X-Men Could Be Bringing Back The Ultimate Super-Mutant
This article contains spoilers for X Deaths of Wolverine #2.
The X-Men comics could be bringing back the ultimate super-mutant, Rasputin. When Jonathan Hickman relaunched the X-Men franchise in 2019, he did so in two miniseries; House of X and Powers of X. The first of these focused on the establishment of the new nation of Krakoa, while the second explored a range of new timelines experienced by the reincarnating mutant Moira MacTaggert. Many aspects of this story felt like something of a tangent to the main story - but they seem to be becoming relevant at last.
Benjamin Percy and Federico Vicentini's X Deaths of Wolverine #2 has revealed at least one of these apparently-destroyed timelines is impinging on the main Marvel timeline. A rogue Wolverine has arrived on Earth and is stalking Moira MacTaggert; this iteration of Logan is infected by the Phalanx, who seem to have arrived on Earth to claim the planet as their own - and aim to take down Moira MacTaggert, one of the few humans who knows of their existence, first. But Wolverine's return means it's possible another key figure from Powers of X could return as well.
The absolute powerhouse Rasputin IV is a super-mutant created in a dystopian timeline. There, Mr. Sinister mastered the art of creating so-called Chimeras, clones whose X-genes were manipulated to blend the powers of multiple mutants. In the case of Rasputin IV, she has the Omega level psychic powers of Quentin Quire, the metal skin of Colossus, the phasing powers of Kitty Pryde, Laura Kinney's healing factor, and claws, and Unuscione's force-fields. These mutants were bred for war, and Rasputin IV fought on the front lines. Rasputin was last seen triggering a micro-singularity to kill a powerful enemy - and singularities are spacetime events that could well resist the reboots of the timeline triggered by Moira MacTaggert's reincarnation.
Rasputin was a tremendously popular character and figured prominently in the initial marketing for Jonathan Hickman's X-Men relaunch. The visual design was arresting, a beautiful blend of different superhero designs - most notably Colossus. Fans have been eager to see more of Rasputin, and X Deaths of Wolverine potentially sets her up rather well. What is unknown, though, is precisely what role Rasputin would take on in the present day.
The current twists in the X-Men line seem to be focused on time travel, although it's difficult to say precisely what direction the books are taking right now; they're setting up a major "Destiny of X" relaunch, including an Immortal X-Men book. Rasputin's return would fit well with this arc, and she'd be a fascinating addition to the X-Men comics.