A major mutant from a recent Marvel movie just cemented her place on Krakoa — as the ultimate balance to keep Beast in check as he leads X-Force.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Force #16 by Benjamin Percy, Joshua Cassara, Guru-eFX & VC’s Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
Beast is one of the original X-Men, and has long been one of the most respected members of the team. But in recent years — and especially since taking command of X-Force — Beast has become a much more controversial figure. He needs someone to keep him in line — and the comic-counterpart to one of the major characters from The New Mutants might be the perfect person for the job.
But in X-Force #6, Cecilia Reyes just proved how important she is on X-Force by being the one person who can actually convince Beast to restrain his impulses.
Cecilia Reyes is one of the most medically skilled and knowledgeable mutants on Krakoa. While the capabilities granted to the X-Men and their allies thanks to the Five allow the mutants of the island simply to be revived upon their deaths, there’s still a place for medical experts. They can provide analysis to specific subjects, such as Reyes has been doing during her time with X-Force. While she isn’t as prevalent of a member of the group as Beast or Sage, it’s clear that the pair appreciate her additions to their group dynamic — someone who’s fast enough and smart enough to converse with the super genius Beast on his level.
However, Reyes has always been a far more humanistic figure than characters like Beast, who has become increasingly concerned with weaponization above all else. The kind of experience Reyes has gained as a medical caregiver gives the character a touch of restraint — which positions her perfectly to serve as a counter to Beast in X-Force. While examining the body of a sailor infected with a Krakoan-grown entity, Beast takes note of the creature’s potential as a weapon. But Reyes instead sees the evolution as something more than a toy for the X-Men’s resident scientist, and confronts Beast about it. Reyes tells Beast that she can see the “glimmer” in his eye. She warns him about using the being as his plaything, Reyes even keeps him focused on dealing with treatment over weaponization, prodding him in the chest to keep him focused and on point.
Beast has made a series of harsh and short-sighted decisions in the name of ensuring safety on Krakoa. His actions have done serious damage to the world — as in the case of the destructive Terra Verde that came out of his experiments — as well as to his standing on Krakoa. Major allies such as Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Colossus have some very justifiable frustrations with him. The Five have raised official complaints about Beast’s behavior, and how his dictates seem to supersede their concerns. Even before Krakoa, Beast’s decisions were affecting the world in potentially ruinous ways, such as when he brought the teen X-Men into the present and endangered the entire time-stream in an attempt to reach out to Cyclops.
But Reyes is someone who can talk to Beast on his own level, and keep him in check. She can address her concerns from a scientific perspective and effectively serve as Beast’s conscience. She can be the voice of reason in the room, and do so from a point of view that Beast doesn’t just admire but also respects. If Reyes can continue to operate as she does in X-Force #16, then she might be the perfect person to keep Beast from making the kind of mistakes that have already caused some serious problems for both the longtime X-Man and his teammates.
