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In X-Men Unlimited #20, Professor Charles Xavier proves willing to give his dream a second chance by breaking one of the mutants’ founding laws.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Men: Unlimited #12, available now on Marvel Unlimited.
Although the founding of Krakoa has ushered the X-Men and the rest of Marvel’s mutants into a golden age, it’s also dealt a massive blow to human-mutant relations. In their quest to create a peaceful homeland for their people, the Quiet Council of Krakoa has effectively banned humanity as a whole from the island nation, going to extreme measures to prevent all but a select few humans from even setting foot within Krakoa’s borders.
However, one of Krakoa’s founders has just shown that he’s finally willing to bend Krakoa’s long-standing policy of mutant exclusivity. After witnessing the Juggernaut risk his life to save Krakoa from the “Human-Adaptoid” in X-Men: Unlimited #20 (by Fabian Nicieza, Matt Horak, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Joe Sabino), Professor X invites his formerly villainous step-brother to live on the island. While Juggernaut ultimately declines the offer, the step-brothers’ reconciliation opens up the possibility that Krakoa could finally begin opening its borders to the rest of humanity.
From its inception, the nation of Krakoa was designed to be a country for mutants and mutants alone. Driven by the revelation that the longtime X-Men ally Dr. Moira MacTaggert was a mutant with a reincarnation ability, Professor X and Magneto built Krakoa to be the ultimate mutant haven. With the help of the omnilingual Cypher, Professor X created a network of “Krakoan Gateways” that connect the isolated nation with the rest of the world, giving the sentient island complete control over who can set foot on its soil. While the Gateways allow mutants to travel through them to Krakoa unimpeded, any human that attempts to go through them is physically blocked by a psychic barrier. While the Quiet Council has been willing to make exceptions to their “no-humans” policy when it comes to the human spouses of mutants like Northstar, they’ve largely stayed true to their vow to keep humans off of Krakoa at all costs.
Juggernaut was in a position to become one of Krakoa’s few human residents, but Professor X told the former X-Men villain that he wasn’t welcome on the island. Given their complicated history, the professor’s decision was likely motivated by his personal feelings regarding his step-brother. Fortunately, Juggernaut’s recent actions, such as helping the young mutant D-Cel find a home on Krakoa, have helped Xavier see that his step-brother isn’t the villain he once was anymore. After the battle against the Human-Adaptoid in X-Men: Unlimited #20, Xavier finally offers Juggernaut Krakoan citizenship, removing his Cerebro helmet and telling his step-brother that he should have invited him into the nation sooner.
Professor X’s decision to allow Juggernaut to live on Krakoa is a major advancement in Krakoa’s policy regarding humans, and one that could come at a crucial moment in the country’s strained relationship with humanity. While Krakoa has established a strong economic relationship with many of the world’s nations thanks to the powerful medicine that the island’s inhabitants cultivate and export, the Quiet Council’s secretive nature and elitist attitude towards humans have alienated many of the people who believed in the X-Men’s former mission of establishing a peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants. As recently as Marauders Annual #1 (by Steve Orlando, Crees Lee, Rain Beredo, and VC’s Cory Petit), villains like Brimstone Love have proven that resentment towards Krakoa’s “mutants only” policy has become widespread amongst humans who once stood against anti-mutant prejudice, and groups like Orchis could easily find recruits among those who feel betrayed by the X-Men.
While opening up Krakoa to humans could create many issues with both the island and many of the mutant nation’s citizens, it’s the most logical step that the Quiet Council can take towards easing the tension between their new society and the rest of the world. Not only would opening the nation create new economic opportunities in terms of tourism, but it would also allow Krakoa to disprove the countless rumors that its critics have spread about it and help people understand mutants better. While there is sure to be resistance against moving towards greater human inclusivity with the Quiet Council, Professor X’s position within the governing body could make changing Krakoa’s policies easier.
By offering his step-brother an opportunity to live on Krakoa, Professor X has taken a crucial first step in breaking the boundaries that have kept Krakoa from truly joining the international community. Although the conflict between humans and mutants that Moira foresaw may seem inevitable, it could reasonably be prevented if both sides are willing to come to an understanding. By accepting Juggernaut, Professor X’s proven that he’s willing to give his dream of human and mutant co-existence a second chance.
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