Immortal X-Men, Vol. 1

Immortal X-Men (Collected Editions)

by Kieron Gillen (Writer), Lucas Werneck (Illustrator), Michele Bandini (Illustrator)

Kieron Gillen returns to the world of X! The Quiet Council are the rulers of the Krakoan age, for better…or worse. But now, shaken by INFERNO, they strive to hold their nation together — no matter how much they want to tear each other apart! At last, IMMORTAL X-MEN welcomes you into the room where it all happens! Magneto has left the Council, and his big shoes need to be filled. Selene demonstrating her foot size by crushing the whole island beneath it is unorthodox, yet compelling. Can the Quiet Council resist? Meanwhile, the resurrected mutant seer called Destiny wrote her books of prophecy over one hundred years ago…and a sequel is long overdue! As the Council’s machinations grow increasingly desperate, sinister secrets about Krakoa will be laid bare…but some secrets are more sinister than others.

COLLECTING: Immortal X-Men (2021) 1-6

Genres: Comics, X Men, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2022

About the author

Kieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course it would be the genius creator Kieron Gillen who wakes up the Krakoa-era X-Men with this fab series. SO much going on. Each issues is told from the perspective a former X-Men villain (Krakoa is populated by all mutants after a Krakoan amnesty for all.). This volume covers the release of a huge Krakoan secret that sees mutant hate increase and our merry mutants find themselves under attack on multiple levels at multiple locations.

With all this action going on you would feel that there would be no room for character and plot development, but Gillen defies his peers and writes detailed and reflective character portrayals of each POV ex-villain from the likes of Mr Sinister(!) to Emma Frost and Destiny. The only negative I would say is that this series hits deeper and surer with readers familiar with X-Men history like I am. Easily an 8 out of 12, Four Star jam.

2024 read

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good omg!

So this is basically a collection of IXM 1-6 and each issue is a viewpoint from a different member and I love the way Gillen writes it and brings it all together and like exploring the characters past and their secret plans in Krakoa, the politics and backstabbing here and the thrill of reading it is so good, it maybe my fav book of X-Men atm!

The issues with Sinister was enjoyable, seeing whats happening with him and his devious plans and then especially the one with Destiny and Gillen does a great job of exploring her and giving her a good origin and her love for Mystique which was so well done and then hinting at the things to come: Judgement day, Sins of Sinister, Phoenix-Exodus and so much more and that just made excited to continue reading this!

Plus getting to Know about Emma and Shaw and their present status quo is intriguing and I would have wanted more of them but I digress so yeah overall a book with different POVs and does well to show the intrigue of the Krakoan era and the shady stuff of the Quiet council really well and ties into Judgement day also! The stuff with Selene in the beginning..!

Its one of those books that's a must read if you're an X-Men fan as it will lead to big things down the line!

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It does a great job of catching up and the fallout from the other X-Men books. Also, setting up the next couple of X-Men events whilst giving insight and focus on different members of the Quiet Council.

Each chapter/issue is narrated by a different member of the Quiet Council. Good artwork and a lot of secrets to explore. There are a lot of games of "I know, but he/she does not know I know."

Is it just me, or have the X-Men books become much heavier reading? This is an all-rounder book catchup, insights, and events to come. The book finishes with a cover gallery. Some full-page covers and thumbnails for some of the variant covers.

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta nueva serie se enfoca en el Consejo Silente de Krakoa (o lo que queda de él) luego de los eventos de Inferno que llegaron para sacudir a los miembros más altos del gobierno de los mutantes. Empezando por la salida de Magneto y su ida a Arakko, el planeta mutante, donde estará en la serie de X-Men Red. Tras la pelea entre Selene y Hope (convencida por Exodus) por tener un sitio en el Consejo Silente viene una nueva oportunidad de probar los protocolos Summers.
También creo en este volumen se explora bastante a Mystique y Destiny quienes tras los eventos de Inferno están aquí y se develan muchas cosas. Incluso las que Scott le dijo a Emma en la Gala 2 del HEllfiere. A mí me ha parecido este cómic complicado, difícil de entender. El arte de Werneck es bueno y está en casi todos los números.
Los dos últimos números tratan del Juicio del evento AXE.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this character-focussed compendium a lot more than I had been expecting, it was actually quite fun to spend time in close company with some of the Quiet Council's more "problematic" mutants such as Destiny, Exodus, Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw. Can definitely recommend to X-Fans.


Diamonds are a Queen's Best Skin...

