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Sabretooth #1 reveals the secret desires of one of the X-Men’s deadliest foes, simultaneously securing his place as Marvel’s most vicious villain.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Sabretooth #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
One of the most unique elements of the current era of X-Men stories is how deeply they’ve explored the potential for redemption. Major antagonists from across the history of the franchise have found new purposes on the island nation of Krakoa. However, Victor Creed aka Sabretooth might be the exception to the rule.
Sabretooth #1 (by Victor LaValle, Leonard Kirk, Rain Beredo, and VC’s Cory Petit) confirms what the titular villain has been doing since his last appearance in House of X #6 (by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz), and it’s not only terrifying but also an indication that Creed may be one of the few mutants who are truly beyond redemption.
Sabretooth has been one of Marvel’s most vicious villains since his introduction in Iron Fist #14 (by Chris Claremont and John Byrne). Multiple times over the years, attempts have been made to redeem him or turn him into a hero. He even had his morality entirely flipped as a result of the AXIS storyline, which briefly gave him clarity and control over himself. But even that eventually fell by the wayside, and Sabretooth was restored to his more beastly and animalistic self. It was his vicious attitude that got him exiled early in the Age of Krakoa, and he was cast within the depths of the living island where he has remained ever since. Taking pity on him, Doug Ramsey and Krakoa decide to allow Sabretooth a modicum of control within his mind, enabling him to carry on multiple lives and fantasies while imprisoned.
It is here that Sabretooth gets the chance to live out his dreams of unimaginable murder and mayhem. After wiping out the X-Men and taking bloody revenge on the Quiet Council, Sabretooth moves on to other targets including Iron Fist, countless mutants, and entire empires. He imagines himself as a barbarian marauder, a leader for a vicious variant of the Starjammers, and eventually even the monarch of hell. Creed considers a more peaceful existence for a moment before he reverts to the carnage and killing that has become like second nature to the violent mutant. The narration in the issue suggests that this infernal landscape is where Victor Creed “felt most at home,” suggesting that at his core Sabretooth lives for violence, brutality, and death.
This issue presents a truly terrifying summation of Creed and suggests that redemption is not a real option for this mutant. The Krakoan Age has seen many of the X-men’s classic enemies taking steps to acclimate to the new society. Former enemies such as Apocalypse and the Shadow King have found acceptance on Krakoa, and have taken genuine strides toward becoming more altruistic. Unfortunately, Sabretooth just doesn’t seem able to put aside his animalistic qualities long enough to be of any use to any society, mutant or otherwise.
While variants of Sabretooth (such as his Age of Apocalypse and X-Men Forever counterparts) have proven heroic, the mainstream version of the mutant appears to be truly irredeemable, a tragedy in an age of reinvention and optimism. Sabretooth promises that he intends to put every single mutant on Krakoa through hell and become the mutant version of Satan, which is one of the most evil aspirations a villain has ever had. It’s tragic, but also fitting that Sabretooth might be Marvel’s most irredeemable mutant, and he couldn’t be happier about it.
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