History
Origins[]
Born on a remote Soviet farm in Siberia, Illyana Rasputin had a mundane early childhood that offered few hints of her future as an extraordinary mutant, powerful sorceress, and queen of a hell-dimension called Limbo. She came to idolize her older brother, the mutant Colossus, and longed for powers of her own so she could join him at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.[2]
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The Queen of Limbo
On her sixth birthday, young Illyana felt that she was forgotten by her parents. An immortal demon-lord Mephisto used the child's insecurity to abduct and imprisoned her in Limbo to be his weapon. However, Magik's tenacious spirit could not be broken. Her mutant power manifested, granting her teleportation abilities and making her even more valuable than her captor had expected. She used her new powers to teleport home, but it has been so many years that her parents did not recognize her. This motivated Illyana to return to Limbo and take it from her oppressor. She became Mephisto's apprentice and eventually forged her own indomitable life force into a weapon. Using the Soulsword, teleportation, and a shrewd intelligence, she eventually overthrew the demon-lord and returned to Earth.[2] Her familiarity with demonic forces, affinity for the supernatural, and emergence as a hardened warrior made her a must-have recruit for the Midnight Suns.
Joining the Midnight Suns[]
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Magik meets Wanda.
Illyana Rasputina was recruited by the Scarlet Witch,[3] and the two quickly became close friends, settling at the Abbey, hidden inside a Pocket Dimension in Salem (Massachusetts). The two had time enough to bond with the other Suns — Nico Minoru, Robbie Reyes, and Blade - before tragedy struck. A ritual by Wanda went wrong and vaporized Agatha Harkness, Caretaker's long-time love. Though Wanda was not directly at fault, Caretaker still sent her away to Doctor Strange, something the other Suns disapproved of, especially Magik.[2]
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Illyana greets Hunter.
The Avengers arrived at the Abbey and were introduced to the Midnight Suns and the Caretaker. Magik and the others then stood by and watched as Sarah and Strange resurrected Hunter, Lilith's child and the only one to have ever defeated her. Hunter only had a brief time to catch up to the present, as the Sanctum Sanctorum was attacked by Lilith. Hunter, Doctor Strange, and Blade went there through a Limbo portal opened by Magik, as other teleportation methods were being interfered with by Lilith, but not Illyana's inherent mutant abilities. Unfortunately, the Sanctum was overtaken by Lilith, with Wanda's still inside. Nico and Magik grieved the loss of Wanda most of all and were angry that the others were more concerned with the loss of the Sanctum and made no immediate plans to get Wanda back.[2]
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Magik's portal served as the team's main means of transportation.
Hunter joined the Midnight Suns in their fight against Lilith and developed a friendship with Magik, who usually found it difficult to open to other people. Magik also joined the Esoteric Mystical Order, Knights of Intellect and Dimensional Spiritualism (EMO KIDS) club established by Nico that focused on getting the Hunter's full memories back. During this time, Magik had her birthday, and Nico organized her a surprise party, even though Magik hated surprises. She barely tolerated the festivities, but when the time came to cut her cake, she obliterated it with her Soulsword instead and went to Limbo to be alone. The Hunter followed her and learned that the birthday reminded Magik of her defining life failure, when a small child she felt abandoned by her family during her birthday and let herself be taken by Mephisto.[2]
Taking Initiative[]
The four Midnight Suns and Hunter all shared the same dream of Scarlet Witch appearing and calling them by name. Fed up with Caretaker and the Avengers not doing anything to get Wanda back, this prompted them to attempt a rescue against Caretaker's wishes. Nico swiped Caretaker's spellbook and found a spell that could potentially track Wanda. Nico told everyone to maintain concentration on the spell as she began chanting, but a disruption created a vortex that sucked Hunter, Nico, and Magik to Wanda's location - the lab of Bruce Banner who likewise has been corrupted by Lilith. A large glass tube revealed Wanda inside, corrupted by Lilith into one of the Fallen. Hunter claimed that death offered the only chance for release, as Fallen Scarlet Witch burst from the tube and attacked. Magik recognized their need to escape and opened a portal. Nico was still attempting to reason with Wanda but Hunter and Magik grabbed her and dove through the portal.[2]
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Magik struggles to close the portal.
