" Hellfire Gala " was initially a 12-part X-Men comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics in June 2021. It is the first storyline featured in the " Reign of X " relaunch after the " X of Swords " storyline. Krakoa opens its gates to non-mutants to celebrate mutant culture at an evening party. The gala unveiled the new team of X-Men and showcased the terraforming of Mars into Planet Arrako.
155-751: The Krakoan Age was a series of X-Men storylines published by Marvel Comics from 2019 to 2024. The Krakoan Age began with the Jonathan Hickman limited series House of X and Powers of X (July – October 2019) and it consists of four major publishing initiatives: Dawn of X (October 2019 – November 2020), Reign of X (December 2020 – March 2022), Destiny of X (March 2022 – July 2023) and Fall of X (August 2023 – June 2024). These phases were interspersed with crossover and event storylines. The Krakoan Age spans "more than 500 issues of X-Men comic books " published "across more than 80 different series". The subsequent publishing initiative, X-Men: From
310-653: A Once Upon a Time graphic novel was announced for publication in September. With Disney, Marvel announced in October 2013 that in January 2014 it would release its first title under their joint "Disney Kingdoms" imprint "Seekers of the Weird", a five-issue miniseries. On January 3, 2014, fellow Disney subsidiary Lucasfilm announced that as of 2015, Star Wars comics would once again be published by Marvel. Following
465-414: A Cold War culture that led their creators to revise the superhero conventions of previous eras to better reflect the psychological spirit of their age. Eschewing such comic book tropes as secret identities and even costumes at first, having a monster as one of the heroes, and having its characters bicker and complain in what was later called a "superheroes in the real world" approach, the series represented
620-467: A "steady hand" instead of a "superstar". Harth opined that the addition of Immortal X-Men by Kieron Gillen and X-Men Red by Al Ewing led to X-Men falling "further in readers' esteem" as "many fans" assumed the new titles "were the important books" because they had the more "A-list writers" even though all three titles had comparable art teams – " Immortal and Red gave readers more of the high-concept plots they were expecting and those books soon became
775-434: A "universal" antibiotic and a cure for "disease of the mind, in humans" – these pharmaceuticals were only available to nations that recognized Krakoa's sovereignty. Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club highlighted that "Krakoa's big play for international influence comes via its main exports, miracle drugs for humans"; however, "not every country is interested in these drugs or letting their oppressed mutants escape to Krakoa. Enter:
930-617: A Marvelcon '76. At the 1975 event, Stan Lee used a Fantastic Four panel discussion to announce that Jack Kirby , the artist co-creator of most of Marvel's signature characters, was returning to Marvel after having left in 1970 to work for rival DC Comics . In October 1976, Marvel, which already licensed reprints in different countries, including the UK, created a superhero specifically for the British market. Captain Britain debuted exclusively in
1085-586: A brief time. During his time as president, he appointed his associate editor, prolific writer Roy Thomas , as editor-in-chief. Thomas added "Stan Lee Presents" to the opening page of each comic book. A series of new editors-in-chief oversaw the company during another slow time for the industry. Once again, Marvel attempted to diversify, and with the updating of the Comics Code published titles themed to horror ( The Tomb of Dracula ), martial arts ( Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu ), sword-and-sorcery ( Conan
1240-541: A cash and stock deal worth approximately $ 4 billion, which if necessary would be adjusted at closing, giving Marvel shareholders $ 30 and 0.745 Disney shares for each share of Marvel they owned. As of 2008, Marvel and its major competitor DC Comics shared over 80% of the American comic-book market. As of September 2010, Marvel switched its bookstore distribution company from Diamond Book Distributors to Hachette Distribution Services . Marvel moved its office to
1395-502: A change that proved to be a great success. Marvel often presented flawed superheroes, freaks, and misfits—unlike the perfect, handsome, athletic heroes found in previous traditional comic books. Some Marvel heroes looked like villains and monsters such as the Hulk and the Thing . This naturalistic approach even extended into topical politics. Comics historian Mike Benton also noted: In
1550-518: A chord with the older readers, including college-aged adults. In 1965, Spider-Man and the Hulk were both featured in Esquire magazine's list of 28 college campus heroes, alongside John F. Kennedy and Bob Dylan . In 2009, writer Geoff Boucher reflected that, Superman and DC Comics instantly seemed like boring old Pat Boone ; Marvel felt like The Beatles and the British Invasion . It
1705-604: A company-wide relaunch of the X-Men. To this end, all ongoing X-Men comics – Uncanny X-Men , Mr. and Mrs. X , X-Force , X-23 , and the Age of X-Man miniseries – were cancelled. It was subsequently announced in July 2019 at San Diego Comic-Con that there would be six new X-titles as part of Marvel's Dawn of X campaign; Hickman wrote the flagship title, X-Men (vol 5), during this storyline. Entertainment Weekly highlighted that
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#17327720476911860-505: A controversial personality, Shooter cured many of the procedural ills at Marvel, including repeatedly missed deadlines. During Shooter's nine-year tenure as editor-in-chief, Chris Claremont and John Byrne 's run on the Uncanny X-Men and Frank Miller 's run on Daredevil became critical and commercial successes. Shooter brought Marvel into the rapidly evolving direct market , institutionalized creator royalties, starting with
2015-518: A crossover that allowed Marvel to relaunch some of its flagship characters such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four , and outsource them to the studios of two of the former Marvel artists turned Image Comics founders, Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. The relaunched titles, which saw the characters transported to a parallel universe with a history distinct from the mainstream Marvel Universe, were
2170-524: A deal brokered by Malibu Comics ' owner Scott Mitchell Rosenberg . Three years later, on November 3, 1994, Rosenberg sold Malibu to Marvel. In purchasing Malibu, Marvel now owned computer coloring technology that had been developed by Rosenberg, and also integrated the Ultraverse line of comics and the Genesis Universe into Marvel's multiverse . Earlier that year, the company secured
2325-535: A deal with Harvey Comics , whereas Marvel took on the publishing and distribution of Harvey's titles. In late 1994, Marvel acquired the comic book distributor Heroes World Distribution to use as its own exclusive distributor. As the industry's other major publishers made exclusive distribution deals with other companies, the ripple effect resulted in the survival of only one other major distributor in North America, Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. Then, by
2480-400: A fallen mutant's DNA – as collected by Mister Sinister's mutant genetic database – and accelerate the growth of the new mutant body to the age the person was when they died. Then Professor X steps in and uses Cerebro to imbue this mutant husk with a 'backup' mind. Apparently he's been creating a backup copy of every mutant mind on the planet every week". Alex Abad-Santos of Vox commented that
2635-439: A fan vote to decide on members of the new X-Men team. The Hellfire Gala and an X-Men election was initially teased in issues such as Marauders #7 and #10 and X-Men #16. In January 2021, Marvel then announced a fan election to choose the members of the new Krakoan X-Men team. In April 2021, the team roster was revealed: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Polaris, Sunfire, Synch, Wolverine (Laura Kinney), Rogue. An in-universe election
2790-515: A human supremacist group that has antagonized the X-Men at the time when they settled on Krakoa. Throughout the Krakoan Era, Orchis worked towards ending mutantkind which culminates in a devastating attack during the third Hellfire Gala (July 2023) – this launched the final Krakoan Era phase, Fall of X. Alex Schlesinger of Screen Rant commented that the end of the Fall of X storyline "revealed to
2945-442: A line of digital comics , Marvel AR, a software application that provides an augmented reality experience to readers and Marvel NOW! , a relaunch of most of the company's major titles with different creative teams. Marvel NOW! also saw the debut of new flagship titles including Uncanny Avengers and All-New X-Men . In April 2013, Marvel and other Disney conglomerate components began announcing joint projects. With ABC ,
