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Magik (Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina) (
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
: Ильяна Николаевна Распутина) is a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. Created by writer
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine (character), Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel sup ...
and artist
Dave Cockrum David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler (character), Nightcrawler, Storm (Marvel Comics), Storm, Colossus (character), Colos ...
, the character
first appeared In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first issue to feature a fictional character. These issues are often highly valued by collectors due to their rarity and iconic status. Reader interest in fir ...
in the ''
Giant-Size X-Men ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 is a special issue of the ''X-Men'' comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Chris Claremont contributed to the plot, having conceived the idea of P ...
'' #1 (May 1975). Illyana Rasputina is a member of a fictional species of humanity known as
mutants In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
, who are born with superhuman abilities, and has also possessed magical abilities as well, as a result of her interactions with the demonic supervillain Belasco. Illyana Rasputina is the younger sister of the
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
member
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue; colossal statues, are generally taken to mean a statue at least twice life-size ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ...
and X-Men enemy
Mikhail Rasputin Mikhail Nikolaievitch Rasputin is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the older brother of Colossus of the X-Men and Magik of the New Mutants and first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #285 (February 1992) ...
. She became a powerful sorceress due to her time imprisoned in (and later ruling)
Limbo The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
. Her mutant power, which first manifested in that Limbo, is the ability to teleport via stepping discs utilizing that dimension's magic. Following her escape from Limbo, she became part of the
New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
. She later joined the X-Men. In 2024, Marvel debuted an ongoing series starring Magik, written by Ashley Allen with art by Germán Peralta. The character has been featured in various Marvel-licensed products, including
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
,
animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...
television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
, and merchandise.
Anya Taylor-Joy Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...
portrayed Illyana Rasputina in the 2020 film ''
The New Mutants The New Mutants may refer to: *''New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teena ...
''.


Publication history

Illyana Rasputina debuted in ''
Giant-Size X-Men ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 is a special issue of the ''X-Men'' comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Chris Claremont contributed to the plot, having conceived the idea of P ...
'' #1 (May 1975), created by
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine (character), Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel sup ...
and
Dave Cockrum David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler (character), Nightcrawler, Storm (Marvel Comics), Storm, Colossus (character), Colos ...
. Her first name was not revealed until ''
The Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
'' #145 (May 1981). For the first eight years of the character's existence, she was an infrequently appearing background character known as Colossus' little sister. The means of changing this was set in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #160 (August 1982), in which she ages seven years while in a paranormal dimension called
Limbo The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
, becomes a
sorceress A sorceress is a female practitioner of sorcery (disambiguation), sorcery. Other uses include: Film * Sorceress (1982 film), ''Sorceress'' (1982 film), a fantasy film directed by Jack Hill * Sorceress (1987 film), ''Sorceress'' (1987 film) releas ...
, and develops the
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
ability to create "
teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction and fantasy literature. Teleportation is often paired with tim ...
discs." These changes were not immediately explored or explained, and for the next year she remained essentially a background character. In December 1983, the
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
''
Magik (Illyana and Storm) ''Magik'' was a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1983–1984, starring the fictional characters Magik and Storm. The series title is consistently displayed on the covers as ''Storm and Illyana: Magik'', but ...
'' was launched, chronicling Illyana's years in Limbo, which is also her origin story. ''Magik'' #1 (December 1983) is her first cover appearance as young Illyana, her second full appearance and the first time she get the name Magik. ''Magik'' #2 (Jan. 1984) is her first cover appearance as adult Magik. Immediately following the end of the series, she was added to the cast of the
New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
,''The New Mutants'' #14 (April 1984) appearing regularly in that comic from ''The New Mutants'' #14 (April 1984), the first cover appearance of adult Magik in costume, to ''The New Mutants'' #77 (July 1989), in which she returns to her family in Russia after having reverted to childhood. As the younger sister of Colossus and a member of the New Mutants, she also sporadically appeared as a guest star in ''Uncanny X-Men''. In ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #303 (1993), she dies of the
Legacy Virus The Legacy Virus is a fictional plague appearing in American comic books featuring the X-Men published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in an eponymous storyline in Marvel Comics titles, from 1993 to 2001, during which it swept through the mut ...
. Other than flashbacks and alternate realities, she was absent from regular publication for most of the 1990s, though she does appear as a time-traveler in ''The New Mutants: Truth or Death'' #1-3 (1997). After being resurrected by Belasco, she returned to regular publication in 2007, in ''New X-Men'' #38-41 (2007), ''X-Infernus'' #1-4 (2009), ''X-Men: Hellbound'' #1-3 (2010) and ''New Mutants'' vol. 3 #1-29 (2009-2011). As a member of Cyclops' Extinction Team, she appears in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' vol. 2 #1-20 (2012), ''
Avengers vs. X-Men ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoe ...
'' #1-12 (2012), ''AVX: Versus'' #3 (2012), and ''AVX: Consequences'' #1-5 (2012). She appears in ''
All-New X-Men ''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
'', ''The Uncanny X-Men'' vol. 3, ''
Extraordinary X-Men ''Extraordinary X-Men'' is a comic series from Marvel Comics and the flagship X-Men title under the All-New, All-Different Marvel re-branding. The story takes place following the conclusion of the Secret Wars crossover event. In this comic serie ...
'', and ''The
New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
: Dead Souls'' (2018), as a regular character. She appears in ''Strange Academy'' #1 (2020) as a teacher in Dr. Strange's Sorcerer School.


