The New Mutants (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Dani Moonstar is placed in the hospital after surviving a catastrophic storm that wipes out her entire Cheyenne reservation. She is the sole survivor because her father hid her in a tree during the chaos. Dr. Cecilia Reyes tells Dani that she possesses mutant abilities and urges her to stay in the facility to learn how to control her powers, though the true reason is later revealed to be more sinister.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Dr. Reyes mentions that the teenagers are considered dangerous and should not leave until mastering their powers, hinting at the facility's true intentions.

• dani moonstar
• hospital
• mutant powers
• cheyenne reservation
• survivor

Dani Moonstar possesses the ability to create illusions drawn from the fears and desires of others. Her power is tied to her Cheyenne heritage and the stories her father told her about a demon bear that feeds on fear. These abilities manifest as terrifying visions that affect everyone around her, making her both dangerous and valuable to those who want to harness her DNA.

Foreshadowing: Dani's father told her stories about the demon bear, which foreshadows how her powers will ultimately manifest.

• dani moonstar powers
• illusion ability
• mutant powers
• demon bear
• fear manipulation

The Demon Bear is a creature from the stories Dani Moonstar's father told her as a child. It is a supernatural entity that feeds on fear. In the film, the Demon Bear manifests as the physical embodiment of Dani's trauma and repressed fears, appearing as a terrifying creature that attacks the group. The bear represents Dani's unresolved grief over losing her entire family and community.

Foreshadowing: Dani reveals early on that her father told her stories about the demon bear, establishing its significance before it physically appears.

• demon bear
• dani moonstar
• fear entity
• cheyenne mythology
• monster

Dr. Reyes presents herself as a protective mentor, but she is actually working with the Essex Corporation to groom the teenagers as assassins rather than heroes. She keeps them confined under the guise of training them to control their powers for joining the X-Men, when in reality, Essex Corporation plans to harvest Dani's DNA and potentially eliminate her once her powers are fully developed.

Foreshadowing: Dr. Reyes warns the teens that they are considered dangerous and should not leave until mastering their powers, which hints at their intended use as weapons.

• dr. cecilia reyes
• essex corporation
• facility
• conspiracy
• assassins

Illyana Rasputin threatens Dani with her Soulsword because she is dealing with her own traumatic past and uses aggression as a defense mechanism. Having endured childhood trauma including enslavement and abuse, Illyana is initially antagonistic toward Dani and uses intimidation to establish dominance. The Soulsword is her mystical weapon, and threatening Dani is her way of coping with the fears manifesting in the hospital.

Foreshadowing: Illyana's harsh demeanor and her warning to Rahne about not getting close to Dani foreshadow her initial antagonistic role in the group.

• illyana rasputin
• soulsword
• threat
• russian mutant
• trauma

Sam Guthrie accidentally caused a coal mine collapse that resulted in the deaths of multiple people, including likely his own family members or friends. This tragedy is the source of his immense guilt and forms part of the traumatic past that the hospital's fear-manipulation exploits. His ability to launch himself into the air while being invulnerable connects to the mining theme.

Foreshadowing: The teens begin experiencing visions of their past traumas early in their confinement, with Sam's mining accident being one of the key tragedies revealed.

• sam guthrie
• coal mine
• accident
• tragedy
• guilt

Roberto Da Costa accidentally killed his girlfriend during an intimate moment when his solar energy powers manifested uncontrollably. This traumatic event haunts him throughout the film and is manifested during a scene at the hospital pool, causing chaos and suspicion among the group as their fears become visible to one another.

Foreshadowing: The group experiences terrifying visions of their pasts, with Roberto's traumatic moment eventually surfacing during the pool scene.

• roberto da costa
• girlfriend
• death
• solar energy
• accident

Rahne Sinclair, a Scottish mutant who can transform into a wolf, killed a priest who branded her as a witch due to her religious beliefs and supernatural abilities. This violent act, committed in defense of her own identity, haunts her deeply and creates conflict between her mutant nature and her religious upbringing. The hospital exploits this trauma through the fear manifestations.

Foreshadowing: Rahne's struggle with her religious beliefs and her wolf transformation is established early, hinting at the conflict between her faith and her mutant identity.

• rahne sinclair
• wolf transformation
• priest
• scotland
• religious trauma

Dani attempts suicide because she is overwhelmed by survivor's guilt after witnessing the deaths of her entire family and community during the storm. Being the sole survivor of such a catastrophic event, combined with her emerging powers that are causing nightmares for everyone around her, drives her to despair. She is stopped by Rahne, which helps forge a romantic connection between them.

Foreshadowing: Dani's initial despair and isolation in the hospital set up her mental state before the suicide attempt is revealed.

• dani moonstar
• suicide attempt
• survivor guilt
• cheyenne
• depression

Dani defeats the Demon Bear by confronting her fears directly and accepting her traumatic past. During the climactic showdown, she taps into her inner strength and unleashes the creature's wrath, but then allows herself to be guided by her father's spirit. By calming the beast rather than fighting it, she regains control over her powers and transforms the demon bear from a destructive force into a source of strength.

Foreshadowing: Dani's father's stories about the demon bear throughout the film foreshadow this resolution, as his spirit guides her in the final confrontation.

• dani moonstar
• demon bear defeat
• father spirit
• acceptance
• powers control

Essex Corporation plans to harvest Dani Moonstar's DNA because of her unique and powerful mutant abilities. Her power to create fear-based illusions makes her extremely valuable. Dr. Reyes reveals that once Dani's powers are fully developed, Essex Corporation intends to extract what they need and potentially eliminate her, treating her as a weapon to be exploited rather than a person to be protected.

Foreshadowing: Dr. Reyes mentions early on that Dani is the source of their nightmares, setting up her importance to the corporation's plans.

• essex corporation
• dani moonstar
• dna harvest
• x-men
• conspiracy

The New Mutants escape after Dani gains control of her powers and defeats the Demon Bear. With Dani having calmed the beast and regained control of her abilities, the facility's power is diminished. The group takes advantage of this moment to break free from Dr. Reyes and escape into the outside world, seeking to define their own futures beyond the facility's control.

Foreshadowing: Rahne discovers an exit through the ventilation system earlier, and Dani's growing power throughout the film builds toward this escape moment.

• escape
• hospital
• facility
• new mutants
• freedom

Illyana Rasputin endured severe childhood trauma including enslavement and physical abuse before developing her mutant powers. As a Russian mutant with sorcery skills, she wields the Soulsword, a mystical weapon created from her own soul. Her traumatic past has made her defensive and initially cruel toward the other teens, particularly Dani, though she eventually works with the group to escape.

Foreshadowing: Illyana's aggressive behavior and threats toward Dani are rooted in her history of being controlled and abused.

• illyana rasputin
• russia
• sorcery
• soulsword
• childhood trauma
• abuse