Outgoing X-Men Editor Jordan D. White envisioned Krakoa as a permanent part of the Marvel Universe, but ultimately the franchise-defining Krakoan Era had to come to a close, in an ending he called “bittersweet.” With the publisher’s X-titles transitioning into the new “From the Ashes” Era, and long-time Marvel mainstay Tom Brevoort taking over the line, White spoke candidly about his unrealized hopes for Krakoa.

Speaking with AIPT for X-Men Monday one last time, White dissected his feelings about the conclusion to the Krakoan Era, which spanned the majority of his tenure as the Senior Editor of Marvel’s X-Office.

Having taken over X-Men in 2018, Jordan D. White ushered in the Krakoan Era, working closely with writer Jonathan Hickman to shape the ambitious reimagining of the franchise. Subsequently, he oversaw the Era through its five-year span, making him one of the principal architects of X-Men’s greatest achievements to date. Naturally, he has complex feelings about leaving the X-Office, and saying goodbye to Krakoa.

X-Men’s Editor Would Have Kept The Krakoa Era Going “Forever”

Jordan D. White, X-Office Senior Editor, 2018-2024

For fans engaging with Marvel’s X-Men titles on a week-to-week basis during the Krakoan Era, X-Men Monday has been an invaluable resource. In particular, Senior Editor Jordan D. White’s regular appearances have offered a wealth of insights into the behind-the-scenes evolution of the Era’s many stories, from the most beloved, to the most deeply scrutinized. In his final X-Men Monday appearance – dubbed his “X-It Interview” – White admitted that it wasn’t his creative impulse to end the Era. As he stated:

I mean, listen, I’ll be real with you. I didn’t ever want Krakoa to go away. I wanted Krakoa to be a piece of Marvel forever. So it was a bummer for that not to be the case. But Kieron had a pitch that changed the nature of what Krakoa would be. And then it took a little while to land on it living in the White Hot Room. But we talked a lot about it and we went back and forth on a lot of ideas, and we landed on this one that I think works really well.

As Senior Editor, White held a significant degree of stake in the creative direction of the X-Men line. That said, Marvel Comics is a corporation – and in turn, is owned by a larger corporation – and as a result, the dynamics that go into deciding things like when, how, and why the Krakoa Era should end. In his comment, White briefly described the creative progression that led to the ending, but it is evident from his description of Krakoa’s ending as “a bummer” that he was outranked on the decision.

Even at its peak, many fans felt that the end of X-Men’s Krakoa Era was inevitable. Now that it has come to pass, readers can begin to fully process the successes and failures of the Era – and decide for themselves if it needed to end or not. For Editor Jordan D. White, that answer was “no,” meaning that he saw the Krakoan Era status quo for Marvel’s mutants as sustainable. Considering Marvel fans’ deep, abiding love for “What If?’s,” speculation about what a long-term plan for Krakoa might have looked like will fuel many debates for years to come.

Krakoa’s Conclusion Made Its Spectacular Five-Year Journey Meaningful

The Argument For An Ending

Many fans will argue, like Editor Jordan D. White, that the Krakoan Era didn’t need to end. The counterargument is a classic one: endings give both stories and epochs of time their meaning. One of the common criticisms of comic book storytelling is that there is a perennial lack of definitive endings for major characters. Of all the ways X-Men’s Krakoan Era distinguished itself as uniquely aware of the problems of the medium – seeking to, and in many cases succeeding in, turning these into features – it would have been counterintuitive not to address the potent question of conclusions in comics.

Fans can certainly take issue with the execution of the Krakoan Era’s “Third Act,” up through its climax in the twin miniseries Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X. The “how” of Krakoa’s ending will be debated endlessly among readers, but the “why” is hard to argue against, at least on a storytelling level. By ending the Krakoan Era, the full width and depth of its monumental impact on Marvel, on the X-franchise, and on comic book storytelling in general can finally be surveyed.

Once again, the realities behind the decision are more complex than simply attempting to tell the best story – and of course, while it may be a definitive ending for an Era, Krakoa’s goodbye is another new beginning for X-Men. For those readers who didn’t want to see it go, some solace can at least be taken in the fact that Krakoa was not wiped from continuity, as many believed it would be, and that instead Marvel appears committed to telling a legitimate follow-up story in its “From the Ashes” Era.

Jordan D. White Calls Ending “Bittersweet,” Hopes For Krakoa’s Return

Marvel Teases A “Second” Krakoan Age

Though the story of the Krakoan Era’s climax came in the pivotal issue Rise of the Powers of X #5, its denouement followed in X-Men #35, which bridged the gap between Krakoa and “From the Ashes.” These final issues were not without their teases of an eventual return for Krakoa. Speaking with AIPT, Editor Jordan D. White described it this way:

It’s a bittersweet ending. It’s a sad ending because their child moved on beyond them. Krakoa outgrew the X-Men — but they did save it. People wanted it dead and they fought for it and they won. And now, the thing that they made gets to be what it wants to be. And that’s not with them right now. But hopefully, it will return someday.

Though he ultimately didn’t want Krakoa to go away, White’s words reflect the idea that the Era’s ending was appropriate, as the character Krakoa itself grew immeasurably during the past five years, and ultimately reached an emotionally potent conclusion.

White is far from alone in hoping the Krakoan “will return someday.” More than just a character, and a nation-state, Krakoa was a mindset for X-Men’s writers, artists, and editors. It was a call to be bold, and innovative, and to tell X-stories unlike any that had been put on the page before. Those fans that are hesitant about another relaunch are, in truth, more worried about losing the artistic qualities that made the Era successful than they are about any particular plot point, setting, or character dynamic falling by the wayside.

Telling X-Men stories is a complicated business, one that involves a great deal of artistic compromise, and consideration of factors outside just the creative. Few people know that better than Jordan D. White, who found himself on both sides of countless creative disagreements over the course of his time leading the X-Office – many of which readers might not never know about, unless White spills more details in future interviews. Though the Krakoan Era of X-Men ended at Marvel against his wishes, it only makes the impact of White’s achievements as X-Editor more readily quantifiable.

Source: AIPT, X-Men Monday