Illyana Rasputina/Magik

Subject Facts

Full Name: Illyana Nikolievna Rasputina
Codename: Magik
Age: Late teens
Gender: Female
Archetype: Super Hero
Aliases: Darkchylde, Lightchylde
Marital Status: Single
Affiliation: X-Men / New Mutants / Strange Academy

Subject Attributes

Superhuman Abilities:
Magik is a mutant blessed with the power of creating 'stepping discs', allowing her and others to travel across vast distances, between dimensions and through time. She has also been imbued with a great deal of mystical power from spending time in Limbo, and she has been tutored in the use of the arcane by the likes of Stephen Strange.

Stepping Discs: Illyana has the mutant ability to mentally create and control "stepping discs", allowing her and others to travel across vast distances, between dimensions and through time. The discs are inextricably linked to the dimension in which Illyana spent a great deal of her life - Limbo. When Illyana calls forth a stepping disc, she must use Limbo as a midway point before she can teleport to an alternate location - passing from Earth, through Limbo, and then to her final destination. It is not known if she was genetically predetermined to travel through Limbo, or if she did so because, having been spirited there as a child, it was the alternate dimension she was instinctively aware of.

Magik has succeeded in teleporting herself across continents and even interplanetary and intergalactic distances on occasion. Unlike many other teleporters, Magik is capable of teleporting through time as well as space, though this requires a great deal more effort. She has teleported moments, days or centuries into the past and future.

Arcane Arts: Magik is currently the Sorceress Supreme of her pocket of Limbo. While in Limbo, the extent of her powers is almost limitless, and she has access to a vast amount of sorcerous knowledge. Her sorcery is formed of a unique mix of black magic learned from Belasco and white magic, taught by an alternative-reality Ororo Munroe. She is powerful enough a sorceress to have been considered a candidate for Earth's Sorcerer Supreme.

Her mystical strength upon Earth is not quite as potent as it is in Limbo. Indeed, she was formerly limited to astral projection, weaving simple hexes and summoning her soul sword. Since her tutelage under Doctor Strange, Magik has shown better control of her Limbo-borne magics, and has demonstrated more powerful spells on Earth. She has shown herself capable of summoning demonic entities and casting spells utilising the Scrolls of Agamotto. She can achieve a wide variety of effects when utilising magic, far too numerous to list.

Control Over Limbo: Magik’s Limbo, also known as Otherplace, is not a void as such, but rather a small pocket dimension that is tenuously connected to True Limbo, where time does not pass in a physical sense and as a result, no one can age or die. The matter within Magik’s Limbo can be shaped and transformed by the thoughts and emotions of the sorcerer who is its master - in this case, Illyana Rasputina.

Psionic Shields: Illyana has demonstrated nearly impenetrable psionic shields, most likely a result of the time she spent in Limbo and the effects of her partially demonic soul. As such, even powerful telepaths such as Charles Xavier, David Haller, Emma Frost and Rachel Summers struggle to mentally read Illyana's thoughts or sense her psionically.

Standard Abilities:
Arcane Knowledge: Magik is highly skilled in the art of black magic of Limbo, granted by the patron of Belasco, Chthon. She is also well versed in the white magic of Earth, granted by the patron of Storm's lineage, Oshtur.

Multi-lingual: Thanks to Professor Charles Xavier, Illyana is capable of speaking her native Russian tongue, and almost perfect English.

Proficient Combatant: Illyana is also highly skilled in the use of ancient weaponry, typically axes and swords.

Paraphernalia:
Soulsword: As the name suggests, Illyana is possessed of a sword forged with her own soul - her very life force - and the power found in Limbo. This sword mirrors Illyana's emotions and has changed its size and appearance through her active years as a heroine. Currently, it bares a striking resemblance to the Blade of the Phoenix. As the Soulsword is a physical manifestation of Magik’s arcane powers and the Limbo dimension she rules, only the ruler of Limbo can wield the sword, and only the wielder of the sword can rule Limbo. The sword is capable of disrupting spells, severing magical ties, ending possession, cutting the ethereal and breaking enchantments. It is rare, however, for it to be able to harm humans not influenced by the mystic arts. Illyana is able to store her sword in 'nothingness', and summon it whenever she desires it.

