Contains spoilers for X-Men (2024) #6!The newest team ofX-Menhave plenty of brains and brawn on their squad, but readers might be forgiven for mixing up the two, asthe latest issue reveals that one member of Cyclops' teamis smarter than they prefer to appear. It’s a great moment of characterization, and a clever melding of different incarnations of the characters across more than a decade.
X-Men (2024)#6 – written by Jed MacKay, with art by Netho Diaz –contains the perfect moment for Illyana Rasputin, aka Magik, as her teammate Temper realizes that Illyana’s much smarter than she pretends to be.
Temper wants to recruit Illyana for a stealth mission, investigating whether one of the anti-mutant protesters gathering outside their base is secretly a mutant herself. However, counter to what readers would expect from her brash behavior in the series so far, Illyana urges caution, pointing out that this could easily be a trap to make the X-Men look like kidnappers.
Fan-Favorite X-Men Hero Magik Is Far Smarter Than Anyone Realized – Which Was Intentional On Her Part
X-Men#6 – Written By Jed MacKay; Art By Netho Diaz; Ink By Sean Parsons; Color By Marte Gracia & Fernado Sifuentes; Lettering By Clayton Cowles
The previous issues of Jed MacKay’s newX-Menrun have featured Illyana putting up the front of just being a dumb jock,arguing with Juggernaut, and generally being headstrongand ready for a fight. However, there have been a few signs that she has more depth, even before this new revelation. Illyana has been playing mobile chess with an unknown opponent –classic narrative shorthand for being smart, or at least strategic. Somehow, Temper knows about the chess game, but clearly didn’t realize that Magik was hiding more than just her recreational activities until now.
Jed MacKay’s take on Magik shows that writers don’t have to choose one or the other characterization for her, as long as they recognize Illyana’s nuance.
What is so great about this moment is that it helps to coalesce Magik’s different modern characterizations. When Magik originally returned from the dead in the mid-2000s, she was basically evil, or at least immoral. However,Brian Michael Bendis’Uncanny X-Men (2013)reinvented her as a more straightforwardly heroic jock, which mostly stuck because of how successful the series, including her concurrent redesign by artist Chris Bachalo, ultimately turned out to be. Now, Jed MacKay’s take on Magik shows that writers don’t have to choose one or the other characterization for her, as long as they recognize Illyana’s nuance.
Magik’s Reasons For Hiding Her Intelligence Are Part Of What Makes Her A Layered Character
X-Men#6 – Available Now From Marvel Comics
Illyana jokes inX-Men#6 that her façade keeps the rest of the team from assigning her any actual work, but she clearly has deeper reasons to put on an act.So much of Illyana’s whole personalityis a front. She’sgone through horrific abuseat the hands of the demons of Limbo and teetered on the line between heroism and villainy for decades.It’s no wonder Magik might want a break, where she can just act dumband go along with simpleX-Menmissions where she can just be the team’s sword-jock.
X-Men (2024)#6is 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.
