Fifty years ago this May, Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina made her first appearance in Marvel Comics’ Giant Size X-Men #1. Created by writer Len Wein and artist David Cockrum, Illyana is a young Russian female mutant with the power to create stepping discs she can use to teleport people and objects. She also has been the Sorceress Supreme of the alternate dimension Limbo and has magical abilities such as eldritch armor and a Soulsword constructed as an extension of herself and her magic power.
As a child, IIlyana was kidnapped by the demon Belasco and forced to learn dark magic. Although she eventually escapes Limbo and joins the X-Men, she still finds herself frequently wrestling with her demonic darker half, the Darkchilde, even as she tries to use her magic and mutant abilities for good. This internal struggle has been depicted in comics such as the 1983 Magik limited series, 1983’s New Mutants series and 2019’s New Mutants. Currently, Illyana’s personal demons are being explored in an ongoing Magik solo series by writer Ashley Allen.
To celebrate Illyana’s 50th anniversary and her cultural and personal impact on comic book fans, ComicsXF held a roundtable discussion of all things Magik.
ComicsXF: IIlyana Rasputina has a pretty lengthy history in comics. What was the first comic you read featuring Illyana?
Adam Reck: Oddly enough, the first time I encountered the character was in the ā90s after she had been de-aged post-āInfernoā and then died of the Legacy Virus. To me she was a tiny, anonymous moppet. Not the best introduction to this truly amazing character. It wasnāt until I did a true read-through of the Claremont run of Uncanny X-Men and New Mutants that I realized what a nuanced and complex character she was.
Austin Gorton: Like Adam, my first encounter with Illyana was ironically during her “depowered kid” phase, probably circa X-Men (Vol. 2) #17-19. Certainly, the first really significant Illyana story I can recall reading is her death in Uncanny X-Men #303 (which is really more of a Jubilee story, and still hits hard).
Latonya āPennā Pennington: For me, it was Zeb Wells’ New Mutants. I ended up reading it because I saw a cool image of Illyana on Twitter and asked for book recommendations. Admittedly, this run doesn’t depict Illyana in the most flattering light, but I found her desperate struggle to reclaim her soul and humanity relatable despite her putting her teammates in danger to settle her personal grievances.
Stephanie Burt: Showing my age here: Uncanny X-Men #146 (though we barely see her!) and #148 (where sheās an adorable moppet). I wasnāt sure, reading āKittyās Fairy Taleā (Uncanny #153), whether I wanted to tell Illyana the bedtime story or have someone tell it to me. Which set me up perfectly for the aged-up Illyana who became Kittyās best, uh, gal pal: both someone Kitty still had to protect, given all that trauma, and someone who could protect Kitty, being (compared to Kitty) far harder and less naive.
ComicsXF: While her initial appearances have her being a victim of what could be interpreted as childhood trauma, her recent appearances have shown her to be a survivor and a badass adult. Why do you think this character growth has resonated with so many readers over the years?
Penn: I found this growth relatable as a survivor of childhood trauma, specifically an emotionally abusive parent. As a teenager, I related to Raven, a DC Comics character similar to Illyana in terms of magical powers and a demonic heritage. However, Raven in the comics lacked the character growth I wanted to see. As a result, I was very happy to come across Illyana Rasputina and see how you can survive and live a happy life worth fighting for.
Adam: What Chris Claremont initially does with this character is age her up between panels. When it was revealed by the original Magik miniseries the years of horrors she went through in what for readers was a page flip, the character suddenly became infinitely more fascinating. In New Mutants especially, Magik is shown time and again to be trying to balance the enormous weight of her responsibilities in Limbo with her desire to be a normal kid. I think a lot of young readers can identify with that struggle of balancing the scary truths of adulthood with the adolescent need to remain youthful and innocent. And while I think the second rebirth of Magik is a little too convoluted, the fact that sheās returned as such a popular character shows how much her resilience in the face of literal demons in a literal hell resonates with readers.
Austin: Illyana falls into the “struggling with their dark side” archetype, which is both a powerful and popular character type. This puts her in the same camp as, say, Wolverine. She also, at least initially, has a “the more I use my powers, the closer to my dark side I get” setup, which loops in the “my powers are also a curse” archetype that is also very common and powerful in comics.
I don’t mean to suggest that Illyana has had staying power just because she’s trading on familiar tropes; a number of creators have done a lot of really good work making her distinctive, unique and captivating while working within those familiar and relatable archetypes.
