WARNING: The following contains spoilers for New Mutants #14 by Vita Ayala, Rod Reis & VC's Travis Lanham, on sale now
The X-Men have always had education at the core of their team, with the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters being the central hub of the team for the vast majority of its history. But in recent years, the educational outreach of the X-Men element has been tempered somewhat by major events. Now, it looks like the X-Men are finally making sure to bring that back to the forefront of mutant culture.
In New Mutants #14, these young X-Men essentially became the social services of Krakoa, effectively becoming the inheritors of the legacy of education and acceptance started by the Xavier Institute.
One of the best ideas Charles Xavier had was to unite the mutants of the world -- not under the banner of an army, but under the banner of a school. The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters was the perfect half-way home for any number of lost mutants, giving them a home and a family where they may not have ever had one before. Even when the mutant population was being targeted, they could know there was a place where they could go for shelter or education in using their powers. Being a school sent a strong message about the future of the mutant-race -- that it would need to grow and learn and adapt to the world around them, and that it was more than possible for them to do so.
The ideal of the school has been at the heart of most of the X-Men's history. However, major events have shifted attention away from the aspect of the X-Men's mission statements occasionally over the years, including the recent formation and advancement of Krakoa, a nation for all mutants. However, this doesn't mean that young mutants don't need guidance. In fact, many former New Mutants can already see how at-risk young mutants are suffering from the lack of structure and security provided by something just as simple as having classes and training with friends. To that end, the group all sign a letter expressing these concerns and sends it to the Quiet Council.
To their surprise, they receive a quick response from Xavier -- who reveals despite his attention being drawn to the continuing work of Five and the Quiet Council -- the idea of a place where young mutants can come together for guidance and companionship is still of the utmost importance to him. This leads Xavier to name the New Mutants who approached him about the topic the heads of a new group to focus on that very problem. In effect, Dani Moonstar, Karma, Warlock, Magik, Wolfsbane and Warpath will pick up the mantle of the Xavier Institute and serve as instructors and mentors to a host of young mutants on the island. He even offers them any resources or assistance they need. And this quickly proves to be a good idea, as the six quickly impress scores of young mutants with their skills and tactics.
Krakoa was always going to eventually need a new version of the Xavier Institute, even just as a means of training the new mutants who've come to the island nation. The fact that it's the New Mutants taking on this responsibility isn't surprising, but it's still a welcome new position for these characters to fill within the Krakoa hierarchy. It'll be interesting to see how they adapt to the changing times and what that means for young mutants -- and if they can prove to be strong mentors in their own right. Some New Mutants like Dani Moonstar were already prominent teachers for the Xavier Institute before House of M, but now the first generation of junior X-Men will shepherd the future of the entire mutant race.