WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Marauders #17 by Gerry Duggan, Metteo Lolli, Edgar Delgado, VC's Cory Petit, and Tom Muller, on sale now.
Things have been easier for the mutants of Krakoa since the conclusion of X of Swords, but where interdimensional battles end, bureaucratic and corporate battles begin. While Krakoa has become ground zero for the appearance and introduction of Arakko and its people on Earth, Madripoor is in just as dire straits. Since taking vengeance on Sebastian Shaw for her murder, Kate Pryde has embraced her role as the Red Queen, working alongside Emma Frost to bring bigger and better things to mutant kind. Now, she's taken up another new role, that of a Krakoan Robin Hood in Marauders #17.
Emma Frost and the majority of the Hellfire Trading Corporation meet at her new Sentinel headed tower, bright and shining, standing tall courtesy of Magneto. While the group gathered here are all preparing for business and dinner, Kate has her own task to attend to in Madripoor. On the small island nation, the locals clash with the police, who enforce the government's whims with absolute brutality. From the boat she is rowing towards the docks, Kate can already smell the tear gas being used against the residents of the city. Things are, without a doubt, worse than ever on Madripoor. Luckily, Kate has come to fix the place up a bit, starting with the most downtrodden the island has to offer.
Kate comes aboard the docks just as two Madripoor police in riot gear walk into a family's home, threatening them with violence for not selling their property to the Verendi government. Kate tries to warn the two officers off, but they haven't come to talk. One rushes her with his baton, pashing right through her intangible form and tumbling over. Kate coyly asks the other enforcer if he's smarter than his partner. He responds positively by grabbing his partner and fleeing the scene.
Kate then delivers a bag full of cash to the residents and asks them what's happened here, hearing that the bankers who have taken over the government are running people out of their homes in the slums of Lowtown in order to put up more high rise towers in their place. Kate tells the worried family to hold fast, as she might just have the answer to their problems, and with that she is off to pay Madripoor's heads of state a visit.
At the Verendi House, Kate remarks on the quality of the development model standing in the middle of the room as she passes through it, interrupting the high stakes card game that the members of Hominus Verendi are playing. She asks if there is anything that can be done to dissuade them from razing Lowtown, though it doesn't seem there is any hope of that. Disappointed but not surprised, Kate leaves an envelope on the table for Madame Zhao before leaving. It seems she's left an invitation from Emma Frost for the Verendi, one that will come with a high cost regardless of whether or not she accepts it.
The Hellfire Trading Company has been making major moves on the island, buying up various bits of real estate throughout Madripoor, though none of them seem to be connected in any obvious way, nor do they appear to be worth much. Of course, things are never as simple as they appear on the surface, especially not when Emma Frost is involved. And with Kate's recent attitude adjustment, the Verendi are going to be facing a very steep price if they want to stay in business no matter what it is exactly that the White Queen has coming their way.