Marvel: X-Men Krakoa Era ending explained from X-Men #35 / Uncanny X-Men #700

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In 2019 Marvel took the X-Men in a bold new direction. The mutants started their sovereign nation known as Krakoa, but they soon learned maintaining a government isn’t as easy as it looks. For the past few years the X-Men’s Krakoa era has taken the franchise into uncharted territory, telling exciting (and at times convoluted) stories.

Now that era has come to a close. On the eve of Tom Brevoort’s stint as X-Men editor, X-Men #35/Uncanny X-Men #700 (written by Gerry Duggan, Al Ewing, and Kieron Gillen, penciled by various artists) closes the chapter on Krakoa, as Marvel’s mutants prepare for what comes next.

Who lives, who dies, and what becomes of Krakoa? Let’s dive in…

Warning: Spoilers ahead for X-Men #35/Uncanny X-Men #700!

Keep up to date on Popverse's Marvel coverage, with these highlights: Disney CEO Bob Iger is promising Deadpool & Wolverine will be MCU's biggest movie "in a long time", how Marvel Studios is now working "much more closely" to sell Marvel comics, where Marvel sees its future audience (and it's not at Marvel, yet!), Overgrown children of the atom: Marvel's X-Men can't evolve past their '90s commercial peak, and the biggest outstanding questions of the Marvel Studios' movies & TV shows.

What is the Krakoa Era?

If you’re new to X-Men comics, let’s bring you up to speed on what the Krakoa Era is. The Krakoa Era is an era in X-Men comics that began in the 2019 miniseries House of X. During the storyline, the mutants create their own sovereign nation on the living island Krakoa. The nation is meant to be a utopia for mutants, where they can live in their own space without fear of persecution. Krakoa was meant to be a fresh start for mutantkind, including the villains.

Various mutants combined their powers in a ritual known as the Resurrection Protocols, allowing Krakoa’s leadership to revive any mutant who had been killed in combat. Essentially, the X-Men had cured death.

As you’ve probably guessed, nothing this good can last forever. An anti-mutant organization known as Orchis attacked Krakoa in Hellfire Gala 2023 #1. The attack forced some of the mutants off-world, while the remaining X-Men hid underground. After almost a year of counterattacks against Orchis, the X-Men have finally brought the organization down. But what does that mean for Krakoa?

How did the Krakoa Era end?

X-Men #35 was an 89-page giant that served as a coda to the Krakoa era. Here’s what went down…

• The piece of Krakoa that went to the White Hot Room (another realm) returns to Earth, bringing 15 million mutants along with it. Kafka (who is now an adult) tells the X-Men that time passed differently in the White Hot Room, and they spent 15 years away from Earth.
• The missing piece of Krakoa bonds with the rest of the living island. Kafka then informs the X-Men that Krakoa will return to the White Hot Room, where it has found a new home. Some of the 15 million mutants will remain behind, while others will join Krakoa.
• Apocalypse is angered by the loss of Krakoa and attacks the X-Men. He’s eventually convinced to call off his attack and retreat.
• During the chaos, Doctor Doom steals a Krakoan seed.
• The X-Men bid goodbye to Kafka and Krakoa as they return to the White Hot Room.
• Charles Xavier has been imprisoned for crimes against humanity. Xavier puts himself in a coma, forcing the prison guards to transport him to a medical facility. As the book comes to a close, Xavier wakes up…

Is Krakoa still a nation?

Krakoa is still a nation, just not in the traditional sense. X-Men #35 ends with the island teleporting to the White Hot Room, the realm that acts as the afterlife for the Phoenix Force. Krakoa will continue to exist in the White Hot Room, with many mutants inhabiting the world. However, the nation will no longer be on Earth, and a majority of Marvel’s iconic mutant characters won’t be living in it. This allows the X-Men titles to make a fresh start, while still leaving room for future writers to revisit the mutant nation.

Did anybody die in X-Men #35/Uncanny X-Men #700?

