Events in X-Men Red and Marauders are pushing the mutants of Earth and Arakko into a all-out conflict against a major cosmic empire.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Men Red #1 and Marauders #1, both now on sale from Marvel Comics.
The X-Men have settled into a unique position within the Marvel Universe. They’ve formed alliances with plenty of unlikely former enemies, and relations between many of their allies have been challenged in surprising ways. But now, the X-Men might see one of their most important universal allies turn into an unlikely (and very dangerous) enemy.
Vulcan’s threats against Shi’Ar Empress Xandra in X-Men Red #1 (by Al Ewing, Stefano Caselli, Federico Blee, and VC’s Ariana Maher) and the secrets about the history of the mutant race as revealed in Marauders #1 (by Steve Orlando, Eleonora Carlini, Matt Milla, and Maher) could be teasing an inevitable conflict between the X-Men and the Shi’Ar.
The X-Men and the Shi’Ar have been allies for some time. While the mutants of Earth have confronted plenty of Shi’Ar forces over the years (especially when control of the intergalactic empire rested in the hands of either the cruel D’ken or the murderous Deathbird), they eventually settled into a peaceful alliance, and the Shi’Ar remain some of the X-Men’s most important galactic allies. Their support has helped solidify the mutants as they move to become players on a universal scale. There’s a Krakoan Gate on the Shi’Ar homeworld of Chandilar (at the home of mutant hero Cannonball and his family), Gladiator’s son has attended mutant schools, and the current Empress is a mutant herself , the daughter of Charles Xavier and Lilandra.
The X-Men have been defenders of the young Empress Xandra, protecting her valiantly when she visited Arakko and assisting her in Secret X-Men. However, tensions have been slowly revealed. X-Men Red #1 showcases an unstable Vulcan lashing out at a Shi’Ar dignitary, declaring that he’s still technically the emperor of the alien empire as he was never properly dethroned. He even threatens to murder Xandra in order to secure the throne for himself, a move that is sure to put the mutants at opposition with the Imperial Guard. However, the Shi’Ar have also been keeping secrets from the mutants, with Xandra erasing the Secret X-Men’s memories in order to secure the safety of her people.
All of this sets the stage for the mutant nation and the Shi’Ar Empire to reevaluate their alliance. The Marauders have already confronted the Shi’Ar, with their quest into Shi’Ar space alerting the alien empire and setting off a number of defenses. Meanwhile, Vulcan’s outburst could quickly spread back to Chandilar, giving an additional reason for those who distrust the mutants to make their opinions heard. Vulcan’s mere presence on Krakoa speaks to the laws of amnesty and forgiveness extended to all mutants, but the Shi’Ar might not take so kindly to the X-Men embracing the man whose followers murdered Lilandra. Notably, the Shi’Ar are one of the few empires not in debt to the mutants thanks to Mysterium and could actually oppose the mutants on equal grounds.
The X-Men have continuously relied on their connections to the Shi’Ar, but those days may be numbered. Although the mutants have largely done their best to maintain positive relations with their intergalactic allies, the actions of the few may make the Shi’Ar doubtful of the alliance. Likewise, the truth behind the alien’s manipulations of mutants in the past may bring about a confrontation involving the entire universe. It wouldn’t be the first time the Shi’Ar have declared war on the mutants, but now the mutants could actually present a challenge to the alien empire, setting off an actual war. Unless Xandra and the leaders of the mutant nations are able to smooth out their differences, Krakoa might find itself embroiled in a war with an empire that they previously considered to be one their closest allies.
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