X-Men: Magneto Was Right, Xavier Was Wrong

When Jonathan Hickman took on the role of “Head of X” at Marvel Comics, the X-Men entered a new era. Fans were promised a reinvigoration of the comic-book franchise, and it’s fair to say at this point that these new storylines have delivered the goods. More than that, the X-Men are back on top and they’re thriving once more. What started in Hickman’s House of X and Powers of X mini-series – and was later cemented by Dawn of X – was a complete relaunch of X-Men continuity. What followed was a cavalcade of quality titles under the “X” brand that haven’t stopped pushing Marvel’s mutants into the forefront of the comics universe.

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At the heart of it all, perhaps as it was always meant to be, are Magneto and Charles Xavier. Both preside over the Quiet Council – Krakoa’s governing body – and have the strongest guiding voices over the newly recognized nation of mutants. Magneto has been a terrorist, a freedom fighter, a ruler, a murderer and one of Marvels most iconic villains. Charles Xavier has been a leader, a pacifist, a scientist, and a voice of reason. To have these two decades-long frenemies reunited once more and generally seeing eye to eye is in and of itself the most potent evidence of a profound transformation in the X-Men universe. But what exactly does all of this mean for the X-Men’s history and legacy?

It wasn’t so long ago that Scarlet Witch, in 2005’s House of M, uttered the words that would change the world of mutantkind forever. “No more mutants.” With that, mutants became an endangered species, with less than two-hundred left alive with their abilities preserved. Magneto has long argued the innate superiority of mutants, that they were meant to rule the Earth, not share it, and certainly not be subjugated to the fear-driven ignorance and violence of humanity. Charles Xavier’s dream was that of a world in which mutants and humankind could co-exist in peace, each species enriching the life of the other. That is the principle upon which the Uncanny X-Men were formed, and the future for which they fought and sacrificed their lives. On Krakoa – at least until very recently – Magneto, Xavier, Apocalypse and Mr. Sinister live and work together under a common purpose. This is something that would’ve been unthinkable before, but their common purpose is not peaceful co-existence.

Mutants have an idyllic island where they are safe and have all of their needs met, and then some. A place where only mutants are welcome and allowed to enter. They have disrupted most major industries – starting with Big Pharma – and are slowly taking over the world. Powerful countries all over the world are beholden to Krakoa and its life-saving/life-extending technology. Mutantdom has positioned itself as a more aggressive version of Wakanda. Their unity and accrued power have allowed them to conquer death and even the infinite vastness of space. All of these awesome accomplishments are not the product of co-existence and equality, but the dividends of affirming mutant superiority and staking a claim to the world at large. The powerful mutant synergies Krakoans now depend on would not have been possible or even needed in Xavier’s first vision for the future of his kind.

In many respects, the abundance the mutants of today enjoy is a vindication of Magneto’s prerogative. By all accounts, he was right. Even the X-Men are now dedicated to serving the interests of Krakoa first, and the rest of the world second. Ultimately, Magneto has gotten everything he ever wanted. It could be said that he is the most successful villain in Marvel Comics history, since he is currently living his greatest victory. What’s more, nobody on Krakoa seems to be at all alarmed by this, and that says something, showing that Magneto didn’t just overpower or trick his enemies – he won them to his cause, even Charles Xavier.

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