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Where characters like Kitty, Storm and Wolverine are openly acknowledged pop-culture “game-changers,” Illyana is perhaps a bit undercredited in terms of her influence, but there are many more famous characters and properties that may owe something to Magik. #xmen 1/8
*technically one of Rachel’s ‘supports’ stabs her, so grain of salt there.
The New Mutants bring even more nuance to this concept with young heroes living an idyllic life in a mansion with their own superpowers, but Berto’s anger lingers, as does Sam’s complex, as does Rahne’s generational trauma and bigotry, as does Magik’s….everything. 6/8
The earliest possible manifestation of this is with the arrival of the new X-Men after GSXM 1. They come together to fight Krakoa, but – for years thereafter – they still don’t trust each other, still don’t work well together, and they often pay the price for that. 2/8
Also, I will never not mention that Dazzler spends much of the event with a dagger in her face because it’s my favorite random thing ever.
Knowing that Ricochet Rita is visually based on Ann Nocenti and that MojoVerse is a satire of media culture offers us the potential to read some aspects of Rita’s story as Claremont’s commentary on Nocenti’s role as X-Men editor. #xmen 1/9
“Mojo Mayhem, they called it. It's baby X-Men who were on Longshot's planet who get away from Mojo and come to Earth and meet Excalibur. At this point in the series, everyone thinks the X-Men are dead, so Kitty's like, "Oh, my God, it's the X-Men, but they're babies!"” 3/5
It’s a provocative glimpse into what she could be to Earth 616 if whatever barriers that surrounded her there were somehow lifted, thus creating a bit of foreshadowing for the character – a sort of “chekhov’s gun” that adds a sense of anticipation to her character. 10/10
She even brings the dead back to life shortly thereafter by pairing with the Phoenix. She also speaks in Shakespearean dialect as she undertakes this mission, which is a bit jarring but signals an enhanced intellectual capacity and wisdom. 8/10
“Maybe not. But this fight is…you were right, Sabretooth. You’re the killer. I’m a man who sometimes kills…in younger days I’d have given that a shot, for the fun, just like Sabretooth. Road was easier then. But that’s past. I’ve changed.” 12/14