The new Wolverine comic is bringing the X-Men face to face with The Order of X - a cult of mutant worshipers with some disturbing beliefs.
Warning: SPOILERS for Wolverine #1
The X-Men relaunch made gods of mutants, with the leaders proudly declaring themselves above the rest of humanity. But now that they've witnessed the devoted, deranged, and deadly followers who see mutant as ACTUAL gods... they may want to change their minds,
While mutants across the globe are trying to get to Krakoa, the first true mutant nation and society, Wolverine is focused on maintaining its safety and security. So when word spreads that a super drug originating from the island nation has entered the black market, Logan gathers a team and intervenes. While investigating outside of Krakoa, they come face to face with "The Order of X," an unruly cult of mutant worshipers. Believing mutants to be gods and the means of ascension, the way they worship is... incredibly weird and disturbing.
The flowers found on Krakoa are used as the nation's primary economic resource, with some petals having strong medicinal properties like antibodies or the ability to heal the mind. When the still alive Kitty Pryde discovers that some of their shipments have gone missing, she brings in Wolverine to look into it. It's discovered that a group known as the Flower Cartel is creating an extremely potent illegal street drug known as "pollen". Supposedly, pollen provides the consumer with an exalted feeling, as if they were twice as smart and strong as the normally are. Wolverine finds a possible lead in Russia and mobilizes X-Force, such as Jean Grey and Domino to name a few. Once teleporting to the possible location, they meet The Order of X.
According to Wolverine #1, The Order of X is a cult that believes homo superior to be the the path to a higher place of existence. To be in a mutant's presence is to be in the shadow of a god. Currently, they have no leadership, text, or true practice other than worshiping any mutants they find. Many gather outside the gateways around the world connected to Krakoa, waiting and hoping for a mutant to come through. Reports say that many will fall to the ground and speak in tongues at the sight of mutant, while others try to touch them, hoping to gain some of its essence or power. Some will even strip naked and hope that the mutant will help them have a child with the X-gene.
The worst concepts they consider to be worship is scarification, branding themselves with the letter "X" on their bodies, as well as the most extreme desiring to eat mutant in order to gain ascension.This is something Wolverine's team discovers rather quickly, with the cult instantly trying to consume the mutants that have "miraculously" appeared before them. Not only that, but the cult members have ingested pollen, which were purchased from associates of the Flower Cartel, turning them into raging monsters before burning them out and killing them.
While this particular sect of the Order of X is no more thanks to the pollen, it will be interesting to see if other groups of the Order appear later on in the various X-Men comic lines. For now, it looks as though Wolverine is setting his sights on the Flower Cartel. Whether it be a extremist cult or a new criminal drug element, it's continually intriguing to see just how much of an impact the emergence of an independent nation of mutants has on the rest of the world, and it looks like Wolverine is on the front lines of whatever consequences may come of it.
Wolverine #1 is on comic book store shelves now.
