Posted in: Comic Spoilers, Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: arakko, jonathan hickman, krakoa, mars, marvel, planet-size x-men, x-men

SPOILERS: Does Planet-Size X-Men Have Its Roots In Rick Remender?

This week sees the publication of Planet-Size X-Men, the big central piece of the Hellfire Gala X-Men crossover and, we presume, home to whatever big announcement Emma Frost makes at midnight that caused massive ructions for the rest of the world. The adverts have already claimed it as making a big impact on the X-Men titles as the original Giant-Size X-Men that relaunched the series, created Storm, Colossus, Sunfire, Thunderbird, Nightcrawler, and Krakoa, introduced Wolverine to the series and began the change that would make the X-Men the most popular superhero comic book for the eighties and nineties.  So what is it to be for Planet-Size X-Men? And what has it to do with Rick Remender? Time for one of these, I think, just in case.

Almost a decade ago, Rick Remender was planning to be writing the X-Men books, under editor Mike Marts, with big plans. At the time, Bleeding Cool reported that a big change would see the Inhumans increase in prominence courtesy of the Terrigen Mists traveling around the world creating new Inhumans such as Ms. Marvel, which would also see mutants terminally allergic to the mists, which would lead to the X-Men and all mutants leaving Earth to set up a colony on Europa, leaving a handful of Mist-resistant X-Men on Earth. However, Mike Marts left to set up AfterShock Comics, and Rick Remender left to create new creator-owned comic books with Image Comics. The plot was retooled – the Terrigen mists were still a thing, but the mutants left instead for a pocket of the hell dimension Limbo until the Mist situation could all be sorted out.

And I couldn't help but think of this plot when the gossip came through regarding just what was being planned by Jonathan Hickman for the X-Men. Hickman has been prolific in picking aspects of X-Men history, often those ignored by others, and finding new and exciting ways for them all to fit together on the mutant island nation of Krakoa.

We have already learned that Emma Frost has expansion plans. And that whatever they are, they have major social, economic, and political impact.

With even Captain America impressed if dubious.

But unto, now, Hickman hadn't picked up any plotlines that had remained unpublished until now. As it appears, the X-Men are to expand their operations off-world, taking their teleporting Krkoan portals to Mars – somewhere we knew that Krakoa had a presence since House Of X #1, and finding a way to colonise another planet. Jonathan Hickman has been here before to some degree in his Avengers World, Infinity, and Time Runs Out storylines for Marvel Comics, with the Gardeners terraforming Mars. I don't know whether they are involved in this one.

But the presence of Mars has been there since House Of X #1 when we saw Armor planting a Krakoan portal on the surface of the planet.

That there was an active portal there from Krakoa.

Powers Of X#1 revealed a future with Mister Sinister setting up breeding pits on Mars to create chimera. But also that Mars would fall along with Krakoa…

…and that it is all Mister Sinister's fault.

That he defected from Krakoa and was later executed, more recently, as part of X Of Swords, X-Men #14 had this prophecy from Arakko.

Arakko and Krakoa are sentient islands that were once one but became two. Hmm, there was a white light in that Avengers #1 as well.

Back together again as part of X Of Swords, Mars will split them forever. Is Krakoa moving to Mars? Or is Arakko moving to Mars? Joined by Krakoan portals?

The Sinister Secret from Maruarders #20 says there are two ruling councils circling the sun. One on Earth, one on Mars? And the cover to Planet-Size X-Men…

But we have Omega-level mutants, Magneto, Jean Grey, Storm, and Iceman, all of whom would be very useful for terraforming a planet. Recently, Rick Remender complained again bout Marvel movies taking his ideas without credit or payment. I wonder if he'll have anything to say about the X-Men titles this week? Planet-Size X-Men #1, New Mutants #19, and X-Corp #2 are all published this week as part of the Hellfire Gala. Time for a song…

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