Marvel Reveals Next X-Men Villain With Major Ties To Magneto’s Brotherhood

A new X-Men villain makes his debut, carrying the legacy of Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants emerged during the silver age of comics as a direct counterpoint to Charles Xavier’s dream of peaceful coexistence. Magneto’s right-hand man is originally Toad, alongside the oft-forgotten illusion-casting Mastermind. The Brotherhood’s original line-up is completed by the Maximoff Twins, who joined out of a debt of gratitude after Magneto saved Wanda from an angry human mob, though their moral compasses clashed with Magneto’s extreme methods.

Over the decades, the Brotherhood shed its “Evil” adjective and its original lineup. The most notable transformation occurred under Mystique, who rebranded the faction as an espionage-focused terrorist cell that famously attempted to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly in Days of Future Past. This era introduced powerhouse mainstays like Avalanche, Pyro, the Blob, and Mystique’s adoptive daughter Rogue before her eventual redemption with the X-Men. As the team evolved through various comic runs, other major figures took the helm, and even Exodus spearheaded a highly fanatical iteration.

Just like the X-Men refuse to die out even through the most apocalyptic of events, the Brotherhood also adapts to every adverse circumstance and every era, with new faces constantly joining the ranks.

Skippingstone Is The Descendant Of Toad And The Blob

Bishop #2; Written By Saladin Ahmed; Art By Mario Santoro & Federico Blee

Saladin Ahmed’s Bishop explores the titular hero’s complicated relationship with his missing sister Shard, but it also takes the opportunity to introduce brand-new mutant characters, most of them members of the Final Brotherhood, a future version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Bishop #1 unveiled Flamequake, successor to Brotherhood icons Pyro and Avalanche. Now, Bishop #2 introduces Skippingstone, descendant of original Brotherhood member Toad and subsequent recruit Blob (via AIPT). Like Flamequake, Skippingstone appears to possess a combination of his predecessors’ abilities, able to both tank and dodge attacks effortlessly.

Skippingstone wears a yellow-and-black version of Toad’s flamboyant costume, known for its jester-style notched collar. He makes his first appearance with a lean, muscular body, but Mario Santoro’s original design depicts him with a much thicker and taller frame. While these changes could be due to creative decisions, Skippingstone’s link to the Blob suggests he can expand his body mass to resemble the massive X-Men villain. Skippingstone’s full abilities will be revealed with the release of Bishop #2 on July 29.

The Final Brotherhood’s Most Powerful Mutants May Be Yet To Come

Flamequake And Skippingstone Might Be The Beginning

The Brotherhood of Mutants still holds potential for many power combinations in the form of new mutant villains. For example, a descendant of Mystique and Mastermind could be a master of total sensory and physical deception, capable of fusing Mystique’s cellular shapeshifting with Mastermind’s mind-warping and illusion casting. Random’s mutant gift allows his body to automatically counter any mutant ability used against him; when paired with Mesmero’s mind control, this descendant could become the ultimate counter-measure against entire superhero teams, regardless of their powers.

The unpredictable nature of mutant genetics means that offspring rarely inherit a straightforward, mathematically perfect combination of their parents’ gifts, often developing completely unrelated abilities. The most famous example within the Brotherhood’s lineage is Nightcrawler. Despite being the biological child of the shapeshifting infiltrator Mystique and the precognitive mutant Destiny, Kurt Wagner’s mutation manifested as hyper-agility, a prehensile tail, indigo fur, and the ability to teleport through the Brimstone Dimension. Similarly, Graydon Creed, the human son of Mystique and Sabretooth, inherited absolutely no mutant traits at all. This genetic lottery means that any future generation of the Brotherhood might bypass expected power fusions entirely.

Which mutant character fusion would you like to see?

Bishop #2 is available July 29 from Marvel Comics

Movie(s)

X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

TV Show(s)

X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)

Video Game(s)

X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)

First Film

X-Men (2000)

Character(s)

Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23

Comic Release Date

213035,212968