Nitro (comics)

Nitro
Nitro Cover to Captain Marvel #34, by Jim Starlin.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain Marvel #34 (September 1974)
Created by	Jim Starlin (writer) Steve Englehart (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Robert Hunter
Species	Human Mutate
Team affiliations	Defenders Hardcore's Untouchables
Abilities	Immense self-detonation, after which he exists as a diffused gaseous form Ability to reform at will

Nitro is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Nitro is known by comic fans for playing a part in the death of the Kree superhero Mar-Vell. He is also best known for being part of the tragedy that started off Marvel's Civil War crossover.

Nitro first appeared in Captain Marvel #34 (September 1974) and was created by Jim Starlin.

Robert Hunter was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was an electrical engineer. Due to genetic alteration carried out on him by the Kree Lunatic Legion, Robert gained the ability to explode and reform himself at will and became a professional criminal. Some time later, he exposed Captain Marvel to a carcinogenic nerve gas; this encounter ultimately caused Captain Marvel's fatal cancer. Since then he has clashed with Earth's superhumans, who have found creative ways to defeat him, including using the "fractioning (separation) of his exploded mass" against him (essentially, if he can't reform himself after an explosion, he can't explode again).

Nitro later battled and was defeated by Omega the Unknown. He later escaped from Project: Pegasus, and then battled and was defeated by Spider-Man. Nitro was later freed from his containment canister by the Vulture in Albany, New York. He battled Skids of the New Mutants, and was unable to re-form his body within Skids' force field. He was then recruited by Thanos to serve him in a mission alongside several other supervillains, including Rhino, Super Skrull and Titanium Man. When the mission ended with the Silver Surfer rescuing the Earth-based villains, Nitro decided to take a space craft and explore space.