They tumbled out back at the Abbey where the portal was forcibly reopened by Wanda who began pushing herself through while Magik struggled to close it. Caretaker appeared and managed to drive Wanda back, sealing the portal but then stormed off, leaving Nico and Magik visibly distressed. Doctor Strange was upset about not being asked to help and insisted the attempt might have succeeded with his involvement. Magik retorted that the Suns distrusted Strange because he had made no effort to recover Wanda since her capture.[2]
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The Soulsword encounters an unexpected barrier.
Though Magik would normally be capable of reopening a portal to Banner's laboratory using her Soulsword's retained memory, her attempt was thwarted by a demonic energy barrier. Wearing a suit made of Barghest skin, Hunter was able by pass through it and disable the barrier from the inside, but then discovered the Gamma Accelerator guarded by Fallen Scarlet Witch. She taunted Hunter by suggesting their friends had abandoned them and sent them on this suicide mission, when Magik emerged through a portal and broke her spell. During the battle against the Fallen Scarlet Witch, Hunter absorbed her darkness before reciting the incantation from The Book of Thoth. The heroes returned to the Abbey through a portal, followed by the Gamma Accelerator levitated by Scarlet Witch, now free from Lilith’s corruption. Everyone celebrated her return, and after Wanda went to sleep, Nico and Magik conveyed their gratitude to Hunter.[2]
Turning the Tides[]
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Magik reminds Mephisto who's in charge.
When Johnny Blaze summoned Robbie to talk, Magik detected something peculiar about the current state of Limbo while opening the portal, prompting her to remain behind and investigate. Hunter and Ghost Rider were led by Blaze into Limbo, where Mephisto on the throne welcomed their arrival and teleported Blaze away. Hunter and Ghost Rider faced Mephisto when a voice interrupted from behind — Magik appeared seated upon Mephisto's former throne, and in her fury, she transported Hunter and Ghost Rider back while staying behind to "catch up" with her tormentor.[2]
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Magik kills Sabretooth by opening a portal through his body.
Tony Stark planned to destroy the Parchment of Power with the Gamma Accelerator at Los Diablos Missile Base. Hunter, Magik, and Wolverine defended the Gamma Collector long enough for it to absorb the necessary gamma radiation. During the battle Sabretooth managed to pin Wolverine and was poised to deliver a fatal blow when Magik intervened, driving her Soulsword through Sabretooth's back and causing him to disintegrate as one of her portals tore through his body.[4]
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Darkchylde
With everyone gathered around the Mirror Table, Nico highlighted a disturbing pattern — from the Sanctum Sanctorum's destruction to the Los Diablos fiasco, every mission under Avengers leadership had ended disastrously; the other Midnight Suns agreed with Nico and announced their intention to handle the next mission independently. Arriving at their destination, the Suns discovered Hydra troops guarding Lilith's Tomb. A Hydra helicopter launched missiles toward them, but Nico told the Staff of One to "buy us some time" by immobilizing both enemies and their weapons; she and Magik remained outside to maintain this magical defense while Hunter, Blade, and Ghost Rider ventured inside. Back at the Abbey, everyone was thrilled to have finally delivered a setback to Lilith.[4]
When the Moon Phase was right, Wanda summoned Hunter, the Midnight Suns, Doctor Strange and Logan to perform the Grey Seneschal ritual. It ritual commenced with the group focusing their collective strength, gradually enabling them to perceive the spirit Agatha, when Caretaker unexpectedly arrived, breaking the protective boundary and triggering a flash of red energy around Agatha, who was possessed by Mephisto. He offered to release Agatha in exchange for Illyana, but Magik cast a spell that expelled Mephisto from Agatha's spirit and banished him, restoring Agatha to visibility for all present.[4]
Magik joined the others in the final confrontation with Lilith at the Temple of Chthon, which ended with the threat being dealt with, at the cost of losing Hunter to the Darkhold.[4]Attributes
Powers
- Portal Creation: Magik has the mutant power to create teleportation "stepping discs".[4]
- Mistress of Limbo: Magik's non-mutant powers are derived from Limbo, she is exponentially stronger inside it than outside. If she keeps a portal open to Limbo from elsewhere, it can boost her to a quarter of her full strength. Limbo's Throne grants her access to all that occurs there: every thought, every spoken word, and every Limbo-born demon living elsewhere could be tapped for information anyone them being aware of Magik's presence.[5]
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Weapons
Notes
- Voiced by Laura Bailey.