X-Men: Mutantversity – The Darkness Before the Dawn of X

Welcome back to Mutantversity, a class offered at the Krakoan Akademos Habitat. This isn’t a place to find big reviews of X-books, (that’s what our Review section is for!) but it’s a great way to keep up with one of the most complicated superhero series around. We’ll learn, we’ll laugh, maybe we’ll make some new friends, maybe execute a plan we’ve been forming for over 1500 years. Most of all, we’re going to dive into the deep end as we try to parse all the secrets of this new era of “X-Men” comics. As your designated X-Pert, I will do my best to help you work through everything Marvel’s Merry Mutants have to offer!

It’s the end of another era, the end of HOXPOX. First we’re going to recap the last few weeks of the ongoing superhero soap opera that is “X-Men,” which continues from last month’s coverage. Next, I’ll tell you which X-Men books I looked at this month, and whether I thought they were worth reading. Finally, we’re going to award our very special Monthly Mutantversity Medals of Merit to close out the last 12 tremendous issues of “X-Men.” Stick with me true believers, and maybe we’ll survive this experience!

This Month In X-Men

Where is Moira? After blowing our mind with her mutant powers and master plan, Dr. Kinross vanished from the pages of this comic… until now. Moira is in her No-Place. And she’s still very much pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

She hosts Xavier and Magneto in her room-that-is-not-a-room, and it is confirmed to us that it is indeed Xavier, not his sister or Mister Sinister, or anything like that. It seems to be the genuine article. Moreover, Magneto, a stubborn and frustrating man, admits to being so. He pledges allegiance to Xavier, Moira, and their cause. He’s done such a thing before, but it was important to hear him say it if we were going to believe in him moving forward.

So Charles puts on his Cerebro helmet and gets to work. That speech of his that opened the series, the one we have revisited a number of times? We see it in its entirety here. The new context doesn’t do a lot to change its message, but it’s a strong reminder that Charles (and Jonathan Hickman) are really good writers. Xavier explains his new dream, and we see his words heard by humans across the world.

When X talks about his beneficence, his words are heard by sick humans, who could benefit from his magic medicine. But when he reveals that what he hoped to give as a gift will now have a cost, it is shown to stockbrokers who look none too pleased. With words of global peace, the focus moves to a NASA control room. At his harshest words, his reminder of how mankind killed mutant children, we see none other than Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers. “There will be no gift,” he says to the Fantastic Four, “for you have not earned it.” There will indeed be a cost, he says and Doctor Strange hears his words.

Then the focus turns from the heroes of man, to those who would actively menace mutantkind. When X announces that mutants no longer will be subject to the laws of man, the focus shifts to Omega Sentinel, who represents the struggle against the machine. And when he emphasizes that these aren’t a request, but a demand, we look to Project Orchis, the main villains of these issues. “Here is a new truth,” Charles Xavier concludes. “While you slept, the world changed.” The words are powerful, made more so by their role in telling a comic book story.

It is here that we are gifted with an important chart: the membership of the Quiet Council of Krakoa. There are four groups of three mutants (so twelve total), organized into the four seasons. The Autumn Council is made up of those we have been taught to view as the top mutant leaders- Professor X, Magneto, and Apocalypse. The first two are the cornerstones of the “X-Men” story, and the latter is the most powerful mutant on the planet, or at least the most dominant. (Franklin Richards is out there with his Omnipotence, but he’s mostly a kindhearted tween).

Winter is the most villainous team. It is made up of Mister Sinister, Mystique, and Exodus. We’ve spent a lot of time with Sinister in these issues, and he is definitively up to no good. Mystique has given a lot to Krakoa, and she’s a very sympathetic character, but she has a history of betrayal and her proximity to Sinister seems an ill omen. And Exodus is probably the biggest wildcard on this council, an immortal zealot with as much consistency as the different dudes writing him. Winter seems primed to do something crazy.