Fictional character biography

Illyana Rasputina was born in the Ust-Ordynski
Collective farm Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member-o ...
, near
Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia, Russia between the Federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblasts of Russia, Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
,
Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
,
Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
,
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
to Nikolai Rasputin and his wife Alexandra Rasputina. The 2006 comic mini-series ''Colossus: Bloodline'' established that the family was descended from
Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( – ) was a Russian Mysticism, mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II of Russia, Nicholas II, the last Emperor of all the Russias, Emperor of Russia, th ...
and a
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnic groups * Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin ** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities ** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom * Romanians (Romanian ...
woman named Elena. Illyana's two older brothers,
Mikhail Rasputin Mikhail Nikolaievitch Rasputin is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the older brother of Colossus of the X-Men and Magik of the New Mutants and first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #285 (February 1992) ...
and
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue; colossal statues, are generally taken to mean a statue at least twice life-size ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ...
(Piotr Rasputin) are also
mutants In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
. Colossus' superhuman powers manifest while saving Illyana from a runaway tractor. At six years old, Illyana is abducted and brought to the United States by
Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...
, who uses her and several other hostages to coerce the X-Men into opposing
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
. She is rescued and brought back to the X-Mansion. Shortly thereafter, Illyana is called to the
Limbo The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
dimension by Belasco, who seeks to bring forth the Elder Gods to rule Earth.Claremont, Chris (w). ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #160. Marvel Comics. She is raised there, frequently bullied and tormented by Belasco's underling
S'ym S'Byll S'Byll (sometimes spelled S'byll) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. S'Byll is a Skrull that was raised on the planet Satriani. She was responsible for curing Super-Skrull of his disease. Si ...
. To free himself, Belasco needs to fill the Beatrix Medallion with five bloodstones. The bloodstones are created by corrupting Illyana's soul, with a new stone appearing as her corruption deepens. She is rescued and tutored in the practice of
white magic White magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for selfless purposes. Practitioners of white magic have been given titles such as wise men or women, healers, white witches or wizards. Many of these people ...
by that dimension's version of
Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
(who turned to magic when her mutant powers waned). Finding the use of magic abhorrent, Limbo's version of
Shadowcat Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was co-created by writ ...
, known as Cat, kidnaps and trains Illyana in hand to hand and sword combat. Cat, along with Illyana, storms Belasco's citadel. They are overwhelmed by Belasco, who further transforms Cat into a feline demonic creature.''Magik'' #2. Marvel Comics. With Illyana back under his control, Belasco instructs her in the art of black magic in the hopes that it will further corrupt her soul. However, Illyana plots Belasco's defeat and continues to resist the dark influence on her soul. Illyana forms a mystical bond between both Storm and Cat, who were also tutored by Belasco. Belasco succeeds in creating three parts of Illyana's bloodstone pendant. Illyana creates the Soulsword and takes over Limbo as its new ruler. While wielding the Soulsword she manifests horns, a tail and fangs. She banishes Belasco from Limbo and claims S'ym as her servant.''Magik'' #4. Marvel Comics. She then returns to Earth a decade older, although no time has passed on Earth since her kidnapping. She subsequently joins the
New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
. Magik misguides one of her teleportation discs through the space-time continuum and strands herself and
Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', mean ...
in ancient Egypt. There, Illyana meets Storm's ancestor Ashake, an Egyptian priestess. Together, they defeat an evil sorcerer, Heka-Nut, who sought an ancient mystical sword called the Sword of Bone using Magik's Soulsword. Ashake helps Illyana and Mirage return to the present, with Mirage's memory of the incident erased in the process.''Mystic Arcanna'' #1. Marvel Comics. A strange armor begins to appear on her body each time she wields the Soulsword. The armor appears only on one of her shoulders and arms at first, but appears on more of her body each time that she wields the sword. Illyana's skill as a sorceress grows, and she battles other beings with mystical powers such as
Baba Yaga Baba Yaga is a female character (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) from Slavic folklore who has two contrasting roles. In some narratives, she is described as a repulsive or ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, ...
, the Enchantress,''The New Mutants Special Edition'' #1. Marvel Comics.
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...
,''The New Mutants'' #66. Marvel Comics.
Spiral In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving further away as it revolves around the point. It is a subtype of whorled patterns, a broad group that also includes concentric objects. Two-dimensional A two-dimension ...
, and Heka-Nut. A routine trip through Limbo goes awry, leaving the New Mutants stuck in Limbo. To open an escape route for her teammates, Illyana embraces her demonic nature and opens a colossal teleportation disc between Earth and Limbo, which
N'astirh Nanny N'astirh N'astirh is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created as a demonic inhabitant of Otherplace. N'astirh first appeared in ''X-Factor'' #32 and was created by Loui ...
holds open, triggering an invasion of Earth by demons from Limbo. Ashamed of herself, she flees into Limbo, and decides to end the demonic invasion by assuming rule of Limbo. However, her teammate Rahne Sinclair persuades her against this, and she instead gives up her demonic powers by creating a massive stepping disc that banishes the demons back to Limbo, then throws her Soulsword in after them to seal the portal shut. Afterwards, the New Mutants find a seven-year-old Illyana inside the husk of her eldritch armor. She still possesses the bloodstone locket.''The New Mutants'' #73. Marvel Comics. Because of its mystic bond with Shadowcat, the Soulsword passes on to Earth's Shadowcat in England. It embeds itself in a stone near
Excalibur Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
's lighthouse headquarters, waiting for Shadowcat to claim it and become its new wielder. After a conflict with the necromancer Gravemoss, the Soulsword is acquired by
Amanda Sefton Amanda Sefton (real name Jimaine Szardos) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in ''X-Men'' #98 (April 1976). The charact ...
, who becomes the second Magik. Illyana returns to Russia where she lives with her parents for some months until they are murdered by the Russian government to secure Illyana's abilities to defeat a psionic being known as the Soul Skinner. Illyana then returns to the
X-Mansion X-Mansion and Xavier Institute are the common names for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier and serves as the ba ...
to live with her brother and the other X-Men. Not long afterwards, Illyana contracts the
Legacy Virus The Legacy Virus is a fictional plague appearing in American comic books featuring the X-Men published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in an eponymous storyline in Marvel Comics titles, from 1993 to 2001, during which it swept through the mut ...
, and dies in the X-Mansion, despite all efforts to save her made by
Charles Xavier Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
and
Moira MacTaggert Dr. Moira MacTaggert, more recently known as Moira X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #96 (Dec. 1975) and was created by writer Chris Claremont and ...
. Illyana's spirit returns to Colossus, who had recently returned to the United States with Shadowcat and Nightcrawler following the disbanding of Excalibur.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #365. Marvel Comics. When investigating odd occurrences inside the Mansion, Colossus locates one of the stepping disks that Illyana had magically bound to the school. He is transported to a pocket world, which holds a memory imprint of Illyana. Illyana's memory convinces him to make one final sacrifice. When the cure for the Legacy Virus turned out to need the death of one mutant, he secretly gave his life so nobody else would have to die like Illyana did. Colossus is later resurrected by an alien race. Belasco eventually deposes Amanda Sefton and, after seeing Illyana reappear during "
House of M "House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic book limited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first i ...
" and realizing he carries a torch for her, creates a powerful spell to return her to him. The spell pulls forth the remaining essence of Illyana still held within Limbo's dimension, taking shape as Darkchilde, the semi-demonic version of Illyana corrupted and transformed by dark magic. Belasco is not satisfied with his creation, claiming that it is not the true Illyana (due to her lack of Illyana's soul) and banishes her to the outer parts of Limbo.''New X-Men'' vol. 2 #41. Marvel Comics. Illyana, now with her Darkchilde persona, discovers some of the teenage New X-Men being attacked by a horde of demons. After aiding the mutants against the demons, she uses a spell to immobilize them and steal a portion of
Pixie A pixie (also called pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, piskie, or pigsie in parts of Cornwall and Devon) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are speculated to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas around Devon and Cor ...
's soul, in the hopes of creating both a bloodstone and a new Soulsword, as Illyana felt Pixie had the most innocent of souls present.
Anole Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles (singular anole ) and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat ...
breaks free from Illyana's confinement and dispatches her. Pixie's soul extraction is partially successful however, creating one part of a bloodstone pendant and a soul dagger. Illyana attempts to complete the process and destroy those who wished to interfere, but
