Warning: SPOILERS for House of X #6
Even Charles Xavier admits that the X-Men’s dream is dead. The X-Men have always fought for Xavier’s Dream, a vision of peaceful coexistence between man and mutant. As such, they’re seen as representative of the battle for tolerance and equality, and comic book writers - including Stan Lee himself - have frequently compared Charles Xavier and Magneto to Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
Xavier, of course, is the Martin Luther King figure. Although Xavier isn’t perfect, he stands for a vision that is greater than himself, and he speaks prophetically of a time when prejudice will be defeated. That was best represented in a classic speech Xavier delivered in the X-Cutioner’s Song event. There, he called for society to celebrate every person’s uniqueness, setting aside differences such as race, sexuality, or mutantcy. This was Xavier at his best, and the X-Men have fought and died for that dream. But times have changed, and Marvel’s new vision for the X-Men has taken over the franchise. In House of X #6, Charles Xavier delivers a speech to the entire world… one in which even he admits that the dream is dead.
How Did Xavier’s Dream Die?
In his telepathic message, Charles Xavier highlights a single event that destroyed his faith in his dream. In New X-Men #115, rogue Sentinels attacked the mutant nation of Genosha. They razed the island nation to the ground, slaughtering 16.5 million mutants, coming close to wiping out the entire mutant race in one devastating strike. Genosha may have been ruled by Magneto, but Xavier had lived there for a time, and had taught the children of Genosha how to master their powers. Even more heartbreakingly, the Professor was using Cerebro at the moment the Sentinels attacked, meaning his mind was exposed to the horrors of the slaughter.
What Has Replaced Xavier’s Dream?
Xavier’s Dream has been replaced by something quite different, and it’s comparable to the philosophy of Malcolm X. He no longer stands for integration; he wants separation. As Malcolm X put it:
Malcolm X’s speech essentially summarizes Magneto’s dream for the mutant race; one in which the mutants live separate from the humans, whether on an orbital space station like Avalon or on an island like Genosha. Now it has become Xavier’s new dream as well, and to that end he has created the mutant nation of Krakoa. His goal is to establish a place where mutants can live in peace; governed by mutant laws, with an economy driven by mutant laws of trade, and with mutant education and industry. The place seems to have become almost cultic at remarkable speed.
Separation is when you have your own. You control your own economy; you control your own politics; you control your own society; you control your own everything. You have yours and you control yours; we have ours and we control ours.
They don’t call Chinatown in New York City or on the West Coast a segregated community, yet it’s all Chinese. But the Chinese control it. Chinese voluntarily live there, they control it. They run it. They have their own schools. They control their own politics, control their own industry. And they don’t feel like they’re being made inferior because they have to live to themselves. They choose to live to themselves. They live there voluntarily. And they are doing for themselves in their community the same thing you do for yourself in your community. This makes them equal because they have what you have. But if they didn’t have what you have, then they’d be controlled from your side; even though they would be on their side, they’d be controlled from your side by you.
Is This The End of the X-Men?
This is the antithesis of Xavier’s Dream, so much so that when other mutants have attempted to create the same kind of separate community, the X-Men have fought against it. The X-Men had always believed separation would breed intolerance between man and mutant, and that intolerance would lead to escalating conflict. Now, however, Xavier believes the Krakoan drugs - which they have an absolute monopoly on - will mean humanity becomes dependent on mutants. In order to ensure that’s the case, he’s even recruited Sebastian Shaw to ensure the drugs illegally make their way into nations like Wakanda, who have turned them down.
Of course, this is only the beginning of a five-year story, so it’s reasonable to assume there will be a lot of twists in the tale. Unfortunately, though, all the evidence indicates that Xavier’s hopes will be dashed. In House of X #1, Magneto was sent to represent Krakoa as the nation’s ambassador, and he unwisely goaded representatives of the United Nations. While the UN ultimately voted to accept Krakoa as a new nation, they only did so because of psychic manipulation by Emma Frost, which proves the situation is inherently unstable. Meanwhile, the mutant cult of Krakoa appears to look down on humans, and in House of X #5 Polaris openly asked her father Magneto whether there was truly anything good about humans. That’s pretty shocking, given she’s been one of the X-Men longer than Wolverine.
The most remarkable thing about House of X #6 is that the mutant race seem to have all accepted this new status quo. Not one of them appears to be uncomfortable with it, not one of them doubts or second-guesses it. Indeed, bitter enemies are willing to set aside their differences without a second thought in service to Krakoa; although the comic stresses old rivals becoming allies like Jean Grey and Emma Frost, the most striking is Wolverine handing a beer to Gorgon, the Hand leader who killed and enslaved him. It all feels far too easy - and as a result, it’s highly likely that the mutants of Krakoa are being manipulated. But is Charles Xavier the player, or another pawn? Only time will tell.
House of X #6 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
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