Warning! Spoilers ahead for Cyclops #5!
Donald Pierce is dead; long live Donald Pierce. Marvel just pulled a major swerve with the classic X-Men villain, leader of the mutant-hunting cyborgs the Reavers. Marvel has officially killed Pierce off, but while the notorious Reavers figurehead is gone, that doesn’t mean he’ll be going anywhere. How? Let’s get into it.
No, Donald Pierce is going to be mystically resurrected, or even put back together using spare parts. The truth is much darker than that. In his latest, ultimately fatal appearance, Pierce debuts a killer armor upgrade, making him more dangerous than ever. But after X-Men leader Cyclops still wipes the floor with him, Pierce finds his new look, and more, usurped by one of his Reaver underlings.
Throughout Marvel’s Cyclops limited series, the Reaver known as “Tearjerker” has been a recurring thorn in Scott Summers’ side. He’s also proven to be about as unkillable as Wolverine, or Deadpool. Despite taking massive amounts of physical trauma over the course of five issues, Tearjerker not only survives, he is the one who finally puts Donald Pierce down.
At the end of Cyclops #5, Tearjerker kills Pierce, putting himself in a position to take control of the Reavers. Ominously, though, he suggests to his dying former boss that he “might take” his name, setting up a case of stolen identity that could mean more future turmoil for Cyclops and the X-Men.
X-Men Villain Donald Pierce Is Being Replaced In Marvel Canon
Cyclops #5’s “Tearjerker” Twist, Explained; Cyclops #5, Written By Alex Paknadel, Art By Rogê Antônio
Marvel’s five-issue Cyclops miniseries stranded the mutant hero in the Savage Land and pitted him against perennial X-Men antagonists the Reavers. The series notably gave the cyborg villains a refreshing, Terminator-inspired redesign, best exemplified by the low-level Reaver footsoldier Tearjerker. Who proved to be the designated “pain eater” for most of the story. (More on that shortly.)
Donald Pierce was introduced in 1980, and he’s been one of the X-Men franchise’s go-to anti-mutant extremists off and on ever since. He’s proven to be a deadly foe for the X-Men time and again, and like any good Marvel bad guy, he’s died before. In fact, Pierce was previously, memorably, killed by Cyclops in a 2010 storyline. This time, Cyclops leaves him alive, but not for long.
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It’s safe to say Pierce won’t stay dead forever, but Tearjerker’s tease that he might actually become “Donald Pierce” complicates things. It certainly feels like Cyclops #5 just moved a new piece, in an old form, into a critical position for a future storyline on the great chessboard that is X-Men canon.
Marvel’s “Cyclops” Miniseries Turned Out To Be A Sleeper Origin Story For A New Villain
What Does Tearjerker’s Evolution Into The New Donald Pierce Mean For The X-Men?
The Reaver formerly known as Tearjerker seemed like dead meat repeatedly throughout Cyclops‘ five-issue run. Readers pronounced him dead in Cyclops #3 after Scott Summers unleashed the unmitigated power of his optic blast on the cyborg, bringing a mountain down on top of him to boot. Yet the character popped back up in Cyclops #4, and then survived to get the last laugh on Donald Pierce in Cyclops #5.
Tearjerker was always cannon fodder for Pierce, who says as much in Cyclops #5 when the Reaver boss literally tears Tearjerker in half. But even that didn’t finish him off, and failing to do so turned out to be Pierce’s true downfall. “I don’t like that name anymore,” the former subordinate says as Pierce begs for his life. That’s when the new Donald Pierce is seemingly born.
How this turn of events is going to play out remains to be determined. What Donald Pierce’s future as a Marvel villain looks like, and how that might be an extension of the events of Cyclops and Tearjerker’s arc, are cliffhangers that are going to keep X-Men fans on the edge of their seats, speculating, for the time being.
Cyclops #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.
What do you think, X-Men fans? Are you in or out on Marvel’s Donald Pierce twist?
- Movie(s)
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X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
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X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
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X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Character(s)
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Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Video Game(s)
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X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Comic Release Date
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213035,212968
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.