The latest issue of SWORD revealed that the X-Men have the ultimate back-up plan to protect some of Krakoa’s most valuable mutant heroes.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for SWORD #2 by Al Ewing, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia & VC’s Ariana Maher, on sale now
The Five have helped redefine how the world works for the X-Men going forward. Thanks to the unity of five select mutants — Hope, Proteus, Exlir, Goldballs, and Tempest — along with a telepath connected to Cerebro, any killed mutant can be restored with a new body. It turns out that one of Krakoa’s newest organizations is fully aware of how important this makes them — and have back-ups to protect them.
S.W.O.R.D. #2 reveals that Abigail Brand has an emergency plan known as Protocol V — which is designed around protecting the Five from any global threat that could otherwise endanger them and their abilities to resurrect mutants for Krakoa.
With the coming of Knull in King In Black, all of Earth is under intense threat. This extends to the mutant nation of Krakoa, who at least are able to hold their borders against the attacking symbiotes. Meanwhile, the mutants aboard the Peak are able to operate outside of Knull’s reach and figure out plans to respond. While there are multiple strategies that Abigail Brand sets into motion, she also sets up Protocol V — which is revealed to refer to the Five. The Five are the mutants capable of working together to resurrect any fallen mutant. The death of any one of these vital mutants would threaten the current era of prosperity and confidence that the mutants of Krakoa currently enjoy.
This means that the Five were likely immediately transported to the relative safety of the Hatchery when Krakoa was attacked, as their lives were far too important to risk. Protocol V is designed as the ultimate escape plan for the Five, helping them escape the chaos on Earth. This could allow the mutant-race to regrow and rebuild even if the Earth — and Krakoa with it — are destroyed. It involves deploying the “Think Tank,” a powerful vehicle that can serve as an emergency transport for the Five. It’s directed by a telepath — in this situation Mentallo, a former minor telepath who is the only person Brand can utilize during the chaos in such a role. It’s an important role, with his telepathy likely keeping him in direct contact with SWORD during the escape mission, allowing him to call for backup in the event that it should become necessary.
This might be the perfect emergency scenario to help ensure the Five can escape any situation — especially with multiple teleporters on call on the Peak (thanks to the creation of the Six) in case there’s a necessity for backup. It makes perfect sense to set up back-up plans to contend with this. But it’s still reassuring to know that someone like Brand has a plan prepared for emergencies that threaten the entire world. With the Five protected, the X-Men would be able to restore their numbers even off world, and help the mutant race spread across the universe.
While the Five would still require the backups of the mind-scans taken by Cerebro and a telepath to implant the minds of the fallen mutants into their new bodies, it could be the perfect fallback in case the Earth is destroyed — either in King in Black or any other future conflicts that erupt across the world. With the future of mutant kind at stake, it makes sense to keep the Five safe under all circumstances, even if the services of a former criminal are needed to make it happen.