3100-420: A long time. How long did you think the villains were going to leave them alone". The final phase was kicked off in the third annual Hellfire Gala (July 2023) which drastically altered the status quo of series; this event was written by Duggan, with art by Adam Kubert, Luciano Vecchio, Matteo Lolli, Russell Dauterman, Javier Pina, R.B. Silva, Joshua Cassara, Kris Anka, and Pepe Larraz. This phase then culminated in
3255-742: A lot" after HOX/POX while Chandler Poling of AIPT viewed X of Swords as "the first misstep" of series with next phase feeling "a little sluggish" until the Hellfire Gala which "brought out all the elements that I love about the X-Men in a way that I never knew I needed". Poling also stated that when "reflecting on the Hickman run, what stands out to me most is the introduction to the incredible talent that surrounds this era. The incredible work by Leah Williams, Vita Ayala, Russell Dauterman, Pepe Larraz, Al Ewing, Rod Reis, Phil Noto, Gerry Duggan, and others, certified that I will be sticking around". On
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#17327720476913410-524: A master A.I. entity based on Nathaniel Essex himself"; it was later revealed that this entity becomes the Dominion known as Enigma. Enigma emerges as a major threat across multiple timelines while the X-Men are simultaneously at war with Orchis. Orchis is a fictional organization created by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Pepe Larraz; the organization first appeared in House of X #1 (July 2019). They are
3565-563: A metaphor for the promises and failures of Zionism , or ethnonationalism more generally". Elbein commented that "as time goes on, the beautiful Krakoan dream is brutally undercut by the agendas of the monsters they allow in [...]. You can also read Krakoa just as easily as an invocation of the original Zionist nightmare: a small nation surrounded on all sides by enemies bent on its elimination, who poison its reputation and are ultimately successful in destroying it via brutal sneak attack". ( ComicBook.com ) Marvel Comics Marvel Comics
3720-591: A month, maybe more, and ... suddenly we went ... to either eight or 12 books a month, which was all Independent News Distributors would accept from us." The company was briefly renamed to Goodman Comics in 1957 under the distribution deal with Independent News . The first modern comic books under the Marvel Comics brand were the science-fiction anthology Journey into Mystery #69 and the teen-humor title Patsy Walker #95 (both cover dated June 1961), which each displayed an "MC" box on its cover. Then, in
3875-546: A monthly or annual subscription fee. At the December 2007 the New York Anime Fest, the company announcement that Del Rey Manga would published two original English language Marvel manga books featuring the X-Men and Wolverine to hit the stands in spring 2009. In 2009 Marvel Comics closed its Open Submissions Policy, in which the company had accepted unsolicited samples from aspiring comic book artists, saying
4030-475: A national language, and negotiate property rights—none of which would be possible without the island of Krakoa providing the means and/or permitting them to do so". The Quiet Council of Krakoa is a fictional council of mutant superheroes and supervillains which governed mutantkind during the Krakoan Age. The twelve-member governing body
4185-469: A new Atlas Comics line, but this lasted only a year and a half. In the mid-1970s a decline of the newsstand distribution network affected Marvel. Cult hits such as Howard the Duck fell victim to the distribution problems, with some titles reporting low sales when in fact the first specialty comic book stores resold them at a later date. But by the end of the decade, Marvel's fortunes were reviving, thanks to
4340-525: A number of different titles. Goodman's business strategy involved having his various magazines and comic books published by a number of corporations all operating out of the same office and with the same staff. One of these shell companies through which Timely Comics was published was named Marvel Comics by at least Marvel Mystery Comics #55 (May 1944). As well, some comics' covers, such as All Surprise Comics #12 (Winter 1946–47), were labeled "A Marvel Magazine" many years before Goodman would formally adopt
4495-408: A phenomenal piece of comics creation and storytelling across the board". In contrast, Graeme McMillan of PopVerse thought that the "bold new direction" of the Krakoan Age "might have been a little too bold, in retrospect". McMillan viewed it as an "uneven" era with an "increasingly messy" second half although he preferred that the Krakoan Age was ambitious with "enough fun touches to enjoy even when
4650-543: A reputation for focusing on characterization and adult issues to a greater extent than most superhero comics before them, a quality which the new generation of older readers appreciated. This applied to The Amazing Spider-Man title in particular, which turned out to be Marvel's most successful book. Its young hero suffered from self-doubt and mundane problems like any other teenager, something with which many readers could identify. Stan Lee and freelance artist and eventual co-plotter Jack Kirby 's Fantastic Four originated in
4805-797: A secondary base of operations for the Hellfire Trading Company. Emma invites the Inner Circle to the island of Mykines and announces that they will be hosting mutantkind's first state dinner. Kitty Pryde sends the first invitation to the Homines Verendi. Cyclops and Jean Grey co-lead a new X-Men team; an election is to be held and the unveiling of the team is to be announced at the Hellfire Gala. Captain America meets with Cyclops at Westchester, questioning
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4960-404: A series of junk bonds that he used to acquire other entertainment companies, secured by MEG stock. Marvel earned a great deal of money with their 1980s children's comics imprint Star Comics and they earned a great deal more money and worldwide success during the comic book boom of the early 1990s, launching the successful 2099 line of comics set in the future ( Spider-Man 2099 , etc.) and
5115-533: A solid success amidst a generally struggling industry. In 1997, Toy Biz bought Marvel Entertainment Group to end the bankruptcy, forming a new corporation, Marvel Enterprises . With his business partner Avi Arad , publisher Bill Jemas , and editor-in-chief Bob Harras , Toy Biz co-owner Isaac Perlmutter helped stabilize the comics line. In 1998, the company launched the imprint Marvel Knights , taking place “with reduced [Marvel] continuity,” according to one history, with better production quality. The imprint
5270-576: A time, drive-in film monsters another time—and even other comic books, particularly the EC horror line. Atlas also published a plethora of children's and teen humor titles, including Dan DeCarlo 's Homer the Happy Ghost (similar to Casper the Friendly Ghost ) and Homer Hooper (à la Archie Andrews ). Atlas unsuccessfully attempted to revive superheroes from late 1953 to mid-1954, with
5425-640: Is a New York City -based comic book publisher , a property of The Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin Goodman as Timely Comics , and by 1951 had generally become known as Atlas Comics . The Marvel era began in August 1961 with the launch of The Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee , Jack Kirby , Steve Ditko , and numerous others. The Marvel brand, which had been used over
5580-559: Is completely shifting the future of mutantkind, destroying the mutant nation of Krakoa and forcing the mutants of Earth to recalibrate their entire existence". The White Hot Room is a fictional dimension within the M'kraan Crystal ; it "debuted in a Classic X-Men (1986) #8 story by Chris Claremont , John Bolton , and Glynis Oliver , and it was named for the first time in New X-Men (2001) #152 by Grant Morrison , Marc Silvestri , Joe Weems, and Billy Tan. A dying Jean Grey bonded with
5735-535: Is given for moving the story forwards in the last issue of era – the old Krakoa was heading towards burnout because it was on an unsustainable path even without the interference of Orchis. Whereas, the new Krakoa within the White Hot Room had avoided burnout with "sustainable, low impact growth" with the New Krakoan mutants preferring it to Earth. Alex Schlesinger of Screen Rant highlighted that labelling
5890-514: Is really a Greek tragedy, one that mirrors the promise of Israel when it was first founded (as a leftist egalitarian nation that even the Egyptian Communist Party supported publically at its inception) and what it has become over time". Asher Elbein of Defector viewed the Krakoan Age as "an impressively precision-engineered setup, something that can be plausibly read in multiple ways" where "you can, if you like, interpret it as
