Mutant heroes return in X-Men: Apocalypse but are producers looking to the stars for the next cinematic chapter of the franchise?
The X-Men are mutants who fight for a world that fears and hates them. Those enemies are often from outer space.
The powers in charge of the X-Men film franchise (producer Simon Kinberg, director Bryan Singer) said the next movie will be set in the ’90’s and could send the mutants into space.
The Kree are a major alien enemy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) but which aliens from comics could be the X-Men’s adversaries?
Here are five alien empires the mutants could clash with in a big screen showdown in outer space:
The Technarchy are aggressive techno-organic entities. The cybernetic shapeshifters seek to conquer and feed on anything organic and technological. They inject their prey with a transmode virus turning them into techno-organic matter and drain their energy.
Director/writer Josh Boone is working on a New Mutants film and hinted Warlock could be on the team via art on social media. Warlock is a compassionate mutant among his race who came to Earth and joined the young mutants. Warlock’s father is Magus, leader of the Technarchy.
The Phalanx are a cybernetic race born out of exposure to the Technarchy. A group of mutant-hating fanatics willingly infected themselves with the Transmode Virus from the ashes of a destroyed Warlock to turn themselves into “living” Sentinels – the mutant hunting robots from Days of Future Past.
Later it was revealed mutants were resistant to the virus. In the Phalanx Covenant storyline, the X-Men were kidnapped and taken into space while the Phalanx stalked new mutants to study the mutant genome. The surviving kids formed the team Generation X. The Phalanx have decimated other alien empires including the Shi’ar – more on them below.
The Breakworld
A prophecy convinced Ord (of a planet hailed as The Breakworld) that a mutant would destroy his world. Abigail Brand of S.W.O.R.D. (think Nick Fury & S.H.I.E.L.D. but orbiting Earth fighting alien invaders) negotiated a plan with Ord to avoid interplanetary war. Brand allowed Ord to find a “cure” to erase the mutant “condition” that would rid both planet of mutants. Ord was allowed to experiment on and resurrect the dead body of Colossus for his experiments.
Hostilities still flared up between Earth and the Breakworld so the X-Men and S.W.O.R.D. went to Ord’s planet to stop the launch of a super-weapon to destroy Earth and saw the prophecy on a massive painting.
Ord, The Breakworld, Brand and S.W.O.R.D. are the creations of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday during their Astonishing X-Men run. The mutant “cure” concept (and scientist Dr. Kavita Rao) were used in X-Men 3: The Last Stand.
The Brood
Insectoid aliens with wings, sharp teeth and a stinging tail. These parasites infect other races with their eggs. When the embryo is grown, the host body is dead. The aliens have a matriarchal society with an Empress at the top, Firstborn “pure” Brood, Brood Queens and Broodlings. The Brood travel in space whale creatures called Acanti or starsharks in the search for races and worlds to infest. The X-Men first encountered the Brood when the insectoids were allies of Deathbird who sought to take the Shi’ar (see below) throne from her sister, an ally of the X-Men. The Brood have invaded Earth but the X-Men were able to stop their infestation.
The Shi’ar
These avian humanoid looking aliens rule over sprawling empire of multiple alien races. Warriors from several races in the realm are chosen to serve in the Shi’ar Imperial Guard.
D’Ken was the insane Emperor who wanted to unleash a powerful cosmic force on the galaxy. His sister Lilandra shared a psychic bond with Professor Xavier and she asked him to save the universe from her mad brother. This outer space epic led to the Jean/Phoenix connection and Xavier’s doomed romance with Lilandra who became the Empress and future enemy of the mutants.
In the Dark Phoenix Saga, a possessed Jean Grey went on a cosmic rampage, consumed a star, destroyed a planet with billions of lives then Shi’ar battleships. The Shi’ar Empire put Jean on trial. The X-Men fought the Shi’ar Imperial Guard for Jean’s life. They lost. Jean let herself die.
Scott Summers has a tragic connection to the aliens, too. A Shi’ar spy shot down the Summers family plane. Scott and Alex escaped and became orphans, their mother was killed by an evil Shi’ar but gave birth to a third son who would grow up to be Gabriel Summers aka Vulcan. Scott’s father (believing his sons dead, became Corsair, leader of the Starjammers – space pirates.)
Cyclops and Havok were reunited with their father. Gabriel teamed up with Deathbird, Lilandra’s sister, to get his revenge, kill a resurrected D’Ken and become the first human Emperor of the Shi’ar Empire.
Here is a Billy Tan cover showcasing Vulcan, Deathbird and Shi’ar warriors:
Gladiator is one of THE coolest aliens in the Marvel Universe. Kallark is a Strontian alien who became leader of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. When Emperor Vulcan (Gabriel) is defeated, Kallark accepts the role of Emperor to prevent civil war. Kallark’s arrogant son, Kubark, is punished by his father by being sent to Earth and the X-Men school. The heir eventually bonded with his fellow students.
In X-Men: Apocalypse, Sophie Turner and Tye Sheridan play young Jean and Scott in the new film and signed up for sequels. With both of their characters having comic book connections to the Shi’ar Empire, this could mean the regal, avian aliens in the next movie.
X-Men: Apocalypse is in theaters now. No official word on the next X-Men team movie but a Wolverine solo film, Deadpool sequel are in the works and scripts are written for New Mutants and X-Force.
By Editor