Summary
- Kamala Khan's resurrection undermines the significance of the classic X-Men tagline, "Welcome to the X-Men - hope you survive the experience!"
- The phrase holds a long history, symbolizing the perils faced by new and non-d characters ing the team.
- Kamala's survival is moot due to mutant resurrection; her death and subsequent revival have been a point of controversy, making her tagline meaningless.
Marvel is keen to present the presence of mutant resurrection in the Marvel universe takes almost all the punch out of this classic phrase.
On July 18, Marvel announced Kamala Khan's official resurrection and that she would be ing of the X-Men during the third Hellfire Gala event and the Fall of X storyline. To commemorate the occasion, the publisher also revealed a series of promotional covers for Iman Vellani, Sabir Pirzada, Carlos Gomez, and Adam Gorham's Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant, placing Kamala amidst various versions of X-Men lineups. The taglines "Welcome to the X-Men, Ms. Marvel - hope you survive the experience!" and "Kamala Khan is reborn anew" feature prominently on the covers.
The "Hope You Survive the Experience" Tagline Has a Long History
"Welcome to the X-Men - hope you survive the experience!" first appeared in 1980 on the cover of Chris Claremont, John Bryne, Jim Novak, Terry Austin, and Glynis' Wein's Uncanny X-Men #139, proudly heralding Kitty Pryde officially ing the team. Since then, the phrase has appeared as a callback to this classic issue when a new member s the team (such as Rogue in 1983) or when a non-d character teams up with the group. The phrase is often associated with the classic era of X-Men, calling back to perils such as the Danger Room and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Resurrection Renders Kamala's Survival Moot
While the use of the classic X-Men tagline is intended to be a celebratory welcoming of Kamala to the group, it's rendered meaningless by the existence of mutant resurrection. Ever since the founding of Krakoa, deceased mutants have been able to be "revived" by implanting a copy of their memories into a cloned body. So long as the Resurrection Protocols are in place, any fatality is easily corrected. The phrase also rings particularly sour in Kamala's case, as she very explicitly did not survive the experience: Marvel loudly touted the death of Kamala Khan, and her resurrection is the very impetus that allows for her to the X-Men in the first place.
The death and resurrection of Kamala Khan has been a particularly controversial point in Marvel's 2023 storylines. While these new covers are meant to give Kamala a classic X-Men welcome, it's difficult for many to get on board when her death and resurrection has been so rushed - and her very ing of the team renders Kamala Khan's welcoming tagline meaningless.
