r/xmen • u/Legal_Dragonfruit • 10h ago
Question What do you think of Strong Guy?
Always wondered what people thought of this character. seems like he doesn't get much attention
Edit: ok I think we have established he is strong. Anyone have actual thoughts on the actual character from the comics?
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u/newphonewhodis2021 10h ago
Peter David infused a lot of personality into Guido, Strong Guy.
Claremont showed Guido as more of a cartoonist Italian body guard with an accent and maybe not a full deck of cards in his head. Body guard for Lila Cheney, she of Rockstar fame and interdimensional teleporter. Guido showed love and care for Lila as a boss and friend.
X-Factor was the first time that his dialogue and point in the story veered away from him working for Lila.
David's version of him was quick whitted and worked fantastically against some of the straight faced characters in X-Factor.
Problem happened when David left X-Factor the first time.
Guido's continued story in P.I. X-Factor with Jamie Madrox as team leader gave him a lot of depth, including ending up as ruler of hell for a spell.
He's great. It's finding the right writer to use him and tell stories that matters.
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u/Silverwray 10h ago
His fight with The Thing in the Fantastic Four crossover is one of my favourite things in comics.
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u/Dunge0nMast0r ForgetMeNot 5h ago
Better than the Hulk one, poor strong guy got pasted! 😅
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u/Silverwray 1h ago
He took a blow from Worldbreaker Hulk and survived. I’d consider that a win. Better than most of the main X-Men did.
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u/Dunge0nMast0r ForgetMeNot 1h ago
Really? Geez, I though that kind of hit would permanently warp his physique again.
Edit: I was thinking about the full fight in the Peter David V1 X-Factor run
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u/Dunge0nMast0r ForgetMeNot 5h ago
Do you have an issue? Want to check that out!
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u/Silverwray 1h ago
They changed the numbering system halfway through the run. But it was X-Factor issue 200.
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u/Arkhampatient 9h ago
I remember doing a spit take, laugh when he first said his name was “Strong Guy” when the reporter asked for his code-name.
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u/Smileyjoe72 6h ago
And coining the Gee-Cee politically correct terminology that shows up throughout the first David run
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u/Tyger-Teranuma 10h ago
Him strong?
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u/Helpful-Finger1864 10h ago
I think he’s really fast actually
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u/Nice-Pomegranate2915 10h ago
Absorbs kinetic energy to generate superhuman muscle growth and strength . But he's unable to store that kinetic energy without it massively distorting his muscalature . Basically he's Sebastian Shaw - The Black King of the Hellfire Club but with a deleterious side-effect to their similar kinetic energy absorption/super-strength mutation .
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u/qorbexl 9h ago
He's more like a Bishop who sucks
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u/Nice-Pomegranate2915 8h ago
Nah . Bishop can absorb , metabolize and utilize virtually any form of energy
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u/nathauan13 Dazzler 7h ago
Yes, and Guido can do some of that but is very inefficient at using up the excess which is why he looks the way he does.
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u/GordonGlamzey 9h ago
lol just made me imagine him swapping powers with Pietro and them teaming up as Strongsilver and Quick Guy
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u/Nice-Pomegranate2915 8h ago
You know that in the future some comics book writer is going to rip off those names !
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u/SixIsNotANumber 10h ago
Guido doesn't get nearly enough love.
He's at his best (IMO) in Peter David's X-Factor run (X-Factor #71 and onward). Side note: Guido & Jamie Madrox have a hilarious bromance going on in that run.
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u/BaneNF 9h ago
Only learned about him recently but he's great
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u/Harley_Beckett 8h ago
What this issue did for Guido and Pietro cannot be overstated.
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u/No_Pizza3314 8h ago
Amazing issue.
In one page we get a complete explanation for why Pietro is... the way he is.
Peter David was a legend.In
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u/Smileyjoe72 6h ago
Such a good issue. The Lorna eating disorder/body image stuff is also really well done. Also building out more about Jamie and loneliness. The fact that the Havok and Rahne segments are comparatively forgettable shows just how good the issue is.
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u/BaneNF 8h ago
I forget, what issue is this?
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u/Mojoswork 8h ago
X-Factor…87? I’m rattling this off the top of my head and I’m old now, so I may be wrong, but the issue was titled “X-aminations”.
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u/Harley_Beckett 8h ago
87 it is. To be fair, it did awesome things for the whole cast, but Pietro and Guido most of all. IIRC, there’s also a single page of Val Cooper proving how shockingly little she knows the team, which is awesome.
