Not since the Trial of Magneto have the X-Men been forced to endure such a devastating judgement for a fellow mutant. This time, rather than the late leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants answering for his crimes, the one on trial will be the leader of the X-Men, Cyclops – and rather than justice, those holding him to account seek to destroy all of mutantkind.
At their New York City Comic-Con panel, Marvel has unveiled Fall of the House of X #1, written by Gerry Duggan with artwork from Lucas Werneck. Pepe Larraz’s cover art for the issue can be found below.
Fall of the House of X #1 officially begins its five-issue run on January 3. The summary for the issue itself teases the X-Men leader being put on a public trial, with his life at stake.
Orchis Wants To Impose The Death Penalty On Cyclops
Most recently, following the infamous Mutant Massacre, that brought about the fall of the Krakoan era, Cyclops has been severely injured, and captured by those who orchestrated it all, Orchis. As he was last seen, Cyclops is strapped to a chair and locked in a room with Doctor Statis, with no signs of escaping any time soon. Quickly, the anti-mutant organization known as Orchis has turned the world’s sentiment against mutantkind, bringing to the surface long-simmering tensions between human and mutant once more, in order to further their own insidious ends. It appears that their next move will be a public show trial, with the intention of sentencing Cyclops to death.
The solicitation for Fall of the House of X #1 will remind long-time fans of the famous 1985 story arc “The Trial of Magneto,” as well as the 2021 five-part miniseries of the same name – written by Leah Williams, with Fall’s artist Lucas Werneck as illustrator. Werneck’s involvement seems to make the Trial of Magneto comparisons feel all the more deliberate on Marvel’s behalf. In the original story, Magneto was put on trial before the International Court of Justice, which he willingly went before, answering for his crimes in an attempt to reform. This proved to be a turning point for the Magneto character, as he shifted from villain to hero.
The Trial Of Cyclops Will Be A Turning Point For X-Men
While the circumstances of Cyclops’ upcoming trial are very different, as will surely be the outcome, like “The Trial of Magneto,” the events of Fall of the House of X are likely to be a major turning point for the X-Men leader. As the X-Men enter a new era following the fall of Krakoa, hard changes are inevitable for many familiar characters. This is especially the case for Scott Summers, whose new codename forced onto him by Orchis – Prisoner 10, or Prisoner X – seems to hint at a very different role for him in this new post-Krakoa paradigmn for the X-Men franchise.
As readers continue to speculate as to what that role could be – including the next Wolverine – the ramifications of the trial should be expected to leave a lasting impact on Scott whether he’s sentenced to death or not. Wherever the trial goes, it certainly highlights just how far the X-Men and the mutant population as a whole have fallen. The human public hates mutants now more than ever coming out of the Hellfire Gala tragedy. Seeing the leading face of the X-Men on trial for a crime heinous enough to warrant a death penalty likely won’t do mutantkind any favors.
Fall of the House of X #1 will be available in digital stores and comic book shops starting January 3, 2024 from Marvel Comics.
