The X-Men‘s greatest sorceresses, Magik and Madelyne Pryor, are waging war to reign in the Hell Dimension of Limbo. Madelyne Pryor is a clone of Jean Grey who was created by Mr. Sinister after he believed Jean had died; he believed the Summers and Grey bloodlines were the key to the future of the mutant race, and he refused to allow a little thing like death get in the way of the birth of the next generation. Madelyne and Cyclops married and had a son, but their marriage failed and – broken and betrayed – she became one of the X-Men’s most terrifying villains. She fell so far she even considered killing her infant son, Nathan, as a sacrifice to unleash the powers of Limbo.
The entire mutant race have gathered on the living island of Krakoa, with hero and villain alike welcome there – and they’ve even learned to conquer death through a synergy of mutant powers and Cerebro technology. But that didn’t mean there was a place on Krakoa for Madelyne Pryor; the island’s ruling Quiet Council decided clones were not welcome. They’ve recently been overruled by the mutants who actually perform the resurrections, however, meaning Madelyne Pryor is back – and it seems she has her sights set on Limbo once again.
There’s just one problem; Limbo already has a ruler, Magik, the Sorceress Supreme of the Hell Dimension. Marvel Comics has confirmed the two sorceresses will soon do battle to rule in Limbo, in an arc called “The Labors of Magik” that kicks off in New Mutants #25, by Vita Ayala and Rod Reis. As the official solicit puts it:
“They were the central stars of the groundbreaking classic X-Men crossover INFERNO, and now over thirty years later, Illyana Rasputina and Madelyne Pryor are ready to fan the flames once more! Illyana IS the rightful queen of Limbo…but she’s been awfully busy on Krakoa. And now that Maddie’s back in action, she’s determined to sit on the throne that was once promised to her. Who will you bow down to?”
Marvel’s commissioned several stunning variants to accompany the release of New Mutants #25 in April 2022.
While Magik has become a crucial member of the X-Men over the last decade, but curiously there have been few stories that really centered on her as a character. That makes “The Labors of Magik” a particularly exciting arc, because in truth there aren’t really many villains who can menace Illyana Rasputin – given Magik defeated even Doctor Strange. But that was accomplished by tricking Doctor Strange into battling on Magik’s home turf, Limbo. Madelyne Pryor is just as familiar with the dark sorcery of Limbo as Magik herself, meaning she should be able to give Illyana a run for her money.
It’s likely that Magik’s Soulsword, traditionally owned by the ruler of Limbo, will lie at the heart of this story. The Soulsword is one of Marvel’s most powerful weapons, given that in one timeline it was used to effortlessly kill the Silver Surfer. If rule of Limbo is passed on to Madelyne Pryor, then the Soulsword too will become her possession – leaving Magik desperate to get it back. This really could be one of the darkest, most magical X-Men stories in a long time.
