Roberto da Costa brings enormous energy to the New Mutants, both in combat and in the way he deals with his friends. He can be competitive, proud, affectionate and quick to reac…

Roberto da Costa brings enormous energy to the New Mutants, both in combat and in the way he deals with his friends. He can be competitive, proud, affectionate and quick to react. Those qualities are all present during Magneto’s time as headmaster, and they can pull him in very different directions. The period-accurate power distinction matters with Roberto. His solar-powered form gives him enhanced strength, but the young Sunspot should not simply be treated as invulnerable. Being able to hit something very hard does not mean that he can safely absorb everything somebody throws back at him. The team has to account for that difference. New Mutants #43 brings him back to the school after time in Brazil. His reunion with Sam immediately has the familiar joking and competitive edge of their friendship. That ordinary interaction sits beside a much more troubling matter involving Empath’s treatment of people connected to the school. Roberto returns to a group whose loyalty can push it toward questionable decisions as well as heroic ones. His friendship with Sam is one of the strongest continuing relationships in the book. Sam’s restraint and Roberto’s confidence do not fit into a perfect older-brother and younger-brother arrangement. They can help each other, annoy each other and misjudge each other. Roberto wants his strength to count, but he also wants to belong without being treated as the person most likely to cause trouble. His later departure with Warlock for the Fallen Angels is a separate interruption in his school life, not proof that he stopped caring about the New Mutants. Keeping that movement visible matters. Roberto’s position in this era changes because his fears about himself and his need for friendship do not disappear when a mission ends.