Krakoa
Encyclopedia
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 Indonesia
n 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
.
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.
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.
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'. Krakoa was eventually freed as well as many of the specimens.
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.
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.
'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.
; 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.
, 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
.
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. It is where Ultimate Deadpool takes Spider-Man
and the X-Men in the Deadpool arc of USM.
:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, commonly associated with the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
. It is a living island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
, an intelligent ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
able to command all the living things native to its island body, and even its terrain. Its name was derived from the real Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
island Krakatoa
Krakatoa
Krakatoa is a volcanic island made of a'a lava in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island , and the volcano as a whole. The island exploded in 1883, killing approximately 40,000 people, although some estimates...
.
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
Giant-Size X-Men
Giant-Size X-Men #1 was a special issue of the X-Men comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Though not a regular issue, it jump-started the series after a five-year hiatus. The issue serves as a link between the original...
#1. Krakoa is directly responsible for the formation of the "new" X-Men. Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
later spoofed the character as Kooey Kooey Kooey
Kooey Kooey Kooey
Kooey Kooey Kooey is a fictional country in the DC Universe.Kooey Kooey Kooey is an island in the South Pacific. It was featured prominently in Justice League International as written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis...
in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
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
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
, Angel, Havok, Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey)
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
, and Polaris
Polaris (comics)
Polaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...
) came to the island after Cerebro
Cerebro
In the Marvel Comics universe, Cerebro is a device that the X-Men use to detect humans, specifically mutants. It was created by Xavier and Magneto, and was later enhanced by Dr. Hank McCoy...
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
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
decides to recruit international mutants to save his X-Men (namely Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, Storm, Sunfire, Thunderbird
Thunderbird (comics)
Thunderbird is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 ....
, Banshee
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
, and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
) 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.
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.
Krakoa was apparently found and captured for study by the cosmic entity
Cosmic entities (Marvel Comics)
Cosmic entities, also referred to as cosmic beings, are a type of fictional character in the . They possess power on a stellar, galactic, universal, or even multiversal level, far beyond those of humans or conventional superheroes, and frequently serve some natural function in the...
known as The Stranger
Stranger (comics)
The Stranger is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The Stranger first appeared in X-Men #11 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, as seen when Quasar
Quasar (comics)
Quasar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the . He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions...
visited one of his 'laboratory worlds'. Krakoa was eventually freed as well as many of the specimens.
X-Men: Deadly Genesis
The 2006 X-Men: Deadly GenesisX-Men: Deadly Genesis
X-Men: Deadly Genesis is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in late 2005 and early 2006. The series was written by Ed Brubaker with interior art by Trevor Hairsine and covers by Marc Silvestri. Starring the X-Men, this series celebrates the 30th anniversary of Giant-Size X-Men #1...
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.
Another team of young mutants, composed of Petra
Petra (comics)
Petra is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in the limited series X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1 . Petra was created by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Pete Woods and is one of the "Missing X-Men".-Fictional character biography:Petra...
, Darwin
Darwin (comics)
Darwin is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #2, and was created by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Pete Woods. Darwin was one of the "Missing X-Men"...
, Sway
Sway (comics)
Sway is a fictional comic book superhero, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. She first appeared in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #3 as one of the "Missing X-Men"...
, and the third Summers brother Kid Vulcan, from a parallel X-Mansion led by Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
, 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.
Manifest Destiny
SunspotSunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
's business partner tells the Young X-Men
Young X-Men
Young X-Men was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It lasted for 12 issues, from April 2008 through March 2009. The series was written by Marc Guggenheim.-Final Genesis :...
that his workers went missing on an uncharted island. This island turns out to be an offshoot of Krakoa.
Wolverine & The X-Men #2
It is discovered that Beast has built the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning on top of Krakoa.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 XProfessor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
; 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.
Amalgam Comics
For Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
, Krakoa was combined with Dinosaur Island
Dinosaur Island
Dinosaur Island is an island that has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. The island is not the same "Dinosaur Island" that appeared in Batman #35...
to form Krakoa the Living Dinosaur Island. The insane mutant hater Dr. Will Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
and his Sentinel
Sentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
robots used Krakoa as their base of operations before their location was discovered by Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
.
Ultimate Krakoa
In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
continuity of Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
, 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. It is where Ultimate Deadpool takes Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and the X-Men in the Deadpool arc of USM.
What If?
Krakoa was featured in various versions of What If?What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 SurferSilver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
. There, SwaySway (comics)Sway is a fictional comic book superhero, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. She first appeared in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #3 as one of the "Missing X-Men"...
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. - In the story What If? Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire Krakoa is resurrected by a power-mad Vulcan using the Phoenix ForcePhoenix (comics)The Phoenix Force is an entity in the Marvel Comics fictional universe which has bonded with other characters, who often used the alias Phoenix....
, with a battle between him, Rachel SummersRachel SummersRachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
, Havok, Cyclops, and CableCable (comics)Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
taking place on it.
Television
- Krakoa was mentioned in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
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.
External links
- Krakoa at Marvel Appendix