The Krakoan Age: Year 1

Five years ago, the X-Men changed the Marvel Universe forever when they introduced the world to Krakoa, a sustainable mutant nation formed on the living island of the same name. Throughout the subsequent Krakoan Age, long-dead X-Men returned, bitter X-Men enemies became close allies, and mutantkind faced the greatest threats they've ever known. 

Even though mutants persevered through challenges from across time, space, and beyond, the Krakoan Age is coming to an end—but before the sun sets on Krakoa for the last time, let's look back at some of the most critical moments from its thunderous debut. From Krakoa's explosive start in HOUSE OF X (2019) and POWERS OF X (2019) through the DAWN OF X era, we've broken down the most memorable developments from the first calendar year of Krakoa's existence.

THE FOUNDING OF KRAKOA

After working in secret for years alongside Magneto and their allies, Professor Charles Xavier introduced the nation of Krakoa to the world in HOUSE OF X (2019) #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz. Unlike previous attempts to form a mutant nation, Krakoa emerged as a home for all mutants and offered amnesty to mutant criminals. 

A living island based in the Pacific Ocean, Krakoa could be accessed from practically anywhere through a series of connected Krakoan portals situated around the world and across space. To ensure its place in the international community, Krakoa also formed its own robust economy by exporting three flower-based medicines that could heal and prolong human life.

PROJECT ORCHIS

To stand against the unified mutants of Krakoa, the world's mutant-hating groups pooled their resources together to form the anti-mutant organization Orchis in HOUSE OF X (2019) #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz. Based on plans designed by A.I.M. scientist Alia Gregor, Orchis was formed by the Omega Sentinel, a highly advanced Sentinel from a future timeline controlled by mutants, and Doctor Killian Devo, a brainwashed scientist. 

Orchis drew members from a broad spectrum of human agencies like S.H.I.E.L.D., Alpha Flight, Hydra, and S.W.O.R.D. After turning Tony Stark's old Sol's Hammer space station into the Orchis Forge, Orchis built a Mother Mold, which could manufacture other Sentinels. Orchis also began developing Nimrod, an endlessly adaptable Sentinel that almost wiped out mutants in several future timelines.

MOIRA'S SECRETS

For years, Moira MacTaggert appeared as an old friend of Professor X, a world-class scientist, and the X-Men's closest human ally. However, that changed when Moira revealed her mutant power to reincarnate with the complete memories of her past lives in HOUSE OF X (2019) #2 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz. 

Just as Professor X first dreamed of peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants, Moira approached him and showed him how mutants were pushed to extinction in her previous lives. In secret, they worked together to lay the groundwork for Krakoa and allied themselves with Magneto. By the time Krakoa debuted, Moira had faked her death and was operating from the shadows as Xavier and Magneto's silent partner. 

KRAKOA'S RESURRECTION PROTOCOLS

Despite the best efforts of the X-Men, millions of mutants died while Professor X and Moira prepared Krakoa. However, Xavier figured out how to effectively resurrect dead mutants through a group of powerful young mutants called the Five, as revealed by HOUSE OF X (2019) #5 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz. 

With a genetic sample provided by Mister Sinister, Hope Summers, Proteus, Tempus, Elixir, and Egg combined their powers to create an adult clone of the dead mutant. Professor X or another skilled telepath then uploaded a backup copy of their mind, which Xavier had secretly created and updated weekly for years. The Krakoan Resurrection Protocols were used to revive mutants like Cyclops, Wolverine, and Jean Grey after they died in battle, as well as long-dead mutants like Synch and Pyro.

THE QUIET COUNCIL FORMS

In HOUSE OF X (2019) #6 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz, Professor X and Magneto assembled the Quiet Council to serve as the young nation's leaders. The Quiet Council included 12 members, with Professor X, Magneto, and Apocalypse representing traditional mutant leaders; Storm, Nightcrawler, and Jean Grey representing the X-Men; Mystique, Exodus, and Mister Sinister representing mutant extremists; and Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw, and Kate "Kitty" Pryde representing the Hellfire Trading Company and the island's economic interests. 

Cypher, who uses his powers to communicate with Krakoa, and Krakoa itself also advised the Council. After passing laws about making more mutants, not killing humans, and respecting Krakoan land, the Quiet Council exiled Sabretooth to Krakoa's limbo-esque No-Place for killing humans.

