Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Rise of the Powers of X #3!Magneto is perhaps the most iconic X-Men villain in the history of the franchise, even in the modern era where he’s been a hero for many years. The reason that’s the case is due to the fact that he truly believes in his cause. Magneto fights for the survival of his people, mutants, as he believes mutants are the next stage in human evolution, and it’s high-time they claimed the world as their own. At least, that’s what he fought for as a villain, which is exactly the same cause taken up by another villain in modern X-Men comics.
In Rise of the Powers of X #3 by Kieron Gillen and R.B. Silva, Xavier has traveled to the past of Moira’s tenth life – the life where she, Charles, and Magneto form Krakoa – with the intention of killing her as a child, before her mutation manifests. Professor X wants to undo the Krakoan Era, as it helped give life to an unprecedented threat that would be eradicated along with the entire timeline should Charles succeed in killing Moira: Enigma aka the Dominion.
Enigma is what has become of the original Nathaniel Essex, as he attained godhood as a Dominion – which is a universal hive-mind comprising the highest intelligence in the cosmos. While Xavier is deciding whether to kill Moira in the past, Enigma is having a conversation with Moira in the present day, offering her a chance to join the Dominion. Moira accepts on behalf of all of Orchis, as she is working with the Sentinels in the present day – a decision that, as revealed in this issue, another Orchis representative would have gladly made as well: Nimrod.
This issue includes a page laying out the Dominion’s plan to essentially destroy every threat to its existence with the assimilation of the entire Marvel Universe. The plan is laid out step-by-step, as if Enigma watched it all unfold before his eyes, and now just needs to ensure it plays out. One of those points is the assimilation of Nimrod, who isn’t fully aware of what is in store for him or the entirety of the ‘AI race’, but is accepting of the Dominion’s assimilation offer, as it means living forever as a part of the ultimate power in the universe.
No matter what form it takes, Nimrod’s only concern is the perpetuation of his AI brethren. Doesn’t matter if that’s simply as a fraction of a cosmic god’s ‘brain’, or as autonomous units ruling the world in a Days of Future Past-style future. Nimrod simply believes in AI supremacy even at the expense of his own individuality, and Enigma’s plan in this comic proves that without a shadow of a doubt. Indeed, Enigma notes that Nimrod accepts the offer because he’s “a true believer in AI supremacy”, which is made abundantly clear.
By giving up his individuality to become a part of the Dominion, Nimrod would effectively be sacrificing himself to ensure his race’s future. This is actually incredibly noble, and proves that Nimrod is a true believer in his cause, and not just a mindless machine programmed to carry out a function. Not only that, but Nimrod’s willingness to sacrifice himself is exactly like Magneto, who regularly put his life on the line to fight for mutant superiority. However, as noble as this may seem, Nimrod is still a villain for the same reason Magneto was during his mutant-superiority crusade.
It’s eye-opening that Nimrod cares so much about his AI race, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that his compassion only stretches that far, as he doesn’t care about humans or mutants in the slightest – just as Magneto only cared about mutants, not humans. Nimrod could have opposed the Dominion just like Magneto eventually sides with Xavier, but he’s still purely focused on the survival of his own species, which – upon being assimilated – will come at the detriment of mutant and humankind. In other words, X-Men’s major villain, Nimrod, is shockingly in-line with villain-era Magneto.
Rise of the Powers of X #3 by Marvel Comics is available now.