Warning: Spoilers for X-Men Red #4 ahead
A despicable villain at Marvel Comics just brought up an incredibly important question in X-Men Red #4 that could hint at the future demise of the mutant nation of Krakoa: If Krakoan mutants can never die, and leaders on the Quiet Council are not democratically elected, what is to stop the current Quiet Council from ruling forever?
Krakoan Resurrection and immortality has been mainly framed as a future-altering massive leap in mutant evolution, but finally some non-mutants are beginning to wonder about the potential for a long-term, if not forever, fascist totalitarian regime on the island of Krakoa. The government of Krakoa is made up of X-Men heroes and villains, some of whom such as Sinister and Exodus already have a penchant for dictatorial leadership, but the real threat to the long-term sustainability of Krakoa is Professor Xavier, who already views himself as God.
In X-Men Red #4 – written by the acclaimed Al Ewing with evocative art by Stefano Caselli – Storm, the Regent of Sol and current leader of Arakko’s Great Ring, is attending an impromptu meeting hosted by Oracle of the Shi’ar. Oracle announces to Storm and other galactic leaders like Emperor Dorrek VIII and King T’Challa that Majestrix Xandra of the Shi’ar, daughter of former Majestrix Lilandra and Charles Xaiver, has been assassinated. T’Challa quickly raises the idea of mutant resurrection on Krakoa, since Xandra is half-mutant, to which Orbis Stellaris, the villainous leader of the Galactic Rim Collective, protests stating, “Why this death? Why can only Earth’s mutants deny the reaper? And what happens the next time she dies?… what it will do is install an immortal dictator on the throne…” Of course, Storm quickly tells the gathered groups that they have already resurrected Xandra and that they have zero say in the lives of mutants, but in some ways this just proves the point that Krakoan leadership is on the precipice of potentially becoming a forever totalitarian state.
Interestingly, in the same issue Magneto, now sitting alongside Storm on the Great Ring of Arakko after killing Tarn in the Circle Perilous, confirms his and Storm’s commitment to defending Arakki society by publicly destroying their only Cerebro backups. However the fact that most of Krakoa’s Quiet Council, everyone except Storm, could potentially never die and be revived and remain in power forever is truly terrifying, especially given the fact that the members of the Quiet Council are not democratically elected and there is very little to no transparency from the Council to regular Krakoan citizens. In some ways it seems that the annual vote for who will be on the X-Men team, soon to be revealed at the second annual Hellfire Gala, is a way for the Council to keep Krakoans complacent and give them a false sense of democracy, when really their leaders, made up of some literal war criminals, are chosen from among and potentially given centuries-long terms. It is simply not sustainable for the Quiet Council to stay young and in power forever without Krakoa becoming a fascist dictatorship, evidenced by Magneto reflecting, “What what I become, with endless time? I fear it Isca, I fear it.” Plus, Krakoa is all about their law of “Make more mutants,” but what good will it do to make more and more mutants if any potential leaders in the future can’t gain power because their ancestors on the Quiet Council are unable to die, and too egotistical to step down.
Ultimately, Krakoa has always seemed like a false Utopia, yet still an amazing and necessary next step for the ongoing safety and security of Earth’s mutants and the X-Men, so it is unsurprising but disconcerting to see a villain like Orbis Stellaris make an extremely valid point about the resurrection of political leaders, asking “If a leader cannot die, will they ever give up their power?”
X-Men Red #4 from Marvel Comics is available now in stores.
