Warning: This article may contain SPOILERS for The Gifted.

Even before FX’s X-Men-related Legion was declared a success, producers Lauren Schuler-Donner and director Bryan Singer teamed with showrunner Matt Nix (Burn Notice) to concoct a new drama. The Gifted centers on two teens, whose recently discovered mutant abilities, as per usual, don't sit well with the rest of the world.

Scheduled to air next fall on FOX, the forthcoming series just dropped its first trailer, which follows the Struckers, a family on the verge of disintegration. Caitlin Strucker (Amy Acker) is separating from her husband Reed (Stephen Moyer) – who works for the government, arresting mutant ne'er-do-wells. But his family life and career are about to collide headfirst when his kids realize their own “gifts.” Fortunately, the Struckers aren't alone in their burden. The first trailer introduces viewers to several mutants whose names and powers have very curious links to the X-Men world at large.

The Gifted: Which Mutants Does the Trailer Hint At?

On The Gifted, Jamie Chung plays Clarice Fong, who goes by the codename of Blink. While not the most well-known member of the mutant band, her character first appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) – and was portrayed by Fan Bingbing. Writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Madureira debuted Blink (as Clarice Ferguson) in Uncanny X-Men #317 (1994). Sadly, Clarice only survived for about a month but was later retconned back to life, quickly became a fan-favorite character. Over the years, she led the time-traveling Exiles and also served with the New Mutants and the X-Men.

Merely hinted at in the preview, Blink's powers are impressive and extremely useful, as she's capable of teleporting people and equipment over great distances. While her mastery over her skills was dodgy at first, she later refined her them and was able to direct them into javelins and safely transport energy or physical attacks away. The Gifted also took a few liberties with her comic book look, as Blink is classically endowed with pink skin, Vulcan-like pointy ears, and green eyes without pupils. Her punky costume and unique eyes are very reminiscent of her DOFP get-up, though, and her abilities seem to mimic those traditionally ascribed to her – although it’s unclear how well she can handle them (her lack of control resulted in her comic book death).

Clarice is also distantly related to cult favorite character, Chamber, who would be a fun guest or recurring character on The Gifted once it gets rolling.

Thunderbird

The Gifted: Which Mutants Does the Trailer Hint At?

Portrayed by Blair Redford, John Proudstar, or Thunderbird, enjoyed a brief, if legendary, connection to the X-Men. Scribe Len Wein and artist Dave Cockburn introduced the Apache mutant in Giant-Size X-Men #1, which first teamed up characters like Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. His creators quickly realized that his power-set and characterization were too similar to Logan and sadly killed him off two issues later. Proudstar remained dead for over two decades, before a short resurrection, during the “Necrosha” event (and then again during “Chaos War”, where he helped defeat the Chaos King).

In the comics, Thunderbird was known for his superhuman strength and stamina, as well as an enhanced endurance, musculature, and skin. While Redford only appears in the trailer briefly, fans can assume he'll possess similar capabilities. Like Blink, he also sports an updated look, eschewing his vaguely stereotypical '70s costume for a sensible vest and Native American-inspired necklace, as well as a “Semper Fi” tattoo which indicates a tour of duty in the Marines (in the comics, he served during Vietnam). Proudstar also has a brother named James, or Warpath, who was a member of the militant Hellfire Club-offshoot, the Hellions, before signing up with X-Force, who'd make a fantastic cameo or Easter Egg. Assuming Thunderbird's TV version survives a bit longer than his comic book counterpart, he represents a powerful ally for the Struckers.

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Eclipse

The Gifted: Which Mutants Does the Trailer Hint At?

Sean Teale plays a character named Marcos Diaz in the new X-Men-related series. Diaz himself has no official counterpart in the comic book realm, but his codename, Eclipse, links back to the Marvel Universe, belonging to an alternative version of Brazillian mutant, Roberto da Costa. Usually bearing the nickname Sunspot, Da Costa was created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod in New Mutants #4 (1982) and appeared briefly in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Classically, Sunspot/Eclipse is capable of absorbing and channeling solar radiation, which gives him superhuman strength, endurance, durability, heat resistance, and the ability to fire solar or plasma bursts.

While the trailer cleverly introduces the character, while working on a Mitsubishi Eclipse, it doesn't reveal much else about his true capabilities. Diaz does bring up the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, though. His role in the show is uncertain at this point, but he may represent an important figure, especially when it comes to organizing the ragged band and uncovering the truth about the fabled mutant groups. Whether he links up with his comic book namesake or relates in any way to FOX’s New Mutants film/universe is unclear but should provide some comic book intrigue.

Polaris

The Gifted: Which Mutants Does the Trailer Hint At?

Better known as Polaris, Emma Dumont's character, Lorna Dane, is responsible for the magnetic devastation caused during several excerpted sequences (likely part of a larger battle from the pilot episode). During the trailer, she's captured by Reed Strucker's government forces and locked into a specially designed, non-metallic cell. Events leading up to her capture also provide fans with an excellent look at her impressive capabilities, as she's able to stop bullets in mid-air, smash squad cars together, and cause lighting fixtures to explode.

Lorna's true birthright wasn’t confirmed until decades after her debut, in X-Men #49. As it turns out, Polaris inherited her mastery of magnetism from her father, one of the most powerful mutants on the planet, frequent X-foe Magneto. In spite of her anti-hero parentage, Lorna served on the government-sponsored mutant squad X-Factor, the Starjammers, and the X-Men. Much like Blink and Thunderbird, Gifted reimagines her classic comic book appearance, which consists of green hair, a green bodysuit, cape, and tiara. Her live-action debut does offer a thematic connection, though, since her powers errupt in electric-green flashes. At this point, the X-series might avoid a direct link to Polaris' bloodlines or at least keep them vague in order to avoid distracting from the interconnectivity issues, but staying true to her origins would make for an amazing potential crossover, though.

The Strucker Family

In the X-Men world, no official mutants bear the surname Strucker, but comic book fans everywhere understand its ominous connection. Longtime Hydra leader, Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker, either classified as a normal human with occultist ties or (occasionally) as a human mutate, has been menacing the Marvel Universe for decades. His villainous associations also suggest links to the horrific human experimentation of the Nazis and the super soldier program developed by Hydra – which may or may not impact The Gifted.

True, parents Reed (Steven Moyer) and Caitlin (Amy Ackers) don’t appear to have any “gifts” themselves, but their children certainly do. Andy (Percy Hynes White) and Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind) are both developing considerable telekinetic or psionic powers, ones which allow them to manipulate matter on from a distance – such as when he blows up the vending machine or she shields herself from falling debris. Despite an initial lack of connection, the mutant world is filled with empowered siblings, including Havok, Cyclops, and Vulcan or Betsy (Psylocke) and Brian Braddock (Captain Britain). The Struckers may be freshly minted characters, developed for The Gifted, but it's hard to ignore the deeper implications of their surname.

Unlike Legion, which slowly constructed tenuous connections to the X-Men, FOX’s latest offering is far more straightforward. Creator Matt Nix already suggested deeper connections to the overall X-Men universe, but also made it clear that the show will focus on world-building rather than fan service, for the most part. But The Gifted is just getting underway. Viewers can almost certainly expect further curious links to be revealed as the show inches closer to its official air date.

The Gifted is expected to premiere on FOX this fall.

Next: The Gifted: Trailer Breakdown & X-Men Connections