The Springtime is for Hellfire. It has been said again and again that Emma Frost essentially controls all three of these seats. One belongs to her. Another to Sebastian Shaw, who she deposed in an issue of “X-Men Black.” Now that he’s been brought back into the fold, he doubtlessly is trying to get one over on Emma. But in the words of the great Salma Hayek: she’s the king and he’s a schmuck. The last seat belongs to the “Red King,” and is redacted. Many signs though are pointing to this being the seat of one Captain Kate Pryde, who’s duties take her off the island. It looks like Emma and Kate are going to be working closely together, and that has me more excited than anything in comics.

Last is Summer, and it is made up of X-Men though ironically, none of them are members of the Summers family. (I mean, Jean is by marriage, but we’ll talk about that human concept in a little bit). The Summer Council is made up of Storm, Jean Grey, and Nightcrawler. Storm makes a lot of sense, she’s been a goddess, a thief, a queen, and lately, a high priestess. She obviously needs a voice in ruling. Jean too makes a lot of sense. Her powers make her godly in strength and wisdom, and she more than proved her leadership abilities in “X-Men Red.” Nightcrawler though, is a weird choice. A big part of his character is how bad he is at leadership. He seems to be the token religious and moral voice on the council, and I worry he’s gonna get chewed up and spat out.

Not technically on the council, but present at the meetings are Cypher, and Krakoa itself. And good on them. Krakoa is a living being who provides everything the mutants have, and Cypher is their liaison with the island. It is both right and smart that their voices be considered.

Finally, there are the Captains. These are four mutants in charge of defense and any “away missions” the mutants go on. First is Magik. That seems like a weird choice because despite being one of my favorite X-Men to read about, she does have a tendency to be a little bit evil, or to be totally demonically possessed. I want her in my corner sure, but I question her ability to call the shots in a tough situation. Bishop though, that’s a real solid choice. That dude is ruthless, patient, and compassionate all at once. Gorgon is a weird choice, because well, he seems to have no redeeming moral qualities. And the Captain Commander is none other than Scott Summers, the brilliant tactician who has led the X-Men though everything. In a time of war, Scott becomes the de facto leader of Krakoa, and will probably do messed up stuff to protect his family. I can’t wait for that story.

There are two mutants who don’t have any formal authority, and I’d like to take a moment to point them out. First is Wolverine, arguably the main character of the X-Men story, who has at least as much wisdom to offer as Exodus, Nightcrawler, or Mystique. The ol’ canucklehead isn’t even one of the captains. What he seems to be though, is the unofficial sheriff of Krakoa. If a mutant has a problem and they go to Wolverine, well, he’ll resolve it sharply. And he knows everyone in the world, so I’m sure he’s going to play a role in diplomacy.

Finally, consider Dani Moonstar. She led the New Mutants, and is the single most badass, pragmatic, and focused mutants not named Scott Summers. She’s probably more stable than Magik, and definitely has more leadership experience. I said in a previous Mutantversity that Dani is “the most underrated mutant leader” and I worried about her future. “I don’t know what Dani’s place will be on Krakoa, so I don’t want us to forget that by all rights, she should be the leader of the X-Men,” I said, and I maintain that she deserves a seat at the table more than just about anybody else.

As for the meeting itself, there were two major things on the agenda. The first was laws. Krakoa established the first three laws that will govern the new mutant state. And on a related note, the second agenda item was a trial, in this case for the unrepentant murderer Sabretooth. How he is dealt with is the determining factor on what mutant justice will look like going forward.

Because killing mutants doesn’t mean what it used to mean… they are immortal! That is to say, a murdered mutant can be easily revived. That is why Jean, piggybacking on an idea of Apocalypse’s, suggests that the first mutant law be to murder no human. Magneto plants the seed of wartime exceptions, but even he agrees that it is sinful to murder someone, to permanently snuff out their lives. Sabretooth screams in defiance, and Emma tries to force him to be quiet with her powers. He visibly slows down, but does not stop his rant. Then Jean blasts him with her full might, and reduces him to a drooling husk of himself.

Next Shaw, the expression of capitalism and wealth, tries to make sure that he will be able to stoke his ego by amassing material in the new world. No one takes him very seriously. After all, Krakoa is a living thing, so owning “land” on Krakoa is tantamount to owning people. Slavery. They all exist on the grace of Krakoa. So Cypher and Exodus codify the next law: Krakoa is the sacred home of all mutants and must be respected and defended.

