BIOGRAPHY - Page 3
Charles summoned Moira from Scotland after he began experiencing headaches and seizures that seemed to be visions from another world. [Classic X-Men #2] He arranged for Moira to have a presence at the mansion, in order to support his all-new, all-different X-Men in their endeavors and counsel him in the training of these new mutants. They initially perpetrated a ruse where Moira would present as a housekeeper for Xavier’s School. The ruse was paper-thin from the 
start, with many of the X-Men openly incredulous to the idea that Professor Xavier would reveal their existence to a hired hand so casually. Moira did little to support her “demure” nature when she grabbed a machine gun from the armory and waded in against Kierrok of the N’Garai when the demon attacked their home. Her Scottish fire quickly drew the attention of the Irish Sean Cassidy, Banshee of the new X-Men. [X-Men (1st series) #96]
[Note: Classic X-Men #2 suggested Moira and Charles had been out of touch for years, but other retcons – particularly Deadly Genesis – showed them being in regular contact since the formation of the X-Men. To date, it’s uncertain whether Moira had a relationship with Banshee in any of her previous lives.]
Charles confided in Moira more about his dreams, and that he feared their impact on his sanity. Moira had had contact with the Shi'ar in her previous life. Whether she knew Lilandra was behind this connection and refused to disclose this knowledge to Xavier is unknown. [X-Men (1st series) #97] He opened his files to Moira and they discussed plans for the future of the X-Men, but Moira gently assured Charles that their past romantic relationship was still behind them. [Classic X-Men #4] Indeed, Moira and Sean would begin spending more and more time together as the days passed. They spent Christmas Eve seeing the sights of New York together and comforted one another after Jean Grey was injured returning from a mission in space. [X-Men (1st series) #98,101] Moira had secrets, though, both her own and those she shared with Charles Xavier. She showed concern over whether getting involved with Sean personally was in her best interests, but Banshee’s charm won her over in the end. [Iron Fist (1st series) #15]
The X-Men left on vacation as Charles and Cyclops remained behind to watch over the recuperating Jean Grey. Xavier’s seizures became more common, so much so that he and Moira could no longer hide them from the others. Moira openly admitted she was no mere housekeeper in front of Cyclops after Charles collapsed in the hospital, and that ruse was quickly forgotten in the days that followed. [X-Men (1st series) #106, Classic X-Men #10-11] On their way back from vacation at Cassidy Keep in Ireland, Moira directed the X-Men towards her Muir Island mutant research center to check on its security alerts. Identified as Doctor Moira MacTaggert of 
Edinburgh University by the locals in Stornoway, Moira revealed to the team her knowledge of genetics and evolution perhaps even exceeded the professor’s, and her home on Muir Isle had been a detainment facility for some of the team’s older threats. One of these threats was Magneto, who was restored to his prime by the Shi’ar agent Eric the Red, overcoming Jamie Madrox and fighting with the X-Men when they arrived on Muir. [X-Men (1st series) #104]
In time, Xavier’s seizures passed as he finally met Princess Lilandra of the Shi’ar, with whom he shared an inexplicable psychic link. This brought the X-Men into conflict with the Shi’ar Empire, but Jean Grey’s ascension as Phoenix allowed them to save the universe and return to Earth peacefully. Moira remained with the X-Men for a short time afterwards, largely due to her relationship with Banshee. She was accidentally injured by Weapon Alpha during a picnic when he came to retrieve Wolverine for Department H, and later she was tranquilized by Warhawk as he infiltrated the mansion. Ultimately, Moira’s purpose for being at the mansion had ended when Xavier’s illness was resolved, and so she returned to her own research at Muir Island. [X-Men (1st series) #109-110]
Moira opened her home to more guests than she had had in recent years. Jamie Madrox remained on staff at Muir Isle as her research assistant, and Havok and Polaris also resided at Muir Island for a time while recovering from brainwashing by Eric the Red. It also became a haven for Jean Grey, who tragically believed herself to be the sole survivor of the X-Men’s most recent battle with Magneto. Together, Moira mourned Banshee while Jean grieved over the loss of Scott. [X-Men (1st series) #119, 122] In the meantime, Moira also took an interest in Jean’s growing power levels as the Phoenix. [Classic X-Men #26]
The escalation of Jean’s power as the Phoenix worried Moira, but her concerns were forgotten as she passed by the Mutant X room. Moira discovered that Kevin’s containment cell had failed during Magneto’s escape weeks ago. Holding a grudge against the X-Men for the last time they passed through Stornoway, Angus MacWhirter had stolen onto Muir Island and Kevin possessed the man’s body to escape from his imprisonment. Sensors had been reprogrammed to make it 
seem as if Mutant X was still contained, when he had actually begun roaming free in search of another host to feed on. Kevin tried to possess Phoenix, then Polaris, but he had chosen targets too strong for him in his weakened condition. Eventually, Kevin possessed one of Multiple Man’s duplicates before fleeing Muir Island.
