Did Marvel just tip its hand in regards to its X-Men villain? An upcoming X-Men crossover could give away the big announcement.

Recently, Marvel announced that the former Nathaniel Essex will be the guest of honor in next year’s X-Men crossover, The Sins of Sinister, a title that is less than inspired. While I don’t picture this being the next X-Men classic tale, the fact that this is the third time Mister Sinister is being shoved into the spotlight is a telling sign.

The clues started subtly enough with Sinister getting a personality makeover during Jonathan Hickman’s House of X/Powers of X X-Men soft reboot. Making the character less evil and more amoral with a heaping helping of humor has turned him into a fan favorite. The timing of all that is suspicious, considering it happened around the same time Disney bought the Fox properties. Just last year, Marvel pulled yet another crossover remastered edition from its bag of tricks, this time giving the 1980s Sinister-led classic Inferno the sequel no one asked for. 

Add 2021’s Inferno to the signs over the past three years, and it points a flashing, neon arrow at Mister Sinister. On that topic, here’s your update on his first appearance as well as a couple of other prospects you should have your eye on.

UNCANNY X-MEN #213

The Marvel Universe was first introduced to Mister Sinister in this classic issue of Uncanny X-Men. Of course, he only appeared in a small cameo, which was the norm for teasing villains at the time. The biggest difference was that it took eight issues before he made his grand entrance. Personally, I love this issue for the exquisite Alan Davis cover art and that awesome Sabretooth/Wolverine brawl. Having Sinister’s cameo only sweetens the deal.

At one point in the past year, the graded 9.8 was averaging close to $300. Since the summer heat began, that fair market value has dipped to $261, but that’s not a bad thing. It makes for a decent investment for what could be a much more important key in years to come.

UNCANNY X-MEN #221

Here is the top of the food chain for all those Essex keys. Although he doesn’t appear on the cover art, the mad scientist makes his full debut in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #221. What makes this issue even more appealing, at least for X-fans, is the Marc Silvestri artwork. In the annals of X-Men artists, his name belongs among the all-time greats, and he was at the top of his game around this time.

Before this issue takes off when Marvel reveals its X-Men cast, you’ll want to invest while the prices are reasonable. At the moment, the graded 9.8 is a $400 comic on average. Even better is the 9.6, which you can own for a modest $160.

UNCANNY X-MEN #239

While you are taking aim at those Sinister keys, you’ll want to add Uncanny X-Men #239 to the list. After debuting in 1987, he made his first cover appearance on this 1988 issue. UXM #239 was a prelude to the popular ‘80s X-Men crossover, Inferno. Here we also first saw Jean Grey’s clone and Cable’s mom, Madelyne Pryor debut as the Goblin Queen, thus triggering a fan obsession that persists to this day. If you are looking for a copy, the 9.8 has been hovering around $300-$350 for the past year. 

SINISTER SOMEDAY

What Marvel has planned for the X-Men on the big screen is anyone’s guess. The mystery of it all is part of the fun, and I’m putting my money on Mister Sinister getting a major role in the MCU. In just a couple of weeks, Marvel Studios will be part of Disney’s D23 Expo, and that could be when the MCU finally gets X-rated. 

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.