WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Children of the Atom #1 by Vita Ayala, Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo & VC's Travis Lanham, on sale now
In the "Dawn of X" era, the X-Men have found themselves increasingly dealing with tense relationships across the Marvel Universe, even jeopardizing their place with allies like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. The mutants need a better face to put out there in the world -- and the best option might have been staring them in the face this whole time.
Pixie is quietly setting herself up as the face of Krakoan outreach to young mutants -- and she's perfect for that position.
All mutants across Earth are currently welcome on Krakoa, the living island nation. While many have flocked to the island, however, there are still many mutants around the globe who either need convincing or assistance in making the trek to Krakoa. Recently, it appears that Pixie has been proactive in being the outreach those people might need. She appeared in Runaways #34 alongside Wolverine to help bring a mutant they believe to be in danger (and they initially mistake for Molly Hayes) to the island. And in Children of the Atom #1, Pixie arrives in New York alongside Maggot and Magma to offer the young hero team a place on the island. Pixie seems to be stepping up as one of the faces of Krakoa outreach -- and honestly, she's a good pick for that position.
Megan Gwynn was a seemingly ordinary Welsh girl (and potentially an illegimate daughter of Mastermind) when her X-Gene developed, giving her distinct butterfly wings and the ability to produce psychedelic dust. Accepted into the Xavier Institute and taking the codename Pixie, Megan was one of the few students who retained their powers after the events of House of M stripped the majority of mutants of their abilities. Pixie was then dragged into Limbo by a demonic Illyana Rasputin. In exchange for Illyana's assistance in saving her friends, Megan sacrificed part of her soul to create a Souldagger, learning magic from Illyana along the way, including a handy teleportation spell. Since then, Pixie has been a minor but important member of the X-Men, serving as transportation and repeatedly proving herself a capable young hero.
Megan's powers, personality, and personal history actually make her the perfect ambassador for Krakoa. Her ability to teleport herself and others with ease makes her essentially a mobile Krakoa Gate, meaning her and any other mutants can escape to Krakoa from anywhere at any time. Her magical aptitude also means Megan is good in a fight -- with the ability to deploy her psychedelic dust if she or someone else needs a quick escape or to calm someone down. But she's also an incredibly upbeat person, even after the various dramas she's endured. She's often shown to be talkative and friendly, barely knowing Nico for a day in Runaways before being open about herself and her history. Megan seems to have processed the troubles she's encountered, and unlike other mutants doesn't let that tragedy define her.
Pixie's personality might secretly be her best tool. Her own experiences make her empathetic with the pain of others, but her bright and optimistic personality helps draw people out of their personal darkness. She was appealing and charming enough that within hours of knowing each other, it appeared that Pixie and the normally prickly Nico had developed an apparent attraction. If Krakoa wants to continue bolstering their image in the world, they could do far worse than have Pixie as the face of the mutant nation, and what the dream of Krakoa is supposed to mean. While Pixie might not nominally be up to join the upcoming X-Men roster, she should at least continue to be a key part of their planned outreach to the rest of the world.