As all fans of Krakoa are aware we recently had the opportunity to vote, from a selection of ten mutants, on which lucky character would make the rank of X-Man on Hickman’s upcoming assembled team.

Now, this is exciting for many reasons. First, I don’t think fans have gotten to vote on something comic related since deciding if Jason Todd lived or died? No? Second, the Hickman age of the X-books has been great fun and, if he is to continue to work specifically on the X-Men title, I’m excited to see which mutants he brings together and what story he develops in the new ongoing book.

Not all of the options excited me! My salty breakdown will depict such, but there were several contestants that made the final decision tough so let’s get started.

10. Srong Guy: No.

9. Banshee: He’s a character that I feel doesn’t get enough credit, especially considering he was there for the original fight against Krakoa, the battle of the M’kraan crystal, and just a prominent member of the early Claremont team overall.

That being said, I also acknowledge that he was siginificantly older than the other members of the team and just didn’t seem to gel all that much. I wouldn’t mind him having a role on another team, but when it comes to Hickman’s character driven stories, I just don’t have much interest to see him bring this character to life compared to others.

8: Boom-Boom: Girl is a hot mess. Considering where her head is at these days I don’t think she has what it takes for the big leagues. Yes, her energy would likely be a welcomed comedic one and would bring some fun, but if we can only pick ONE from these ten then she certainly doesn’t have my vote.

Her appearances over on the New Mutants book rarely caught my interest so I just don’t feel she would have that much pull on this team.

7: Forge: He’s vital to the team but vital to the island as a whole. Whether he was picked or not I feel that he would have to show up in the book regardless! It’s too easy to have this character sidelined because of his tech abilities/responsibilities and I worry he would just be, “the guy behind the headset” rather than an integrated active member. I prefer Forge being one of those Krakoan citizens we see pop-up across the books from time to time like Sage.

6: Cannonball: Eh. He’s a favorte from the New Mutans. His powers are cool and his banter with Sunspot is always a welcomed treat. However, his home is among the Shi’ar and he is a father now. Not saying parents can’t be heroes! Just saying once again, if we can only pick one this wouldn’t be my pick.

He is also a character that has had decades of development and this vote could be a real opportunity to see some new blood on the team.

5: Polaris: She’s a member of X-Factor! No! Why is she on this list?!

4: Marrow: She is my fourth choice but I believe (and can see why) she is a top contender for the spot. Marrow, unlike many of the X-Men, has not had the “blessing” of being able to blend in like regular people. She has lived among the Morlocks and is a survivor of the infamous Mutant Massacre.

Her resentment towards regular humans lead her to the desire to blow up a subway out of revenge and hatred! This island that represents the unity of all mutants also presents the opportunity for stories that highlight the differences in ideologies among its citizens. Her presence on the team could spark these conversations. Also, her abilities have ruthless potential and she is no doubt a niche fan favorite.

3: Armor: Introduced in Astonishing X-Men and even got to make her appearance in animation for the X-Men anime, Armor is one with a cool powerset. As the X-Men have always been a symbol for diversity, the team has severely lacked the presence of asian members. Yes, you might be thinking Psylocke, but let’s not forget that was a white woman in control of her body!

Armor has at times fallen for the “Wolverine’s young female sidekick” trope, and I worry if he returns for the team that her position would be reduced to that again.

Overall, I have enjoyed her growing role within the New Mutants and would prefer to see that be a place for her to continue to evolve.

2:Sunspot: One of my favorite characters of all time! It was tough not to pick him. Yet, for the same reasons I didn’t pick other characters I just couldn’t give him the vote. He has had decades of development, a staple of the New Mutants, if an X-Corp book should appear I would love to see him there, and I still believe this is an opportunity for new talent.

1:Tempo: I was not too familiar with this character which is what drew me to her to begin with. Her powerset of being able to accelerate and slow down time around specific things (making a bomb go off in slow motion for example) are by far the coolest and most valuable of these ten! I’m sorry but facts! she isn’t just valuable for this team on the field but her abilities also make her a possible replacement for the Five should it ever be needed.

Second, she too has a similar mindset to Marrow in regards to her approach to humans and the place of mutants among them. Her history and her approach to this broader conversation (especially as it relates to Moira X’s push on Xavier regarding the fate of mutants) is one I would love to see added into Hickman’s X-Men book.

Some might pull out the, “You only picked her because she’s black” card. Well, obviously not the only reason, but you know what? It’s a part of it! I’m not a fan of tokenism and I hope this new team will be a diverse group. Another black woman on the team, and one who is very different from Storm, is a welcomed addition in my book.

I see so much potential on where she can be taken in this book with Hickman and a real opportunity to not just make her prominent in this run of the title but to make her a big character for years to come.

Unfortunately, we won’t know who won the vote until June with the kick-off of the Hellfire Gala. I know! What the F***!

My bets will stay with Tempo and Marrow. Until then, nothing else to do but wait.