[johnny ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

let's go lesbians

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this a few days ago but I've been letting it gestate, to try and figure out how I really feel about this. The X-Men titles as a whole have become a bunch of back-stabbing, infighting, scheming drama books; "Game of Thrones"-ish. While I did enjoy that show, I don't think every X-Title needs or should follow that. Except for Cyclops' team which has all but separated themselves from the mainland, the rest of the books feature this same format. And sure while some of the mutants have the best of intentions (i.e. Storm) others clearly do not (i.e. Sinister) but they all are trying to meet their own agenda with manipulations and power plays.

Gillen, who came up with this "version" of Sinister (who I do think is kind of funny), unfortunately writes "more" of the point where it just becomes "extra" in the modern, young person dialogue. His issues are very text/dialogue heavy, a break from the less than informative trend that's been going on for a few years. It's a mixed bag, with a bit of nostalgia for Claremont's writing, but also at times just spouting words to fill space. Gillen builds the suspense and drama, giving you a peek inside Sinister's head, while also getting an analysis of everyone else on the Quiet Council.

The first couple of issues contain a lot of setup, making sure the reader knows where the pieces are, then it's a little bit of a break as they deal with the whole Eternals crossover. As a tie-in goes I admit it's handled differently than usual, maybe better, but if you aren't reading that crossover, you really don't know what is happening, and once again if feels like wasted issues.

So in the end, I think it's good if you are into that sort of thing, but I've grown very weary of this. Sure the X-Men has always been a soap opera, but there was a lot more teamwork and camaraderie in the past.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the book I wanted from Hickman after HoX/PoX but never got till now, and I'm ok with that. If not Hickman, Gillen is a brilliant second choices for political scheming and moves, all stuff I wanted in more focus on the council in this post Inferno landscape.

The decision to use each individual issue be presented from a different member's perspective is genius, and it gives us more of Gillen writing Sinister again, a character he basically reshaped for the modern landscape, as he and Destiny have a ongoing fued, and who knew I'd ever be rooting for Destiny here.

While Emma's issue is a smidge underwriten, the other four following Sinister, Hope, Destiny, and Exodus have all been brilliant spotlights, and I appreciate the time given to them each, it helps make new fans. I only hope the future issues live up to these and that the council doesn't completely fall apart.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kieron Gillen slips right into Jonathan Hickman's shoes, producing an X-Men series that is both dense and fascinating, and one that feels almost nothing like all the other Marvel superhero books. The focus in Immortal X-Men is on Krakoa's Quiet Council. Each of the six issues focuses on a member, some of whom, like Exodus, have been largely unexplored thus far.

Getting inside the heads of these immensely powerful people is a total treat. The Sinister issue especially is a stunning, extremely fun read (He reveals that he's cloned Moira and has been using her powers to reset timelines!). Each issue deals with a new crisis, though they're mostly restricted to the Quiet Council, which is definitely in the process of reordering itself (Professor X is firmly on the outs).

The final two issues tie in to the AXE: Judgment Day event with almost no warning. While they're still great fun, I felt completely lost without further information. The Eternals have decided to destroy all mutants? Sure, okay, I guess that's as good a reason as any to randomly have two issues packed with enormous confrontations.

I hope this series continues - it's so much fun to roam the mind palaces of these X-beings. Much more interesting than your standard punch-and-shout Marvel affair.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2019, when Jonathan Hickman wrote the two limited series House of X and Powers of X, both of which set up the next big seismic shift for the X-Men comics, Hickman and artist/co-plotter Pepe Larraz introduced the Quiet Council of Krakoa. Having appeared in many comics throughout the Krakoan Era, as much as the Council has been trying to create a utopia for all mutants and protect themselves from other threats, humans or otherwise, no doubt their attempts have led to the suggestion that Krakoa could fall into dystopia. This council, comprising of mutants who fought alongside and against each other, is the focus of Immortal X-Men.

Having previously written a run of Uncanny X-Men in 2011, Kieron Gillen returns to write the Marvel mutants, specifically to show the inner workings of a council that is all about creating and enforcing the laws of Krakoa; prosecuting and delivering judgement on mutants accused of breaking those laws. As opposed to the fun superhero adventuring of Gerry Duggan’s X-Men that was happening around the same time, Immortal X-Men is all about the politics and how the leaders try to resolve any situations in their own way, revealing that each have their own agenda.

