Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Empyre: X-Men #3, by Vita Ayala, Zeb Wells, Ed Brisson, Andrea Broccardo, Nolan Woodard and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Historically, the X-Men haven't had the best experience with mutant armies. Marvel's mutants also have a pretty shaky history with death and resurrection. Recently, the X-Men encountered a major challenge in both of these areas, when one of their own, Magik, declared herself the Zombie Queen of New Genosha. This precarious situation began in Empyre: X-Men, when the Scarlet Witch attempted to revive the sixteen million mutants who were killed in Genosha. Unfortunately, this attempt backfired, creating an island of zombified mutants. Complicating matters was the arrival of the Cotati, a plantlike alien race with a desire to wipe out all non-plant life on Earth.
A strike force, including the recently rejuvenated X-Corp, arrived to subdue both the Cotati and undead Genoshans in order to protect the gateway from Genosha to Krakoa. Despite the assistance of Hordeculture, the X-Men's recent plant-themed villains, the mutants found themselves overwhelmed, especially once the Cotati activated a massive seed-pod in the middle of Genosha.
Magik, as the leader of the strike-team, elected to summon all psychic mutants currently on Krakoa for assistance. Guided by one of the Stepford Cuckoos, Magik attempted to locate the source of the zombified Genoshans, in order to stop them for good. After a long search, Magik found her quarry: a mysterious scepter, which drew her towards its power.
As Magik grasped the artifact, she felt its power flowing through her. Suddenly, Magik transformed into the Darkchilde, the personification of the darker side of her powers. All of the zombie Genoshans begin to follow Magik, who declares that she has "begun a great, great work." Magik says that the artifact is made up of three components: the world tree root, which bridges life and death, the tri-crown of chaos oddhead, which perverts natural laws and the eye of alak-rah, the void spider, who weaves life from blood. Ultimately, Magik states that she has "power over death", disturbingly telling everyone to bow before her.
The events which unfold during Empyre: X-Men are very similar to 2009's crossover, Necrosha. During this event, Selene, the former black queen of the Hellfire Club, gains access to the technarch transmode virus and reanimates several dead mutants in order to become a goddess. The villainous mutant then leads her undead mutant army in an attack on the X-Men.
In both Empyre and Necrosha, the dead mutants of Genosha are reanimated in an unnatural manner. Both events also result in unexpected side effects for the Genoshans. In Empyre, the mutants return as mindless zombies, while in Necrosha, the undead Genoshans are de-powered as a result of the Scarlet Witch's M-Day decimation.
Additionally, both events center around the X-Men protecting a mutant-island nation from undead Genoshans, such as Utopia in Necrosha and Krakoa in Empyre. Just as Selene raised the dead in order to make herself a goddess, Magik is now claiming control over life and death with her newfound power over the zombified Genoshans. Magik may not have reanimated these mutants, but she has certainly taken control of the Genoshans just as Selene did. Transforming into her Darkchylde persona also indicates Magik's consumption by her power over the undead, much like Selene.
It's also worth mentioning that Magik and Selene have reversed roles during Empyre. During Necrosha, Magik took an active role in fighting off Selene's army of undead mutants. Now, Selene is part of the psychic task force fighting the undead army that Magik now controls. This task force is comprised of several former villains as well, illustrating a major shift in the X-Men's status quo.
Magik's new role as the Zombie Queen of New Genosha is a bold turn of events. Hopefully, the New Mutant can relinquish this power before it corrupts her much like it did to Selene.