After Marvel Comics‘ huge announcement earlier this week about the nation of Krakoa’s newest era – Destiny of X – it has now released more details about one of the most exciting upcoming developments, the high-stakes political series called Immortal X-Men coming out in March 2022. It will be written by the incomparable Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + Divine, Uncanny X-Men, Generation Hope) with astounding art by Lucas Werneck (Trial of Magneto, Marauders, Empyre: X-Men).
The new series promises to deliver a story that is, “…ripe with backstabbing, shady alliances, and chilling revelations that will put everything you thought you knew about Krakoa’s future into question!” The plot of Immortal X-Men will focus on Krakoa’s government body, the Quiet Council, as it deals with the major ramifications of two huge X-Men events that are currently happening, Inferno and X-Lives/X-Deaths of Wolverine, both of which are reshaping the future of Krakoa. After spending time away from the X-Men franchise, Gillen is making a “grand return” to his mutant mythos storytelling with a story that is supposedly unlike anything else done with the X-Men so far.
The launch of Immortal X-Men was announced by Marvel on Wednesday. After being truly shaken up by the events of Inferno and X-Lives/X-Deaths of Wolverine the Krakoan Quiet Council is doing its best to hold itself – and its nation – together. But that is proving difficult when each member has a massively different vision for the future of mutantkind. The Council has expanded and now Professor X, Emma Frost, Destiny, Mystique, Storm, Nightcrawler, Kate Pryde, Colossus, Sebastian Shaw, Exodus, Mister Sinister all have a (very contentious) voice in the group. There is already a lot of historical mistrust from the Krakoan citizens towards the Quiet Council, and the recent revelations in Inferno have done nothing to quell those feelings of distrust.
Discussing his plans for political intrigue and espionage further, Gillen had this to say,
“So, the match is lit, and Immortal X-Men is a book about the burning. To speak in a Hickmanian idiom, this is the New Avengers to Gerry [Duggan]’s Avengers. This is the book about Krakoa, and the Quiet council, with all its muffled screams. It’s about a group of people, some of whom are convinced they’re in the West Wing, some who have designs to be in House of Cards and at least one who knows they’re in Veep. It’s big ideas, politics, fights and fashion, lies, creation and destruction, all told across the widest possible canvas, in time and space.”
Marvel has also released a gorgeous and intriguing piece of art for the new series by Mark Brooks, a mutant replication of the famous “The Last Supper” painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The art features two combative sides of the Quiet Council arguing with each other, and a noticeably missing Magneto, as he is still currently facing justice in The Trial of Magneto. There are also ominous allusions to the future of the X-Men team, as both Jean Grey’s mask and Cyclops’ visor are abandoned on the floor in front of the table. Additionally, the picture makes clear that much of the Quiet Council’s plans will involve Arakko, as there are several Arakkan creatures spotted in the background. Speaking more on Brooks’ art, Gillen says,
“Mark Brooks on covers is another treat. His gifts in creating form and charisma are obvious, but he’s throwing ideas at the page with a huge velocity. People are going to be poring over his first cover like it’s a piece of art at the heart of a conspiracy, as if every line means something. Which is lucky, because it does.”
Marvel has been teasing the new Destiny of X era of Krakoa for a while now, and has released titles of several other new series including Knights of X, Legion of X, and X-Men Red, but it is clear from Marvel’s announcement that Immortal X-Men will be at the heart of reshaping the future of mutantdom and how Krakoa will be moving forward as a nation in the coming months and years. Kieron Gillen and Lucas Werneck are the perfect team to bring such a massive, important, and complex story to life, and they are obviously trying their hardest to deliver on all their promises. Make sure to check out Marvel Comics’ new X-Men series Immortal X-Men when it debuts in March 2022 and also get your hands on all the other iconic Destiny of X titles being released.
