After being introduced to the Marvel Universe, Daken was quickly established as a dangerously cruel figure in the universe, capable of using his pheromone powers and observational gaze to cut someone emotionally just as viciously as he can with his claws.
In one universe, his dark capabilities even resulted in him arranging for the destruction of the X-Men and gaining a cosmic-level power boost — all by seducing Iceman and being patient in a way that no other villain could ever muster.
The scariest aspect of this version of Daken is how he could theoretically still be the final fate awaiting the Earth-616 version of Daken. In Uncanny X-Men: Winter’s End by Sina Grace and Nate Stockman, the present-day Iceman is visited by a variant of his possible future known as Ice Wizard. The older incarnation of Bobby Drake hails from the possible future glimpsed in the Battle of the Atom crossover. In this timeline, Iceman’s powers have progressed to the point where he’s effectively a god.
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But it turns out his world ultimately took a dark turn after Iceman began a romance with the Daken of his reality. In this timeline, Wolverine’s dark son eventually convinced the heroes that he’d turned over a new leaf and formally joined the X-Men. He eventually became co-captain of the squad and seemingly fell in love with Iceman. However, it turns out it was all a long-con — Daken had arranged an alliance with Deathbird and lured most of the X-Men into a fatal trap. Then, as Erik the Red was distracted battling Ice Wizard, Daken executed Deathbird and used her Shi’Ar technology to claim the M’Kraan Crystal — giving him access to the Nexus of All Realities. This transformed this variant of Daken into a “Thanos-level player” who quickly caused wide-scale destruction across the universe.
Even though the full extent of his rampage was kept off-panel, it’s clear that Daken’s turn as a galactic-level villain was bad enough to warrant trying to alter the past — typically considered a major cosmic mistake. But it’s interesting to consider, especially given recent events. Daken has always had a complicated morality, with the character introduced as a heartless manipulator easily capable of running circles around others. But as he grew to actually know his father and met his unexpected cloned siblings, a softer side of Daken has come to the forefront. While he still retains the brutal edge that has previously allowed him to come up on top of dangerous fighters like the Punisher, Daken found a place for himself on Krakoa and has grown as a person beyond his villainous past.
He’s embraced his familial connections, found love with Aurora, and has served with multiple teams. It all suggests that Daken could be on the upswing morally — but it’s always possible that manipulative attributes are still at play or could resurface. Even in Marauders #1, it’s clear that his anger issues over Brimstone Love remain almost terrifyingly vicious. Daken could even theoretically be playing a long game similar to the one he pulled in Ice Wizard’s timeline, only faking his loyalty to the X-Men while waiting for the ideal opening to strike and gain a new level of power. Given his history as a master manipulator, it wouldn’t be impossible for Daken to take on such a goal — and given his effectiveness in other worlds and in the past, such a fate could be in store for the core-Marvel Universe version of the character.
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