Summary

• Marvel's latest X-Men Infinity Comic story "What Charlie Did" explores Professor X's actions during the Krakoan Era, in an arc impacting his future role in the X-franchise's "From the Ashes" reboot.
• Investigative reporter Sally Floyd seeks the truth in "What Charlie Did," suggesting that there is more to the story Charles Xavier's violent actions at the climax of the Krakoan Era.
• This story's outcome will influence the X-Men franchise's new era, with fans waiting to see if Professor X will have a redemption arc, or turn villainous.

The new era for the X-Men franchise puts Professor X in a precarious position, one unlike any that the character has experienced in his sixty-year history. In "What Charlie Did," the Marvel Universe reckons with Xavier's shocking actions at the climax of X-Men's vaunted Krakoan Era, in a story that promises to add nuance and intrigue to his future role in X-Men stories.

As announced by Marvel, X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic #4 – written by Alex Paknadel, with art by Diogenes Neves – is set to reintroduce investigative reporter Sally Floyd, as she seeks to uncover the truth of "What Charlie Did," during the final, pivotal issues of the Krakoan Saga.

While some fans expected Marvel to turn Xavier into an outright villain, this story suggests that the answer to Professor X's future will not be so cut-and-dry, though readers will have to wait until the story's end to have a clearer sense of his arc, one way or the other.

Marvel Is Set To Unravel The Whole Truth Of Professor Xavier's Crimes Against Humanity

"What Charlie Did," from X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic #4 – Written By Alex Paknadel; Art By Diogenes Neves

Few characters are as monumentally important to X-Men as Professor X, and in order to do something truly engaging with the franchise's new era, a meditation on Xavier's actions at the end of World War Orchis is a key place to start.

With the first part of "What Charlie Did" out now, X-Men readers can begin to put together a sense of how the story is going to approach the fallout of Professor Charles Xavier's controversial decisions at the end of the franchise's Krakoan Saga. As Marvel's synopsis for the arc frames it:

Professor Charles Xavier would do anything to protect the future of mutantkind—but would he go so far as to kill twelve innocents for that dream? That's exactly what investigative reporter Sally Floyd hopes to find out in "What Charlie Did…,"

During the final days of Krakoa, Xavier made a devil's bargain with Orchis. In exchange for his help as one of the most powerful telepaths on Earth, the Sentinels of Orchis agreed to spare mutantkind and allow them to live without interference on their island nation. To seal the deal, Xavier forced the crew of a nearby spacecraft to blow up their own ship, an act that murdered twelve bystanders and prevented them from interfering in Orchis' plans. In the end, Orchis fell to the X-Men, and Xavier surrendered himself to the authorities for his crimes against humanity.

However, Floyd isn't sure that story is so simple. So, in X-MEN: FROM THE ASHES INFINITY COMIC, she agrees to investigate Xavier's terrorist attack… but will her faith in Xavier be rewarded?

As shocking as Xavier's actions were, they were also a logical end point for the increasing desperation of the character, as he was forced to watch his dream for mutantkind die violently.

With that in mind, Marvel's approach to this story is an interesting one. By bringing in a largely unfamiliar character as its central, focal perspective, "What Charlie Did" has an opportunity to be an innovative, unexpected of Charles Xavier's freshly tarnished legacy, while setting the stage for the next evolution of the character. Few characters are as monumentally important to X-Men as Professor X, and in order to do something truly engaging with the franchise's new era, a meditation on Xavier's actions at the end of World War Orchis is a key place to start.

Professor X's "From The Ashes" Role Is A Pivotal Early Test For The New Era

Marvel's Chance To Fully Reinvent Xavier

Whatever the case may be, X-Men fans should be patient with Marvel as the company carefully unfolds the next chapter in the long, complicated history of Professor Xavier.

It is safe to say that just as he has always been at the forefront of X-Men stories, what Marvel does with Professor Xavier in the short-term may very well be a bellweather for the publisher's overall "From the Ashes" plans for the franchise. In any case, it will certainly be an influential kick-off to the era for the character, and will play an important part in determining whether there is a redemption arc in store for him, or if Professor X will truly break bad, in a way that has been teased in the past, but never fully embraced.

A villainous Professor X would certainly be an endgame-level villain for the latest era of X-Men – just as a potentially different heroic role will need time to take shape. Whatever the case may be, X-Men fans should be patient with Marvel as the company carefully unfolds the next chapter in the long, complicated history of Professor Xavier. Alex Paknadel and Diogenes Neves' "What Charlie Did," is likely to be a cautious, if exciting, first step on a long, winding journey through unexpected territory for the founder of the X-Men.

Source: Marvel