A Cult Favorite Marvel Character's Dominance Officially Continues in New Release
Overview & Key Takeaways
Magik to lead new X-Men team after a banner year in games like Marvel Rivals and Marvel Tokon
It took a few decades, but Illyana Rasputin is finally getting her due. The X-Men character, better known as Magik, has risen in popularity in recent years thanks to prominent roles in some great video games, important comic arcs, and a movie (though we don't really talk about that one). Magik fans have been eating good and that is about to continue as the character joins an all-new team.
Marvel Comics announced Monday that Magik will lead the five-issue limited series X-Orcists. The book will be written by Ashley Allen with art by Germán Peralta. It's the third Illyana-focused series this creative team has helmed, following 2025's Magik and this year's Magik & Colossus. Reflecting on this latest chapter, Allen said, "Round three, baby! In all seriousness, I'm incredibly grateful to continue this journey with Germán and the rest of the Magik team, telling the story of a character so close to my and fans' hearts." Issue #1 will be released on Nov. 18.
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Image: Ben Harvey for Marvel Comics
Image: Russell Dauterman for Marvel Comics
Image: Dike Ruan for Marvel Comics
Image: Dike Ruan for Marvel Comics
The official synopsis for X-Orcists teases the return of a major X-Men villain that requires Magik to enlist some unexpected allies.
When a demon escapes Limbo and begins terrorizing humans and mutants alike, Magik and Juggernaut of the X-Men team up with Madelyne Pryor, the Queen of Limbo, to take it down. But this demon is unlike anything they've ever seen before, and they're going to need help to stop its ruinous rampage.
All three characters have long, intertwined histories with each other and the Limbo dimension. Magik was kidnapped by a demon as a child and spent nearly a decade in Limbo, during which time she manifested her mutant abilities and forged her iconic Soulsword. She eventually became the Queen of Limbo. Madelyne, a clone of Jean Grey, was once corrupted by demons from Limbo and became the Goblin Queen. More recently, Magik relinquished her title to Madelyne. Juggernaut was once banished to Limbo before eventually escaping.
Image: Marvel Comics
While Magik, Madelyne, and Juggernaut seem to be the stars of X-Orcists, Marvel also hints that other mystical heroes will appear in the series. Interestingly, Marvel recently revealed the new character Repent, who will debut in Uncanny X-Men. Official art of the character also refers to him as the X-Orcist. After he's done helping Gambit get rid of his inner demons, maybe he'll join up with Magik and the gang to help battle whatever villain escaped from Limbo. Magik fans can tide themselves over by playing as the iconic mutant in Marvel Rivals or Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, or dip into the backlog and finally give Marvel's Midnight Suns a chance.
