As the opening page tells us, this issue works as a companion piece to Rise of the Powers of X #4. This issue gives us a more focused, detailed look at what transpires on Atlantic Krakoa while the primary movement of the story happens in Rise. Because of this I'm going to do a very quick recap but it's worth reading the issue for a deeper look into things.

We open with the preview pages, Xavier communicating through the melting Mother Righteous avatar. He tells Hope, Exodus, and Destiny to bring Rachel back and give her whatever she needs to help Jean. He also tells them to apologize to Rachel's X-Men as they didn't understand the road their words would lead him on. As the avatar becomes a puddle Xavier tells them to resurrect all the X-Men who died in Orchis' purges and to lead them.

Rasputin is resurrected (as we saw in Rise) and Destinys suggest they bring back Sinister. She says it was his suggestion to keep the fifth Cerebro cradle on Atlantic Krakoa so it's thanks to him they can bring everyone back. He's brought back and immediately asks why. Destiny says she told him they needed to be on the same side.

Destiny talks about what Xavier has been up to and about Enigma, etc. Rachel enters and she argues with the remaining QC members who are in agreement with Xavier's actions. Hope says this is war and that for once humans are sharing the cost of casualties that mutants usually suffer. Exodus is all in, of course. Rachel eventually reluctantly agrees and Hope tells her of the plan to return to earth to defend Krakoa but first... Rachel already knows, she needs to be present for the Phoenix plan. (The art is so pretty.)

Before Xavier melted Destiny asked him about their "deal." Hope brings it up again and Destiny tells her and Exodus that Nightcrawler is her and Mystique's son. Hope is sweet about it and congratulates her. Kafka overhears them then say that the X-Men will be returning to earth to fight. He wonders what about the rest of them?

Rachel is visiting with Jean when Prodigy enters. For the sake of time I'm rushing through this but it's an interesting scene. Rachel pushes Prodigy into the Krakoa vines/branches that make up a nearby wall and, using her Askani powers, pulls out of him information he received from the M'Kraan Crystal shard that was in his chest and insert it into Krakoa. She says some of those dimensions have the Phoenix in them. She's imprinting all of this data into Krakoa which she'll include in the pyre. She says it seems that the Phoenix is at the end of its existence and has to be re-created.

Exodus and Kafka talk for a bit, Kafka feeling like those that are going to be left behind don't really matter. Exodus says they do matter, that they are the important ones because they are Krakoa. Kafka says he and the others won't be missed and Exodus says he will remember Kafka, remember all of them.

The group of X-Men are now meeting with Sinister in the middle, working in a puddle. Hellion is there as well as Archangel, Surge, four of the Cuckoos. Who else do y'all spot?

Sinister says he was able to move No-Place X between dimensions and, though it'll drain Atlantic Krakoa dry, he should be able to persuade Atlantic Krakoa to reality jump to connect with its Pacific self. This is quite sad as the remaining mutants will be with very little resources and they have no way to get home it would seem. Sinister pours a liquid on the ground and vines start to grow. The vines wrap around Destiny and the other X-Men and turn them into flowers. Hope, with Kafka beside her, wishes them luck. There's a bright flash and the flowers disappear, the entire area now looking barren where a moment ago it was lush.

Hope tells Kafka that when they bring the Phoenix back that it's going to take a lot of work to rebuild Atlantic Krakoa but that he and others can handle it. He asks her why she stayed behind and she says she has messiah &%$& to do.







Gorgeous art and very interesting ending.