Stephanie: What Penn said. Exactly what Penn said. Which doesnāt describe my life, but it does describe the lives of my friends. The Magik (technically, Storm and Illyana: Magik) miniseries saves lives. Illyana canāt just āmove pastā the trauma that shaped her, but she can use it as a lever, as a sword and as her armor. She can go on and do other things. A lot of other things. Adamās right about her rebirth, which began with her as a boring de-souled monster archetype (in Craig Kyle and Christopher Yostās āQuest for Magikā) and then turned into a hard-to-follow tangle (āX-Infernusā), but then enabled two of the best writers to ever handle the character (Zeb Wells and Brian Michael Bendis). It all worked out in the end. Or ends.
If you really want to see the trauma-recovery-young adult arc, the story of how you canāt just put it behind you but donāt have to let it wholly define you, handled perfectly in one staple-bound comic, go read Leah Williams and Filipe Andradeās What If Magik Became Sorcerer Supreme? (2018). Thatās what I want for my friends. That arc right there.
ComicsXF: Some of IIyana’s most interesting relationships have come from characters such as her older brother Piotr Rasputin and her closest friend and roommate Kate “Kitty” Pryde. How do you feel these relationships show different sides to Illyana’s personality?
Penn: Piotr brings out IIIyana’s childlike side, while Kitty brings out her tender side. With Piotr, part of her always had this hero-worship of him as the protective older sibling, and yet she also had to prove to him that she can take care of herself as she became an adult, and I think this sibling dynamic is interesting and relatable as someone who is also a younger sibling. As for Kitty, I honestly think she and Kitty should date because some of their interactions have sapphic subtext that’s really sweet. Of course, there is nothing wrong with them just being friends, but having them go from childhood best friends to lovers would be fun and also be a good way to confirm both characters’ bisexuality.
Adam: The sibling dynamic of Piotr and Illyana made both characters bigger and more interesting. Unfortunately as the decades have gone by, this relationship seems to have been pushed further into the background, but itās an essential piece of both of them. As for Kitty? I feel like itās pretty obvious that Claremont wanted Illyana and Kitty to be more than just subtextual roomies, and itās a shame that never came to fruition despite all the hints over the years. We got really close in the Krakoa era with Marvel finally acknowledging Kittyās sexuality. I donāt think weāll see it under current editorial oversight, but these are characters who will live on in perpetuity. I have to assume it will happen eventually.
Austin: One of the interesting things about Illyana’s relationship with Colossus is the way it sometimes brings out the worst in Piotr (something that was leaned on perhaps a bit too heavily in the late 2000s and early 2010s). There’s also a really interesting power dynamic there in which Colossus is the older brother trying to protect his sister, but the little sister is ultimately vastly more powerful than the brother and, in contrast to her “I’m just a simple Russian farmer” brother, more worldly in her way, despite the age difference.
As for Illyana and Kitty, what Adam said. Whether platonic or romantic, the Kitty/Illyana relationship is one of comicsā best. One of the more annoying things about the repeated attempts to rehash the Kitty and Colossus relationship (which Claremont tried to end for good long before he left the book) is how it gets in the way of a Kitty/Illyana romance, however subtextual it may need to be.
Stephanie: Illyana and Kitty are dating. Theyāve been dating off and on since at least X-Men and the Micronauts #1, and when theyāre not, they ought to be. Donāt @ me. People who write Illyana, Kitty and Piotr well, as adults, together, post-resurrection, know it. See Uncanny #541-543, where Piotr, typically, āsavesā his sister by taking on the Juggernautās power for himself, even though she could have controlled it, and he canāt, which causes Kitty, correctly, to break up with him. Then see X-Men Gold #30, in which Illyana unintentionally persuades Kitty not to marry her brother, because ā¦ because.
One of the lovely aspects of Illyana, when sheās well-written ā Claremont, Wells, Williams, Vita Ayala, even Marc Guggenheim ā has to do with her uncanny self-awareness. She knows what she can and canāt do, what she can and canāt say, what kinds of risks she can let herself ā but nobody else ā take. Her sense of the danger inside her has given her ā when sheās well-written ā a stunning self-control. That danger and that self-awareness alienate her from almost everybody in her life, because almost all of them see her either as cursed and dangerous or in need of saving. Except for Kitty. Honestly, I think the two of them bond over the sense that they have no other real peers, not even any real age-mates. Nobody feels as old or as young as Kitty except for Illyana, who feels much older and much younger, too. That said, I understand why the current X-group does not want to bring them back together. As Muriel Rukeyser once said, the world would split open.
ComicsXF: In addition to changing internally as a character, Illyana has changed her looks in different comic book series. What are some of your favorite character designs for IIlyana?
Penn: I love the Rod Reis gold outfit that IIlyana obtains in the storyline āThe Labors of Magik.ā It even inspired my poem, “IIlyana Rasputin Teaches Me Creation Magic.” I love how it represents Illyana reclaiming her childhood innocence and attempting to put her past trauma behind her.
