Warning: contains spoilers for "Whisper in the Dark," appearing in Miracleman #0!A new Miracleman comic has pointed out critical flaws in the X-Men’s Resurrection Protocols. These Resurrection Protocols have allowed Earth’s mutants to effectively achieve immortality, as it allows any dead mutant to be revived. This process has also raised a number of thorny ethical questions, and in Miracleman #0, the titular hero uses another alien civilization to point out some deep flaws inherent in the process. The issue, released to commemorate 40 years of Miracleman’s Modern Age, is on sale now in print and digital.
In 2019, after years of standing on the Marvel Universe’s sidelines, the X-Men returned in grand form when writer Jonathan Hickman helped launch the House of X series, introducing readers to Krakoa. Designed as a homeland for all Earth’s mutants, it is a place where they can live free of human persecution. Also key to the X-Men’s bold new era are the Resurrection Protocols, which as mentioned earlier, can revive a dead mutant. As can be expected, a number of ethical issues have arisen surrounding the process, going so far as to trigger a crisis of faith in Nightcrawler. Krakoa has also kept the Protocols secret from the outside world as well. While fans debate the moral implications of the Resurrection Protocols, a story appearing in Miracleman #0 raises even more.
In the story, titled “Whisper in the Dark,” the Warpsmiths have dispatched Jakksa Gun to determine what happened to an alien freighter, whose crew was seemingly killed by a young human boy calling himself “Wednesday Morning.” The freighter was found near an area of space where a mysterious presence called “The Whisper” dwells. As Jakksa follows the trail deeper and deeper, he learns the aliens on the freighter do not actually die; instead their memories are recorded on a device embedded in their heads. When they die, these memories are transferred to the “flesh-looms” where a new body is built. Once body and memories are reintegrated, the person is reborn. Jakksa also learns that the Whisper has corrupted both Wednesday Morning and the crew of freighter; once the memories of the crew were uploaded to the flesh-looms, the Whisper’s corruption would spread far and wide through society. The story was written by Mike Carey, illustrated by Paul Davidson, colored by Antonio Fabela and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
There Is a Deep Flaw in the X-Men's Resurrection Protocols
Fortunately, Jakksa Gun was able to stop the Whisper before it uploaded itself to the looms and destroyed everything, and his adventure points out a serious flaw in the Resurrection Protocols: the possibility of corruption. As seen in this story, a dark presence had wormed its way into its victims brains and if not for Jakksa’s intervention, it would have eventually infected the entire population. What if something similar was to happen when a mutant is being revived on Krakoa? Could some sort of corruption be introduced into Cerebro, that could then spread to newly revived mutants? Perhaps the only thing that could prevent this from happening is how the process on Krakoa works. It is not simply a matter of obtaining the brain patterns from Cerebro; a special team of mutants, called “the Five” are also integral. This extra layer can provide protection from corruption.
The same story raises other questions about the Resurrection Protocols, particularly legal ones; for example, if someone can be revived continuously, does it count as murder? Or is it aggravated assault? The debates surrounding the X-Men’s Resurrection Protocols will not die down anytime soon, and now Miracleman has pointed out even more issues with the process.