Jonathan Hickman ended his House of X/Powers of X saga on Wednesday with Powers of X #6, which laid groundwork for the future of the X-line. Next week, Hickman takes on a new flagship book with X-Men #1, which launches a highly-anticipated new era — and of course, there are plenty of theories for Dawn of X already.
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR POWERS OF X #6 AND THE HOX/POX SAGA AHEAD!
Before we dive into some of those theories, here’s a quick rundown of our previous HOX/POX coverage here at The Beat:
- Nick Kazden breaks down integral moments across the sister series in “HiX-Men Moment of the Week”
- The Marvel Rundown discusses House of X #1, Powers of X #1, House of X #2, Powers of X #2, Powers of X #3, House of X #3, and Powers of X #6
- Adam Karenina-Sherif examines how emotional authenticity (or lack thereof) affects Moira X’s story
- Chloe Maveal explains how and why HOX/POX renewed her interest in the X-Men
Now, what’s to come in Dawn of X? The Quiet Council of Krakoa will grow, Apocalypse grows restless, and at least one emergency bangs down Krakoa’s door — but what else? Check out 10 theories below and stay tuned to see how many of them are proven right (or wrong) when X-Men #1 kicks off the new era on Wednesday.
1. Moira X is using Cerebro to manipulate Charles and Erik
How does that work?! Well, there’s a possibility Moira is using some sort of Shi’ar tech in the helmet that Charles refuses to take off; this would assure he’s compliant with her wishes. As we saw through her journal entries in Powers of X #6, Moira is manipulating all of the men around her, but they still go rogue from time to time — and if they go too rogue, it will ruin all of her plans, which clearly haven’t been revealed in their entirety just yet.
Plus, that tea scene takes place after the Moira/Charles/Erik schism. Several scenes in Timeline 10 do, and yet, everyone is totally calm. Too calm, one might say. Given that we know certain husks have had previous versions of their consciousness uploaded before, it’s plausible that Moira is calling the shots as to who knows what and when.
2. Moira made the call to upload a previous Charles consciousness to his husk
This theory builds on the one above. There are two redacted entries in Moira’s journal, as seen in Powers of X #6 — both are “RE: XAVIER,” and we know from Powers of X #5 that Charles has replaced his own mind with a legacy version twice.
Based on the tone of Moira’s journal entries and the overall trajectory of her timelines, it stands to reason that Charles either a) forced her to open her mind so he could once again see what she showed him voluntarily, or b) discovered something Moira didn’t want him to know. Therefore, his mind had to be cleared without too much setback. How she gets him to do this to himself is likely revealed in those redacted sections, and likely doesn’t paint her in a very flattering light. (In “Entry 35 – RE: XAVIER,” you can barely make out the words “I am just as bad as the” in the ComiXology digital copy of the issue — this echoes the sentiment in “Entry 52 – RE: MAGNETO,” where she writes, “I am just as bad as they are. If not worse.”)
3. Moira’s manipulation will lead to the creation of Onslaught
Onslaught was originally created when Charles used his telepathic powers to shut down Erik’s mind completely, leaving him catatonic. The darkest part of Magneto’s mind escaped into Xavier’s subconscious, merging with the the darkest part of Xavier to create a new villain. In Moira’s journal (“Entry 14 – RE: XAVIER”), she writes,
While we have become romantic, it is becoming clear to me that I am breaking Charles Xavier. And if I do break him, how will he become the man I need him to be in the coming days.
My concern — my paramount fear — is that I fracture his psyche and eventually unleash something unexpected on the world.
Sound familiar? Whether or not Moira is somehow manipulating Cerebro, she is still manipulating Charles, Xavier, and the rest of mutantkind — this is a fact. And if that manipulation leads to the creation of Onslaught, per the governing rules of Krakoa, there will be a place for them in the mutant paradise. Right?
4. Moira and Apocalypse aren’t over — they’re never over
Moira and Apocalypse continuing their romance is one of the most persistent theories for Dawn of X, for good reason. Before HOX/POX launched, Marvel released a steamy teaser of the pair embracing for a kiss with the tagline, “Fear the future.” We learned in House of X #2 that in Lifetime 9, Moira teamed up with Apocalypse — but now, in Lifetime 10, it would seem that Moira still has the hots for the Big Bad, as the tone of her journal entries suggests.
