Magik & Colossus #1: Sibling Dynamic

Magik & Colossus. Two characters on the opposite end of the popularity poll. While Colossus has been a classic mutant X-Men for decades since his debut in Giant Size X-Men #1, he’s never been one of the most famous Marvel mutants. Magik, on the other hand, has seen a recent surge of popularity from the Marvel Rivals hero shooter game.

Magik’s characterization throughout her history has changed a lot, but only with slight adjustments each time. From having a deeply traumatic backstory to being one of the most awesome punk rock characters in Marvel’s rolodex, she has evolved constantly. While Magik is the viewpoint for more than half of the pages, the first issue of Magik & Colossus focuses much more on Colossus’s role as the older brother figure and his own weight that’s only been building in the time since the fall of Krakoa. This works quite well and forms a bridge between both mutant siblings, which makes the issue’s pacing feel earned more than forced.

Colossus, unfortunately, has not seen the same level of editorial love. He’s been given traumatic event after traumatic event over decades of print. He worries for Illyana, aka Magik, but he’s also had to be the Atlas to the X-Men’s sky for a long time, holding up the weight of the X-Men’s worst decisions and taking the brunt of the blame when things go wrong. A good example of the Colossus condition would be during the long-running Krakoa era of X titles. During which, Colossus was even accused of being a Russian spy for another member of the Rasputin family, the villain Mikhail. The specific portrayal of Colossus in this issue shows a shift towards the kind of depth the mutant made of metal truly deserves. With his focus on Illyana’s safety and helping the people of the Russian countryside, Piotr is given a bigger slice of the narrative than in his usual appearances.

Ashley Allen uses both title characters, Magik & Colossus, well in terms of the storyline being set up. Magik only sees her next villain, whereas Colossus sees the people that villain has hurt. It’s the key difference between them beyond their contrasting mutant superpowers. Magik is mobile and aggressive, and her stepping disc portals reinforce that. Colossus is stoic and defensive towards others, just like his metal skin would suggest.

Germán Peralta’s artwork is dark and stylistically messy in a way that complements the dark, brooding ambience of the Russian countryside. The action in this issue is standout. Peralta stacks panels on top of each other to give action a moment-by-moment feeling and lots of messy details to make action seem more chaotic. All of this is supported by Arthur Hesli’s colors, which work very well here. The Soulsword and Magik’s portals are both colored very brightly, which makes them look great when placed against Peralta’s dark and gloomy backdrops.