Scintilla (comics)

Scintilla
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	X-Men #107 (Oct 1977)
Created by	Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum
In-story information
Team affiliations	Imperial Guard
Notable aliases	Midget
Abilities	Size manipulation

Scintilla is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.

Publication history

The character first appeared in X-Men #107-109 (October 1977-February 1978), and was created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. She was not named on-panel initially.

The character next appears as Midget in X-Men: Spotlight on Starjammers #2 (June 1990). The character subsequently appears as Scintilla in Avengers West Coast #81 (April 1992),^[1] Quasar #32-33 (March-April 1992), Starjammers #4 (January 1996), JLA/Avengers #1 (September 2003), Uncanny X-Men #477 (October 2006), #480 (January 2007), and X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #3 (January 2008), and #5 (March 2008).

Midget appeared as part of the "Imperial Guard" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #6.

Fictional character biography

Scintilla is a long-time member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. She was with the Imperial Guard the first time they fought the X-Men.^{[volume & issue needed]}

She is one of the few who survived the battle with Vulcan.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Powers and abilities

Scintilla can reduce her size to at least 1/20 of her normal stature. She can also choose whether her body's density becomes relative to her diminutive size, or retains the density she possesses at full height. If the latter, Scintilla's strength and durability become proportionately augmented.

Inspiration

Several of the members of the Imperial Guard are at least partly based on members of the DC Comics' team Legion of Super-Heroes. (Dave Cockrum, co-creator of the Guard, also had a long run as artist on the Legion.) Scintilla appears to be an homage to LSH member Shrinking Violet.^[2]

References

1. ^ The Marvel Index to the X-Men refers to the character as Midget, but actually she was never named on-panel before Avengers West Coast #81; there she is called Scintilla.
2. ^ Kaminski, John. "Scintilla," Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Accessed Apr. 22, 2009.

External links

• Scintilla at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe