Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics, X-Men | Tagged: apocalypse, fall of x, krakoa, Marianna Stern

Marianna Stern As A Big Bad Of The X-Men's Fall Of X #XSpoilers

The Fall Of X is coming but before the Fall. Marianna Stern was first introduced in the Krakoan era of Excalibur.. now she is much more.

The Fall Of X is coming but first, before the Fall. Marianna Stern was first introduced in the Krakoan era of Excalibur, as an amateur druid and high priestess who got in a little over her head. Created by Tini Howard and Marcus To, she appeared in the 2019 Excalibur #1 seeking to summon the spirit of King Arthur to save the spirit of Britain…

…but getting Morgan Le Fey instead.

Morgan Le Fey is most upset about the emergence of Krakoan society, with its flowers infecting Britain and her own Otherworld lands. And drops the name "witchbreed" for mutants, last heard in the 1602 comics. It would come up again.

Everyone does of course, aside from Marianna Stern who finds a new group to carry on her mission.

The Coven Akkaba, who once served Apocalypse, and who believed their magic would make them equal to mutants in his eyes. They were wrong and so turned against their master.

And were quite willing to work with Morgan Le Fey for their shared ends, fighting the mutants of Apocalypse and rising up Britain's power base.

With former X-Men member Betsy Braddock named the new Captain Britain, the alliance of Krakoan mutants and the superhero symbol of Britain, of Avalon proved too much – but also an opportunity to wrest power and attention away from Krakoa. With Marianna Stern at their side.

And so, in a Brexit-style twist, Coven Akkaba rose to take over government role in Britain, including an ambassadorship to Krakoa, on a wave of populism and split diplomatic ties with Krakoa, and Captain Britain, including Braddock Isle, just off the British coast.

Marianna Stern continued to fight the mutants of Krakoa in her rising role at Coven Akkaba, even as the link with Morgan Le Fey was severed.

As Marianna Stern went further and further into the dark.

Emerging as quite the monologuing villain type as well.

That's the thing about priests, they do like a speech.

We hadn't heard from Marianna Stern in a bit, but it seems that she, and Coven Akkaba have been busy. Finding a way to communicate with Genesis in Amenth and providing a way to return to Krakoa. Both against Apocalypse and the mutants on Earth.

And of course, announcing a new alliance.

Orchis, an anti-mutant organisation formed by members of SHIELD, STRIKE, SWORD, ARMOR, AIM, Alpha Flight, HAMMER, Hydra, the CIA, FBI, Mossad, and the FCB, it began as a project created my machines travelling from the future, a mutant/human paradise created by Krakoa, that successfully fought off an attack by a techno-organic Dominion alien race, trying to change that future by destroying Krakoa at its roots. Though the members of Orchis are not aware of this particular aspect.

X-Men Red #12 follows directly into today's X-Men: Before The Fall: Heralds Of Apocalypse, with the origins of Okkara, the land that would one day become both Arakko and Krakoa, husband and wife Genesis and Apocalypse's role in that split, as well as Apocalypse's new name being pronounced "Revalation", the Biblical opposite of Genesis. And Marianna Stern gets right in between the two.

And Marianna Stern is there to tell Genesis all about the almost-wiping out of the mutants of Arakko in the Judgment War event. And no, it does not go down well.

Fall Of X is about an impending attack on Krakoa that will see mutants spread across the world in the aftermath. Orchis has many hands in many pies, from the new Iron Man Sentinels from Feilong, Nimrod and Doctor Stasis, MODOK, the poisoning of Krakoan medicines to possess those who take them, the burning of the Treehouse, the possession of the Captain Krakoa identity and now it seems both Coven Akkaba and the Arrakki armies of Amenth. What happens if they all arrive at once?

X-MEN BEFORE THE FALL HERALDS OF APOCALYPSE #1
MARVEL COMICS
APR230778
(W) Al Ewing (A) Luca Pizzari (CA) Pepe Larraz
THE ORIGIN OF ARAKKO! In ancient days, Genesis turned back the hordes of Amenth. In ancient days, Genesis forced Annihilationin to a parley. What words were spoken in her mind? Now, finally, Apocalypse will know?and the echoes of those words might destroy him?and Arakko with him.
Rated T+In Shops: Jun 28, 2023
SRP: $4.99

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