| For the post-Days of Future Past version, see Moira MacTaggert. |
- "What are you doing?!"
"Using some equipment the CIA didn't give me." - ―Levene and Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert is a CIA agent and an ally of the X-Men.
Biography
Division X
In 1962, Moira is tasked with following the U.S. Army Colonel Hendry with her partner Levene in Las Vegas, Nevada on behalf of the CIA. She manages to slip into the Hellfire Club disguised as a stripper as part of female entertainment, refusing advances by several men before arriving at the booth Colonel Hendry was in.
Moira MacTaggart in 1962
She manages to activate a passage to a secret base underneath the club. There, she sees Hellfire Club members Emma Frost and Azazel display their powers and "kidnap" Colonel Hendry. She tries to warn the CIA, but Azazel had brought Colonel Hendry back to the Pentagon, making her story unbelievable.
She soon realizes she needs the help of a person who specializes in genetic mutation. Thus, she travels to Oxford University to meet Professor Charles Xavier. After he reads her mind to find out what she saw, he agrees to help her. Xavier, Moira and Raven then travel to the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia attempt to convince top CIA officials of the existence of mutants.
The officials initially don't believe them, even after Xavier confesses he is a mutant and reads their minds. Because he reveals (through reading their minds) classified information pertaining to America's Jupiter missiles in Turkey, the official violently and aggressively accuses Moira of bringing in a spy. Raven immediately shape-shifts into William Stryker Sr. - one of the officials present, shocking Moira and the others. The Man in Black, who was sitting in the background, offers to look after them at his private facility.
As Moira was having a conversation with Levene, Charles freezes the surrounding area and tells her to come down to the parking lot telepathically. The Man in Black then brings them to Division X. Moira, Levene, Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, and an assault team penetrate Soviet territory in an attempt to apprehend Shaw, who was supposed to meet with General Armivolkoff to discuss their plans. Instead, Emma Frost is captured. After the Hellfire Club attacks and destroys Division X, Moira helps Xavier and Lehnsherr train the X-Men at Xavier's Mansion.
Moira accompanied the X-Men to stop the Hellfire Club during the flight to Cuba to prevent war from taking place. She tries to prevent Shaw detonating a bomb that would result in the war between Russia and the United States. After the Hellfire Club's defeat, she attempted to stop Magneto, who was deflecting the incoming missiles and shells of the American and Soviet fleets back towards them, by shooting at him. One bullet Magneto deflected struck Xavier's lower back. She was blamed by Magneto, but Xavier states that it was really him who caused it.
Moira MacTaggart about to shoot Charles Xavier.
About a month after the Missile Crisis, Moira became Xavier's caretaker while he was bound to a wheelchair. Although she promised to never tell the location of Xavier's School to the CIA, he wipes her memory as a safeguard measure, preventing her from being effectively interviewed by her superiors.
During Moira's interrogation at the hands of John McCone and William Stryker Senior, she is unable to remember anything other than brief images of her experiences with Division X. Moira's interrogation is disrupted by Magneto raiding the lower catacombs of the CIA's headquarters to free the imprisoned Emma Frost.
Career Shift
Sometime after the events of First Class, MacTaggert left the CIA and ultimately became a medical scientist and doctor. She establishes her home and workplace on Muir Island in northern Scotland, and eventually works alongside Charles Xavier again - this time in an educational capacity. It's unknown if Charles restored her memories of their earlier years but she became close friends with him once again.
Muir Island
Years later, as a doctor stationed on Muir Island, she is tasked with caring for P. Xavier, Charles Xavier's brain-dead twin brother.
During one of Charles Xavier's ethics lessons, he shows his students a tape sent to him, to aid in his ethics lesson, by Moira MacTaggert. In the tape, Dr. MacTaggart stands by a man in a hospital bed. She says that the man was born with no higher-level brain functions: his organs and nerves system work, but he has no consciousness to speak of, before Charles' pauses the tape.
