A few days ago, Marvel teased the introduction of a new character to X-Men lore – a mutant who turned down Charles Xavier when he was assembling his team back in 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men, and is now ready to emerge from the shadows. Now, this mysterious hero has officially debuted, showcasing her powers and seemingly also her codename.
Justina’s mutant power is to surpass the abilities of anyone in her vicinity, manifesting new superpowers depending on who challenges her.
Meet X-Men’s New Hero – Justina LaGuardia, aka Superior
The Mutant Who Turned Down Charles Xavier
In this week’s Giant-Size X-Men #1‘s ‘Revelation: Superior’ – by Al Ewing, Sara Pichelli, Federico Blee and Clayton Cowles – fans meet Justina LaGuardian. An Italian detective, Xavier attempted to recruit Justina for his second official X-Men roster – the one that arguably kick-started the modern franchise in 1975, introducing icons including Wolverine, Storm, Colossus and Nightcrawler to the team. However, Justina turns Xavier down, wiping his memory and declaring her intent to save the world in her own way.
Justina’s mutant power is to surpass the abilities of anyone in her vicinity – when a criminal flees on a moped, Justina gains superspeed, and when Xavier confronts her, she manifests superior telepathic powers. Justina seemingly also declares her mutant codename, telling Xavier, “I am not your equal! I am… SUPERIOR!”
Justina being able to overpower Xavier is noteworthy given Marvel recently declared him an Omega-level mutant. However, it’s still in question whether he was operating at Omega level back in 1975.
Related
Cyclops and Wolverine Just Combined to Create X-Men’s Strongest Hero (Yes, Really)
In the ultimate fusion of mutant power, X-Men’s Wolverine and Cyclops just combined, transforming into the franchise’s most powerful hero.
Superior Is Coming for the X-Men
Here’s Betting She Has an Entire Team of ‘Superior X-Men’
Accusing Xavier of causing chaos with his “paramilitary cell of teenagers,” Superior turns down Xavier’s offer of membership and uses her power to remove all memory of her from his mind. She then declares her intent to hone her powers and one day “offer my mutant gifts to the world,” but declares that “I do not think you will like how I do it…” While Justina comes across as an intimidating presence, she’s not presented as a villain – her issue with Xavier is that his methods cause chaos, and she is far more concerned with safeguarding innocent people.
Despite her seeming heroism, the word ‘Superior’ has a specific meaning in Marvel lore, denoting villains who are posing as heroes. In 2013, Doctor Octopus took over Spider-Man’s body, declaring himself the ‘Superior Spider-Man.’ Since then, the term has appeared multiple times, such as in Marvel’s current miniseries Superior Avengers, where a group of villains work as Doctor Doom’s enforcers. Justina being called ‘Superior’ would easily set up a spin-off Superior X-Men title, as the mutant cop sets out to help the world in her own way.
Justina being called ‘Superior’ would easily set up a spin-off Superior X-Men title, as the mutant cop sets out to help the world in her own way.
Retconning comic history is always controversial with fans, but when done right, it can add new layers to iconic stories. In the case of 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men, it totally makes sense that there were mutants who turned down Xavier’s offer, and Justina’s powers set her up as the kind of fascinating ‘logic puzzle’ superhuman that Marvel does best. There are endless ways to interpret the mutant power to become ‘superior’ to those around you, and X-Men fans will be on the edge of their seats waiting for how Marvel deploys this fascinating new character.
Giant-Size X-Men #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
- Movie(s)
-
X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
-
X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
-
X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Video Game(s)
-
X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Character(s)
-
Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Comic Release Date
-
213035,212968
