WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Factor #10 by Leah Williams, David Baldeon, David Messina, Lucas Weneck, Israel Silva & VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now
The Hellfire Gala has been a major event within the Marvel Universe, with many of the world's greatest power players together to witness the debut of the new X-Men team. Moreover, the mutant nation of Krakoa has greatly expanded mutant interests across the wider universe by the terraforming of Mars for the residents of Arakko, a civilization of warrior mutants that evolved in another dimension. All in all, the event was a highly successful evening for Marvel's mutant population until X-Factor #10.
But as the event comes to a close, it turns out a mysterious crime has been committed on the island, with longtime Avengers member Scarlet Witch seemingly dead at the hands of some unconfirmed mutant and Magneto already named as the prime suspect.
One of the most notable quiet moments of the Hellfire Gala came towards the conclusion of S.W.O.R.D. #6. Since the formation of Krakoa, the island has been revealed to have some very grim views on the reality-warper. Thanks to her depowering the majority of mutants around the world at the climax of House of M, the Scarlet Witch is still considered a bogeyman to most of the mutant nation, which is underscored by the fact that she was thought to be a mutant for much of her existence. This has been a complicated situation for Magneto, who spent years believing himself to be Scarlet Witch's father.
Despite the tension and danger of arriving on Krakoa, Scarlet Witch ultimately came to Krakoa at Magneto's request. The Master of Magnetism wanted to share a moment with Wanda and revealed that he still sees her as his daughter. Sharing an embrace, the pair ended the issue with Magneto promising to help her fix her image among the mutant population. However, that might be far more difficult now, given the revelations of X-Factor #10. While walking around Krakoa, Eye-Boy is horrified to discover a body. Despite his attempts to keep Speed and Prodigy from seeing it, that body is clearly Wanda.
Since Wanda is not currently considered a mutant, that means that the Five won't be able to use their powers to restore her to life, as those young mutants do with most of Marvel's mutants. The circumstances of Wanda's death also make it harder to identify exactly who killed her, as marks around Wanda's throat suggest that she was strangled and not killed with any specific mutant power.
Despite that, Magneto is the chief suspect, since he was the last person seen with her and is now missing. This is likely the crime committed that lands Magneto within the upcoming Trial of Magneto miniseries, which this issue leads directly into. Since Wanda isn't a mutant now, her presumably mutant killer would have broken the critical law of Krakoa that forbids mutants from killing humans, which is one of Krakoa's highest crimes. However, the Scarlet Witch's unique history with mutantkind and status within Krakoan culture adds another wrinkle to these proceedings.
Given his history as a villain and complex history with Wanda, Magneto would make a likely suspect, even if he wasn't actively seen with her shortly before her apparent demise. Considering that he's a member of the Quiet Council, this could become the biggest international incident Krakoa has been involved with yet, given Wanda's status as an ex-Avenger. It could also jeopardize the still-nascent connection between Krakoa and the Kree/Skrull Alliance, which is commanded by Hulkling and his husband Wiccan, one of the sons of Scarlet Witch.
While Magneto could have a defense in terms of motivation, there's also the chance this could be tied to Mystique, who has vowed to burn down Krakoa for its refusal to revive her wife, Destiny. With her anger finally teased to come to a head in the upcoming Inferno, it makes sense to cause sheer chaos for the island by framing one of its most famous and prominent figures.
Give the Marvel Universe's considerable rate of superhero resurrections, there's also the question of whether or not this is truly the end of the Scarlet Witch, who's often been considered one of Marvel's most powerful figures and has reached a new level of prominence thanks to WandaVision and her upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances. But for the moment, Wanda is at the center of a murder mystery on Krakoa, and it's one that the entire Marvel Universe will likely be watching.
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