Earth has fallen. The leaders of the X-Men have fallen. The Marauders? They keep on swimming through the goo. Gerry Duggan, Luke Ross, Carlos Lopez, and Cory Petit tie into King In Black: Marauders #1.
Christina Eddleman: I’m so excited to talk about everyone’s favorite kind of issue – a tie-in! Facetious as I may be, I am much more excited to discuss this King in Black tie-in than I thought I’d be. As a co-host of a podcast all about crossover events, I like surprisingly few events and even fewer tie-ins. What were your feelings going in, Vishal?
Vishal Gullapalli: Call it a hunch, but I suspect I’m a bit more of a Venom fan than you, Christi. I haven’t loved all of Donny Cates’ run but I was definitely planning on reading King in Black before I found out it was tying into my beloved Marauders. I had no idea what to expect from this tie-in issue going in, and I was very pleasantly surprised by what we got.
The Mission
CE: While I have read the main King in Black storyline, our one-page recap made me feel like I really didn’t need to in order to enjoy this issue. Things are bad. Real bad. Cyclops and Storm need to be rescued. Oh also, it’s real dark out because the Earth is covered in symbiote! Who’s just the team to do the rescuing? The Marauders of course. From here on out, I don’t know if the actual King in Black storyline matters.
VG: It totally doesn’t matter, which is what makes this tie-in really fun. Sure it’ll read a bit awkwardly, in the inevitable “King in Black Omnibus” Marvel’s gonna put out in… let’s say 6 months. But it’s such a satisfying extension of the Marauders story and cast and a really nice showcase of the tone of the book for folks who may have picked this up for the alien goo content. We don’t get the full scope of the mission right away, though – midway through the issue we discover that (surprise surprise) Beast is just the worst.
CE: I don’t know who’s discovering that Beast is the worst; I feel like this is definitely common knowledge at this point. Pyro throws some serious shade at Bishop in this issue for “talking to cops.” Cops being X-Force and his “furry blue pen-pal,” Hank McCoy. We’ve seen some data page exchanges between Hank and Bishop in the past, but before setting out on this rescue mission, Hank makes sure to tell Bishop, in person, that if he can’t save Storm and Cyclops, to kill them. In light of resurrection protocols, this is definitely a far cry from the worst thing Beast has done, but I sure don’t love it.
VG: Yeah in theory this isn’t morally reprehensible in a society where death is not actually an impediment, but the fact that Hank didn’t feel comfortable giving Bishop this order publicly says a lot. I think what I appreciate the most though is that the issue can be described as “Hank tells Bishop to get involved in Venom nonsense but the Marauders have better plans.” We’re constantly being reminded that the mission has to do with the crossover, but at the same time it’s made clear that the crossover (and by extension the mission) is not really all that important.
CE: Perhaps my favorite line of the issue is “Spider-Man really needs to get a grip on his guys, right?” This seems very much like a “not my circus, no my monkeys” moment. I am here for it. Even Kate makes the point that “nobody means more to [her] than Storm,” but this is just as she’s justifying abandoning the mission to save a ship in distress. This is, after all, what the Marauders really are about, helping those in need.
The Rescue
VG: We’ve talked about how the book’s getting back into its groove after a pretty long departure from the norm, and I feel like this issue feels the most “back to business” out of everything since Kate’s return. The Marauders have to save people at sea, and fight injustices they find. And they’ve found one hell of an injustice here – the ship captain they rescued from symbiote dragons claims they’re not carrying any cargo that “can’t be grown again”, only for Bishop to discover that they’re actually trafficking people.
I have not felt catharsis quite like the Marauders’ reaction to this discovery in quite some time, honestly. There’s no kindness shown to slavers, nothing they deserve to be saved from. It’s a really powerful statement for me – there’s no moral ambiguity here.
CE: Perhaps the most refreshing part of the Marauders is their swift delivery of justice in the most creative ways. “Kill No Human” just means “get creative” in a way that’s so much more satisfying than strictly violent retribution. Not that we haven’t seen some violent retribution against violent actors, but this carriage of justice was delightful.
Unhindered by any moral gray area or bureaucracy, the Marauders simply decide to strand the crew someplace unpleasant. South Africa’s Namib Desert would be excruciatingly hot if a symbiote weren’t covering the entire Earth and blocking out the sun, so it’s not a definitive death sentence, which is all it takes to uphold the letter of the law. In fact, it seems quite cold as Bobby leaves them ice blocks to have enough water to make the days walk to civilization. It seems justice is the dish best served cold.
