TheX-Men's current Krakoa Era brought the team back to prominence in a way that made fans extremely happy. Giving the mutants their own country and actual power in the world led to some amazing places, as the fertile mind of Jonathan Hickman guided it.X-Men (Vol. 5)was the franchise's flagship title and Hickman set down the building blocks that would flesh out the Krakoa Era and prepare it for what was to come. Fans were ready to see where Hickman was going to take the X-Men, but that wasn't in the cards. Hickman left his position as Head Of X, changing the Krakoa Era forever.
Before Hickman left the X-Office, Marvel relaunchedX-Men (Vol. 5).X-Men (Vol. 6)was written by Gerry Duggan, who had worked onMaraudersandCable, with art by Pepe Larraz. Duggan was never a superstar but he was a steady hand, and Larraz was Marvel's heaviest-hitting penciler.X-Men (Vol. 6)sold well, but there was something about the book that made it feel less important than when Hickman was writing it. The subsequent launches ofImmortal X-MenandX-Men Red,both helmed by actual A-list writers like Kieron Gillen and Al Ewing, sawX-Menfall further in readers' esteem. However,Fall Of Xcould give the book the chance it needs to become the flagship comic of the X-Men line again.
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X-Men (Vol. 6) Stopped Feeling Important Quickly
X-Men (Vol. 6)launched to much ballyhoo in 2021. Marvel mostly sold the book on Larraz's talent, although Duggan'swork at Marvel over the years had earned him some trust from readers, despite the ending ofMaraudersbeing considered subpar. Right off the bat, the book launched with a lot of big ideas, from the alien casino of Gameworld to Fei Long, an Elon Musk-like businessman who hated mutants, to Doctor Stasis, a new mysterious member of Orchis. Add in the fact that humanity was on the cusp of finding out about mutant resurrection, and the book felt like it was going to bea solid part of the Krakoa Era. However,X-Men (Vol. 6) always felt a little off. Hickman had popularized comic short stories onX-Men (Vol. 5),and Duggan aped that structure. However, Duggan's bite-sized stories were simplistic and obvious. Perfectly fine for a standard X-Men book, but missing the dramatic import Hickman brought to Vol. 5.
Even something as important asthe debut of Doctor Stasis didn't feel particularly special, just another new Orchis villain showing up.X-Men (Vol. 6)'s art was fantastic and still is since Joshua Cassara took over for Larraz, but the stories felt basic. The X-Men would find and battle a threat, with each issue focusing on a single member of the team as both narrator and character who saves the day. The book still sold very well, although sales did take a dive, but the rave reviews vanished. Volume 6 attracted very few completely negative reviews, but they did exist.Reign Of X,when the new volume ofX-Menwas launched, was a strange time in general, andX-Men (Vol. 6)felt like patient zero for these new problems. Readers didn't know Hickman was leaving soon, but the overall quality of the line fell, as Marvel and the X-Men writers treaded water and planned out how to end Hickman's plots.
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Immortal X-MenandX-Men Red's launch asDestiny Of Xbegan didn't help matters.Immortal X-Menfocused onthe drama surrounding the Quiet Council, andX-Men Redwas basically its Arakko equivalent. Both had more interesting themes thanX-Men (Vol. 6)'s threat of the month structure. Even the creative teams were top-notch. Gillen and Ewing are beloved writers with nothing but hits under their belts.Immortalgot Lucas Werneck andRedgot Stefano Caselli, two big-name Marvel artists. A good bet on what makes a specific comic the flagship in a large line like The X-Men is the level of talent, andImmortalandRedboth had higher-profile, more beloved writers. The art teams on the three books were about equal but the higher profile writers onImmortalandRedgave many fans the impression that they were the important books. Plus, both of the newerX-Men books played a huge role inA.X.E. Judgment Day,Marvel's big 2022 crossover, whileX-Men (Vol. 6)was absent.
