Marvel's X-Men Has Revealed All Four Mister Sinister Clones... With A Twist
One of the biggest and most intriguing mysteries running through Marvel comics in the last year is that of Mister Sinister role in the X-Men Universe. After playing it somewhat quite (but still very much shady) as a member of the new mutant homeland of Krakoa, Sinister has finally made his move to create a variant timeline of the Marvel Universe that is very much in his own image.
However, some key new X-Men comic retcons in the backstory of Nathaniel Essex revealed that the original man died long ago from the power Apocalypse endowed him with. The classic "Mister Sinister" we know (with the signature red diamond on his forehead) is actually just one of four clones Essex left behind. Each clone was branded with the suit of a playing card and tasked with taking a different route to solve the ultimate evolutionary problem: the inevitable dominance of machines and A.I.
The last year of X-Men comics has seen the identities of all four Sinister clones slowly but surely revealed in key places around the Marvel Universe. Now, the event series Sins of Sinister: Nightcrawlers #1 finally puts the final piece of the puzzle in place... (SPOILERS FOLLOW)
Sinister's 'Clone of Hearts' Revealed!
The final clone of Nathaniel Essex with the heart brand (or 'The Clone of Hearts') turns out to be a female clone. Red-skinned and white-haired (with a thick English accent), this female clone goes by the name of "Mother Righteous." The other Sinister clones tried to best the evolution of machines using mutant DNA manipulation (Clone of Diamonds/Mister Sinister), human enhancement and gene-splicing (Clone of Clubs/Dr. Stasis), or alien DNA manipulation and cosmic-level computing (Clone of Spades/Orbis Stellaris). Mother Righteous, however, took the road of magic and sorcery to achieve her goals.
What Are Mother Righteous Powers?
Sins of Sinister: Nightcrawlers #1 reveals how Mother Righteous finally surfaces ten years into Sinister's new timeline of universal dominance, to ally with fellow clones Dr. Stasis and Orbis Stellaris. Being Essex clones, it's not long before it's revealed that Stellaris and Righteous have a secret alliance, as they betray and kill Stasis.
Mother Righteous's experiments have allowed her to create powerful spliced beings of her very own, combining superpowers and the occult. One such creation is her agent "Vox Ignis," who is the mutant Banshee bonded with "the Spirit of Variance" entity, to form a flaming-skull-headed being with Banshee's body and costume. Vox uses a "Scream o' Change" to change Sinister's Nightcrawler-brand Chimera assassins, the Legion of the Night, into righteous heroes on Mother Righteous' side.
In that context, it's unclear if Mother Righteous is a "villain" in the same clear sense as her "brothers." She is, however, a pivotal new player in this story arc.
Who Are the Four Clones of Mister Sinister?
The original Nathan Essex was a geneticist who studied evolution. After he discovered and awakened the powerful mutant External known as Apocalypse, he was given power and long life and became the mad scientist "Mister Sinister." When his power ultimately consumed and killed him, Essex created four clones who awakened upon his death and went out into the world:
- Mister Sinister (Clone of Diamonds) – A mad scientist nearly identical to the original. Sinister has used his long life and transformative abilities to study and manipulated mutant DNA and bloodlines across generations. This clone ultimately got hold of Moira Mactaggart's DNA and Omega-level mutant power to reset the timeline, and used it to create a "reset button" that let him try ways to conquer the world and galaxy until he succeeded in creating this new "Sinister Timeline.'
- Dr. Stasis (Clone of Clubs) [DECEASED] – A white-faced clone like Sinister, just with a club branded on his head. Stasis played with gene-splicing animals and humans and other forms of human enhancement. Disguised, he eventually ended up as one of the leaders of Orchis, a global anti-mutant organization formed by anti-mutant factions of SHIELD, Hydra, A.I.M, and others. (Seemingly?) Died in a battle against Orbis Stellaris and Mother Righteous.
- Orbis Stellaris (Clone of Spades) – A clone that looks like the original, human, Nathaniel Essex – now aged to elderly years. Stellaris built himself a life-sustaining mech suit in the shape of an orb, to preserve his life. It's indicated he would die quickly from advanced age without it. Stellaris installed himself as master of the Worldfarm, the planet system run by the Progenitors, who observe, process, and experiment on all known realities of the multiverse. Stellaris is hoping the god-like computing power of the Worldfarm will provide an answer to stopping the technocracy.
- Mother Righteous (Clone of Hearts) – A female clone of Essex who has taken (currently unknown) routes through the Marvel Universe and Otherworld to achieve magical/mystic power.
The "Sins of Sinister" storyline is now unfolding in Marvel's X-Men comics.