Krakoa
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| Krakoa | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Giant-Size X-Men #1 |
| Created by | Len Wein Dave Cockrum |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | X-Men[1] |
| Abilities | living ecosystem; immense psi powers; complete control of its flora and fauna |
Krakoa is a fictional character in Marvel Comics, commonly associated with the X-Men. It is a living island, an intelligent ecosystem able to command all the living things native to its island body, and even its terrain. Its name was derived from the real Indonesian volcano island Krakatoa.
Although Krakoa has made only one notable appearance in the X-Men franchise, it is vividly remembered by the fanbase as the main enemy in what may be the most defining X-Men comic of all time, Giant-Size X-Men #1. Krakoa is directly responsible for the formation of the "new" X-Men. Keith Giffen later spoofed the character as Kooey Kooey Kooey in DC Comics.
Fictional character biography
Giant-Size X-Men #1
Krakoa was originally a very small island in the Pacific Ocean that was located close to where some nuclear bombing tests were done. The radiation somehow turned the island's ecosystem into a hive-mind entity.
In Giant-Size X-Men #1, The X-Men (then consisting of Cyclops, Angel, Havok, Iceman, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), and Polaris) came to the island after Cerebro detected an unknown mutant there, and were captured by Krakoa, who used them as food sources. Cyclops was the only one able to flee, but doesn't remember what happened. Professor X decides to recruit international mutants to save his X-Men (namely Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Sunfire, Thunderbird, Banshee, and Wolverine) and sends them to Krakoa. Cyclops' group of mutants pair off and after each pair encounter and defeat various aspects of the island, the new X-Men team finds the original X-Men, who are weakened from being fed upon by Krakoa for so long. At this point, it is revealed that it was the island itself that Cerebro had registered as a mutant, and Krakoa battles the new and old X-Men by forming a giant humanoid body out of its terrain. With a combination of psi interference by Professor X and energy blasts from Cyclops and Havok, Storm is able to supercharge Polaris' magnetic powers with bolts of lightning. Polaris interacts with the Earth's core and creates a magnetic pulse so strong that she is able to launch Krakoa into outer space. The X-Men - now counting thirteen members - are saved.[2]
Later a "son of Krakoa" appeared. It was the result of a spore that was released from Krakoa as it was shot into space. Nightcrawler eventually defeated this "Vega-Superior" by tricking him into drowning himself.[3]
Krakoa was apparently found and captured for study by the cosmic entity known as The Stranger, as seen when Quasar visited one of his 'laboratory worlds'.[4] Krakoa was eventually freed as well as many of the specimens.[5]
X-Men: Deadly Genesis
The 2006 X-Men: Deadly Genesis storyline features a major retcon in which it is revealed that many of the elements in Giant-Size X-Men #1 were in fact deceptions and delusions created by Professor X to hide the major part of the story.[6] Another team of young mutants, composed of Petra, Darwin, Sway, and the third Summers brother Kid Vulcan, from a parallel X-Mansion led by Moira MacTaggert, were sent to help the original X-Men. They managed to save Cyclops and returned him to Professor X. However Krakoa, no more intelligent than an animal, killed Petra and Sway and left Darwin and Kid Vulcan almost dead. Xavier had erased all records of the real events in Cyclops' mind, and altered the mutants' minds to cast the illusion of a speaking, sapient Krakoa.[7]
Manifest Destiny
Sunspot's business partner tells the Young X-Men that his workers went missing on an uncharted island. This island turns out to be an offshoot of Krakoa.[volume & issue needed]
Wolverine and the X-Men
When Wolverine and some of the X-Men splintered away from Cyclops' group, it is discovered that Beast has built the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning on top of a spawn of Krakoa.[8] After Quentin Quire manages to reason with it, the Krakoa spawn contacts Rachel Summers who ends up translating for it when Rachel tells Wolverine that the Hellfire Club made Krakoa attack it and that it is a mutant like the X-Men. When Rachel mentions that Krakoa keeps apologizing and wants to join the X-Men, Wolverine ends up letting Krakoa stay as a part of the school.[9]
Powers and abilities
In its original depiction, Krakoa was an immensely powerful being. It could manipulate its flora and fauna at will and possessed incredible psi powers, rivaling those of Professor X. Indeed, it was capable of subtly manipulating his mind from a great distance to prevent him contacting experienced heroes for help. After the revelation of the events surrounding Vulcan, it was revealed that Krakoa's intelligence was much more limited amounting to nothing more than survival instinct.
Other versions
Amalgam Comics
For Amalgam Comics, Krakoa was combined with Dinosaur Island to form Krakoa the Living Dinosaur Island. The insane mutant hater Dr. Will Magnus and his Sentinel robots used Krakoa as their base of operations before their location was discovered by Magneto[10].
Ultimate Krakoa
In the Ultimate Marvel continuity of Ultimate X-Men, Krakoa was reimagined as an apparently normal island near Genosha, on which TV mogul Mojo Adams hosts his gruesome reality TV show Hunt for Justice, in which mutant felons are hunted to death.[11] It is where Ultimate Deadpool takes Spider-Man and the X-Men in the Deadpool arc of USM.[volume & issue needed]
What If?
Krakoa was featured in various versions of What If?:
- In "What If the X-Men Died on the First Mission," Polaris demagnetizes Krakoa only for the featured X-Men to not be able to get off in time.[volume & issue needed]
- In "What If an All New, All Different X-Men Never Existed," the original X-Men had never disbanded and were able to defeat Krakoa easily.[volume & issue needed]
- In What If? Deadly Genesis, Vulcan and his team make their way through the island, surviving its assault. Vulcan becomes separated from the group and finds the captured X-Men. After accidentally killing them all in a panic, Vulcan escapes the temple and, with the rest of his team, the island itself. Krakoa is then jettisoned into deep space, where it remains untouched for years until being discovered by the Silver Surfer. There, Sway finds a time pocket and uses her powers to replay the events of Vulcan's killings. After confronting and disabling him of his powers, Professor Xavier banishes Vulcan to the island where he is forced as punishment to replay the transpired murders of the X-Men every time he requires food.[volume & issue needed]
- In the story What If? Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire Krakoa is resurrected by a power-mad Vulcan using the Phoenix Force, with a battle between him, Rachel Summers, Havok, Cyclops, and Cable taking place on it.[volume & issue needed]
In other media
Television
- Krakoa was mentioned in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Support Your Local Sky-Father". The Mayor of Super Hero City mentioned to Invisible Woman about an island bought by Super Hero City that was evil until the X-Men shot into space.
References
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (February 2009) |
External links
- Krakoa at Marvel Appendix
- Krakoa at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
