The days of waiting for Marvel’s Mutants to join the MCU are officially over, withDeadpool & Wolverinejust the latest tease of what’s to come when theX-Menjoin the shared movie universe in full force. As a huge fan of the MCU and the X-Men, there is one thing I can’t wait to see in action, and can almost guarantee they’ll bring with them:the Psychic Rescue.
This power was first introduced in Marvel’s ‘Nuff Saidevent, in which all the publisher’s writers were challenged to use no, or very little, lettering for the entire month of released comics. Since then, the power has reoccurred in more recent stories, proving their effectiveness is just as potent in Jonathan Hickman’s Krakoa, or Jed MacKay’s current “From the Ashes” era.
The X-Men’s Patented ‘Psychic Rescue,’ Explained
The ‘Psychic Rescue’ is a power performed by two telepathic mutants, joining together to enter the consciousness of a personwhose mind is trapped in their own or another person’s body, and free them from their dormancy or prison. The first appearance of the Psychic Rescue comes fromNew X-Men #121(2001) by Grant Morrison, Frank Quietly, and Richard Starkings, in a story titled “Silence: Psychic Rescue in Progress.” The tale follows Emma Frost and Jean Grey as they enter the mind of Professor Charles Xavier trapped in the body ofhis twin sister, Cassandra Nova. Hoping to command Charles’ superior telepathic mind to eliminate all mutants, Cassandra uses Cerebra to swap their consciousnesses. Beast discovers Cassandra’s plot and tries to expose her, but he is knocked into a coma along with Charles.
Cyclops Has Replaced the X-Men’s Original Psychic with a God-Tier Hero
The X-Men have always counted powerful psychics among their ranks, and Cyclops is continuing the tradition with this Omega-level telepath.
Beast awakes from his coma and reveals the hidden body of Cassandra Nova, telling his fellow X-Men about the mind swap. Jean Grey and Emma Frost, the X-Men’s two psychics at the time, enter a room with a sign that says “silence” above it as Cyclops and Wolverine wait outside. Together, they enter the mind of Charles Xavier and are only able to communicate using their telekinesis to spell words with surrounding objects. And in the end, free Xavier from his chains.
The Psychic Rescue is A Running Joke in X-Men Comics
The next appearance of the Psychic Rescue was in 2020, during the Krakoa era inGiant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost (2020) #1by creative team Jonathan Hickman, Russell Dauterman, Matthew Wilson, and Clayton Cowles. This time, instead of Professor X being rescued, it’s Storm, but besides that, the issue is almost a panel for panel recreation ofNew X-Men #121.
The latest iteration of the Psychic Rescue takes place inX-Men #5by creative team Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman. The X-Men are investigating new mutants developing their powers later than usual in life. One of the mutants they found named Ben Liu overexerted himself with his powers, and the X-Men make it seem like he burned himself out of existence so they could study him at The Factory. This time, Cyclops orders Psylocke and Kid Omega to perform a Psychic Rescue to wake Ben from his coma, stabilize his mental state, and figure out what activated his X-gene.
The New Psychic Rescue is Made For An X-Men Movie
Unlike Emma Frost and Jean Grey’s last two Psychic Rescues, Psylocke and Kid Omega are heading into their target’s minds with anything but crystal-clear precision, leading to a mindscape and action that would take anX-Menmovie in an entirely different direction.Blending the concepts and imagery ofInceptionwith the layered drama ofThe Matrix, and featuring the the limitless invasions of a full-blown horror film, this new Psychic Rescue is the perfect opportunity for MCU budget and effects to mark a new chapter inX-Menstorytelling.
With Psychic Rescues happening more and more often, I can almost guarantee the X-Men will bring this unique power with them when they eventually crossover to the MCU. This new take on the Psychic Rescue inX-Men #5 gives even moreinsight to this complex power, so it can have an in-depth adaptation to the big screen when the X-Men join the MCU.
Check out the latest Psychic Rescue inX-Men #5, available now from Marvel Comics.
