Marvel’s new Magik ongoing solo series has already answered a long-postulated question about the X-Men hero, exploring the “What If?” scenario of a reality in which Illyana Rasputina wasn’t raised in Limbo, but rather had a normal childhood. Given that the character has one of the franchise’s darkest backstories, it is fascinating to be offered a glimpse of an alternative.
In Magik #1 – written by Ashley Allen, with art by German Peralta – Illyana Rasputina asks herself what her life would be like if she hadn’t wasted her childhood in the eternal hellscape of Limbo.
An answer subsequently comes to Illyana in a dream, and she describes it as peaceful, idyllic, and bright. She spends time with her brother Pitor Rasputin, the iconic X-Man Colossus, and they sit on the lawn together outside the X-Mansion. Though the vision soon turns into a nightmare, for a moment, Marvel teased what a “normal” upbringing for the hero would’ve looked like.
Marvel’s “Magik” Offers A Hint Of The Normal Childhood That Its Protagonist Was Denied In X-Men Canon
Magik #1 – Written By Ashley Allen; Art By German Peralta; Color By Arthur Hesli; Lettering By Ariana Maher
In X-lore, when Illyana Rasputina was six years old, she was kidnapped by the demonic Belasco, who recognized Illyana’s potential and influenced her powers, all while planting an evil seed within her, and forcing it to grow. Illyana eventually defeated Belasco, manifesting her life force into the Soulsword. She discovered her mutant powers to create portals, and teleported herself back to Earth only seconds after she was kidnapped. She had aged ten years, but time on Earth had not passed.
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Back on Earth, the dark seed that Belasco planted inside Magik grew, and when she uses dark magic or has intense emotions, a demonic other half called Darkchylde awakens from within her. Darkchylde has always been one of Illyana’s biggest weaknesses, as she is not able to control herself when that persona took over; yet during X-Men’s Krakoa era, she was able to separate herself from her dark side. However, now that the X-Men are back in the regular world, and she keeps having these dreams, Illyana is afraid that Darkchylde could be coming back.
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Magik prided herself on the fact that she was able to silence Darkchylde during the Krakoa era. Illyana believed Belasco’s influence was far behind her, that she had removed the demon’s control over her, but her dreams in Magik #1 may hint otherwise. Illyana lost her home once because she went soft, so she vows not to let herself go soft again, especially because of how much she loves her current living situation with the X-Men, despite her reluctance to show it. However, in Magik #1, during a fight with the new villain, the Demon Crow, Darkchylde begins to emerge.
Though Magik’s backstory is one of X-Men’s most tragic, it was necessary for her journey to become a major Marvel hero.
Darkchylde is awakened through intense emotions, and when the Demon Crow kills a mutant kid, Illyana loses control. To battle her dark side, Magik relies on her sorcery, and if she wants to keep Darkchylde at bay for the duration of her series, Illyana will be leaning on her magic a lot more. Illyana could have had a normal life, but without her, the world would be in a lot more danger from demonic threats; in other words, though Magik’s backstory is one of X-Men’s most tragic, it was necessary for her journey to become a major Marvel hero.
Magik #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
