Legion Hints At David’s Biological Father

“Chapter 6” of Legion aired tonight on FX and, in addition to keeping the series’ quality high, the new episodes contained the strongest hint yet of David Haller’s comic book legacy.

SPOILERS Follow

“Chapter 6” of Legion mostly involves David Haller and his allies from Summerland being imprisoned inside of a psychic recreation of the Clockworks Psychiatric Hosptial, where Haller was a patient when the series began, as built by the malevolent other being taking up residence in David’s mind that manifests itself as his friend, Lenny, and may or may not be the Shadow King from Marvel Comics.

Up Next: Legion Renewed For Second Season

Towards the end of the episode, “Lenny” gives up the facade of being David’s friendly psychiatrist and begins telling him about her true nation. During her explanation, she mentions David’s father, not the astronomer who raised David, but his biological father. Here’s what she said:

“I knew your father. Did you know that? You’re real father. The guy that gave you away. I know, boo-hoo. Talk about an asshole, always acting so holy then gives away his only son. He thought he could hide you from me, but he was wrong. I found you. Such a sweet little baby and me, you’re very own walking, talking fungus. What do you think he’ll say when he finds out?”

Fans of the X-Men comics may know that David Haller’s biological father is Professor X. Legion viewers found out in “Chapter 5” that David was adopted, which means that it is possible that Charles Xavier is Haller’s father in Legion as well.

There are some clues in Lenny’s rant as well. That David’s father “knew” her at all likely means he had to be able to see inside David’s mind, suggesting telepathic abilities. That he survived without being taken over by this symbiotic, psychic entity suggests that he may have some power and was able to fight the being off. In the Marvel Comics Universe, Xavier and the Shadow King are powerful rivals who have battled on the Astral Plane, a psychic plane of reality introduced earlier in Legion.

What’s may be more exciting is how much room Legion now has to expand with a second season order. Could we actually Professor X on Legion? Patrick Stewart has said he’d be up for it, so maybe anything is possible.

Of course, it is possible that this is a huge misdirect. Nobody has actually said anything about Xavier, Professor X, or even the X-Men. We’ll have to wait and. see

Legion airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

EPISODE RECAPS: Episode One | Episode Two | Episode Three |Episode Four | Episode Five