Following the 2021 storyline Inferno – which concluded Hickman’s involvement in the relaunch – Magneto steps down from the Council as they search for replacement candidates, including Selene the Black Priestess and Hope Summers. Although Selene was outvoted by Hope, she retaliates by creating a giant monster. Considering the number of characters that Gillen juggles as well as a conflict that gets resolved in the next issue, the first issue at least is entirely by Nathaniel Essex AKA Mister Sinister.

As if Gillen has been taking cues from Game of Thrones, each issue is narrated by a different member of the Quiet Council and considering that these characters have had a long history of being heroes and villains, you wonder how this council can achieve peace and order in their nation. As the initial issue is narrated by Sinister, Gillen is having loads of fun writing a character who is witty whilst being deceptive with his own agenda, including his ongoing experiments with cloning that can easily disrupt things.

Since deception is a recurring theme throughout this book, this brings us onto the third issue’s narrator, Irene Adler AKA Destiny. Going all the way back to House of X, Destiny has an interesting arc throughout the Krakoan age in how her ability of precognition could be a potential threat, and given she has died and resurrected, with help from her lover Mystique, both women’s roles in the council does create tension. Destiny may not be truly honest, even towards Mystique, and yet issue #3 showcases a romantic story between the two, whilst teasing a tragedy that Destiny knows is going to happen.

The strength of Gillen’s writing here comes from each of these issues being a character study for certain council members, such as Hope and Exodus. But at the same time, Gillen has to balance these narratives with the world-building, which can be dense as it is built upon recent events of this current era, and even acknowledgements of storylines decades ago, such as the destruction of Genosha from Grant Morrison’s New X-Men. The issue that perfectly balances all the moving parts from characterisation to the world-building is the fourth issue, which is ideal for fans of Emma Frost, a reaction of the Daily Bugle’s article on mutant resurrection (revealed in Duggan’s X-Men), and Sinister becoming more of a threat to the council.

While the visual storytelling is more about characters talking in rooms as opposed to action, artist Lucas Werneck, as well as fill-in artist Michele Bandini make every page stand out. Whether it is Sinister’s fun expressions, issue #3’s stunning page of Destiny and Mystique expressing their love, or the few moments of super-powered spectacle, Immortal X-Men is a visually dazzling read.

Although Immortal X-Men requires the reader to have some knowledge of what has been happening during the Krakoan Era, Kieron Gillen and his art team deliver a compelling study on a group of characters who are in the midst of a power play, which may not be for the benefit of mutantdom.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This is a five star concept with some great writing, and a fairly good overall presentation.

The nation of Krakoa is facing constant threats and is in political turmoil. The governing body is the "quiet council" where all the decisions of mutantdom are made. What follows is a story of plotting and agenda pushing mixed with plenty of alterior motives.

Now if you are like me and you have read a fair share of X-men since Hickman turned things upside down you might still be in over your head. There is a lot going on in this story and much has happened. You would have to be a hard-core fan to fully grasp all the finer story points. If you haven't read any X-men before than God speed to you its going to be a steep learning curve for sure.

I see plenty of similarities to Gillen's IP The Wicked and the Divine series. 12 members giving pov issues to each character while moving the narrative along than with all the manipulation and maneuvering the plot gets pretty wild. So it's no surprise that Gillen is borrowing from this format and bringing it over to the Marvel universe now.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really this must be the go to book for the XMen currently.
Great in depth writing focusing on many characters and probably sprouting storylines that will linger around for years

Reread. October 2025

As I've said before I didn't really enjoy the whole Krakoan storyline...it was all a little too much and I'm not even sure if I read everything involved.

So here I am rereading this....stories are focused around various characters especially Sinister, Emma, Hope, Mystique and Destiny.

great personal writing

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
It's a good title. I like the tight character focus. And the way judgement happened in the last issue was much more personal and meaningful.

[Andrew Shaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like the IMMORAL X-Men. Several outstanding issues, and then…a big crossover event interrupts it. This is a recurring theme with X-Men books, unfortunately. 😿

[Matthew Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kieron Gillen writes worlds so well. A lot of this book focuses on one of my favorite aspects of Krakoa, the Quiet Council. Seeing each individual perspective through the issues in this volume was done masterfully. I’m not sold on the whole Eternals event that showed up near the end of this book, but I know it’s prevalent in the next few trades I’ll read, so I’m still a bit intrigued and optimistic to see where this story continues.

[Graham Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than many contemporary volumes. It has a coherent structure, but it's not a standalone book, has nothing like a climax, and I do not understand why it's packaged the way it is, ending at the beginning of a new crossover event.

