Strangers In The Strange Land Of X-Men Red #1

Storm is regent of Arakko. Should she be? Al Ewing, Stefano Caselli, Federico Blee and Ariana Maher investigate in X-Men Red #1

Jude Jones: I was all in from the jump. A book, set on the planet we saw (beautifully, artfully, amazingly) terraformed; featuring the culturally rich, oft maligned Arakkii; led by the Queen, err, Regent Wind-Walker; featuring my favorite magnetic megalomaniac who, by the way, also happens to have been right.

I did, however, have some apprehension. As much as I loved the idea of terraforming Mars; as much as I love my favorite character overseeing the solar system; as cool as it is to see a new set of mutants so diverse and so unrelenting in their pride for themselves – as much as I liked all of this, I’ve been equally uncomfortable. Why?

Because all of this has felt eerily like colonialism. The Arakkii, described as angst filled and war like – primitive – had trouble assimilating like their Terran cousins. So these inconvenient mutants were moved, unceremoniously and undemocratically, to an entirely new world, under the explicit leadership of a person who was not one of their own. 

Of course, all allusions and metaphors aren’t one for one, but the framing feels like the story of the Seminole told from the US Government’s point of view. Or of the Zulu, told by the Brits. Or of countless (countless…) other oppressed people whose stories were appropriated by  any number of manifest destiny adherents. 

“Who can save the red planet?” Who said the planet – or it’s people – needed saving? Imperialist thought remains entrenched deep in our collective psyches. Thus in a lesser work, the story of the Arakkii could be read as borderline manifest destiny racism. And while not perfect, X-Men Red is absolutely not a lesser work. Thank goodness. 

X-Men Red is strong, thoughtful, maybe transcendent. Not (just) because it features my favorites, but because it understands them, their precarious predicaments, and asks us all to weigh the costs of their plights. 

Vishal, thanks for humoring my soliloquy (you can see why Magneto is my favorite lol). What are your thoughts?

Vishal Gullapalli: Look, I do love Ororo and Magneto – I’d call them two of the best mutants period – but the moment the cast was announced I gravitated towards two of the characters that grabbed my heart and have held onto it since X-Force: Sunspot and Cable. 

Sunspot has been mostly absent since Hickman’s initial run on New Mutants, and while Hickman writes a fun Roberto, Ewing’s track record with the character in his Avengers run was light-years ahead. Cable’s a bit of a different beast, having been a child for most of the Krakoa era, only finally truly returning at the conclusion of Gerry Duggan’s fun-but-forgettable Teen Cable solo and only appearing briefly in SWORD and a random one-shot by Ewing. I’d mostly been starved of my favorites before X-Men Red #1 (and I still am a little, where is Cannonball) but the moment this book was solicited I knew it was going to be a favorite.

My feelings on the Krakoa era echo yours, Jude – this feels genuinely exciting and refreshing, but there’s a lot of uncomfortable approaches. Which is good from a story perspective, because it allows talented writers to tell stories that directly grapple with this discomfort. But for the majority of the Dawn and Reign of X, this wasn’t really approached. Si Spurrier attempted, to… an unsatisfactory degree in Way of X, and Vita Ayala is finally being able to wrangle with some of it in their fantastic New Mutants, but it took some time for even those books to start. So X-Men Red’s promise to explore the complexity of the situation on Arakko was sorely awaited. And if there’s any white writer I trust to treat it with the nuance it deserves, it’s Al Ewing.

Jude: Given how scene-setting in Red depends on character development, let’s use our time to focus on its three main characters: Magneto, Sunspot, and the Regent herself, Storm. 

Heavy is the Head

Jude: There are, I’m sure, many ways to read the introductory fight (teased during her time on the Marauders) against herself. And while we’re explicitly told she’s fighting the Arakkii mutant Nameless [Ed. note: that’s her name], the Omega Shapeshifter for her place on the council; while the easy (and correct) allusion would be to note that to take the crown, Storm has to fight her herself, my initial thoughts gave way to a more nuanced appreciation of these proceedings. 

Storm isn’t simply fighting herself: she’s fighting her fears; she’s fighting guilt. 

The shapeshifter’s digs – that she did not suffer with the Arakkii, and thus didn’t earn the right to rule; that she wants power for power’s sake- are all meant to destabilize Storm’s confidence. To make her question whether she belongs, whether she should rule.

To make her guilty, thus indecisive, thus weak. And while the shapeshifter lost the battle, I argue she’s winning the war, given how her works continue to resonate – and guide! – Storm’s actions throughout the issue.

Vishal: I don’t know that I agree that Nameless is winning, in the sense that I feel their intention was to drive Storm to failure through insecurity. But insecurity is where Storm thrives – when she’s lost the upper hand, when she’s fighting without a safety net. Nameless’s words clearly had an impact on Storm, as evident by the number of times she relives those words, but if anything they cement to Storm that she cannot lead Arakko like she led the X-Men. She has to be a different kind of regent. She’s just not sure what yet. And I think that through this first issue we start to see her vision of what Arakko could be.

