WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Marauders #27, now on sale from Marvel Comics

The X-Men have been busy lately, with the scope of the mutant nation growing exponentially. This means they've grown increasingly alright with crossing moral boundaries they might have otherwise balked at in the past. But the X-Men's most effective (and morally dubious) tactic might be exposed to the world -- and could define how other heroes see them across mediums.

Marauders #27 (by Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, Phil Noto, Rain Beredo, and VC's Cory Petit) reveals that Kate Pryde is turning to Reed Richards for help -- potentially revealing the secrets Xavier mindwiped out of the genius hero's mind. But on top of this dubious tactic potentially setting up a heroic conflict in the comics, it might also be a clue to how mutants might be hiding within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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One of the lingering mysteries of the Krakoa era has been the circumstances surrounding Kate Pryde. Pryde is incapable of making her way through the Krakoa Gates, and she is finally fed up with a lack of answers. This leads her to turn to Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, asking for his help investigating what's stopping her from using the Gates. Reed agrees, on the condition that Kate helps him uncover the information mindwiped away by Charles Xavier in X-Men/Fantastic Four. Kate agrees to help, arriving at the Baxter Building with two Krakoan Gates ready to be examined.

It's a potentially explosive turn for Krakoa. The Fantastic Four could reveal to the rest of the hero community the lengths that the X-Men have been willing to hide their secrets. This in turn could lead groups like the Avengers to reconsider how they've been working with the mutant heroes as well. The X-Men have previously used telepathy to hide their secrets from their allies, another ethical breach of trust between the heroes. With a potential X-Men/Avengers/Eternals war on the horizon, it wouldn't be surprising for the news of the X-Men erasing the memories of their allies to spurn on a further conflict between heroes. But this kind of tactic appearing in such a high-profile form in the comics might just be a precursor for how the X-Men make their debut in the MCU.

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The ethically dubious tactic of erasing people's minds with telepathy might also play a significant role in the next big-screen incarnation of the X-Men. Charles Xavier's ability to erase the memories of others has always been a valuable talent. He's used his telepathy to hide mutants from the public multiple times across various mediums -- even doing so openly during the Fox X-Men films. There's a chance that Xavier has been using a similar tactic to hide mutants in the MCU. It's easily within his impressive power to erase the memories of any witnesses to the activities or powers of mutants. It would explain how mutants could exist in the MCU up to this point but remained a secret.

On top of showcasing the sheer power of mutants in the MCU straightforwardly, it could help establish how the world views mutants in this universe. If groups like the Avengers saw mutants erasing the memories of other nominal heroes, they likely would perceive the X-Men as more threat than ally. This could set up the heroes as opposing forces, introducing genuine tension between their sides. It also likely would be an easy excuse for people's prejudicial attitudes towards mutants. Suppose the mutants will be feared and hated as they tend to be. In that case, the knowledge they're even capable -- and willing -- to mindwipe heroes, villains, and citizens alike is easy ammunition for the public.

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