POWERS OF X #1 Cover - Philip Tan Variant - Rasputin IV

RASPUTIN IV - KRS Retailer Variant Cover for POWERS OF X #1 - B cover

Another fantastic find at SDCC 2023. This beautiful cover by Philip Tan features RASPUTIN IV, a fifth level chimera hybrid combining the power sets of: Colossus, Kitty Pryde, Quentin Quire, Unus the Untouchable and X-23. These combined power sets make her extremely powerful (strong and durable like Colossus, intangible and able to phase like Kitty, untouchable per physical attacks like Unus, telepathy to keep her mind protected and strong for any mental attacks, as well as a psychic arsenal of telekinetic weapons from Quentin, and lastly to have the berserker killer instinct and strong hand to hand fighting skills of X-23). She also uses what appears to be Magik’s Sword during fights, maybe as an added bonus against any magical spells/demons to round things out.

Rasputin IV had a short run in this POWERS OF X series and was sad to think we wouldn’t see much of her again, but this last year she had a pretty great role in the SINS OF SINISTER (alternate future/reality) and even escaped at the end to be part of the normal 616 current timeline. She is still making appearances on new covers and ideally has a bigger role in the lives of the X-Men coming up.

It was an unexpected surprise to meet Philip Tan this year, when we were walking through Artist Alley area, we decided to stop by his booth for a quick look at some art. We enjoyed talking with him as well and finding this piece buried under a bunch of other really beautiful art, we instantly knew this was a piece to secure. For many reasons on my end as I really enjoyed Hickman’s reworking of the X world and this series (POWERS OF X) along with HOUSE OF X being that new start; this being a cover for issue #1 (store variant). I also really enjoyed this character and her history in the books so far (knowing she wasn’t done and we would get a lot more of her), as well as getting my first Philip Tan piece (a cover nonetheless). This cover pairs with another of his pieces (the A cover which features Phoenix in the same fashion). I don’t know where that cover went, hoping to one day see on here and maybe even reunite them.

Her first appearance was in POWERS OF X #1 (July 2019) and this cover is dated as July 2019, so in some ways this is one of her 1st Appearances and on a cover, even if it was a retailer variant. It’s a little twisted like her, but I’ll take it.