Before Krakoa’s miraculous Resurrection Protocols, the X-Men and other mutants still had a way of dying and coming back to life. Heroes like Jean Grey are particularly notorious for their numerous exits and returns, but now Cyclops has officially announced which of the X-Men has shuffled off the mortal coil most frequently: Kid Omega. After dying as a teenager and accumulating dozens upon dozens of deaths during his stint with X-Force, Quentin Quire wins the prize.
X-Men #1 by Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, Marte Gracia, and Clayton Cowles ushers in the team’s fresh start after the fall of Krakoa, the war with Orchis, and mutantkind scrambling to figure out their next steps. Cyclops once again steps up as their leader, but his current group is a bit unconventional. Quentin Quire sits among its ranks, free of his painful role in the Sabretooth War.
Kid Omega has many complaints as the team begins a particularly dangerous rescue mission, leading to Scott’s revelation that Quentin has “died more times than any other mutant” and should be used to the possibility of it happening again.
Kid Omega Wins the ‘Most Deaths’ Prize Among the X-Men
X-Men #1 by Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, Marte Gracia, and Clayton Cowles
Quentin Quire isn’t the mutant most associated with the cycle of life and death, but he has been inextricably tied to it since his early days at Xavier’s school. His first death came as a result of abusing the drug “Kick” (which apparently still affects his memory). He ascended to another plane of existence until his body was restored, and that eventually locked him in a long cycle with the Phoenix, which he would host at various points. His continued Phoenix connection could partly explain why death never seems to stick even when it should.
Yet it’s his time with X-Force on Krakoa that wins him the not-so-coveted “most deaths” prize. Countless X-Force missions resulted in Quire’s death, and Quentin used his frequent resurrections to make aesthetic alterations to his body. Later, a high-stakes battle with Cerebrax even erased his records from Cerebro, making it impossible to resurrect him. Nothing keeps QQ away forever, though, and Quentin eventually returned as an old man from the future. Exploding gateways and being eviscerated by the Sabreteeth army didn’t do the trick, either, nor did powering off his disembodied head. Kid Omega isn’t necessarily hard to kill, but death seems to be a temporary condition at best.
Death Still Takes a Toll on Kid Omega
Quire’s latest brush with the reaper ended when all the deceased mutants returned from the White Hot Room, but the frequent deaths have had an impact on him. He’s experienced gaps in his memory from the Protocols, which made him feel less whole, and recently admitted that Kick also exacerbated memory loss. He has lived and lost more than his continued smart mouth and attitude give away, and repeatedly dying has helped turn him into a more contemplative, reflective person – albeit at a great cost. Kid Omega has died far more than his fellow X-Men, and the cycle shows no signs of stopping.
X-Men #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
