Summary
It’s been difficult for manyX-Menfans to say goodbye to the recently-concludedKrakoa Eraas the franchise embarks on a new chapter. The past five years saw a complete reinvention of the X-books, as the mutants of the Marvel Universe established their own nation on the living island of Krakoa. In terms of aesthetics, themes and narrative, the Krakoa Era is unlike anything that came before it. And while it’s sad to see it go, as the old saying goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
The Krakoa Era gave us plenty of changes to the lore of the X-Menand their place in the Marvel Universe. For the first time, mutants stood united in defiance of the persecution and hatred they’d always faced. Its singular nature and intricate storytelling make the era ripe for revisiting. When I look back on this period in the future, here are the elements I’ll be most thankful that the Krakoa Era gaveX-Menfans.
I Am So Mad About Marvel’s Big X-Men Reboot, and I’m Not Sure I’ll Ever Get Over It
The X-Men’s Krakoa Era was one of the most exciting times in the history of Marvel’s Merry Mutants, and the way it all ended was very disappointing.
10It Rescued the X-Men from a Particularly Low Period
Marvel’s Mutants Were on the Brink of Extinction
In the years prior to the Krakoa Era’s launch in 2019, theX-Menfranchise was in dire straits. Thanks in part to behind-the-scenes issues involving the movie rights to the X-Men, Marvel had severely downplayed their presence in the comics.Instead, Marvel tried toboost the profile of the similarly-powered Inhumans. This was best symbolized by the fact that Terrigen, the substance that gives Inhumans their powers, was deemed fatal to mutants.
WhenX-Menfans didn’t take to the Inhumans, the franchise was left rudderless.Mutants like Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey and Professor X were all dead and the rest were split up among disconnected teams. Even after bringing these popular heroes back, Marvel had no idea what to do with them. So, when it was announced that writer Jonathan Hickman would be taking over, it was like a life raft had been thrown to fans. Hickman had already brought fresh ideas to franchises like theAvengersandThe Fantastic Four, and readers were excited about what he might bring to the X-Men.
The Biggest Ways the X-Men Have Changed Since Their First Appearance
The X-Men are one of Marvel’s oldest and most popular franchise. Here’s a list of every major change since the beginning - and some are drastic.
9Mutants Finally Gained a High Status in Comics and the Marvel Universe
“You Have New Gods”
The Krakoa Era kicked off with the interconnected miniseries,House of XandPowers of X, written by Hickman and drawn by Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva, respectively. In a message sent to the world, Professor Charles Xavier declared that mutants were independent, but they had medicine to offer the humans. Magneto put it more bluntly when he told a group of human ambassadors,“You have new gods.”
The world was taking notice of mutants once again, both in the comics and in the real world. The humans of the Marvel Universe looked to Krakoa as a dangerous new superpower, capable of taking over the world if the mutants chose to. For comic readers, the new status quo was intriguing and exciting. The franchise had fallen far from its heyday in the 1980s and ‘90s, and had gone stagnant. But now, with massive changes taking place, it was fun to readX-Mencomics again.
After Marvel’s Judgment Day, The X-Men Rule As Earth’s New Gods
Judgment Day is over and the X-Men have changed the Earth forever by sharing resurrection with humanity - but only they decide who gets to come back.
8Krakoa Made Superhero Deaths Irrelevant
Marvel Finally Acknowledged That Death Doesn’t Matter in Comics
The concept ofthe “comic book death”is a well-worn cliché at this point. Comic publishers used to be able to attract readers with dramatic deaths of heroes like Superman or Captain America.But fans have become used to heroes repeatedly dying and coming back, and roll their eyes when a character is supposedly killed off “for good.“We know it’s just a matter of time before they’re brought back to life, or it’s revealed that they never really died to begin with.
With the establishment ofthe X-Men’s Resurrection Protocols, Hickman and company made it so that death mattered as little to the characters as it did to the readers. By bringing together a specific group of mutants known as the Five, the X-Men were able to resurrect any dead mutant. While some readers thought this cheapened the stakes of stories,it was refreshing that Marvel didn’t have to pretend that every death was an Earth-shattering event. Now, mutants who died could be brought back in a matter of a few pages and we could move on with the story.
15 X-Men Marvel Should Have Resurrected During The Krakoan Era
Scores of mutants have been resurrected by The Five during the X-Men’s Krakoan Age, but there are still many mutants who will never be brought back.
