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| Daytripper | |
|---|---|
 Amanda Sefton. Art by Darick Robertson. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Men #98 (April 1976) |
| Created by | Chris Claremont Dave Cockrum |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jimaine Szardos |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Muir Island X-Men Excalibur |
| Notable aliases | Amanda Sefton Daytripper Magik |
| Abilities |
|
Amanda Sefton (real nameJimaine Szardos) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byChris Claremont andDave Cockrum, the characterfirst appeared inX-Men #98 (April 1976). The character has also been known asDaytripper andMagik at various points in her history. She is the foster sister and former lover ofsuperheroKurt Wagner / Nightcrawler of theX-Men.[1]
Amanda Sefton debuted in the ninety-eighth issue of the 1976X-Men series, created byChris Claremont andDave Cockrum.[2] She later appeared in the 1981Uncanny X-Men series. She appeared in the 1998Excalibur series. She appeared in the 2000X-Men: Magik series, her first solocomic book series, byDan Abnett,Andy Lanning, andLiam Sharp.
Jimaine Szardos and her motherMargali areManouchewitches. WhenKurt Wagner (also known as Nightcrawler) joins the X-Men, Jimaine follows him to the United States, assumes the identity of Amanda Sefton, takes a job as aflight attendant, and eventually becomes Nightcrawler's girlfriend.[3][4] When Margali attacks the X-Men, believing Nightcrawler to have been responsible for the death of her son Stefan Szardos, Amanda reveals herself as Jimaine, convinces her mother to let Kurt live, and resumes her on-and-off relationship with him.[5] Their relationship broke apart when Kurt suffers a severe case of self-doubt following an encounter with theBeyonder uponthe latter's arrival on Earth.[6]
Much later, and in need of her magical abilities, Nightcrawler calls Amanda Sefton to aidExcalibur. She takes the codename Daytripper, playing on Kurt's codename. Once familiarized with the problem at hand, Amanda attempts to helpMeggan andRachel Summers locate the lostCaptain Britain in the time-stream. They only manage to exchange Captain Britain for Rachel, who enters the time-stream in his place and emerges in the distant future.[7]
Amanda Sefton later assumes the identity of Magik. She thwartsBelasco and theN'Garai's takeover ofLimbo and Earth, but is forced to conceal her identity until of the end of the battle. Amanda rallies the rulers of Hell to unite them in a common goal: the preservation of Hell.[8] Amanda has also mastered the ability to magically control the stepping discs of Limbo, like Belasco before her, and practices to wield the Soulsword.[9]
Amanda resurfaces inNew X-Men, where she is driven out of Limbo by Belasco. Although she had fought and defeated him in the past, Belasco now appears more powerful than before. Without the Soulsword, Amanda is unable to stop him.[10]
Amanda assists New X-MenHellion andSurge as well as Lex, an operative of theOffice of National Emergency, in finding students who were kidnapped by Belasco. The students are saved due toIllyana Rasputin usurping control of Limbo. After returning to the X-Mansion, Amanda finds that Limbo has been sealed off.[11]
During the storyline "X-Men: Second Coming", Nightcrawler is killed while protectingHope Summers fromBastion. After being resurrected, Nightcrawler attempts to reunite with Amanda Sefton, but she is almost kidnapped by the villain Trimega.[12] After subduing Trimega, Nightcrawler grants Amanda and Margali sanctuary in theJean Grey School for Higher Learning. However, an army of Trimegas descend upon the school. During the battle, Nightcrawler learns that Margali is the creator of Trimega and orchestrated the attack to gain knowledge of how to cross into the afterlife. Armed with this knowledge, Margali opens a portal whose existence would endanger reality. Nightcrawler and Amanda attempt to pass the gate, but Nightcrawler's voluntary exile from Heaven bars him from entry, stranding Amanda alone in the void.[13] After being fatally stabbed by the Crimson Pirates, Nightcrawler is intercepted by Amanda at an "interim station" between life and death. She,Wolverine, andPhoenix convince him to return to the living.[14]
Amanda is a sorceress following the path of the Winding Way. Her power changes in its levels, waxing and waning over time, allowing her to summon such powers as teleportation, illusions casting, shape changing, mystical force bolts, hypnotism, and the manipulation of other complex mystical forces.[15]
When she became the Sorceress Supreme of Limbo, Amanda began wielding the powerful Soulsword. While she couldn't access the full power of the sword, she could still create and control teleportation energies in the form of "stepping discs". This allows her to absorb souls of others either permanently or to simply store and transfer, to place and store the sword in absolute nothingness and to retrieve it from whence it came with ease. Like Illyana Rasputin, the more Amanda used the Soulsword, the more mystical Eldritch armor appeared on her body in addition to demonic features such as horns and hooves. The armor deflects or limits attacks, both physical and magical. However, on Earth, Amanda's abilities are limited to a different capacity. She has since lost these abilities when Limbo was sealed to her and resumed her normal display of powers.
Deirdre Kaye ofScary Mommy called Amanda Sefton a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character.[16] Nitish Vashishtha ofSportskeeda ranked Amanda Sefton 7th in their "10 Strongest Marvel Witches" list.[17] Darren Franich ofEntertainment Weekly ranked Amanda Sefton 65th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[18]
Screen Rant included Amanda Sefton in their "15 Most Powerful Marvel Magic Users (Who Aren’t Doctor Strange)" list,[15] and in their "10 Best Magical Or Supernatural Heroes Not Yet In The MCU" list.[19]Comic Book Resources ranked Amanda Sefton 6th in their "20 Fan-Favorite X-Men Who Aren't Even Mutants" list.[20]
The plot twist revealing that Amanda Sefton is really Nightcrawler's adoptive sister, Jimaine Szardos, received mixed reactions.Book Riot described the twist as "the crowning moment of creepy" in their article "The X-Men's Love Lives are Messed Up You Guys."[21]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,X-Men: Magik #1 was the 32nd best selling comic book in October 2000.[22]
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