Warning: spoilers ahead for X-Men #15 and X of Swords: Destruction #1!
In the final chapters of Marvel Comics' X-Men reassembled as an official team, the cost was the departure of some key leadership among the Quiet Council, Krakoa's leading government body. Now, the future seems uncertain for Krakoa as a result, despite its victory in X of Swords. Their leaders have just been tested in a big way, and the cracks have begun to form. Will the mutant nation be able to survive?
While a specific group of champions from Krakoa and Arakko were chosen by Lady Saturnyne of Otherworld to compete in her Tournament of Swords, the final battle resulted in many more coming to the champions' aid. For Krakoa, this came about due to a telepathic cry for help from becomes the reformed X-Men.
While they were granted permission to proceed in X-Men #15 from writer Jonathan Hickman and Mahmud Asrar, it did come with some pretty significant costs. The Quiet Council could not risk losing everything they had built on Krakoa, so the gateway back would not remain open to Cyclops and Jean, regardless of their success or failure in their rescue operation. Furthermore, while other Council such as Nightcrawler, Kate Pryde, and Emma Frost were prepared to in the strike team, fellow leader Sebastian Shaw proposed that any Council member who chose to go to Otherworld would forfeit their seat on the council, for the good of the nation and governing body. As a result, the vote ed, though Jean's mind was not changed in the slightest, giving up her seat in the issue, while encouraging the other willing to stay for the good of Krakoa. Despite the Council's resistance and hesitations, Cyclops draws a line in the sand, clearly defining his stance and beliefs going forward.
Jean and Cyclops form their new X-Men, and the day is eventually won thanks to the new team of heroes. However, once the dust settles, Lady Saturnyne is able to see what came out of her tournament, and she observes that the Charles Xavier voted to remove Jean from her position on the council, believing that he no longer has the luxury of favoring individual mutants, no matter how much he cares about them. He must think of the greater nation of Krakoa as well.
This is in stark contrast to the heroes that make up the new X-Men. They're focused on saving the individuals who need saving "whatever the cost" according to Cyclops. Naturally, these are some pretty polarizing perspectives, and could lead to some significant tensions and clashes between the Quiet Council and the X-Men going forward. Hopefully, the new mutant nation will be prepared to handle its first conflicts in its leadership and government. If it can't, the Marvel Universe could very well have a mutant civil war on its hands as Jonathan Hickman's X-Men continues.