6045-640: The Hellfire Gala (June 2021) event, as well as Jonathan Hickman's departure from the line with the miniseries Inferno (September 2021 – January 2022). Following Hickman's departure, X-Men continued as the flagship title but was relaunched as new volume written by Gerry Duggan with art by Larraz. Reign of X concluded with the twin event series X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine (January – March 2022), written by Benjamin Percy with X Lives artwork by Joshua Cassara and Federico Vicentini;
6200-576: The X-Men: The Animated Series which was aired on Fox Kids , they later released Spider-Man: The Animated Series on the network as well. In 1993, Marvel teamed up with Thomas Nelson to create Christian media genre comics, including a Christian superhero named The Illuminator, they made adaptions of Christian novels too, including In His Steps , The Screwtape Letters , and The Pilgrim's Progress . In 1996, Marvel had some of its titles participate in " Heroes Reborn ",
6355-507: The American News Company —which shortly afterward lost a Justice Department lawsuit and discontinued its business. Atlas was left without distribution and was forced to turn to Independent News , the distribution arm of its biggest rival, National (DC) Comics , which imposed draconian restrictions on Goodman's company. As then-Atlas editor Stan Lee recalled in a 1988 interview, "[We had been] turning out 40, 50, 60 books
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6510-700: The Blue Area of the Moon , the Green Area on Mars and beyond the solar system, all the while remaining connected to its hive mind via Gateways, which provided ways to instantly travel from one part of Krakoa to another. The gateways can only be accessed by mutants but if a mutant brings a human with them voluntarily, that human must ask for permission from Krakoa to use the gateway. Various pharmaceuticals could also only be produced from flowers grown on Krakoa such as special pills that extend human life by five years,
6665-682: The Comics Code Authority (CCA) approval seal, due to the violence depicted in the issue. The CCA, which governed the content of American comic books, rejected the issue, requiring that changes be made. Instead, Marvel simply stopped submitting comics to the CCA. It then established its own Marvel Rating System for comics. Marvel also created new imprints , such as MAX (an explicit-content line) and Marvel Adventures (developed for child audiences). The company also created an alternate universe imprint, Ultimate Marvel , that allowed
6820-515: The Epic Comics imprint for creator-owned material in 1982; introduced company-wide crossover story arcs with Contest of Champions and Secret Wars ; and in 1986 launched the ultimately unsuccessful New Universe line to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Marvel Comics imprint. Star Comics , a children-oriented line differing from the regular Marvel titles, was briefly successful during this period, although hampered by legal action by
6975-732: The Marauders , a team of mutant pirates that take these super-drugs into anti-Krakoa countries and pull mutants out". Academic Brett Butler in the Journal of Science Fiction viewed Krakoa as "an integral part of the narrative" commenting that while "Xavier has established the mutant society on Krakoa, the island itself actually controls all of the major aspects of that society". Butler highlighted that "Hickman and other writers show how mutants declare independence through exclusive trade, create laws and punishment, establish mass transit routes, identify
7130-541: The Phoenix Force for the first time in the White Hot Room, which serves as a kind of afterlife and astral waiting room for all past and future hosts of the Phoenix". During the third Hellfire Gala (July 2023), the mutants of Krakoa were forced through Gateways and initially thought to be lost. However, "Hope Summers, Destiny, Exodus, and thousands of other mutants landed in an arid wasteland. They wandered through
7285-647: The Silver Surfer , and such memorable antagonists as Doctor Doom , Magneto , Galactus , Loki , the Green Goblin , and Doctor Octopus , all existing in a shared reality known as the Marvel Universe , with locations that mirror real-life cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Marvel even lampooned itself and other comics companies in a parody comic, Not Brand Echh (a play on Marvel's dubbing of other companies as "Brand Echh", à la
7440-489: The United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare approached Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Stan Lee to do a comic book story about drug abuse. Lee agreed and wrote a three-part Spider-Man story portraying drug use as dangerous and unglamorous. However, the industry's self-censorship board, the Comics Code Authority , refused to approve the story because of the presence of narcotics, deeming
7595-666: The X-Men Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 one-shot that was released on July 26, 2023. A Marvel Comics caricature of Declan Shalvey who served as Ireland 's ambassador appeared as one of the Hellfire Gala attendees. The gala was first mentioned during a conversation between Emma Frost and Callisto when the former asked the latter to be the White Knight of the Hellfire Trading Company . Emma Frost asks Magneto to procure and develop an island as
7750-470: The art of Krakoa from X-Men (vol. 6) #35 – "there's just something about the final image of Krakoa saying goodbye to the mutants staying behind on Earth to be churned up into the latest relaunch that I find achingly beautiful. There are few words on the page, yet it seems to say so much. It haunts me (in a good way)". Isaac Jansons, also for Screen Rant , highlighted the "metatexual level" of building stories around conflict and that Marvel can never truly let
7905-399: The "immense" cost of defeating both Orchis and Enigma – "the mutant nation is effectively gone, and the vast majority of the world's mutants are still trapped inside the White Hot Room. Earth's mutant population has dwindled once more, and humanity hates and fears them as much as ever". Schedee commented that "on the bright side, while the era of Krakoa has ended, this isn't entirely a return to
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#17327720476918060-510: The "primary problem" was that "it never fully embraced or explored its big ideas". George opined that "the Krakoa era offered a brief chance for the franchise to grow in compelling ways, but it fell short, refusing to fully embrace the conceit of mutation and change itself". Mahmoud Salem of News Line Magazine highlighted that to return the X-Men to the status quo "the Marvel writers' solution to
8215-416: The 'Krakoa mutants problem' seems to be the annihilation of their state and their planetary deportation, with them returning to live in a world that continues to construct a culture of hatred against them". He also reported that, throughout the Krakoan Age, readers have been divided as to whether the storyline is intended as an extended allegory for the state of Israel . Salem opined that "the parable of Krakoa
8370-487: The Ashes , relaunched the X-Men line in a post-Krakoan Age. The Krakoan Age was defined by the creation of a sovereign mutant nation on the living island of Krakoa and the effective immortality of mutantkind via the newly established resurrection protocols. It featured storylines across multiple timelines. Throughout the phases, mutants faced opposition from the human supremacist organization Orchis who would orchestrate
8525-526: The Atlas years, allowing him now to release as many titles as demand warranted. Late that year, he sold Marvel Comics and its parent company, Magazine Management , to the Perfect Film & Chemical Corporation (later known as Cadence Industries) , though he remained as publisher. In 1969, Goodman finally ended his distribution deal with Independent by signing with Curtis Circulation Company . In 1971,
8680-570: The Barbarian in 1970, Red Sonja ), satire ( Howard the Duck ) and science fiction ( 2001: A Space Odyssey , " Killraven " in Amazing Adventures , Battlestar Galactica , Star Trek , and, late in the decade, the long-running Star Wars series). Some of these were published in larger-format black and white magazines, under its Curtis Magazines imprint. Marvel was able to capitalize on its successful superhero comics of
8835-577: The Barbarian title was canceled in 1993 after 275 issues, while the Savage Sword of Conan magazine had lasted 235 issues. Marvel published additional titles including miniseries until 2000 for a total of 650 issues. Conan was picked up by Dark Horse Comics three years later. In a cross-promotion, the November 1, 2006, episode of the CBS soap opera Guiding Light , titled "She's a Marvel", featured