Mystical Armor: Linked to her soul sword, Illyana is capable of summoning armour to cover her form, usually starting with her left arm. This armour often takes the form of Darkchylde's, and is now rarely used.

Subject Weaknesses:
Mortality: Despite her incredible power, while on Earth, Illyana is mortal, and suffers all the setbacks that entails.

Mystical Limitations: Though they have strengthened in recent years, Magik's arcane abilities are still more limited on Earth than they are in Limbo.

Dark Half: Use of dark magic or the experience of intense emotions can cause Illyana to revert to a demonic 'Darkchylde' persona. While this part of her is thought to be fully under control, there is always a chance it could be reawakened.

Stepping Disk Burden: The farther Illyana travels utilising her stepping discs, the less control she has. If she doesn't concentrate while teleporting, she can inadvertently teleport through time as well as space. Going through time is far worse than simply traversing space; after such jaunts she is psychically drained and must regain her strength before attempting to use another disc.

Emotionally Stunted: Illyana can be an incredibly difficult person to get on with - understandable considering her upbringing. She can be cold, childish and petulant at times, and has shown her love, care and appreciation for others in incredibly strange ways. She often tests those closest to her, and has pushed her friends and family away from her on occasions in doing so.

Subject History

Illyana Nikolievna Rasputina was born on the Soviet collective farm near Lake Bikal in Siberia. She was the youngest of three mutant siblings. Illyana's brothers were Piotr Rasputin (who would go on to become the X-Man, Colossus) and the cosmonaut, Mikhail Rasputin. As a child, she was saved by Piotr from a runaway tractor, just before her brother was recruited into the X-Men by Professor X.

Her first real run in with the dangerous life the X-Men lived was when she was captured by Miss Locke, along with several of the X-Men's other loved ones, in order to get them to rescue Arcade from Dr. Doom. After they were freed, Colossus allowed his sister to stay in the United States, believing she would be safe and not be used as a government tool like their older brother Mikhail had been. Professor Charles Xavier was able to aid in her speaking English, telepathically implanting an understanding of the language.

At the age of six, Illyana was kidnapped by Belasco and taken to Limbo, and the X-Men were quick to follow after. While there, Illyana encountered alternate versions of the X-Men – versions who had been unable to return to their own dimension after trying to rescue her. During an attempted escape to their own dimension, Belasco was able grabbed Illyana before she could leave; her close friend and brother’s girlfriend Kitty Pryde held her arm for as long as she could, but was unfortunately incapable of stopping her from being taken.

In Limbo once again, Belasco suggested he loved Illyana, and offered to turn part of her soul into a Bloodstone, giving her great potential for power and allowing him total control over her. She accepted his offer, unsure of what else she was able to do.

Illyana was eventually rescued by ‘Storm’ and ‘Cat’, the Ororo Munroe and Kitty Pryde from an alternate timeline. She was instructed in magic by Storm, and instructed in combat by Cat. Illyana was forced to constantly battle demons in order to survive – demons that included alternate X-Men. After attempting to return home to her reality, Illyana once again fell into the clutches of Belasco, and again gave into his will, becoming his apprentice. During this time, she secretly gained advice from Storm's astral form. Cat, unfortunately, had been turned into a true house cat and had become loyal to Belasco.

Belasco’s next ploy saw him attempt to use Illyana as a pawn to bring about the Elder Gods. At this time, Illyana's own mutant powers of teleportation discs were discovered. Illyana was forced to kill Cat in order to save the life of Storm, whom she later killed to save from being used in Belasco's sacrifice. Following the death of her former rescuers, Illyana magically caused her own life force energy to manifest the Soulsword, which she than used to defeat Belasco – earning her own freedom.

Illyana then returned to Earth, and re-appeared only seconds after Kitty had lost her grip on Illyana's arm all those years before. Rasputina had spent years in Limbo, though only mere moments elapsed on Earth. She was thirteen, now the same age as Kitty. The two became roommates and developed a strong friendship.

Having returned to the School for Gifted Youngsters, Illyana was tutored by Professor X and eventually joined the New Mutants as ‘Magik.’ She struggled to initially control her teleportation discs, and found that the magical spells she had used in Limbo were much weaker on Earth than they were in Belasco’s realm. She kept them secret from her team mates.