Rockslide A rockslide is a type of landslide caused by rock failure in which part of the bedding plane of failure passes through compacted rock and material collapses ''en masse'' and not in individual blocks. Note that a rockslide is similar to an ava ...
thwarts her, and causes Illyana's human memories of her friends and life among the X-Men to return to her. Although only a part of Pixie's soul was taken, Pixie is now capable of performing magic, the hole in her soul having been filled with
black magic Black magic (Middle English: ''nigromancy''), sometimes dark magic, traditionally refers to the use of Magic (paranormal), magic or supernatural powers for evil and selfish purposes. The links and interaction between black magic and religi ...
. Since Belasco had sealed his castle from her own magic and powers, Illyana teaches Pixie a
teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction and fantasy literature. Teleportation is often paired with tim ...
spell, with which the New X-Men attack and defeat Belasco. Illyana succumbs to her Darkchilde persona and announces her desire to create several more bloodstones to become god-like in power. She is interrupted by the arrival of Colossus, investigating Illyana's apparent return to life. A pained Illyana rejects her brother's offers of help, and sends everyone back to Earth, before reclaiming Limbo's throne and informing S'ym and N'astirh, now once more her servants, that her next move is to reclaim her soul. Motivated by her friendship with Shadowcat and love for Colossus, Illyana tries to reclaim her soul through love and teleports to the Xavier Institute, only to find it destroyed and abandoned. While in Limbo, Illyana attacks various demons in her search for the Bloodstone amulet. Her activities are noticed by
Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a Germa ...
,
Blackheart Blackheart is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an adversary to the superhero Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch), Ghost Rider. Created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist ...
,
Satannish Satannish is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Satannish first appeared in ''Doctor Strange'' #174 and was created by writer Roy Thomas artist and Gene Colan. Fictional char ...
,
Dormammu Dormammu () is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (November 1964). He is the extra and inter-dimensional demonic e ...
, and
Hela HeLa () is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest human cell line and one of the most commonly used. HeLa cells are durable and prolific, allowing for extensive applications in scientific study. The line is ...
. Belasco's daughter, Witchfire appears during the meeting and reveals she is the current owner of Illyana's Bloodstone amulet and vows to take her father's place as ruler of Limbo. Back at the X-Men's base in San Francisco, Pixie accidentally discovers Magik's Soulsword is hidden inside Nightcrawler. Sensing its presence, Illyana teleports in and reclaims her sword, transforming from the Darkchilde into her Magik persona. She strikes Colossus when he enters the Danger Room and calls out to her, realizing that something is wrong when she does not feel any emotions, and returns to Limbo. Witchfire has conquered Limbo and Magik's armies during her absence.''X-Infernus'' #2. Marvel Comics. Claiming everything that Belasco ever owned, Witchfire captures Magik, takes her bloodstone and adds it to the amulet. The X-Men arrive at the castle; Nightcrawler finds Illyana chained to a pillar. At her direction, he stabs her with Pixie's soul dagger, re-releasing the Soulsword inside of her. Witchfire completes the set of Bloodstones via another portion of Pixie's soul and releases the Elder Gods. Illyana and the other mutants hold back Witchfire and the Elder Gods. Using a combination of magic and the powers of the Soulsword and Souldagger, Illyana and Pixie remove one of Pixie's bloodstones. The Elder Gods are swept back to their dimension, along with Witchfire and the remaining bloodstones. Pixie's Souldagger merges with the bloodstone that was pried loose by Illyana. Saddened by the loss of her and Pixie's remaining bloodstones, Illyana teleports the mutants back to the X-Base, and they convince her to stay with them.''X-Infernus'' #4. Marvel Comics. However, the younger mutants are still very distrustful of her. Illyana seems to have undergone a personality change since her return from the future, becoming more detached emotionally in most cases, possibly due to the further loss of most of her soul. Later, Cyclops sends Illyana to team up (unknowingly) with X-Force to locate Wolverine and teleport them to Alcatraz to rescue any mutants taken prisoner by Norman Osborn's forces. Along with Pixie, they teleport all the X-Men from San Francisco to their new home, Utopia. When
Hope Summers Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1979) was an American actress known for her work on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', portraying Clara Edwards. Early life Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Illinois, the daugh ...
and
Cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
return to the present during the 2010 " X-Men: Second Coming" storyline,
Bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
begins eliminating all mutant teleporters to trap the mutant population on Utopia. While trying to bring Hope and Cable to Utopia, Illyana is fired upon by one of the Purifiers with a supernatural weapon that opens a portal to Limbo that she cannot control; she is drawn into the portal by a cluster of demonic tentacles. She is eventually freed from her restraints by Pixie, and Illyana and her rescue team return to Earth. In a reversal of fortune, Pixie is kidnapped by Project Purgatory, and Magik returns to Limbo with the New Mutants to rescue her. While in Limbo, the New Mutants encounter the Inferno Babies - mutants who were taken as infants by the government and raised and trained in Limbo. This now-adult team attacks and overwhelms the New Mutants. While the rest of the team is captured, Magik escapes to Earth with
Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
and Pixie. After hiding the Soulsword inside Karma, Magik teleports the rest of the X-Men to Portal Epsilon, Project Purgatory's gateway to Limbo, for what the X-Men believe to be a rescue mission. They arrive just as Limbo's Elder Gods breach the gateway to Earth. Karma releases
Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Aviazione Legionaria, Italian air force during the Spanish Civil War * A legion is the regional unit of the Italian carabinieri * Spanish Legion, ...
's mind with the Soulsword, freeing him to use his powers to destroy the Elder Gods and return the bloodstones belonging to Magik and Pixie, thus restoring their souls. Confronted by Cyclops afterward, Magik admits to putting the world in danger and manipulating the X-Men for the sake of a personal vendetta against the Elder Gods. Cyclops decides that she must be restrained. While she remains unrepentant, she accepts his decision. Magik is placed in the X-Brig 2, a newly constructed, ultra-high security prison 500 ft. below sea level. She is controlled by devices that detect and prevent the use of teleportation and magic. During a visit Magik accepts the blame for her incarceration when Colossus tries to comfort her. Magik is temporarily released by Colossus and Kitty to get her help in defeating
Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originates in the mid-nineteenth century. ''Juggernaut'' is the early rendering in English ...
. Following the events of
Schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
, Magik is selected to be a member of Cyclops' "Extinction Team." Despite this status, she remains a prisoner. She is only released from the X-Brig for missions, and while in the field, her suit contains lethal fail-safes that prevent her escape. In ''
Avengers vs. X-Men ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoe ...
'', Illyana is chosen as one of the "Phoenix Five", a group of X-Men granted additional powers by the
Phoenix Force The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
. After Ms. Marvel is defeated by
Rogue A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior or strikes out on an independent and possibly destructive path. Rogue, rogues, or going rogue may also refer to: Companies * Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon * ...
, Magik appears and gags the Avenger before teleporting her into Limbo, trapping her and terrifying Rogue. Following the defeat of Cyclops, Magik and the other former members of the Phoenix Five are reported to have fled. Magik joins Cyclops' team of X-Men at the New Xavier School at the old Weapon X facility. The Phoenix apparently has damaged Magik's powers, like it apparently did to the other five; Illyana initially thinks her ability to channel increased energies from Limbo is a power upgrade, but Dormammu pulls her into Limbo, and demonstrates that her newfound ability to effortlessly summon Limbo energies is destroying Limbo. Dormammu later pulls the entire Uncanny team into Limbo, intending to kill them in front of Magik before he kills her. They fight back and Illyana absorbs all of Limbo's mystic energy, causing it and its creatures to disappear. She sends the X-Men back to Earth, and travels back through time to become the protégé of a past version of
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
, explaining that she needs a greater understanding of magic, so as to better control her mutant powers. It is eventually discovered that Magik along with Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magneto and Colossus were actually infected with nano-sentinels by Dark Beast, after the incident with the Phoenix Force, and that was the real cause for their broken powers or sudden upgrade. She has since regained total control over her powers and was able to recreate Limbo. She later helps Doctor Strange defeat the Empirikul, a science cult focused on destroying magic in every dimension. Magik is employed by Karma to lead a new New Mutants team along with Wolfsbane,
Rictor Rictor (Julio Esteban "Ric" Richter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily in the ''X-Men'' family of books. The character was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first ...
,
Strong Guy Strong Guy (Guido Carosella) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz and first appeared in ''The New Mutants'' #29 (July 1985). Publication hist ...
,
Prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and m ...
, and Boom-Boom. When an eco-terrorist group attempted to use the
Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ' ...
as a weapon against humanity, the part of Ted Sallis within the creature attempted to stop the threat by summoning the demon lord Belasco, who he had previously made a deal with to gain the insight necessary to crack the super-soldier serum. Instead, this ritual summoned Illyana, who offered to release Sallis from the Man-Thing with the warning that this would leave Man-Thing a creature of instinct who could endanger the world. Sallis accepted that he had to remain in Man-Thing, but Illyana not only helped stop the group that had unleashed Man-Thing as a weapon, but later summoned Belasco so that Sallis could punish the demon for his role in Sallis's fall.


