Marvel’s New X-Men Origin Redefines Them as a Creepy Cult

Warning: Contains spoilers for Ultimate X-Men (2024) #6!As the new Ultimate Universe redefines Marvel, the X-Menhave been re-imagined as a sinister cult with seemingly diabolical motives. Peach Momoko’s Ultimate X-Menfollows several young mutants in a manga-inspired slice-of-life story that’s also tinged with haunting moments of horror spurred by the series’ mysterious villain. While the new Earth-6160 version of the Shadow King comes into focus, the creepy organization he has ties to is also revealed.

Though Nico Minoru previously hinted at the group in the last issue, more details about the mutant cult are brought forward in Peach Momoko’s Ultimate X-Men (2024) #6. The new ultimate Shadow King, Shinobu Kageyama, is a member of the Children of the Atom, a fanatical religious cult teaching the Testament of X.

Earth-6160’s Children of the Atom are still shrouded in mystery, but Momoko offered a few hints along with shocking imagery to tease where this cult group of X-Men could go next before they face off with the young mutant heroes currently assembling their own team lineup.

The New Ultimate Shadow King Is in the Children of the Atom Cult

The re-imagined young Shadow King is not only a part of the Children of the Atom, but seems to be an important part of their still-unknown but markedly ominous grand plan. With a tease of their religious reading materials and pamphlets, Shinobu recounts how the Children of the Atom saved him and his mother when his telepathic mutant abilities started to manifest. The series has played into the teen angst associated with many X-Men comics, and the new Shadow King seems to be another struggling adolescent who’s unfortunately being led further down a dark path by this cryptic evil group.

Though the X-Men have sometimes been described as cult-like, especially during the Krakoa era with Professor X’s attitude, those claims have been largely inflammatory and unfounded. However, whatever the Maker has done to Earth-6160 has led to the Children of the Atom being a fairly straightforward cult with religious zeal for Homo superior. Nico Minoru’s grandmother has studied the group, and a brief look at her notes reveal details about potential blood rituals, with sketches perhaps resembling the famous mutants of Earth-616, Cyclops and Apocalypse.

The X-Mystery Deepens In a Haunting Final Page Reveal

The shocking imagery at the end of Ultimate X-Men #6 provides even more questions about what secrets could still be hidden in the series. An unknown figure is strapped to an X-formation with tubes connecting to another unrecognizable character in a hospital bed. With hints at potential blood rituals, it’s possible that the Children of the Atom could be a cult of humans using mutant blood to try to gain their powers. Since the Maker and his Council removed heroes’ powers in this universe, Earth-616’s mutants could even show up here as scorned humans wanting their powerful destiny back.

Momoko’s series is perhaps the most intriguing and textually different comic featured in Marvel’s Ultimate lineup, and readers are being rewarded as the central mystery unfolds in unique and fascinating ways. As the group of young mutants struggle to come to terms with themselves and their powers, they also have this sinister organization to contend with and possibly go to battle against. With a new take on the X-Men and Marvel’s merry mutants, transforming their Children of the Atom name into a creepy cult group, Momoko’s Ultimate X-Men is taking bold swings and crafting a beautifully haunting mystery.