The new age of X-Men isn’t over. Sabretooth will be coming back in 2022.
One of the first things that Jonathan Hickman did during his X-Men run (read Powers of X and House of X for more on this) was set some ground rules for Krakoa. Among those laws were, “Murder no man.” Before that could be set in stone, Sabretooth killed some people while on a mission for Krakoa. When the laws were official, he was cast into exile inside Krakoa. Or so we thought.
As revealed by Marvel (H/T: Screen Rant), Sabretooth’s new series, written by Victor LaValle, will show readers what the character has been up to. Apparently, it’s not what we would have tought.
It was weird that Sabretooth wasn’t given amnesty for killing. Especially since the laws weren’t official at the time. We may know why. Xavier and Magneto were probably using him for their secret missions. Considering who they are, it isn’t shocking. Neither of them have been shy about what they’d do to protect mutants. We’ve seen it recently with Moira MacTaggert and over the decades in X-Men comics.
We may not know much about what’s coming from the Sabretooth comics, but this writer has some thoughts and some questions about it.
What was Sabretooth up to?
The cover of Sabretooth issue No. 1 looks like the Pit (where Sabretooth was exiled) and it looks like Hell, complete with flames and the watching eyes of Krakoa. To some, this could mean that something wicked is happening in the Pit. This is the obvious option. But what if there’s another? Sabretooth could’ve used this time to reconnect with his hero side. A side that is, in fact, in Hell.
Here’s some advice when it comes to the X-Men. Things are never really what they seem. Let’s look at X-Men: Trial of Magneto. Wanda Maximoff said that Magneto killing her wasn’t exactly true. We don’t know what it means yet, but it’s enough for us to assume there’s more to the story. Like that series, the cover of Sabretooth could mean everything or nothing at all.
Let’s say that we can take everything at face value and Sabretooth has been locked away this entire time. What will he look like when he gets out? Will he look withered away from lack of meat? Will he have issues adjusting to sunlight? Will he cower at the sight of other people after being restrained for so long? There are a lot of things that can come from Victor being in the Pit for a long time.
What’s next for Sabretooth?
Even with the announcement about Sabretooth No. 1, we still know little to nothing about the series. Heck, it may not even revolve around Sabretooth as much we think it will. The DC Comics series Joker is more about Jim Gordon than the Clown Prince of Crime. Who’s to say we won’t see the same thing (or something similar) here as well. If this is the case, will we see someone from Krakoa going after him? If that’s the case, who will it be?
The easy pick would be Logan. However, this would have been a series run in a Wolverine title. The smart choice would be someone like the other Wolverine (a.k.a. Laura Kinney), Daken, or Warpath – all of whom have a history with Sabretooth and are among the best trackers in the world. We could also add someone like Boom Boom or Psylocke in there as they hate him too.
Let’s not forget something else. Mystique is probably on her way out of Krakoa. After all the damage she’s going to cause during X-Men: Inferno, there’s no telling what’s going to happen. If she attempted to kill Wanda Maximoff and set fire to Krakoa during Inferno, that’s two of the laws she’d have broken (the second being “Respect the sacred land of Krakoa”). That seems like an automatic trip to the Pit. However, they’d have to catch her first. There may not be a better person to go after her than Victor Creed.
Can he go without killing?
The Quiet Council of Krakoa put Sabretooth in the pit for killing. If he does get out, he may be put on probation. One of the contingencies to being released may be that he can’t kill anyone. Wolverine may have bent that rule a bit but he hasn’t been caught. The difference is that Logan is discrete. Victor will kill and leave a trail of bodies to his hideout.
Again, this depends on why he was let out. Xavier could be letting Victor kill whoever he wants as long as his mission is completed. This isn’t beneath Xavier. The problem comes when Xavier’s hubris always gets in the way. This can’t happen with Sabretooth. Victor may look and act like a savage animal, but he’s smarter than he’s given credit for. Thus, he will make sure he has enough information and evidence so that, if he goes down, everyone involved goes down with him.
One of the beautiful things about not seeing people like Logan and others kill is they have to get creative. Things get a lot harder when they can’t stab their problems away. If Victor isn’t killing, he’ll have to adapt. This means his underrated intelligence would end up on full display.
Will he betray them?
Victor Creed is known as a traitor. He’ll always go for what’s best for him, even if it means people are going to die or suffer. This writer hopes that something different comes from the Sabretooth series. It’s been enjoyable watching mutants on Krakoa like Selene, Silver Samurai, and Exodus leave their old ways behinds. Victor could do this too. It’s a new time for mutants. Why not let him be new as well?
People may have forgotten that Victor Creed was a hero for four years. He was unlike the Sabretooth we’re used to. He was caring, compassionate, and kept his cool. His relationship with Monet St. Croix during her darker time was something special (see Uncanny X-Men by Cullen Bunn). He still maintained his brutal ways, but he kept them in check. Seeing him betray the X-Men for the thousandth time will get played out, especially since his time as a hero is looked at fondly.
Sabretooth could be the beginning of something incredible. This could usher in a new age for him that could lead to him becoming better than ever. The world of comic books and comic book movies and TV shows are changing. Let’s let Sabretooth change with them. He can still be the beast we love – just with a little twist.
What do you think? Do you have any thoughts on Sabretooth? What are some things you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments below.