Then Mystique, with a haughty smirk, tries to get her son Nightcrawler to contribute to the meeting. She knows like I know, that this is not his wheelhouse, and their relationship is shall we say, fraught. She wants him to fail, to be embarrassed. And Kurt to his credit, sticks to his strengths. He’s got two of them: religion, and sexiness. And he combines them for his suggestion of the final law which is essentially, be fruitful and multiply.

And so the three laws are written thusly:

Make More Mutants

Murder No Man

Respect This Sacred Land

But a very smart person pointed out to me: with just one more syllable at the beginning of the third law, these words take on the sing-song quality of a children’s rhyme. I now propose that all who attend Mutantversity recite the laws thusly:

Make More Mutants

Murder No Man

Please Respect This Sacred Land

Thank you.

Having established the law, attention returns to the trial. Sabretooth has indeed broken one of the laws: he murdered humans. And I’m really glad we’re using Sabretooth as an example. For as long as he has been a character, Sabretooth has been unrepentant evil. He doesn’t serve a higher cause. He’s not fighting against a tragic compulsion. Bloodlust is constantly roaring in his ears, and he embraces it. The guy wants to kill and maim and do violence. He’s never gonna quit. If you kill him, he can just come back. If you exile him, he’ll just kill more humans. He refuses to be rehabilitated. What do you do? It’s honestly a hard question.

The answer though, is horrifying. After being bound in vines, Sabretooth is exiled to the dark. Krakoa pulls him into the depths to serve his eternal sentence. “Stasis… deep inside of Krakoa. Alive but immobile… aware but unable to act on it… and for how long? Forever, Creed. For that is how long mutant justice lasts.” Of all the uncomfortable moments, tough decisions, and dubious behavior we’ve seen in this series, this is the part that makes me the most uncomfortable. This is evil. I don’t agree with every aspect of Krakoa, but I feel that it is well within the rights of the mutants to determine how they want to govern. But this, this is not right.

And with that, the first meeting of the council is concluded, and the celebration can begin. Not a single member of the council raises objections to how Sabretooth was handled. They just go outside to join the Krakoan Independence Day celebration. And honestly, despite the horrors of the previous scene, the party is a joy to read. The scenery brings to mind the end of Return of the Jedi. I know the Special Editions are controversial, but I always thought “Victory Celebration” was one of the most beautiful pieces of music John Williams ever composed, and it feels so right for this scene. There’s a lot to parse, and you bet we’re going to go deep into it!

First we see The Five dancing around a bonfire. Goldballs obviously loves to dance, and I’m not surprised that his good buddy Tempus is right there with him. I am a bit more shocked that Hope tries to bust a move. She grew up in a wartorn future- not a lot of time to learn to dance. But even she feels so moved by the spirit of the moment. It’s Proteus who hovers above. To dance you need some connection with your body, and Proteus don’t got it. Someone I assume to be Firestar zooms past them, making the bonfire leap into the sky.

Next we see Banshee and Siryn. It’s nice to see these two smiling together. Banshee died soon after he and his daughter set aside their differences and though he was brought back, it was as a withered zombie husk. As for Siryn, she’s been the Gaelic war goddess The Morrigan for the past 10 years. So… is there another body of hers running around out there? Did she put aside her divine responsibilities? I sense a potential story here!

But for now, the two of them are enjoying their reunion and the synergy of their powers with the one, the only, Disco Dazzler. You see, Dazzler has the power to turn sound into light. Siryn has the power to make a ton of sound. Put them together you get: fireworks. I can’t stop smiling.

Then it’s time for the original X-bros. Angel is smiling, even though he’s still in his metallic blue Archangel form. But Iceman and Beast are sharing a joke and some brewskies, and having a grand old time. Those guys have been through so much, it’s nice to see their friendship has survived. They’ve earned a party.

Then we see Exodus telling campfire stories to a group of mutant children. I’ve never seen Exodus interact with kids before, but I’m kind of tickled that he’s fond of them. He’s been a soldier, a cultist, and a freaking Crusader in his centuries of life. I like that he has a softer side too. I gotta figure though, that he’s got no sense, and before the end of the night he traumatizes those kids with the story of the sack of Constantinople or something.