Dawn of X

After the formation of the mutant sovereign state of
Krakoa Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in '' Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. While often depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa later fe ...
, Magik is granted the rank of Captain in the Quiet Council. She joins Sunspot and the other New Mutants in travelling to Shi'ar space, aboard the Starjammers vessel, to locate Sunspot's best friend Cannonball. Magik and the rest of the New Mutants are arrested once the Starjammers arrive at a space station to rob a highly valued object, having been believed to be behind the attempted thievery. The New Mutants are quickly bailed out by Cannonball's wife, Smasher, under the order that they are to protect
Deathbird Deathbird (Cal'syee Neramani) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Keith Pollard, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Ms. Marvel'' #9 (September 1977). Cal'sye ...
in transit to the Shi'ar homeworld to instruct her niece in the way of rule. The team was attacked by the Death Commandos who Oracle had ordered to keep Xandra of the throne, Magik excitedly defeated several of them all knowing she wasn't human and therefore wasn't in violation of Krakoa's laws. With Deathbird's help they defeated them all and took control of their ship. Once they arrived on Chandilar they ambushed Oracle for trying to have them killed leading to a fight between the New Mutants and the Imperial Guard. Xandra put a stop to the fight by announcing that Oracle and Deathbird will both be her mentors and the New Mutants left back to Krakoa. Sunspot staying behind to spend more time with Cannonball. After this she went on many more missions with the New Mutants to bring more Mutants to Krakoa, and developed a fondness for teaching and mentoring, training the islands youth at the Akadamos Habitat, teaching Magic at Strange Academy, and forming her own version of the Dark Riders.


