CASSANDRA NOVA: Page 4 of 4

The Martha Connection

Going into the situation, knowing that little Ernst was a disguised Cassandra Nova, everything falls into place. When last seen, Cassandra had been trapped in the synthetic body of Stuff, being rehabilitated through a virtual classroom. If the Cassandra Nova of a century and a half hence is the final product, then surely Ernst was the work in progress. But was Ernst the plan of Emma, Xavier and the X-Men?

Consider the fact that Xavier was completely unaware that Xorn was not who he claimed to be and that Xavier must have regarded the newest X-Man as an unknown quantity in terms of being a teacher. The fact that Xorn’s sole class was that of problem students, needing supervision more than instruction, seems to bear this in mind. Later, upon the revelation of Xorn’s “true” identity of Magneto, Ernst questioned the wisdom of his actions. Confronted by the apparent least of his new Brotherhood, Magneto responded that he always suspected that there was more to her than met the eye. [New X-Men (1st series) #150]

Apparently, “Xorn” had not been told Ernst’s identity - giving credence to the idea that Xavier himself was unaware. It surely would have been the height of irresponsibility to hand over the charge of a temporarily contained mass murderer to the newest X-Man without warning him first. As it is also clear that Cyclops and the Beast still believed Cassandra safely sealed behind a forcefield, the question arises of who freed her from her prison… and from where did the identity of Ernst originate? The answer it seems was Martha Johansson.

Martha Johansson, one might easily surmise, was not born a brain. Rather, she was a mutant with the ability to control minds, especially mutant minds, and had been captured and vivisected by John Sublime - the then host to the ancient and malevolent self-aware bacteria which had ravaged the world in the future timeline. Removing her brain, Sublime placed it within a glass sphere, providing her sustenance through the dozen or so syringes injected into her lobes. Sublime had used Martha’s abilities against the X-Men when they investigated his operations in the trafficking of mutant organs. Martha, however, had the last laugh, as she used her abilities to coerce Sublime into dropping to his apparent death. [New X-Men (1st series) #117-120]

After this, Martha found herself in the hands of the X-Men. It is unclear what happened to Martha in the following months, but in hindsight it seems that the X-Men were at the very least lax in allowing this powerful mutant brain in becoming a student. Further, it seemed that she and Ernst were inseparable by the time that they were assigned to Xorn’s “special class.”

Given these facts, plus the ability of Martha to coerce and cloud minds, it is not a stretch to surmise that Martha used her abilities to compel the staff and students of the Institute to forget her abilities, giving her free rein. If this is the case, then it would hardly be a leap to surmise that she had persuaded one of the X-Men from freeing Cassandra, after which Martha reprogrammed her herself, transforming Cassandra into Ernst.

Throughout their time together, Martha floated near Ernst on a gravity sled, pulled along by a chain held by Ernst. In hindsight, it is very likely who was leading who on the chain was misleading. As Ernst seemed incapable of following abstract thoughts - such as the fact that Xorn was but a façade, after the revelation - it is doubtful that Ernst was the dominant mind in the relationship.

Whatever the arrangement, both Ernst and Martha Johansson seem to have disappeared after the X-Men thwarted the Brotherhood’s attack on Manhattan. While it is possible that they are still students in the Xavier Institute, keeping a low profile, it is also possible that they have taken their leave of the X-Men’s estate. If so, it would seems that, since the X-Men have made no effort to look for either, that they are unconcerned… or perhaps have simply “forgotten.”

If in fact Martha - a mutant mind capable of mentally coercing the X-Men - and Cassandra Nova - now in the shapeshifting but mind-muddled identity of Ernst - are both loose upon the world, then it is truly a much more dangerous place. All it would take would be for Cassandra’s true identity to reemerge for the X-Men’s most deadly foe to return, and make all of the death and destruction she had caused pale in comparison to what she might next have in mind. Time will undoubtedly tell.