If you aren’t reading X-Men Monday I’m sorry to say you’re going to be out of the loop every week new X-Men comics come out. And come out they do, especially with X of Swords being the first X-Men event since HOX and POX relaunched the line. Each week new tidbits, hints, and early preview art can be read in the column and this week the column reveals a tidbit about Mr. M.
Early on in the Xcelent Q&A, White subtly confirms a certain Mr. M or Absolon Mercator is in fact being referenced in X of Swords: Stasis #1.
Early on in X of Swords: Stasis #1, we learn of a province known as Mercator and it is quite mysterious to most since they are tight-lipped about their identity.
Check it out:
AIPT: Since the first mention of “Mercator,” I’ve received weekly questions about a character called Mr. M, or Absolon Mercator, from the District X series. I’ll admit, that series is one of my X-Men blindspots, but is there any connection here?
Jordan: I mean, it certainly has the same name as him. That’s a weird coincidence.
While White is certainly being a bit cagey here he seems to be hinting X-fans are on the right track. So what is District X and who is Mr. M? You’d have to go back to 2004 and read David Hine and David Yardin’s District X to find out. The Marvel Knights series featured Bishop as a sort of cop who protects Mutant Town and Mr. M is introduced in the series.
In the second issue of the series Mr. M was introduced and it is discovered he is an Omega Level mutant with “near-limitless psionic ability to manipulate all matter and energy on a subatomic level” according to Marvel.Fandome.Com. Since this character can change matter to energy and energy into matter he’s near god-like and incredibly powerful. So by extension, if he is somehow tied to the province of Mercator they could be some of the most powerful beings in existence.
Mr. M aka Absolon Mercator from District X #6.
Credit: Marvel Comics
The character’s last appearance was in X-Men: The 198 #5 also written by Hine where he was killed by Magma. Considering since HOX and POX started, characters who were thought dead have returned this death may have been rewritten. It’s quite clear on the very next page of X of Swords: Stasis Mr. M or someone going by the name is still alive as Saturnyne says:
Needless to say, Mr. M somehow plays a part in this mysterious province either dead or alive, but probably alive.
Mr. M from X-Men: The 198 #5.
Credit: Marvel Comics
So should you reread District X to better understand Mr. M? White seems to think so:
AIPT: X-Fan Vincent asked if people should be going back to reread District X. Or, in my case, read it for the first time.
Jordan: They’re good comics.
Considering a character with nearly limitless godlike power could throw off the power balance of Krakoa–and Arrako for that matter–Mercator is a province to watch. That’s just one tidbit from X-Men Monday though, I highly recommend you read the whole thing to get the full scoop.
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