Prodigy (Ritchie Gilmore)

Prodigy
Prodigy. Art by Ariel Olivetti.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Slingers #0 (Dec. 98)
Created by	Joseph Harris Adam Pollina
In-story information
Alter ego	Ritchie Gilmore
Species	Human
Team affiliations	Slingers Initiative Heavy Hitters New Warriors
Abilities	Adept wrestler Mystically infused costume grants: Vast superhuman strength, speed and stamina Near-flight leaping Gliding via cape

Prodigy (Ritchie Gilmore) is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics.

Prodigy first appeared in Slingers #0 (Dec. 98), and was created by Joseph Harris and Adam Pollina.

Prodigy was one of the feature characters in the 2011 six-issue limited series Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt.

Ritchie Gilmore is a typical jock, captain of his college wrestling team, and one of the most popular guys in school. But Ritchie wants more from life; he wants to be stronger and more powerful. The Black Marvel gives him the Prodigy costume, and the chance to be something better. The costume had been imbued with power: it gives Ritchie superhuman strength, he can leap so far and high that it appears that he is flying, and his cape even allows him to glide. Black Marvel makes Ritchie the leader of his new team, the Slingers. As Prodigy, Ritchie can finally be the person he always wanted to be and finds that he enjoys the life of a superhero. However, he is cold and unfeeling towards his teammates, not even showing concern when Dusk falls to her death, and isn't even shocked when she comes back to life. Prodigy feels that he should not have to help his team, and that they need to learn how to handle things on their own. Once, he leaves the Slingers in a collapsing tunnel, saying that if they are truly heroes, they would be able to survive. He is just as prone to beat his friends as his enemies. When he feels that Ricochet challenges his authority, he attacks him, and is only prevented from seriously injuring him by Hornet's intervention. Hornet also has to blast Prodigy with his laser "stingers" to keep him from killing a gang member. Prodigy learns that Black Marvel had made a deal with a demon called Mephisto to give him his costume, and that the demon had collected his "mentor’s” soul as payment. While the other three members of his team go to save Black Marvel, he abandons them. But when Ricochet is confronted with an illusion of his dead mother, Prodigy comes back to snap him out of his trance. Prodigy admits that his heart was filled with hate, and he lets that hatred go, and helps his friends free the Black Marvel's soul. The team disbands, but Prodigy apologizes for his actions before he leaves, and says he needs to check on his grandmother, as she had been missing quite a while.