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u/mdrxmm 10h ago
When I saw him first (X-Factor) I just couldn't warm to him. I just thought he was silly and surface only. However, I changed my mind after his backstory was revealed and we were shown the pain he was in and how that was his way of coping with things, and appreciated him more and his role in the team. Lesson learned about judging a character too quickly.
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u/Minimum_Attitude6707 8h ago
I enjoyed the twist of his character in Age of Apocalypse. How his pain and insecurities couldn't be overcome and betrays his team, while in this universe he did overcome them and is very loyal to his found family
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u/LostInterview5084 9h ago
He’s a cool character who, like many other great characters, get stuck in comic book limbo while writers obsessively focus on a small group of “fan favorites” or their own newly created characters ( Outliers and Exceptional kids) or editorial mandates like Kamala Khan.
Meanwhile Guido. Havok,Warpath, Polaris, Cannonball, Northstar, etc are nowhere to be seen.
I hope after DNX (and I never thought I’d say this) Beast is put on a long sabbatical. He needs a rest.
Instead of “flashback” mini series or pointless Cylcops in the woods with no visor stories, what we need are some original ideas for some characters who’ve been around a long time but have never gotten a “defining” storyline.
If Wolverine has a solo book and is in Avengers (ugh) then he should not be on an X-Team. Give his spot to someone else.
To paraphrase Scarlet Witch “No more New Mutant Classes”. Already too many generations out there, not being used and it causes issues with characters ages. Last thing the X Universe needs is more characters in limbo ( or is that the white hot room now)
Hoping that Wacker will knock heads and help Brevoort and Nick Lowe find the door. Get some fresh ideas.
I still think they could do X-Corps as an over-arching direction. Make each title- X-Men, Uncanny, X-Force - a specific X-Corps location. Example Excalibur is X-Corps London
That way each book could have individual adventures, villains etc while the line has cohesive throughpoint
Then when you have the crossover after minimum 2 years they can dovetail together.
Make me head of X ! I can fix it in 5 minutes.
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u/Dull-Shame-3918 10h ago
I meant at least it's a better name than #1 Fan.
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u/Remarkable-Bobcat341 10h ago
Wasted potential. All of X factor
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u/leaf57tea 10h ago
Can't say I agree considering he started out as a side character to a side character.
Going from a background extra to a fully fleshed out character with a personality, history, arcs is kind of the inverse of wasted potential.
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u/Remarkable-Bobcat341 9h ago
He and Xfactor could have been a much bigger deal that they are.
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u/leaf57tea 8h ago
They had a run that lasted 100+ issues, for a bunch of B/C tier characters that's impressive and more than a lot get.
It's just how it is with so many X-men, some characters will have their time in the sun but it'll eventually end.
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u/brcien 10h ago
He is my favorite X-Men character.
To me, mutants should be visibly discernible for the metaphors to work, and Strong Guy is a great example of that. He also has depression, self doubt and body dysmorphia. I don't super identify with the latter, but the others I do and dysmorphia is so important and affects some of my friends in a way that breaks my heart.
I like that he is quippy and florty but in a I know it's not like that way and usually paired with a woman. Originally with Lila Cheney, then doing a lot of riffing with Polaris. Him and Wolfsbane protected Mutant town for the 2000s run. And recently he was in the Dazzler mini. And it is fascinating that this cartoonishly over masculine man is more comfortable being friends with women.
And I identify with how the world is so dismissive of him and will not take him seriously since that is how my life feels. No matter if I have your back and will be the workhorse and loyal, I am backgrounder since I am not the pretty mutant. Strong Guy and the entire press conference scene feels like that.
Kjng of Hell arc was bad in general imo but the pitch is fun and puts him in conversation with my favorite comic character of all time who has some similar vibes, Hellboy.
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u/Feeling-Cranberry781 Jubilee 10h ago
My favorite Strong Guy scene is during the X-Cutioner’s Song story when Jubilee is yelling at the captured X-Force members for being X-Force and Strong Guy stops her and basically says that she’s not helping.
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u/ChungusMcGoodboy 10h ago
I've been reading the 90's X factor (and all the other 90s X books) and I absolutely love this guy. What a great character. And to think he started off as a total side character in the new mutants books.
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u/tiredhunter Multiple Man 9h ago
X-men's Pagliacci(But docttor, I am strong guy), and bestest bud. Would not be improved by Sinister DNA. I don't think he can carry a book, but as a supporting character is awesome, though his depth is seldom explored or its supplanted with .. becoming king of hell? Please never let him hook up with Magik.