"X of Swords"

In the 2020 "
X of Swords "X of Swords" (pronounced "Ten of Swords") is a comic book crossover story arc set during the larger " Krakoan Age" storyline, which debuted in September 2020, published by Marvel Comics. It was part of Marvel's "Dawn of X" relaunch of its ''X-M ...
" storyline, Magik is one of nine Krakoan Mutants chosen by
Saturnyne Opal Luna Saturnyne is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Dave Thorpe and Alan Davis for their ''Captain Britain'' stories. Formerly the servant of Roma, she is currently the O ...
to fight against Krakoa's sister island
Arakko A-Bomb Abomination Absorbing Man Abraxas Abyss Abyss is the name of two characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Nils Styger Abyss is a mutant and the half-brother of Nightcrawler. He was cr ...
in a tournament in
Otherworld In historical Indo-European religion, the concept of an otherworld, also known as an otherside, is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other world/side"), a term used by Lucan in his desc ...
. She prepares by training Cypher in swordfighting. In the tournament she is twice pitted against Pogg-Ur-Pogg. The first time is an arm wrestling match in which he easily beats her due to his Hulking strength. In their second fight, she outsmarts him by realizing "Pogg" means "sword" in Arakkii, and allowing him to swallow her so that she can pull the actual Pogg-Ur-Pogg, a tiny Goblin, out of his armor.


The Labors of Magik

Magik decides she does not want to balance her teaching jobs and being a captain of Krakoa while also being queen of Limbo. Wanting to transcend her traumatic past, she decides to distance herself from Limbo. Needing a new ruler for the demonic dimension, Magik (over the objections of her fellow New Mutants) offers the role to
Madelyne Pryor Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, the character first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #168 (April 19 ...
based on her past connection to Limbo. And because, like Magik, she too has survived painfully traumatic experiences and is still a damaged soul. Illyana declares anyone normal and "untouched by darkness" to be ill-suited to rule Limbo. Due to their objections, Illyana offered to take Rahne and Dani with her to witness the handover of power. However, they were invaded by an army of demons led by S'ym, who wanted to take Limbo for himself and had his own weapon which was able to disarm Magik's soulsword. The four women were forced to flee back to Krakoa but Magik's portal failed and they found themselves stranded in a different part of Limbo. Magik found she could not teleport out of Limbo or summon her Soulsword and concluded S'ym must have destroyed it. Due to Limbo's temporal nature, they discovered an older version of herself living in a castle and using Warlock in place of her Soulsword. She revealed to them that she had been trapped in Limbo for many years fighting Technarchy-infected Demons and she and Warlock were the last two Mutants alive. She got a message from the demons offering her safe passage home for herself and her friends on the condition that she leaves her weaker older self. The two Magik's laugh in the demons face. The next day, the whole horde of demons comes in giving the younger Illyana one more chance to accept their offer. Instead, the older Illyana made her own offer - a one on one, winner takes all fight with their leader S'ym. To everyone's shock he agrees. He seems to get the upper hand but immediately after he stabs her, she reveals she is bonded to Warlock and used the stab to remove the techno-organic virus from S'ym and his allies. After watching her defeat S'ym once and for all, the team went further into Limbo, finding themselves in a fairytale world based on
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...
. They were ambushed by guards of the Red King (Belasco) and Magik was separated from the rest of the group. She was woken up by her younger self who was still Belasco's apprentice. She told her where her friends were being held and performed a spell to summon someone who could help, bringing Colossus to them from Krakoa, much to the older Illyana's dismay. Arriving at the Red King's castle where the others were being held, Magik took great pleasure in defeating a weaker version of Belasco. In turn, this inspired the younger Illyana to undo her spell, turning the fairytale world back into Belasco's castle. Illyana said goodbye to her younger self who was happy to know she would eventually become strong enough to escape and once again the group set forth further into Limbo. After months of waiting in a cave where she continued training Madelyne, the group stages an assault on the castle hoping to take Limbo back from S'ym. While initially successful, once they get inside the wall they realize S'ym is being helped by another version of Magik created by Limbo because the original spent to much time on Earth and neglected her duties. Magik allows her doppelganger to think she has the upper hand so Madelyne can defeat her while she is distracted. This causes the two to merge together making Illyana once again powerful enough to send them home. Madelyne to finally becoming the new Queen of Limbo.


Blood Hunt

During the " Blood Hunt" storyline, Magik saves a Siberian village from a group of vampires led by a vampire version of
Ilya Muromets Ilya Muromets or Murometz, also known as Ilya of Murom, is a ''bogatyr'' (hero) in a type of Russian oral literature , oral epic poem called ''bylina'' set during the time of the Kievan Rus'. He is often featured alongside fellow bogatyrs Dobry ...
.


Name

Due to East Slavic naming customs, the surname "Rasputin" becomes "Rasputina" for a woman. The comics have gone back and forth with the spelling, much like with Natasha Romanoff / Romanova, but, as of 2025, her solo book uses the "Rasputina."


Powers and abilities


Teleportation

Illyana Rasputina possesses the
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
ability to teleport herself and others through time and space from one location to another. She initially did this by summoning what she calls "stepping discs," which were part of a dimension known as
Limbo The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
. When she calls for a stepping disc she has to use Limbo as a midway point before she can teleport to an alternate location. Rasputina has succeeded in teleporting herself across continents, from one continent to another, and even interplanetary and intergalactic distances on occasion. Unlike most teleporters in the Marvel Universe, she can teleport through time as well as space. She has teleported moments, days or centuries into the past or future. After Rasputina absorbed all of Limbo, the stepping discs ceased to exist; now when she teleports, hellish images of ghosts, dragons, or other supernatural creatures appear.


