WARNING: The following contains spoilers for S.W.O.R.D. #6 by Al Ewing, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia & VC’s Ariana Maher, on sale now
The Hellfire Gala has been one of the most monumental events in recent Marvel history. As various figures from the far corners of the universe have come together, an official new team of X-Men has been revealed, and the mutants of Krakoa have made the surprise revelation that they have devised a way to terraform an entire world within a matter of hours. Transporting the living island of Arakko to Mars, the mutant population of that island quickly turn the world into Planet Arakko –the self-proclaimed new capital world of the Sol System and replacing Earth at the center of intergalactic politics.
And to cement such a change in the make-up of the solar system, the mutants are forced to announce a new regent of the world and voice for the Sol System in S.W.O.R.D. #6. The X-Men and S.W.O.R.D. already have a perfect figure in mind, and Storm is officially named the Queen Regent of Mars.
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Representatives from across the galaxy — including their two prominent allies, the Shi’Ar Empire and the Zn’Rx Empire — gather at the Peak space station once the presentation of Mars is complete. There, Abigail Brand reveals the development of Mysterium, a powerful, light-weight, and incredibly durable material that has been discovered and mined by the Six. And as a show of peace, the mutants are giving each empire a hundred tons of material so they can begin to understand the full capabilities of the metals. In exchange, the wide Marvel cosmos will recognize Arakko as the capital planet of the Sol System, and not Earth, effectively replacing the destiny of Earth in the universe with that of Arakko.
When Doctor Doom arrives at the meeting, he demands to meet the single person who could hope to claim to be the Lord of Mars and to speak for Sol, and Storm stepping out of a portal created by Manifold to make a grand entrance. It’s an impressive showing from the veteran X-Man, allowing her to make the boldest statement possible about the future of the mutants in the future of the Marvel Universe. Storm has experience as a leader, with her many years at the head of the X-Men giving her a wealth of skills. Her time as Queen of Wakanda alongside Black Panther revealed her to be a noble and just ruler. Her status as an Omega-Level mutant makes her the perfect person to keep the mutants of Arakko in line, as they respect power. Those powers can allow her to be a safeguard to any stresses on the world of Mars, ensuring one of the figures responsible for the terra-forming in the first place is always present to monitor the world.
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Of all the potential mutant candidates, Storm is easily the most qualified. However, there are still some questions to be answered about the new status quo: Storm’s place on the Quiet Council of Krakoa may now be in question, forcing open another seat for the mutant ruling body. Notably, it’s another hero who has potentially vacated a seat, leaving the Council to be more directed by the more morally dubious members of the group. Wakanda is also notable for being the only invited galactic player who doesn’t accept the gift of Mysterium. Their given reason is that they do not need the mutant metal, due to their abundance of Vibranium.
However, other empires accepted the metal for more political reasons and to shore up alliances, while only Wakanda refused completely, suggesting they were making a clear point with their refusal to accept it. This could be from concerns over Arakko overtaking Earth (and Wakanda) in terms of importance, or could even be lingering tensions from Storm and Black Panther’s former relationship, which has been reignited in the pages of Black Panther recently. There’s also the lingering threats of Earth and the ones that spring from the cosmos, which appear to be dangerous enough for even Doctor Doom to look for heroic allies in the coming battles. But if there’s any one person who could overcome these threats and these challenges, it’s likely Storm, the newly dubbed Queen of Mars.
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