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The Trial of Magneto begins with the bittersweet reunion of one of Marvel’s first all mutant teams, and one of the first forces to oppose the X-Men.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #1, available now from Marvel Comics.
The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is one of the most enduring concepts in the X-Men’s corner of the Marvel Universe. Originally formed by Magneto before being reimagined and recreated with various other figureheads over the years, the Brotherhood has long been a violent counterpoint to the X-Men.
Their role in mutant history has been largely glossed over in recent years, but they just got a reunion — albeit for a particularly tragic reason. The original roster of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants just briefly reunited in the aftermath of Wanda Maximoff’s death in one of The Trial of Magneto’s by Leah Williams, Lucas Werneck, Edgar Delgado, and VC’s Clayton Cowles most bittersweet moments so far.
Wanda Maximoff’s mysterious death during the course of the Hellfire Gala has led to a massive amount of chaos across Krakoa. While certain sections of the mutant nation celebrate her demise, others have been trying to uncover the truth while dealing with their own rage and grief over her death. The investigation has so far largely indicated that Magneto — the man who secretly invited Scarlet Witch to Krakoa to try and mend their relationship — is the most likely culprit. Despite his obvious fury over her demise, he refuses to cooperate with the branches of Krakoa, resulting in a massive battle with the X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force. The fight is only ended when a grief-stricken Quicksilver arrives on the island and nearly beats Magneto to death for his perceived actions.
Afterward, Magneto is rushed to the Healing Gardens, while Northstar embraces Quicksilver and tries to help him sort through the pain he’s suffering. Not long after, Quicksilver ends up visiting the Green Lagoon, Krakoa’s premiere bar. With Blob working behind the counter as a bartender, it’s frequently a place of revelry for the mutants who live on Krakoa. But that evening, the bar is largely empty, save for a small handful of mutants: Blob himself, as well as Toad and Mastermind. Along with Quicksilver, the four all quietly drink to happier days before Toad lashes out in a rage, forcing Blob to kick the crying mutant out of the bar for breaking his glasses.
The reunion is significant because, apart from the Scarlet Witch, the original roster of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants has been reassembled for the first time in years. Debuting in X-Men #4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Brotherhood was Magneto’s answer to the original roster of X-Men. Recruiting Toad, Mastermind, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch — all of whom made their first appearances in the issue — the team became frequent enemies of the X-Men. Eventually, the team fell apart, with Pietro and Wanda joining the Avengers and becoming heroes, while Toad and Mastermind continued down villainous paths. Blob was also offered a place on the team in his first appearance in X-Men #7, but he refused, only to later join future rosters of the team.
The four of them are among the earliest mutants introduced in the Marvel Universe, and seeing them reunite even just long enough to share a drink in honor of their fallen teammate is a surprisingly touching moment. None of them have had easy lives, and at times have even come to blows. But sharing a drink in memory of their friend is a very humanizing beat between them — especially for Mastermind, who has been recently teased to be embracing his darker ways by working with the likes of Mister Sinister. It’s a quiet and bittersweet nod to one of the first mutant teams ever established in the Marvel Universe, and a fitting tribute to the team that largely has no place in the modern era of mutant history.
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