Since the creation of the Mutant nation of Krakoa, its citizens have been trying to find their place within the new society. For Professor Xavier’s incredibly powerful, reality-bending son Legion, this meant creating a world called “The Altar” within his own psyche, where people can relax and find peace.
One building that can be found within The Altar is the station house that serves as a base for Nightcrawler and his crew. Nightcrawler has formed a policing force to keep the peace within Krakoa and keep an eye out for dangers that threaten its people. So far, that force has confronted body-jumping Mutants, trickster gods, and some of the most powerful leaders on both Krakoa and Arakko.
10/10 Professor X Is A Terrible Brother & Person
Professor Charles Xavier started out as the mentor and leader of the teenage X-Men. His optimistic views on coexistence between humans and Mutants served as a counterpoint to the villainous Magneto and his quest for dominance. Over time, however, Professor X has become more and more of a jerk.
His brother, Juggernaut, joined Nightcrawler’s policing force, and he suffered a painful mental trauma when attacked by a body-stealing Mutant. He turned to his brother for help, but Professor X would only help him if Juggernaut agreed to give up the job that he loved, simply because Xavier didn’t want him there.
9/10 Weaponless Zsen’s Name Is Misleading
One character from Arakko who has featured prominently in Legion of X so far is Weaponless Zsen. Zsen came to Krakoa searching for a renegade trickster god who fled Arakko. Her job was to trap the god so it could face judgment on Arakko. While in Krakoa, she ended up enjoying some romantic evenings with Nightcrawler as well.
Nightcrawler asked Zsen about her name and why she had the nickname “weaponless.” He initially thought it might mean she lacked a Mutant ability, which greatly offended her. It actually referred to the fact that her Mutant gift is not useful in combat, meaning she relies only on her physical skills in a fight.
8/10 Magneto Does An Uncanny Gandalf Impression
Legion of X has been one of Marvel’s best titles this year, and one of its best features is its use of humor when appropriate. Nightcrawler’s Legionnaires tend to engage in quips and banter as they work, and in one issue, Pixie was pursuing the rogue trickster god when it stopped and shouted, “You shall not pass!”
Pixie taunted the god that its Gandalf impression wasn’t very good, and it should really see Magneto, who did an awesome Gandalf impression when he was drunk. Magneto, one of Marvel’s greatest heroes in the past year, was not known for his impressions. Instead, this was a reference to Sir Ian McKellen, who played both Magneto and Gandalf in movies.
7/10 Ora Serrata Created The Chimera Trickster God
At the start of Legion of X, Weaponless Zsen came to Krakoa searching for a renegade trickster god. On Arakko, any god caught being worshiped must face a trial by combat with the people of Arakko. The comic implied that the god might be the popular Asgarian god Loki by showing his horned crown.
When the trickster, named Tumult, was caught, however, it was revealed to be a Chimera created from many different trickster gods. Even more shocking was the revelation that Ora Serrata, the very person who had ordered it caught, was the person who first created the god. To cover her tracks, Ora Serrata tried to destroy The Altar.
6/10 The Altar Is Dangerous If Legion Dies
After being exposed as the creator of the trickster god Chimera, Ora Serrata attacked The Altar in an attempt to kill everyone who knew their secret. Ultimately, they were repelled and captured, and The Altar was saved, but it was a hard battle.
The attack prompted a discussion between Legion and Nightcrawler about The Altar and what would happen to it if Legion died. Legion is one of the most powerful Omega-level Mutants in existence, and The Altar exists solely within his psyche. If he were to die, everyone contained within his mind would be utterly destroyed – a fate more final than death.
5/10 Nightcrawler Bypassed The Council To Punish Switch
The treatment of criminal prisoners has been a hot topic in X-Men comics lately. Last year, the excellent Sabretooth miniseries explored the council’s decision to punish the longtime Mutant villain by literally throwing him in a hole. In Legion of X, Nightcrawler refused to hand over his prisoner to Professor X, for fear of what the professor would do.
The prisoner in question was a Mutant who took pleasure in jumping into other peoples’ bodies and controlling them, leaving a deep psychic trauma. Nightcrawler decided it would be appropriate to hand the Mutant, Switch, over to the Arakii in the body of the trickster god who was about to face trial by combat. It went predictably badly for Switch.
4/10 Mother Righteous Has Been Making Many Deals
Mother Righteous is a mysterious new character who has been showing up in Marvel Comics lately. Mother Righteous is impeccably dressed, has red skin, is summoned through a demonic ritual, and loves making deals with Earth’s heroes. These traits have drawn comparisons to the infamous Marvel villain Mephisto.
In Immortal X-Men, Mother Righteous made deals with Selene and Sebastian Shaw. In Legion of X, she has joined Banshee together with the Spirit of Variance to create a Ghost Rider-like new character. She also made the deal with Ora Serrata that allowed her to create the trickster god Chimera. Her motives are still unclear, but Mother Righteous is a powerful new player.
3/10 Warlock Has An Ominous Infection
Some of the most recent revelations in Legion of X are still in their early stages. One of these newest events has the potential to be devastating for the Earth. Vox Ignis (the entity formed by Banshee and the Spirit of Variance) detected an anomaly in Krakoa, which led the heroes to discover that Warlock is no longer bonded with Doug, and he may be infected with something.
Additional information provided in the comics indicates that Warlock may be dealing with the Phalanx, a Technarchy that spreads using a techno-organic virus. The X-Men fought against this foe in the ’90s crossover event, Phalanx Covenant. The situation is still new but has the potential to be catastrophic.
2/10 Humans May Have A Latent X-Gene
Dane Whitman has borne the mantle of the Black Knight for many years. Now, however, he is sharing that duty with his daughter, Jackie Chopra. Jackie, as the Black Knight, sought help from the Krakoan Mutants after she started witnessing some strange events, such as Angel’s transformation into a bird monster.
During the issue, it was revealed that Jackie is a Mutant, and her Mutant ability appears to either create or activate an X-Gene in normal humans, giving them temporary Mutant powers. Nightcrawler speculated whether this could indicate that all humans possess the X-Gene, making everyone a potential Mutant and possibly indicating less of a difference between the species.
1/10 Magic May Be Causing Mutants To Change Form
Everyone was shocked when Nightcrawler suddenly appeared after Judgment Day sporting a new set of horns. The strange transformations continued with Angel, who appeared to turn into some type of giant bird monster. After some initial confusion, Pixie determined that the source of the transformations was Mythomancy – using magic to turn reality into stories.
The team tracked the source of the spell to Bavaria, Germany. Nightcrawler recognized the location as one where he had played with his adopted siblings while traveling with the circus. His observation turned prescient when the team discovered Nightcrawler’s adopted mother at the site. Only time will tell whether she is responsible for the recent magical mayhem.
