Warning! This article contains spoilers for Excalibur #22
The X-Men may have just started a war with one of the greatest magic users in the Marvel Universe, former Sorcerer Supreme Merlyn of Otherworld. Since Betsy Braddock tapped into the powers of her ancestors and became Captain Britain, she has taken an oath to uphold justice and peace throughout the realm. Recently, that peace has been threatened by none other than Merlyn himself. To find out what nefarious deeds the wizard might have been up to, Captain Britain gathered her Excalibur team and in doing so may have inadvertently started a war.
In Excalibur #22 by Tini Howard with art by Marcus To and Erick Arciniega, Merlyn speaks to the court of the ruler of Otherworld, Saturnyne with Captain Britain also being in attendance. During the meeting, Merlyn discusses the dangers he believes mutants pose for their magical world. When the former Sorcerer Supreme’s concerns are deemed unfounded, the wizard threatens Saturnyne, saying she’ll regret ignoring his counsel. Being sworn to protect Saturnyne, Braddock asks the help of Excalibur members Gambit, Jubilee, and Rictor to investigate Merlyn to see if he actually means to form an uprising. As expected, the X-Men are caught, which could mean great danger for all mutantkind.
Merlyn was already skeptical of mutants in his world and now his prejudice has backing after catching the X-Men snooping in his chambers. As a former Sorcerer Supreme, Merlyn’s magical abilities are near unparalleled. The X-Men Merlyn finds trespassing in his chambers are nearly killed on the spot by the wizard without much effort before they narrowly escape with their lives. With evidence to back up suspicion, Merlyn can now launch a full-scale attack against all of mutantkind with the full force of his magical abilities. While the prospect of fighting a being as powerful as Merlyn is daunting, the X-Men do have a good chance at success as they have claimed victory over another Sorcerer Supreme in the past.
In the first battle during the Avengers Vs. X-Men event, the Avengers win against the X-Men, so Cyclops orders Magik to open a portal through the realm of Limbo to act as a back door. Doctor Strange pursues the X-Men member, coming face-to-face with the ruler of Limbo, Magik. Illyana Rasputina successfully incapacitates the Sorcerer Supreme and uses an illusion spell to pretend to be him while infiltrating the Avengers, turning the tide on the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ first victory.
The X-Men defeated Doctor Strange despite his claimed mastery of the mystic arts and will undoubtedly do the same against Merlyn should the situation escalate to war. Not only are the X-Men basically immortal, every leader within their ranks is an expert tactician. Cyclops was able to utilize Magik and outmaneuver the supposed most powerful sorcerer of their time and pull a victory out of a defeat. Captain Britain has proven herself a great leader throughout Excalibur and has already managed to best Merlyn in their first confrontation by means of escape. The X-Men could be going to war with former Sorcerer Supreme Merlyn, and if history is any lesson, the mutants have a good chance at winning.
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