But then we arrive at the main event: a six pack. Follow the beers, because they tell the juiciest story on Krakoa. They start in the hands of Wolverine, and those hands are draped over the shoulders of his longtime teammates Cyclops and Jean. Now, the love triangle between these three has never been as much of a thing in the comics as it was in the movies or cartoons, but it is there. But from their body language here, you’d think that not only have they all moved on, they’ve opened their hearts and their beds to each other. Look at Scott’s hand on Logan’s chest! Their pleased smiles! The satisfied look on Jean’s face.

You still following those beers? Logan takes two of them and walks off giving the remaining four to Scott and Jean. He walks up some stairs, passing a redheaded mutant blasting lightning out of her gauntlets. Is this Surge? Did she change her hair dye color? Or is it Rachel? Either way, both of them are alive and happy. Across from them, embracing and laughing, and Skin and Synch. Those two guys were pals on Generation X and died senseless and tragic deaths. Their resurrection represents everything good that Krakoa can offer. These two loves full of promise were ended in bigotry and hatred. Now they can return and just be, protected by those who wish to pick up the fight.

And in front of them is Broo! He’s a member of the deadly hive mind species the Brood, but he too is a mutant. His power is his intellect- not only is he a genius, but he has the capacity for deep compassion, and has escaped the hive mind to become a great hero. Notably, Broo is currently the IT guy for the Avengers. I wonder what will become of him when the greatest hero teams of Earth come to be at odds once again.

At the top of the stairs, Wolverine offers up his beer to Tomi Shishido aka Gorgon, his old nemesis. Gorgon has been made one of the captains of Krakoa, but his loyalty (for me anyway) is in doubt. Seeing him in his fancy robes drinking a North American beer with his former enemy gives me hope that he’s not going to be a background player. Wolverine is ready to meet his enemies halfway. Mutants united.

But then we get to the most important panels in this issue. Just what the hell is up with Scott and Jean and Logan and… Emma! Jean grabs two of the beers and carries them over to Emma. These two have never been friends. Emma slept with Scott while he was married to Jean! Emma helped kidnap and brainwash Jean, unleashing the Dark Phoenix. They can’t even look at each other here, they sit back-to-back. But Emma accepts the beer offered by Jean. Then she looks over her shoulder and legit, gives one of the sexiest looks I’ve ever seen in a comic to her ex, Scott. He’s sharing the final two beers with his brother Alex.

What was just communicated between those four? Are they swinging? Is this a polyamory thing? Has Krakoa rejected the human concept of marriage and engaged in some old fashioned free love? Is Scott with Emma? Is Jean with Logan? Is Scott With Logan? Is Jean with Emma? (Logan is probably not with Emma). “X-Men” is, and always has been, the greatest superhero soap opera, and these pages are more exciting to me than any battle.

And with that, we turn our attentions to the Autumn Council. Magneto spends the celebration with his life partner Charles. And Apocalypse looks on, alone. And so concludes… wait! What’s that? There’s more!

On a sunny day, many years ago, Charles Xavier attended a fair. There he met Moira Kinross, who asked him to read her mind. And so he learned of her previous nine lives, and her master plan to save the mutant race. This includes a look into a wildlife preserve, 1000 years in the future. The preserve is the home of two mutants: Moira and Logan. They are kept by the mysterious Librarian.

We’ve learned that the Librarian wishes to merge with the Phalanx. They want all the species of Earth to join the machine godhead, to collapse into a cosmic singularity and join the Dominion, a network of linked hyper-super-mega-giga-intelligences that exist beyond black holes. But what will happen when they absorb Moira and her reincarnation powers? Will their wisdom transcend time and space?

It don’t matter! Because Wolverine does what he does best. He sticks three claws into the Librarian’s head. Then he does what he will also do at the end of Moira’s ninth life- he kills her. Because you see, all of these sequences set 1000 years in the future, they have been the future of Moira’s missing life number six.

