The current X-Men monthly comic written by Jed MacKay has introduced many mysteries. Chief among these is why Magneto, seemingly healthy after his resurrection during the Fall of the House of X, was now using a wheelchair. The answer is revealed in X-Men #7, alongside a new illness that may threaten the Mutant community.
Featuring art by Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, and John Livesay, X-Men #7 also explores the mystery of the Iron Night. This was the name given to the evening in which a Wild Sentinel threatened the town of Merle, Alaska. The details of that night were vague but resulted in most of the townsfolk feeling indebted to the Mutant heroes.
A flashback in X-Men #7 reveals the details of how the Iron Night played out. Magneto and Cyclops were close at hand, discussing recent events at the Summers family cabin outside Merle. The two joined forces to protect the town from the Wild Sentinel, pooling their powers to impressive effect. However, as the battle was seemingly won, Magneto lost control of his magnetic abilities. Only a discrete eye-blast from Cyclops, which knocked Magneto out, prevented disaster.
R-LDS threatens most resurrected X-Men
Beast later diagnosed Magneto as suffering from a condition that was causing his body to degenerate rapidly. It was also responsible for the Master of Magnetism’s sudden inability to control his powers. Beast dubbed this malady Resurrection-Linked Degenerative Sickness or R-LDS, as it seemed to be tied to the process that resurrected many X-Men on the island of Krakoa.
While Magneto is less than pleased about losing control of his powers and body, he is more worried about the implications of R-LDS on the Mutant population. Magneto’s condition is apparently worsening, and he was only resurrected once using the Krakoan process. This holds dire implications for those X-Men, like Cyclops or Kid Omega, who were repeatedly resurrected.
X-Men #7 is now available at comic shops everywhere.