Illyana Rasputin and her Soulsword

Belasco, one of the demonic lords of the Limbo realm, kidnapped the young Illyana. At age six, she still had not developed her mutant powers. Although she is gone for only a few minutes of “Earth time,” it’s actually a full seven years in the Limbo dimension. There, she develops her mutant ability of creating teleportation discs. Her dimension’s version of Storm trains her in the ways of magic; Limbo’s version of Kitty Pryde trains her in swordplay. The demon lord Belasco also tutors Illyana in the art of black magic, although he also attempts to corrupt her soul in order to create a series of magical “bloodstones.” She eventually gets free of Belasco, and goes back home to Earth, at the exact same time she left it. Only now, she’s 13 years old and not 6. During her years in Limbo, Illyana develops the power to create a magical weapon out of her own being called the Soulsword. Since Illyana created the Soulsword while she briefly ruled Limbo, whoever else wields the weapon also rules that dimension. On occasion, when tapping into the full power of the sword, Magik even gets horns and tail; really rocking an ‘80s heavy metal album cover look. This version of her was “the Darkchylde,” a perfect name for a metal band. So what can the Soulsword do, aside from look hella cool? The energy blade could disrupt all known magical energies it came into contact with. It also has the ability to cause harm to ethereal beings like spirits and ghosts, and can wound them as if they had flesh and blood bodies. If an ordinary mortal is possessed or controlled by some magical powers, a strike from the Soulsword can also break that spell. This mystical weapon eventually extended into a form of armor that would cover Magik’s arm and shoulders. It’s something else we see in the film version. The sword has changed shape as well. It goes from a thin blade to a giant monster of a sword with little explanation. Aside from “it’s all magic.” Or should we say magik? Among those others who have also been the wielder of the Soulsword besides Illyana are her best friend Kitty Pryde, and for a longer period, the sorceress Amanda Sefton. So why exactly did other mutants take a hold of this magical weapon? That’s because like most X-Men characters, there were several times when Illyana was either de-powered or dead. She lost her powers when she used the Soulsword to close the portals to Limbo. She reverted to her six year old self, with no memory of her time as Magik. Her brother Colossus returned her to Siberia to live with their parents and have a normal childhood. Sadly, that happy second chance at childhood didn’t last long. Her parents were killed by Russian government agents, and soon the orphaned child came to live at the X-Mansion with her elder brother. But soon after she contracted the deadly Legacy Virus, and subsequently died. Illyana stayed dead for the better part of a decade, which is how others like Kitty were able to take possession of the Soulsword for a time. Eventually, a living memory of the older Magik would be discovered in the Limbo dimension, although this was more of a copy of Illyana and not the real thing. This copy would later bond with the soul of the true Illyana, allowing for Magik to return to the world of the X-Men for good. And she’s stuck around ever since. And she always carries her Soulsword with her, as an extension of her magic-meets-mutant power.