Sorcery

Illyana Rasputina is the
sorceress A sorceress is a female practitioner of sorcery (disambiguation), sorcery. Other uses include: Film * Sorceress (1982 film), ''Sorceress'' (1982 film), a fantasy film directed by Jack Hill * Sorceress (1987 film), ''Sorceress'' (1987 film) releas ...
supreme of her Limbo dimension. In Limbo, she is able to cast any magic spell that Belasco could, having had access to his store of sorcerous knowledge. Her sorcery is a unique mix of black magic and white magic. Belasco taught her Black magic, while she learned white magic from Ororo Munroe. On Earth, Rasputina demonstrates
astral projection In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...
, sensing mystical presences,
scrying Scrying, also referred to as "seeing" or "peeping," is a practice rooted in divination and fortune-telling. It involves gazing into a medium, hoping to receive significant messages or visions that could offer personal guidance, prophecy, revel ...
, and casting very simple spells. She uses magic of a seemingly greater strength than she could previously use in Earth's dimension. Since absorbing Limbo and becoming Doctor Strange's disciple, her magic on Earth has been considerably stronger, such as when she used spells she learned from Doctor Strange to destroy advanced Sentinels. The more Rasputina uses her magical power, the more mystical armor appears on her body, in addition to demonic features such as horns and hooves. The armor deflects or limits attacks, both physical and magical. Her armor also provides protection from the
Transmode Virus A techno-organic virus (T-O virus) is a fictional virus appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. In the comics, the T-O virus transforms organic material into techno-organic material, which resembles both machinery and living ...
. The armor also provides Rasputina with superhuman strength, which she displayed by being able to toss the giant demon S'ym off of her several feet. Rasputina created the Soulsword during her imprisonment in Limbo. She magically caused her own life force energy to manifest before her. Once this happened she cast her hand into a pool of eldritch energy and imagined a weapon in her mind. When she withdrew her hand she was holding the Soulsword, created from her own soul. A simple looking blade upon its origin, it develops intricate designs and forms upon itself the more Illyana uses it, becoming more powerful with each use.''The New Mutants'' #50. Marvel Comics. Her Soulsword disrupts magical energies, constructs, and creatures. It also augments the power level of any magic user who holds it. The Soulsword generally has no physical effect, but disrupts even the most powerful magic as it passes through. Since Rasputina's resurrection, the Soulsword seems to affect psychic beings like Legion's personalities,''New Mutants'' vol. 4 #3. Marvel Comics. whereas in the past the sword only affected magical creatures and spells. The only exception to this has been
Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
, who can still be cut by the Soulsword even when Pryde is using her phasing power to become intangible. Rasputina can make her Soulsword appear and vanish at will. After ''
Avengers vs. X-Men ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoe ...
'', she has used her Soulsword against physical beings, including a Sentinel.


Other abilities

Furthermore, Illyana Rasputina displays formidable psionic shields, which block anyone from reading her mind, even such powerful
telepath Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
s as
Professor X Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
, the
Shadow King The Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily as an enemy of the X-Men. His nemesis is the X-Men's leader, Professor X, while he also figures into the backstory of the X-M ...
, and
Rachel Summers Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-plotter John Byrne (comics), John Byrne. In her first appearance, the cha ...
.''The Uncanny X-Men'' Annual #9 (1985). Marvel Comics. Since her revival, Rasputina is able to lower her psionic shields. Due to Belasco creating the magical bloodstones with their souls, Rasputina has a psychic bond with X-Man
Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
. Because of this, a similar connection could be considered between Rasputina and
Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
.


Reception


Critical response

Alex Schlesinger of ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
'' said that Illyana Rasputina has "not only seen a meteoric rise to fame over the past decade, but also has the best long-term character arc of any hero in Marvel Comics," writing, "Magik's story powerfully shows that trauma is not necessary for growth or empowerment, but one can also not undo the trauma of their past. Instead, the path forward is to reconcile your past with your present and gain strength from the freedom you have desperately fought for. Magik's story of heroic redemption, escape from abuse, and acceptance of one's identity has given this X-Men fan-favorite the best character arc in Marvel Comics." Deirdre Kaye of ''
Scary Mommy Scary Mommy is a website that produces content targeting mothers, specifically focusing on parenting, motherhood, current events, and pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a ...
'' called Illyana Rasputina a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character. Sara Century of '' Syfy'' referred to Illyana Rasputina as one of the X-Men's most "surprisingly popular characters," saying that Rasputina is a "brave, dynamic character whose hope was crushed out of her by a much older man when she was only a child. The trauma she underwent is extreme, even by X-Men standards. Though she finds her ability to hope has been crushed, Illyana's saving grace is that she does everything in her power to keep her friends safe from harm. No longer trusting herself, she surrounds herself with good people and puts her faith in them, instead. For anyone who has been made to feel like a lesser person for the abuse they've undergone, Illyana is a surprisingly poignant character. Her continuous struggle against her evil impulses might not always work out to everyone's advantage, but the fact that she continues to try even when all hope seems to be lost is still inspirational." David Harth of ''
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
'' stated, "She looks great, with her anime-inspired costume and giant swords making her a memorable visual. The magic side of Marvel is pretty much just her, Doctor Strange, and Scarlet Witch, and she's a more fun character than either of them. Magik has got it all: she's powerful, entertaining, looks cool, and can handle herself in battles against supervillains, demons, and dark gods."


Popularity and impact

Kofi Outlaw of ''
ComicBook.com ''ComicBook.com'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of comic books, television, films, video games, and anime. The site came online in 1996 serving as a holding page for sales links and press releases related to comic b ...
'' stated, "The character has been gaining more and more mainstream appeal in recent years – and even though the ''
New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
'' movie adaptation became an infamous quamire, the meteoric rise of actress
Anya Taylor-Joy Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...
(who played Magik in the film) has helped make the character famous on a mainstream stage." Drew Swanson of ''
Game Rant Valnet, Inc. is a Canadian media company established in August 2012 by Hassan and Sam Youssef in Montreal, Quebec. It operates primarily in the entertainment media industry, where it has sought to acquire producers of content in this space. In ...
'' asserted that the tragic backstory of Illyana Rasputina in ''
Marvel's Midnight Suns ''Marvel's Midnight Suns'' is a 2022 tactical role-playing game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The game features comic book characters from multiple Marvel Comics properties, such as Midnight Sons, Avengers, X-Men, and Runaway ...
'' turned her into a "standout character" who would become a "fan-favorite addition" to
Insomniac Games Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Burbank, California, and part of PlayStation Studios. It was founded in 1994 by Ted Price as Xtreme Software, and was renamed Insomniac Games a year later. The company is most ...
' ''X-Men'' games. Multiple fans have
cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...
ed Illyana Rasputina through time. In 2022, American influencer Olivia Pierson cosplayed as Illyana Rasputina for Halloween alongside
Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
as Mystique and Natalie Halcro as
Selene In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Selene (; , meaning "Moon")''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη is the goddess and personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene (), she is traditionally the daughter ...
.


Literary reception


Volumes


''X-Men: Return of Magik'' - 2008

According to Marvel Comics, ''X-Men: Return of Magik'' #1 sold out in September 2008. According to
Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...
, ''X-Men: Return of Magik'' #1 was the 128th best selling comic book in September 2008.


