While the X-Men may largely be about found family, there’s a surprising amount of actual families in the mutant ranks. Scott and Alex Summers, Brian and Betsy Braddock, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, even Nate and Rachel Summers count to a degree. But the mutant family that’s arguably had some of the most turmoil and tragedy are Piotr and Illyana Rasputin, aka Colossus and Magik. Illyana’s tales of woe have gone all the way back to her days as a child in Limbo, the demonic realm of Belasco where she learned to harness her abilities and fight her way back to Earth. Most of Piotr’s are more recent, with his older brother Mikhail using him as an unwitting pawn to sabotage the Krakoan agenda from within. Both characters have their fair share of emotional baggage that makes them fan favorites, and with Magik and Colossus #1, the creative team behind last year’s excellent Magik solo series Ashley Allen and German Peralta shine a light on the siblings in one of the best debut issues of the year.
Living off the grid in Russia, Piotr Rasputin is tortured in his sleep by his past actions. While not of his own doing, the violence he enacted under his brother’s control weigh heavy on his psyche, and he spends his days helping to protect the Russian people from the various monsters that attack them. When Illyana finally tracks him down and demands to know where he’s been, the two are attacked by Lady Midday, a powerful witch who has been tasked by her mysterious master to kill any magic users who enter Russia. As the two fight Midday off and protect the innocent people around them, they realize that their family reunion is not going to go as smoothly as they hoped.
It’s no surprise that Ashley Allen has a great handle on Illyana, as last year’s Magik was one of my favorite titles Marvel put out, but once again Allen absolutely nails this book and Illyana’s character. Allen’s script wastes no time setting up the emotional and narrative stakes for Piotr and Illyana, giving us a debut issue that is well worth the cover price. There’s meaty character drama, awesome fight scenes, and compelling moments from panel one, and Allen’s focus on Piotr’s guilt for his past deeds, even though he has an out, is really heartfelt and true to the character’s longtime role as a protector for his family and friends. Colossus has been one of my favorite X-Men since I first played the arcade game as a kid, and seeing him share the spotlight in such an effective way was a real treat.
While Magik and Colossus serves as a continuation of the previous series with Illyana and features the same creative team, it can be read with no prior knowledge of that series or even Uncanny X-Force to enjoy. This is a true jumping on point that will please anyone picking it up, regardless of if they have been following both characters for decades or just uses Magik as their main in Marvel Rivals. Condensing any X-Men character’s history down into an easy to digest recap is hard, but it’s even harder with these two, which is why Allen’s script for this debut is so impressive. You can literally only know the base level knowledge for both characters and still get a great story out of it.
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Like Allen, German Peralta is back from the previous Magik series, and oh boy does he make an impact here. Much like the script, both the quieter character moments and action sequences sing under Peralta’s pencils, and he is clearly locked in fully with what Allen wants this story to be. The body language between Piotr and Illyana is so effective and lived in that it feels like you are awkwardly standing by watching two relatives argue in public (that’s a compliment, by the way), but when it’s time to throw down, Peralta throws down with some absolutely stellar fight scenes. I audibly said “hell yeah” when Illyana makes her grand entrance assisting her brother in battle, and that feeling doesn’t let up for the entire issue. Credit also goes to colorist Arthur Hesli, who makes the mystic items like Illyana’s Soulsword and her portals really pop against the muted colors of the Russian wilderness.
The current “From the Ashes” era for the X-books is just getting started, but I really doubt any of these new titles will hit the same heights that Magik and Colossus does. Allen and Peralta mix the interpersonal drama and high-stakes action that the X-Men are known for so effectively that I cannot wait to read the next issue to see how these two handle this mysterious threat, and if Illyana can reach her brother and get him the help he needs. It’s still early in 2026, but Magik and Colossus may end up one of the best debut issues of the year.
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