Warning! Spoilers for Heroes Reborn: Magneto & The Mutant Force #1
Professor X has always fought for mutant rights in the most peaceful way possible, but despite his non-violent methods, Charles still winds up with a target on his back more often than not. Case in point - Heroes Reborn just showed that in Marvel's fake new reality, Xavier’s protests wound up getting him killed at the hands of Power Princess.
Heroes Reborn is an ongoing event in Marvel Comics that depicts a world in which the Avengers never came together. In this alternate reality, the Squadron Supreme, Marvel’s version of the Justice League, are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but their methods are far more ferocious than those of typical superheroes. Hyperion, Marvel’s Superman, brutally murdered the Hulk even though the innocent, confused Jade Giant wasn’t hurting anyone. Now, Marvel’s Wonder Woman, AKA Power Princess, just took out another iconic Marvel hero in an equally brutal fashion.
Heroes Reborn: Magneto & The Mutant Force #1 by Steve Orlando shows that mutants unfortunately aren’t faring much better in this alternate reality. In fact, mutant and human relations seem to be worse than ever. The mutant race is still widely persecuted, so when the government attempted to pass a Mutant Registration Act, Charles Xavier staged a protest of the bill in front of the capitol. This was a direct defiance of Hyperion’s warnings to stay away, so it didn’t take long for the Squadron Supreme to turn the peaceful protest into a bloodbath. Marvel's Justice League nearly destroyed the X-Men as countless mutants perished in the fight - including Xavier himself, who was sliced in half by Power Princess.
Not only did Power Princess murder Professor X, but she also crippled Magneto, creating an interesting reversal of Marvel’s main timeline. Magneto, now bound to a wheelchair, leads the remaining mutant forces, and Erik's more aggressive style of fighting for mutant rights feels much more justified in this world considering the Squadron Supreme’s actions. Interestingly, Power Princess also killed Hitler in this timeline, so from her perspective, Xavier was just another radical leader of a dangerous army. This is a dark contrast of the DCEU’S Wonder Woman as a warrior through history, the difference being that Power Princess isn’t always on the right side of it.
Heroes Reborn continues to surprise with its deviations from Marvel’s normal timeline. With the demise of both Professor X and Magneto by the issue’s end, it will be interesting to see how the mutant force of this alternate universe fares going forward, especially now that they've made enemies of Power Princess and the Squadron Supreme.