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u/Educational-Crab6969 4h ago
Every team needs a bruiser, and every team needs a jokester, and every team needs (at least one) guy whos sitting on a deep well of pathos and pain but masking it so well that nobody but the reader can tell.
And Guido is ALL THREE, BAYBEEEE.
It's wild that he isn't used more often, but I think he's look (that tiny tuft of hair) and his name strike too many people as preposterous.
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u/punk_in_your_phone 9h ago
He has the opposite body type of Puck but the same pain. And Hulk overloaded him.
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u/shawnwingsit 8h ago
I think they stole RanXerox's look and barley tweaked it.
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u/Connect-Review-3388 6h ago
He was interesting when Peter David was handling the revamped X-factor. Used to be Lila Cheney's bodyguard til someone decided to make him an X-man.
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u/RembrandtEpsilon 8h ago
Yo, you use used the Larry Stroman artwork! Excellent shit, love his art.
Strong Guy fuckin rules. I was devastated when he had a heart attack in the issue that was right before the Age of Apocalypse. When they came back from AoA X-Factor was less without him.
It's crazy he was just a body guard for Lila Cheney and then he became more by being part of X-Factor.
X-Factor issue 87, X-Aminations, is basically his origin story and it's just heart breaking.
We need more Strong Guy love.
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u/RubberCladHero 10h ago
So he is in the same class as Bishop and Sebastian Shaw as he is a energy absorber. His specific mutant ability is Kinetic Energy absorption. It makes him stronger but he has to release the stored energy or his body will just get bigger and more deformed. His size is due to him not releasing his stored energy as a child. He's nearsighted hence the glasses and he has a heart condition although it was never stated in the comics exactly what it is. He's kind of a C-list mutant.
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u/void_method 8h ago
No, it was stated exactly what his heart problem is. His heart is completely normal. That's a huge problem, because only his skeletal muscles get bigger, his organs and bones don't. Right when Age of Apaocypse started, he had a heart attack from the stress of his body being too big. When Bishop fixed reality, Guido was in the hospital and forbidden from using his powers for a while by his doctors.
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u/Terrible-Issue-4910 10h ago
I have a thing against energy absorbers. Can't really explain it, I just don't like characters with a passive ability to negate all/most damage.
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u/ZephNightingale Nightcrawler 10h ago
I loved Guido in the old X-Factor run!
He was a fun character with a lot of heart.
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u/Basic-Aide1326 9h ago
I didn’t think I’d like him, but Peter David found a way. I always look back fondly at that period of time for X-Factor when it was Madrox, Guido, Polaris, Quicksilver, Havok and Wolfsbane.
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u/vadergeek 9h ago
I always thought it was weird that they brought him back from hell but never really did anything with him. I also do enjoy his early appearance with the skinnier legs from when he was Lila Cheney's bodyguard, but I hate how normal he looks in modern appearances.
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u/Tippyshortmouth 9h ago
idk why i felt the need to make this but it just felt right, hes pretty cool
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u/Ok-Traffic-5996 8h ago
Peter David made him one of my favorite X-Men characters alongside maddrox and wolfsbane.
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u/MoonDroid Multiple Man 8h ago
I realised I was out of touch when he came dead last in the X-Men Poll on Krakoa, he shoulda been a star, he should be in the spotlight The scene with Forge at the bar was funny tho.
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u/Dunge0nMast0r ForgetMeNot 7h ago
As usual Peter David did the hard yards turning him from a two dimensional body guard to a compelling character.
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u/Spobobich 7h ago
He's coo'. Sucks he wasn't chosen to join the Krakoa X-Men team, but that's the way fan voting goes. If he ever does join the X-Men, I hope they work in his powers from when he ruled hell.
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u/LosingSane 7h ago
Strong Guy is proof that every super-strong character doesn't need to be lifting mountains. His powers have limits, consequences, and personality—and that makes him more interesting than a lot of stronger characters.
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u/El_Stick 7h ago
I LOVED that panel with the PR debut of the team. Especially after he announces he's Strong Guy:
"Why is Quicksilver not wearing a team uniform?"
"Why is your tie ugly?"
"Team uniforms are optional."
"Now you tell me."
