X-Men Mutantversity: Krakoa is Cracking Up

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, and we’ll try not to panic as all our leaders forsake us. We’ll do all those things, but 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!

Here’s how it’s going to go. First we’re going to recap the last month of the ongoing superhero soap opera that is “X-Men,” focusing on the titles that are really driving the story. Think of it as your monthly headlines into all things “X-Men.” Then we’ll take a quick look at every single X-book that came out this month. Finally, we’re going to close things out with our very special Monthly Mutantversity Medals of Merit to close out these issues of “X-Men.” Stick with me true believers, and maybe we’ll survive this experience!

Magneto on Trial!

“The Trial of Magneto” #1 was fantastic, and already a strong contender for one of my favorite issues of the year. Writer Leah Williams and artist Lucas Werneck do phenomenal character work, showing us a Magneto at a moment of crisis. His world is crumbling around him, and he’s being blamed. It’s hard to imagine everyone making it out of this one in one piece.

Resurrection is a privilege only afforded to mutants, but Wanda Maximoff may be an interesting exception. Many people may have many opinions on whether she should be brought back, but there is no denying that she could be brought back. That’s because until recently, Professor X thought she and Quicksilver were mutants (they are not). So the Professor did make a Cerebro backup of Wanda. It’s an older version of her, without the last few years of memories, but it would technically work. This is a genius story decision.

Now there are a plethora of possibilities. I’m pretty sure this means that Wanda could also be brought back as a mutant, so long as her replacement body was given an X-Gene, which Elixir and Proteus should be capable of doing. But that would be heresy to the residents of Krakoa. So now it’s understood that if Wanda isn’t brought back, it’s because the Krakoans just didn’t feel like it, not because they were unable. And Wanda has been a pariah, public enemy #1 since the founding of the mutant nation.

There are those who feel that Wanda’s persecution is disrespectful to the character, but I have a different read. Wanda long existed as a prop for other, male characters, either as a love interest, a daughter, a mother, or what-have-you. If Wanda is going to stand on her own feet as a protagonist, she’s going to need a unique hook, something that makes her adventures stand out from all the other superheroes. And well, she is a witch. And witches are famous her being erroneously persecuted. I personally relish a future series where Wanda is on the run, on her own, having to outwit and outmatch all who oppose her. She’s capable and powerful and I’m glad to see a conflict rise to her considerable levels.

Of course, none of that can happen if she stays dead. The Quiet Council intends to leave things that way, so Magneto is now opposing multiple teams of powerful mutants who want to stop him from bringing that eventuality to fruition. A few mutants mourn her passing, but most say good riddance. As for me, I like to think of things in terms of what makes for the most interesting story, and Wanda is far more interesting alive and getting into trouble than she is dead, to say nothing of her recent popular TV series. Get ready to see Magneto put through the ringer, but if I was betting, my money would be on the Master of Magnetism.

Onslaught Unleashed!

“Way of X” has explored some of the underlying philosophical sci-fi ideas on Krakoa- for better or worse! In the final issue of the miniseries, Nightcrawler and Legion confronted Onslaught. It was a spiritual struggle as much as a mortal one and in the end, Fabian Cortez sacrificed himself to save Krakoa. Here’s the thing though- who even is Onslaught and how did he get to Krakoa? It’s not a simple journey.

Personally, I hate Onslaught. He was responsible for me quitting comics in my teen years. The big red and purple spike monster is a combination of the dark sides of Professor X and Magneto made manifest. It’s not a very sensible idea for a character, and the execution has frequently been worse. This issue may have been Onslaught’s single greatest showing.

Onslaught isn’t actually Charles and Erik. He’s more like their kid. When Professor X gave Magneto a psychic lobotomy, that was the act that brought Onslaught into being. He is a psychic entity, but the rules governing his corporeal form are nebulous. In his first major appearance, he managed to create a barrier that prevented mutants from coming near him. He was only defeated by the combined might of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and Doctor Doom, all of whom perished in the fight (for a little while). When the Scarlet Witch depowered the Earth’s mutants, there were a whole mess of unintended side effects. The wild mutant energies served to reawaken Onslaught, who returned and fought the Fantastic Four and um, the Young Allies. Onslaught definitely had gotten a demotion since he was first defeated.

But this latest evil plan actually makes a whole lot of sense. He was born from mutant anger, and revived through stolen mutant powers. It stands to reason that Onslaught works better as a secret parasite, siphoning off the life forces of the mutants of Krakoa. Rather than standing in Central Park shrieking incoherence, he’s become a terrifying psychic energy who drinks a little bit of mutant soul every time one dies and is resurrected. At the end of the series Onslaught is still alive and at large. He’s just the latest in a series of dark secrets that the Krakoan government is hiding from the citizenry. 

