7 Mind-Boggling Mysteries of X-Men: The Last Stand You Never Noticed!

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In 2006, X-Men: The Last Stand hit the screens, and even today, it leaves fans pondering over several intriguing questions regarding this contentious superhero film. In the movie, X-Men: The Last Stand, the mutant society is split by the emergence of a “cure” that depowers mutants, derived from the genetics of a young mutant named Leech (Cameron Bright). This division prompts Magneto (Sir Ian McKellan) and his Brotherhood of Mutants to wage war against humanity to eliminate this cure. The intensity of the conflict is amplified by the unforeseen return of Professor Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who seemed dead in X2: X-Men: United, now possessed by a wicked alternate personality called the Phoenix. As a result, the X-Men, led by Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry), find themselves confronting their toughest fight yet.

Despite being a blockbuster at the box office, many fans often place X-Men: The Last Stand lower in their rankings of the X-Men series (I personally believe this film is one of the most overlooked entries within the franchise). However, regardless of whether you’re a fan or critic of the movie, there are still some enigmas that neither the film nor its subsequent sequels and prequels in the X-Men series have been able to clarify. Here are 7 major unresolved mysteries about X-Men: The Last Stand that remain perplexing.

1) When Did the Mutant “Classes” Come About (& How Do They Work?)

In the realm of X-Men films, I found myself immersed in a novelty that shook up the universe – the classification system for mutants based on their powers’ potency, labeled as Class 1 to 5, with Class 1 being the least powerful and Class 5 packing the greatest punch. This concept was intriguing within the X-Men narrative but felt abruptly introduced in X-Men: The Last Stand. Regrettably, there was no background provided regarding when this mutant classification system was established by the U.S. government or how each individual mutant is assigned to their respective class. Although it wasn’t a central enigma within the movie, I believe that more information on these classes could have added depth and richness to X-Men: The Last Stand.

2) Why Is Multiple Man So Happy To Be a Fall Guy for the Brotherhood of Mutants?

While Magneto and the Mutants are readying their attack on the mutant cure research facility situated on Alcatraz Island (where Leech is confined), the U.S. administration assumes they’ve traced their hidden forest base through infrared technology. However, when troops descend to capture them, they instead come across James Maddrox, also known as Multiple Man (portrayed by Eric Dane), who has duplicated himself numerous times. To the troop’s surprise, Maddrox willingly surrenders with a smile on his face. This act suggests that Maddrox was easily able to serve as a decoy for Magneto and the Mutants due to his powers, but his readiness and apparent enthusiasm for being apprehended leaves us wondering how and why he agreed without any apparent escape plan of his own.

3) Why Is Jean Grey Dormant for So Long Before Her Return?

Following Famke Janssen’s character Jean Grey returning to X-Mansion from Alkali Lake, Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) muses that “the immense amount of water that fell upon Jean during her sacrifice in X2: X-Men United should have completely destroyed her,” given the magnitude of her self-sacrifice. However, Xavier proposes that Jean’s telekinetic abilities may have created a protective shield around her, allowing her to endure and survive. Although this clarifies how Jean managed to live, X-Men: The Last Stand doesn’t delve into why Jean remained inactive for an extended period of at least several months post her apparent death. It is possible that Jean’s telepathy or the awakened Phoenix persona kept the telekinetic shield intact while she was unconscious, but the film fails to offer many insights on the factors contributing to Jean’s underwater coma and survival.

4) How Did It Get Dark So Fast in the Alcatraz Battle?

In the climax of X-Men: The Last Stand, Magneto and his mutant comrades charge Alcatraz with Magneto harnessing his magnetic abilities to detach the Golden Gate Bridge from its base and float it over San Francisco Bay for easy access. Upon placing the bridge down, he flashes a chilling grin at a petrified family on the span. The scene then transitions swiftly from bright daylight to an eerie nighttime atmosphere, which likely served to intensify the mutant conflict at Alcatraz, though it occurs surprisingly quickly without any explanation as to why it suddenly became dark.

5) How Does Xavier Look & Sound Like Himself in a New Body?

Even though Professor Xavier seemingly perished due to the Phoenix’s telekinetic fury in “X-Men: The Last Stand”, the final credits scene hinted that he moved his consciousness into the lifeless body of a man on life support at a hospital. Dr. Moira McTaggart (Olivia Williams) swiftly identified Xavier by his familiar voice from the previously comatose patient, however, the film doesn’t offer an explanation for why Xavier’s voice remained unchanged in his new body. This inconsistency is evident in Xavier’s reappearance in “The Wolverine” (2013) and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (2014), as he appears exactly the same, despite having a different physical form. The three films leave unanswered the question of how Xavier managed to retain his appearance and voice in a new body, simply focusing on the excitement of his return and moving forward with their narratives.

6) How & Why Do Magneto’s Powers Return?

In “X-Men: The Last Stand,” Magneto concludes the film as a powerless and desolate character, having been injected with cure needles by Beast (Kelsey Grammer) during the Alcatraz battle. Hating himself for becoming one of the very humans he detests, he stands solitary in a park with a chessboard, hinting at his returning magnetic powers when one of the metal pawns mysteriously moves as he reaches out. The following film, “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” reveals Magneto regaining full control over metal manipulation. However, “X-Men: The Last Stand” leaves many questions unanswered; for instance, was the cure within the needles flawed or is the cure itself only temporary? These mysteries linger in “X-Men: The Last Stand,” as the movie remains vague about the resolution to these questions.

7) Why Aren’t Any Other Mutants Shown Getting Their Powers Back?

In the final scene of Magneto regaining his powers in X-Men: The Last Stand, it raises a significant question about other mutants who had lost their abilities. Throughout the movie, numerous mutants receive a cure and become fully human. Since Magneto is recovering his powers, it implies that many more mutants like Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique and the new Brotherhood members, whom Magneto refers to as pawns, may be regaining their own powers as well.

In later X-Men films, the significant case where a de-powered mutant reclaimed their abilities is when Rogue (Anna Paquin) regained hers after choosing to receive the cure in X-Men: Days of Future Past – The Rogue Cut. However, the long-term consequences of the cure and whether any other mutants besides Magneto, followed by Rogue, can regain their powers is left unanswered, according to the ending of X-Men: The Last Stand.

The X-Men movies are all available to stream on Disney+.

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2025-05-26 18:12