[Bingus Boingus · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great character work (Shaw and Frost have some great lines that really solidify who they are), clean line work and great character design- I have been a fan of most Krakoa designs- and great story BUT this trade is missing some key issues which makes it feel a little more jumpy then one continuous story.

- the council and Krakoa are weak against magic
- Hope summers is the messiah (probably)

[Alex Sarll]

Described ahead of time as "a book that thinks 5-dimensional chess is for flatscans. We do things bigger here", Gillen's return to Marvel's mutants is every bit as widescreen and fabulously bitchy as it needed to be. And this despite starring a body with the increasingly inappropriate name of the Quiet Council – the dozen mutants who pass for a government on the living paradise island of Krakoa. The story is told in what I always think of as the relay race model, each issue progressing the story but told from the point of view of a new character, and obviously the Sinister issue in particular is enormous fun; it was once it became clear how much Krakoa was leaning into Gillen's none-more-flamboyant take on the character that Gillen's own return to the X-books became a matter of when, not if. Set against which, the tough ride of Emma Frost's chapter, right after the secret of mutant immortality has come out, and with the humans understandably miffed that they don't get to join in.
"Yes, it's awful that humans are dying, but all our millions are still dead, and dead by the hands of Sentinels. Even if we could, I don't see why a single human should be brought back while there're still mutants in the ground. Over sixteen million dead and you all watched. Some of you even cheered. And some of you made profits selling the parts to make the machines that tore us to pieces. I'm sorry that your children die, but I have to look after my children first."
To which the ambassador replies: "I understand your position...but be realistic. If you're just saying it's a limited resource, it need not be shared with everyone. Give access to our leaders, key donors, industry figures. Once we have it, we can ensure the majority accept it."
Which is exactly what would happen, isn't it, and really only serves to give the lie to Emma's first seven words. See also, Mystique justly chiding Nightcrawler for talking about 'humanity' as if it's any kind of virtue.

Still, if it's no surprise that I enjoyed the issues starring characters I enjoy, there was also plenty to love in those where the star was someone I'd sort of seen in the background a bit, like the precognitive Destiny, or especially Exodus, the thousand-year-old mutant who still has the deep Christianity you'd expect from a sometime Crusader, but who has given it a new gloss, convinced the sapiens have failed to realise that the Gospel is intended specifically for mutants. Granted, the mood of that one was a little shaken by the comedy metal associations invoked when Exodus declares "I could be a knight in a new crusade" (and knowing Gillen, this may well have been intentional), but otherwise it's a brilliant example of a story told from a perspective entirely alien to both writer and reader, yet still treated with sincerity and good faith (no pun intended).

And of course, even when the latter half of this volume gets pulled into a big crossover, like so many of Gillen's Marvel books before it, at least this has the advantage that it's Gillen's crossover, and that this time IXM is one of the books leading the dance.

[Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good!

Immortal X-Men is the new flagship title during the "Destiny of X" era. It follows the Quiet Council, who are the leaders of the mutant nation of Krakoa. There's a lot of political maneuvering and scandals, which are a lot of fun with characters such as Mr. Sinister, Mystique, Emma Frost and Destiny.

This book also revisits the theme of resetting timelines and prophecies of the future. The various characters use this secret knowledge to move Krakoa forward, but everyone has their own agenda. Strange alliances are formed and shenanigans ensue.

It's also worth noting that each issue is from another characters perspective. The six issues contained in this book follow Sinister, Hope, Destiny, Emma Frost, Exodus and Sebastian Shaw respectively. There is a lot of great character insight in these issues. Sinister especially is a fun character, walking the line between being a charismatic comic relief, and a terrifying evil genius.

The only downside is that the Judgement Day crossover takes up 2 issues, but the character work in those issues is still excellent and well worth reading.

I definitely recommend this book if you are following the Krakoa era of the X-Men. It's also the most important book that bridges the story between Inferno and Sins of Sinister.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an agreeable surprise. A lot of the X-titles were disappointing, a few are ok but not much more and some I didn’t even want to read. Immortal was my last attempt and it paid.

Each issue focuses on a character, adding a layer to their personality and some insight on their current actions. Gillen does a good job of it and renews interest in this bunch of B-listers (at best).
He also deftly inserts this one -shots into the grand scheme of things to come without being forced and stodgy. He even manages to get something out of the goddamn 2-cents event imposed on him. That’s my guy.

Art is good (Werneck) or serviceable (Bandini)

[salomé · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’était dense mais trop bien !
Chaque chapitre est dédié à un personnage qui plus est des anciens méchants. J’ai adoré celui sur Emma Frost évidemment mais aussi Destiny et étonnement Sinister. Je pense que je pourrai jamais aimer cet horrible personnage mais il a le mérite d’être drôle.

