Who is Mutantkind's Most Wanted?
Marvel has unveiled the first look at a new solo X-men book launching in October, with a teaser featuring a mysterious silhouetted Mutant. The character is almost certainly someone that readers know, but whether they’re a gun-toting antihero or a classic hero gone dark is yet to be seen. Whatever the case may be, this new book promises trouble for mutants in a period where they really don’t need any more problems.
The yet-unnamed book is part of the upcoming From The Ashes status quo shift, which is bringing the X-Men back to regular society after the end of the fan-favorite Krakoan Era. The full details on the book will be revealed Friday, June 28 but the teaser offers some hints, and suggests that whoever this dangerous Mutant is, they’re not interested in peaceful coexistence.
Who Could Mutantkind's Most Wanted Be?
There are several possibilities as to who this could be. The use of a gun suggests mercenary characters such as Domino, Maverick or Mystique. Mystique is the most likely of this bunch, having been instrumental in the prior Krakoan Era, and notably absent from upcoming series announcements. This possibility is only bolstered by hints from creator Declan Shalvey, seemingly the artist behind the teaser. Not only did Shalvey interact with the image on X (formerly Twitter), he also teased that "Project Raven," a possible reference to Mystique’s "real" name, would be revealed this week, which lines up with the announcement.
Another dark horse candidate for this mutant is Professor X himself. At the conclusion of the Krakoan Era, Xavier was arrested for assisting anti-Mutant body Orchis with the killing of countless humans, a sacrifice he deemed necessary to buy the X-Men time to defeat Orchis. In X-Men #35/Uncanny X-Men #700, he supposedly lapses into a coma, but awakens while on a medical transport from his prison. It’s not hard to imagine him then breaking free while en route to hospital and enacting his new darker philosophy by any means necessary.
What Does This Book Mean for Human/Mutant Relations?
The teaser’s background is also reminiscent of John Byrne and Terry Austin's famous cover for Uncanny X-Men #141, which kicked off the "Days of Future Past" storyline. But the posters in this new image feature mutants, superheroes, and spy characters, suggesting that the book may encompass the wider Marvel Universe. This character might just be going after everyone they see as an enemy, not just other mutants. This would only exacerbate the tenuous relationship between mutants and humanity that From the Ashes’ setup has implied so far, and make the capture of this mutant a priority for mutants and other heroes alike.
This interplay between mutantkind and humanity is one of the most interesting themes hinted at for From the Ashes. The Krakoan Era was notable for often rejecting the assimilationist views classically held by characters like Xavier in favor of more radical mutant politics challenging human hegemony. Now that mutants don’t have Krakoa, however, that relationship has to be redefined. Whether its government-sponsored mutants in X-Factor (2024) or mutant-hunter villains in Sentinels (2024), this era promises multiple viewpoints on mutant-human relations. Whoever this mysterious wanted mutant is, they’re sure to spell trouble for both this fragile relationship and the wider X-Men.
