Warning: Contains spoilers for Mystic #1! Mystic Was a main character in X-Men canon practically since her introduction, playing major parts in franchise-wide storylines throughout time. However, she never really had the opportunity to stand out on her own. Sure, she has a few starring roles in certain storylines here and there, but Mystique has yet to achieve the A-list status she deserves. At least, until now, and Mystique’s new nemesis cements that status perfectly.
In a preview shared by Comic book club for Mystic #1 by Declan Shalvey, Mystique is on the run from SHIELD while working on a top-secret mission that has yet to be revealed. At the beginning of the preview, Mystique is hiding in a cabin in the woods, writing some kind of memoir. The comic then cut to two weeks earlier, showing a strike team hired by SHIELD and led by former Weapon X operative Maverick hunting Sabretooth in an industrial facility.
Meanwhile, the head of SHIELD himself, Nick Fury, is doing some investigative work, connecting the dots of his current investigation, and finds that the one person who is at the center of them is none other than Mystique. The preview ends with Mystique brandishing a weapon, standing in the facility where the SHIELD strike team was operating, greeting an unseen person she was waiting to meet (potentially Sabretooth). Of course, this preview raises more questions than answers, although it does reveal one thing: Mystique has a new nemesis, and that person is Nick Fury.
Nick Fury is the perfect nemesis for the New Era of Mystique
Marvel Comics is leaning into the espionage side of mysticism
Mystique has been many things in Marvel Comics. She’s led government-backed mutant strike teams, she’s revamped the Brotherhood of Mutants, she’s operated as a villainous solo agent, and—most recently—she’s even been a member of the X-Men. But, above all, Mystique has always shined the brightest as a spy, as her mutant powers make her exceptionally skilled in the profession.
The story that featured Mystique’s skills in espionage the best has to be tinker, tailor, mutant, spy, Which showed that mystics work to uncover the mystery of an illness that spreads telepathically – and this is just one example. True, there’s no shortage of instances where Mystique has proven herself a more than capable spy, which is why it’s perfect that her new nemesis is arguably the ultimate spy, Nick Fury.
Why Nick Fury is trying to capture Mystique in her new X-Men series
While the details of why Fury is trying to capture Mystique have yet to be revealed, there are a few clues that fans can glean from this preview — as well as the events surrounding it. The story takes place immediately after the fall of Krakoa, and Mystique has seemingly severed all ties with the X-Men. This means that she is once again a solo agent, and she is more committed than ever to fighting for mutants, with no regard for the now-forgotten ‘Laws of Krakoa’. Therefore, Mystique is likely plotting the downfall of all humanity, and Fury has made it his mission to stop her.
Whatever Mystique’s plot, her skills as a spy make her a threat serious enough for Nick Fury to handle, which elevates her to A-list status, because Nick Fury doesn’t give that kind of attention to just anyone. Not only that, but this new X-Men Series is shining a light on Mystics skills as a spy, which is easy when she is at her best, and Nick Fury as her nemesis is absolutely perfect.
Mystic #1 by Marvel Comics is available October 16, 2024.
Source: Comic book club