WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Immortal X-Men #1, now on sale from Marvel Comics.
Branded as the mutant messiah after the devastation of M-Day, Hope Summers has long been uncomfortable with the level of importance placed on her existence. In Immortal X-Men #1 (by Kieron Gillen, Lucas Werneck, David Curiel, and VC's Clayton Cowles), Hope finally becomes comfortable with her reputation and the power and influence she wields because of that. Hope recognizes it’s time she uses that power.
After the terrible ruin wrought by Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, on M-Day, Hope Summers was a miracle birth. When it should have been impossible for a single mutant to have come into existence, Hope was viewed as a messiah by many mutants. In the recent Krakoan Age, this reverence has only increased as she is central to a group known as the Five and the resurrection protocols, ensuring immortality for all mutants.
Recently, Magneto has resigned from the Quiet Council, the governing body of Krakoa. As a result, contenders for the open seat present their rationale for their election to the Council. Mister Sinister and Exodus work to bring Hope Summers to the Council. Exodus himself encourages her to consider seeking out the empty seat for herself. While his motivational speech is wrought with religious overtones, an undercurrent that Hope particularly despises due to her dislike of being considered a messiah, he still manages to convince her. Hope marches into the Quiet Council’s session and lays out why she should be given the open seat.
In 2007, Hope debuted in X-Men #205 during the “Messiah Complex” event. After Wanda's actions during M-Day, no new mutants were born. Soon, mutants were an endangered species, until Hope's miracle birth. Various factions descended on the small town but the time-traveling Cable found her first. To keep her safe, Cable jumped ahead in time in order to keep her safe from enemies.
Finally, in the “Second Coming” event, Hope returned to the past at a moment when the Sentinel Bastion was attempting to kill all remaining mutants. Hope’s abilities allow her to both augment other mutant’s powers and duplicate them, often to a greater degree. Soon after, five new mutants appeared in the world, ending the devastation of M-Day as mutants were now repopulating. Later, Hope would be empowered by the Phoenix Force and restore the entire mutant race.
Now, on the island of Krakoa, Hope uses her powers to both control and regulate the other members of the Five, allowing their powers to work in unison and augmenting them as well. In the resurrection protocols, Hope is central to ensuring immortality for all mutants. After Exodus’ conversation, Hope recognizes that the Five are critical to the entire future of Krakoa and thus deserve representation on the Council. No longer comfortable with just being the factory that resurrects dead mutants, the Five wish to have an understanding of the central workings of the mutant nation.
Hope reminds the Quiet Council of the soft power the Five possess: “I know it’s weird, but all the mutants love us. They know what we do. I’m embarrassed by it even—how much they look up to us. I don’t think that people hearing I was refused is going to make the council popular. It’s not really an ultimatum. I just don’t see that you have any other option.” Within that declaration is the potential for Hope to become a central leader to mutantkind. In promotion for the Spring 2022 line of X-Men comics, Hope is featured wearing Cerebro, guiding the Five. Cable believed her to be the messiah destined to save both humanity and mutantkind. It seems as if Hope’s story as the mutant messiah is far from over.
After the events of “Messiah Complex,” Bishop chased Cable and the child Hope believing that Hope would ultimately represent the end of mutantkind. Bishop believed Hope would ultimately kill a million mutants. For reasons they haven’t revealed, both Sinister and Exodus feel it's imperative that Hope is on the council. Hope’s future is not certain and she could also wield the influence and power she has for very nefarious purposes. If Sinister and Exodus can manipulate her, the results could be terrible.