VG: I really love how consistently the Marauders have been meting out punishment for people who deserve it. It’s something that’s made this book a really satisfying read. But just as important in the book is their genuine desire to help those who need it. Retribution by itself isn’t justice, it’s only half of the puzzle. Honestly, I’m a little grumpy about the framing of this new X-Men team as the mutant superhero team, because the Marauders have been the genuine heroes of Krakoa during the Dawn of X.
Another thing I want to point out is that Duggan’s really put a lot of thought into how mutants would use their powers beyond just generic energy beams and hand to hand combat. It’s on display with Bobby here, who makes giant icebergs to keep ships from sinking and made those ice bricks. It’s a level of imagination I really enjoy.
CE: The Marauders give us a vision of how Krakoa can exist as a force for good within the world. They tackle problems that feel infinitely more real than black alien goo blocking out the sun. Duggan has sewn social justice and environmental issues into nearly everything the Marauders have done. We’ve seen Bobby combat the ice caps melting, Emma using her wealth to fight against gentrification in Madripoor, and Kate punching a hooded bigot. This series has given us the blend of fiction and reality that truly makes it feel like the world outside our window. The X-Men may live in paradise, but the Marauders are fighting to bring a slice of that paradise to the world.
The Decision
VG: I think this goal is best exemplified by what is my favorite part of this issue – the decision on Krakoa to make a place to provide nonmutants with a safe haven. I did laugh heartily (and a little sadly) at the fact that the refugees were specifically trying to go to Canada rather than the US, and I think Kate’s hasty offer of amnesty for all of them ended up leading to one of the most inspirational parts of the Krakoa era. There’s been a lot of discussion about Krakoa as a safe space for mutants, and this extends that concept a bit further – oppression exists on countless axes, and while it’s not the responsibility of one oppressed group to extend their space to another, it’s always a kind thing to do. And more than anything else, this issue is about the kindness of Krakoa.
CE: Kate definitely seems to put Emma and Magneto on the spot with her request, and I love how quickly they worked to find a response to accommodate granting amnesty to refugees. Balking at the idea of putting it before a council, they go for the “it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission” route and make it happen. The group, headed by Nyoka (the refugee who resourcefully signaled their presence below deck to Bishop via morse code), is welcomed by Calisto to Island M and what follows seems absolutely magical. Each refugee is given a potted Krakoan plant to grow into their own habitat on the island. It is the purest goodwill I’ve seen on the part of Krakoa and brought tears to my eyes.
VG: It’s genuinely beautiful, and something that I think I needed to properly buy into the idea of Krakoa. I still have qualms that I’m sure will be addressed, but this act of unexpectant generosity has made the entire society look so much better. Magneto says it best on the last page, talking to Nyoka – “Weak nations prey upon those in need. Strong nations do not fear showing kindness.”
Island M was also a really interesting pull – not just for being a fun look at continuity, but because it feels like a personal choice from Magneto to give humans sanctuary in his former abode. It’s such a strong character moment that it’s honestly really surprising that it happened in an event tie-in series to a book he’s not even a regular of. Krakoa has legitimately proven their strength as a people, and I really hope that Island M comes back into play in the future.
CE: I am incredibly shocked at how significant this issue feels, given that it is a tie-in issue. It perfectly encapsulates exactly what the Marauders title is and a vision of Krakoa that anyone could fall in love with. This is one of my favorite tie-ins because it is a tie-in that services the title’s story more than that of the event. This is King in Black flavored Marauders and not the other way around. It’s a must read.
VG: I completely agree. I think this issue’s purpose was less to connect our beloved Marauders to King in Black, but to get people who are reading everything connected to the event to start reading Marauders. It’s a perfect little one-shot look at what makes this book work so well – great character moments, fun action, and stories that feel like they’re bringing Krakoa a little closer to the real world. It’s a great time, and folks reading Marauders had better not skip this because it’s a tie-in.
X-Traneous Thoughts
- I’m a bit uncomfortable with the imagery of Knullified Storm – I’m sure Stegman didn’t really consider the optics of a brown woman with a red circle on her forehead, but it sticks out really poorly for me.
- Ross and Lopez’s take on Kate’s curly hair feels modern in a way that does justice to Kate’s curls.
- Lockheed is consistently the goodest boy. All other dragons pale in comparison, especially goth Falkor ones.
- Ending Krakoan: In Her Memory
Christi Eddleman is the world’s first Captain Kate Pryde cosplayer and co-host of Chrises On Infinite Earths.
Vishal Gullapalli is highly opinionated and reads way too much.