7The Long-Term Storytelling and Political Intrigue
X-Men Meets Game of Thrones in the Krakoa Era
One of Hickman’s strengths as a writer is his intricate plotting.House of XandPowers of Xare like a jigsaw puzzle, with the whole picture becoming clear once all the pieces are assembled. This carried over to other X-titles in the Krakoa Era, particularly Benjamin Percy’sX-ForceandKieron Gillen’sImmortal X-Men, where seeds would be planted for storylines that would pay off years later. Hickman’s finalX-Menstory,Inferno(featuring art by Valerio Schiti, Stefano Caselli and R.B. Silva), brings together elements first introduced inHoX/PoX, creating a sense of narrative wholeness.
A major driver of these long-term stories were the disparate factions that existed among the mutants. While former heroes and villains all lived together on the same island, they all had different points of view and agendas. Beast was determined to protect Krakoa by any means necessary; Mister Sinister implanted his own DNA into every mutant in a bid to achieve Dominion status;Professor X and Magneto secretly manipulated eventsto retain their own power. With all the political maneuvering and vying for power, the X-books felt more likeSuccessionorGame of Thronesthan traditional superhero fare.
Marvel’s New Major X-Men Twist Was Hinted At Years Ago
Immortal X-Men #10 ended with a massive twist that propels the mutants into the upcoming Sins of Sinister event, a twist that was hinted at years ago.
6Krakoa Created a Change of Scenery
Goodbye, X-Mansion
For most of the X-Men’s history, they have operated out of Charles Xavier’s mansion-turned-school in Westchester, New York. It’s a familiar setting that has appeared in nearly every movie and television adaptation of the X-Men. Sure, there have been periods wherethey moved their headquarters to the Australian outbackor the San Francisco Bay. But even in these new locations, they have access to state-of-the-art facilities, complete with command centers, airplane hangars and a Danger Room.
With Krakoa, not only were the stories different, but everythinglookeddifferent.The X-Men now lived in lush forests, surrounded by trees. They traveled by a complex, interconnected gate system that allowed them to move instantaneously around the planet. The newest X-Men base wasa giant treehouse in the middle of Central Park. And their technology came from Krakoa, giving everything an organic and floral appearance. In short, everything looked cool, and it was a refreshing change that made the X-books further stand out.
The 15 Best Comic Covers of the X-Men’s Krakoan Era
As the X-Men’s visionary period on the nation of Krakoa draws to a close, it’s worth revisiting 13 of the best covers from across its tenure.
5Krakoa Gave X-Men Fans a New Perspective on Classic Characters
Villains Become Heroes, Heroes Become Villains
The X-Men franchise has gotten a lot of mileagefrom former villains joining the team. Wolverine and Rogue, were first introduced as villains for Hulk and Ms. Marvel, respectively. Magneto has oscillated between hero and villain so many times it’s almost impossible to know where he stands at any given moment. The Krakoa Era embraced this element from the very beginning, with all mutants being welcome on the island regardless of their histories.
One of the most shocking and iconic images of the whole era arrives inHouse of X#5 when Professor X shakes hands with Apocalypse and tells him, “Welcome home.”Apocalypse was a crucial figure in this era, serving on the nation’s ruling Quiet Council and leading the mutants in theX of Swordswar. Other villains like Exodus, Sebastian Shaw, Omega Red and more also found themselves working on the side of the angels for a change. Offering former evil mutants a chance at redemption ended up being a major reason Krakoa failed, as Mister Sinister took advantage of Krakoan amnesty to work his schemes.
In a similar vein, this period saw several fan-favorite heroes lose their way. Most notably, Beast went from beloved original X-Man to a full-on villain who was happy to kill friends and commit war crimes to protect Krakoa.Charles Xavier ended the Krakoa Erawith his former students viewing him as a traitor for briefly allying with Orchis.By playing with characters’ goals and allegiances, the creators at Marvel managed to show familiar figures in a whole new light.
17 Most Likable X-Men Villains in Marvel History (Ranked)
These villains are 17 of the most powerful, charismatic, amusing, and just outright likable members of the X-Men’s legendary rogues' gallery.
4It Brought LGBTQIA+ Stories to the Forefront
Subtext Was Allowed to Become Text
The oppression of mutants in the Marvel Universe has often been a lens to explore the real-world discrimination of a number of different communities. Unfortunately, the comics industry has not always practiced what it’s preached when it comes to embracing diversity, particularly in regards to the LGBTQIA+ community.For decades, overt references to homosexuality were banned under the Comics Code Authority. As a result,X-Mencharacters like Mystique, Destiny,Kitty Pryde and morewere queer-coded, with readers having to settle for subtext rather than stories that acknowledged and celebrated LGBTQIA+ heroes.