8990-549: The Data pages are of Jonathan’s hand". In a January 2021 interview, Hickman stated that he thought data pages "should reflect the particular book and the particular creator". He highlighted that "everyone's data pages are all put together by the bullpen who are working from templates we’ve created. If someone has a special design, like a map or something like that, then the bullpen will give it a shot. Occasionally, I do some of that". For decades, no firm definition for Omega-level mutant
9145-480: The Diamond Comics shutdown and Marvel's pause demanded a change in priorities: Any book that ended meant at least two creators out of a job in a very scarce time. Keeping his collaborators in work took precedence over his initially planned timing. Polo opined that Hickman's "extreme" changes were "perhaps comparable only to the work of Len Wein , Chris Claremont, and Dave Cockrum in their 1975 push to change
9300-525: The Fall of X would not lead to the return of the X-Mansion status quo. Marston wrote that while the Krakoan Age was "flawed", it "at least grappled with taking that story a step further. By moving on from the classic 'hated and feared by the humans they protect' theme and redirecting away from humanity as mutantkind's greatest enemy toward the evil future AI Nimrod and the Phalanx, a new fantasy took root in
9455-799: The Galaxy . Its stable of well-known supervillains includes Doctor Doom , Magneto , Green Goblin , Kingpin , Red Skull , Loki , Ultron , Thanos , Kang the Conqueror , Venom , and Galactus . Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe , with most locations mirroring real-life places; many major characters are based in New York City. Additionally, Marvel has published several licensed properties from other companies. This includes Star Wars comics , twice from 1977 to 1987 , and again since 2015 . Pulp-magazine publisher Martin Goodman created
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#17327720476919610-517: The Hellfire Gala attendees. During Marvel's Judgment Day panel on SDCC 2022, Nick Lowe and C.B. Beluski revealed that plans for the X-Men extend to 2024 building towards what Jonathan Hickman planned before he left, including the third annual Hellfire Gala. During the Next Big Thing panel on NYCC 2022, Lowe mentioned that there will be another Hellfire Gala before the Fall of X event. It
9765-524: The Human Torch (art by Syd Shores and Dick Ayers , variously), the Sub-Mariner (drawn and most stories written by Bill Everett ), and Captain America (writer Stan Lee , artist John Romita Sr. ). Atlas did not achieve any breakout hits and, according to Stan Lee, survived chiefly because it produced work quickly, cheaply, and at a passable quality. In 1957, Goodman switched distributors to
9920-555: The Krakoa-era relaunch, much of this material remixed existing ideas, tropes, and titles, reusing titles like 'X-Men: Red,' 'Inferno,' and 'Exiles' to new ends, all while advancing the set-up Hickman had created; even when Hickman himself moved on from the franchise midway through the Krakoa era, the line continued as if nothing had changed, thanks to the creative hive mind of writers including Gerry Duggan, Kieron Gillan, Al Ewing, Tini Howard , Si Spurrier , and editor Jordan White". On
10075-543: The Krakoan islands operations, to information about the secrets of Moira X's expansive 10 lives, as well as deep dives into the inner workings of one of the X-Men's main enemies, the mutant-hating Orchis". A data page on the Summer House in Hickman's X-Men #1 (vol. 5) drew widespread attention as Jean Grey 's bedroom was directly between the bedrooms of Cyclops and Wolverine with internal connecting doors unlike all
10230-507: The Krokoan Age marked a shift in the X-Men mission statement – "the X-Men stopped being superheroes, and became nation-builders". On creating a new society, Hickman stated: I think one of the interesting things about taking all the mutants and making a culture out of it is that a lot of the pre-culture roles that were defined by external forces have to be revisited when the whole thing gets rejected, or replaced, by new ones. Some people who
10385-588: The Marvel Universe" until the Krakoa Age. Zachary highlighted that the formation of a new mutant nation "introduced an openly political subtext into a franchise that has always been rooted in heavy thematic exploration of redemption, hatred, and acceptance" and that the scale of the new direction "gave creators plenty of room to experiment, resulting in an X-Men line that defied expectations and felt wholly unique". He opined that: The Krakoa Era proves that
10540-462: The Marvel Universe, it is only the mutants who are actively hunted, terrorized, and murdered just for existing. While many heroes opt into dangerous situations, the mutants have never been allowed to opt-out. Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club highlighted that "Dawn Of X has impressively expanded on plot points introduced in HOX/POX ". In contrast, Lia Williamson of AIPT felt "the series started to stall
10695-555: The Pacific Ocean not far from Australia; other parts of its landmass are located off the coast of Africa in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. The House of X and Powers of X storyline transformed Krakoa into a sovereign nation state for the entire mutant race. Krakoa created additional "Habitat" structures which are self-sustaining environments that are part of its interconnected consciousness. Some of this structures served as embassies around several countries on Earth; Krakoa also expanded to
10850-647: The Phoenix Force, and while this saved the universe from destruction at the hands of Enigma, it also meant the stranded mutants remained stuck". It's a bittersweet ending. It's a sad ending because their child moved on beyond them. Krakoa outgrew the X-Men — but they did save it. People wanted it dead and they fought for it and they won. And now, the thing that they made gets to be what it wants to be. And that’s not with them right now. But hopefully, it will return someday. X-Men Group Editor Jordan White X-Men #35 (June 2024), legacy Uncanny X-Men #700, marked
11005-565: The Quiet Council of Krakoa; this series built plot points for the Sins of Sinister (January – April 2023) event which concluded the phase. Mutantkind's unparalleled growth and prosperity on the island nation Krakoa was then threatened by the human supremacist organization Orchis during the Fall of X phase. At New York Comic-Con 2022, Duggan commented that "the X-Men have been winning for
11160-760: The Sports Illustrated Building in October 2010. Marvel relaunched the CrossGen imprint, owned by Disney Publishing Worldwide , in March 2011. Marvel and Disney Publishing began jointly publishing Disney/Pixar Presents magazine that May. Marvel discontinued its Marvel Adventures imprint in March 2012, and replaced them with a line of two titles connected to the Marvel Universe TV block . Also in March, Marvel announced its Marvel ReEvolution initiative that included Infinite Comics,
11315-520: The UK, and later appeared in American comics. During this time, Marvel and the Iowa-based Register and Tribune Syndicate launched a number of syndicated comic strips — The Amazing Spider-Man , Howard the Duck , Conan the Barbarian , and The Incredible Hulk . None of the strips lasted past 1982, except for The Amazing Spider-Man , which is still being published. In 1978, Jim Shooter became Marvel's editor-in-chief. Although
11470-531: The X-Men and the Eternals . This event was written by Kieron Gillen with art by Valerio Schiti. X-Men Red by writer Al Ewing , with art by Stefano Caselli, focused on the terraformed Mars now known as Arrako which became the home of millions of mutants freed during the X of Swords crossover. Additionally, Gilleon began writing the Immortal X-Men series with artist Lucas Werneck which focused on
11625-432: The X-Men can work in all sorts of styles and genres, all while retaining a core thematic throughline that elevates this series above the rest of the genre. [...] As it approaches its end – and, notably, the era is coming to a close on its own terms – it's worth noting just how successful Krakoa has been in reminding readers of the sheer potential afforded by this corner of the Marvel Universe – and celebrating it for also being
11780-441: The X-Men creative team agreed that an annual Hellfire Gala and X-Men vote were warranted. A second X-Men election was announced with results revealed in the second Hellfire Gala. The one-shot issue addressed the resurrection protocols becoming public knowledge and announced the new roster comprising Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Synch, Firestar, Magik, Forge, Havok and Iceman. A Marvel Comics caricature of Jon Hamm appeared as one of
11935-442: The X-Men win because they "will never stop publishing X-Men stories". Jansons stated that "what the Krakoan Era posits, however, is that said bigotry shouldn't mean that the X-Men can never be happy. That something beautiful, and fragile, and necessarily messy like Krakoa can, and should, be built in opposition to hate, if only for a day". Brandon Zachary of CBR commented that the X-Men for years were splintered and "sidelined in
