Summary

• Brace yourself for the dramatic end of the beloved Krakoan Age, but remain hopeful for its return.
• Witness the tragic fall of Krakoa in a battle against Orchis and Enigma, scattering the X-Men and leaving thousands trapped.
• While mourning the end of the Krakoan Age, readers can anticipate the beginning of the new From the Ashes era starting in August 2024.

Warning: contains spoilers for X-Men: Forever #4

"They will return. The Krakoan Age will come again."

The beloved Krakoan Age of the X-Men is soon coming to a dramatic end... but fans of the sovereign mutant nation should remain hopeful, as the faithful Exodus declares that Krakoa will return in the future. X-Men: Forever #4 sees Exodus proclaim his vision of the future after Hope Summers sacrifices her life to rebirth the Phoenix, fulfilling her destiny as Mutant Messiah.

The Fall of Krakoa has been nothing if not tragic, as the X-Men are scattered and slaughtered by the forces of Orchis and Enigma, forced to fight tooth and nail to survive and live to fight another day.

X-Men: Forever #4, from writer Kieron Gillen and artist Luca Maresca, is the beginning of the end for the Krakoan Age, as Phoenix is reborn, the mutant messiah es away, and thousands of innocent mutants are trapped in the White Hot Room with no means of escape.

Most Of Krakoa's Stories Have Not Yet Been Told

What could Krakoa have been with comionate and ethical leadership?

Many X-Men fans are in mourning over the end to the Krakoan Age, which was widely considered to be an era with nuanced storytelling, gorgeous character exploration, and fierce action. While the X-Men's new From the Ashes era looks wonderful and exciting, there was something extremely special about the mutant nation of Krakoa, and the mutant community it fostered and strengthened. The Krakoan Age lasted five years, and even though countless stories were explored over those years, there are still leagues of undiscovered tales that could have been told about Krakoa. The cracks in Krakoa's foundations were apparent from the start, and one must wonder how Krakoa would have fared with different, more democratic leadership.

X-Men's From the Ashes era begins August, 2024 with X-Men #1, NYX #1, Phoenix #1, and X-Force #1.

X-Men: Forever #4 is in many ways a love letter to the Phoenix, Jean Grey, and Hope Summers, who ends up sacrificing her life to "birth" the Phoenix Force anew. Hope has always felt trepidation around her status as the mutant messiah, but her biggest er throughout the Krakoan Age has been Exodus, an at times fanatical believer. After Hope's sacrifice, Exodus proudly declares that the young woman is now "flesh made immortal," having become a part of the Phoenix. Then, with as much faith as he has ever displayed, Exodus confidently proclaims that Krakoa will come again in the future.

Cable Has Already Confirmed This Was Only The First Krakoan Age

If there is a First, eventually there will be a Second

The X-Men are known for many things, one being an inclination towards time travel antics. No mutant hero is more attuned to the past, present, and future than Nathan Summers, the future warrior known as Cable. In the 2021 one-shot Cable Reloaded, the newly resurrected Nathan is fighting against the Last Annihilation with Krakoan forces. In one of this personal logs, Cable definitively calls the current Krakoan Era the "first Krakoan age," implicitly implying that there will eventually be another Krakoan era in the future. Only Marvel editorial can say for sure if Krakoa is coming back, but with Cable's future knowledge and Exodus' fierce faithfulness, it seems more than likely that this is not the last we've seen of Krakoa.

The first Krakoan Age is soon coming to an end, but fret not, dear reader, because there are still countless tales to tell involving the impressive mutant nation. The X-Men will always have Krakoa, and if it were up to Exodus, the mutants of Earth would keep their faith, continuing to dream of a better future.

X-Men: Forever #4 from Marvel Comics is available now in stores.