Warning: Spoilers for X-Men Red #2.
The X-Men’s intergalactic political standing may in jeopardy as the Regent of Arakko Storm contends with a cosmic rivalry between her ex-husband Emperor T’Challa and the new leader of the Kree/Skull Alliance Emperor Hulkling. A preview for X-Men Red #2 shows Ororo leaving an apparently strained conversation with Black Panther and Teddy Altman, indicating their former space alliance might not be as positive as once thought.
The galactic empires run by Storm, T’Challa, and Hulkling are all relatively new to the Marvel Universe, with the mutants’ Sol Empire and Kree/Skull Alliance recently being formed and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda coming under the control of King T’Challa not too long ago as well. The political rivalry between the three empires is particularly intriguing because of Ororo and T’Challa long and tumultuous romantic relationship. There is also the fact that all three of these empires’ leaders were raised on Earth, and yet now represent domains that expand far beyond the blue planet.
X-Men Red #1 – written by Al Ewing with art by Stefano Caselli and Federico Blee – sees the Regent of Arakko reject her throne and status as a royal as Ororo realizes she needs to lead a force of mutants to fight against threats to mutantkind from many directions. This is the not the first time that Storm has needed to act as a ruler fighting for her people, as she previously was the Queen of Wakanda alongside T’Challa. This connection has continued to create fascinating political bonds between the growing nations. Ororo and her new Brotherhood of Mutants need all the support they can get in the fight to maintain peace and control of the planet Arakko, and therefore Krakoa. But it seems like Storm might not be getting the help she needs from the galactic leaders she assumed were her allies. A preview image for X-Men Red #2 provided to AIPT depicts Storm in her amazing new heroic costume leaving a clearly tense meeting with T’Challa and Hulkling, evidently not pleased with their conversation.
The preview image is black and white and textless, so not too much can be inferred from the single panel, but it is clear that whatever the three leaders are talking about, it does not end in hugs and celebration. A key aspect of Storm and Black Panther’s marriage and breakup focused on their separate duties and responsibilities to mutants and Wakanda, respectively, and clearly this pattern has only grown stronger now that they are both de-facto rulers of their nations’ intergalactic empires. While Ororo and T’Challa’s relationship was quite tense for a long while, they recently reconnected and opened up the chance for a rekindling of their relationship, although the reveal that one of Black Panther’s Wakandan sleeper agents is a well-known X-Man may once again get in the way of the star-crossed lovers. In solicits for X-Men Red #4 Marvel reveals that Storm will be facing off against a new “Galactic Illuminati,” so there is a high likelihood that this comic panel could be related to that, as it would make perfect sense that all three of these leaders would be a part of the Illuminati, a cosmic version of the powerful Earth-based Illuminati of Marvel Comics.
It has been confirmed that X-Men Red will be involved with the upcoming Judgment Day event that will see both Krakoa and Arakko targeted by the Eternals for genocidal termination, and perhaps the Galactic Illuminati will be unwilling to risk the Eternals wrath by fighting for the mutants. Regardless, it is clear that the growing political rivalries and tensions between the Sol Empire, the Kree/Skrull Alliance, and the Intergalactic Wakandan Empire will change the fate of the entire galaxy for a long time to come. Make sure to keep on reading X-Men Red to see how the political intrigue between Storm, Black Panther, and Emperor Hulkling eventually plays out.
