Marvel Debuts X-Men’s New Mutant Government and Laws in House of X Finale

Jonathan Hickman’s bold reinvention Marvel’s X-Men is now coming to an end, and the final issue of House of X did no less than cement the massive changes to the Marvel World order this series has brought about. The previous few issues of House of X / Powers of X revealed Charles Xavier and Magneto’s full vision for the sovereign mutant homeland of Krakoa, but in House of X #6, Hickman goes a step further, and begins to explore what the political realities and challenges that governing a mutant nation presents. In this final chapter of House of X Marvel debuts the X-Men’s new mutant government on Krakoa – and the new laws this ruling body establishes, for all mutantkind to live by.

Warning: Major SPOILERS for House of X 1 – 6 follow!

As was teased in House of X #5, Krakoa will be governed by the “Quiet Council of Krakoa,” a group of twelve mutants selected from the ranks of both the X-Men and their former enemies-turned-countrymen. We already speculated what the full Council of Krakoa would look like – and it turns out, our guesses were pretty spot-on.

Here’s the full lineup for the council of Krakoa:

Autum

• Professor X
• Magneto
• Apocalypse

Summer

• Jean Grey
• Storm
• Nightcrawler

Spring

• Sebastian Shaw
• Emma Frost
• [RED KING]

Winter

• Mr. Sinister
• Exodus
• Mystique

After some initial deliberation about what the Quiet Council of Krakoa is, the group begins the real debates facing any new sovereign nation – namely, what its values are, how it should be governed, what basic laws to live by – and of course, what consequences await those who break said laws.

As for the laws: debate amongst Council of Krakao mixed many unique viewpoints – from Xavier’s benevolence, to Apocalypse’s superiority complex, to Cypher’s insistence on rights for Krakoa itself. Most importantly, it was the debate about how to have mutant law and governance differ from the laws and governance of man that really sparked some bold new ideas and mandates. Thanks to the council, the mutants of Krakoa now have these three laws to live by:

And as a consequence for breaking these laws? Well, in House of X #6 Hickman brings the series curious subplot with Sabertooth to full fruition, in order to demonstrate the darker side of mutant rule. Sabertooth was initially arrested by humans on the mission to infiltrate the Orchis organization, and the X-Men lobbied hard to have him released to Krakoa, based on the new deal of total mutant immunity from human law.

However, upon arriving on Krakoa Sabertooth is presented to the Council as its first big judgement test. Sabertooth is found to have violated the mutant laws numerous times over; but mutant law doesn’t have a death penalty (it only leads to resurrection), nor can mutants be exiled back into the human world. As Xavier finally reveals to the council, mutant law on Krakoa is much harsher: Sabertooth is “banished” to a living death, swallowed up by the Krakoa island to be imprisoned in its dark depths forever.

House of X 1 – 6 and Powers of X 1-5 are now on sale.