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Wolverine has long been the most popular member of the X-Men, his role in the team changing over the decades. At first, he was the loner with a heart of gold, constantly making trouble for his teammates, but always there to pull their fat out of the fire. After Cyclops left the team and Storm took over, he would take on a new role, becoming the second in command of the team, the bruiser who looked out for everyone in battle and helped Storm – and later Cyclops – figure out their next moves. However, times have changed for the team, with a new character slotting into Wolvie’s place, one that has become more popular than ever thanks to Marvel Rivals.
Magik has had a quite a 21st century, returning to life in the late ’00s after being dead since the early ’90s. One of many legends created in New Mutants (Vol. 1), the teleporting mutant with magical powers has slotted perfectly into the Wolverine spot on the team since she finally got the call-up to the big time. Illyana Rasputin has always been an amazing character, so seeing her finally getting a chance to shine on the biggest stage possible has been a blast. She’s the new Wolverine, becoming an integral part of the X-Men.
Magik May Be the New Wolverine but She Does It With a Style All Her Own
Magik first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1, unnamed and saved by her older brother Colossus. Like her brothers, she was a mutant and was targeted by Belasco, the Lord of Limbo, because of her mutant teleportational disks. She was tormented in Limbo, learning magic thanks to versions of Storm and Kitty Pryde in the infernal realm. She would lead a revolution and defeat Belasco, taking the power of Limbo and returning to Earth. However, time runs different in Limbo, so she was a teen and ended up joining the New Mutants.
Her time with the team saw her wrestling with the demonic Darkchylde side of herself. She became a fan-favorite but “Inferno” would see her help end a demonic Limbo invasion and being reverted to her actual age. She’d eventually die of the Legacy Virus in 1993 and stayed dead until the late ’00s Utopia Era New Mutants reboot, coming back as a villain. After her friends saved her, she ended up joining the X-Men, and the rest is history.
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When Wolverine left Utopia, it left a big hole in Cyclops’s X-Men and creators put Magik there. She was mouthy, she loved to fight, and she had a dark side. She was the team loner, even pushing away her brother Colossus, and one of team’s most clutch wild card. Her relationship with Cyclops was built up, with her staying by his side through Avengers vs. X-Men and the Revolution era of Uncanny X-Men until his death. She was made into a Captain on Krakoa, one of the nation’s war leaders, and finally became Cyclops’s second in command in X-Men (Vol. 7).
Magik is a Doctor Strange level magic user, making her one of the most potent mutants around. Illyana’s a master of tactics, thanks to her time in Limbo. She’s reached the “respectable” era of Wolverine, with Cyclops trusting her to lead teams and helping him plan their battles. She’s long been a character who was ready for the big time and making her the new Wolverine has been perfect. She’s even had successful solo series’. This is the version of the character that fans love in Marvel Rivals and putting her in Marvel Tokon is just the next step in her multimedia dominance. If Marvel keeps playing their cards right, they have their next superstar on their hands.
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