Marvel’s Sins of Sinister brings back a Jonathan Hickman fan-favorite mutant

Marvel’s Sins of Sinisterwas intended to refer back to the small details. House of X/Powers of XThe original founding text of modern X-Men. And yes, technically, Rasputin, a kickass genetic experiment who looks like a cross between Colossus and his sister Magik, was a “throwaway character,” destined to live only in a limited glimpse of a possible future timeline. But it’s not a slam. Characters are not necessarily less cool just because they don’t stick around — and Rasputin is a great example of the strengths of brevity.

HoX/PoX The story was about alternate timelines and futures that rose and fell frequently. Jonathan Hickman and his associates gave the reader an easy-to-follow chart. This is what made HoX/PoXWork was about making these timelines memorable. They might have been short lived, but they are cool.

So, while Rasputin, with her crystal-clear visual design, might have had a smaller role to play than expected, it was a good freakin’ time. Which is why I’m so happy to see her back for another finite alternate-future plotline in Sins of Sinister. I get more Rasputin, a badass gene-splice with five different mutant gifts — but there’s no chance of her outstaying her welcome as a completely overpowered and bizarre character with five different mutant gifts.

Were there other things happening within the pages of comics we love? We’ll tell you. Welcome to Monday Funnies, Polygon’s weekly list of the books that our comics editor enjoyed this past week. It’s part society pages of superhero lives, part reading recommendations, part “look at this cool art.” There may be some spoilers. It may not provide enough context. There will still be some great comics. This is the latest edition.

“Where to now, sir?” Rasputin says from the captain’s chair of a starship. “To save the universe,” answers Mister Sinister, saying that it’ll only take “Five years. I think,” in Immoral X-Men #2.

Also, Kieron Gillen is lacing Rasputin’s plotline with Star Trek references, like it was specifically made for me.

Our five heroic Forged Troopers, all buff women, ready their specialized mech suits for a mission, arguing mightily with male techs before their leader, Vic, calls them to attention and orders them to sound off, in The Forged #1 (2023).

Greg Rucka is a great author and I’ll always read his books. The new Greg Rucka series featuring Mike Henderson and Eric Trautmann are spacey and sexy as well as mech-y. Huge Warhammer and Dune vibes, with an intergalactic quasi-religious empire with genetically engineered mecha strike teams and sex oracles — plus an all-female main cast who get to be buff as hell, a central mystery, and gorgeous colors from Nolan Woodard. I’m very interested to see more.

“You’re back,” Lois Lane says to a shocked Superman, standing stock still in their apartment. “Pretty quick as missions go.” After a long silence, he finally says “Quick? I... I’ve been gone twenty years.” Then the doorbell rings, in Superman: Lost #1 (2023).

Priest’s writing can be hit or miss for me, but if there’s one thing I like about him it’s that he lets moments breathe. This is the whole pitch. Superman: Lost is that Superman loses 20 years of time on a strange adventure while no time passes on Earth — for Priest and artist Carlo Pagulayan to still devote four pages to the weight of that realization is a flex, a very dramatic and uncanny one.

“X-Force is no more,” Beast says to four other Beast clones who are overseeing several vats of growing Wolverine clones. “I will call this new program... Weapons of X,” in Wolverine #31 (2023).

Hank McCoy, congratulations! You have joined the ranks of Marvel Comics characters that are so pathetically vile that only the most able to stand around them can. There are other versions. It’s an exclusive club that includes Kang, Reed Richards, and Mephisto. I hope you’re real happy, Hank.

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