KATE PRYDE AND THE MARAUDERS

Due to the unique nature of her phasing powers, Kate "Kitty" Pryde was the only mutant who could not use Krakoa's Gateways. After she sailed to the island, Pryde agreed to become the Hellfire Trading Company's Red Queen and help rescue mutants who were being kept away from Krakoa by their governments in MARAUDERS (2019) #1 by Gerry Duggan and Matteo Lolli. 

With a technologically advanced ship, Pryde brought together Storm, Pyro, Iceman, Bishop, and Lockheed as the Marauders. When Emma Frost and Pryde weren't dealing with Sebastian Shaw and his continuing attempts to grab power in the Hellfire Trading Company, they faced Homines Verendi, a mutant-hating group made up of the Reavers and former Hellfire Club members who wanted to take over the island nation of Madripoor.

THE NEW CAPTAIN BRITAIN

Shedding her Psylocke identity, Betsy Braddock became the new Captain Britain in EXCALIBUR (2019) #1 by Tini Howard and Marcus To. After her brother fell under the ancient dark magic of Morgan le Fay, Betsy took the Amulet of Power and claimed the Captain Britain mantle for herself. 

When Apocalypse took an interest the mystical realm of Otherworld, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, and Rictor joined the ancient mutant and Captain Britain to form a new Excalibur team. With their attention split between their traditional base in the United Kingdom and Otherworld, Captain Britain and Excalibur faced the mutant-hating Coven Akkaba and saw Jamie Braddock—Betsy's reality-warping brother—seize control of the mystical realm of Avalon.

BEAST'S X-FORCE

After the mutant-hating group XENO used DNA from Domino to sneak onto Krakoa and kill Professor X, a new X-Force team came together to serve as the nation's intelligence and espionage unit in X-FORCE (2019) #3 by Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara. Under the oversight of Beast, this X-Force team recruited a mix of field agents and intelligence analysts including Wolverine, Sage, Domino, Kid Omega, Black Tom Cassidy, and briefly, Jean Grey and Colossus. 

Through violent missions that saw most of the team killed and revived at least once, Beast pursued aggressive actions that resulted in the devastation of Terra Verde by telefloronic plant biotechnology. He also alienated Colossus, whom he accused of working with his villainous brother Mikhail Rasputin and XENO.

THE X-MEN IN THE VAULT

While mutants are generally thought to be the next stage in humanity's evolution, the Children of the Vault presented another possible evolutionary path. After developing in an isolated environment where time moves at an accelerated rate, the Children emerged from the Vault as hyper-evolved beings who fought the X-Men. 

When a new entrance to the Vault was discovered, Cyclops sent Synch, Darwin, and Wolverine (Laura Kinney) into the Vault in X-MEN (2019) #5 by Jonathan Hickman and R.B. Silva. The mutants became trapped and spent hundreds of years gathering information inside the Vault. During this time, Darwin evolved into a non-physical form, while Synch and Laura eventually emerged from the Vault as two of the X-Men's most battle-tested members.

MYSTIQUE’S SECRET MISSION

After Mystique and several X-Men died to destroy Mother Mold, Professor X and Magneto resurrected the shapeshifter and sent her back to the Orchis Forge to ensure they finished the job. Despite these mutants' sacrifice, their mission to stop the creation of the Nimrod Sentinel failed, as Mystique discovered in X-MEN (2019) #6 by Jonathan Hickman and Matteo Buffagni. 

However, Mystique did not destroy the machine, since Xavier and Magneto refused to fulfill their agreement to resurrect her late wife, Destiny. Moira MacTaggert had forbidden Xavier from resurrecting Destiny or any other precognitive mutant due to a violent encounter she had with Destiny in a previous life, so Xavier and Magneto never intended to keep their promise to Mystique. Following that betrayal, Mystique vowed to bring Destiny back, even if she had to burn Krakoa down to do it.

X-MEN AND FANTASTIC FOUR

Although the X-Men and the Fantastic Four have worked alongside each other for years, these two teams faced off over the fate of Franklin Richards, who was thought to be an all-powerful Omega-level mutant, in X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR (2020) #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Terry Dodson. Despite Franklin’s malfunctioning powers, the X-Men wanted to bring him to Krakoa, while his parents—Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman—hoped he'd stay with the Fantastic Four. 

After Franklin was abducted by Doctor Doom, the teams worked together to save him and agreed to let him spend time with both groups, only for Franklin to later discover he is not a mutant at all. Meanwhile, Professor X erased Mister Fantastic's memory of creating a device that could conceal mutant genes and warned him against further interference.

The Krakoan Age: Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5

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