Dr. Moira MacTaggert is the descendant of an old line of Scottish nobility. She proved to be a brilliant student of the biological sciences with selected genetics as her specialty. After the end of World War II, Moira left for Israel to complete a six months of volunteer work, and she fell in love with the experience. It was a small clinic in Hafa, where Moira would cross paths with Charles and Erik, who were present at the clinic for the similar reasons. Moira’s mind was opened to the reality of mutant existence. Moira left Hafa to attend New York University to complete her PhD. She began her missions to learn more about mutants, volunteering at a shelter in a mutant hotspot in the city known as ‘M-Town’. M-Town was one of the poorer neighborhoods in New York, and most turned a blind eye. When Moira came to the shelter, everyone was skeptical of her intentions, but she won them all over one at a time.

The shelter gained mainstream attention, first gaining positive attention from the Daily Bugle, before it was slandered by Senator Robert Kelly. Robert Kelly was an old fashioned Republican who spoke very openly about the risk and danger that mutants ‘had free, and open access to. In reality, the senator did not like the idea of M-Town growing, and made a push to close down the shelter altogether. All of his attempts fell short, but the strain weighed on Moira. She was beginning to lose the war to keep the doors open, and policies and procedures left the shelter with few volunteers.

Finally, Moira completed her PhD about the same time that Charles and Erik announced their intentions to open a Mutant school in Salem Center, New York. After investigating the potential, Moira announced the migration of the shelter to Salem Center, New York, and proposed a budget to transfer all mutants that wanted to make the move. She found funding in the New York State budget for an innovative attempt to take the mutants out of the city life, and attempt to reintegrate them into normal society. The first step was Salem. The Salem Shelter doors will be opening soon.