Could Mystique betray the X-Men in the upcoming "X of Swords" event? Jonathan Hickman's X-Men franchise is building towards its first event, "X of Swords," which will run for a staggering 24 issues. Precious little is known about the plot right now, but the evidence is building it will be Apocalypse's endgame plot.
The title has a double meaning. On the one hand, there will be ten X-Men who wield ten legendary swords in defense of the mutant community of Krakoa. In fact, it looks as though the mutants will be up against another ten swordbearers - ones who champion Arakko, another living island cast into a different dimension by Apocalypse untold millennia ago. At the same time, though, the title also references the Tarot card that speaks of disaster and betrayal. The clear implication is that the X-Men will be betrayed, and that Apocalypse's current plans will be ruined. But who will the traitor be?
This implication has apparently been confirmed by a recent teaser image unveiling the Swordbearers of Arakko, identified as the X-Men's sworn enemies in "X of Swords." Although one was introduced in X-Men #2, the rest appear to be brand new characters - with one possible exception. The identity of one woman is concealed, both by a "classified" label and by an ancient Egyptian-style mask. It's reasonable to assume this is a member of the mutant community, someone who has betrayed them and switched sides; otherwise Marvel wouldn't go to such lengths to hide their identity.
But who is this traitor? The most likely candidate is Mystique, who was revealed to be Krakoa's greatest threat in X-Men #6. Mystique's motives are entirely understandable; she wants to take advantage of the resurrection protocols to bring back her late wife, Destiny. Unfortunately, Xavier and Magneto are stringing her along, because they know Krakoa's secret founder Moira MacTaggert doesn't want any precognitive mutants on the island at all. They are underestimating the power of Destiny's foresight, however, because years before her death Destiny foretold this day. "There will be an island," Destiny prophesied, "not the first, but the last. This place will seem to be hope for our kind. They will invite you in, lift you up, and then deny you the one thing you want." Destiny warned the rulers of this island could not be trusted. "When those days come," she concluded, "remember these words: BRING ME BACK. And if you cannot... if they will not... then burn that place to the ground."
Mystique is, therefore, the most likely candidate for the traitor. She already has an agenda of her own, and it is a destructive one; if she cannot bring Destiny back, she wants to burn Krakoa to the ground. It's not hard to imagine her forging an alliance with the enemies of Krakoa, and even becoming a Swordbearer of Arakko, in "X of Swords."