The X-Men may Welcome a Powers of X Mutant
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The following article contains spoilers from Immoral X-Men #3, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
The dark timeline established by Mister Sinister has gone even further off the rails a thousand years later. However, amidst all the darkness, Immoral X-Men #3 (by Kieron Gillen, Alessandro Vitti, Rain Beredo, and VC’s Clayton Cowles) might have given fans a little bit of hope that something good will come of it. During the issue, Mister Sinister turned on his latest creation, Rasputin IV. But he suggested that once he returns to the true timeline, he will recreate her there.
This is significant, as Rasputin IV has appeared in other alternate futures before, but never made the jump into the main continuity. It would seem that appreciation for the character has convinced Mister Sinister that her value is too great to simply forget about. Even if this latest version doesn’t survive the restoration of the timeline, then another version of her could be introduced to the rest of the Marvel Universe. Given her history, Rasputin IV is destined to become a hero who will likely flourish in a fairer universe.
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The Origin of Rasputin IV
Rasputin IV technically debuted in Powers of X #1 (by Jonathan Hickman and R.B. Silva). She was born in an alternate doomed timeline seen by Moira MacTaggert but quickly established herself as extremely powerful due to being a chimera of five different genetic donors: Unus, Kid Omega, Shadowcat, Wolverine, and Colossus. As a result, she was a cut above most mutants and quickly became a fan favorite. This popularity saw her brought back in the new Sins of Sinister timeline, where she apparently got the opportunity to put her skills to better use during her nine-hundred-year voyage with Mister Sinister.
Unfortunately for her, it was revealed that the heartfelt remorse Mister Sinister expressed when he freed her from her mental conditioning was nothing more than a ruse he maintained for the last millennium. Disappointed, Rasputin IV turned on him, intending to kill him so that she could complete the mission she believed in and restore the timeline to its true state. This was easier said than done, as Mister Sinister took advantage of the few weaknesses she did have to leave her for dead, floating in space. As he left his companion of nine centuries behind though, he mused about what a waste it was, and contemplated recreating her when he returned to the true timeline.
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Rasputin IV Could Join the Main Timeline’s X-Men
Now, while the circumstances of this possible recreation wouldn’t be ideal, it’s likely that Rasputin IV would not remain under Mister Sinister’s control for long if he does make a new version of her. There are plenty of telepaths on Krakoa who could undo her conditioning, and as Rasputin IV has demonstrated over the course of her career, she is inherently a good person. She devoted herself to a centuries-long mission with nothing but hope for a better world.
As such, she would make a wonderful new addition to the X-Men, her incredible abilities aside. Rasputin IV is living proof that not all of Sinister’s machinations are evil. While her creator will likely be banished or imprisoned upon finally returning to the main timeline, Rasputin IV has the chance to be welcomed with open arms, by both the mutants and fans. Quite frankly, it is time she received such a welcome.