Illyana Rasputin: Magik Appreciation 2019

[G0RM]

Could you add the Quest for Magik arc from New X-Men since that set the stage for Magik to return and really pushed her to prominence again.

I sort of assumed it was in there; Illyana 2.0 makes no sense without her return in New X-Men.

[Havok83]

Could you add the Quest for Magik arc from New X-Men since that set the stage for Magik to return and really pushed her to prominence again.

Id also throw in X-men Second Comics Revelations: Hellbound

[Tycon]

I sort of assumed it was in there; Illyana 2.0 makes no sense without her return in New X-Men.

Yeah, showing how she came to be and what her status quo (and the state of Limbo) would be at the end of the arc.

Id also throw in X-men Second Comics Revelations: Hellbound

Definitely. Quest for Magik, X-Infernus, New Miutants Vol 3 and Hellbound are all integral to understanding how Magik “returns.”

[Magik]

Could you add the Quest for Magik arc from New X-Men since that set the stage for Magik to return and really pushed her to prominence again.

Fixed it!!

[Thirteen]

They already reverted her to her pre-Bachalo look.

[xhx23x]

I do like Yanna with a cloak of some kind. I just wish this costume was less New Mutant-y than it is. I do so hate it when any of them are force to regress. At least these were more individual.

[sungila]

This isn't a reversion, not really. It's more like transformation and salvage from the wreck.
I loved the contrast of the internal brokenness and externalized exaggerated flawless exterior of Bachalo's Illyana. Especially in the society of Emma and Scott and Magneto. To be safe in such a situation. Without a home, without her limbo, without a plan, without a real advisory or adversary..to be so exposed and yet...not at all.
So imagine gazing through a crystal glass vase at what looks at angles like a finely preserved dried rose, a silk ribbon...a memory of fire that needs no fuel, gives no warmth and yet...flickers motionless as you move.
The vase breaks. Nobody hears it, nobody sees it, nobody remembers the vase as a vase or recalls that red presence held prisoner and motherly within.

That vase, that sleeper's vitrine, installation, that Wunderkammer, that exhibition...that distraction...gone.

All the contents spilled torn and frayed and signed. Alone with the memories, the language, the narratives, the grammars and grimoires - bruised filth bright black green copper but with some fabric still strong and thread and needle too.

Say this and the alliteration:shattering glass shatters the shattering of the glass.

She must have been very silent in her solitudes.

It's dangerous to be naked, to have ever been naked and dangerous to dress in shards...unless you're not trying to be safe...and you yourself are shards...and with a steady fire the edges are softened...that's Gorham's grunge/goth second hand pre-loved pre-worn Illyana.

It's like she's arrived from someplace other in a shipwreck and has emerged after the ringing of bells and alarms and trauma a little past recollection...facing back to the new shore and turning forever toward...wearing the remains of was given and what was taken from what was left.

Thank you Andru, Gorm and others for beginning this thread anew and for your considerate assembling of the essentials.

It's Magik, nothing's lost...it's just not that easy

Creation. Might as well do something with all that everything...hmmm, how do you paint with a sword?
And how do you tie pretty bows or fasten shiny buckles with fists and trembling fingers?

Also, has anyone here ever read Michael Moorcock's Elric saga?

Look at this guy : he's the bringer of the end of times, the turning of the page, the dregs before new birth...but he knows it and he's not exactly willing, and he carries a parasitic sword that gives him strength but only as the 'strombringer', he uses magics and spells, he's a sorcerer, he's albino, some call him the white wolf, his story is told through and in multiverses that are told from the edge and depths of chaos...he's merciless, a mercenary, deeply compassionate and utterly alone...but only at the end and in the ever afters of the fairy tale...in the vein of things...he's mostly just human - all melodrama on a pending tragedy that sometimes makes you laugh and seems to somehow never come or came already...if it ever really was then surely it will be, that bad...again, but now, or is it?

crystal glass vase...something red interior.

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[Jumpyshark]

Sungila, your posts are always a wonder to behold! So much food for thought...

[Thirteen]

An Illyana Throwback appreciation! I believe this was my first glimpse of the Magik One early on in my reading habit.
Illyana pulls the X-Men’s fat out of the fire as they face down the Dire Wraiths.
Shoulda known then she was destined to dwarf her student role.
Uncanny X-Men #188 in 1984
When did you first discover Magik?

[Fokken]

When did you first discover Magik?

