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Marvel's Inferno #2 (on sale October 27) significantly escalated the split between the secret co-conspirator trio of Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Moira X (AKA Moira MacTaggert) and the members of the Quiet Council who support Mystique and the newly resurrected Destiny.
Written by Jonathan Hickman with art from Stefano Caselli and David Curiel, the issue revealed the circumstances behind Destiny's mysterious resurrection in Inferno #1, and added even more complications to fulfillment of Xavier, Magneto, and Moira X's hidden agenda - perhaps even setting up the additional factions that will find themselves at odds by the time Inferno reaches its coclusion.
Inferno #2 opened with the secret explanation behind the surprise resurrection of Mystique's deceased wife Destiny, the precognitive mutant whose resurrection has been shadowbanned by Xavier, Magneto, and Moira.
Kicking off with a flashback to the scenes of Inferno #1 that seemed to show Xavier and Magneto collecting and destroying the means to resurrect Destiny, it's revealed that those scenes actually depicted Mystique using her shapeshifting powers to steal Destiny's psychic records and DNA, and to trick the Five into resurrecting her by posing as Xavier.
Resurrected as a younger woman, closer in age to the time she initially met Mystique, Destiny initially struggles to adjust to her resurrection. But it's revealed that she's been alive for over a month prior to her surprise arrival in the Quiet Council chamber, during which time she and Mystique reconnected as romantic partners and as co-conspirators to overthrow Magneto and Xavier.
This also means that Xavier and Magneto never had a chance to eliminate her from their resurrection database even after being asked to by Moira.
This brings Inferno #2 up to speed with the ending of #1, with the Quiet Council about to vote on whether to admit Destiny or not. Xavier vows to call an immediate vote to remove Destiny and Mystique following the vote on Destiny's membership, but the mutant precog wryly warns Xavier that events won't follow to his liking.
Destiny is elected to the Quiet Council in a vote of six to four in favor, with Exodus, Sebastian Shaw, Mister Sinister, and Emma Frost shown to have been convinced to vote 'yes' by Mystique prior to the meeting - with Mystique bribing Emma Frost with a mysterious object she seems to covet enough to potentially turn on her allies. Nightcrawler also votes to instate Destiny on the Quiet Council, but only out of a desire to please his mother Mystique.
With Destiny now on the council, and apparently surrounded by allies, Xavier abandons his plan to call for a new vote, instead regrouping with Magneto and Moira to discuss their next move. Moira initially insists that Magneto and Xavier murder Destiny and prevent her figuring out their plans, but they refuse, stating that such a thing would be beyond even their twisted principles now that she's on the Quiet Council.
Instead, they decide to bring Emma Frost into their conspiracy, introducing her to Moira, whose presence on Krakoa has remained totally secret, and explaining Moira's mutant powers and their implications. Unfortunately, their plan to include Emma seems to backfire, with the White Queen stating that as a "true mutant" and member of the Quiet Council, she will give the matter of dealing with Destiny's precognitive abilities "proper consideration" - but also states that Magneto and Xavier have "lost her loyalty forever."
At the same time Xavier, Magneto, and Moira are meeting, Mystique uses her shapeshifting abilities to infiltrate Sage's security system, uncovering the location of an Orchis facility that's been attempting to breach Krakoa.
Using a Krakoa gate, Mystique travels to the Orchis facility, infiltrating it in the form of one of the organization's scientists and discovering they have plans to harness the full power of the sun itself for some action that will dwarf the achievement of mutants terraforming Mars into Planet Arakko, at least according to the Orchis scientists.
Back on Krakoa, Xavier assembles the Quiet Council to call for another vote - not to remove Mystique and Destiny as he previously vowed, but to fill the final empty seat on the Council with someone who Moira tells Xavier and Magneto that they "know they can trust."
Elected in a vote of seven to four, with Mister Sinister, Mystique, Destiny, and Sebastian Shaw voting "no," and Xavier, Magneto, Storm, Kate Pryde, Emma Frost, Nightcrawler, and Exodus all voting "yes", Colossus enters the chamber to fill the final seat of the Quiet Council - presumably with full knowledge of Magneto, Xavier, and Moira's conspiracy, and a willingness to do whatever must be done to ensure the sanctity of their vision of Krakoa.
Interestingly, many of the allegiances being cultivated by Mystique and Destiny are drawn on the same lines that traditionally separate the X-Men and their enemies. Though Nightcrawler did vote to add Destiny to the Council, he's the only one who wasn't secretly swayed by Mystique - and the only one who isn't traditionally part of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or Hellfire Club (Magneto notwithstanding, given his own involvement in the conspiracy with Xavier and Moira).
Will the split in Krakoan society come down along lines so simple as the X-Men going up against their traditional enemies? Or will the apparent sides being formed become more complex as more Krakoans potentially learn the truth about Moira X and her role in Krakoa?
And furthermore, what's Mystique's actual side plan with Orchis, that requires her to apparently sneak around behind Xavier and Magneto's backs even more?
Perhaps these questions will be answered when Nimrod attacks Krakoa as teased in the solicitations and cover for November 24's Inferno #3.
You don't have to be a precog to know what's coming for Marvel's mutants - you just need our listing of all the new X-Men comics planned for release in 2021 and beyond.