There’s also this SINISTER SECRET, from Powers of X #4: “They say the kids are all right, but all is not right in paradise. This non-couple couple has been apart so long, friends are expecting that when they see each other again fireworks are going to ensue. Is the universe ready? Judging by how unprepared everyone was for what’s happened so far, we kind of doubt it.”
If Apocalypse gets restless in Krakoa, as a recent teaser for Excalibur suggests, will Moira play a part in that, for better or for worse? Will it affect the Quiet Council? Does Apocalypse even know she’s secretly alive?
5. Moira and Mystique will go toe-to-toe for Destiny
Whatever Moira is doing in Timeline 10, she is clearly terrified of Destiny finding out about it. Her insistence on there being “no precogs” in Krakoa isn’t about mutantkind — it’s about herself. Since Charles and Erik promised Mystique that they would bring back Destiny, which was directly against Moira’s edict, this is certainly going to lead to problems down the line. When Mystique learns the truth of why they won’t bring back Destiny, it will tip the scales, which are already precariously balanced. And unless things go Moira’s way…
6. Destiny will kill Moira
Not only will this end Timeline 10, but it will bring about the prediction Destiny made in Lifeline 3. There is a lot of emphasis in Powers of X #6 on how the mutants always lose, no matter what, which perhaps suggests that Moira isn’t acting with good intentions. And she only gets to Lifetime 11 if she makes “the right choice at the end” — but what does that mean? When Destiny returns — because that seems inevitable, one way or another — it will surely lead to catastrophe for Moira, who doesn’t really have any chances left.
7. Wolverine will kill Moira
In at least two timelines (6 and 9), Logan has been the one to end Moira’s life, at her behest. If what she’s doing in Timeline 10 creates a mutant civil war or otherwise pushes Wolverine out of her orbit and into Destiny’s, perhaps he’ll be the one to end her life once more — but this time, at Destiny’s behest. This is one of the flimsier theories for Dawn of X, but since Wolverine #1 debuts in February, it’s clear that Logan will continue to play an integral role in the new era. We’d be remiss to ignore his bits in HOX/POX and how they might translate to the future.
8. The dissolution of the Quiet Council will happen sooner than later
Hickman already foreshadowed the dissolution of the Quiet Council during its literal creation, so it seems inevitable that this seasonal group of leaders will fraction off in the coming weeks. Whether the impetus for that is Apocalypse, Mystique, or someone else remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: this governing body won’t maintain peace for long.
9. Krakoa and Arroka will be reunited
Apocalypse and his First Horsemen sealed away the enemy who split Krakoa and Arroka into separate entities using a twilight sword — which also sealed away the Horsemen and Arroka itself. With Apocalypse and Krakoa reunited, it seems highly likely that we’ll see the First Horsemen and Arroka again, especially given this SINISTER SECRET: “For years, this fittest-of-all mutant has routinely surrounded himself with a particular-numbered entourage. These hangers-on stick around for a while until they are eventually replaced with newer, more exciting members. What most people don’t know is that if the original members returned, these pretenders would be dropped so fast their heads would spin.”
Plus, he literally found the First Horsemen and woke them up in Marvel Comics #1000… and though that was a callback to 1995, it was written by Hickman and emphasized how no one can ever replace Apocalypse’s first family.
10. We haven’t seen the last of the Phalanx
This one is a no-brainer. As Moira points out time and time again, the mutants always, always lose — and even if they kill the Mother Mold or defeat the machines, the world adapts. She learned that in Timeline 6, which was four entire timelines ago… Although, we don’t know the full extent of what she learned in Timeline 9 — just that it was incomplete. There was such heavy emphasis on the Phalanx throughout Powers of X that it seems like a mistake to think they’re truly defeated. We’re betting they reappear at some point in Dawn of X.
BONUS: Timeline 11 will be a reboot of the entire Marvel Universe
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the entire universe was ripped apart and put back together…
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