So was this all a waste? No, because it was this, Moira’s longest life, that informed her master plan. The hatred and bigotry that mutants face in the present? It can be replicated, perfected in a way, as it becomes one with these future machines. The political struggles of the present pale in comparison to what will happen in the long term. Moira is not just trying to save mutantkind, she has the wisdom and experience to save the universe from becoming consumed by machines. In essence, she is working to prevent the whole Earth (and universe) from becoming robot food. Now we know that. And we understand how important that is to her.

The knowledge almost kills Xavier. But we also learn that his knowledge is incomplete. Moira has enough control over her thoughts to control which memories she shares. She’s still manipulating Charles and all of their allies. Her goals are so big, so heavy, that they can’t possibly share them with her. They can’t understand. So she tells them what they need to, and what they are capable, of knowing.

The next few pages are from Moira’s journal and more than anything else, we see what kind of being she has become. Hickman’s writing here is unbelievable. It totally captures the ageless wisdom of someone who has lived ten lifetimes, some of them for centuries. I crunched some numbers, and by the end of these miniseries, Moira has lived for about 1,521 years. And she doesn’t have such high regard for her allies.

For one, they are just so damn arrogant! Despite her power and a millennia of wisdom, Charles and Erik are constantly talking down to her, or making decisions without consulting her. A lot of times, she knows how things will go, because she’s already lived them. But more than her distaste, we also see her deep humanity coming through. Even after all these centuries, she still cares for these men. She loves them in a way. But she won’t let that stop her from saving the whole damn universe.

We also see how deep some of their machinations go. Like how Moira and Charles did the math and figured out how each of them could sire a reality warper. That’s why Moira involved herself with asshole politician Joseph MacTaggert, and probably has something to do with why Charles had a kid with Gabrielle Haller. That’s how they begat Proteus and Legion. We also see Charles going rogue from the plan. Moira knows that Sinister is bad news, but Charles scoffed and recruited him anyway. Pride goeth before the fabulous fall Chuck. “What is this thing that men do, where they think they can shape the world to their liking- and bend others to whatever they will?” Moira writes, with maybe less self awareness than she should.

The rest of the issue is spent in Moira’s No-Place, in a meeting between her, Charles and Erik. Moira’s isolation prevents her from making all the choices she wants. The council formed, but she was not able to name the mutants she would have chosen. This applies most of all to Mystique, in what was the biggest surprise of the issue.

In order to bring her into the fold, certain promises were made. Professor X has sworn to revive Mystique’s deceased wife, Destiny, the same wife who brutally murdered Moira at the end of her third life. Moira seems so alien for most of this issue, so beyond mortal concerns, that seeing her freak out is really startling. She’s traumatized by what Destiny did to her, and she cannot allow any precogs to interfere with her plan. That also means that Blindfold, who took her own life in “Uncanny X-Men” will be left dead. And that Franklin Richards poses a huge threat to Moira.

But we can also see future conflicts begin to unfold. Sinister is going to betray Krakoa, of this I am certain. But now Mystique is being lied to. When she finds out, what kind of chaos will she and Sinister unleash? Exodus sits with them at the Winter Council, I have no doubts that Mystique will have an easy time manipulating him. Plus, there’s the matter of her exiled muscle man, Sabretooth. This false promise is going to be the downfall of Krakoa.

Because not everything is going to plan. Sinister is involved, and Destiny may one day return and ruin everything. Moira has real worries, and she’s turning to her partners for counsel, or support, or loyalty. But all they have for her are smarmy assurances. We are better. We are special. We must win. And it is all thanks to you. And then they go to the party, only now we know. This is a victory celebration for most mutants. But Moira is guiding all of this, and her fight has barely begun.

This Month’s Books

“House of X” #6 – A masterpiece that ends this series perfectly
“Powers of X” #6 – Everything is thrown into doubt. A perfect epilogue.

That does it for HOXPOX coverage. We did it! Thank you for taking the journey to Krakoa with me. But the ‘Dawn of X’ is just beginning, and your designated X-Pert never rests. Keep an eye out as we are gifted with more X-Men books. Because there is going to be a lot to cover. The X-Men have always been at war.

We’ll close this month out with a special edition of our Monthly Mutantversity Medals of Merit! These are given with an eye to both of the series, “House of X” and “Powers of X.” Let’s see who qualified!

