Krakoa - Fictional Character Biography

Fictional Character Biography

Krakoa was originally a very small island in the Pacific Ocean that was located close to where some nuclear bombing tests were done. The radiation somehow turned the island's ecosystem into a hive-mind entity.

In Giant-Size X-Men #1, The X-Men (then consisting of Cyclops, Angel, Havok, Iceman, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), and Polaris) came to the island after Cerebro detected an unknown mutant there, and were captured by Krakoa, who used them as food sources. Cyclops was the only one able to flee, but doesn't remember what happened. Professor X decides to recruit international mutants to save his X-Men (namely Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Sunfire, Thunderbird, Banshee, and Wolverine) and sends them to Krakoa. Cyclops' group of mutants pair off and after each pair encounter and defeat various aspects of the island, the new X-Men team finds the original X-Men, who are weakened from being fed upon by Krakoa for so long. At this point, it is revealed that it was the island itself that Cerebro had registered as a mutant, and it let Cyclops escape so that he would return with a rescue party that Krakoa would use as more food sources. Krakoa battles the new and old X-Men by forming a giant humanoid body out of its terrain. With a combination of psi interference by Professor X and energy blasts from Cyclops and Havok, Storm is able to supercharge Polaris' magnetic powers with bolts of lightning. Polaris interacts with the Earth's core and creates a magnetic pulse so strong that she is able to launch Krakoa into outer space. The X-Men - now counting thirteen members - are all saved.

Later a "son of Krakoa" appeared. It was the result of a spore that was released from Krakoa as it was shot into space. Nightcrawler eventually defeated this "Vega-Superior" by tricking him into drowning himself.

Krakoa was apparently found and captured for study by the cosmic entity known as The Stranger, as seen when Quasar visited one of his 'laboratory worlds'. Krakoa was eventually freed as well as many of the specimens.

The 2006 X-Men: Deadly Genesis storyline features a major retcon in which it is revealed that many of the elements in Giant-Size X-Men #1 were in fact deceptions and delusions created by Professor X to hide the major part of the story. Another team of young mutants, composed of Petra, Darwin, Sway, and the third Summers brother Kid Vulcan, from a parallel X-Mansion led by Moira MacTaggert, were sent to help the original X-Men. They managed to save Cyclops and returned him to Professor X. However Krakoa, no more intelligent than an animal, killed Petra and Sway and left Darwin and Kid Vulcan almost dead. Xavier had erased all records of the real events in Cyclops' mind, and altered the mutants' minds to cast the illusion of a speaking, sapient Krakoa.

During the X-Men: Manifest Destiny storyline, Sunspot's business partner tells the Young X-Men that his workers went missing on an uncharted island. This island turns out to be an offshoot of Krakoa.

When Wolverine and some of the X-Men splintered away from Cyclops' group, it is discovered that Beast has built the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning on top of a "male" spawn of Krakoa. After Quentin Quire manages to reason with him, the Krakoa spawn contacts Rachel Summers who ends up translating for him when Rachel tells Wolverine that the Hellfire Club made Krakoa attack them and that he is a mutant like the X-Men. When Rachel mentions that Krakoa keeps apologizing and wants to join the X-Men, Wolverine ends up letting Krakoa stay as a part of the school. Not soon after the school began having money difficulties, it is Krakoa who solves the school's problems by growing great quantities of diamonds on the trees he produces.

During the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, Mister Sinister uses a clone of Krakoa to fight the Phoenix Five (consisting of Phoenix Force-powered Cyclops, Colossus, Emma Frost, Magik, and Namor).