Writer Vita Ayala kicks off their New Mutants run in this week's alongside returning artist Rod Reis, and the new creative team offers their first glimpse at the New Mutants' next big threat following the just-wrapped 'X of Swords' – the return of 🥃a classic X-Men villain.
But the infamous bad guy's returꦑn isn't the big surprise – as their schemes seem to already be unfolding in a way that could have a profound effect on not just the youth of▨ Krakoa, but the entire mutant population.
Spoilers ahead for New Mutants #14
New Mutants #14 kicks off with Dani Moonstar psychically helping Karma 𝔍work through recurring nightmares she's had of the Otherworld, since the end of 'X of Swords.' Though the team, including Magik, wish to dig into the nightmares♍ further, they're interrupted by Warpath, who (sporting a comical new 'gym coach' uniform) rallies the team and their young proteges for training.
But they seem to have nothing to fear, as all four address Shadow King as their leader, apparently under his psy𒁃chic thraꦬll as spies among Krakoa.
The Shadow King is a psychic entity♍ from the Astral Plane, who has long used the mutant Amahl Farouk as his host and avatar on Earth, even app💖earing as Farouk in his natural Astral form at times.
Shadow King first encountered Charles Xavier in Xavier's youth, and the pair became rivals with S𓃲hadow King eventually capturing and holding Xavier's psyche hostage in the Astral realm until he was freed and given a new physical body, with Shadow King seemingly destroℱyed in the process.
Since then, Amahl Farouk, without the presence of the Shadow King, has been seen as 🌊one of the mutant residents of Krakoa – though, with this reveal, it seems he may still be under Shadow King's influence or at least the Shadow King is still using Farouk's form when🔜 he manifests.
Though Shadow King'🤡s return wasn't previously directly revealed, the cover of February's seems to show the Astral visage of the Shadow King. Before that, 🌌however, the story continues in January 20's .
As New Mutants ramps up its post-'X of Swords' arc, stay up on all the new X-Men comics, graphic novels, and collections coming up.
I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New Yo🐈rk Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)
