X-Men Successfully Disproves the Biggest Criticism of Its New Era
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Sabretooth #4 and #5!
Since the dawn of the Krakoan Age, the amnesty that the X-Men's sovereign nation has provided to mutant villains has given pause to many of their allies in Marvel's superhero community as well many comics readers. How can the X-Men still consider themselves heroes after forgiving horrendous acts from Apocalypse, Mister Sinister, Selene, and Omega Red en masse? Surprisingly, Marvel has turned Victor Creed, the disgustingly evil Sabretooth, into an elegant metaphorical rebuttal of the biggest critique of the X-Men franchise since its Krakoan relaunch.
The Krakoan project is constantly reaching for mutant paradise, but all historical nation-states have had to make morally compromising decisions in service of that end goal. In that sense, the amnesty that Krakoa extends to mutant villains is not dissimilar from the United States' Operation Paperclip, in which more than 1,600 Nazi scientists, engineers, and technicians were covertly relocated to the U.S. after WWII in an effort to bolster development of the government's military technologies. Through this lens, it is clear that Krakoan amnesty was ultimately a utilitarian decision, not necessarily a moral one. From a narrative perspective, the act of amnesty also acts as a benchmark test for the former mutant villains, as many mutant antagonists have had their needs met and motivations for villainy satisfied by the existence of Krakoa. Sabretooth is not one of those villains, and therefore he became an example to Krakoans for what would happen if they cannot abide by the three laws.
Related: Wolverine's Nemesis Has Never Looked Cooler Than This Hellish Cover Art
Those who would rather see the X-Men jailing their villains on
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