After Xavier's death at the hands of Phoenix, a funeral is held at the mansion the next day, outside on the front yard, Ororo Munroe is eulogizing Charles Xavier in a memorial service in front of all his students: "We live in an age of darkness," she says, "a world full of fear, hate and intolerance. But in every age, there are those who fight against it. Charles Xavier was born into a world divided, a world he tried to heal – a mission he never saw accomplished. It seems the destiny of great men to see their goals unfulfilled."
At Professor Xavier's funeral, in the crowd sit Marie D'Ancanto, Bobby Drake, Kitty Pryde, Peter Rasputin, Hank McCoy, Moira MacTaggert, and many other students and friends of Xavier's. Logan isn't sitting with them, as he is standing and listening from afar, a loner as always. Rogue looks at him, as Ororo continues her eulogy: "Charles was more than a leader, more than a teacher, he was a friend. When we were afraid he gave us strength, and when we were alone he gave us a family. He may be gone, but his teachings live on through us, his students". Ororo finishes: "Wherever we may go, we must carry on his vision, and that's a vision of a world united." Logan walks away. All other people present stand up, and one walks to his memorial and puts a flower on it. Moira is one of the few humans at his funeral, and pays last respects.
After the battle at Alcatraz Island, she returns to Muir Island to check on her comatose patient. At the hospital, where the comatose man from the video that Xavier showed his students, is lying in a hospital bed. Moments later, Dr, Moira MacTaggart enters the room, says good morning to her patient and proceeds to view the vital signs on the monitor. The man then turns his head and to Moira's surprise, returns the greeting and calls her name in Charles' voice. Dr. Moira looks towards her patient in disbelief and says "Charles", confirming that Charles' consciousness survived his physical death.
Abilities
- Skilled Pilot: Moira is a very skilled pilot. She is able to maneuver the X-Jet with ease. She and Hank often co-pilot.
- Expert Marksman: Due to her training with the CIA, Moira is very skilled with a handgun. This is shown when she shoots bullets at Erik. All of them were aimed at either at his head or chest, but Erik deflected them with his ability.
Relationships
Friends
- Charles Xavier/Professor X - Former Teammate and Love Interest
- John McCone † - Former Boss
- William Stryker Sr. † - Former Boss
- Levene - Former Teammate
- The Man in Black † - Former Teammate
- Banshee † - Former Teammate and Friend
- Hank McCoy/Beast † - Former Teammate and Friend
- Darwin † - Former Teammate and Friend
- Alex Summers/Havok - Former Teammate and Friend
- Raven Darkholme/Mystique - Former Teammate and Friend
- P. Xavier † - Ward
Enemies
- Hellfire Club
- Angel Salvadore † - Former Teammate turned Enemy
- Azazel † - Enemy
- Emma Frost † - Enemy
- Riptide - Enemy
- Sebastian Shaw † - Enemy
- Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto - Former Teammate turned Enemy and Attempted Killer
Trivia
- Moira is one of the most significant characters; she indirectly caused the paralysis of Charles’ legs, as well being the first non-mutant to serve as an X-Men member, and the one who suggested the name of the team in X-Men: First Class.
- After the film's ending credits, she appears again for a brief scene, where it appears that Xavier has transferred his mind into the body of a patient, following his physical body being disintegrated by the Phoenix persona that inhabits Jean Grey. In the director's commentary for the movie's DVD, it is revealed that this patient is, in fact, the identical twin of Professor X, whose mind had been destroyed before birth by the power of Charles' mutation. Thus, it is that Charles' voice is used, and Moira instantly recognizes him.
- An alternate final scene with Moira is featured in the novelized version of the movie, where she appears to Magneto in the park as he plays chess, seemingly offering to reverse the "cure", which he refuses, saying he can't go back to the way he was.
- Rosamund Pike was rumored to play both Moira MacTaggert and Emma Frost, before Rose Byrne was later cast.
- In the comics, she is Scottish, but in the films, Moira is American.
- In her latest version in the comics, Moira proved to be a mutant with the ability of Rewound Reincarnation.
Behind the Scenes
- Tracey Ruggiero, Mallory Thompson, Tammy Nera and France Raymond were stunt doubles for Rose Byrne in the role of Moira MacTaggert.