The Mutantversity Monthly Medals of Merit:

The Cable’s Pouch of X-Treme Grittiness Award
Given to a mutant for demonstrating badassitude and commitment to the 90s aesthetic

Gorgon

Krakoa draws on styles from the full history of the X-Men, but it seems the creative teem has a soft spot for the groovy looks of the 70s. That’s cool, but that leaves us a little short when looking to the baddest mutant to rock 90s raditude. So I’m gonna turn to Gorgon, a stoic genius who dresses like a samurai, and has the power to turn anyone he looks at to stone. There’s something so extra about his whole being, that he could only be a product of 90s excess.

“Call Me Alex” Award
Given to a mutant filled with self-loathing about their identity

Sabretooth

Krakoa can be a blessing to all mutants- except for Victor Creed. Without the mutant state, he would have lived for hundreds of years, killing and taking what he wanted. Sometimes he’d be arrested, but he’d always escape eventually. But now he’s subject to mutant justice, and that’s a fate worse than death. Sabretooth deserves serious punishment, but right now, I bet he’s wishing he were never born a giant regenerating cat man.

“Professor Xavier is a Jerk” Award
Given to a mutant who acted like a real jerk

Professor X

The only choice really. Despite his revolutionary scientific and political accomplishments, Professor X managed to infuse everything he did with alarming paternalism and sexist condescension. He disrespected Moira, his most powerful ally, and made bad choices just so he could feel like a big man. When conducting his shady meetings, he made sure to drink his whiskey neat, and when he had dirty work he was sure to offload it on someone who worked for him. This series has brilliantly captured the two sides of Charles Xavier- the kind of leader who makes the world a better place, all while harming the people closest to him.

Merriest Mutant Award
Given to a mutant who found a rare moment of happiness

Synch and Skin

I talked about this above, but these two were murdered for no good reason. Skin was actually crucified to death on the lawn of the Xavier school. Their X Gene allowed them to escape what seemed like pretty lousy circumstances. When we first met Synch, he was a black guy surrounded by armed police officers. Skin was on the path to joining a street gang in L.A. Their mutation put them on the radar of Emma Frost and Banshee, who taught them to control their powers and then, they were killed. These two guys deserve to live whatever normal kind of life they want, and if their faces are anything to go off of, they might find that on Krakoa.

Fastball Special Award
Given to a duo who exhibited great friendship, collaboration, and teamwork

Wolverine and Nightcrawler

The X-Men went on one desperate mission in these series, and there were no survivors. Everyone did their utmost, only to be killed and brought back. But Logan and Kurt reminded us of how deep their love for each other was, how powerful their respect ran, and how together they are greater than they are alone. The X-Men are misfits who find redemption in their partnership with one another. And I’ll be damned if there is a better partnership than these two core members of the team.

Let’s Talk About X Baby Award
Given to the sweetest, sexiest, bestest romantic couple polyamorous unit

Scott & Logan & Jean & Emma

I talked about this above at some length, and I don’t know how much more there is to say. Scott and Jean is the classic “X-Men” romance of the comics. Logan and Jean is the same for other media. Those who have been following the comics for the last 20 years know that Scott and Emma have one of the best romances ever told in a superhero story. What happens when you put them all in one place? We don’t quite know for sure, but it seems that human ideas of marriage, romance, and monogamy and being left on the mainland. In the face of so much hatred, why stand in the way of someone trying to make love?

MVX: Most Valuable X-Man
Given to an X-Man who embodied the values of the team and showed all around X-cellence

Moira X

While Charles and Erik are playing chess, Moira is playing a game that takes 2000 years to beat that we don’t have a name for yet. Before HOXPOX, an X-fan might describe Moira as the X-Men’s most important human ally. Maybe they’d mention that she was Banshee’s girlfriend, or that she died really tragically. Maybe she’d only be remembered as the CIA agent with the least likely name as played by Rose Byrne in some OK movies. But now, Moira is everything. She is the mastermind of all of “X-Men,” the axis on which the whole Marvel universe now spins. After HOXPOX, she has gone from a beloved minor character to the key to understanding the next few years of Marvel comics. There is no doubt that Moira is the most important, the most essential, the most valuable X-Man.