After two episodes, The Gifted hasn’t been shy about making references to the X-Men’s history, be it mutant terrorist organizations like the Mutant Liberation Front, or more mainstream references like the X-Men: The Animated Series Easter egg in the pilot or Stan Lee’s cameo.
Videos by ComicBook.com
In last night’s episode, the show went a little more subtle with a reference that most fans probably didn’t even notice.
In the final scene of the episode, titled “rX,” viewers were introduced to Roderick Campbell (Garrett Dillahunt), a scientist with an interest in mutants. X-Men fans will know that he is also the villain called Ahab from the “Days of Future Past” timeline.
The incident with Lauren and Andy Strucker at their high school has come to Campbell’s attention, and it apparently reminded him of something from history. He asks one of his colleagues what they know about mutant siblings, specifically in reference to an event that occurred in Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s.
The scientists bring up a series of files on a computer and hone in a newspaper report dated May 21, 1962. The headline is “Mutant Terror in Rio De Janeiro,” and what Campbell reads convinces him that he needs to speak with the agent in charge of the Strucker case.
It’s nearly impossible to read the actual text of the newspaper article without pausing the episode. Which we did. Here’s what it says:
“Multiple international intelligence agencies are on the hunt for the perpetrators of Monday’s devastating terror attack in Rio de Janeiro. The suspects are of European descent and suspected blonde-haired, blue-eyed twins with dangerous and highly destructive mutant abilities.
Local authorities are fully cooperating with their international counterparts in conducting a search of the greater Rio de Janeiro and surrounding areas for any leads or sightings of these two wanted terrorists. Once captured, multiple nations will surely vie for the opportunity to try and punish…”
Fenris
The date of the newspaper doesn’t mean much that we can tell. It’s about a year before the X-Men debuted at Marvel Comics in May 1963. The year 1962 is also when the movie X-Men: First Class was set, but since The Gifted is set in its own timeline, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.
What’s more interesting is the description of the mutants who perpetrated the attack as “of European descent and suspected blonde-haired, blue-eyed twins with dangerous and highly destructive mutant abilities.”
That description is near-perfect for the mutant twins Andreas and Andrea Von Strucker, also known as Fenris, from Marvel Comics.
There has been quite a bit of speculation that the Strucker children on The Gifted are meant to be the live-action versions of Fenris, though this newspaper article confuses that theory a bit.
What The Actors Have To Say
So are the Strucker children Fenris? Or are these mutants from 1962 Fenris?
When ComicBook.com spoke to stars Natalie Alyn Lind and Percy Hynes White on The Gifted set, Lind mentioned that Andy and Lauren will learn to use their powers more effectively throughout the series and discover that their powers work better together, which is similar to how Fenris’ powers work.
When ComicBook.com caught up with Lind and White at New York Comic Con, as seen in the video above, they were coy about their characters’ identities. They wouldn’t say anything quite definitive when the name “Strucker” was mentioned in reference to its comic book history, though Lind was nodding and mouthing that they are in fact the Struckers. However, when the word “Fenris” was brought up, the actors became much more secretive and much less playful.
Fans will have to wait for the mystery to unfold further as the first season of The Gifted continues.
The Gifted airs Mondays at 9 pm ET on Fox.
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