Warning: contains spoilers for X-Men #7!

Readers of the many X-Men comics know that the mutants of the Marvel universe have gotten a series of huge upgrades after banding together to form the nation of Krakoa. These include the ability to return from the dead thanks to the "resurrection protocols," but what has mostly been unknown until now is that every time a mutant gets resurrected, their powers can also increase, to the point that every mutant in the world could become an Omega level one.

The resurrection protocols are a complex process created from the mix of different mutant powers and Cerebro technology. After a mutant dies, a group known as the Five (Egg, Proteus, Elixir, Tempus, and Hope Summers) combine their powers to create a replica of the deceased person's body, which then gets imprinted by a telepath with a backup of the mutant's mind stored into the Cerebro database. Strict protocols were put in place to regulate such a powerful technology, determining who comes first in the "resurrection queue," and who can benefit from this miraculous resource. What neither the Five nor the Krakoa Quiet Council foresaw, however, was that the resurrection protocols could have an effect on the development of mutant powers.

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The first hints of this process were dropped in Way of X #1 by Si Spurrier and Bob Quinn. After resurrection is made possible, the Quiet Council worries that mutants who lost their powers during M-Day or through some other means will simply kill themselves in order to get resurrected at full strength. This dilemma is solved with the Crucible, a trial for de-powered mutants where they have to face a fearsome opponent in battle and show their courage and fortitude before being allowed to be resurrected. According to mutant scientist Dr. Nemesis, this process acts as a new evolutionary mechanism: the selection through the Crucible makes sure that resurrection favors the strongest, more belligerent, and reckless individuals. It's revealed in X-Men vol. 5 #5 by Jonathan Hickman and R.B. Silva, that the mutant Synch demonstrated a 4 percent increase in his previous abilities one week after resurrection. However, it is only in X-Men vol. 6 #7 - by Gerry Duggan, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Garcia, that readers learn that the process is actually being studied by a prominent mutant scientist.

Dr. Cecilia Reyes is an expert surgeon and a qualified doctor so, in the mutant nation of Krakoa, she is in charge of following the medical records of the mutants, especially those who are active in the field and as such are exposed to danger. At the end of X-Men #7, a medical report is produced, labeled "Synch's mutant gift." In the document, Dr. Reyes explains how during a recent battle Synch's power of copying other mutant's gifts, which usually has a very short range, completely overhauls any previous record and allows him to copy the power of Jean Grey, who at that time is on the Moon. Among the many proposed explanations for this, Dr. Reyes mentions as the most plausible one the fact that the resurrection protocols keep increasing Synch's baseline powers, to the point that Synch could soon enter the class of Omega level mutants, a term used to describe mutants who have no upper limits to their powers. If this is true, potentially all mutants in the world could progress to Omega level, given enough time and resurrections.

The process of actually dying and being resurrected, however, is a grueling one, and it is unlikely that the Krakoan mutants will abuse it even if they find out that it can increase their powers. The resurrection protocols are also one of Krakoa's most guarded secrets, and the X-Men are working hard to keep it that way, which will become much more difficult if the number of Omega level mutants in the world begins to increase.

Next: A Former X-Men Villain is Descending Into Madness to Save the Mutants