''What If? Magik'' - 2018

According to
Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...
, ''What If Magik'' #1 was the 115th best selling comic book in October 2018. Matt Lune of ''
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
'' asserted, "Sometimes there are issues of ''What If'' that are so outrageous, they'd never be possible in the regular canon. Other stories, however, take already established plotlines and give them a little tweak, then show us the Butterfly Effect that this small change causes. ''What If Magik'' #1 definitely falls into the latter category, giving us a look at the life of Illyana Rasputina had she walked away from the New Mutants at a pivotal moment. ..There's so much to enjoy in this issue that it's a shame that it's out of continuity. Williams does an excellent job of using the somewhat reluctant pairing to enrich and deepen both central characters in a way that seems almost wasted in this one-off issue. If it weren't for the fact that this early time in Magik's life was already fully explored by Claremont, this would make a perfect retcon flashback that could set up a future relationship between Illyana and Strange. As it stands, this is an effective examination of the two characters in a way that manages to find new things to say about both of them." Jamie Lovett of ''
ComicBook.com ''ComicBook.com'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of comic books, television, films, video games, and anime. The site came online in 1996 serving as a holding page for sales links and press releases related to comic b ...
'' gave ''What If? Magik'' #1 a grade of 5 out of 5, saying, "''What If? Magik'' packs a novel's worth of story into a single comic book. Leah Williams and Felipe Andrade use Magik's history to tell a story of trauma, abusive relationships, and the road to recovery and reclamation and it is exquisitely told. Williams knows exactly when to zoom into a moment with personal dialogue and when to zoom out to let the narration carry the reader. Andrade does a great job of building his layouts around the dialogue and narration. Both Williams writing and Andrade's artwork present strong characterizations of Magik and Doctor Strange. There are two small quibbles, however. Andrade's expressive faces sometimes verge on the cartoonish, which is at odds with the tone of the story. The issue also begs for one last splash page to really drive home just how far Illyanna has come by the end. Regardless, this is an expertly crafted single-issue tale." Alan Kistler of ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' included ''What If Magik'' #1 in their "The greatest What If...? stories in Marvel history" list.


Other characters named Magik

There have been other characters who have called themselves Magik: * Margali Szardos once took up the name of Magik. *
Amanda Sefton Amanda Sefton (real name Jimaine Szardos) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in ''X-Men'' #98 (April 1976). The charact ...
once called herself Magik when she ended up in Limbo.


Other versions


Age of Apocalypse

An alternate version of Illyana Rasputina appears in the ''
Age of Apocalypse "Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The ''Age of Apocalypse'' briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comic ...
'' timeline. After Apocalypse's attacks on Russia, her friends and family believed that Illyana had died when in fact she was taken to the slave camp known as the Core located in Seattle, which provides energy for Apocalypse's empire. Colossus, Shadowcat and Generation NeXt rescue her, at the cost of the lives of every single member of Generation NeXt. Rasputina then helps Bishop go back in time to prevent the Age of Apocalypse from occurring in the mainstream Earth-616 timeline. In the 2000 ''Blink'' limited series, it is revealed via flashback that Sugar Man was at one point the abusive jailer in charge of cellmates Rasputina and Blink (before she was rescued as a young girl by Weapon-X and Sabretooth) in a prison facility.


Excalibur

An alternate version of Illyana Rasputina appears in ''
Excalibur Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
s "Cross-Time Caper" storyline. the team encounters a childlike version of Rasputina, clothed in the regalia of Doctor Strange, who runs an organized crime cartel in partnership with her friend Shadowcat. When Alistaire Stuart and a near comatose Rachel Summers are threatened by the authorities, Rasputina grants them sanctuary; however, she merely intends to use her guests in a bid for dominance over the world. When the authorities once more attempt to search Illyana's apartment, an altercation occurs and she is shot dead but merely resurrects into her fully demonic form. That world's
Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain'' #1 by writer Chris Cl ...
and
Psylocke Psylocke is the name of two connected characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Both characters are portrayed as Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants, a subspecies of humans born w ...
arrive on the scene to help stop Rasputina. Psylocke psychically restores Phoenix, who performs an exorcism on Rasputina and restores her to her human state.


Exiles

An alternate version of Illyana Rasputina appears from Earth-4210. She is also a member of The Exiles. Rasputina replaces
Blink Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral por ...
when the
Timebroker The Timebroker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, a ...
sends her home. She is led to believe that had she not become an Exile, she would murder her family. This universe's Rasputina is much more temperamental and ruthless than the
Earth-616 In the fictional Multiverse (Marvel Comics), Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity (fiction), continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. Origins of the term The designation "Earth-616" has its origins in ...
Magik and clashes with the team from the beginning. Shortly after the Timebroker returns Blink to the team, he decrees that half the members of the combined Exiles and
Weapon X Weapon X is a fictional government genetic research facility project appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They were conducted by Department K, which turned willing and unwilling beings into living weapons to carry out c ...
group have to die. Fearing for her life, Rasputina tries to join King Hyperion and tells him of the mission Exiles and Weapon X were given. To corroborate her claims, Hyperion snaps Rasputina's neck to see if a replacement Exile is sent.


House of M

An alternate version of Illyana Rasputina appears in the "
House of M "House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic book limited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first i ...
" storyline. This is a temporary recreation of Earth-616 by the
Scarlet Witch The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
in which mutants are dominant on Earth. Rasputina is a member of a
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...
squadron of young mutants called the Hellions. Like most of the other Hellions, she eventually joins the side of the New Mutants, a team being groomed as future leaders, in fighting the establishment of the House of M in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. This version of Rasputina teleports to Limbo before the Scarlet Witch restores reality to its former state. This results in Belasco's resurrection of Illyana in Earth-616. In this reality, she can speak Japanese.


Shattershot

An alternate version of Illyana Rasputina appears in the "Shattershot" crossover. A reality was shown in which Rasputina was regressed in the same way as in
Earth-616 In the fictional Multiverse (Marvel Comics), Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity (fiction), continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. Origins of the term The designation "Earth-616" has its origins in ...
but never succumbs to the Legacy Virus. She grows up to master her mutant and mystical powers, calls herself Darkchild and joins
X-Force X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
alongside
Sunspot Sunspots are temporary spots on the Sun's surface that are darker than the surrounding area. They are one of the most recognizable Solar phenomena and despite the fact that they are mostly visible in the solar photosphere they usually aff ...
and
Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
.


