Meet Mikhail Rasputin, the Long-Lost Brother of Colossus & Magik

The older brother of legendary mutant heroes Colossus and Magik, Mikhail Rasputin is one of the most pivotal figures in DAWN OF X and the evolving status of the X-Men. Boasting an impressive array of mutant powers, Mikhail has long walked the line between Super Hero and Super Villain, which has pit him against his siblings on more than one occasion.

Unsurprisingly, then, Mikhail has joined forces with some of the X-Men’s most nefarious Super Villains, and this backdoor intrigue has only heightened since the mutant race unified under the island nation-state Krakoa.

With SINS OF SINISTER dramatically shifting the balance of power on Krakoa and its ruling Quiet Council, Mikhail has become a major player in the Marvel Universe… and given his complex history and past alliances, that could tilt mutantkind towards greater heights or absolute disaster. Here is everything you need to know about Mikhail Rasputin, from his formidable power set to his major appearances and adventures with the X-Men.

POWERS AND ABILITIES

Mikhail possesses the ability to manipulate matter and energy on a subatomic level, allowing him to travel between different dimensions in the blink of an eye, rivaling Nightcrawler. This ability also lets Mikhail transport through space at incredible speeds.

Through his interdimensional travels, Mikhail has absorbed cosmic energies that he can use to fire powerful energy blasts. Through his matter and energy manipulation, Mikhail has displayed the impressive capacity to control Iceman, Sunfire, and Jean Grey’s own vastly different energy projections.

Though Mikhail’s extended time trapped between dimensions made him dangerously unstable, he remains a cunning figure, often employing deception to further his own agenda. Mikhail is also a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, holding his own in numerous fights without having to resort to using energy blasts.

In UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #373-374, Mikhail’s powers were significantly boosted by an interdimensional creature at the cost of his sanity. Eventually, he forcibly severed the connection to regain his senses and return his power level back to normal.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Mikhail was introduced in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #284 by John Byrne and Whilce Portacio as the long-lost older brother of Colossus and Magik, presumed dead after a mission as a Soviet cosmonaut. After learning about his mutant power, the Soviet Union secretly took advantage of Mikhail by sending him on a mission to another dimension, with Mikhail emerging as the sole survivor.

Returning to Earth years later, Mikhail reunited with Colossus when a dimensional rift brought him back, with Mikhail channeling Iceman, Sunfire, and Jean Grey’s powers to prevent the rift from devastating Earth.

The grief of losing his companions and the wife he married during his prolonged exile in another dimension quickly drove Mikhail insane, leading him to flee the X-Mansion and install himself as the leader of the Morlocks under New York City. During a battle against the X-Men, the Morlock tunnels collapsed and Mikhail was presumed dead. STORM (1996) #1 confirmed Mikhail survived the deadly sewer battle, with Mikhail working alongside the villainous Dark Beast to create ultimate mutant warriors.

APOCALYPSE’S TWELVE

Mikhail’s complex relationship with his family continued with THE NEW MUTANTS: TRUTH OR DEATH (1997), which saw him attempt to use powers to save his younger sister Magik from the Legacy Virus. This plan backfired disastrously; as a result of Mikhail’s timeline manipulation, he became responsible for her contracting the terminal virus in the first place. This setback did not prevent Mikhail from eventually reconciling with Colossus, though Mikhail’s redemption would prove short-lived.

Soon after, the sentient supercomputer Master Mold identified twelve mutants would lead mutantkind in a devastating war against humanity that was prophesied to destroy the world. Mikhail was among these mutants, with Apocalypse claiming to have created the list himself as part of his latest bid to rule the world as a god. Kidnapped by the Horseman of Death, Mikhail used his powers to open a dimensional rift and forcibly took several Horsemen with him to another dimension in X-MEN (1991) #97 to derail Apocalypse’s plans.

RETURN TO VILLAINY

Mikhail resurfaced in COLOSSUS: BLOODLINE (2005), this time in league with Mister Sinister. Together, they worked to assassinate the members of his extended family in order to resurrect his twisted ancestor Grigory Rasputin.

As it turned out, Mikhail had been manipulated by Sinister through mind control all along. Mikhail broke free from his mental programming long enough to stop himself from killing Colossus. After speaking with his brother, Mikhail regained his senses just in time to exile himself into the Dark Zone, abruptly thwarting Sinister’s plans.

At the start of DAWN OF X, Mikhail declined the mutants’ call to join them on Krakoa, seeing the new island nation-state as something of a threat and preferring to remain in Russia. Instead, Mikhail allied himself with the anti-mutant paramilitary group XENO in X-FORCE (2019), scheming to make his own shadowy power play in Krakoa.

After XENO stole the Cerebero Sword, Mikhail murdered Quentin Quire and gained further access to Krakoa, while using genetic material harvested from Quentin’s corpse to enhance XENO soldiers.

A NEW BALANCE OF POWER

Mikhail used the reality-altering mutant Chronicler to create his own shadow government to rule Russia before setting his sights back on his dear younger brother Colossus. Through Chronicler’s powers, Mikhail gained mental control over Colossus and forced him to murder his girlfriend Kayla to preempt any suspicion that Colossus’ personality had changed. With Colossus now his puppet, Mikhail not only had an insider on X-Force, but on the Quiet Council as well.

At the conclusion of SINS OF SINISTER (2023), Sinister was imprisoned for attempting to gain control of the timeline through his Moira Engine. Concerned that they may have been genetically compromised by Sinister, Charles Xavier, Hope Summers, Emma Frost, and Exodus volunteered to temporarily step down from the Quiet Council until they received a clean bill of health.

Shaken by an ordeal with Orchis, Nightcrawler left Krakoa, asking Storm to act as his proxy on the Quiet Council. Due to her work on Arakko, Storm is often absent from Krakoa, so she also granted her proxy votes to Colossus, unaware that he is compromised… inadvertently making Mikhail one of the most powerful mutants in Krakoa.

Stay tuned to find out what Mikhail Rasputin has in store for Krakoa. IMMORTAL X-MEN #12 is out now.

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