My first exposure to Miss Rasputin was in Uncanny X-Men 165.

That was the first time I saw her and thought "Who is that? Colossus's SISTER??"
THEN, the next day I bought an X-MEN special of Wizard Magazine that had all sorts of articles, including a list of "associates and allies" including Illyana.

It was the image on the right, above, that was included for her entry. Sadly she was long since dead at the time.
I was loosely aware of the existence of the New Mutants, but IIRC that awareness was pretty limited to the cover image of the original 5, charging down a hallway with a psychic projection of Xavier's disembodied head behind them. Connecting the dots to their shared yellow & black aesthetic, I was immediately captivated, and THAT is what spurred my back issue hunting. I was relentless in my pursuit and the day I got my hands on Storm & Illyana MAGIK four issue limited series, I lost my GD mind.

[Andru]

My boyfriend always make fun of my love of Magik because I had absolutely no idea who she was until I got back into comics with AVX.

I had read X-Men comics in the mid 90's thanks to my fascination with the animated series. However, comics fell off my radar until 2012 when AVX peaked my interest. I knew who about half of the characters were and figured everyone else had been created since my time away from the X-Men. So when I stumbled upon Magik fighting Doctor Strange in Limbo, I thought, who the hell is that? As Illyana was dead throughout the majority of the 90's (and was previously de-aged back into a child) I had no idea she ever existed.

Long story short, I was obsessed with the character and needed to know everything about her and read all of the back issues of Uncanny, the entirety of New Mutants, all of her return, and everything that had lead up to AVX.

So while I only discovered the character 6.5 years ago, my love of Illyana feels like a lifetime

[Havok83]

My first exposure to Magik was Uncanny X-men 303

[Devaishwarya]

My first exposure to Illyana Nikolievna Rasputina was in the New Mutants Demon Bear saga (#'s 18-20)

[pandafarmer]

I was already a reader of the Uncanny X-Men when they introduced the New Mutants. Since it was a time when we didn't have cross over titles or multiple storylines that demanded a lot of purchases, it was easy as a kid to read both books at the same time and they often referred to each other which was fun. Yanna appeared in a few UXM books and I always thought she was interesting and sort of mysterious so when she was introduced to the New Mutants I was super excited to learn more about her and watch her relationship with Kitty and Peter grow as well. Little did I know they would take her on a such a roller coaster and she would become a favorite of mine quickly. I dropped out of reading comics right around the 91 "reboot" when they spilt into multiple books. I wasn't as big of a fan of X-Force as I was NM, and I didn't like the art that was popular at the time so I just dropped off. Then got back in about ten years later right when New X-Men came along because I was hoping the focus on the school would create an excuse to follow the New Mutants again. Sure enough, that led to the "reboot" of the NM in 2003 but I really missed Illyana (esp after they dangled her in front of us in Exiles). I also thought that the writing was WAY too high school drama for my tastes so I stopped reading only to return to read Wheadon's Astonishing issues and that's it.

Then I kind of forgot about X-Men books until last year when I stumbled across a picture of Avengers vs X-Men and thought "Wait now, they finally brought back Magik?!?" So I read that series and then immediately subbed to Marvel Unlimited where I could go back from the start and re-read EVERYTHING X-related including every tie in, cross over, side story, etc. I'm now reading the Endangered Species arch that included Magik's return within New X-Men and have had a blast catching up and following little loose ends that had confused me when I tried to catch up before. I'm back for good now!!

[sungila]

Sungila, your posts are always a wonder to behold! So much food for thought...

Thank you Jumpyshark. very kind of you, I'm utterly self-conscious about how awkward my posts feel in this community, it just happens, digressions are actually how I speak directly about anything...so yes, thank you

An Illyana Throwback appreciation! When did you first discover Magik?

It's entirely possible I missed Illyana the first time I encountered her. But from my earliest memories of drawing 'important' characters from the comics I could hardly read at that age, I'm vaguely aware that my first actual discovery of Illyana was probaly from the first issue of Cockrum's original Nightcrawler solo book.
Shortly after that and somewhat secretly I remember the thrill at finding her own solo series, the queer embarrassment I had buying those comics at the shop, and then this uncanny feeling of too much intensity. I know I kept those comics hid, not even knowing exactly why...and I still don't really...not sure if it was to hide them, or keep a secret...secret

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822227-illyana2.jpg

How wonderful to think about and read about these discoveries.