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TheDeadpoolmovies needed something or someone to tie them directly to theX-Men universe. When producers came together to figure out who this glue would be, they invariably settled onColossus. He’s shown as the ultimate good guy. He’s the foil to Deadpool’s bad boy rule-ignoring weirdo.But for fans of the comics, he could not be more one-dimensional.
In truth, Colossus is one of the best-developed members of the X-Men. He has been through significant ups and downs, proven his worth, and gone through significant losses to become a fan favorite. He’s certainly a good guy, but when he has turned (and he has), he can be a fearsome foe. So, what about the character makes everyone so excited to see him on screen?
Colossus Has Humble Beginnings for a Human Piledriver
Colossus, AKA Peter Rasputin, was born in Russia. It was here that he was found byProfessor Charles Xavierand recruited into his new team of X-Men. This new team was put together by writers in order to be more representative of the larger world. The team would no longer be a white-bread group of “aw gee” teens.It would feature mutants from all over the world with a vast array of powersand a social dynamic that rivals most current reality TV.
Colossus was the heart of the team. He was a young idealist who was nervous about leaving his family. Peter was somewhat “adopted” by Storm as his little brother, and he also became great friends with Kurt Wagner, AKA Nightcrawler. It was something of a dichotomy because Colossus, much like his character’s name suggests, was nothing short of a human piledriver.
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Muscles Are Great, Steel Is Better
Colossus is the brawn of any team he’s a part of.His mutant abilityis that he can change his body into organic steel, which has been noted as being “similar in makeup to osmium.” This change is done at will, and its effects are immediate. It also makes him taller (about a foot) and doubles his weight. He’s massive and exceptionally strong. When he is in his metal form, he no longer requires basic things like food or oxygen. One of his signature moves in the X-Men comics involves his teammate Wolverine. Colossus would lift Wolverine and throw him at their enemy in what they referred to as a “fastball special.”
More than Just a Massive Body
Colossus is extremely protective of his adopted family. The X-Men took him in and nourished his love for learning and the arts. Peter is an excellent painter known to create portraits of his fellow heroes. He has also been in an on-again-off-again relationshipwith Kitty Pryde, with the two meeting when she joined the team. Their relationship was kept secret for some time before it was revealed to the rest of the team.
Peter is often the first to show emotion and succumb to his feelings when others are more direct about their need to make confrontations physical. At one point, Peter lost confidence in himself and his abilities and found himself underpowered. However, during a training exercise where he was meant to hold back a giant steel vice, Wolverine stepped in and essentially said that he’d probably die if Colossus couldn’t find the strength.This motivation pushed him to find his inner power and save his friend. This type of team encouragement has happened on many occasions and often significantly affects how Peter views himself and his place in any given team.
Colossus Is Not Always a Good Guy
At one pointin the comics, Colossus joined Magneto and his Acolytes and turned his back on the X-Men. This was largely because he saw his former team as the cause of his younger sister’s death. It was a feeling of betrayal that Magneto was able to utilize and turn to his advantage. However, Peter was going through a crisis of faith, which meant he refused to fight. This pacifism made him a target of the acolytes and a literal immovable object to the X-Men.
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He has also been psychologically affected by othervillains to battle the X-Menin other situations. However, they are often able to appeal to him on an emotional level, sometimes putting themselves in harm’s way in the same way that Wolverine did and bringing him back from the brink.
So Good That He Makes the Ultimate Sacrifice
During one huge storyline, the mutant population drops like flies due to the Legacy Virus. It is this virus that eventually kills Peter’s sister, Illyana. While the mutant community struggles with the senseless deaths of their loved ones, Beast uses all of his know-how to create a cure. The only issue is that for the cure to spread throughout the population, it must first be administered to a single mutant who will be sacrificing their life.
In his grief, Peter steps up to be the one to get the cure. In doing so,he saves the mutant population, allowing for the synthesis of a vaccine that not only prevents the spread but also saves the lives of many top heroes who were succumbing to the effects. This sacrifice puts Peter in an entirely new level of hero, and his selflessness is just another example of how writers have perfectly fleshed out his character.
Colossus Is Perfect for Marvel Movies
Colossus has had an interestinggroup of storylinessince his debut in 1975. That said, directors and writers can pull from that rich tapestry, picking and choosing how to portray Colossus on screen. In the original X-Men films, he was a teenager, still learning with other young mutants. InDeadpool, he is a senior member of the X-Men and the one who is held up as the ultimate goodness that the team represents.
For people who want to know why the X-Men are so popular, they could do worse than starting with Colossus. Peter Rasputin’s journey is that of an outcast who is brought into the fold and told that he has the right to exist like anyone. His time with the X-Men and his need for love and acceptance is the journey that many people go on in life. His goodness and need to give to others is something that very few people are lucky to find.Colossuscan be seen inDeadpool & Wolverine, heading to theaters on June 08, 2025.
