The latest adventure of Marvel’s mutants has come to an end and the new dynamic Jonathan Hickman has created for the Children of the Atom is intense and engaging in its storytelling.

Spread over twelve books with 6 for each part of the story, House of X and Powers of X change everything for the X-Men and how they will relate to the Marvel Universe going forward. All twelve issues are filled with amazing and interesting moments, but we’ve cut straight to the heart of the series and chosen our top 6 moments from the series ahead of the upcoming X-Men #1 coming this month.

[SPOILERS if you haven’t read the series!!!]

6. The New Mutant Homeland is a Mutant Itself (Powers Of X #4)

Charles Xavier and Magneto are creating a new mutant utopia and have learned from the mistakes of Westchester, Genosha, Asteroid M and more. This time, the mutant homeland will be a fellow mutant, the sentient island of Krakoa. The history of the mutant island is laid out in Powers Of X #4, but the mutant has a long history with the X-Men. Douglas Ramsey is brought in to not only find a way to communicate with the island, but also to develop the first mutant language. Krakoa not only serves as the homeland for the mutant species, but seeds of Krakoa are planted all over the world and across the galaxy to serve as portals that allow mutants to move freely while keeping others out.

5. Amnesty for All Mutants (House Of X #5)

With all of the calamities that have befallen the mutant species, Homo Superior is going to have a long road ahead of them if they are going to build and sustain a mutant nation on a planet surrounded by enemies. So Charles and Magnus decide that the best way to neutralize the threats to their new nation from those who share the mutant gene, but not the ideologies of Magneto or Xavier, is to offer every mutant on the planet amnesty and a place on Krakoa. It’s a risky gamble that will bring some of the biggest threats the X-Men have ever faced into the fold, but having Omega Red, Apocalypse, Sinister, Exodus and more opens the doors for some amazing stories to come.

4. Cerebro has a Hidden Function (Powers Of X #5)

Anyone who has seen previews of House of X and Powers of X has noticed that Charles Xavier is sporting an updated, portable version of his mutant tracking device Cerebro. The main function of the device has always been to give the wearer the ability to track a mutant across the globe for recruitment, recovery, rescue or threat assessment. In House of X we learn that the new version of Cerebro has an additional function. Designed by Forge, the new Cerebro helmet gives Charles the ability to make a back up of a mutant mind. It’s a bold idea and one that will come into play with the next moment on our list.

Utilizing other mutants with powers that include altering reality and genetic manipulation, Charles can regrow deceased mutants and imprint their minds back into new bodies.

3. Charles Sacrifices his Children to Save the Future (House Of X #4)

House of X and Powers of X have raised the stakes for the mutant population of the Marvel universe. Those stakes, which are featured in both the near and distant future, prompt Charles and Magneto to act in the present. After stealing intel that informs them of a Mother Mold (an ultimate weapon designed to create Master Molds) being brought online at a hidden base orbiting the sun, Xavier gathers an elite team of X-Men to end the threat and secure the future. The team, consisting of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Monet, Angel, Husk and Mystique, are sent to infiltrate the Mother Mold and send it hurtling into the sun. With no Krakoa tech to bring them back, this mission proves to be a one way trip as an explosion kills members of the team while the survivors battle it out to finish the mission.

Hickman doesn’t pull any punches in this part of the story and the sacrifice the mutants make, including a brilliant and poignant moment between Kurt and Logan, shows that Xavier is willing to do whatever it takes to stop threats to mutants. The aftermath of the mission also shows the culmination of Xavier’s cunning as the dead X-Men are resurrected and their minds returned by Cerebro.

2. Charles Makes the World an Offer They can’t Refuse (House Of X #6)

It’s not enough for Charles Xavier to declare that Krakoa is a mutant oasis and that some of the most dangerous mutants on the planet have been given amnesty on its shores. In order to build a new nation, you must be recognized as a nation by the rest of the world. Rather than declarations and overt threats, Xavier and Magneto are prepared to make the rest of the world an offer.

In a speech to everyone on the planet, Charles Xavier lets them know that mutants have developed breakthroughs in medical science including cures for Alzheimer’s, Cancer, ALS and more. He informs them that he would have offered those things freely before as a means of fostering peace between humans and mutants. This time, the cost of human longevity will be recognition of Krakoa as a mutant nation and that all mutants are citizens by birth. It’s a message that Xavier will back up with actions both political and physical.

1. The Secret of Moira MacTaggert (House Of X #2)

The biggest revelation from this groundbreaking series is that one of the oldest and well known characters in the X-Men universe has one of the biggest secrets in Marvel Comics.

When a mysterious woman contacts Charles Xavier to tell him that his dream needs to change, we find out later that it the woman is Moira MacTaggert. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, Moira was a preeminent scientist in the field of genetic mutation and served as an ally to Charles Xavier and the X-Men through the years. What we didn’t know is that Moira has been a mutant the entire time. Her ability to hide her mutant status has kept her safe and the fact that her powers include reincarnation with the retained memories of each new life will change the fate of mutants forever.

Moira has witnessed the fall of mutants again and again in her previous lives and has spent those lives both working for and against that cause either trying to cure mutation or protect it. With each existence and subsequent death, Moira has learned lessons and she has linked herself to multiple ideologies including Xavier’s , Magneto’s and even Apocalypse. Moira’s current journey is to guide the new future for mutants from behind the scenes with both Charles and Magneto acting as her proxies after showing both of them the futures that she has witnessed. This makes Moira one of the most important characters in the X-Men lore and the key to their ultimate survival.

What were some of your favorite moments from House of X and Powers of X? What moments stuck out to you and what direction do you think the mutants will go next when X-Men #1 launches October 16th?

Let me know in the comments below.