12090-508: The X-Men, Avengers, and the human cohorts within Orchis that the AI faction of Orchis has been working against both humanity and mutantkind all along, attempting to reach ascension through a Dominion. Now, the X-Men, Avengers, and parts of Orchis – like Dr. Alia Gregor and Feilong – are all fighting a multi-front war against the remnants of Orchis. [...] What sets World War Orchis apart is that this war
12245-410: The art pages", however, each data page also includes a single accent color "to focus readers' attention on content that needs highlighting". In October 2020, Mullers commented that "Jonathan is very well known for his design and use of data in his storytelling as well – so the lines blur when it comes to say where my work stopped and his began. Safe to say that all the amazing diagrams and stats you see in
12400-599: The change in editorial direction with the next publishing phase, X-Men: From the Ashes , White compared it to Marvel's hard pivot after Grant Morrison 's New X-Men run and that ideas from that era "came back around" when "people who loved it started writing comics. And that is where my hope for the future of Krakoa lies – that the people who love it are going to share that love in the future". The data pages in each issue contain in-universe "insider information" on "different organizations, teams and characters". They also "include small hints and teases in code-like formatting on
12555-519: The character Harley Davidson Cooper (played by Beth Ehlers ) as a superheroine named the Guiding Light. The character's story continued in an eight-page backup feature, "A New Light", that appeared in several Marvel titles published November 1 and 8. Also that year, Marvel created a wiki on its Web site. In late 2007 the company launched Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited , a digital archive of over 2,500 back issues available for viewing, for
12710-584: The company later known as Marvel Comics under the name Timely Publications in 1939. Goodman, who had started with a Western pulp in 1933, was expanding into the emerging—and by then already highly popular—new medium of comic books. Launching his new line from his existing company's offices at 330 West 42nd Street, New York City, he officially held the titles of editor , managing editor , and business manager , with Abraham Goodman (Martin's brother) officially listed as publisher. Timely's first publication, Marvel Comics #1 ( cover dated Oct. 1939), included
12865-668: The company to reboot its major titles by revising and updating its characters to introduce to a new generation. Some of the company's properties were adapted into successful film franchises, such as the Men in Black film series (which was based on a Malibu book), starting in 1997, the Blade film series, starting in 1998, the X-Men film series, starting in 2000, and the highest grossing series, Spider-Man , beginning in 2002. Marvel's Conan
13020-442: The company's entire publishing line. This branding pattern, being typically either a full-body picture of the characters' solo titles or a collection of the main characters' faces in ensemble titles, would become standard for Marvel for decades. In 1968, while selling 50 million comic books a year, company founder Goodman revised the constraining distribution arrangement with Independent News he had reached under duress during
13175-551: The computer Cerebro. This added twenty million mutants to the queue, including everyone who died on Genosha . Learning this, the mutants of Krakoa who once referred to Wanda as a "Pretender" have forgiven her for the M-Day incident and Exodus himself has given her the new title of "The Redeemer". The protocols remained a secret from the world until X-Men #12 (June 2022), during the Destiny of X phase, when reporter Ben Urich broke
13330-579: The context of the story irrelevant. Lee, with Goodman's approval, published the story regardless in The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 (May–July 1971), without the Comics Code seal. The market reacted well to the storyline, and the CCA subsequently revised the Code the same year. Goodman retired as publisher in 1972 and installed his son, Chip, as publisher. Shortly thereafter, Lee succeeded him as publisher and also became Marvel's president for
13485-487: The creative power to maintain this status quo for at least a few more years", however, it faced corporate obstacles. Sava also highlighted one the "delightful" aspects of the Krakoan Age was its "fan engagement" since the initial series "got people invested in mutants again" – "Marvel has capitalized on the franchise's passionate fanbase with the annual X-Men election and Hellfire Gala". In May 2023, George Marston of Newsarama highlighted that "the Krakoa era instantly moved
13640-476: The creatively daring though commercially unsuccessful Razorline imprint of superhero comics created by novelist and filmmaker Clive Barker . In 1990, Marvel began selling Marvel Universe Cards with trading card maker SkyBox International . These were collectible trading cards that featured the characters and events of the Marvel Universe. The 1990s saw the rise of variant covers , cover enhancements, swimsuit issues , and company-wide crossovers that affected
13795-557: The desert until they found Mother Righteous, an ambitious clone of Mister Sinister's late wife". Unbeknownst to them, Mother Righteous had transported Atlantic Krakoa into the White Hot Room which allowed the surviving mutants to rebuild. The X-Men trapped in the White Hot Room managed to escape back to Earth and defeat Orchis due to the efforts of Cypher and Rachel Summers. Additionally, Hope Summers sacrificed herself in X-Men: Forever (March 2024 – May 2024) "to rebirth Jean Grey and
13950-443: The downfall of Krakoa. The Dominion, god-like entities who exist outside of normal space and time, also threatened the existence of mutants. Critical reception has been generally positive, with critics praising it as a departure from the usual status quo of many mutant stories. It also received praise for its world-building, story arcs, and its willingness to shed light on lesser-known characters. However, reception became more mixed as
14105-540: The dual interconnected miniseries Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X (January 2024 – May 2024); Duggan wrote Fall of the House of X with art by Werneck. Gillen continued as a main writer on multiple series in this phase such as Rise of the Powers of X with artist R.B. Silva, the ongoing Immortal X-Men conclusion and the limited series X-Men: Forever (March 2024) with artist Luca Maresca. Ewing concluded
14260-503: The duo Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal . Goodman hired his wife's 16-year-old cousin, Stanley Lieber, as a general office assistant in 1939. When editor Simon left the company in late 1941, Goodman made Lieber—by then writing pseudonymously as " Stan Lee "—interim editor of the comics line, a position Lee kept for decades except for three years during his military service in World War II . Lee wrote extensively for Timely, contributing to
14415-459: The end of Hickman's run in January 2022, Susana Polo of Polygon commented that Hickman's X-Men era was marked by the "misfortune" of beginning right before the COVID-19 pandemic as comics distribution was disrupted and Marvel Comics paused publication for months. However, the era also had good fortune such as a "thriving 'writers room' of creative talent" who dug "deep into the possibilities of
14570-528: The end, was the lack of originality with which things ended. Big robots and bigots upended by a scrappy, small group of mutants. To begin an era with a paradigm shift, only to end it with a regression to the norm – this, this low aim was sinful". Joe George, for Den of Geek , also highlighted the shortcomings of the Krakoan Age; it had the typical franchise problems such as "messy continuity", too many spin-off books and "needless crossovers". George commented that "Krakoa began with so much more promise" but thought
14725-541: The era progressed, with some aspects of later storylines falling short of expectations. After Jonathan Hickman completed his run on Avengers and New Avengers with the 2015 crossover " Secret Wars ", he stepped away from Marvel Comics for a time to focus on creator-owned projects. His return was announced in March 2019. It was then revealed that he would write two interlocking miniseries called House of X and Powers of X ( HOX/POX ), with penciling by Pepe Larraz and R. B. Silva respectively. This miniseries also marked
