FX ‘Legion’ Confirms Its ‘X-Men’ Big Bad for Season 1

We’ve two episodes left in the first (but not final) season of FX’s Legion, which for the most part has kept Noah Hawley’s promise of eschewing major X-Men names. That said, die-hard fans have likely recognized certain aspects of the mysterious “Devil” plaguing David Haller’s consciousness, now confirmed by the latest promo as a familiar Marvel foe. You’re warned of potential Legion spoilers from here on out.

Were there any lingering doubt that Lenny/Benny/King or the yellow-eyed “Devil” represented X-Men villain “The Shadow King,” a new promo for “Chapter 7” states the name outright. io9 has a look at the offscreen clip, which sees Cary Loudermilk (Bill Irwin) referring to the character as both “The Shadow King,” and his alter-ego Amahl Farouk.

As has been partially explained on Legion thus far, The Shadow King is described as “an entity of pure psychic energy which feeds on a hatred of humanity, manifesting itself by possessing the bodies of humans.” His first 1979 comic appearance took the form of “Amahl Farouk,” while the subsequent psychic battle with Charles Xavier (who’s only been alluded to on the series) banished him to the astral plane.

Given the abstract nature of Legion, it’s difficult to say whether Season 1 would resolve the Shadow King’s threat, or continue with the character in Season 2, but might his outing signal a closer kinship with the X-Men franchise at large? Can Charles Xavier be far behind?

Check out the latest Legion trailer below, and stay tuned for more.

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