The X-Men's seduction of Franklin Richards is getting downright creepy. The X-Men franchise has been relaunched under Jonathan Hickman, and he's collected all the world's mutants together on the island nation of Krakoa. All, that is, except for one; Franklin Richards, son of the Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman.
There's no way the X-Men will stand idly by and leave Franklin to his own devices. He's an Omega mutant, the most powerful mutant ever born, and the X-Men view Omegas like Franklin as a resource that needs to be cultivated. House of X #1 saw Cyclops display an unhealthy interest in Franklin, and next year will see matters come to a head in an X-Men/Fantastic Four miniseries.
The X-Men will be making their pitch to persuade Franklin to leave his parents and head to Krakoa. It looks as though Kitty Pryde will be at the center of this, and frankly the covers are suggesting the X-Men will use some pretty seductive techniques. One cover shows Kitty with her hand on his shoulder, suggesting a bond between her and Franklin; a second looks frankly romantic, as she offers Franklin a Krakoan flower.
The variant cover is by Meghan Hetrick, and it's more than a little disturbing. There's a strange closeness between Kitty and Franklin, and her pet dragon Lockheed is practically portrayed as the devil on his shoulder, goading him on. It really does feel like a seduction of some kind, with Kitty's proximity suggesting she's part of the temptation. While this idea may make many readers balk at first glance, it's worth noting the age-gap between Kitty and Franklin isn't quite so significant as it used to be. Franklin's now a teenager, having grown up spending time traversing the Multiverse with Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. What's more, Kitty Pryde has form for mismatched relationships, given she had a relationship with Colossus when she was underage herself.
Ironically, should Franklin Richards head to Krakoa, Kitty may not be the only girl with her eye on him. Cyclops' time traveling daughter Rachel Grey originates from the Days of Future Past timeline, and in that alternate future she actually had a relationship with an older version of Franklin. No doubt she'll be more than a little weirded out to meet his younger self, especially if it turns out Franklin is her friend Kitty's latest heartthrob. Seriously, what is it with Jonathan Hickman's X-Men and love triangles?