Knights of X #4 takes the mystical X-Men spin-off team deeper and deeper into the Otherworld in pursuit of the Siege Perilous. And as their quest takes its toll, new love blossoms among two mutants whose flirtations have been a long time in reaching a boiling point.
But at the same time, another fan favorite X-romance may be in grave danger - and we mean 'grave' literally, even with the power of mutant resurrection.
So who's falling in love and who may be unexpectedly single again soon? Read on to find out.
Spoilers ahead for Knights of X #4
We’re gonna get right into the nitty gritty, the big spoiler for Knights of X #4 from writer Tini Howard, artists Bob Quinn and Erick Arciniega, and letterer Ariana Maher, which confirms a long held belief among fans with an actual, on the page kiss (punctuated by rainbow butterflies, no less): Rachel Summers is now canonically sexually attracted to women, as is Betsy Braddock, as evidenced by their big smooch.
(We’ll let them put a label on their own sexuality, and what their burgeoning romance means for their identities.)
As the so-called Knights of X enter the Otherworld's version of the Siege Perilous, a mystical portal that transports those who pass through to wherever they most need to be, Rachel takes Betsy/Captain Britain in her arms, confesses her attraction, and kisses her deeply - which Betsy warmly returns. The pair have had a budding flirtation throughout Knights of X so far, and now the sparks of their romance have apparently kindled into a flame.
The kiss between Rachel and Betsy also brings to fruition decades of speculation about Rachel's queerness in particular, which was originally baked into the character by her co-creator Chris Claremont, who has stated that his unfinished intent was to one day make Rachel's sexuality canonical.
On the other side of the coin, just as Rachel and Betsy maybe starting a romantic journey, one of the X-Men's most storied romances may be coming to an end, and Knights of X #4 seems to confirm that Gambit's apparent death in the previous issue will stick - at least enough for him to suffer the effects of death in the Otherworld.
For mutants, who can now be resurrected on Krakoa thanks to the combined mutant powers of the group known as the Five, being brought back after death in Otherworld comes with a price. Because of Otherworld's connection to the Multiverse, when a mutant who dies there is resurrected, they may undergo significant changes, right down to having completely different memories and powers.
Something tells us Gambit's wife, Rogue, won't be happy about that. And neither will the army of X-fans who grew up savoring the will-they-won't-they romance. Are the Sam and Diane of '90s kids being broken up by death?
We'll have to wait and see, perhaps when Knights of X #5 arrives on August 31.
Stay up to date on all the new X-Men comics Marvel has planned for release in 2022 and beyond with our handy listing.
