Warning: contains major spoilers for Immortal X-Men #10The ending to
Immortal X-Men #10 just revealed a massive
X-Men twist, as
Charles Xavier reveals that he is now a
Mr. Sinister clone - or imbued with Sinister's DNA - in the lead-up to
the upcoming Sins of Sinister event.
Marvel's New Major X-Men Twist Was Hinted At Years Ago© Provided by ScreenRant
Sinister has had a horrific plan to take over the universe brewing for years now, involving complex collections of mutant DNA, extensive experimentation, and a cadre of Moira X clones that the deranged villain uses to reset the universe when he fails too greatly. Sinister recently killed much of the Quiet Council - targeting Hope Summers in particular - and it seems that through Hope's death and rebirth he was able to trigger Sinister DNA in a variety of Council members, something he did to Charles Xavier years ago in 2008's
X-Men Legacy #213.
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Sinister has a long and complex relationship with mutantkind, stemming from his time as the geneticist Nathaniel Essex starting in the mid-1800s up until the present. A major breakthrough for the villain came during
the Black Womb Project, a secret experimentation project conducted on mutant children including Charles Xavier and Sebastian Shaw. Back in
X-Men Legacy #213 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton, it was revealed that Sinister had created a "Cronus device" to be triggered upon his death, which would cycle his consciousness through a series of potential targets that he had installed a "backup" in, one of whom was Xavier. Sinister's plan worked, and he was reborn within Charles, giving the founder of the X-Men a truly ominous Red Diamond on his forehead. Although Xavier was able to push Sinister out of his head while Sebastian and Gambit destroyed the Cronus device, one has to wonder whether a part of Sinister's mind or DNA didn't stay within Charles. The big twist of
Immortal X-Men #10 - written by Kieron Gillen with art by Lucas Werneck - is that
Xavier is actually a clone of Sinister, or was transformed into a Sinister variant, and while the exact way this happened has not been clear, there are plenty of context clues that provide insight.
Immortal X-Men #9 saw Sinister trying desperately to slaughter members of the Quiet Council, focusing on Hope and other psychics. The issue included a diagram showing Sinister's plans, but looking back there are actually some clues as to who would first become a Sinister clone on the Quiet Council. The four major psychics on the Council - Hope, Charles, Emma Frost, and Exodus - were labeled 1 through 4, with no other Council members included. It is known from Phil Noto's gorgeous cover for
Immoral X-Men #1 that those four Council members are assuredly Sinister clones, and throughout
Immortal X-Men #10 those four mutants are also seen grouped together in several scenes, standing as close peers.
How Sinister Created His Twisted Clones of the X-Men's Leaders
One theory is that since
Sinister controls the DNA aspect of the Resurrection Protocols, he was able to somehow make Hope into a Sinister clone after her death and resurrection, and then the Sinister Hope was able to do the same to Exodus, Emma, and Charles, who were all also reborn this issue. However, one might wonder why the diamond was not visible on these mutants as they were resurrected out of their eggs. The answer could lie in Sinister's love of "triggers," seen in
X-Men Legacy, and there is a chance that Sinister's banishment to the Pit is what triggered the full Sinister takeover of the mutants.
There is still much that is not known about how Sinister managed to transform many major
X-Men characters into Sinister-versions of themselves - although a precedent has already been set for a
Mr. Sinister version of
Charles Xavier - but these secrets and dark manipulations will surely be revealed as
the world of Sins of Sinister is unveiled.