This article contains spoilers for Captain Marvel #22.
The Captain America: Civil War.
Sheer raw power is part of the equation, of course. And when you cast your eyes to the X-Men, you see a group of mutants whose power levels are off the charts. Cyclops' optic blasts officially generate more power than your standard nuclear reactor, Iceman could freeze the planet if he so desired, and Storm can manipulate weather systems from an entire hemisphere away. The most powerful mutants are called "Omega level," a term that's been described as meaning "a mutant whose dominant power is deemed to - or reach - an undefinable upper limit of that power's specific classification."
And yet, curiously, this week's Captain Marvel #22 suggests the most powerful mutant of all may not be an Omega. The issue sees Carol Danvers transported to a dystopian future timeline, where she allies with the surviving heroes in a battle against demonic creatures. They appear to originate from the Hell Dimension of Limbo, which leaves the future Emma Frost worried Magik may be involved. "I am extremely fond of that child," Emma tells Captain Marvel. "But I'm also well aware of her capabilities. We're talking about someone who at one time controlled Limbo like a god while also running around on Earth having a relatively normal superhero life. The scope of her power is... incalculable."
As one of the most experienced X-Men, and a former mentor to many of their students, Emma Frost knows what she's talking about. Bear in mind that, in her view, Magik isn't such a dangerous threat simply because she is a mutant; rather, it is because Magik is a mutant sorceress. Her powers of teleportation are formidable enough, but Magik is actually one of the most powerful mystics in the Marvel Universe, and in some realities she has become Sorceress Supreme. At one point, she was able to absorb the entire Hell Dimension of Limbo into herself, containing the magical energy of an entire plane of existence.
Magik's connection to Limbo also makes her dangerous, however. This is a realm of corruption, and her tie to it means her soul is permanently touched by darkness. Should Magik ever succumb to her inner darkness, she would easily become one of the most terrible threats Earth's heroes have ever faced. It's possible Captain Marvel is about to learn this lesson the hard way.
