With the savage mutant Sabretooth currently in exile, Marvel may be setting up another resident of Krakoa to act as the feral mutant’s replacement.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hellions #7 by Zeb Wells, Stephen Segovia, David Curiel, and VC’s Cory Petit, on sale now.
Wild Child is not a very well-known mutant, but since Marvel may be positioning him to fill the now-imprisoned Sabretooth’s role, he may become far more prominent in the X-Men’s world. As it stands, Wild Child bears several physical similarities to Wolverine’s bestial foil, and the young mutant stands poised to take center stage post “X of Swords.”
Hellions #7 by Zeb Wells and Stephen Segovia sees the team do a lot of damage control and Mister Sinister vamp over his leadership shortcomings. After his death, Wiild Child emerges from resurrection with few memories and a top-notch body. Once synchronized with his mind, Wild Child was honed into something more powerful than he ever was before. As explained in the issue, honing is a process in resurrection similar to defragmenting a computer; all the excess is removed to improve – or, in Wild Child’s case, focus – performance. He broods, and when he speaks it is only to share his blood lust. At the end of the issue, he leaps into combat ahead of his team with a new focus and renewed ferocity.
To understand Wild Child’s honing, one must dive into his origins. Wild Child, or Kyle Gibney, first appeared in Alpha Flight #1 by John Byrne in 1983. He was a young mutant who, like many, faced ostracization in the human world and exploitation in a Secret Empire lab. Made feral by the Secret Empire’s testing, Kyle had great power, but no way to direct it. The Canadian Department H recruited him to train under Wolverine, then known as Weapon X. Though Kyle was destined for great things, Department H dissolved. With his predatory powers and a more focused training, Kyle took on the name Wild Child and became a deadly member of Omega Flight.
Wild Child has gone through a number of teams and alliances throughout the years, but he now he sits on the current roster of the Hellions. Though the team is led by Mister Sinister, his loyalty is to Psylocke, the field leader who proved herself as an Alpha in his eyes. Since his recent resurrection, Wild Child has already exhibited strength and speed heightened from his dulled form. He has not yet demonstrated how his honing affected his zoopathy or mind control resistance, but with the explanation given in the issue, it should stand to reason that they are more acute than before. His desire to hunt may hint at such changes.