In the Marvel Comics crossover series, A.X.E.: Judgment Day, readers not only witness the action on the front lines, but they also follow the perspectives of six normal citizens from across a variety of backgrounds and cultures. From the first issue all the way to the most recent comic, readers are given a brief insight into the minds of Marvel’s everyday citizens.
These characters, while playing minor roles, each of them provide insight into what it’s like living as a normal person in the Marvel universe. Additionally, the six characters are also judged by the Progenitor, and when the Celestial begins to destroy the earth, their horrified perspectives are depicted.
Tom
Tom is a husband and father living in London. His viewpoints about the conflict between the mutants and the Eternals are bigoted in nature. He's on board with the idea of eradicating the mutants, as he believes the mutants are to blame for everything that's going on. At a bar, Tom talks to some strangers about the conflict, and despite their harsh words against the mutants, he agrees with what they're saying, but says nothing himself. Britain doesn’t even recognize Krakoa as a nation, thanks to the events of the 2021 series Excalibur.
On his way home from the bar, Tom is beaten by two men who think he "kind of looks Eastern European". As he lies on the ground, the Progenitor appears in the reflection of a puddle and fails him. Instead of seeing the irony of this, he wallows in self-pity. What had he done to deserve this? It's been well established that the Progenitor judges based on a person's actions. Tom has done nothing but put the mutants down and blame them for everything. He did nothing to act on his views or to change anything.
Katrina
Katrina is a young woman who lives in Vancouver. She appears to be an influencer of some kind, as she frequently makes posts on social media in solidarity to support the mutants but doesn’t take any actions to support them. Throughout the series, she can be seen making random tweets, hoping to show her support or make light of the grim situation.
Despite her supportive words, the Progenitor appears to her as her dead aunt and puts his thumb down after she forgot to leave a tip as she's leaving her hotel. She wonders what she could've done wrong. It couldn't possibly be the tip. Later, she thinks of her judgment, but realizes that it’s a narcissistic dead end. It doesn’t matter what she did. It matters what she does, and so she heads into the burning streets to help others. This act finally demonstrates her active support during this crisis.
Komali
In Mumbai, readers meet Komali, an older woman mourning the loss of her husband, Arjun. In A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1, readers first saw him, laying in bed as he listens to what's going on. He believed the heroes would save them before he collapsed in the street and passed away. This was because his life force was used to resurrect the Eternal, Syne the Memotaur.
Her husband’s death brings her grief, but the end of the world brings her grief as well. The Progenitor sees her grieving and decides to judge her later. He has others to judge, and for some reason, he’s worried that she would judge him, and this makes him question himself. This is an important thing to note, as the celestial has made clear and concise choices with other characters, but when it comes to Komali, it's unclear whether it's because he doesn't want to judge her or if it's because she poses a challenge to everything he's doing.
Daniela
Daniela is a young girl in São Paulo, working at least three jobs that readers know of. As she goes about her busy lifestyle, she tries not to pay too much attention to what’s going on, as she has places to be and things to do. She does stop to reflect from time to time with various ideas. She wouldn't mind being a mutant, despite what's going on currently. They live on beaches, everything is free, and immortality would be a perk. In issue #2, she has a moment of empathy in which she recognizes how hard it must be to be a hero. It’s like working many jobs at once.
It isn't until Captain America gives his speech that she realizes how bad things really are. She finally heeds her mother's request to come home. The Progenitor sees this, and gives her a thumbs up. When she gets home, her mother questions why people are rioting instead of being with their families. Meanwhile, Daniela holds her mother for as long as she has time left. It's a simple reminder of the many families within the Marvel universe, and how the actions of the heroes affect them.
Jada
New York is already a bustling city without adding the heroes into the mix. Jada is a mother who witnesses everything with a somber demeanor. Some unspecified time ago, her daughter past away. She'd always raised her to respect the mutants under the belief that they were all on the same side, but seeing the devastation and hearing the mutants' secrets, she realizes they were only ever on their own side. Despite this point of view, she doesn't believe genocide and violence is the answer to solve this.
As people riot and protest, she feels completely alienated. Jada realizes that when protestors say “death to mutants” they’re really chanting “death to ourselves”. She watches Cap’s speech and wants to believe him, but can’t. Her perspective is one of the most interesting out of the six people in this story, because she's already been through the worst thing imaginable. She lost her child, and because of this, she knows how cruel reality can be. After she receives a pass from the Progenitor, she sits with Captain America in A.X.E.: Judgment Day #5. She brings him some coffee and offers some comfort. It’s a nice moment of vulnerability for both Steve and Jada.
Kenta
In Yokohama, Japan, readers are introduced to the youngest of the six, a student named Kenta. As a child, some things seem more important than others, like when he got a blurred shot of Captain Marvel punching a tidal wave at the end of A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1. He uses the end of the world as an excuse to not do his homework, but his father suggests that the Progenitor could judge him for this. Does he want the world to end because he couldn’t face Algebra? Kenta is willing to take this chance. He spends his time refusing to do his homework and playing video games.
The Progenitor himself realizes that Kenta is just a boy, and refuses to judge him. He seems to understand that Kenta's actions are not reflective of the person he is. The end of the world finally hits Kenta, and he’s scared. He's just a child, a victim in a world that was supposed to be built for him to live in. Now, it'll be a world for him to die in.
The inclusion of these stories provides more depth to the overall story because it makes readers realize just how much the actions of the heroes affect the lives of everyday people. In a world filled with heroes, villains, monsters, and magic, things are nothing more than chaotic for the people. Readers get to see various viewpoints from people with no powers, but a lot of insight.
These six people live in various places all over the world, but despite their differences in location, cultures, and beliefs, they share one thing in common. They were important to the Progenitor, and their individual lives mattered to him. The celestial may have judged them and condemned the world, but he was one of the few characters to stop and consider how the actions of himself and others may affect the powerless. Not only did they contribute important perspectives to the story, but they allowed the Progenitor to share their stories, because everyone was a part of his judgment, and because of that, every life matters.