Comics have made strides in recent years to providemore representation for the LGBTQIA+ community. The Krakoa Era ofX-Mencomics, in particular, celebrated queer characters. Mystique was finally allowed to call Destiny her “wife,” while Kitty Pryde kissed another woman on-panel for the first time. Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers entered into a relationship with each other. The comics brought back Marvel’s first trans character,a mutant named Jessie Drake, while also introducing a new trans hero, Escapade. The X-Men even got their ownPrideissue this past June.It’s a far cry from the restrictions that were previously placed on the franchise, and this representation will hopefully continue as the comics enter their new era.
The X-Men Have Always Been “Woke” – & Their Most Controversial ’90s Storyline Proves It
X-Men ‘97 has gotten a large amount of criticism because of Morph being non-binary, but the Legacy Virus saga proves they’ve always been “woke.”
3Exciting New Uses for Mutant Powers
We Didn’t Know They Could Do That
One exciting aspect of superhero comics is seeing different writers and artists come up with new ways for characters to use their powers. There was plenty of this on Krakoa. Hickman reinterpretedone of the silliest X-Men in recent history, Goldballs. While it was previously believed that Goldballs could just create and shoot out little gold balls, it was revealed that these were actually eggs, and they became crucial in the process of resurrecting dead mutants.
Storm has always been one of the most powerful X-Men, but her new role as Regent of Arakko (formerly the planet Mars) allowed her to stretch her muscles in new ways.Among her feats were: initiating a chain reaction of nuclear explosions that created a sun,summoning a Bifrost, and combining her powers with Magneto’s to create a massive, Sentinel-destroying electromagnet. Other mutants who displayed new uses for their powers included Black Tom, who became a key security figure by communing with the island, and Iceman, who managed to extend the range of his powers farther than ever before.
X-Men Confirms the Secret Mutant Power That Makes The Entire Species Unbeatable
Mutants can develop a range of abilities, but their biology is still somewhat of a mystery. Now, new information reveals the X-Gene’s real power.
2Its Success Might Mean We Get Similar Overhauls for Other Characters
Give Spider-Man the Krakoa Treatment
As stated earlier, theX-Menfranchise was going through a rough patch prior toHoX/PoX. But the launch of the Krakoa Era in 2019 got a lot of attention from both fans and critics. Sales figures are difficult to compile for comics these days. However, according to data fromICv2andComichron,X-Mentitles consistently ranked in the top 10 best-selling comics every month during this era, with the originalHoX/PoXminiseries andHickman’sX-Menseries selling particularly well. Reviewers also praised the new direction for the franchise.
Given this success, perhaps Marvel would be more interested in trying a similar revamp of another franchise. Comics are nothing if not consistent, regularly reverting to their status quo after every change. But this has leftsome franchises such as Spider-Manfeeling like they are in a rut. Giving a new creative team more freedom to shake up a long-running series in a comparable way can help it feel fresh and exciting again.
As a Teacher, I’m Convinced Ultimate X-Men Is Marvel’s Best Chance to Attract Young New Readers (NOT the Reboot)
Marvel’s main X-Men books may be entering a new era, but as a college teacher, I’m certain ULTIMATE X-MEN could actually be a sleeper hit with Gen Z.
1Krakoa Will Return
This Was Only the FIRST Krakoan Age
The final issue of the Krakoa Era,X-Men#35 (also numbered asUncanny X-Men#700), sees the island departing from this realm and returning to the White Hot Room, a dimension outside of time and space. The narration box reads, “So ended the First Krakoan Age.”Already this tells us thatthere will be at least one more Krakoan Age, though whether this is coming anytime soon remains to be seen.
Even without this in-text confirmation, it would be a safe bet to say that Krakoa will return.Nostalgia plays a big role in the comics industry. When new creators take over a title, it’s not uncommon for them to harken back to familiar eras and storylines. InX-Mencomics, this often results in writers and artists evoking the Chris Claremont run of the 1970s and 1980s, or the ‘90s comics from the heyday ofX-Men: The Animated Series.A time will come when creative teams look back fondly on this chapter and want to revisit it. While not everyX-Menfan loved theKrakoa Era, those who did can rest assured that it’s not gone forever.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
