WARNING: Contains spoilers for Children of the Vault #1!
“The Children of the Vault are the new saviors of Earth… and we shouldn’t question them… right?” This is the question plaguing the X-Men’s iconic time traveling warrior Bishop as he rescues his formal mortal enemy Cable from the clutches of the mutantphobic agency Orchis. Children of the Vault #1 from writer Deniz Camp and artists Luca Maresca and Carlos Lopez is a brilliant and captivating “Odd Couple” team-up adventure, pitting the former foes Cable and Bishop against the “heroic” Children of the Vault who have filled the vacuum left by the X-Men’s brutal defeat in the recent X-Men: Hellfire Gala.
Children of the Vault #1, the first issue of a five-part limited series, beautifully sets up Bishop and Cable’s war against the Vault’s Children, powerful “post-humans” who Krakoa has been keeping in a mind-prison for years now. The Children of the Vault first debuted in Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo’s 2006 X-Men #188 as fierce enemies of both the X-Men and all of humanity, accelerated over 6000 years into hyper evolved beings on a separate evolutionary line than humans or mutants, and determined to become the sole rulers of the planet Earth.
Marvel Comics
Children of the Vault #1 begins at the Vault, where Forge’s Project Blackbox fails following Orchis’ brutal assault on Krakoa, with the Children’s leader Serafina announcing, “The dream is over. We’re free at last.” The first issue then moves to an Orchis safehouse, where Nate Summers – the time-traveling X-Men hero and son of Scott and Jean Grey, Cable – is being experimented on by the anti-mutant agency. Cable is a fascinating and wildly complicated hero whose history has become so convoluted by time travel stories that it is often hard to keep track of (go listen to Connor Goldsmith’s Cerebro podcast Episode 051: Nathan Christopher Summers for a more detailed breakdown of Cable!).
One definitive thing about Cable is that if not for his deadly Techno-organic virus that he must keep under control at all times, he would hands-down be the strongest telepath and telekinetic mutant in all of history. Camp perfectly illustrates Cable’s high level telepathic strength and resistance by showing how strong he stayed against Orchis torture, and acknowledging that he would have been able to escape from the “thought-impermeable Xavier-level bubble” after several days. Also, at one point Cable telepathically makes himself invisible to humans by having them view him as Josh Brolin, the talented actor who portrayed Nathan Summers in Deadpool 2. A cute and funny moment!
Marvel Comics
Bishop, in a move shocking to Cable, rescues Nathan from Orchis’ clutches, with Cable brutally using his telepathy to convince several Orchis agents that they are mutant revolutionaries, another terrifying but ingenious display of his impressive powers. Cable is so surprised at seeing Bishop as his rescuer because the two historically hate each other, with Bishop spending years chasing Cable throughout time attempting to murder his daughter Hope, after Bishop became convinced that was the only way to save the future of the mutant race. Cable’s reaction to Bishop telepathically showing him Krakoa’s downfall (since Cable was captured by Orchis during the attack on the Gala) is perfectly written by Camp, not only referencing the Askani’s belief of “What is, is,” but also recognizing that as a survivor of several horrific wars, the downfall of Krakoa is nowhere near the worst thing Nathan has witnessed.
It is then revealed that after gaining freedom, the Children of the Vault have become the new saviors of Earth, with Serafina, Capitan, Ferro, Prisa, Luz, and Atomo utilizing their incredible post-human abilities to give amazing technological and societal advancements to the people of Earth, while also protecting them from things like natural disasters. One of the only things I could find “wrong” with this first issue is the lack of time spent directly with the Children, but hopefully future issues will delve deeper into their desires and reasons for “helping” humanity instead of just eradicating it.
Marvel Comics
Not only have they become Earth’s saviors, but the people of Earth have fallen head-over-heels in love with the Children, quickly becoming obsessed with their tagline “Become The Future.” And yet, the question that really looms below the surface is, “How is this different than what the X-Men have done?” Camp wonderfully juxtaposes the Children’s “Message” with the telepathic announcement Charles Xavier made to humanity in House of X #1, establishing the mutant nation of Krakoa, that was so feverishly protested by many sectors of Earth. The X-Men have offered technological and medical advancements to humanity, and protected them from countless threats, and yet are still so deeply hated. In fact, the X-Men’s mortal enemies Orchis have decided to ignore the Children, even though they pose a similar if not greater threat than Krakoa ever did.
Bishop, a perpetually suspicious and distrusting man, is convinced the Children have done something to their minds, and while at first Cable is not able to find anything telepathic, he quickly discovers that Bishop (and much of humanity) is infected with a “conceptual narrative” virus, convincing them the Children are heroes who shouldn’t be questioned. Deniz Camp’s Data Page in Children of the Vault #1 explaining the “Organismic Analysis” of the virus is one of the highlights of the issue, with Camp brilliantly referencing deep cut narrative viruses like Weapon X’s “Allgod” and Hexus the Living Corporation.
Plus, the beloved Jonathan Hickman – the creator and curator of the 2019 X-Men reboot HOX/POX – gets a hilarious honorific, with Camp reporting that part of the Children’s virus is derived from “Hawkspox” created by Joseph Hawksman in “3019,” a truly amazing reference to Hickman’s revolutionary 2019 series. Hickman’s HOX/POX also created the concept of the post-human species “Homo novissima,” which he then retconned the Children as belonging to, meaning he is integral to current conceptualizations of the Children and their immense threat to the future of Earth.
Deniz Camp’s writing in this issue perfectly captures the voices of both Cable and Bishop, as well as the terrible threat the Children pose, and his writing is beautifully grounded in gorgeous art by Luca Maresca and colors by Carlos Lopez. Maresca’s art is so dynamic, a stunning example of sequential comics art, that illustrates the intensity and severity of the Children’s new role on Earth as well as Cable and Bishop’s burgeoning revolution.
In particular, the sequences of Cable’s rescue from Orchis’ clutches and the Children’s efforts to “save” humanity are beautiful and action-packed, a true joy to read. Lopez’s color work is wonderfully vibrant, and the vibrancy he injects into the comic is the ideal juxtaposition to the dark truth, which is that the beloved Children are not actually working for humanity’s best interests.
With impressive storytelling and engaging art, Children of the Vault #1 perfectly sets up the rest of the exciting limited series. Children of the Vault is already one of the Fall of X era’s most interesting series, because it is not only exploring the fascinating history and desires of the Children of the Vault, but also focusing on the complex interpersonal relationship between Bishop and Cable. Both of these incredible heroes have survived horrific wars and dystopian rule before, so they are truly the ideal “Odd Couple” to be taking on the Children in this unique crisis. Deniz Camp’s writing is quick, witty, and entirely captivating, with Luca Maresca and Carlos Lopez’s art providing the ideal playground for Camp to develop the story within, making this series one that fans should continue to follow until it’s undoubtedly intense conclusion.
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