X-Men Meets Memento: New HoX/PoX Chronological Edition Ushers in Krakoa’s Final Act

As Marvel closes the door on the X-Men‘s wildly popular Krakoan era, a new look at the beginning of this age has arrived on Marvel Unlimited. Partially inspired by a DVD bonus feature for the film Memento, Marvel’s current Senior Editor of the X-Office has released House of X/Powers of X: Chronological Edition. The duology that turned the entire franchise on its head is re-edited for this new release, presenting the timeline-twisting saga of Moira X and the founding of Krakoa in a linear fashion.

Marvel has recently released the first issues of two new miniseries, Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X. While the events of Fall of X have seen the mutant nation of Krakoa suffer major blows, FoHoX and RoPoX officially mark the beginning of the end.

In the foreword to HoX/PoX: Chronological Edition, Senior X-Editor Jordan D. White reflects that he assembled this version of the book a long time ago, wondering, “What would it look like if we took apart the two series and reassembled them in chronological order? I was inspired by a DVD extra on a release of the film Memento, which similarly re-edited that mind-twisting tale so it spooled out in real time.” Initially, this remix was kept as a resource for the writers and artists in the X-Office, but now it has been released to the public as a fitting way to mark the opening of this status quo’s final arc.

Revisit the Start of the X-Men’s Krakoan Era In an All New Way

White’s foreword is the only newly added material to this edition, and is an interesting peek into the editor’s side of the X-Office in a time when X-Letters pages are few and far between. The full page has since been shared by Marvel’s social media feeds as promotional material for all to see. Of special note, White clarifies in the letter’s conclusion, “This is NOT the recommended way to read the series… this one here… just for fun. It provides a different perspective on the story for folks already familiar with it.” Reading this new edition in its entirety supports this opinion. Reordering Moira X’s lives in timeline order gives readers a more clear look at the arc of her character and a better view of how she ended up as a major villain in Fall of X.

Giving readers a refresh on character trajectories is helpful, as is reminding them of the more complicated sci-fi aspects of this era. Revisiting Hickman’s introduction of concepts like the Dominions feels very necessary when this story element is such a major component in current and upcoming titles such as RoPoX and X-Men: Forever. Again, the ideal way to experience this saga for the first time is how it was originally published and collected. Still, longtime readers will appreciate having the essential players and plot mechanics that are at play once again delivered to them in such a clear and concise manner.

HoX/PoX: Chronological Edition Marks the End of an X-Men Era

Despite being a definitive voice in the Krakoan era by leading audiences into it as well as playing the Head of X role until 2021, Hickman has adamantly eschewed auteur theory in his approach to the X-Men franchise. Specifically, he worked with Jordan D. White to build an X-Office that could outlive him and used his final X-title, Inferno, to shift the metanarrative and expand the Krakoan era beyond his original three-year plan. Still, releasing HoX/PoX: Chronological Edition is a stark reminder of the bold creative vision that Hickman brought to the X-Men, and it is a vision that many fans are worried will be regressed away in favor of ’90s nostalgia with summer 2024’s launch of X-Men: From the Ashes. Regardless, this Memento-inspired new edition of HoX/PoX is a testament to how impactful this story has been to so many X-Men fans.