Amanda Sefton

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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	Illusion generation Shapeshifting Teleportation Spell casting Force bolts Hypnotism

Amanda Sefton (real name Jimaine Szardos) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in X-Men #98 (April 1976). The character has also been known as Daytripper and Magik at various points in her history. She is the foster sister and former lover of superhero Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler of the X-Men.^[1]

Amanda Sefton debuted in the ninety-eighth issue of the 1976 X-Men series, created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.^[2] She later appeared in the 1981 Uncanny X-Men series. She appeared in the 1998 Excalibur series. She appeared in the 2000 X-Men: Magik series, her first solo comic book series, by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Liam Sharp.

Jimaine Szardos and her mother Margali are Manouche witches. When Kurt 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 a flight 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 the Beyonder upon the latter's arrival on Earth.^[6]

Much later, and in need of her magical abilities, Nightcrawler calls Amanda Sefton to aid Excalibur. She takes the codename Daytripper, playing on Kurt's codename. Once familiarized with the problem at hand, Amanda attempts to help Meggan and Rachel Summers locate the lost Captain 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 thwarts Belasco and the N'Garai's takeover of Limbo 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 in New 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-Men Hellion and Surge as well as Lex, an operative of the Office of National Emergency, in finding students who were kidnapped by Belasco. The students are saved due to Illyana 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 protecting Hope Summers from Bastion. 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 the Jean 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, and Phoenix 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 of Scary Mommy called Amanda Sefton a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character.^[16] Nitish Vashishtha of Sportskeeda ranked Amanda Sefton 7th in their "10 Strongest Marvel Witches" list.^[17] Darren Franich of Entertainment 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 to Diamond Comic Distributors, X-Men: Magik #1 was the 32nd best selling comic book in October 2000.^[22]

• An alternate universe version of Amanda Sefton appears in the Days of Future Past timeline. She and Nightcrawler have a daughter Blue, who inherits her father's demon-like appearance and teleportation abilities. Amanda, Nightcrawler, and Illyana Rasputin are killed by a government strike force deployed to destroy the Xavier Institute after Robert Kelly is assassinated.^[23]
• An alternate universe version of Amanda Sefton appears in Marvel Noir. This version is a leading member of Weapon X who is later killed by Kurt Wagner.^[24]

• Amanda Sefton appears in X-Men: Evolution, voiced by Moneca Stori.^[25] This version is an African/Romani American teenager and student of Bayville High School who comes from a human family and gradually enters a relationship with Nightcrawler.
• Amanda Sefton appears in the X2: X-Men United prequel comic.^[26]

• Magik (Amanda Sefton) at Marvel.com
• Amanda Sefton at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)