Warning! Preview pages for Rise of the Powers of X #1 ahead!After officially being confirmed as a mutant, Kamala Khan is destined to carry on a new legacy as a member of the X-Men, trading in her Ms. Marvel title for a new codename: Captain Krakoa. In a story set 10 years in the future, readers learn that Kamala has reclaimed the Captain Krakoa name, which has most recently been used by an evil version of Captain America.
In an interview with CBR, writer Kieron Gillen discusses the first issue of Rise of the Powers of X, which was written by Gillen, drawn by R.B. Silva, colored by David Curiel and lettered by Clayton Cowles. The miniseries ties in with Fall of the House of X and the upcoming X-Men: Forever to close out the Krakoa era of the X-Men that launched in 2019. The issue opens 10 years into the future and sees the remaining X-Men continuing their fight against the forces of the anti-mutant organization Orchis. Among the X-Men’s ranks is Kamala Khan, who can be seen on the cover of Rise of the Powers of X #1 wearing a costume similar to that of Captain Krakoa. Now, Gillen confirms she’ll be taking on the name as well.
“We’ve got Kamala Khan as Captain Krakoa,” Gillen says. “She’s an X-Man now, so it’s like, ‘Let’s give her a dark future.’ Everyone gets a dark future when they join the X-Men. That’s how it works.”
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Kamala Khan’s New Codename Pays Tribute to Two Heroes
When X-Men leader Cyclops was brought back to life after a very public death, he needed to figure out a way to continue as a member of the X-Men without revealing the secret of mutant resurrection to the world. Hence, the masked identity of Captain Krakoa was created. Most recently, the moniker was co-opted by an evil alternate version of Steve Rogers. This version of Captain America, who once took over the United States as an agent of HYDRA in the Secret Empire crossover, was resurrected by Orchis and carried out crimes as Captain Krakoa in order to frame mutants for terrible deeds. Now, it will be up to Kamala Khan to reclaim the title under the heroic legacy Cyclops started.
Ms. Marvel has a long history with Cyclops. When a teenage version of Scott Summers was brought to the present, he befriended Kamala and fought alongside her as a member of the Champions. By taking on the name of Captain Krakoa and carrying on the fight for mutants, this future version of Kamala honors her friend and teammate. It also pays respects to her original inspiration, Carol Danvers. Just as Carol began her superhero career as Ms. Marvel before upgrading to Captain Marvel, Kamala’s Ms. Marvel has also ascended to the rank of Captain. This cements Kamala’s future status as a full-fledged, adult hero, an evolution from the teenage fangirl she started as.
The X-Men’s Bleak Future Shows Kamala Khan Will Always Be a Hero
The preview pages for Rise of the Powers of X #1 show a dark future timeline for the X-Men. As Nimrod and Omega Sentinel wreak havoc, the few remaining mutants alive, like Gambit and Mystique, try in vain to fight back. In his interview, Gillen says that in spite of this terrible fate the X-Men may endure, Kamala will remain the hero she’s always been. “When you have a character who’s beloved by so many people, including me, taking them and putting them in this different position means you want to do good by them. When you’re showing a little older version of a teenage hero, you want to show they’re a great person. Because people really like that ‘hero they can be’ aspect.”
Maintaining her heroic persona has been important to Kamala since the start of the Fall of X. In her solo miniseries, Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant, she comes to the conclusion that even if her mutant status brings with it new powers or new battles to fight, Ms. Marvel will always remain true to who she is. She will retain this mindset as she continues to fight against the forces that would wipe out her and her fellow mutants.
“She’s an interesting mix. Writing her as a slightly older leader, you see bits of her personality as it is now still there, but you also get the person who can do their taxes better,” Gillen continues. “She’s not Cyclops or anything, but she’s an incredible team leader. She delegates. She gets people to do stuff. She’s really empathetic. She’s a hero. That’s part of her charm.”
Taking on the mantle of Captain Krakoa gives Ms. Marvel a new codename and a new outlook, but as Kamala Khan leads the X-Men in a dark and uncertain future, it’s clear she will remain who she’s always been: a hero.
Rise of the Powers of X #1 (2024) | |
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