Illyana Rasputin is about to break out into her very own Magik solo ongoing title, starting in January. Written by Ashley Allen, who returns to the character after tackling the X-Men: Blood Hunt – Magik #1 one-shot earlier this year and drawn by longtime Marvel artist Germán Peralta, the new Magik title will bring back Illyana's Darkchylde persona with a new look designed by Peralta.
Magik's new adventures will center on something demonic lurking beneath the Alaskan ice, which comes into Illyana's purview now that the X-Men are stationed in a former Sentinel factory deep in Alaska.
"THE MYSTIC MUTANT GOES DEMON HUNTING IN HER OWN SERIES! The X-Man Illyanna Rasputina strikes out on her own with new allies and dark powers arrayed against her. Something ancient has awakened beneath the Alaskan ice. Unfortunately for it, that’s Magik’s territory now!" reads Marvel's official description of Magik #1.
"Throughout the series, Magik will also be forced to come to terms with her tragic history and learn to control her demonic Darkchylde persona. After years of suppression, Illyana’s Darkchylde form returns from the depths of her tormented soul to offer her more strength and power, but at what cost?"
For those not aware, Illyana Rasputin is in fact the younger sister of Piotr Rasputin AKA Colossus. Alongside her mutant power of teleportation, she also possesses advanced mystical knowledge, to the point that she's even been shown as a possible future Sorcerer Supreme. She also spent years trapped in the demonic realm of Limbo, where she developed her demonic persona, the Darkchylde.
"I'm beyond excited to be returning to write Illyana!" writer Ashley Allen says in a statement accompanying the announcement. "Supernatural stories featuring characters with hearts of gold are my favorite, so this series has been a dream to write! I can't wait for readers to experience the adventure we take Magik on to slay some demons … and maybe accept some of her own."
It's that so-called heart of gold that Illyana will have to draw on in her new title as the Darkchylde will once again force her to confront her darkside. And the return of the Darkchylde will also include a new design from series artist Germán Peralta, seen below:
"I am very excited about this project," Peralta states. "Magik is a character with an incredible background, surrounded by darkness and mystery. Additionally, she is visually spectacular in all her versions, and I personally love Chris Bachalo's design. I really enjoy drawing action scenes, as well as emotionally-driven scenes, and Ashley Allen writes a super intriguing script, where she balances both of these types of situations, making my job even more fun than it already is. I mean, what artist wouldn’t love to draw Magik with her great sword facing all kinds of demons?"
Magik #1 goes on sale January 8 with a main cover by J. Scott Campbell and a variant cover by Dike Ruan.
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