Immortal X-Men #13 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

*sad sigh*. Gillen has us hitting the ground running, tripping, falling, and tumbling down into the abyss.

We open with the preview pages, Doug sitting near Krakoa listening and watching as the QC argument over revealing SOS to the world. He notices Krakoa's leaves are starting to fall and asks them what's happening. Essentially, Krakoa responds with "It's Fall."

Caption boxes, Doug's narration:
"The outside world knows about the Sinister timeline. It's gone as well as anyone expected... The cynics were right. Krakoa had a secret plan to take over the world in the worst possible way. Didn't matter if it was just Sinister. He was on the council. His sins are ours. Emma went to the U.N. on a personal mission. It didn't go great."

We get a brief flashback of Emma leaving the U.N. Angry protestors surround her, some pointing guns at her. She uses her telepathy to make them point the guns at themselves and tells them to stop it. We see who appears to be the family from the final issue of Judgment Day, when Jean is assisting a human child out of an egg. The mother tells Emma that her daughter was brought back by the Phoenix Foundation and asks, "Is our little girl safe?" Sadness on her face, all Emma can say is, "I think she is." The mother, shocked, says, "You think she is?"

We're back at the QC, Emma saddened again while thinking about this memory. Charles says orders of the medicines have gone through the floor. The world doesn't trust their products anymore. Emma says that Krakoa is not a self-sustaining nation and that they sell their goods so they can purchase others. With sales dropping Krakoa has perhaps only months left to keep itself going.

The QC starts to bicker, Emma pointing fingers at Shaw and Colossus, also mentioning Kurt probably would have voted to release the Sinister timeline info also. Charles tells her to stop and reminds us unimaginable trauma Kurt has recently endured. Charles says, "We are complicit in Kurt's pain. That he felt the need to leave is on us. We have been poor custodians of each other. Ee have failed our duty to care." The bickering continues as Selene chimes in. Destiny says Selene should be gone, that she's broken Krakoa's laws. Doug's narration tells us no one trusts Destiny anymore but he's listening to what she's saying. She says Selene should be sent to the Pit, Storm says now is not the time for power plays as it'll increase the infighting, Exodus says they should bring Sinister back up so he can beat out of him whether he's still compromising them or not, etc.

Destiny repeats that Selene needs to be sent to the Pit or kicked off the QC. Her vote needs to be removed. Selene threatens to have another magical tantrum, Hope threatens to shoot her in the head again, Selene calls her a flirt. Destiny says Selene is back from the dead and had she been resurrected by the Five she'd have no vote too. Exodus is picking up what Destiny is putting down and attacks Selene as he says, "She dies. The Five bring her back. She loses her vote." They fight and Exodus is just starting to telekinetically pull her molecules apart when Storm strikes at him.



(Note that leaves are falling more rapidly.)

Exodus has a monologue moment and ends with...

[JB]

While the QC is taking a break, Doug visits Charles who asks if Doug has a message from Krakoa. Doug says he does, but not in the usual way but rather a message from everyone on the island. He tells Charles that Charles is so tarnished that he can't save Krakoa. He says if Charles tries he's going to drag all of them down with him. Charles asks, "Have I lost even you, Doug?" Doug says to read his mind because he has prepared something, that there are some things Charles should know.

The heaviest data page I've read yet...





"... and there's a plan."

Standing now in the center of the QC tables, Charles tells everyone that he has a proposition. He says they have failed, that the council's authority is bankrupt. Kate says they will announce the end of the QC at this year's gala. Emma says they will get rid of old management and promise that the new one will be better. Shaw is surprised, Exodus realizing many know of this plan but he did not. From Raven and Selene's faces they did not either. Hope says that's because they would've objected, and there's no time for debate or schemes and what not.

Hope: We're done. Oh, I've talked to the Five. We're on strike until we agree to a regime change.

Destiny says, "Don't. This is a mistake." Selene says she's in as long as this is the end of all the nasty chat about her having to suffer consequences for her actions. (Sidenote: Much of what Selene says is not particularly important to the plot but she's a fun pain in the ass and an absolute joy to read in this issue.)

Exodus asks what they are suggesting. "Democracy? A very human idea." Emma says maybe but their democracy will be telepathic.

Doug stands and has a monologue moment of his own, reminding them that believing they could build a utopia from scratch and it all going perfectly is the most "human thinking" thing of all. He tells Exodus that if they make this decision it will buy Krakoa some space, that maybe they can be the Krakoa Exodus always wanted. He moves to dissolve the council and asks if there are any objections. Destiny's is the only hand that is up. With leaves falling around him Doug thanks them, his narration box saying he can breathe easily for the first time in a year.

Then we get the most spine-tingling final three pages...

[JB]

[Nicoclaws]

Oooh I really hope Krakoa detractors read that Xavier monologue !

[Diammandis]

WHEW! This was a lot

I want to start out and say I loved that panel on Emma reminiscing about her interaction with the family that was present at the UN strike, Emma feeling the hurt of that family and the hurt her uncertainty on if their daughter will be safe, brings them. Emma hides her pain and puts it into action, I think just like Charles, Emma can't just ignore the plight of the families and people who truly rely upon Krakoa


I'm glad the council is finally changing, Krakoa must go through Fall and be reborn anew, they must endure these pains because surely if they do it will make them stronger.

I think this issue really just made me even more excited for the Gala, these 2 weeks need to hurry already!!!

