A Deadly X-Men Villain Just Joined The Team

The mysterious final member of the new Marauders squad is one of the X-Men’s deadliest villains. Cassandra Nova joins the Marauders when writer Steve Orlando and artist Eleonora Carlini launch their new Marauders run in March. Nova is Professor Xavier’s twin sister who first appeared in Grant Morrison’s milestone early 2000s New X-Men series. In that story, she pulled off one of the deadliest strikes against mutants in Marvel Universe history, sending an army of Sentinels to raze the mutant nation of Genosha. Kate Pryde’s father was among those killed in the event, making it particularly interesting that Cassandra is joining Kate’s crew.

“Cassandra Nova Xavier is back, with the same malicious mind and murderous hands as ever!” Orlando says in a press release. “But how much has she changed since her last run in with the X-Men? Pryde and the Marauders have no choice but to find out, since Cassandra’s only one who can lead them to mutantkind’s earliest ancestors — a mystery two billion years old. She’s little bit Xavier, a little bit Catherine Trammel, and the Marauders’ only hope for success.”

Nova joins a crew including Kate Pryde, Bishop, Psylocke, Daken, Aurora, Tempo, and recent creation Somnus. Speaking to ComicBook.com previously about Marauders Annual #1. which debuts before the new Marauders #1, Orlando spoke about why he chose these characters as the new Marauders crew.

“Well, from the start, Pryde knows that focusing on rescue, going where they’re not wanted for the mutants that need them most, is going to piss people off,” Orlando said. “So she needs a strong team. She needs a team that can serve power and justice, but compassion as well. And she needs people who can make each other better. Pryde’s always been driven by her heart. So while Bishop might think he could field a more precise and better-suited team on paper, Pryde knows it’s not all about stats. She’s picked people who need a crew, who need the mission the Marauders have accepted, because they’re the ones that are going to fight the hardest for it. And as for the presence of Bishop as Captain Commander and Psylocke as War Captain — in many cases, the Marauders are Krakoa’s first representatives to people — human, mutant, or otherwise — so the Marauders need to put their best foot forward, and be ready to follow up with a fist if the best foot doesn’t work.”

What do you think of Cassandra Nova joining the Marauders? Let us know in the comments. Marauders Annual #1 goes on sale on January 12th, and Marauders #1 follows on March 30th.