14880-687: The event. In addition, the Hellfire Gala had Marvel Comics caricatures of actual celebrities as attendees to this event that consists of Scott Adsit , Pete Alonso , Steve Aoki , Saquon Barkley , DMC , Eminem , Kevin Feige , Nick Foles , Coco Gauff , Ira Glass , James Monroe Iglehart , Gabriel Iglesias , Aaron Judge , Jimmy Kimmel , Method Man , Jason Mantzoukas , Marc Maron , George R. R. Martin , Killer Mike , Alex Morgan , Seth Meyers , Conan O'Brien , Patton Oswalt , El-P , Adrianne Palicki , Megan Rapinoe , Paul Scheer , and Taboo . During Marvel's X-Men Comic-Con At Home panel on SDCC 2021,
15035-548: The events of the company-wide crossover " Secret Wars " in 2015, a relaunched Marvel universe began in September 2015, called the All-New, All-Different Marvel . Hellfire Gala It subsequently became an annual event in the Krakoan Age with the one-shots X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 published in July 2022 and X-Men Hellfire Gala 2023 #1 published in July 2023. In the lead up to each Hellfire Gala, Marvel conducted
15190-647: The expansion of Krakoa and mutant population. Magneto discusses his plans for Arakko to Isca the Unbeaten and the Quiet Council , and recruits Omega-level mutants from Krakoa and Arakko for the mission. The gala starts with an opening remark from Emma Frost and a telepathic concert performed by Rhapsody , Marvel Girl, and the Five-in-One . During the gala, other things happen on the sidelines and elsewhere: S.W.O.R.D. leader Abigail Brand meets with
15345-526: The first appearance of Carl Burgos ' android superhero the Human Torch , and the first appearances of Bill Everett 's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner , among other features. The issue was a great success; it and a second printing the following month sold a combined nearly 900,000 copies. While its contents came from an outside packager, Funnies, Inc. , Timely had its own staff in place by
15500-402: The following month dropped its comics to 20 cents for 36 pages, offering a lower-priced product with a higher distributor discount. In 1973, Perfect Film & Chemical renamed itself as Cadence Industries and renamed Magazine Management as Marvel Comics Group. Goodman, now disconnected from Marvel, set up a new company called Seaboard Periodicals in 1974, reviving Marvel's old Atlas name for
15655-516: The following year. The company's first true editor, writer-artist Joe Simon , teamed with artist Jack Kirby to create one of the first patriotically themed superheroes, Captain America , in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). It, too, proved a hit, with sales of nearly one million. Goodman formed Timely Comics, Inc., beginning with comics cover-dated April 1941 or Spring 1941. While no other Timely character would achieve
15810-419: The franchise – one where those who feel the most endangered will outlive their tormentors to face radical and mystifying new horizons under their own agency". David Harth, for CBR in August 2023, commented that while X-Men (Vol. 6) "sold well", the series felt "less important than when Hickman was writing" the previous volume. He viewed Pepe Larraz as "Marvel's heaviest-hitting penciler" but Gerry Duggan as
15965-540: The galactic representatives to acknowledge Planet Arakko as the capital planet of the Sol System with Storm as the Queen Regent in exchange for a supply of mysterium. The murder of Scarlet Witch during the gala is the focus of Trial of Magneto . The mutant resurrection protocols remained a secret from the world until X-Men #12 (June 2022), during the Destiny of X phase, when reporter Ben Urich broke
16120-426: The geo-political implications of an oppressed minority suddenly becoming the most powerful nation on the planet. For the X-Men's Krakoan Age, curing death may have secured mutankind's future but it has also created a whole new set of crises to challenge the superhero genre". Micheal Foulk of The Beat commented on the "life-altering" impact of the resurrection protocols and how it is also a " metatextual commentary on
16275-721: The inclusion of the data pages "a very Hickman move" and that while "it's been done before (including by Hickman himself in his acclaimed Avengers run)", the "use of non-traditional comics storytelling techniques feel especially intriguing for a Big Two comic". Zachary Jenkins, for ComicsXF , viewed the data pages as a "staple of the Krakoan era" serving as "scene breaks" that "often [recontextual] what readers just saw, or [provide] exposition for what readers are about to see". Alex Schlesinger of Screen Rant highlighted that data pages are used "to convey complex information that couldn't reasonably be put into conversation bubbles on page. These data pages have ranged from Sage's internal analysis of
16430-510: The larger X-Men canon". During the X-Men: Trial of Magneto (August – December 2021) storyline, Scarlet Witch worked with the mutants Polaris, Legion, and Proteus to increase the capabilities of the resurrection protocols. She was able to create a pocket dimension "Waiting Room" which now allows all mutants to be resurrected, including those who never had a chance to manifest their X-gene and those whose minds were not able to be copied to
16585-420: The majority of its inhabitants return to the White Hot Room permanently. White commented that Gillen pitched changing "the nature of what Krakoa would be" and then "it took a little while to land on it living in the White Hot Room". Bleeding Cool highlighted that in the post-Krakoan Age, the mutants on Earth will mostly be "the fighting X-Men and other hangers-on". Critics praised the Krakoan Age for shifting
16740-406: The majority of the line (aside from X-Men, New Mutants, and Sabretooth) was put on pause during this event. This event served as the foundation of the next phase titled " Destiny of X ". This phase included the crossover event A.X.E.: Judgment Day (July – November 2022) which focused on humanity's discovery of the mutant resurrection protocols and the subsequent conflict between the Avengers ,
16895-455: The metaphor of mutantkind as a self-identified reflection of the experiences of marginalized people in a new direction. Rather than being hated and feared by humans, mutants now had to face the perils of not evolving fast enough, not being advanced enough, not taking big enough swings toward the future". However, after Hickman left the series, Marston thought the story was shifting back towards the traditional conflict with humanity and he hoped that
17050-495: The middle of the decade, the industry had slumped, and in December 1996 MEG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In early 1997, when Marvel's Heroes World endeavor failed, Diamond also forged an exclusive deal with Marvel —giving the company its own section of its comics catalog Previews . Marvel in the early to mid-1990s expanded their entries in other media, including Saturday-morning cartoons and various comics collaborations to explore new genres. In 1992, they released
17205-412: The might and the threat of Dominion in the various timelines Moira Mactaggart lived through. Throughout the Krakoan Age, Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex) is obsessed with achieving Dominionhood before machine life. During Immortal X-Men and Sins of Sinister , the knowledge of various Sinister clones "about mutant genes, human augmentation, alien/A.I. potential, and mystical power were all compiled into
17360-577: The most intriguing elements of the new X-Men books, and the one I have spent hours pondering over the last few months". Academic Kevin Chiat of the University of Western Australia presented a paper on how the Krakoan Age mutants conquered death. He viewed the resurrection protocols as enhancing the drama since it "has opened new science fictional questions for X-Men to explore such as the meaning of spirituality for an Eternal people, questions of identity and
17515-469: The most part and expanded into a wider variety of genres than even Timely had published, featuring horror , Westerns , humor, talking animal , men's adventure -drama, giant monster, crime , and war comics , and later adding jungle books, romance titles, espionage , and even medieval adventure, Bible stories and sports. Goodman began using the globe logo of the Atlas News Company,
17670-436: The mutant resurrection protocols. Dominion are the highest fictional forms of "interstellar intelligence within the Marvel Universe" which have "ascended to a plane that is beyond both space and time" – Dominionhood has mostly been achieved by machine-based artificial intelligence . Ascension allows it to exist "in its most advanced state across all points in time simultaneously" with "seemingly divine powers". POX showed both
17825-510: The mutant society within the White Hot Room as New Krakoa "gives hope to anyone depressed over the transformative era's conclusion with just two simple words". Schlesinger commented that the era ending "is tragic for fans of the transformative reinvention of the X-Men franchise, but the words 'New Krakoa' bring light to a dark period. Even though the Krakoan Age has ended, Krakoa will never be truly destroyed". Austin Gorton of ComicsXF focused on
