The Best X-Men Comic Book of the Last 10 Years Is 'Game of Thrones' With Mutants

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Sebastian Shaw, AKA Black King in Marvel Comics

Published Aug 11, 2026, 11:26 PM EDT

David is a Senior Editor at Collider focused primarily on Lists. His professional journey began in the mid-2010s as a Marketing specialist before embarking on his writing career in the 2020s. At Collider, David started as a Senior Writer in late 2022 and has been a Senior Editor since mid-2023. He is in charge of ideating compelling and engaging List articles by working closely with writers, both Senior and Junior, as well as other editors. Occasionally, David also reviews movies and TV shows and writes episode recaps. Currently, David is also writing his second novel, a psychological horror satire that will, hopefully, be picked up for publication sometime next year.

The MCU is slowly assembling its version of the X-Men. Sadie Sink made her long-awaited debut as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the recent castings of Samara Weaving as Emma Frost and Kit Connor as Scott Summers have kept the team top-of-mind with audiences. Many of the mutants' best-known stories have already been adapted by the Fox movies, including God Loves, Man Kills, Days of Future Past, and, of course, the Dark Phoenix Saga (twice!).

However, the recent Krakoan Age of the team's history has provided a slew of new, intriguing storylines, the best of which is arguably Immortal X-Men. Focusing on the Krakoan Quiet Council, Immortal X-Men shows a new side to the X-Men, setting aside the team's usual superhero antics in favor of a more dramatic, political, and interpersonal story about power, corruption, ambition, self-interest, the weight of expectations, and the destructive power of secrets. This bold approach resulted in the most layered and compelling X-Men storyline in years and the highlight of the Krakoan Age overall, proving why the mutant team is still Marvel Comics' most engaging and versatile group.

What Is Immortal X-Men About?

The Quiet Council from Krakoa in Marvel Comics

To understand Immortal X-Men, we need a little context first. The 2019 sister miniseries House of X and Powers of X reshaped the X-Men franchise by having Charles Xavier and Magneto ally to create the mutant sovereign nation of Krakoa, which, by the way, is a sentient island that effectively functions as a hive mind. Xavier offers complete amnesty to every mutant on Earth, turning Krakoa into a de facto haven. A lot of things happen in between, including the revelation that Moira MacTaggert is a mutant with the ability to reincarnate with all her memories intact. There's also tons of time-traveling shenanigans, betrayals, and mutants achieving immortality through a group known as "The Five"—you know, standard comic book silliness.

It's in this context that Immortal X-Men takes place. The 18-issue series mainly concerns the Quiet Council, the 12-member governing body for Krakoa. The Quiet Council is comprised of four tables, each one named after a season and responsible for a specific part of the island's governance. The Autumn table is made up of the most powerful mutants (Xavier, Apocalypse, and Magneto) who act as the diplomats, mainly overseeing mutant-human relations. The Winter table includes the most dangerous mutants (Exodus, Mystique, and Mister Sinister), with their seat in the Council a way for Xavier to keep an eye on them. The Spring table oversees the island's commercial interests via trading, and is comprised of the two highest-ranking members of the Hellfire Club, Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw. Finally, the Summer table represents Krakoa's most moral and by-the-book mutants; basically, it's the X-Men table, including Jean Grey (going by Marvel Girl), Storm, and Nightcrawler.

This is the initial line-up, anyway. Throughout the series' run, many mutants leave for different reasons: for example, Magneto retires to terraform Mars, aiming to turn it into a mutant planet (seriously), while Jean Grey leaves to reform the X-Men. All the while, Moira MacTaggert acts as a silent partner, using knowledge from her ten different lifetimes to advice on what strategies to employ and what mistakes to avoid, hoping to escape the tragic future that mutantkind suffered in her other lives. Each member tries to make a flawed concept work, but contrasting personalities, clashing interests, and pure, old-fashioned drama make governance all the more difficult.

Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap

Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?

🕷️Spider-Man

😈Daredevil

🤖Iron Man

💀Punisher

⚡Thor

🛡️Cap

FIND YOUR HERO →

What drives you to do what's right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.

AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can't protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I've learned that others depend on me now. DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay. EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.

NEXT QUESTION →

It's 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you'd think.

ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby. DStaking out a target I've been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn't sleep.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What's yours?

AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure they don't escape a third time. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it's hard.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.

AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I'd do it again. DI'm a ghost. The less people know about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There's no hiding it. FI don't hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.