Other

An alternate version of Illyana Rasputian appears in another reality in which she is an adult, her son is trapped in an incorporeal form. She makes a deal with Mephisto to provide him with a body, at the cost of all mutants' lives, but her son ultimately rejects the offer.


Ultimate Universe

An alternate version of Illyana Rasputina from Earth-6160 appears in the
Ultimate Universe The Ultimate Universe is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2023; the imprint is overseen by writer Jonathan Hickman. It reimagines several classic Marvel characters in a new fictional continuity, after Hickman and ...
imprint. This version is a member of the Maker's council and the leader of the Eurasian Republic alongside
Piotr Rasputin Colossus (Piotr "Peter" Nikolayevich Rasputin; ) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 (May 1975). A Russian m ...
and Arkady Rossovich.


''What If?''

* In " What If? the X-Men Had Stayed In Asgard?", Illyana Rasputina is one of the
New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
who chooses to remain in the Realm Eternal. She eventually replaces the Enchantress as Asgard's supreme sorceress and assumes a secondary role as liaison between her teammate
Danielle Moonstar Danielle "Dani" Moonstar (also known as Psyche, Mirage, and Moonstar) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the graphic novel ''The New Mutants'' (Sept. 1982), created by writer Chris C ...
, the new ruler of Hel, and Asgard. * In a 2006 issue of ''What If...?'', Rasputina is a member of a Soviet version of the Fantastic Four known as "The Ultimate Federalist Freedom Fighters." * In a 2018 issue of ''What If? Magik Became Sorcerer Supreme?'', Rasputina is envisioned as recently freed from Limbo seven years older and wanting nothing to do with the X-Men and runs away before coming to the attention of Doctor Strange.


In other media


Television

* Illyana Rasputina appears in the '' X-Men: The Animated Series'' episode "Red Dawn", voiced by
Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik was intended to appear in '' Wolverine and the X-Men'' before the series was cancelled. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik, via Morph, appears in the ''
X-Men '97 ''X-Men '97'' is an American animated television series created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. It is a revival of '' X-Men: The Animated Series'' (1992–1997) produced b ...
'' episode "Fire Made Flesh", voiced by
Courtenay Taylor Courtenay Taylor is an American actress. She is best known for her video game voice roles as Jack in the ''Mass Effect'' series, Ada Wong in the ''Resident Evil'' series, the female Sole Survivor in ''Fallout 4'', Amanda Holliday and Empress C ...
.


Film

Illyana Rasputin / Magik appears in ''
The New Mutants The New Mutants may refer to: *''New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teena ...
'', portrayed by
Anya Taylor-Joy Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...
as a young adult and Colbi Gannett as a child. This version was sold into child slavery, is at odds with terrifying creatures called the Smiling Men, and is accompanied by Lockheed.


Video games

* Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as a non-playable character in ''
X-Men Legends ''X-Men Legends'' is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in 2004. Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of ...
'', voiced by Jeannie Elias. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as an unlockable character in '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Heroes'', voiced by
Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Contest of Champions ''Marvel Contest of Champions'' is a 2014 fighting video game developed and published by Kabam. It was released on December 10, 2014, for iOS and Android. The fighting game is primarily set in the Marvel Universe. The game is strongly based o ...
''. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Future Fight ''Marvel: Future Fight'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed and published by Netmarble. Gameplay Players assemble a team of iconic Marvel heroes and villains to engage in thrilling battles. The gameplay revolves around completing mi ...
''. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Puzzle Quest''. * Illyana Rasputin / Magik appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Future Revolution ''Marvel Future Revolution'' was an action role-playing game developed by Netmarble Monster and published by Netmarble. It was released for Android and iOS on August 25, 2021. The game's storyline is based on the Secret Wars series and is set on ...
''. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel's Midnight Suns ''Marvel's Midnight Suns'' is a 2022 tactical role-playing game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The game features comic book characters from multiple Marvel Comics properties, such as Midnight Sons, Avengers, X-Men, and Runaway ...
'', voiced by
Laura Bailey Laura Bailey (born May 28, 1981) is an American voice actress. She made her voice acting debut as Trunks (Dragon Ball), Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' and has since voiced List of Gunslinger Girl characters#First Generati ...
. This version is a graduate of the Xavier Academy, former member of the X-Men, the ruler of Limbo, and a member of the titular
Midnight Suns ''Marvel's Midnight Suns'' is a 2022 tactical role-playing game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K (company), 2K. The game features comic book characters from multiple Marvel Comics properties, such as Midnight Sons, Avengers (comics ...
. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears in ''
Marvel Snap ''Marvel Snap'' is a digital collectible card game developed by Second Dinner and published by Nuverse for Android, iOS, and Windows. The game features a collection of different characters from the Marvel Universe. The game was released on Oct ...
''. * Illyana Rasputina / Magik appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Rivals ''Marvel Rivals'' is a hero shooter video game developed and published by NetEase Games in collaboration with Marvel Games. The game was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on December 6, 2024. The game is free-to-play with ...
,'' voiced by
Abby Trott Abby Trott is an American voice actress. She started out by acting in puppet shows in Japan, before moving to the United States and joining Bang Zoom! Entertainment, where she has worked on numerous anime, animation, and video game series. Some ...
.


Merchandise

In 2024,
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...
released an Illyana Rasputina / Magik
action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...
as part of the
Marvel Legends Marvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale. The line initially began in 2002 as a spi ...
action figure line.


Collected editions

* After being out-of-print for a few decades, the series was collected as a hardcover graphic novel titled ''X-Men - Magik: Storm & Illyana'' and released in Dec. 2008.


References


External links

* *
UncannyXmen.net spotlight on Illyana Nikolievna Rasputin




* {{Grigori Rasputin in popular culture Characters created by Dave Cockrum Characters created by Len Wein Comics characters introduced in 1975 Cultural depictions of Grigori Rasputin Fictional characters who can manipulate time Fictional characters with anti-magic or power negation abilities Fictional characters with dimensional travel abilities Fictional characters who use magic Fictional Soviet people Fictional swordfighters in comics Marvel Comics characters who can teleport Marvel Comics characters who use magic Marvel Comics demons Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics mutants New Mutants Romani comics characters Russian superheroes Time travelers X-Men members X-Men supporting characters