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A surprising mutant made Nightcrawler reconsider Krakoa’s first law, giving him more to think about as he creates a mutant religion.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Way of X #3 by Si Spurrier, Bob Quinn, Java Tartaglia & VC’s Clayton Cowles
Nightcrawler has been struggling with some heavy questions during his mission to create a mutant religion. Resurrection, and the callous disregard for death it’s created in Krakoa’s young, has particularly weighed on the X-Men’s most pious mutant. He’s been as much a part of this “new normal” as anyone.
And in Way of X #3, Nightcrawler discovered a new dilemma that complicates his mission. An encounter with his old teammate, Stacy X, led Nightcrawler to rethink his belief in Krakoa’s first law to make more mutants.
Stacy X became an important figure on Krakoa under Nightcrawler’s nose. He seems to have completely lost track of her until he found her handing out condoms in anticipation of post Hellfire Gala hookups. Nightcrawler was appalled because it violated Krakoa’s first law. Stacy responds sarcastically by asking if he’s Krakoa’s sex sheriff.She responds less jokingly when Nightcrawler calls The Bower, the temple Stacy’s set up for mutants to come for many forms of intimacy, a “brothel in the Garden of Eden.” She punches Nightcrawler and calls him out for being a “tiny-minded piece of crap.” He apologizes, but still questions the legitimacy of a place that encourages casual sex.
Stacy argues that intimacy is sacred, even if human society forgot that, referencing the temple sex of ancient religions. The idea causes Nightcrawler to blush, turning his cheeks purple. He can’t get past the idea of flouting Krakoa’s first law until Stacy shows him the consequences of making more mutants.
There’s a nursery inside The Bower full of abandoned mutant babies. After Stacy found the first baby under a bush, the rest were left at the Bower. Some were teleported directly into the nursery. One was dropped off by its parents “like laundry.” The babies are cared for by volunteers at The Bower, including Lost, the traumatized mutant that Nightcrawler encountered in the first issue of Way of X.
Stacy lays out the truth for Nightcrawler. Making more mutants on an island paradise populated by beautiful immortals isn’t a positive thing by itself. Even if some mutant couples will create traditional families, many will be perfectly happy to live out an eternal spring break. Adoption services haven’t been a priority for The Quiet Council. What Krakoa needs is for its people to care about each other.
No one ever said establishing a religion would be easy. Nightcrawler’s worldview, already changed by the X-Men’s ascension to functional godhood, continues to be challenged by the realities of Krakoa. His adherence to the law he created during the Quiet Council’s first meeting left him blind to its consequences.
Nightcrawler’s knee-jerk reaction to The Bower cast Stacy as the serpent in the X-Men’s Garden of Eden. It turned out that she’s fostering connection for Krakoa’s forgotten mutants, from the abandoned babies to the mutants that fall through the cracks because they’re not superheroes. That could create a schism between Krakoa’s lost mutants and its resurrection addicted upper class, especially given how influential Stacy’s pheromone emitting powers could make her.
Fortunately, it looks like Stacy will be assisting Nightcrawler in his mission. She shares a drink with the rest of his allies at the end of the issue. She makes the argument that what Krakoa needs more than sex or procreation is connections, so every mutant feels like they’re part of “the same story.” Illustrating that, she inspires Doctor Nemesis and Dazzler to dance.
Stacy X is a surprising voice of reason. She was able to make a compelling argument that procreation without intimacy can be just as empty as the casual sex that appalled Nightcrawler, puncturing his self-righteousness. While Nightcrawler cast her as a serpent in the X-Men’s Garden of Eden, she might turn out to be an important contributor to his attempt to unite Krakoa under one moral code.
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