Despite her earlier escape, Belasco was not done with Illyana, and made an attempt to recapture her by sending his servant S'ym after her. After the New Mutants were overwhelmed by the Limbo-dweller, Illyana was able to utilise her magic to defeat S'ym. Upon his defeat, Illyana had him swear allegiance to her.

Through further experimentation with her powers, Illyana learned that when she summoned her Soulsword on Earth, an eldritch armor would cover her body, starting with her left arm. Illyana found that, if she was to be an effective sorceress, she was forced to teleport her enemies to a pocket in Limbo where she was ruler. With more souls trapped there, she found herself empowered, even able to teleport demons from her realm to Earth to aid her. Eventually Illyana revealed that she was a sorceress to her teammates and her brother.

Working alongside the New Mutants, Illyana and Doctor Strange were forced to turn back time in order to save her teammates, and she battled the Beyonder, discovering she possessed a ‘dark half’ – known as Darkchylde, This dark and malevolent side to her drew the interest of Amora the Enchantress of Asgard, who separated the pair and installed Darkchylde as the leader of the Nightgaunts. Eventually, the New Mutants defeated Amora, and Illyana punished her by trapping her in Limbo, until Loki enthralled her and earned the Enchantress’ release.

The New Mutants would eventually find themselves under the guidance of Magneto. During this time, Illyana encountered the Beyonder again, and was forced to battle for control of Limbo – losing it at times to Kitty Pryde and S’ym – the latter of who tried to destroy life in Limbo with the Transmode Virus. The following events saw Illyana lose her Soul Sword, give into her dark urges, almost becoming Darkchylde, and be at odds with various people she’d once trusted, including Xavier, Magneto and members of the New Mutants. She also believed she had lost her brother and Kitty Pryde, furthering the descent into darkness. Luckily, she was able to battle her urges, and with the help of her team, remained strong.

Later, Illyana manifested a doppelgänger of Baba Yaga - based on the literary Baba Yaga of old Russian stories. After all of the New Mutants were captured by Baba Yaga, Illyana teleported to Limbo to cast a necromantic spell to summon her brother's supposedly dead soul in order help her best the witch. Part-way through the spell, Colossus appeared and, assuming the spell worked, Illyana and Piotr rescued the New Mutants. Illyana believed him to be a ghost, and after the battle, Illyana considered casting the spell again, but dared not risk it again, lest the Darkchylde take control of her.

S’ym made another attempt to take Limbo from Illyana, and this time used N'astirh, one of Belasco’s former apprentices, to aid him. The battle for Limbo – and to make Illyana N’astirh’s bride - saw Illyana become Darkchylde, and demons fight over the streets of New York. Darkchylde battled both invaders until her brother, Colossus, who indeed was no longer deceased, arrived and rescued her. Piotr was shocked to see his sister in such a state and Illyana, embarrassed at what she had become, teleported away to Limbo, where she resigned herself to rule below, away from Earth.

Unwilling to lose her friend and teammate, Wolfsbane followed after Illyana and found a younger version of Magik – one who had been untouched by the Darkchylde. Darkchylde – now given her own form - attempted to kill her younger self, but Rahne Sinclair stopped her, stating that saving the young Illyana would bring peace to the older Darkchylde. Agreeing to aid mutant and humans alike, Darkchylde opened a portal drew the demons who had invaded New York back into Limbo. In doing so, she burned brightly with fiery energy, so light that it hurt to look at her. Becoming the Lightchylde, erased both herself and the demons from existence, leaving only the charred remains of her eldritch armor.

Colossus cradled the badly damaged armor and heard someone call his name from inside. Opening the armor, Colossus found the younger Illyana, whom Rahne had saved. She was the Illyana of old – a young girl who had never met Shadowcat or come to America. The original Illyana's Soulsword and eldritch armor magically came into Shadowcat's possession, while the New Mutants returned the young Illyana home to her parents.

Illyana's father, Nikolai, and mother, Alexandra, were unfortunately murdered soon after by agents looking for a way to stop a mutant called the Soul Skinner. The Soul Skinner's mind control was ineffective on children; however he came across a device that could age others. He sought to use Illyana's powers for his evil purposes but the X-Men were able to stop the Soul Skinner and prevent Illyana from re-aging.

