Marvel's Boldest X-Men Story Was Destined To Die - Here's How They Might Kill It
The X-Men's boldest story is reaching a conclusion with the popular Krakoan Age of Marvel's mutants coming to an end — and it's already being hinted how it could all come to a fiery close.
Beginning with "House of X/Powers of X" (by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia, and Clayton Cowles), Marvel took the X-Men in a bold new direction, telling the story of how they formed their own nation on the living mutant island of Krakoa. Inside the paradise island, mutants do not need to fear death; resurrection protocols allow Homo superior heroes and villains to come back to life thanks to genetic backups and a combination of powers from the Five. Mutants work together, putting their complicated pasts aside, and take a more diplomatic approach to their decision-making.
Unfortunately, after a few years of living on Krakoa and welcoming mutants from all different backgrounds — like Ms. Marvel — to their new home, the anti-mutant organization Orchis rises and not only tries to eliminate mutants as a whole but also poison their public perception. Working with several bad actors, including Feilong (armed with Tony Stark's technology) and Doctor Stasis, Orchis launches an attack during the annual Hellfire Gala. As a result, the ambush on Krakoa leaves many dead and forces the remaining mutants outside of their home nation, leaving the once-promising mutant future on Krakoa severely damaged. In "Fall of the House of X" (by Gerry Duggan, Lucas Werneck, Bryan Valenza, and VC's Travis Lanham), Krakoa itself goes on the run from Orchis while Polaris recruits the Brood for a war coming to Earth.
What's coming next for the X-Men?
The upcoming conflict between the X-Men and Orchis appears destined to lead to a new reboot of the characters. The possibility seems inevitable after Marvel's Tom Brevoort, who is taking over as editor for the next wave of X-books in July, shared a tease for the X-Men's future with a graphic reading "X-Men From The Ashes." The name itself hints at the Krakoan Age being reborn from the ashes, which could also hint at the Phoenix's potential role in what's coming.
Officially, no writer, artist, or storylines for the post-Krakoan Age have been revealed. Nor is it known how soft or hard a reboot will be for the X-Men or whether it will build on the past half-decade of their stories or try something new entirely. It's possible the new stories will transfer the X-Men back to the X-Mansion while character development and beats stay mostly the same. But, the "X-Men: From the Ashes" tease hints that the team will again be put through the wringer as they fight for their existence against Orchis.
When the dust settles, the next chapter of "X-Men" stories will emerge. It's an exciting but scary time for comic book readers and X-Men fans, as whatever comes next has massive shoes to fill in replacing the Krakoan Age. The initiative is the new gold standard for fresh takes on classic superhero characters. "X-Men From the Ashes" comes out in July 2024.