[Itchpfork]

Two interesting retcons:

1.) Xavier's confession that he had come into ideological alignment with Magneto and Apocalypse to a far lesser degree than his every appearance since Hox/Pox lead us to believe. His speech to Doug doesn't comport with a whole lot of what he's said and done in the last couple of years, and is another instance of a writer watering down the stuff that made the Krakoa experiment so disturbing, exciting, and refreshing. But for once I'm more relieved than disappointed.

2.) A recent issue of Duggan's X-Men had Jean saying that Krakoa's magic biotech drugs are sold at a loss; here we have Emma implying that's definitely not the case. Duggan retcons to make Krakoa more cuddly and palatable; Gillen retcons the retcon. I approve.

[Grunty]

(...) We're back at the QC, Emma saddened again while thinking about this memory. Charles says orders of the medicines have gone through the floor. The world doesn't trust their products anymore. Emma says that Krakoa is not a self-sustaining nation and that they sell their goods so they can purchase others. With sales dropping Krakoa has perhaps only months left to keep itself going. (...)

Weren't there multiple points under Hickman's direction where it was boasted by characters and detailed in white pages how Krakoa is absolutely autark, producing everything they need and recycling everything to the point where there is no garbage, which means they are fully independent from outside products and the world's economy which frustrates the "human" nations?

Oooh I really hope Krakoa detractors read that Xavier monologue !

Just because someone begann to hastily paint it over, doesn't mean people don't remember the writing on the wall.

2.) A recent issue of Duggan's X-Men had Jean saying that Krakoa's magic biotech drugs are sold at a loss; here we have Emma implying that's definitely not the case. Duggan retcons to make Krakoa more cuddly and palatable; Gillen retcons the retcon. I approve.

That would also contradict how it was mentioned multiple times that thanks to the medicine sales Krakoa and with that every mutant aligned with it is super rich.

[Itchpfork]

Weren't there multiple points under Hickman's direction where it was boasted by characters and detailed in white pages how Krakoa is absolutely autark, producing everything they need and recycling everything to the point where there is no garbage, which means they are fully independent from outside products and the world's economy which frustrates the "human" nations?

No-Prize guess: Krakoa is self-sustaining, but it needs the financial resources to pull levers and pursue its interests on the world stage. Going bankrupt would cost it the clout that's helped it to get its way and keep it protected.

[Taurean Sun]

This was a good issue. The first arc of imx has ended and as such comes great changes. The book is no more a QC book, that is no more tell they start democratically electing some. Loved the exodus storm momment, it was more deeper than them fighting it highlighted their place in the ecosystem and how they have to act in pretence for the nation to live. I am guessing this is storm's last meaningful appearance in this book, lukas Wernerk drawing her will be missed but as ororo says to everything there is a season. Time for the next chapter.

[gonnagiveittoya]

Oooh I really hope Krakoa detractors read that Xavier monologue !

It's nice that a writer remembered that the mutants being a separate species from humans is completely against his ideology for the first time in five years

[Rift]

Krakoa's right. An oligarchy is bad IRL, but is much cooler in comic books. Way better than democracy. But at least now we can get Hellion onboard, since the whole island would vote for him.

[JB]

WHEW! This was a lot

I want to start out and say I loved that panel on Emma reminiscing about her interaction with the family that was present at the UN strike, Emma feeling the hurt of that family and the hurt her uncertainty on if their daughter will be safe, brings them. Emma hides her pain and puts it into action, I think just like Charles, Emma can't just ignore the plight of the families and people who truly rely upon Krakoa


I'm glad the council is finally changing, Krakoa must go through Fall and be reborn anew, they must endure these pains because surely if they do it will make them stronger.

I think this issue really just made me even more excited for the Gala, these 2 weeks need to hurry already!!!

My friend, there were so many panels I wanted to post and I almost posted Emma’s scene as she remembers her encounter with the family. The look on her face broke my heart and I love how she just openly said she pretends she doesn’t care generally speaking. The back and forth between her and Charles was… wow.

I never thought I’d enjoy Exodus so much. He truly believes in Krakoa and is beside himself with pain. Storm having to check him was so powerful. This issue was heavy so thank goodness for Selene providing the comic relief. I laughed my ass off at her being listed as a QC member in the recap page the same issue it dissolves LOL.

This is the first time I’m truly nervous about the future of Krakoa. Doug revealing that most of the people no longer believe in it was a blow to the heart. Even if/when they defeat Orchis and improve their standing in the world, I think a lot of mutants will walk away not wanting to try again.

[Viteh]

Huh, I guess the Krakoan era will really be over after Fall of X, since it seems that even without whatever is gonna happen at the Gala, Krakoa was likely ending.

Btw in case anyone was wondering, the sigils from Krakoa's language don't spell anything, it's just random letters. They don't even spell "gibberish" like in the past.

[Itchpfork]

Krakoa's right. An oligarchy is bad IRL, but is much cooler in comic books. Way better than democracy.

That part was interesting to me as a reminder that American superhero comics generally tend towards conservatism (notwithstanding their embrace of progressive social politics).* Krakoa's leadership sees the light! They've been doing things all wrong! And the way forward is to...adopt the governmental ideal of the Western states from which most of its members hail?

*What I mean is that superheroes exist to preserve the order of things, not to flout or remake it. That's why the Phoenix Five had to be handled as out-of-control villains in AvX, even though their agenda involved giving everyone on Earth free food, power, etc.

[Jv565]

I loved this issue. Xavier's monologue was a real highlight for me. I never gelled with the whole 'bad Xavier' train, and it's nice to hear that an echo of his dream is still alive inside him somewhere. It's also nice to hear him take a bit of accountability for giving up on it to the extent he did. Also, given the fact that they can't trust Destiny, a second precognition would REALLY help them sidestep messes like the one they just found themselves in.