2019 was the year of mutant salvation thanks to Hickman and artist Pepe Larraz’s mini-series, “House of X/Powers of X.” In these books, Professor X and Magneto finally put aside their differences and build a mutant homeland on the living island of Krakoa. Mutants of the world settle on the island (even the former villains), with organic teleportation portals taking root over the world to transport mutants to Krakoa (people with X-Genes can’t pass through the portals).
The Krakoans create their own language (implanted in citizens’ minds telepathically) and government (a “Quiet Council” of 12). They use the islands’ plants to synthesize cure-all, life-extending drugs and sell them to the nations of the world, buying up diplomatic power even though most world governments hate and fear mutants.
With a combination of Professor X’s memory back-ups on Cerebro, Mister Sinister’s genetic database, and the wonder of mutant powers working in sync, the X-Men even conquer death for all mutant-kind. When a mutant dies, they just have a new clone body grown and their latest “memory backup” installed into it.
There’s an underlying rule in Marvel comics that the status quo must reflect the real world. After all, comics can be alienating to new readers enough as is. That’s why so many superheroes use their powers only to ensure the world doesn’t change. With “House of X/Powers of X,” Hickman & Larraz spat in the face of this principle, and by God was it refreshing.
In “House of X” #1, when Magneto tells the world, “You have new gods now,” you believe it.
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