JJ: I read Isca’s digs as more than just teasing, but, like Nameless, using guilt to weaken Storm’s fortitude. If you can’t beat the body, then attack the mind. 

The Arakkii aren’t the only ones trying to manipulate Ororo. Abigail Brand, the mutant turncoat, slyly refers to the “colonization” and “appropriation” of Mars. She believes these “roaming bandits” need controlling. Are her words loaded and racist? Absolutely. That Ewing is self aware enough to understand how problematic all of this could be is laudable. That Storm’s pushback against them is understandable and appreciated. 

And yet!

I’m curious where this will all lead. What does Storm believe is “greater than a queen?” Yes, being a leader not of the people is a problem, but because Storm puts the people first, her leadership isn’t necessarily problematic. Absconding from strong leadership might arguably hurt the Arakkii more than help (or maybe I’m an imperialist too). And the surprise of the last page – bringing back the Brotherhood – while pretty damn cool, also begs another question:

While Storm denied to Brand that Arakko needed their own X-Men, might a reformed Brotherhood just be the X-Men with different branding?

My fear is that, well meaning as she may be, the influences of Nameless, Isca, and Brand are leading Storm exactly down the path they want her to trod. I hope she knows what she’s doing. I have faith in the character and writer that she will. But I’ve had my faith broken before; I hope I don’t see it – or Storm – broken again. 

Vishal: That’s a really good point – Storm could be playing right into the hands of those trying to manipulate her, especially by very clearly and very obviously doing the opposite of what they all tell her. Nameless and Isca tell Ororo that she’s seduced by thrones, so she destroys the throne. Brand tells her to form the X-Men, so she forms the Brotherhood. It’s all clearly rebellious, but the people manipulating her have to be aware of Ororo’s tendencies to rebel. Storm is scared that all of her critics are right, and is trying to prove their words wrong – but are their words truly their intentions?

My thoughts on the “greater than a queen” line tie into Ororo’s decision to form a Brotherhood. What’s greater than a queen? A brother, a sister, a comrade. Ororo doesn’t want to be a guardian of Arakko, she doesn’t want to be its dictator, its parent. She wants to be a part of Arakko, a member of its community, its sibling. 

As you said, I have faith in Storm. I have faith in Al Ewing. But faith can be broken, and characters aren’t perfect – it’s what makes them interesting. I’m very excited for where this goes. 

Boundless and Bare

Jude: The revolutionary is tired. Magneto (or Erik or Max or…) is a man whose opinion of himself is shaped by how others see him. He measures his deeds by how he was best able to help his people. This mix of arrogance, of megalomania, conceit, regret, and honest to his core love is what makes Magneto such a compelling character. 

Our revolutionary, feeling dejected and rejected by his people, has decided to leave the ruling council and retreat to Arakko. Maybe the endless, hopeless war has gotten to him. Maybe his betrayal of Toad is still eating at him. But most likely, given his words? He just doesn’t feel loved (“they cut me to the heart”). So he’s decided to retire to his metal-forged Autumn Palace. 

It’s interesting to see Magneto open up to a stranger, but not unprecedented: sometimes it’s easier to open up to people who you don’t know, and thus won’t judge you in moments of weakness or sadness. Everyone needs someone, and Magneto’s megalomania – his belief he is peerless – means he’s effectively friendless as well. Everyone needs someone. Everyone needs a break. Everyone needs a bit of peace. “How can you be strong if you won’t heal what’s broken?”

And of this stranger! A supposedly powerless fisherman seems to have the gift of patience and perception. He claims to have been born in the prisons and fought against the vile. He correctly reads that Magneto, too, has suffered behind bars at the behest of the sick and evil. But given how thoughtful and conveniently placed he is, given that his read of Magneto could just as easily come from a psychological profile supplied by a turncoat with green hair, I’m suspicious. Remember, circling this planet of mutants is a moon inhabited by the worst of humanity. 

I don’t trust him, even if I do like him. What do you think about Magneto and this mysterious man?

Vishal: I second your distrust of the Fisher King. He’s immediately kind and approachable, and my first instinct was to see him as a kindly man. But after sitting on the issue, and thinking about the various factions in play here, I have to say that anyone that seems immediately trustworthy is inherently suspicious. But what I think matters more is Magneto – he is truly broken in a way that seems hard to repair. In an era where mutants are thriving, the man who has spent his entire life trying to lead them there feels that he has failed. Magnus, Erik, Max, Magneto… the man with too many names is ready to die. 

But something he can learn from Arakko, something he can learn from the Fisher King (should he prove to be what he claims to be) is that community can be found at your lowest. It’s not the powers that make you belong, it’s your experiences. And Magneto has experienced enough for so many lifetimes. There will be a place for him. And Storm has maybe just shown him one.

Disco Inferno

Jude: I love the look of this book. I love Stefano Caselli’s art. How the faces are detailed and pained. Vulcan looks legitimately evil; Storm looks appropriately regal. For a book more about conversation than action, for a book whose action is as psychological as it is physical, Caselli’s hitting a home run. Ariana Maher’s letting here is also fantastic. Nameless’ strained speech and word bubbles make thematic sense here; the liberal use of smaller fonts to signal pensive thoughts is well placed and well done. The work of this team is laudable. 

