Spoilers for Wolverine 13 ahead!
On the eve of the Hellfire Gala, the X-Men reprogrammed the telefloronic Terra Vedeans, and in a moment straight out of Wandavision, they become aware of their brainwashing - a move that could destroy the X-Men. In Wolverine #13, on sale now in print and digital, a grave sin on the part of Krakoa comes back to haunt them, threatening everything they have worked to build.
Krakoa, the island paradise the X-Men call home, has become a major player on the world stage thanks to special medicines grown from plants found only on Krakoa. While this move legitimized the fledgling nation, it also undercut the nation of Terra Verde’s experiments in telefloronics - or nanotechnology that uses organics instead of machines - allowing for the programming of bio-weapons. This led to the creation of a race of plant-based creatures, some of whom have come to the Hellfire Gala on Krakoa, but not of their free will thanks to Beast, who is traveling down dark roads morally, the Terra Verdeans were reprogrammed into subservience. Now one has found out, and there will be hell to pay.
The Terra Verdeans have become aware of what Beast has done and are understandably upset. They begin attacking guests, leading Sage to call in X-Force, who are handling security for the Gala. Wolverine fights the Terra Verdean leader, who lays the X-Men’s secrets bare, telling Wolverine that they were reprogrammed and forced to accept the treaty Krakoa gave them. The Terra Verdean leader tells Wolverine that after months of being imprisoned in his own body, the programming failed, and he woke up in control. Angered, he promises to take down Krakoa, but X-Force is able to subdue the Terra Verdeans.
The Terra Verdean leader’s recounting of waking up in control of his body after months of imprisonment echoes various characters in the television show Wandavision, who would temporarily “awake” from the fake reality Wanda had created and realize something was wrong. Vision was adept at getting people to remember, and in one memorable scene, a co-worker “woke up” while at work. He told Vision of the horrors of his existence, and that he needed help.
The Terra Verdean’s leader had a similar experience. He was forced to submit and when the programming failed for a brief second, he saw the truth. But unlike the Vision’s hapless co-worker, the Terra Verdean leader was able to break free and fight back. While X-Force was able to overpower the Terra Verdeans, it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world finds out what happened. How might other nations react to the news that Krakoa brainwashed an entire country? The world already views Krakoa with suspicion, and this revelation could only add fuel to the fire.
The X-Men have taken some questionable actions since the establishment of Krakoa and brainwashing the Terra Verdeans may be their most questionable yet. It is a horrifying scenario, one made even more so by invoking one of WandaVision’s most terrifying moments. Krakoa’s response to the Terra Verdeans threatens to undermine the nation and readers can see it in Wolverine 13, written by Benjamin Percy, with art by Scot Eaton, inks by Oren Junior, colors by Matthew Wilson and letters by Cory Petit.