Adam: I have plenty of faves, including Frazer Irvingās twisted Darkchylde look from Bendisā Uncanny. What I will say is that as cool as Chris Bachaloās design is, I do wish she wasnāt perpetually stuck in that look. Magik is a character who frequently changes up her look to great appeal in the first volume of New Mutants. And Iād like to see more of that. Especially since the Bachalo look has devolved into an excuse for J. Scott Campbell variant covers.
Austin: Agreed. One of the things that struck me when Russell Dauterman recently revealed his upcoming “all the different costumes of Magik through the years” variant cover is how Illyana has largely been stuck in the same look for at least a decade now, whereas before she had lots of different variations.
Of those, I’ve always been partial to the Art Adams-designed “graduation” costume from X-Men Annual #10 (with the white hooded cape) and her later Bret Blevins design (one of the better of that batch of New Mutants costumes) with the red jacket and aggressive bangs.
Stephanie: What Penn said. Rod Reis is my favorite modern Illyana artist, because heās my favorite modern artist for all the OG New Mutants.
That said, I will defend the controversial, attention-grabbing Bachalo black cutaway costume, aka the boob window, because the adult Illyana wants to show that she controls her body: how much of it people see, and how, and when, and how sexily. Iām pretty sure Earth-616 Illyana has never on-page explicitly dated anyone, which makes her a rather good model for all the ace and aro and gray-ace and demi people IRL who want to look sexy anyway. (If you donāt know any such people, I can introduce you.) Also she should always have bangs.
ComicsXF: Over the years, Illyana has been featured on various teams such as New Mutants, Secret Warriors and Midnight Suns. Which character from any comic book would you like to see Illyana team up with?
Adam: Iām very much an X-Men purist, and donāt love it when they interact outside of their own stories. Case in point, I know Magik has been a character in Strange Academy, but I havenāt read an issue of it. I do think Magik slots in very well with the Doctor Strange/mystical side of the 616, but I think she has broad appeal. Magik could just as easily team up with Spider-Man as the Fantastic Four. If weāre going any comic book? Any publisher? Iād lose my mind if Magik teamed up with Hellboy for a one-shot.
Penn: If Marvel and DC Comics ever did an intercompany crossover again, I would love to see her and Raven interact. As I mentioned earlier, they have a lot in common, from their magical abilities to their struggle with their inner demons. I would want them to shoot the bird and give each other tips to manage their abilities and maybe hang out at a cafe. I could see Raven drinking tea and Illyana drinking coffee as they chitchat.
Austin: I wouldn’t ever want to lose her from the X-books, but I do like the idea of Illyana being something of a staple in the mystical side of the Marvel Universe, kind of like how Scarlet Witch, back in the day, was firmly an Avenger but also comfortable palling around with Doctor Strange in his kind of stories. It feels like something she’s earned, and I like when the borders of the X-Men brush up against other corners of the MU in ways less hamfisted than Avengers unity squads.
Stephanie: Iām just hanging out here agreeing with Penn all the time, apparently. Given the IRL chronology, Iād be shocked if Claremont-era Magik stories had not taken some inspiration from Marv Wolfman and George Perezās Raven, the doomed demon teen girl in the most popular DC comic at the time. I wish the two of them had met in the one-shot X-Men and the Teen Titans. They have a lot in common.
I have read a lot of Strange Academy, and Adam is right not to read it, at least not for Magik: Itās a would-be lighthearted comic about spooky kids, where the adult teachers behave like adult teachers usually do in such places. On the other hand, when she took herself seriously as a teacher, in Ayala and Reisā New Mutants, she rocked. Thatās a team-up but a familiar one. Among non-mutants, Iād like to see her team up with ā¦ Moondragon. Theyāve got a lot in common. Theyād either hate each other, or make fast friends.
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Latonya "Penn" Pennington is a freelance contributor whose comics criticism can be found at Women Write About Comics, Comic Book Herald, Newsarama and Shelfdust, among others. Follow them @wordsfromapenn.com on Bluesky.
Stephanie Burt is Professor of English at Harvard. Her podcast about superhero role playing games is Team-Up Moves, with Fiona Hopkins; her latest book of poems is We Are Mermaids.Ā Her nose still hurts from that thing with the gate.Ā
Adam Reck is the cartoonist behind Bish & Jubez as well as the co-host of Battle Of The Atom. Follow him @adamreck.bsky.social.
Austin Gorton also reviews older issues of X-Men at the Real Gentlemen of Leisure website, co-hosts the A Very Special episode podcast, and likes Star Wars. He lives outside Minneapolis, where sometimes, it is not cold. Follow him @austingorton.bsky.social.
