Which (former) New Mutants deserves a better spotlight?

[sunofdarkchild]

Magik is powerful, particularly due to her sorcery as her core mutant power is simply teleportation. However, I'd disagree that she's more powerful than Magma. She's more popular, sure. But Magma can manipulate the tectonic plates themselves. Theoretically, she could tear the planet apart through this. Magik couldn't match that.

That's really nothing compared to what Magik can do. Magma is a planetary threat at her best. I'd argue she may even be an omega-level mutant if writers had more interest in her. But Magik is a dimensional-level threat. She is a hell lord. In Limbo she is practically god, and even on earth she's one of the most powerful sorcerers alive. She once absorbed the entirety of Limbo into her being. She has defeated Dormammu by herself and frightens the likes of Hela and Satannish. In her weakest form she's fought evenly with Thor multiple times. She's casually defeated and depowered Juggernaut multiple times. She's killed an entity called the 'world eater.' In any alternate timeline where she goes completely evil the entire X-Men are completely helpless against her. In one story Dr. Strange takes her to a dying dimension so she can vent excess power because in his own words destroying that dimension would be a mercy. Magma isn't close to being in the same league.

If you restrict the discussion only to their mutant powers then Magma can be considered the most powerful, specifically if Magik's potential for time manipulation is discounted. But when taking all of her abilities into account, Magik operates on an entirely different level from Magma or any of the New Mutants.

[BroHomo]

That's really nothing compared to what Magik can do. Magma is a planetary threat at her best. I'd argue she may even be an omega-level mutant if writers had more interest in her. But Magik is a dimensional-level threat. She is a hell lord. In Limbo she is practically god, and even on earth she's one of the most powerful sorcerers alive. She once absorbed the entirety of Limbo into her being. She has defeated Dormammu by herself and frightens the likes of Hela and Satannish. In her weakest form she's fought evenly with Thor multiple times. She's casually defeated and depowered Juggernaut multiple times. She's killed an entity called the 'world eater.' In any alternate timeline where she goes completely evil the entire X-Men are completely helpless against her. In one story Dr. Strange takes her to a dying dimension so she can vent excess power because in his own words destroying that dimension would be a mercy. Magma isn't close to being in the same league.

If you restrict the discussion only to their mutant powers then Magma can be considered the most powerful, specifically if Magik's potential for time manipulation is discounted. But when taking all of her abilities into account, Magik operates on an entirely different level from Magma or any of the New Mutants.

Magik doesn't stand much chance if it's a covert attack from Amara

[rcaguy]

Magik doesn't stand much chance if it's a covert attack from Amara

Nor does she stand much of a chance against a full out assault by someone like Magus (Warlock's "Daddy") as we have already seen.

[lucius121]

I'm surprised Magik is in this poll she gets plenty of spotlight ( as she should), I personally think Dani has the complexity and uniqueness to flourish if she was given greater focus.

[Husk]

I like Magik but with the amount of exposure she already gets, I'd almost rather she was separated from the other New Mutants to allow them to shine a little more.

[sunofdarkchild]

Magik doesn't stand much chance if it's a covert attack from Amara

According to Claremont, Amara can't actually cause physical harm to Illyana.

magma.jpg

New Mutants War Children. All her blast does is force Illyana into her Darkchild form. It also fits with Amara being unable to to cause any harm to S'ym when she tried to bury him in lava.

[Husk]

That's just an example of randomly nerfing Magma to benefit another character. Magma has shown no difficulty in battling mystic threats before, so the question is what is the logic that Magik and S'ym weren't vulnerable to her attack and does this make them impervious to similar projectile attacks? Which we know isn't the case.

[Frobisher]

X-Men Fans: My favourite character should be omega level and basically so OP that if they turn up the fight ends instantly.
Also X-Men Fans: How come writers never use my favourite character anymore?

[Husk]

X-Men Fans: My favourite character should be omega level and basically so OP that if they turn up the fight ends instantly.
Also X-Men Fans: How come writers never use my favourite character anymore?

That wasn't my point.

Magma isn't my favourite character but she is an interesting one if they'd develop her properly. I stand by the point that Claremont was inconsistent in the use of her powers to further benefit Magik. I like Magik, but she sucks all the page time and leaves all of the New Mutants beside her fighting for the scraps.