[Liv]

much more interested in the secret-keeping and the angsting and the politicking than the blowing things up, but unfortunately 😔 this is a comic book 😔 some WICKED character moments in between all the eye beams and blast zones tho

[Riley Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say krakoa was an amazing time

[Bertazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kieron Gillen is my father!!!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is amazing in this volume. The story pulls the reader into it especially with every issue from the point of view of a different person. Can’t wait for volume 2.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gillen offers another option for being the core author of Krakoa following Hickman's unfortunate departure. That's because he's a quality writer, but also because his focus on the Quiet Council offers a great opportunity to really go to the center of what's interesting in the setting.

Unfortunately this volume is split between the good and the mediocre. The first two-thirds are terrific. Gillen focuses one issue on each character and they're all quite interesting and we get thoughtful one-offs about Krakoa, much like Gickman's X-Men writing, but with Gillen's own twists.

The last third of the volume is much more muddled. That's in part because it's the AXE crossover, but Gillen actually does a good job of keeping us informed about the events. Moreso, it may be the characters he chose: Exodus and Shaw, neither of whom make either interesting or pleasant reading.

Nonetheless: still thrilled to read more. Will be interesting to see if it goes beyond 12 issues for the 12 Council members.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keiron Gillen returns to the X-Men. His Immortal X-Men is a bunch of one and done issues focusing on a a single character. It's all fine but feels disjointed. I'm not the hugest fan of this era of the X-Men just because I prefer more traditional forms of storytelling where the stories build upon one another. More like what Gillen's done over in Once and Future. The first 4 issues were OK. The Judgement Day crossover issues I expected to be way better since Gillen wrote both series and I thought they were crap. Of course, Marvel keeps trying to make the Eternals a thing (I get it, they got a really boring movie around the same time.) like they did with the Inhumans a few years ago and both sets of characters are just very uninteresting. Lucas Wernick and Michelle Bandini are both newer but capable artists.

[André Habet]

I read pretty much all of Gillen's work, and while this is one of the better X-men books, I have preferred a lot of his other comics writing such as in Eternals, Once and Future King, Die, and Wic/Div.

It's also not helped that halfway through this volume you need to have some knowledge of the Judgement Day event, which I haven't read yet. I wish I found Sinister a fun or funny character, but he's merely groan-inducing. I'm a little baffled that the X-desk has put so much of the IP's future on his scalloped shoulders.

[Michael Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this title. If you had told me, pre-Krakoan era, that I would enjoy a book about Selene, Destiny, and Exodus THIS much, I would’ve laughed in your face. Kieron Gillen is true to form with writing tight narratives and nuanced and accurate characterizations. I loved his Emma before, and I love her here, too.

The real standout issue for me, though, is the Destiny spotlight. It still astounds me that her and Mystique have become true gay icon couple goals after all this time. I love their romance. I love the way authors are using Destiny’s powers to advance plots and create threads. I love their unique voices that are so distinct and complementary to one another. Everything about it is superlative.

On top of all that, the art is gorgeous, particularly Lucas Werneck. His fashion for these characters is *chef’s kiss* with every page feeling like a feast for the eyes. The Exodus issue was another one where the art really stood out to me. Exodus has a very interesting design, but it never really spoke to me personally before. I don’t know if it was the combination of the story and showing how it evolved or just some of the angles that were used or just generally excellent execution by Werneck, but it struck me as one of the best character designs in X-Men today.

I do dislike Hope Summers, though. She’s FINE, I GUESS, but I just don’t enjoy her. She’s a weird amalgamation of Cable and these other heroic tropes. It’s not anything about how she’s written, I don’t think, I just don’t like the character. I’ve never been a fan of X-Men that have to still rely on accessories like guns to accomplish their mission. Feels gauche to me.

Otherwise, I love the plot threads that have been laid out with Selene and Sinister and the Eternals. Which does bring me to my one complaint.

This is volume 1 and it can’t stand alone. It does alright by itself, but you have the second Hellfire Gala thrown in (which does NOT feel like a year after the initial, considering we’ve only got like 5 issues of X-Men Red under our belts by this point) plus two issues related to the AXE Judgement Day story that is still upcoming. The stories aren’t extremely intertwined, and I enjoyed them fine on their own, but it was noticeable that I was missing a considerable amount of the narrative.

All that to say, I’m very excited for where this title is heading, and I enjoyed this first volume a great deal.