Summary
Contains Spoilers for NYX (2024) #1!With theX-Menonce again scattered across the Earth,following the end of the Krakoan Era, a new team of mutant characters popularized as heroes in the 2000s have broken bad, coming together to form a new villainous team. These mutant antagonists have personal connections to the latest line-up of Marvel’s newNYXseries, shaping them up as a perfect counterpoint to the book’s heroes.
NYX (2024)#1 – written by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing, with art by Francesco Mortarino –unveils the group of former X-Men calling themselves “the New Quiet Council” made up of early-2000s favorites Hellion, most of the Stepford Cuckoos, and the anti-hero Empath.
The new roles for these characters drastically redefine what fans know about them, though nostalgiaX-fans will be happy characters like Hellion are making prominent appearancesin any capacity. The early altercations between this New Quiet Council and theNYXsquad will prove that while Krakoa may be gone, but the battle over its memory is only beginning.
In the aftermath of the X-Men’s Krakoan Era, opinions are divided on what the lost island paradise meant. This new Quiet Council,named after the ruling body of Krakoa, has dressed Hellion up as ‘the Krakoan’ to commit acts of terrorism against humans. ManyX-readers guessed Hellion’s identity as the Krakoan prior to the issue’s release, but the Stepford Cuckoo’s involvement offered a legitimate surprise.
X-Men Promises “Mutant Evolution” That Rejects Superhero Clichés for Something Deeper
As the X-Men look towards an uncertain new future, one team of mutants will explore what mutant culture looks like in a post-Krakoan age
Early 2000s Mutant Mainstay Hellion & Others Make A Major Comeback As Marvel’s New Villain Team
NYX (2024)#1 – Written By Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing; Art By Francesco Mortarino; Color By Raúl Angulo; Lettering By Joe Sabino
InNYX, four of the five Stepford Cuckoos have joined this new villainous team, while Sophie Cuckoo has broken away as part of the book’s heroic cast.
Hellion, aka Julian Keller, is a telekinetic powerhouse, and one of the stars ofNew Mutants (Vol. 2)and its continuationNew X-Men (Vol. 2), the most popular ‘young mutant’ books of the 2000s. Julian, an extremely powerful telekinetic, became the leader of Emma Frost’s secondHellionsteam, which he named himself after. While he’s grown since these first appearances, Julian has always had the potential for villainy.He’s now seemingly gone full mutant supremacist, forcing human/mutant confrontation in order to accelerate mutants becoming Earth’s dominant species, which is already predicted to happen in decades.
New Mutants (Vol. 2)andNew X-Men (Vol. 2)were written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir.
Empath, Manuel de la Rocha, is one of the aforementioned original Hellions. Empath’s mind control powershave shaped him into a sociopath, explored best in the Krakoan Era bookHellions. The Stepford Cuckoos, meanwhile, are the group of clones introduced inwriter Grant Morrison’sNew X-Men (Vol. 1). The identical Cuckoos refer to each other as sisters, which they originally believed themselves to be, but don’t always see eye to eye. InNYX, four of the five Stepford Cuckoos have joined this new villainous team, while Sophie Cuckoo has broken away as part of the book’s heroic cast.
Not Every Member Of The “New Secret Council” May Have Joined Willingly
A Battle Of Telepaths Is Brewing
NYX#1highlights how even the book’s heroes have different opinions on what Krakoa meant, and this new team will force those beliefs to the forefront as heroes and villains fight both literally and ideologically.
Notably, the power signatures surrounding three of the four Stepford Cuckoos inNYX#1 suggests that they’re being mind-controlled by Empath, but that means one isn’t. The most obvious actual evil Cuckoo is Esme Cuckoo. InNew X-Men (Vol. 1), it was Esme who betrayed the collective,allying with the evil Xornand pushing Sophie Cuckoo to risk her life, resulting in Sophie’s death. With Sophie as a hero in this book, it wouldmake sense to make Esme a villain again, to give the sisters the rivalry they never had, after their respective resurrections on Krakoa.
What’s most interesting, though, is this team’s potential to be more than basic supervillains. While their acts of terrorism against humans are awful, there’s a political angle to their actions that’s reminiscent ofclassic X-Men foes like theMutant Liberation Front.NYX#1highlights how even the book’s heroes have different opinions on what Krakoa meant, and this new team will force those beliefs to the forefront as heroes and villains fight both literally and ideologically. This isn’t just anX-Menbattle, but a fight over the memory and legacy of Krakoa.
NYX (2024)#1is available now from Marvel Comics
NYX #1(2024)
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
