WARNING: The following contains spoilers for New Mutants #17 by Vita Ayala, Rod Reis & VC's Travis Lanham, on sale now
The current era of Krakoa has allowed many former mutant villains a new chance at life. This has been shown to be a positive development for some figures like Greycrow in Hellions, but others have only grown in their potential danger to the rest of the mutant population.
Now, another obscure mutant villain is on the path to being restored to life. Karma's villainous brother Tran is set to be finally resurrected.
While traveling through Otherworld in search of their lost ward Josh, Karma and Mirage find themselves conscripted to a mission by Merlyn to breach the Floating Kingdom of Roma Regina and recover a mysterious artifact. During their journies, the pair end up following a white rabbit who appears to be a psychic manifestation brought to life by Mirage. But Dani Moonstar isn't creating the creature, noting that it feels like someone else entirely. When the pair end up confronted by Roma herself, she compliments Dani on her innate ability to give an outlet to a trapped psyche.
When the pair return to Krakoa, Karma and Mirage are shown discussing the possibility that the presence is actually Xi'an's long-believed destroyed brother, Tran, who she previously absorbed into her own psyche. Xi'an explains that she believes the rabbit is representative of his desires. To that end, Karma decides to enter the Crucible, Krakoa's ritualistic way of dying so you can be reborn via the resurrection protocols of the Five, and in the process, seemingly give them the chance to also restore Tran's body.
Coy Manh was the brother of Xi'an, the New Mutant otherwise known as Karma. First appearing in Marvel Team-Up #100 by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, Tran had a mutation that allowed him to possess the minds of others and force them to act according to his will. But while his sister showed far more restraint and humanity in the application of her powers, Tran was far more violent and vicious. He worked alongside his uncle, the former Vietnamese General Nguyen, and came up against the likes of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. However, after a psychic duel with his sister, Tran's psionic life essence was absorbed by Xi'an.
This seemingly fused his soul to hers and destroyed his corporeal form. His influence did have an effect on his sister, and he attempted to break free of her in New Mutants: Dead Souls. But thanks to Magik and the rest of the New Mutants, he was forcibly recombined with Karma. It appears that now Karma has decided it's time to give her brother a new chance. By taking to the Crucible, Xi'an could potentially give Tran the chance to receive a new body as well by going through the resurrection protocols.
This could give Xi'an the chance to make peace with her brother and start fresh with him. In the modern age of Krakoa, where redemption is offered to all mutants, this could be a genuine chance for the villain to make amends for his past mistakes. But Tran's sadistic side makes him a genuine threat, especially to other mutants. With the Hellions already showcasing how difficult it can be to handle a mutant who tends to control his peers and control them for his own amusement, throwing another such figure onto Krakoa could end up being a very dangerous prospect.