17980-416: The name in 1961. The company begin identifying the group of its comic division as Marvel Comic Group , on some comics cover-dated November 1948, when the company set up an in-house editorial board to compete with the likes of DC and Fawcett , even though the legal name is still Timely. The post-war American comic market saw superheroes falling out of fashion. Goodman's comic book line dropped them for
18135-601: The new launch, including the direction and execution of the full X-line. The 'X- slack ' where writers and artists discussed story arcs and traded characters for books became a common topic in interviews". Following the X of Swords (September – November 2020) crossover event which concluded Dawn of X campaign, the Reign of X publishing initiative was launched in December 2020. Hickman characterized Dawn of X's theme as "foundation" with Reign of X characterized as "expansion". X-Men Group Editor Jordan D. White stated that "'Dawn of X'
18290-534: The news of the mutant resurrection in the Daily Bugle after interviewing Cyclops. The attendees of the Hellfire Gala ended up focusing on this revelation when the event "was meant to highlight mutant contributions to medicine". Emma Frost "telepathically conducted the second annual X-Men election. While Rogue, Laura Kinney’s Wolverine, Polaris, and Sunfire stepped away from the team, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Synch successfully asked to be re-elected. After Firestar
18445-499: The news of the mutant resurrection in the Daily Bugle . Following the Hellfire Gala (July 2023), The Five were trapped in the White Hot Room which effectively ended the mutant resurrection protocols on Earth. During the subsequent X-Men: From the Ashes relaunch in 2024, the Resurrection Linked Degenerative Sickness (R-LDS) was introduced as a negative consequence resulting from the use of
18600-501: The newsstand-distribution company he owned, on comics cover-dated November 1951 even though another company, Kable News , continued to distribute his comics through the August 1952 issues. This globe branding united a line put out by the same publisher, staff and freelancers through 59 shell companies, from Animirth Comics to Zenith Publications. Atlas, rather than innovate, took a proven route of following popular trends in television and films— Westerns and war dramas prevailing for
18755-561: The official end of the Krakoan Age with a brief opening to the White Hot Room. Fifteen years had passed for the mutants within and during this time jump, they flourished in "New Krakoa" while continuing the vision of the original mutant nation. During this time "approximately 15 million" mutants were resurrected including all of the mutants who died at the Hellfire Gala and all of "the Genosha mutants that were slaughtered back in New X-Men #115 (2001)". After briefly visiting Earth, New Krakoa and
18910-552: The ones that most people thought of as flagships. X-Men (Vol. 6) was a fun superhero book, but it wasn't the center of the Krakoa Era anymore". However, Harth thought Dungan had the tools to "shine" in the upcoming Fall Of X as a superhero story was what was needed which "should let X-Men (Vol. 6) retake its spot at the top". Following the conclusion of the Rise of the Powers of X miniseries, Jesse Schedee of IGN highlighted
19065-478: The ongoing X-Men Red with artist Yildiray Çinar . The Marvel solicitations for May 2024 showed that every X-Men series would conclude with that month billed as "the ' penultimate ' month of the Krakoan Age". Popverse highlighted that the Krakoan Age, from the conclusion of HOX/POX to the last issue X-Men #35 (June 2024), consists of "more than 500 issues" which were released over 56 months "across more than 80 different series. As with Hickman's core ideas for
19220-471: The original set up for the Krakoa era. There are a lot of big swings in both House of X and Powers of X that, arguably, were too big for the X-Men to continue to exist in the shared Marvel Universe". Jude Jones of ComicsXF stated that "Krakoa's appeal was less in what it achieved – the main characters and writers were still largely white (though not at all straight [...]), but the themes around culture and assimilation and assertion – these were analogous to
19375-424: The other bedrooms in the house. Critics highlighted further subtext that appeared in the Krakoan Age which implied a throuple between these characters. Tom Brevoort , the X-Men group editor in the subsequent X-Men: From the Ashes publishing era, stated in 2024 that the throuple didn't occur because it was not explicitly stated during the Krakoan Age. Krakoa is a fictional living island with its main body in
19530-410: The overall continuity of the Marvel Universe . In early 1992, seven of Marvel’s prized artists — Todd McFarlane (known for his work on Spider-Man ), Jim Lee ( X-Men ), Rob Liefeld ( X-Force ), Marc Silvestri ( Wolverine ), Erik Larsen ( The Amazing Spider-Man ), Jim Valentino ( Guardians of the Galaxy ), and Whilce Portacio ( Uncanny X-Men ) — left to form Image Comics in
19685-417: The overarching stories fall flat". McMillan highlighted the amount of work that has to be undone to return the line to the basics and the "final year, in which the many dangling plot threads are tied up, feels especially rushed and, at times, anti-climactic – but that might be because it was struggling with an arguably impossible task. [...] The problem, ultimately, might lie at the feet of Jonathan Hickman and
19840-403: The owners of the recently defunct Harvey Comics for purposefully plagiarizing their house style. In 1986, Marvel's parent, Marvel Entertainment Group , was sold to New World Entertainment , which within three years sold it to MacAndrews and Forbes , owned by Revlon executive Ronald Perelman in 1989. In 1991 Perelman took MEG public. Following the rapid rise of this stock, Perelman issued
19995-500: The predominantly child audiences of the medium, thus ushering what Marvel later called the Marvel Age of Comics . Modern Marvel's first superhero team, the titular stars of The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. 1961), broke convention with other comic book archetypes of the time by squabbling, holding grudges both deep and petty, and eschewing anonymity or secret identities in favor of celebrity status. Subsequently, Marvel comics developed
20150-406: The previous decade by acquiring a new newsstand distributor and greatly expanding its comics line. Marvel pulled ahead of rival DC Comics in 1972, during a time when the price and format of the standard newsstand comic were in flux. Goodman increased the price and size of Marvel's November 1971 cover-dated comics from 15 cents for 36 pages total to 25 cents for 52 pages. DC followed suit, but Marvel
20305-564: The reinterpretation of the mutants in The Five shows that Hickman "is constantly thinking of news ways to think about these dead-end beings. Like he did with Moira, Hickman has turned Goldballs and his crew of forgotten X-Men into full-fledged characters with intriguing powers. He and his cohort, along with other forgotten mutants, have seemingly become more powerful, but not to the point where their existence breaks storytelling. To do what Hickman did with these esoteric characters offers fidelity to
20460-408: The revolving door of death in superhero comics". Foulk elaborated: Superheroes, especially of the mutant variety, had been dying and resurrecting for years with often flimsy explanations. Hickman writes resurrection into the narrative as a physical process that requires specific resources and has both rules and limitations. Resurrection for mutants is especially poignant because while many heroes die in
20615-438: The rise of direct market distribution—selling through those same comics-specialty stores instead of newsstands. Marvel ventured into audio in 1975 with a radio series and a record, both had Stan Lee as narrator. The radio series was Fantastic Four . The record was Spider-Man: Rock Reflections of a Superhero concept album for music fans. Marvel held its own comic book convention , Marvelcon '75, in spring 1975, and promised
20770-449: The series from an allegorical story about a teen superteam to a sci-fi soap opera. The X-Men have not been the same since 2019, and as with all changes to a classic superhero formula, it was exciting to some and infuriating to others". In April 2022, during the launch of Destiny Of X, Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club viewed the next year of the series as an indication of "Jonathan Hickman's big X-periment" longevity and thought that "the line has
20925-436: The setting's new status quo" and "blockbuster sales". She highlighted how the Krakoan Age evolved from Hickman's original plan: It's no secret that the powerhouse of the Krakoan era has been a tightly knit group of writers and artists who built out from the ground rules Hickman established [...] to the point where sticking around for a while to play in that world became appealing. And the writer has also spoken candidly about how