The X-Men were alive and well and had just reconnected with Muir Island in time to respond to the emergency. Moira had no time to process Sean’s survival, though, for she was finally forced to come clean about her son for the first time in twenty years. Moira briefed the X-Men on Kevin’s capabilities and weaknesses but hid from them her decision that Mutant X was too dangerous to live. Kevin renamed himself Proteus and fought the X-Men on the Scottish Highlands. Moira 
attempted to murder her own son by firing a sniper rifle from outside the range of his powers. A shocked Cyclops intervened on Moira’s assassination attempt but was quickly disabled by Moira and left unconscious. The damage was done, however, as Proteus fled the scene in a new body before Moira could fire again.
Proteus had been moving in a straight line towards Edinburgh since hitting the mainland, and Moira had a sinking suspicion of where he was headed. Breaking from the X-Men, Moira sped ahead to the city and the home of her husband, Parliament’s rising star, Joe MacTaggert. After two decades apart, Moira finally told Joe of the child he had left her with. Joe was furious over being 
deprived of his heir for so long and refused to listen to Moira’s warnings about how dangerous Kevin was. Moira had only been just ahead of Proteus and he found his father as she was leaving, usurping Joe MacTaggert as his latest host. Joe was a better fit for Kevin’s essence than his previous random targets, with father and son’s minds blending together as they merged.
The X-Men caught up with Proteus and Moira, but Kevin took his mother hostage as insurance against their interference. Proteus lashed out at Edinburgh and its people, enjoying the opportunity to flex with his abilities. The X-Men attacked Proteus with hit & run tactics, trying to exhaust his powers and put more strain on his host body. Moira and Proteus were separated by the Phoenix, allowing Wolverine the opening to slash Proteus with his metal claws and evacuate Moira to safety. Moira was more determined than ever to see her son dead, as he was simply too powerful to contain. Proteus recaptured Moira, and she lashed out at her son for all the death his hatred was responsible for. Kevin responded that he was born out of hatred, and hatred would be 
with him to his end. Joe’s body was already at its limit, though, and it crumbled as Colossus intervened and threw Proteus against a wall. Now nothing but an energy form with no new host bodies available, Kevin was completely vulnerable to Colossus’s dense metal fists. The delicate energy matrix that sustained Proteus’s existence was disrupted at Castle Rock, scattering his essence forevermore, beyond its ability to reform. The ordeal was over and Moira reunited with Banshee as she dealt with the final passing of her son and husband. [X-Men (1st series) #125-129]
With Kevin’s death, Moira was forced to confront the extent of her failures as a mother. Despite his best efforts to comfort her, she refused to let Sean help her grieve. Instead, Doctor MacTaggert thought to use science to undo her mistakes. She had kept Kevin’s original body in preserved stasis after he jumped into his first host. Sequestered away in her lab, Moira ran a cellular biopsy and passed Kevin’s tissue sample through a spectrographic analyzer. It confirmed her suspicions that Proteus’s power to warp reality could bring his body back to life, beyond even the expectations of human cloning. Banshee reasoned out what Moira was planning and forced his way into her laboratory to confront her. Sean questioned Moira if Proteus could recreate himself, why hadn’t he done so already? Faced with the possibility that Kevin had found peace in death, Moira acknowledged she would be forcing him back to life only to feel better about her own mistakes. She released his body from stasis and allowed it to decompose naturally, ending the possibility of reanimating her son through science. Moira could only hope that, in the end, she was doing what Kevin would want her to do. [Classic X-Men #36]
As time passed, Moira remained available to assist the X-Men in various ways. However, her analysis of Jean Grey’s growing powers did not come fast enough to prevent the rise of Dark 
Phoenix. She was the first to apply the word “cosmic” to Phoenix’s geometrically expanding powers, but it did no good in preventing the young woman’s fall and eventual death. [X-Men (1st series) #133, 135] Moira and Charles also attended Senate hearings, orchestrated by Senator Robert Kelly to look into “the mutant problem.” As publicly recognized experts in genetics, they were there to assuage Kelly’s fears over mutants supplanting humans on Earth. This proved even more difficult when Mystique and Destiny arrived with their newly-formed Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to assassinate Senator Kelly. The X-Men had been forewarned about the Brotherhood’s attack, though, and Senator Kelly’s assassination was prevented, this time. [X-Men (1st series) #141-142]
[Note: Moira gave no sign that she recognized Destiny or Mystique, her past lives’ greatest foes. On the other side, it remains vague whether Destiny would truly recognize Moira in this life if they met, or if that was a bluff Destiny used to coerce the cooperation of Moira III. In any case, the presence of Kate Pryde as a future temporal anomaly provides a convenient excuse why Destiny’s powers, in this particular instance, may have failed to register Moira.]