediately after that first mission.

Later, when his powers really started to flare out of control, Shiro was incarcerated by his own government, who feared he would endanger Japan. He was freed by his cousin, the Silver Samurai, along with Wolverine. Logan suggested that Shiro go to Canada and see if Alpha Flight or Dept. H could help him. Sunfire did go to Canada but his diagnostics there showed that he was dying of radiation poisoning. He deteriorated so much that half his body, and then eventually the whole thing turned black. Eventually, however, Shiro found out that it was Dept. H that had poisoned him, hoping to chart how much radiation he could take. Finally, in a battle in Japan alongside his team Big Hero 6 Sunfire unleashed an immensely powerful burst which purged all of the excess radiation from his body, leaving him close to normal, and once again the national hero of Japan. In that capacity, Sunfire was sent ot investigate some mysterious deaths, which led him into confrontation with Rogue, and some Skrulls, who were actually working for Apocalypse. Shiro then found out that he was one of The Twelve when he was captured by Famine II and brought to the High Lord. Sunfire fought Apocalypse with the rest of The Twelve, and after the immortal mutant's defeat he returned home. Recently, Shiro declined Phoenix's invitation to temporarily join the X-Men in order to rescue Charles Xavier from Magneto's clutches and prevent a global race war. His sister Leyu went instead, though she was possessed of her brother's personality and remained a team member about as long as he had.

More recently, Sunfire was seen as a member of the X-Corporation Mumbai, India office. He then seems to have returned to Japan to help his reformed cousin Silver Samurai consolidate the Yashida holdings. Unfortunately, the mutant Blindspot, who had accompanied Sunfire Mystique and Rogue on that first mission against Lord Darkwind (and who had subsequently erased all memory of the event), excised Harada's memory of being good and he conspired to have Shiro commit suicide by releasing a photo of him and Mystique and Rogue, a wanted terrorist and a former terrorist. Shiro nearly agreed, but was interrupted by Rogue, who wanted answers to her own missing memories. Together Sunfire and Rogue discovered that Harada had taken over the entire Yakuza and was working with Lady Deathstrike. In an assault on Harada's base, however, Sunfire attacked in arrogance and Deathstrike sliced his legs off above the knees.

Strangely, Deathstrike saved Shiro's life and placed him on life-support machines in a cell, along with Rogue and Blindspot. Sunfire managed to return to consciousness long enough to urge Rogue to take some of his power so they could break out. Rogue was hesitant, but Shiro grabbed her arm and forced her to absorb it all. The violence of the transfer appears to have permanently bonded Sunfire's powers to Rogue, and appeared to kill Shiro.

Under the rule of the House of M, Sunfire was named Emperor of Japan. He adopted Noriko Ashida, a distant cousin and fellow mutant, as his own daughter and eventually sent her to become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Under Shiro's rule, however, Japan began a secret project designed to mutate ordinary humans. When human activists led by Noriko's father found out, they began a terrorist organization to expose it. Eventually Sunfire found that Noriko had led her friends to Japan to find her father, and he was forced to call in his Sentinels and agents to stop them, apparently resulting in the deaths of the young mutants. Following this incident, it appeares that Sunfire's allegiance to the House of M was weakened, as he appeared via holo-conference in Wakanda to discuss the Black Panther's resistance to Magneto's rule, and then showed up in Wakanda himself to fight off Apocalypse's agent Iceman, melting him with a flame blast.

In reality, Shiro's body was secretly taken from Deathstrike's cell by a group whose plans for Sunfire are still unknown. The group was attempting to offer Sunfire experimental artificial legs when Apocalypse arrived and offered Sunfire his vengeance.

Once inside Apocalypse's base, Shiro began to have second thoughts, and began to attempt escape. However, the screams of Gazer, a mutant being re-made into War IV, made Shiro turn back and try a rescue. Unfortunately, crawling along was not very efficient, and Sunfire arrived to late to help Gazer, allowing his own re-capture. He was then turned into the third Famine by Apocalypse's machines. His legs were replaced (whether re-grown or prosthetically is still unknown), and he was given the ability to induce hunger with his light-bursts, which was part of Apocalypse's plan to have the remaining mutants drink an antidote to the plague he intended to unleash upon humanity in order to re-equalize the populations of humans and mutants.

Famine retained his flight and heat abilities, and fought off the X-Men when Apocalypse arrived at the X-Mansion, fulfilling his role in the plan. Rogue and Havok eventually brought Shiro down and into the Blackbird, where they discovered his true identity. Shiro was taken to see Emma Frost, and with her help, he broke through his brainwashing. He was able to create a flame blast to make War IV back off, but then collapsed due to extreme weakness. Shortly afterwards, however, Sunfire awoke and saw on TV that Apocalypse was attacking the United Nations building. He flew to Manhattan over the protests of Rockslide and Bling!, absconded with Death IV and disappeared. Where and why is unknown.
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