X-Men's First Battle With Ms. Marvel Proves She's Destined To Be A Mutant Legend



Warning - SPOILERS ahead for X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1

Since her Marvel Comics debut, Ms. Marvel – the newest member of the X-Men – has been a fan-favorite, and arguably one of the House of Ideas’ most popular characters of the last few decades. Having already made a name for herself as a hero in her own right, Kamala Khan is no stranger to team dynamics as a member of both the Champions and the Avengers. But her very first fight alongside her newly discovered compatriots in the X-Men makes the case that she’ll be one of the greatest mutant heroes of all time.

X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 by Gerry Duggan, Adam Kubert, Luciano Vecchio, Matteo Lolli, and many more is a monumental issue for more than a few reasons, but near the top of the list would be Ms. Marvel’s mutant debut and the danger that comes along with it. Having only just learned of her destiny as one of history’s greatest mutants from the time-displaced mutant chimera known as Rasputin IV, the young Champion immediately leaps into battle alongside the heroes of Krakoa when Orchis comes calling. Battling against Sentinels is essentially an X-Men rite of passage, and although the Krakoans certainly come out on the losing side in this cataclysmic conflict, it’s not for lack of trying on the part of Kamala Khan, who joins Rasputin IV in taking down an upgraded Stark Sentinel with relative ease.

Kamala Khan Will Be A Mutant Icon


Since her very inception, Kamala has juggled quite a few identities, with Rasputin herself referring to her hero Ms. Marvel as, “An Inhuman. A Muslim. A mutant. A human. A savior of all the tribes.” Save for her newly revealed mutantdom, each one of these identities has been a core part of her character arc and her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Understandably, there are fans who fear that Kamala’s new mutant label will add yet another burden of identity upon the character, pushing out some of the more relatable identity struggles that have endeared the character to so many fans since her first appearance – but this also gives Marvel the opportunity to make her the greatest X-Man of all.

It's clear that Ms. Marvel’s undeniably historic actions at the Gala are just a prelude for an unforgettable X-Men career that will go down in history, especially if creators remember to balance her mutant heroism alongside the significant cultural aspects that fans know and love. The X-Men’s status as mutants has almost always acted as a metaphor for the real-world "other," and Kamala’s built-in experience within marginalized communities presents the opportunity for her to become one of the most iconic X-Men, not just for her powers, but for the humanity for which the Merry Mutants are so beloved. After all, while her Ms. Marvel identity has never quite had to fight for her own survival in the way that the X-Men are so accustomed, Kamala knows just what it’s like to be targeted for one reason or another in a way that many of her fans find incredibly relatable.


Ms. Marvel Could Be The Greatest X-Man Of All


Trashing Sentinels on her first night with the X-Men has already given Ms. Marvel an idea of just what it’s like to be one of Marvel’s most Uncanny heroes. Now, it’s just a matter of time before she proves herself as one of the team's greatest heroes, both in continuity and to the fans themselves. But based on her actions in this issue, and the potential she represents, it’s no wonder that Ms. Marvel’s new status as a mutant and an X-Men hero will be the stuff of legend.


X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

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X-Men Have a Shocking Connection to MCU's Agatha Harkness


There are numerous X-Men, which can make it hard to keep up with the heroes and villains associated with them, though Agatha Harkness' MCU debut has skyrocketed her popularity. One of the heroic mutant team's major villains has an interesting relationship with the witch. While she got her start in comics, she is now best known for her appearance in the WandaVision Disney+ series.

Debuting in Fantastic Four #94 in 1970, Agatha is known for being one of the witches involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Since then, she has been a mentor to Wanda Maximoff and a guardian of Franklin Richards. However, considering a small detail in the X-Men miniseries, X-Men Hellfire Club, she may also be related to a very powerful mutant the hero team has faced repeatedly.

WandaVision's Standout Villainess Could Connect to a Classic X-Men Villain

X-Men: Hellfire Club #1 (1999) has the creative team of Ben Raab, Charlie Adlard, Kevin Somers, and Jon Babcock. The first issue in the four-issue miniseries reveals that an ancestor of Sebastian Shaw is a Sorcerer Supreme in hiding during the time of the Salem Witch Trials: Reverend Hiram Shaw. Rev. Shaw has a son, named Obadiah, who is involved with one of the girls accused of witchcraft - Abigail Harkness. While Agatha is not mentioned, the timeframe and uncommon name in the Marvel universe imply a very likely connection between the two - as do Abigail's powers.

Abigail Harkness is confirmed to be a witch when running away with Obadiah Shaw, shooting at their foes to ensure escape. However, she only appears in this issue. Marvel didn't bring her back to confirm whether she and Obadiah remained together or her clarify her connection to Agatha. Nonetheless, if Abigail and Obadiah stayed together and continued their bloodline together, Sebastian Shaw would have Agatha Harkness as an ancestor. This makes his bloodline - and potentially himself - even more powerful, since he'd be a descendant of a Sorcerer Supreme and the original witches of Salem. This family connection would confirm Sebastian's powers are immense, making him a stronger villain than fans may have initially believed.


Sebastian Shaw was seen in the film X-Men: First Class, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Fans have likely severely underestimated his abilities - particularly since his cinematic appearance was limited compared to Marvel Comics events. Given his connection to Agatha, this could be a great route to intertwine narratives between the X-Men and the current MCU. Since it is vague and undeveloped, this connection would be a perfect storyline to open the door for further possibilities in both mediums. Sebastian Shaw is a classic X-Men villain and while Agatha Harkness is new to the MCU, a shared bloodline opens up a venue to make both incredibly powerful and intriguing characters with deeper connections to each other.


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Ryan Reynolds Promises Deadpool 3 Updates On the Way


 Deadpool 3 is one of the highly-anticipated Marvel movies, but the threequel has no release date yet. The Ryan Reynolds-led film has been confirmed to be part of the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially now that the franchise has been absorbed by Marvel Studios. Despite not having a release timeline, there have been notable updates about Deadpool 3 in the past, and most of them coming from Reynolds himself. 

It was previously reported that Marvel Studios is tapping Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin to write the film. Reynolds was reportedly involved in the hiring process, indicating that he would have a heavy hand in the creative process of the third film.

The Deadpool star has been vocal about the threequel in interviews and on social media. Reynolds mentioned that as long as the people at Disney and Marvel are open to "doing some pretty wildly divergent or having some wildly divergent uses for the character," the actor is all in for what lies ahead. 

Reynolds also teased that more updates about the threequel will arrive "soon," indicating that more concrete information will make headlines. Now, another brief update from the Marvel star has been unveiled.

Ryan Reynolds on Deadpool 3 Progress


While promoting his upcoming Netflix movie entitled The Adam Project, Ryan Reynolds sat down with Collider to provide a promising update about Deadpool 3

The Marvel star promised that he would have a "batch of updates" for the threequel "down the road:"

“We pretty much talk about everything, but I’ll say this about that particular subject is I’ll have a batch of updates on that sooner rather than later, I hope. So I’ll be able to get into stuff about Deadpool a little bit more clearly and definitively down the road.”

 


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