X-Men #35 was an epilogue rather than an explosive climax, so the body count wasn’t that high. Although Apocalypse’s attack on the X-Men was brutal, he broke it off before anyone died. However, Mother Righteous is killed by Mystique. The shapeshifter disguises as Doctor Stasis and breaks into the villain’s Orchis cell. Once Mother Righteous’ guard is down, Mystique turns her hand into a blade and stabs her. “Do you recognize this? You made Mystique stab Destiny with it. The woman she loved. That was a mistake,” Mystique says.

Charles Xavier appears to use his psychic powers to force an anti-mutant assaulter to commit suicide. However, we don’t see the final fate of the man, so it’s possible (but doubtful) he survived. At point it looks like Xavier has died, but he merely made himself appear comatose as part of a larger (and unrevealed) plan.

Was anybody resurrected in X-Men/Uncanny X-Men #700?

There wasn’t a lot of death in X-Men #35, but there was plenty of resurrections. Approximately 15 million resurrections. When Krakoa returned from the White Hot Room, it brought back every mutant that was killed in the Hellfire Gala. As if that wasn’t enough, it also brought back all the Genosha mutants that were slaughtered back in New X-Men #115 (2001).

However, the X-Men shouldn’t get too comfortable. With Krakoa heading back to the White Hot Room, where Hope Summers now resides, the resurrection protocols are no longer available. “The era of resurrection has ended,” Storm says.

Regardless, resurrection has been part of X-Men comics for decades, and I don’t think the loss of Krakoa will be changing that. The X-Men may not have a magic resurrection ritual anymore, but in the Marvel Universe death is always a revolving door.

Were Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine a throuple in the Krakoa Era?

X-Men #35 doesn’t address the Scott/Jean/Logan throuple theories, but we can’t close the book on the Krakoa era without bringing it up here. You might have heard something about Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine being in a polyamorous relationship. A map in X-Men #1 revealed Scott, Jean, and Logan had connecting bedrooms. There’s also a scene in X-Force #10 where Jean and Logan get a bit too cozy in a hot tub. For a deeper dive into the evidence, check out Grant DeArmitt’s article.

Writing on Substack, incoming X-Men editor Tom Brevoort dismissed the throuple theory. “Speaking of just the letter of what is on the page, rather than the spirit, I’m still unconvinced that there’s enough evidence to support [a Wolverine/Cyclops/Jean throuple] within the stories themselves"

Anthony Blackwood, who works in Marvel’s publicity department, gave his own thoughts in a thread on Twitter. “There ultimately isn’t anything on the page that takes the idea of Scott, Jean, and Logan being in a throuple outside the realm of headcanon—lots of moments that you can use to support it if you choose to though. However… I do think we can accept that Scott and Jean did open up their marriage on Krakoa. If not, scenes like above and the now iconic Broken Baths scene would be pretty damaging to Jean as a character, and I think that might be what’s fueling some of the debate. So…Scott/Jean/Logan Throuple = Headcanon. Scott and Jean Open Relationship/Some Kind of Agreement = Yes, I think we have to accept that as canon until proven otherwise,” Blackwood writes.

What happens in Krakoa stays in Krakoa…

What’s next for the X-Men?

A new era for the X-Men will begin this July. The new publishing initiative has been dubbed ‘From the Ashes,’ and it will feature the X-Men setting up three teams across the United States. Here’s the breakdown…

• X-Men (by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman) will feature a team consisting of Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Kid Omega, Temper, Magik, and Juggernaut based in Alaska.
• Uncanny X-Men (by Gail Simone and David Marquez) will feature a New Orleans based team consisting of Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Jubilee, and Wolverine.
• Exceptional X-Men (by Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero) is set in Chicago, and will focus on Kate Pryde and some new mutant.

In addition, there will be numerous solo series, such as Dazzler, Storm, Phoenix, and Wolverine. For a deeper breakdown of the new line of X-Men comics, check out this guide from Popverse.

Remember, Xavier is currently an enemy, Krakoa is gone, the X-Men can’t resurrect fallen members, and Doctor Doom has a seed from Krakoa. There are lots of exciting things in store for Marvel’s merry mutants, and we can’t wait to see what happens next…

An advance review copy of X-Men #35/Uncanny X-Men #700 was provided ahead of release by Marvel.