Warning! Spoilers ahead for X-Factor #10
The X-Men's Hellfire Gala has concluded with a shocking murder, and it could very well tear the mutant nation of Krakoa apart. While the huge night of extravagance and festivities featured plenty of surprises and big reveals, the event saved one last epic surprise for its finale. Now, the party is over and The Trial of Magneto is coming, as the Master of Magnetism will apparently be the X-Men's number one suspect for the crime. However, regardless of whether he's the true culprit or not, the victim will certainly affect not only Magneto's future, but also the future of the entire mutant nation itself. Despite the X-Men having the ability to resurrect their own, the deceased in question is one that would certainly give several mutants pause.
X-Factor #10 is the culminating issue of the story arc coming from Leah Williams, David Baldéon, David Messina, and Lucas Werneck, and it sees the festivities of the Hellfire Gala ending in a big way. While the series has seen X-Factor investigating dead and missing mutants to ensure their resurrection on Krakoa, their final discovery of the series is absolutely its biggest. However, this victim in particular may not be resurrected as quickly as others, at least not without some significant controversy that could create all sorts of rifts on the mutant island.
At the issue's end, Tommy Maximoff's Speed is horrified to discover his own mother, Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, dead in the bushes. Not only is this incredibly shocking and tragic, but it also puts a lot of suspicion on Magneto, who considers himself to be her father despite the reveal in 2015 that he and Wanda are not actually biologically related. The prior chapter of the Hellfire Gala (SWORD #6) saw Magneto and Scarlet Witch reuniting as father and daughter in spite of this truth, only for her to be found dead here in this issue. Many eyes are now on Magento, and it's seemingly been confirmed that he'll soon be put on trial as a result. However, what will be become of Wanda's body? Will she be resurrected using Krakoa's protocols with Cerebro and The Five?
Wanda's dark and traumatic past with mutantkind makes things extremely complicated. Due to her mental breakdown that created the House of M reality and the near-total genocide of the mutant race, Wanda has long been seen as a pariah and outcast by the majority of mutantkind. Combined with the fact that she's not actually a mutant - with her powers having come from experimentation by the High Evolutionary - many mutants call her The Pretender, seeing her as a blight on their history. Younger mutants even using her name as a derogatory slur. As such, there's a huge question mark as to whether or not Krakoa and its leading Quiet Council will go through with resurrecting her (if they even can). However, it could be exactly why Magento (maybe) killed Scarlet Witch in the first place, potentially wanting his chosen daughter to come back to life as a genuine mutant.
In any case, Magneto's apparent murder will no doubt create some major discussions and disagreements in future issues, as there's bound to be all sorts of arguments and differing perspectives as to whether or not Wanda should be brought back. If the X-Men aren't careful, conflict could very easily get out of hand over what to do with the Scarlet Witch's body if her death becomes public, though fans will just have to wait and see how it all plays out with the upcoming Trial of Magneto.