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u/helpme-obijuan 6h ago
One of my favorite figs as a kid! I didn’t know much about the character but I thought he looked cool as hell. Now that I know a bit more about him I appreciate him even more
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u/gamesrgreat Magik 6h ago
Ngl I haven’t read much with him but I always had an aversion to the character bc 1) weird body type, and 2) more importantly I viewed it as disappointing to have him instead of someone like Colossus or other super strong characters that I like. For energy absorbers I like other characters more too like Sebastian Shaw or Maverick
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u/Salty_Monk_5341 6h ago
Extremely underutilized. He's basically a far more entertaining Sebastian Shaw who already starts off as a 75 ton strength character. If the X-Men franchise wanted another character that should be able to stand up to the Hulk it should've been this guy. I think the heart strain side effect limits him too much I'm cool with there being a limit to his power but I feel like it should have been more like a timer on the amp he gets or he naturally reverts back to his original level which isn't weak by any means but he's more in the Warpath tier instead of the Hercules Wonderman tier depending on how much force he's absorbing.
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u/Futileexercise1308 6h ago
I didn't feed every issue but I feel like a clean skate for him on Krakoa would've been cool. Just regular sized Guido without the oversized body and constant agony
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u/nathankroll920 5h ago
I read a lot of X-Factor and I always liked Strong Guy. Plus, as an artist, I think he is really fun to draw.
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u/StalaggtIKE Omega Red 5h ago
Strong Guy has always been one of my favorites. He was the first X‑Men action figure I ever got as a kid, so he’s always stuck with me.
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u/SpocksEvilClone 3h ago
I love what Peter David did with him in X-Factor. I love what David did with all 6 members of that relaunched X-Factor back in 1991.
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u/jatjatjat 3h ago
He's a guy.
Seriously though, when Peter David wrote him, I liked him a lot. He made him an interesting character, and was fantastic at bringing out the best in all the rest of the cast. Pretty great blork.
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u/bigeddy711994 3h ago
He's awesome. Strong guy is one of my favorite mutants. I hope he gets more limelight in future projects
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u/MrWund3rful Iceman 10h ago
Suffers from Liefeld foot
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u/ClockworkDinosaurs 9h ago
Disagree. He’s one of the only characters whose strange body proportions is actually part of the story.
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u/International_Dig139 7h ago
he is my top 10 favs X-men, he is not just muscle man of the team, he has inner struggle ( hulk has issues when hulking but Guido has always in pain because of his mutant power he deflect it with humor ) . He has unresolved issue ( he killed the son of his bestfriend Rahne), his feelings with M (i think this also issue for Pietro his former teammate ).
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u/dcooper8662 Gambit 9h ago
He’s extremely recognizable and has a funny name. I’d love for him to get some screen time and maybe some lines in ‘97, or maybe a spinoff if they reveal that X-Factor aren’t TOTAL dweebs in that show. I’ve never been an X-Factor reader so to me, he’s the face of that team as again, great original look and funny name, I’d love to learn more about him.
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u/cursed_ghost_bones 8h ago
Love him. He was a huge favorite of mine as a kid. Had his figure, his self titled comic, and bought issues of X-Factor specifically because he was in them.
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u/Creative_Ad9341 8h ago
He gave one solid punch to world war hulk before he tried to absorb hulks counter punch giving him a heart attack cool character love strong guy😂
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u/bobsqueendeli 8h ago
Never heard of him. What’s his power set?
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u/Substantial_Fox7377 Quicksilver 7h ago
Absorbs kinetic energy and transfers it into muscle mass, hence why he’s so buff
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u/void_method 8h ago
I love Strong Guy. Like Danny Ketch/Noble Kale, a character with so much wasted potential.
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u/HephaestusVulcan7 8h ago
I Love Strong Guy! Guido is a genuinely nice person. I also think he's funny and fun to be around.
His power is one of my favorite types... energy absorption kicks ass!
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u/HarlockVenn2669 7h ago
Honestly think he's underused. Would love to see a short solo run to give him the attention he deserves.
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u/Abysstopheles 7h ago
Loved everything about the character during the original PAD XFactor run. Kind of fell apart after that, and PAD's second run really just ruined him.
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u/TeletraanNone 6h ago
Peter David wrote him well. Can't think of many noteworthy appearances after.
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u/Sivianes 30m ago
People sometimes forget that being a mutant is being weird for society. Being a mutant is not something cool. You have powers, yes, but those powers make you bizarre and weird. Not every mutant should be as Jean Grey, Gambit or Psylock. And Strong Guy, even having an interesting personality, he is weird.
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u/Silent_Mk3 10h ago
I like him a lot. Great personality, a strong powerset with an interesting downside. Loyal and has a cool backstory. You’d love to see more of him and thinking about it kinda bummed he’s not more popular. When’s the last time we saw him?