Spoilers for New Mutants #19 ahead!
A new team of X-Men were chosen at the Hellfire Gala, and this new team fixes a huge problem that plagued the Avengers decades ago. The new X-Men team made their debut in X-Men #21, and in New Mutants #19, readers learn how team members will be chosen, and it's in a way that's never before been seen in superhero comics. New Mutants #19 is on sale now in print and digital.
The Hellfire Gala served as the end of the first act of Jonathan Hickman’s revamp of the X-Men franchise. Earth’s mutants have made their way to the island of Krakoa, a utopian paradise free from human persecution. Over time, Krakoa has become their own nation, and throws the Hellfire Gala as a way of introducing themselves to the world. Numerous celebrities were invited, as were other heroes; diplomats are in attendance as well. Much has happened so far at the Gala, including the choosing of a new team of X-Men. Jean Grey taps into the minds of all mutants on Earth, asking why they want to be part of the X-Men. As more and more mutants reply, a consensus starts to form, and before long a new team of X-Men has been chosen.
Naturally, this has raised questions over how future members will be chosen, and an excerpt from a New Mutants group chat shown in this issue reveals, through conversations between Sunspot, Magik, Cypher, and others that, according to Cyclops, future members will be chosen through elections.
Electing members is a new and novel way of selecting who will be on a new super team and one that has never been tried in mainstream superhero comics. This method has serious advantages over the Avengers, and a deep look at Avengers history reveals why. The first group of Avengers - Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Wasp - all left the team to pursue their own agendas, leaving Captain America scrambling to rebuild. Heroes are offered spots on the Avengers, and they hold that position as long as they wish. This is fine and dandy until a crisis that specifically involves them rears its head, and then they leave the team to handle it; likewise, they simply may have had enough with the hero life.
However, by turning membership into an elected position, they are potentially eliminating this; all mutants on Krakoa understand that a stint in the X-Men is a commitment, one that can potentially last years and come with a great deal of danger, but it does not last forever. There is a downside, however: elections can turn into popularity contests, especially if any kind of campaigning is involved. This could lead to people joining the X-Men who are less than qualified, and just popular.
Whatever the case, the X-Men’s new and exciting way of choosing members could set a precedent in the Marvel Universe, and the Avengers would be wise to emulate it. New Mutants #19 is written by Vita Ayala, with art by Alex Lins, colors by Matt Milla, and letters by Travis Lanham.