While we all wait for a sign of when and how the X-Men will be introduced into the MCU, I'm curious if Marvel may throw fans a curve and go with a unique, if not relatively obscure, sci-fi world in the X-Men mythos with low-risk comic keys.
Across the Internet, rumors and theories regarding the X-Men are rampant. Most of them concern the all-time favorite X-Man, Wolverine, and who might be cast to play him. I've seen fan theories (which is all they are no matter how they cite "inside sources" about casting; at this point, I don't believe Marvel Studios is actively casting any of the X-Men characters) suggesting Daniel Radcliffe, Taron Egerton, Scott Eastwood, Tom Hardy, Keanu Reeves, and even Jason Momoa are all being considered to portray Logan.
While the attention may be on Wolverine casting choices, I think Marvel may introduce Mojo and the Mojoverse before pulling the X-Men into the MCU. Here's some food for thought.
At the moment, Kevin Fegie has made it clear that the next MCU phase will be heavily cosmic, not that it isn't already. That means they're pulling more from their sci-fi-centric titles, which they're already done with Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Ragnarok, and the upcoming Eternals movie.
If Marvel wants to go full sci-fi, the Mojoverse would give them something completely different. If you're not familiar, the Mojoverse is an alternate dimension run by its namesake, Mojo. His race, known as "the spineless ones," was driven mad by interdimensional frequencies, and they can only move by motorized chairs wired to their brains. Mojo is a Nero-esque Ancient Roman emperor, ruling the Mojoverse and forcing his slaves to fight in gladiatorial arenas that are televised across his world.
Mojo's archnemesis is former Mojoverse gladiator, Longshot. He was the most popular gladiator before escaping into Earth 616 where he eventually met the X-Men and would later join the team. Mojo then turned his sights to the X-Men, dragging them into battles during the 1980s.
There's no rumor or innuendo that leads me to believe Mojo or Longshot are in the works to appear in the MCU, but they both would fit in the cosmic cinematic universe. We've met Grandmaster and his gladiator battles, but there's more to Mojo than just that, such as his Warwolves, who can wear the skin of the dead like clothes.
If Mojo and Longshot ever make it into a movie, here are the keys you'll want to have. The best part is that you can have them all for relatively low risk. Personally, I love the Mojoverse, and these keys are not hard to get.
Longshot and the Mojoverse debuted in this Ann Nocenti and Art Adams' creation. The price has been creeping up over the past couple of years. In 2017, a 9.8 averaged $103, but it has raised to a $169 fair market value in the last three months.
After three issues, readers were given their first look at the grotesque Mojo. As I said previously, he and the Mojoverse would be a perfect fit in the cosmic MCU, and I can envision Marvel Studios utilizing ideas from the Longshot limited series. At the moment, you can have a 9.8 Longshot #3 for about $140, though if you drop the grade to a 9.6, the price falls to a $71 average.
While not the first appearance of Betsy Braddock, this issue does count as the first appearance of Psylocke, a name given to her by Mojo.
Betsy debuted in Captain Britain #8, and took over the mantle of Captain Britain from her brother for a short time. However, she was blinded during a battle, seemingly ending her superhero career. Years later, Mojo abducted and brainwashed her, and gave her bionic eyes, which he used as cameras to see into the Earth 616 dimension.
Being the debut of Psylocke, this is the most expensive issue on the list. In a graded 9.8, it has a 90-day average of $315. For a more budget-friendly copy, the 9.6 has an FMV of $108.
In this issue, Longshot joined the X-Men, and with him came Mojo. The Spineless One attacked the X-Men for the first time, establishing him as an X-villain in the process. Mojo then reverses the team's aging so that they become children. Although they aren't called the X-Babies, this could be considered their first appearance, which is what makes this issue collectible. Currently the 9.8 has a 90-day FMV of $110 while the 9.6 drops to a $33 average.