In doing so, however, the X-Men learned that Illyana had contracted the Legacy Virus. Unable to find a cure, she became the first known victim of the. Her death greatly troubled Colossus, who had been on a mission looking for information on the virus when she passed away. During Illyana's funeral, Colossus abandoned the X-Men and joined Magneto's Acolytes.

It was later discovered that, sometime in the past, Illyana's older brother Mikhail had travelled back in time and met her when she was much younger, upon first joining the New Mutants. He showed Illyana a future where she had died of the virus, but said he had found a cure and could alter her DNA to provide it. Although her New Mutants teammates clashed with the future versions of themselves, they allowed Mikhail to try and make her immune. In reality, he transferred the virus to her, hoping that her mystical powers could form immunity while she was still young.

But Illyana was not to remain dead. Belasco once again took interest in her, hoping to resurrect her in order to overthrow her successor in Limbo, Amanda Sefton. Succeeding in resurrecting Darkchylde, though with Illyana’s memories, Belasco noted Illyana now lacked her soul. Feeling her useless, he tried to banish her and utilise the innocent Pixie’s soul for his ploy instead. However, Darkchylde was not so easily dealt with, and over time, was able to recover her soul sword, her bloodstone amulet and was able to de-throne Sefton and Witchfire (Belasco’s daughter). She retained all of the former Illyana’s memories, and was convinced to rejoin the X-Men on earth by Colossus and Cyclops. She came to reside at Graymalkin Industries with the New Mutants.

She eventually was reunited with her soul, as was Pixie, as they were able to destroy the Bloodstone amulets that had held them. Unfortunately, in order to do so, it was revealed that Illyana had summoned the Legion to Earth, using them to free her soul and defend the Earth from the foreseen invasion of the Elder Gods – the only thing Illyana feared. She welcomed the punishment she received at Cyclops’ hands, who sentenced her to spend months in a Utopian prison. While there, demons from Limbo begged her to return to them, though she refused on numerous occasions.

When Kuurth attacked San Francisco, the X-Men failed to stop him and Cyclops sent Dani Moonstar to meet with the Asgardian Death Goddess, Hela, in the hope that she could help them to understand what was happening. However, on her way to Las Vegas, Dani was forcibly taken to Hel. Discovering that Dani was gone, the New Mutants sought the assistance of Magik. She explained how she could be retrieved, though Cypher unfortunately struggled with the spells required.

Cyclops then asked Magik to teleport herself, Colossus, and Kitty into the Crimson Cosmos and meet with Cyttorak. There, Illyana told Cyttorak that Cain Marko had betrayed him and now served another god. Cyttorak took his power away from Marko and while it was Magik's intent to become his new avatar, Colossus intercepted and became the new Juggernaut, much to everyone's displeasure.

Released from her Utopian confinement after the Schism between Cyclops and Wolverine, Magik was offered a place in Wolverine's school, but she refused and joined Cyclops' Extinction Team instead. On that team, Magik aided in training sessions with Hope's Lights, and continued to help her brother remain in control of himself as the avatar of Cyttorak, tutoring him in how to control the urges of destruction within him. The tutoring, however, was not entirely effective, and the siblings volunteered to be locked up together between missions, since Colossus feared that he would lose control.

When the Avengers invaded Utopia in search of Hope Summers, Magik fought alongside the X-Men, fighting and defeating Doctor Strange. When the X-Men feigned a surrender, Magik teleported several powerful X-Men away, giving them a head start in the search for Hope. When the X-Men found out Hope was on the Moon, Magik teleported Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, and Colossus to her.

In the resulting battle, the five X-Men upon the Earth’s satellite were imbued with the power of the Phoenix – each baring a shard of the shattered cosmic force, becoming the Phoneix Five. The Phoenix fragmets warped Illyana, making her significantly crueller – even urging her brother to kill a captured Spider-Man. She and Colossus’ fragments of the force were, however, absorbed into Cyclops soon after, and the Rasputin siblings warped to Siberia shortly after. There, Colossus wallowed in misery, believing the Phoenix force could have aided him in overcoming Cyttorak’s control. After condemning himself as a doomed monster, Magik revealed that she had planned for him to take on the burden of the Cyttorak, in order to make him understand what damnation felt like, and to convince him that she was not worthy of his love and care.

