The following contains spoilers for Immortal X-Men #10, on sale now from Marvel Comics
While things have never been particularly easy for Marvel's mutants, recent months have proven to be among the most trying times they have ever faced as a whole. As sinister plots unfolded, some of Krakoa's greatest heroes found themselves facing utter tragedy amidst uncertain Resurrection Protocols. In fact, the most important of them all just so happens to be central to that very concept, not to mention the rest of mutantkind's future, making it all the more relieving that Hope has indeed survived to see another day.
Immortal X-Men #10 (by Kieron Gillen, Michele Bandini, David Curiel, and VC's Clayton Cowles) opens to the somber sight of Cable carrying the deceased Hope past crowds of mortified onlookers and past the bodies of their fellow slain mutants. Though Sinister's latest betrayal wasn't any major surprise, the extent of his attack has left an indelible impact on nearly all Krakoans. Both Beast and Charles Xavier are among the most outspoken on the matter, but it is something that every citizen of Krakoa is left reeling from. The hard truth of the matter that no one can ignore is that without Hope, mutantkind is almost certainly doomed
Hope Summers is Marvel's Most Important Mutant
When Hope Summers first appeared in 2007's X-Men #205 (by Mike Carey and Carlos Bachalo), she was only a newborn without a name. However, she was still the most important mutant in the entire world. As the first mutant born after M-Day, Hope was both the first sign of a new generation of mutants and the last chance her kind had at continued survival. Within moments of her X-gene developing, Hope's life was in danger. It was only thanks to Cable that Hope survived, and while he raised her in an alternate timeline, their return to her own heralded the momentous occasion that the rest of mutantkind had been desperately waiting for.
In the years since Hope's return to the primary Marvel Universe, she has faced off against the likes of Bastion, ushered the next generation of mutants into the world, and even wielded the Phoenix Force to rewrite the events of M-Day. Most importantly, she is the crux of the Resurrection Protocol. This isn't to say that they cannot be accessed without her, but rather that their efficacy is greatly reduced, so much so that her own resurrection was a matter of grave concern up until she emerged from her egg fully formed and ready to return to action.
There is Still Hope for the X-Men
If Hope hadn't been resurrected properly, there is no telling what the next move would have been for Krakoa. Considering the existence of mutantkind hinges on her survival, a world without Hope would be a dark one for the X-Men and their allies. There is certainly something to be said for the decades they lived through without the aid of the Resurrection Protocols, but moving forward without them would still be a terrifying prospect for any mutant.
Thankfully, that isn't something that the X-Men or any other mutants seem to have to worry about for the time being. If anything, this incident will push them to make better preparations for a similar assault in the future. And, should Hope lose her life once more, they will at least know that the rest of the Five are capable of bringing her back on their own. Then again, now that they have proven they can, Hope might be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that she doesn't have to carry the entire weight of her people's future on her shoulders alone any longer.