The New Mutants would benefit if Magik was pushed to the X-Men exclusively and forced to fight along teammates who are already on her level of popularity.

[sunofdarkchild]

That's just an example of randomly nerfing Magma to benefit another character. Magma has shown no difficulty in battling mystic threats before, so the question is what is the logic that Magik and S'ym weren't vulnerable to her attack and does this make them impervious to similar projectile attacks? Which we know isn't the case.

S'ym is so invulnerable Wolverine's claws couldn't scratch him and he didn't even flinch at Sam and Roberto's best shots. As for Illyana, attacks meant to kill her have instead pushed her into the Darkchild form before. Dormammu was putting everything he had into killing her and it just made her transform involuntarily. She's also taken far less damage from explosions than she should have. In Second Coming a car was blown up in her face and she remained standing, and in the Claremont run she and Karma were in Karma's apartment when it exploded and she was not hurt as badly as Karma. There's also the time Roberto exploded right next to her in War of the Realms where she was unhurt by the explosion. There's also the Exacilibur issue where she's the villain, gets shot multiple times in the back, and just smiles and says 'too bad for you the Darkchild doesn't die quite like everybody else' before transforming and wrecking everyone.

Magma is powerful. Extremely so. I think she should be on the list of Omega level mutants given what she can do. But Magik is explicitly the most powerful of the New Mutants. That's always been the case from day 1. Her origin has her defeating Belasco and creating the soul sword. The issue where she joins the team she's the only one who hurt S'ym even the tiniest bit. The Demon Bear saga would have taken 1 issue if she fought the bear alone and didn't have to worry about the rest of the team and Dani. She was the New Mutant who was sent on missions with the X-Men, including when they first faced Sinister's Marauders. She is the only New Mutant who is implied to be able to defeat Magneto, and after Inferno both he and Emma Frost talk about how she was the most powerful New Mutant. In her own realm she is basically a god. Since her return she's become even more powerful and defeated the likes of Dormammu and Dr. Strange. She scares hell lords. In multiple alternate timelines where she becomes a full-fledged villain she's an unstoppable force who the X-Men can't touch. In every possible way of looking at it, from feats to word of god to what the characters say on the page, she's the most powerful. Magma can destroy the world if she pushes herself to the limit. Magik can destroy the world by accident if she loses control. That's the difference.

[mugiwara]

I think all the New Mutants would benefit even more if they were all pushed to the X-Men and the old X-Men were pushed into the background.

[sunofdarkchild]

To an extent I agree that the other New Mutants would benefit if Magik was moved elsewhere to give them more of a chance to shine. But as I said, I think Marvel sees her as the primary of draw the New Mutants brand as doesn't think the book would manage without her. There's a reason the next arc which is being pushed as a jumping on point to attract new readers is so focused on her.

Dani, Sam, Roberto, Xian, Rahne and Warlock could all get more of a push. They all have small but dedicated fanbases and have likeable personalities and most have good story potential. I, again, think it would be a betrayal of Sam's arc to bring him back now and take him away from his family. Magma, despite her awesome powers, has always been the least popular of the classic New Mutants because she's never had much of a personality, even when Claremont was writing the book. Maybe a great writer who has a great idea can make something work, but the character is almost 40 years old now and no one has ever figured out how to tell interesting stories with her. Even Zeb Wells couldn't do anything interesting with her. It would be interesting and heartening if a writer were to come along and do something amazing with her.

[lucius121]

I don't see how all the who would beat who in a fight discussion is really necessary, as to removing Magik from the new mutants book I don't think that is a good idea personally, a lot of people read the book specifically for Magik. It's not like every story in the book is focused on her anyway. When I think who would do well with a better spotlight I'm actually thinking getting a push outside of the new mutants book. Maybe even outside of the X-books in general, one of the best ways to push a new character is to get them to interact with people they wouldn't normally interact with. This brings the character to new audiences.

I think aside from Magik, Dani and Roberto both have potential in this area, and they would definitely benefit from it.

[K7P5V]

I think all the New Mutants would benefit even more if they were all pushed to the X-Men and the old X-Men were pushed into the background.

I know, right?! At the time, I thought this scene was rather prophetic (in other words, a glimpse into the future):

[mugiwara]

I know, right?! At the time, I thought this scene was rather prophetic (in other words, a glimpse into the future):

Somebody should have kept the bulletproof vest.