"While you Slept, the world Changed"
Krakoa was more than a story. Krakoa came to readers at a time when many people were feeling isolated, detached, afraid-- a very resonant mutant experience, honestly.
Krakoa became HOPE for a lot of people.
These writers and artists and creatives brought all of mutant kind together -- united in a common goal -- and whether conscious or not, that unity and sense of community pulled at the heart strings of many readers, at a time when they were feeling really vulnerable. For a lot of us, these stories emotionally healed and nourished feelings we couldn't articulate, and that appeal swept through social media and comic shops like wild fire-- igniting podcasts, discord servers, message boards, and even tiktok personalities, lol. The community fostered within the stories became communities fostered in reality. That is why Krakoa is more than a story to so many readers. It represents those bonds and shared experiences and relationships made.
Was Krakoa perfect? Of course not. Is any family? lol
That was half the fun of its creation. The DRAMA.
This era of X-Men comics was an elaborate house of cards, continually being added to and continually raising curious eyebrows as to HOW TALL ARE YOU GOING TO GO?!
It was impractical at times but undeniably captivating. This era sparked questions about life and death and souls and psychology. It titillated curiosity with data page blue prints and lethal lesbian love affairs. Bridges were built, Blue Daddies were born, and Beasts went bananas.
I will forever treasure the way this era changed and enriched my life.
Is that dramatic? Perhaps. But so are the X-Men.
Same.
The X-Men DO deserve to have nice things.