NEXT QUESTION →

You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.

AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day. BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I'm only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I'm not the same person I was before. EWith warrior's grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.

NEXT QUESTION →

What's your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.

AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI don't do teams. I'm more effective operating solo, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle. FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.

NEXT QUESTION →

Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.

AClearly — I don't kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, but I've come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically — I do what's necessary to protect people, including hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won't admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.

NEXT QUESTION →

When you're not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.

ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets. CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I'm sleeping enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.

NEXT QUESTION →

What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.

AThe people I couldn't save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I've made my choices. EWhether I'm truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.

NEXT QUESTION →

The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going. CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan. DI don't accept that it's lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it's not over.

REVEAL MY HERO →

Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…

Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.

🕷️ Spider-Man

You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.

You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you.
Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.

😈 Daredevil

You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.

You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.

🤖 Iron Man

Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.

You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man.

💀 The Punisher

You've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.

You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.

⚡ Thor

Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.

You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.

🛡️ Captain America

You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.

You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

Why Is Immortal X-Men the Best Storyline in the Team's Recent History?

Emma Frost raising her open hand in Marvel Comics

Immortal X-Men excels because it's an entirely character-driven political thriller. Most superhero comic book storylines are plot-driven, meaning the characters serve the narrative. X-Men storylines tend to favor a more balanced approach between character and plot, but Immortal X-Men openly embraces characterization as a cornerstone for its storytelling. The writing is spectacular from start to finish, with Kieron Gillen injecting a lot of personality into his writing and making every major character pop out of the page.

The dynamics between each member of the Council are fascinating. In particular, Charles Xavier is the best he's been in years—decades even—playing a major supporting role and often operating from the shadows in a borderline Machiavellian way. He's in his element here: surveilling, manipulating, controlling, and carrying secret agendas, working for what he believes are Krakoa's interests while actively eroding the Quiet Council from within. It's a fascinating depiction of a morally compromised character who very few writers have been able to get right, especially in the 21st century.

The political angle of Immortal X-Men is very strong, too, recalling the glory days of Game of Thrones. Like the high-fantasy series, Immortal X-Men uses multiple POVs to present a comprehensive look into the Quiet Council. Each issue showcases a character, providing a deep dive into their mindset while still balancing the larger ensemble. The result is a complete and utterly fascinating look into this mutant society. One issue you're scheming alongside Xavier and Moira MacTaggert, the next you're inside Destiny or Mister Sinister's minds, seeing them calculate their next move, weighing risks versus rewards while wondering what their next move will be.

Particularly, Immortal X-Men is willing to fully engage with the very idea of Krakoa, and the struggles it faces as a new nation in a hyper-competitive, commercialized, profit-focused world. As it turns out, the Quiet Council is Krakoa's biggest enemy, corrupting the nation from the inside out despite the best efforts of many within. Indeed, the Quiet Council is flawed to its core, full of backstabbing, lies, egos, hubris, and misunderstandings. At its core, Immortal X-Men questions whether self-interest can coexist with idealism, whether the greater good can actually benefit from amorality, and whether a noble goal can amount to anything if the people set out to carry it don't understand it.

Immortal X-Men Proves That Mutants Have the Most Complex Storylines in Marvel

The Quiet Council's machinations during Immortal X-Men eventually led to the Fall of X initiative, the final chapter in the Krakoan Age, which saw the ultimate confrontation with the anti-mutant organization Orchis and Krakoa's departure from Earth (remember, the island is sentient). Thus, another mutant nation bit the dust, joining the likes of Genosha as a failed experiment. Alongside Krakoa went The Five, ending the mutants' de facto immortality.

The role of the Quiet Council in Krakoa's failure cannot be understated, and it's a major reason why revisiting Immortal X-Men is such a rewarding experience. This group of profoundly broken, unapologetically amoral, and dangerously (in)effective mutants was a force to be reckoned with; alas, and true to life, their differences prove too significant to overcome. In this way, Immortal X-Men offers a rather sobering and bleak observation about the inherent flaw within any governance system. Are all systems bound to fail, even the superpowered ones?

Immortal X-Men is by far the most complex and worthwhile mutant-centric comic book storyline since House of M, and further proof that this corner of the Marvel Universe is home to the most riveting, layered, and thought-provoking storytelling in the medium. The MCU would do well to adapt it for its upcoming X-Men movie; we already know Emma Frost will play a major role, so will we see Krakoa on the big screen soon? Only time will tell.

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