5 X-Characters Who Should Appear on 'Legion'
"Legion" is the next TV show from Noah Hawley, the showrunner who pays homage every year to the Coen Brothers, with his "Fargo" anthology series. It is based on the underrated X-Men character, Legion/David, who just so happens to be the illegitimate son of Pr. X. He is one of the most powerful mutants on the planet, as well as one of the most mentally ill. In the comics, he has multiple personalities, each with their own distinct mutant ability. His powers are much less defined on the show. He is still just finding out that they are in fact superpowers. So far, no other X-characters have appeared on the show, and Hawley seems like he prefers it that way. He'd rather keep spinning his own tale rather than steep himself in the larger X-mythos. When you see the show, you'd get it because his vision is way out there, incredibly trippy. However, I think these characters could bring something to the table.
Mimic was one of the earliest foes that the X-Men crossed paths with (issue #19). He wasn't technically a mutant, but he could temporarily mimic the abilities of any mutant that was in his vicinity. He could mimic five mutants at a time (lucky the original X-Men roster was 5 members, huh?), and if he was near them for long enough he could permanently "learn" them. His abilities are the kind of wacky that might make him right at home in the "Legion" series absorbing and "forgetting" the psychedelic abilities of all the other characters. Mimic has also had some issues with his mental stability. He kept disappearing and reappearing as either ally or villain until Moira MacTaggart diagnosed him as bipolar. He might cross paths with David, who is also seeking some help with his mental health.
Sugar Man would be a pretty difficult character to get right in live-action. His skull is his entire torso, and he has four arms, devil horns, and a prehensile tongue. If any X-project would be able to get him right, it would be this absolutely wacko show. Sugar Man is a refugee from an alternate timeline. The Age of Apocalypse to be specific. The Age of Apocalypse was David's doing in the first place. To prevent his own birth, David went back in time to kill a younger version of his father, but without Xavier, there was no X-Men. With no X-Men, the world was undefended when Apocalypse tried to take over. I figure maybe Sugar Man jumped timelines (another super trippy development that would be righ at home in this show) either to take revenge on David or maybe to thank him.
Since this show is on FX, it is more aggressive and edgy than the usual live action X-Men project. That is why it would be a great opportunity to drag out one of the more aggressive and edgy antagonists, the Leper Queen. The Leper Queen's daughter was only 2 years old when her powers emerged, dying in the process and burning the Leper Queen severely. She put on a really creepy doll-like mask and lead a group of anti-mutant extremists known as the Sapien League. There are a number of organized groups trying to track own David, the Sapien League is the kind of sick, prejudicial, antagonistic group an X-project could use.
It should be noted that a popular fan theory thinks the creepy pudgy yellow-eyed "devil" following David around in the show might actually be Shadow King. If he isn't, than Shadow King should definitely get involved. King is a being of pure psychic energy from the astral plane, who preys on psychics in the physical world. David would be a pretty big beacon for the King. Not only is he strong, but he is completely out of control. David and King faced once before in the comics during the "Muir Island Saga." King possessed David to take on the X-Men and damaged him so badly that David ended up in a coma.
Although I don't think he was ever referred to as X-Man, Nate Grey is an alternate reality version of future mutant, Cable. He was created in a lab by Mr. Sinister in the Age of Apocalypse alternate reality. Like David, he is a legacy X-Men mutant (his parents are Cyclops and Jean Grey) with psychic abilities of untold strength. Like Sugar Man, he is also a refugee of a reality created by David. That is less important here. I think his short tenure as Shaman to the Mutant Tribe is more interesting. After being abducted with various versions of himself from other realities, Nate was particularly moved by a version of himself who played spiritual leader to mutants. He decided to do the same. With so many shady organizations trying to pull David to their side with empty promises of help, a new age cult leader with a messiah complex seems like the type of person who would work for David's trust, as well as the kind of creepy weirdo who would fit right in in this series.