21080-459: The status quo for the X-Men and pushing the publishing line towards new storytelling opportunities. Following the release of House of X and Powers of X , Ryan Sonneville of AIPT commented that while the direction "has not been universally loved", it had reinvigorated his "love for the X-Men [...]. Everything felt fresh, different, and for the first time in many years, the Dawn of X launch felt like it
21235-611: The success of these three characters, some notable heroes—many of which continue to appear in modern-day retcon appearances and flashbacks—include the Whizzer , Miss America , the Destroyer , the original Vision , and the Angel . Timely also published one of humor cartoonist Basil Wolverton 's best-known features, " Powerhouse Pepper ", as well as a line of children's talking animal comics featuring characters like Super Rabbit and
21390-433: The then-common phrase "Brand X"). Originally, the company's publications were branded by a minuscule "Mc" on the upper right-hand corner of the covers. However, artist/writer Steve Ditko put a larger masthead picture of the title character of The Amazing Spider-Man on the upper left-hand corner on issue #2 that included the series' issue number and price. Lee appreciated the value of this visual motif and adapted it for
21545-439: The time-consuming review process had produced no suitably professional work. The same year, the company commemorated its 70th anniversary, dating to its inception as Timely Comics , by issuing the one-shot Marvel Mystery Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 and a variety of other special issues. On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced it would acquire Marvel Comics' parent corporation, Marvel Entertainment, for
21700-412: The tops and bottoms of the pages". Data pages are a trademark design choice of Hickman which he brought to the series in House of X and Powers of X ; these pages would then appear throughout the Krakoan Age. Tom Mullers worked with Hickman on "creating the design approach, page layouts and defining the typefaces" used in the Krakoan Age. The pages are mostly black and white to keep a clear "contrast against
21855-460: The usual status quo for the X-Men". Following the conclusion of X-Men #35, Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool stated that he and many fans would have trouble letting the Krakoan Age go but "with the time jump, Marvel Comics has placed it in a sealed coffin. There is no going back". Johnston commented that Marvel Comics understands how fans cling "to a previous state of storytelling when the comic book moves on". In this case, an in-canon explanation
22010-530: The wake of DC Comics ' success in reviving superheroes in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly with the Flash , Green Lantern , Batman , Superman , Wonder Woman , Green Arrow , and other members of the team the Justice League of America , Marvel followed suit. In 1961, writer-editor Stan Lee revolutionized superhero comics by introducing superheroes designed to appeal to older readers than
22165-476: The way in which I perceived and interacted with my culture. Krakoa as a concept was messy and incomplete (and, it should be noted, largely conceived and directed by a heterosexual white man); and yet, despite all of that, maybe even because of some of that, it felt genuine and honest in a way so many other comics hadn't". Jones viewed the "grandiose ideas" as "enticing" but was disappointed by how they were "executed inconsistently" – "what bothered me, especially toward
22320-427: The world called monsters would reveal themselves not to be, and some who were angels would turn out to eventually do the devil's bidding. In February 2022, Micheal Foulk of The Beat commented that while Hickman was called "Head of X" that he insisted the "new era of X-Men was not his vision alone. The X-Office introduced a human 'power circuit' where writers, editors, and artists worked collectively on every aspect of
22475-587: The world of [rival DC Comics '] Superman comic books, communism did not exist. Superman rarely crossed national borders or involved himself in political disputes. From 1962 to 1965, there were more communists [in Marvel Comics] than on the subscription list of Pravda . Communist agents attack Ant-Man in his laboratory, red henchmen jump the Fantastic Four on the moon, and Viet Cong guerrillas take potshots at Iron Man. All these elements struck
22630-419: The years and decades, was solidified as the company's primary brand. Marvel counts among its characters such well-known superheroes as Spider-Man , Iron Man , Wolverine , Captain America , Black Widow , Thor , Hulk , Daredevil , Doctor Strange , Black Panther , Captain Marvel , and Deadpool , as well as popular superhero teams such as the Avengers , X-Men , Fantastic Four , and Guardians of
22785-623: Was Kirby's artwork with its tension and psychedelia that made it perfect for the times—or was it Lee's bravado and melodrama, which was somehow insecure and brash at the same time? In addition to Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, Marvel began publishing further superhero titles featuring such heroes and antiheroes as the Hulk , Thor , Ant-Man , Iron Man , the X-Men , Daredevil , the Inhumans , Black Panther , Doctor Strange , Captain Marvel and
22940-524: Was also held which showcased how various mutants voted and reactions to the results. These X-Men would debut in Planet-Sized X-Men #1 (June 2021), written by Gerry Duggan with art by Pepe Larraz, during the twelve part Hellfire Gala event storyline. The Hellfire Gala was inspired by the Met Gala ; Russell Dauterman designed the costumes for many of the X-Men characters who appeared in
23095-472: Was divided up into four sections (with three seats each) along with an adjunct section. The House of X and Powers of X storyline also introduced the mutant resurrection protocols. A group of mutants known as The Five ( Hope Summers , Elixir , Proteus , Egg , and Tempus ) working in tandem could resurrect any fallen mutant. Susana Polo of Polygon explained that "the Five prepare a viable egg, imbue it with
23250-487: Was helmed by soon-to-become editor-in-chief Joe Quesada ; it featured tough, gritty stories showcasing such characters as the Daredevil , the Inhumans , and Black Panther . With the new millennium, Marvel Comics emerged from bankruptcy and again began diversifying its offerings. X-Force #116 X-Force #119 (October 2001) was the first Marvel Comics title since The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 in 1971 to not have
23405-529: Was nominated to join the group, Forge, Havok, Magik, and Iceman were also elected to round out the team". The Hellfire Gala, modeled after the real-life Met Gala , is a fancy soiree where guests are expected to show up in high fashion. Most of the formal wear are designed by Russell Dauterman, Alberto Foche, Lucas Werneck, David Baldeón, Matteo Lolli, Stephen Segovia, Bob Quinn, Alex Lins, Valerio Schiti, Marcus To and Joshua Cassara. EW writers Christian Holub and Nick Romano ranked Emma Frost, Storm and Mystique as
23560-491: Was offered in the Marvel Comics and that term was used whenever a writer wanted audience to know that the character was a big deal, which led several conflicting opinions and debates among fans on who qualified as omega-level. In July 2019, Jonathan Hickman provided an official definition with the help of data page in House of X #1 and listed 14 Omega-level mutants (depicting as the assets of Krakoan Age) alongside their respective omega power. Dana Forsythe of SyFy Wire called
23715-444: Was taking the X-Men into new territory". Sonneville noted that while a sovereign mutant state is not "novel" to Marvel Comics, "Krakoa differed from previous attempts at mutant safe spaces by making clear that this nation would be treated as an equal with other states on the international stage" since they "had the means of demanding this level of acceptance in ways previous mutant homelands could not. This nation of Krakoa has been one of
23870-400: Was the start of something big for the mutants, they stopped playing the game the way the humans said they had to play. [...] During 'Dawn' there was still a bit of the shock of 'Is this really happening?' and now in 'Reign' the reality of it has set in and the scope of it can be realized. They have big plans and the resources to carry them out". The Reign of X phase saw the line come together for
24025-452: Was written by Gerry Duggan , with art by Adam Kubert, Luciano Vecchio, Matteo Lolli, Russell Dauterman, Javier Pina, R.B. Silva, Joshua Cassara, Kris Anka, and Pepe Larraz. A third X-Men election was announced with the results to be revealed in the third Hellfire Gala. The one-shot issue would launch the Fall of X event after a series of devastating revelations. Marvel also announced that Kamala Khan 's resurrection story would begin with
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