The X-Men villain Mister Sinister had a secret reason for joining the Hellions in X of Swords, and it proves why he’s still one of Marvel’s deadliest.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Hellions #6, by Zeb Wells, Carmen Carnero, David Curiel, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Tom Muller, on sale now.
Mister Sinister has always been one of the shadiest figures on Krakoa, a major villain trying to work within the mutant government of Krakoa. But his machinations have never fully ceased and his newest plan just gave him some deadly new advancements.
On top of his stated mission to steal the chosen blades of the Arakko Swordbearers during “X of Swords”, Mister Sinister had a secondary plan of seeking out DNA from the mutants of Arakko in Amenth.
The tournament between Krakoa and Arakko can decide whether or not the forces of Annihilation, led by Genesis and the First Horsemen, will be permitted to march through Otherworld to reach Krakoa. Mister Sinister suggested to the Krakoa Quiet Council that they make an effort to steal away the Arakko blades necessary for the conflict. Sinister was even forced to go on the mission alongside the Hellions thanks to a vote by the rest of the Quiet Council. But it turns out that Sinister was able to operate a secondary scheme for the mission to Amenth.
Upon arriving in Amenth and confronting Tarn, the Hellions learn that their mission was for all for nothing as the tournament is already well underway, and the blades cannot be stolen. But Sinister, upon meeting Tarn and his genetically modified mutants known as the Locus Vile, is revealed to have had a secondary plan this whole time. Pulling out a small box full of mosquito-esque drones, the machines fly around the area and collect as much mutant DNA as they can find. Tarn quickly attacks the Hellions for this, leading to the team trying (and failing) to stay alive against the sudden onslaught of unexpected powers.
Using this stolen DNA, Sinister will be able to expand his cloning capabilities to include the mysterious and potentially devastating mutants of Arakko. It even seems to have been his real plan all along according to the telepath, Tarn. Although the mission isn’t a full success (as some Hellions are killed, Wild Child is left behind, and Sinister himself is ripped apart by Tarn), Psylocke is able to make it back to Krakoa with Havok, Greycrow, and Empath with the DNA. Sinister was even preparing for such a deadly conclusion, as a Sinister clone on Krakoa is waiting for the Hellions as they pass through the gate back to the island nation. He quickly takes the Hellions by surprise and kills them, claiming the DNA and hiding his involvement so the rest of the Quiet Council believes he was the only survivor of his team.