The upcoming Marvel Comics series X-Men Red, a new title in the mutants' current Destiny of X relaunch, follows Storm and Magneto as they go to war against Vulcan for control of the mutant planet Arakko, in a plot clearly inspired by Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction saga Dune. Jonathan Hickman, the architect behind the major changes in the X-Men line over the past few years, is known to be an avid fan of the Dune series, and it is obvious that the mutants' terraforming of Mars into Arakko is an homage to Herbert's planet Arrakis, a central location throughout the Dune Saga. The similarities are sure to continue as political drama and conflict are in store for Arakko this year.
One of the biggest Marvel Comics events over the past two years is the Krakoan nation's colonization of the mutant planet Arakko, and the mutants' announcement that Arakko is now the central power and voice of the entire Sol System. Through the creation of the powerful metal mysterium as well as miracle drugs derived from Krakoan flowers, the mutants have gained immense power and have impacted the galactic economic status quo in a way never seen before. Just that alone is reminiscent of the central power struggle in Dune, the galaxy's constant battle over "spice-mélange," a drug-like material only found on the planet Arrakis that provides the necessary fuel for interstellar travel.
In X-Men Red - written by Al Ewing (The Immortal Hulk) with art by Stefano Caselli (S.W.O.R.D., Inferno) - the X-Men Storm, Magneto, and Sunspot are forced into a war over the control of Arakko against the once-again evil and insane Vulcan, the youngest Summers brother, who once ruled as Emperor Vulcan over the entire Shi'ar Empire. The synopsis for the series reveals that "X-Men Red will see mutantkind divided over what’s next for Arakko," which is described as, "A place of mystery, strength, and endless conflict." The war over Arakko's future will most likely have to do with their place in the galaxy, with Storm serving as the Regent of Arakko, similar to the position that Leto of House Atreides held in the first book of the Dune Saga. Dune's central conflict involves the different political houses of the galaxy warring for control of Arakkis, and control of spice, similar to the war over Arakko, the mutants' powerful Krakoan flowers and newly created metal mysterium.
The name Arakko is clearly an allusion to the planet Arrakis from Dune, but the similarities don't end there. Arakko is a terraformed Mars, and while now inhabitable it is still a sand-covered planet, exactly like the planet Arakkis. Pushing the inspiration one step further, Mars is terraformed into Arakko partially with the help of the Arakki mutant Xilo the First Defender, a worm-like creature who digs through the planet's sand and soil to make it habitable, incredibly similar to how the Sand Worms from the planet Arrakis behave. Eventually in the Dune Saga the Sand Worms are used to terraform Arakkis in God Emperor of Dune. While all of these details are beautiful homages honoring Herbert's classic series, there are even more connections between the X-Men and Dune, such as Moira X's "No-Place," a place where telepaths and oracles could not detect her, a direct allusion to Dune's "No-Chambers" that operate the exact same way.
It is no surprise that Al Ewing has taken inspiration from Frank Herbert's Dune, seeing as it is considered to be one of the forefathers of all modern science fiction, culturally on par with Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. The allusions and Easter eggs connecting the X-Men's new era to Dune are a real treat for avid fans of the Dune Saga, giving them "hidden" content that makes the X-Men's current stories even more meaningful. Hopefully Marvel Comics' upcoming X-Men Red series will continue to take inspiration from Frank Herbert's Dune in a way that furthers the complexity of the mutant's newly terraformed world.