A Destiny Fulfilled!

If you’ve read any of Jonathan Hickman’s previous big Marvel runs, you know how much he likes to seed his entire story at the beginning, and reliably giving out little snacks of story like a candy machine. This is the first time he’s collaborated with so many other writers, so it’s cool to see who gets to write which important scenes. In this case it’s Zeb Wells, using “Hellions” to hint at a dark future we all know is coming.

Since HOXPOX, we’ve known that there are futures where Sinister builds “kennels” on Mars and uses them to create mutant chimeras. In “Hellions” #15, we see the first of these mutant combinations, a clone splice made up of Tarn the Uncaring and none other than Sinister himself! His goals are to turn himself into a god, and normally I’d chalk that up to a doomed evil scheme, but crazier things have happened on Krakoa.

We still don’t know if and when he is going to head to Mars to continue his unholy experiments. But I’d bet good money that he’ll find himself exiled from Krakoa proper during the upcoming “Inferno” story- maybe even as part of a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants made up of himself, Mystique, and a revived Destiny. Keep an eye on these relationships, and anyone else who might be headed towards banishment. An escaped Sabretooth seems a likely candidate, and a resurrected Madelyne Pryor. 

Hickman on the Loose!

The biggest X news this month didn’t happen in the comics, but in our world (which is technically designated Earth-1218). It seems that Jonathan Hickman, the Head of X, is on the way out. Oh no! Is Substack to blame? Did the corporate entity that is Marvel make a huge mistake? Is there an internal X-mutiny? It turns out the answer isn’t so simple, but this X-ficiando ain’t worried.

This story was first reported by Entertainment Weekly, and then the whole damn internet played a big game of telephone. Twitter got involved, which didn’t help the spread of clear information. I have only so much clarity to offer, but I will do my best. It sounds like Hickman’s plans for the X line changed a few times. These changes were sometimes creative, but you also get the impression that Hickman really grew to appreciate his team of writers and artists. The Coronavirus also hit, disrupting schedules and moving things around. The point is, this story grew bigger than just Hickman himself and so he is stepping away. From writing duties. On ongoing books.

So what does that mean? It sounds like Hickman will, at the very least, stay in touch with the X-team. He may even hold onto his ‘Head of X’ title. He also was careful to say that he won’t write any ongoing “X-Men” ongoings, but it sounds like he is leaving the door open to do a miniseries or the occasional issue. He mentioned that he’s going to put his special Hickman style on another corner of the Marvel universe, which has me quite excited as a reader, but this is an “X-Men” column so I will hold off on that speculation.

But I don’t even think Hickman is really leaving “X-Men!” Go back and reread HOXPOX. So many of those early mysteries have been resolved, but not all of them. There’s still more to say about Moria and her many lives, and the bad futures she is trying to avert. Orchis is still an unresolved threat. There’s the matter of the machine intelligence singularity absorbing the Earth to become a god. Oh yeah, and there was a rad character named Rasputin who got sucked into a Xorn black hole and… look, my point is, there are still a few dangling plots. Too many to wrap up in “Inferno.”

I think the current X-team will continue to tell rad stories on Krakoa, with or without Hickman. They will explore themes of resurrection, nation building, flowers, artificial intelligence, all that good stuff. But there will come a time when we enter the endgame- maybe with the arrival of Rasputin in the present, or an epic confrontation between Moira and Destiny. When that time comes, I have no doubt Hickman will come back in to wrap his story up. It’ll probably happen in another miniseries, a mirror to HOXPOX. I am confident that his apparent departure actually just means more great stories for us to enjoy, and I for one am optimistic about the future. Of “X-Men” comics that is.

This month’s X-Books:
“X-Men” #2 – A strong second issue that does everything it should from important character beats to villainous foreshadowing.
“Hellions” #14 – While I couldn’t be brought to care about the new villain squad, I can’t get mad at a good Sinister issue.
“Children of the Atom” #6 – An issue that feels like it is mostly deep conversations. The father/daughter stuff landed great for me, the friend reconciliation stuff sort of overstayed its welcome.
“X-Force” #22 – You’d think a fight between characters named Manslaughter and Doctor Bloodroot wouldn’t be so boring.
“Trial of Magneto” #1 – The best “X-Men” issue of the year so far.
“Marauders” #23 – This series looks like it’s getting ready to refresh itself with a new roster and a new lineup. That could be very exciting indeed.
“X-Corp” #4 – The focused character work was fantastic, the corporate espionage stuff happened too.
“Way of X” #5 – A finale to a miniseries or a prelude for another miniseries? Lots of good stuff in this issue, maybe it would have landed better if this was part of a regular ongoing.
“Wolverine” #15 – Building up the mutants of Arakko is a cool idea. This issue was a snooze.
Continued below

