Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Uncanny X-Men #17!
Marvel has just revealed the origins of theX-Men’s newest villain, Mutina, and she is possibly the mutant heroes' most challenging villain yet. Mutina is not a supervillain, but a fictional monster in a blockbuster movie, being used as anti-mutant propaganda. Despite being a fictional movie character, Mutina may just be one of the X-Men’s most dangerous foes yet.
In the preview toUncanny X-Men #17, written by Gail Simone, with art by Luciano Vecchio, the fractured X-Men across the globe are panicking because a new movie that has taken the world by stormfeatures a mutant serial killer called Mutina.Mutina’s unique status as a horror movie icon in the Marvel Universe will have massive repercussions on mutant-kind.
The X-Men have faced propaganda and societal hate many times before, but their latest foe’s box office success isa new take on X-Men villainsthat mayprove far more damaging to the X-Men than the villains that came before her.Mutina is both compelling and insidious, as her origins reveal a villain the heroes can’t physically fight.
Marvel Gives the X-Men Their Most Diabolical Villain To Date, Making Magneto’s Time as a Villain Look Tame
Uncanny X-Men#17 Written By Gail Simone; Art By Luciano Vecchio, Color By Rachelle Rosenberg; Letters By Clayton Cowles
On the surface, Mutina appears to be the main antagonist of a slasher film, and she is depicted as a young girl on a killing rampagesimilar to that of the filmMegan. However, based on Mutina’s appearance,it’s clear that the goal of the movie is a thinly veiled attack on mutants as a form of anti-mutant propaganda.
Mutina’s existence as a tool for propaganda rather than a tangible enemy makes her a greater threat than the majority of the X-Men’s villains.
What makes Mutina so much more sinister as a villain than all the anti-mutant villains that came before her is how she reflects real-world fearmongering through influence.Mutina is a caricature of mutant-kind that paints mutants as killers and monsters,and her character further exemplifies this by being given a purposefully redundant name like”Mutina.”
Because Mutina is a fictional character within the Marvel Universe,she is a villain the X-Men can’t confront by fighting, and are forced to watch her movie perpetuate stereotypes, spread false information,and fosterwidespread disdain for mutants. Mutina’s existence as a tool for propaganda rather than a tangible enemy makes her a greater threat than the majority of the X-Men’s villains.
The X-Men’s Latest Villain Is Popping Out of Theaters To Destroy Mutant-Kind in More Ways Than One
Mutina Becomes X-Men’s Most Influential Villain
Mutina is a rarity among villains because, as seen inUncanny X-Men#17, she has already secured a large cultural influence by becoming a blockbuster sensation and impacting society’s view of mutants. The villain takes inspiration from real-world propaganda characterswho harm specific groups by generalizing them or depicting them in harmful ways.
The X-Men are no strangers to persecution, having faced previous enemies like Bolivar Trask and Orchis, who spread anti-mutant sentiments. However, Mutina represents a fresh take on anti-mutant villains. Mutina’s origin builds anticipation of how the X-Men will handle this new threat, and her movie’s rise to notoriety, while terrorizing Marvel’s mutant population, makes her one of theX-Men’smost threatening villains yet.
Uncanny X-Men#17will be available on August 01, 2025, from Marvel Comics!