Except for Roberto. Except for Sunspot. 

My critique of Marvel Voices: Legacy was that true representation in comics requires making informed choices consistently and consciously. And coloring Roberto, a mixed heritage Brazilian, a man who’s mutant powers emerged because he was teased about his skin color, a man who on in the pages of other books has been deprecated as dark skinned with curly hair…to see him shown as simply tanned is disappointing. In the same way that seeing Monet consistently lightened is disappointing. In the same way seeing Gateway go Michael Jackson is disappointing. Was this a choice? And edict? Did anyone know or care? Who knows! But all the more reason why more people of color need to be present in editorial. Appearances – and decisions about them – matter. 

Anyway, rant over. Vishal, a lot is going on in this bar. What stood out to you?

Vishal: It’s very important to note how frustrating it is that Roberto is never consistently depicted as Black. He’s far from the only character at Marvel who’s been whitened over the years, but as you mentioned, his origin story does not work if he can pass as a tan white man. It’s honestly bizarre how his hairstyle changes often between panels – from straight to curly to straight – but never actually looks authentic. 

This aside, I did quite enjoy this scene of Roberto in his own club. Ewing’s take on Sunspot is very specific – he takes on the veneer of a frat bro, an inordinately wealthy man with not a care in the world, to hide the fact that he is incredibly thoughtful and constantly planning. Plans within plans within plans. In New Avengers and U.S.Avengers, Roberto had a robot deliver him champagne regularly for years, only to reveal that Champagne Robot was a key part of his most important plan yet. And you can see that at the end, when Thunderbird mentions that Arakko smells rotten. Roberto knows, and knows there’s something he has to do about it. But he knows better than to show his hand. Better your enemies think you’re really into disco than suspect you truly competent.

I also love how Thunderbird is written here. Honestly, he’s just as much of a jerk as he was when he died. The rest of the X-Men got to grow up over the course of almost 60 years, while he died just a few months after his first appearance and only just returned. He’s the guy who accuses Cyclops of being an American colonial, he’s the guy who angrily jumped on a plane to kill the escaping villain [Ed. note: Nefaria ended up fine like, right away so it was all for not]. He can get riled up by a little sass from Cable (Also something I loved!) and is, in general, a rowdy presence in any environment. 

Vulcan’s presence is similarly interesting – he’s seemingly gone back to his old ways, but Cable implies he’s really not doing well. I’m very interested in seeing what his deal is.

Jude: Vulcan’s back story is, to put it mildly, a lot. And while I won’t go over it all here (you can read it here), some things do stand out: 

• The tease early in the Dawn of X of Vulcan’s internal struggles seems to have come to a full head. He is, as the kids say, on one: angry at not being seen, ready to annihilate anyone who dares insult him or get in his way. This is villain behavior and it’s shocking to see it on display so bluntly, so quickly.
• That he was able to steal Roberto’s powers so quickly; that he burned through an entire encampment of Cotati on the moon; that he’s a literal Omega-level mutant…who apparently can be taken out by one sucker punch? The math isn’t mathing, as the kids say. (note: I have no idea if kids say any of these things anymore.)
• Of course Brand wants to take him in. Of course having a mentally unstable, uber powerful mutant (that I’m sure she regards as a weapon, with as much affinity to him as she would have to an inanimate rocket) would be helpful to her and her Orchis’ plans. That’s not surprising. Seeing Cable in cahoots with her is. Maybe he’s in on her deception (and in on how she used and abused his powers at the end of SWORD). Maybe he’s biding his time to learn more. Maybe he just wants to help his Uncle. Still, it was a bit jarring to see them together.

X-Tranious Thoughts

• If you notice, Storm doesn’t kill Nameless; Nameless strikes herself with lightning. Does that mean she’s really dead? Does the way she died (if she died) affect Storm’s place in the Great Ring? Only time will tell.
• The David Mancuso reference really kind of ages Sunspot – I’d think he was more of a Diplo/Steve Aoki kinda guy. (Personally? Black Coffee or Joe Kay.)
• We both stan Nile Rogers though
• Worth noting that two of the three members of the Great Ring who helped bring Mars to life voted for peace
• “Tuck your shirt in” lmao
• Contextually, Storm’s new look makes sense. And I like it! And! It feels more like Michael Jackson than punk. But I liked Michael Jackson so…
• Very, very fascinating to see Roberto juxtaposed with two of his three mentors – he and Sam are the only two mutants who can claim to have learned directly from Xavier, Magneto, and Cable.

Jude Jones

A proud New Orleanian living in the District of Columbia, Jude Jones is a professional thinker, amateur photographer, burgeoning runner and lover of Black culture, love and life. Magneto and Cyclops (and Killmonger) were right.
Find more of Jude’s writing here.

Vishal Gullapalli

Vishal Gullapalli is highly opinionated and reads way too much.