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

Orphan Maker

For a character introduced at the dawn of the gritty 90s, Orphan Maker hasn’t had too many moments to shine. His abilities are a little confusing- we know he needs the iron suit to contain his energy abilities, and what 90s character worth their weight in lead doesn’t have energy powers? But in “Hellions” #14, Orphan Maker got into the action and he did it in a way that’d make Cable proud- with a big ‘ol gun. For standing up for his fellow dirtbag mutants, and for doing it not with powers but a fully automatic munition, we’re gonna acknowledge the good work Zeb Wells is doing with everyone’s least favorite heavily armed teen on Krakoa.

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

Gimmick

In the final issue of “Children of the Atom,” Gimmick did a lot of crying, so calling her “merry” may be a bit of a stretch. But she definitely ended with a more profound kind of happiness, and I think that’s worth noting. It turns out that Carmen is the only member of her squad who is an actual mutant, and she had to go through the emotional ringer with all her loved ones before finding a semblance of peace. But Vita Ayala loves to write emotionally intelligent conversations about tough topics, and Carmen had to have a at least a couple of those. She found nothing but support from her new pal Eye Boy. Her dad had some political criticisms for Krakoa, but ultimately proved that he loved and respected his daughter. And at the end of the issue, Carmen untangled her problems with her good friend Buddy. They even made up with a hug. Reconciliation is pretty rare in “X-Men” comics and this month, no one catharted harder than Gimmick.

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

Professor X

My favorite version of Professor X (who is by far the most frequent recipient of this award) is an inspirational political leader with a terrible personal life. Charles is full of warmth and guidance for relative strangers, but when faced with individual responsibility, he never knows what to do. That was on display this month when he was seen trying to talk down his son, Legion. The Professor started by begging Legion to stop his dangerous plan, but it didn’t take too long until he was shouting the most heinous things at his son, things that if you heard them from your own dad, would break your damn heart. I’m fascinated by the guy who sincerely preaches loves and compassion, while constantly failing to live up to his own teachings. I love him as a character, but he is still a jerk!

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

Cable and the New X-Terminators

Cable is sort of underrated as a leader. He often looks like an emotionally distant, shoot first and ask questions later kind of meathead. But Cable has a great track record at helping mutants be their best selves, and leading squads through the impossible. That’s exactly what he did in the “Last Annihilation” assembling some of his favorite pupils into an unbeatable mutant strike force, lashing out at an intergalactic mystical threat. Cannonball is probably Cable’s greatest success story, along with the more impulsive Boom Boom. Whiz Kid brings the know-how, plus the ruthless panache you need to roll with Cable. Lila Cheney is a powerful teleporter and a rockstar. And Khora of the Burning Hear is a new addition to the team from Arakko, but she fits right in. “Cable: Reloaded” #1 was a blast, and you should make sure you don’t miss it!

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

Angel and Penance

There’s definitely a chemistry happening here right? Warren and Monet have both spent a lot of time together since coming to Krakoa. They fought together on the ORCHIS raid way back in “House of X.” They also partnered up during the “Empyre” invasion. Then they started X-Corp together and have basically been inseparable ever since. They are both extremely rich, haughty, and sexy. And this month they did the most intense foreplay a mutant can dream of- they sparred in a Danger Room while reading each other to filth, dropping truth bombs between dropping elbows. These two are mere seconds from ripping off each other’s clothes and I love it!

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

Jean Grey

At her best, Jean Grey is Marvel’s answer to Superman. She’s crazy powerful, to the point that it can be hard sometimes to think of a way to challenge her. But with unthinkable powers comes unimaginable perspective. Jean can’t help but see that everyone is made of the same star-stuff, the same atoms and elements. Far from making her cynical, this is at the foundation for her infinite wells of empathy and wisdom. She’s not the explicit leader of the latest incarnation of X-Men, but she acts as their guide.

In “X-Men” #2, Jean kicked ass and led the charge, but she also brought the team together in more ways than one. By linking their minds, she helps them use their powers in ways they would not have thought possible, including linking Synch’s power mimicry abilities with the other X-Men to act as a mutant powered dynamo. Of all the X-Men right now, Jean is the one who seems the most spiritually connected to her powers, and in the Krakoa Era, that sort of connection is invaluable. Jean is a good pick to have on your team, but not just because of her Omega-level telepathy. She also is the sort of person who makes all the other people around her, better.