Marvel Comics will soon introduce a brand new version of the Midnight Suns – a dark magic team whose roster is more thrilling than ever before. Marvel’s premiere dark magic team, the Midnight Sons were first formed to take on Lillith, the Mother of Demons. They became an established part of Marvel Comics lore, and many comic book readers are eager to see them make their way into the MCU as well.
Marvel Comics has announced a new Midnight Suns team, with a very different roster. They’ll appear in a five-issue miniseries by writer Ethan Sacks and artist Luigi Zagaria, with Marvel teasing they’re up against a “horrifying villain” with powers unlike any the Earth has ever seen before. Apparently this mystery foe will be tied to the Sorcerer Supreme in some way – although, ironically, that doesn’t really help figure it out. This could be a reference to Stephen Strange, to his wife Clea, or to one of the two Sorcerers Supreme in the Midnight Suns team.
This particular iteration of the Midnight Suns is the best yet. It brings together some of Marvel’s most powerful and promising sorcerers, along with a number of other supernatural characters – and, of course, the ubiquitous Wolverine. Here’s all you need to know about the roll call.
Kushala, the Demon Rider
According to Marvel, the villain of the Midnight Suns miniseries is tied to the history of the Sorcerer Supreme. That means Kushala, the Demon Rider, likely lies at the heart of the mystery. Kushala was an Apache woman who lived in the 1800s; her family were killed by the U.S. Army, and she subsequently fell thrall to the Spirit of Vengeance, becoming the Ghost Rider of her time. Horrified at what she had become, Kushala swore to discover how to undo the curse, and traveled the world learning secrets of magic. She became one of the most powerful sorceresses of all time, and the Sorcerer Supreme of her age. Kushala first visited the present day after an adventure in which she worked alongside other Sorcerers Supreme from history, only to return to her own time and raise a new family. She’s recently been brought back to the 21st century after an unfortunate encounter with the time traveling Doctor Doom.
Magik
Kushala isn’t the only powerful sorcerer on the team. The X-Men’s Magik is the Sorcerer Supreme of Limbo, the Hell Dimension she was spirited away to when she was just a child. The little sister of the X-Men’s Colossus, Magik was kidnapped by the Hell Lord named Belasco; the X-Men pursued her to Limbo, unaware time progresses at a different rate in that dimension, meaning she had become a teenager by the time they rescued her. The original Illyana Rasputin was eventually de-aged once again, but contracted the Legacy Virus, an artificially-created diseases that targeted mutants, and died. She was resurrected through Belasco’s dark sorcery, but in an ironic twist took his throne and became the Sorcerer Supreme of this sinister realm. Magik is a remarkably powerful sorceress, defeating even Doctor Strange in magical battle, and she’s also a mutant teleporter.
Blade
The vampire hunter known as Blade is a Dhampir, a half-human, half-vampire hybrid created because a vampire preyed upon his mother as she gave birth. Blade has dedicated his life to hunting vampires – and, because he’s half-vampire, his life has been an unusually one. Although typically considered a superhero, Blade thinks of himself more as pest control – and he deals with a wide range of supernatural pests, not just vampires. Blade has been a member of other incarnations of the Midnight Sons, and his presence is a smart continuity nod.
Nico Minoru
Nico Minoru – sometimes called Sister Grimm – was one of the Runaways, an unofficial group of teenagers who discovered their parents were supervillains and turned against them. Nico has inherited the Staff of One, a black magic artifact that can perform any spell – once. Unfortunately Nico’s life as a young superhero has been a rather traumatic one, because she had the misfortune of getting caught up in a Hunger Games rip-off created by Arcade. Nico briefly attempted to live an ordinary life, but she swiftly learned someone with her powers would never be able to stay on the sidelines for long. She’s a staff teacher at Doctor Strange’s version of Hogwarts, Strange Academy, where she’s taken on the role of Professor of Creative Spell Casting.
Zoe Laveau
One of the students of Strange Academy is riding with the Midnight Suns as well. Heir to a powerful magical bloodline, Zoe struggled to control her magic and unwisely turned to a dark magic user called Gaslamp for help. Zoe became addicted to Gaslamp’s magic, and the addiction killed her – but, fortunately, her parents were able to find a way to bring her back, albeit with a zombie-like curse and necromantic powers. Zoe is an unusual addition for the Midnight Suns, and it’s possible she’s part of the team because the darkness they’re dealing with is connected to her ancestor, Marie Lavreau. A master of voodoo magic, Marie used her sorcery to preserve her life for an impossibly long time, and in modern times has clashed with both Doctor Strange and Blade.
Wolverine
Wolverine is the most surprising member of the Midnight Suns, and it’s unclear why he’s part of the team. He may consider himself a loner, but even Wolverine can’t keep track of how many teams he’s on. The Canadian mutant is currently focused on protecting the mutant nation of Krakoa as field leader of X-Force, though, so it’s difficult to envision the circumstances that would draw him into this particular team. The most likely scenario is that he, too, has a connection to the true threat – whatever it may be – by virtue of his long life. Wolverine was born in the late 1800s, and he’s seen a lot of strange things over the course of his life, even saving Blade from a vampire when the slayer was just a boy. Alternatively, it’s possible the mysterious threat faced by the Midnight Suns is a danger to Krakoa as well, explaining his presence.
Midnight Suns #1 will be released by Marvel Comics on September 14th, 2022.
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