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The modern era of X-Men stories has codified the importance of Marvel’s mutants giving even their darkest villains a chance for redemption.
Over the years, the X-Men have grown in number to a truly staggering degree. While some of their numbers are inherently noble and heroic, others have proven to be more fearsome and impulsively villainous. The current era of Krakoa has revealed just how important redemption can be, even for Marvel’s most dangerous mutants.
Many of the X-Men’s most dangerous foes have been given a new chance in the current era of X-Men comics, growing as people and becoming more nuanced. In some cases, they even get the chance to become heroic. It’s a major embrace of an innate element of the franchise and proof the current era is for the best.
The X-Men have a massive rouge’s gallery. Notably, this includes a number of mutant threats who’ve fought them over the years. But one of the enduring elements of the X-Men franchise has been the tendency for villains to overcome their pasts and become more heroic. Rogue and the White Queen both began life as established villains and became more heroic over time. Magneto has shifted between becoming a hero and a villain, with the original Secret Wars codifying his moral complexity as an in-universe aspect of the character. Even some long-established enemies like Sabretooth and Mystique have spent time as heroes. This element of the franchise has never been more notable than in the last few years though.
Since the formation of the mutant nation Krakoa, old enemies have been accepted into the fold. This could have opened the door to treachery and destruction, and in the case of Mister Sinister, it has, but other longtime villains found surprising redemption. Shadow King attacked the New Mutants out of concern over the faults of compassion. But thanks to their own ability to reach out, his darker sides might have been broken down. Gorgon was a major threat, fighting against heroes across the Marvel Universe. But his ultimate sacrifice during X of Swords helped not just save Krakoa, but the entire Earth. Apocalypse was long thought to be the X-Men’s ultimate villain. But his long-hidden humanity shone through, resulting in a genuine alliance and his reunion with his family.
That said, just because redemption exists though doesn’t mean every mutant has embraced it. A major element of the X-Men franchise has always been the question of what people do with amazing power and potential. Sabretooth flaunted the laws of Krakoa and was summarily exiled for the act. Mystique and Destiny carried on their own machinations in Inferno, helping Krakoa almost as a side-effect of their own goal. Mister Sinister especially has embraced his inherent villainy, serving as an open contrast to the more noble intentions of the nation. Not every villain the mutants have formerly confronted has genuinely sought redemption, and in some cases flaunt it purposefully. But at the heart of the current era is the hope for a brighter future.
At the core of multiple series is the potential for growth on a truly inspiring scale. Way of X and Hellions both showcased how much potential the current era truly has for potential. Mutants like Greycrow and Fabian Cortez, both former villains who did bad things for worse reasons, confronted their inner darkness. they both learned to overcome their problems and grow as people. The faith they’ve out in their former enemies has given the X-Men more allies than they could have ever expected. Even if there are still threats present, and even if this dark influence pushes the X-Men down a murkier moral path, it’s an important step. It’s crucial that a series so focused on teaching new generations and learning from the past embraces redemption so readily.
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