Larraz leftX-Men (Vol. 6),and the book's main claim to fame — that Larraz drew the most important X-Men books — left too. Cassara has so far proved to be a worthy successor, but it looked likeX-Menwas no longer going to be the big book in the Krakoa Era. The old order had changed.X-Men (vol. 6)had its time in the spotlight, but the light had moved elsewhere. However, Duggan was still a big part of the X-Men's machine and soon the plans forFall Of Xwould be revealed, as Duggan was tapped as its primary architect.
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Fall Of X Turned The Table
Fall Of Xdevastated the X-Men in the Duggan writtenX-Men: The Hellfire Gala #1.By the end of that comic, Krakoa as readers knew it was gone and the X-Men were at the lowest point they've been in a long time. The Quiet Council was no more and had nothing to rule. That means thatImmortal X-Mencan't continue its current status quo. The Council has no bearing on events, so that book's stature is going to fall. The mutants of Arakko have their own problems, as Genesis and the Arakki who battled Amenth for millennia have returned, saying that the new Arakko is soft because of Storm's leadership. Now, a civil war is brewing on Arakko and it's probably going to be the main story moving forward in that book. For now at least,X-Men Redisn't going to be a big part of the ongoing Krakoan story.
ImmortalandRedbecame the books that people wanted to read.X-Men (Vol. 6)was the franchise's fun superhero book, but those two held the meat that fans wanted from the Krakoa Era. That looks like it's changed completely. Both of these books' premises are going to keep them away from the real action ofFall Of X, rendering their place as unofficial co-flagship books a thing of the past. It's looking more and more like one book is going to play a big role in the events to come and it's the book that everyone wrote off.
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X-Men (Vol. 6) Has All The Tools
The X-Men's Krakoa story so far has been devoted to building the nation and cementing its power.X-Men (Vol. 5)was the start of this, but Hickman leaving changed the book entirely. Gerry Duggan isn't Jonathan Hickman. Their writing styles are completely different, so expecting Duggan to write a character-heavy, portentous book that hinged on world-building and politics was always misguided. Duggan is more of a standard superhero writer who likes simple stories andX-Men (Vol. 6)became a run-of-the-mill superhero book during his tenure, for better and for worse. The X-Men would face a new threat and beat it, while the book built up a larger plot like the mutant resurrection reveal. WithFall Of Xbreaking everything, this kind of book has become much more important than it was before.
The X-Men aren't in a philosophical battle with Orchis. Their leaders aren't trying to jockey for power and define what Krakoa was supposed to be. All the complexity isn't really needed anymore. Readers want to see the X-Men get revenge, and images likeKate Pryde as a ninja assassin show thatX-Men (Vol. 6)is going to give readers the war against Orchis. That's how it can become the flagship again. What readers want now is the survivors' revenge. They want action and adventure. They want superheroes. Superhero action plays perfectly into Duggan's strengths. That's whatFall Of Xneeds and he can deliver that.
X-Men (Vol. 6) Can Fulfill Its Lofty Legacy
The Krakoa Era has taken the tried and true X-Men tropes of the past and stood them on their heads.X-Men (Vol. 5)was out in front, introducing concepts and building plots that blew readers' minds.X-Men (Vol. 6)didn't do that. It followed its predecessor with more simplistic superhero stories, movie theater junk food after a pricey steak dinner.ImmortalandRedgave readers more of the high-concept plots they were expecting and those books soon became the ones that most people thought of as flagships.X-Men (Vol. 6)was a fun superhero book, but it wasn't the center of the Krakoa Era anymore.
Fall Of Xcould change everything. Duggan has played a big role in building the story and he's writingUncanny Avengers, which also looks to be a big-timeFoXbook.Fall Of Xdoesn't need debate, or mutant machinations as leaders try to ensure their power as much as they are trying to secure Krakoa's future. It's not set on the cosmic frontier of the X-Men.Fall Of Xis all about the X-Men on Earth surviving after being broken like never before, and striking back. That's a superhero story. Duggan will shine here.X-Men (Vol. 6)was sold as the "X-Men save the world" comic. Well, that's what the X-Men need right now. They need to save the day, and that necessity should letX-Men (Vol. 6)retake its spot at the top and stay there, closing out this new story of mutants and massacres with a bang.
