One ofX-Men’s oldest villains has evolved their mutant powers, granting them a terrifying new power level in Marvel lore. What’s more, this isn’t a temporary upgrade or an external boost, but a permanent evolution of what they’re capable of.
Wolverine Just Discovered a Classic Villain’s New Powers
His Mother’s Resurrection Is the Work of a Major Foe
In today’sWolverine #12- from Saladin Ahmed, Martín Cóccolo, Bryan Valenza and Cory Petit - Logan finally cracks the mystery of his mother’s resurrection. Fans have known for a while that Logan is beingmanipulated by the illusionist Mastermind, who can create detailed hallucinations that trick all five senses. However, what fans didn’t know is how Mastermind learned so many details about Wolverine’s childhood.
It turns out that Mastermind honed his powers during X-Men’s 2019-2024 Krakoan Era. During that period, 99% of mutants lived on the sentient island Krakoa, founding a unique culture focused on experimenting with and synergizing powers. As a result,Mastermind has learned how to tap into his victims' memories, learning the exact illusions that will most deeply affect them.
Mastermind Can Now Tap into His Victims' Greatest Fears and Desires
The Ultimate Illusionist Just Became Even More Powerful
Mastermind first appeared in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’sX-Men #4, which introducedMagneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutantsfor the first time. Since then, Jason Wyngarde has become a threat in his own right, associated with the Hellfire Club and even the X-Men’s own business-focused X-Corp team during the Krakoan Era. Since then, Mastermind has been honing his new power level and preparing to use Wolverine as a weapon against the X-Men.
As depicted inWolverine: The Origin, Logan’s mother took her own life after his claws emerged for the first time, killing his biological father Thomas Logan. Elizabeth branded Wolverine a monster, leaving a wound in his soul that has been there ever since - something he’s forced to confront in order to escape Mastermind’s illusion. Mastermind mocks Wolverine as their battle ends, saying he’ll never be completely sure he left the illusion.
Mastermind has always been one ofX-Men’s most powerful villains, able to trap entire teams of heroes in ultra-convincing illusions that serve his own ends. He specializes in forcing heroes to commit deplorable acts, and is known as a vile person even by the standards of Apocalypse and Sabretooth.
Now, he’s more powerful than ever, as he masters the ability to tap into his victims' minds and drag their hopes and terrors into the light. One ofX-Men’s oldest and most powerful enemies just took his powers to a whole new level, forcing Wolverine to confront his foundational trauma like never before.
