Just like that, Moira MacTaggert has become one of the most important characters in the X-Men universe, and that’s sent collectors into a frenzy over X-Men #96.

In the pages of House of X and Powers of X, Jonathan Hickman completely redefined the history of the X-Men. That doesn’t necessarily delete everything in the team’s storied mythos, so don’t worry that what made the X-Men great in the first place has been lost. It hasn’t. It’s just taken a new (and much-needed turn), and it all hinges on Moira MacTaggert.

It’s interesting that Hickman chose Moira as the linchpin for the X-Men’s revamped past. For decades, she was the on-and-off love interest for Charles Xavier, and she was tied closely to the team along with her son Proteus. Past that, she was simply a lovable minor character among many others. She wasn’t terribly important to the overarching narrative that began in the revered Chris Claremont era. In fact, for over four decades, she was a regular human being finding her place among the mutants and their godlike powers. Suddenly, her story was given a complete overhaul and well-deserved upgrade, and she has ascended to become the spark that ignited the flame that is the latest X-Men incarnation.

If you haven’t been reading the new series, stop what you’re doing and pick up this run. In the meantime, let me fill you in. Hickman wrote Moira as having the mutant power of reincarnation. Every time she has been reborn, she retained all the memories of her past lives. Her story, then, is that she continuously watched mutants become persecuted and murdered in each of her lives. She experiments with joining virtually every faction both good and evil, even going so far as to align herself with Apocalypse. In her tenth life (hence her new name, Moira X), she gives Xavier the idea of beginning a new nation-state, Krakoa, comprised solely of mutants. 

All this newfound attention on the X-Men with Moira as a centerpiece to the mythology has made her first appearance (both as a human and as a mutant) hot commodities. Here are the latest figures.

X-MEN #96

Every grade of X-Men #96 has been on the move. Sales for graded copies of Moira’s first appearance have picked up exponentially, and it jumped over 100 positions to firmly seat itself among the top-50 hottest bronze age comics as of October 25.

The good part about collecting this issue is that you won’t have to take out a loan to afford it. The 9.8 is unsurprisingly expensive with its 90-day fair market value over $1k. However, everything from a 9.6 and down, falls below $400. If you’re looking to keep your cost under $100, almost everything from a 7.0 and below will fit the bill.

 

 

 

HOUSE OF X #2

Although this isn’t a true first appearance, many collectors are nonetheless referring to House of X #2 as the first appearance of Moira X. Since it’s being viewed as a type of first, prices are inevitably inflated. Copies of the graded 9.8 have already cracked the triple digits, and its current high stands at $140. It currently has an FMV of $95.

WHERE’S IT ALL GOING?

Hickman’s X-Men appears to be boiling down to a Utopian experiment. What usually happens to science-fiction Utopias? They implode and become dystopias, and that’s exactly where this is headed one way or another. Even if I’m right, it’s not going to spoil the ride from paradise to apocalypse. Even when this is all wrapped up, hopefully, Moira will retain her upgraded rank among the team.

 

 

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