Enraged by the revelation that he had been deceived into serving Cyttorak and living with the uncontrollable urge to kill, Colossus attacked his sister, but Illyana fled to Limbo, where her Soulsword was able to break Cyttorak's control over her brother, freeing him from the Juggernaut's powers. Colossus, realizing she could have done this at any time she wished, declared that if he saw her again, he would kill her.

Following the events of the Phoenix Five, and with the force banished from the X-men, Illyana joined Magneto and Danger, helping to break the now ‘fugitive’ Cyclops out of jail, where he’d been held for his crimes under the influence of the Phoenix. While Danger left the X-Men altogether, Magik, Magneto, and Cyclops started their own team to continue fighting for a better world.

In their quest to recruit new mutants to their cause, Magik continued to aid Magneto and Cyclops. Following the efforts from Wanda Maximoff to undo the events of M-Day, Magik began experiencing changes to her powers. Unlike others, Magik gained more strength than she had prior to the Phoenix Force’s influence, and she was able to conjure energies directly from Limbo. After experimentation with her gifts saw her and the X-Men teleported to her former home, she was forced to fight Dormammu. Magik was able to defeat him, but realized she needed help with her new powers. She teleported back in time to find Stephen Strange, and took lessons from him. She later helped Dr. Strange defeat the Empirikul, a science cult focused on destroying magic in every dimension.

With her powers in check, she was able to find and make peace with her brother, who was able to forgive her for tying him to Cyttorak. She convinced her brother to rejoin the X-Men, where they continue to serve together.

*Much help in completing this history came from the Marvel Database.

Subject Interview

She stepped slowly down a long, straight hallway; aged and warped floorboards creaking underfoot despite her gentle step. A heavy midnight hung about her, but she saw as if it were day, her eyes accustomed to the gloom of much darker places. Beyond her own movement, a sense of stillness prevailed – not peaceful serenity, but an eerie lifelessness, the sort that might have accompanied a sudden and unforeseen tragedy. Time, an expected constant, seemed to hold no sway over her surroundings, for she could not tell how long she had been walking; she could hazard a guess at minutes, but would not have been surprised had she found out that she had been meandering for decades toward the door ahead of her – a shadowy portal, cracked ajar, through which a sliver of silver light peeked. She knew not what lay beyond it, nor what lay behind her. Illyana Rasputina found the place she was in totally alien, for she knew not where she was, nor how long she had been there.

But she was not afraid.

Very little caused Illyana to feel fear’s grip. Once, perhaps, as a child, she had cowered from shadows and woken in cold-sweats, suffering, as many children do, the claws and fangs of night terrors. But such habits had long passed. The shadow that had once inspired such dread had become a part of her, and she had lived through terrors far worse than those plaguing dreaming babes. Her soul, what was left of it, was immune to the cold, cloying grasp of terror, instead exuding a chill and resolute calm that could, at times, be as disturbing as the horrors she had faced in Limbo.

With each step she took, her sharp eyes remained focused on her destination, and she grew ever closer. Hours could have passed, or seconds, or millennia, but soon the portal filled her vision, and carefully, she raised a gloved hand toward it, reaching her fingers out toward the door and the moon-silver light beyond. Still too far away to touch, she instead brushed her covered palm against nothingness – a nothingness that hummed with arcane energy, a nothingness that was most certainly not nothing. Her brow furrowed as she carefully and inquisitively probed at the crowded emptiness that blocked her path - a palpable wall of desolation. To some, perhaps, it would have been an off-putting barrier, a ward to turn one away from the enticing openness that inched wider beyond.

But Illyana was not so easily deterred.

Raising her searching hand into the air, she reached into the void of the Otherplace and felt for the hilt of her sword. Clasping her fingers firmly about it, she drew it into being from nihility, the weapon raised, poised above her blonde head. Then, in one swift guillotine, she let it drop before her, the soul-infused blade severing protective enchantments in two as if they were silk, cutting through the magic that had opposed her with ease.

Free to reach toward the door, it yawned open, the light behind the darkness intensifying.

Then, the world about her fell away…

Author's Notes

Player Alias: Widow/Star

Other Characters: Black Widow et al.

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