The Five as a collective entity were created by writer Jonathan Hickman with art by Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva. They were formally introduced as a group and a concept in House of X #5, published in September 2019. This issue was a pivotal moment in Hickman's revolutionary relaunch of the entire X-Men line, serving as the grand reveal of how the mutants of Krakoa had achieved immortality. Before this storyline, the individual members of The Five were disparate characters with wildly different histories in the Marvel Universe.
Hickman's genius was in identifying these seemingly unrelated mutants and reframing their powers not as individual abilities but as interconnected components of a biological “circuit.” This act of creative synthesis transformed them from B- and C-list characters (with the exception of Hope and Proteus) into arguably the most important mutants on the planet. The reveal of The Five was a profound statement of purpose for the Krakoan Age, demonstrating that every mutant's power, no matter how strange, has a vital purpose in the new mutant society.
The in-universe origin of The Five is inextricably linked to the founding of Krakoa and the secret history of Moira MacTaggert. In her ninth life, Moira realized that all her previous attempts to save mutantkind had failed. In her tenth (and current) life, she approached Charles Xavier with a radical new plan: unite all mutants, create a sovereign nation, and, most importantly, conquer death. Xavier, armed with Moira's knowledge of future timelines, understood that mutant resurrection was the key. He had long been using Cerebro not just to find mutants, but to create continuous psychic backups of every mutant mind on Earth, storing them in a redundant system. However, a mind needs a body. The challenge was creating viable clone bodies, or “husks,” without the common flaws of cloning, such as cellular degradation or lack of a soul/spark. Through a combination of Moira's guidance and his own deep knowledge of mutant genetics, Xavier identified five specific mutants whose powers, when used in perfect harmony, could achieve true biological resurrection. These five were:
Xavier and Magneto systematically gathered these five mutants, explaining their vital new purpose. Their first successful resurrection was shown to be Cyclops, following his death at the hands of Orchis in House of X #4. When he was brought back to life in House of X #5, it served as the definitive proof-of-concept for the Resurrection Protocols and signaled the dawn of a new age for mutantkind. The Five became the sacred, protected core of Krakoan society, operating out of a sanctuary known as the Arbor Magna.
As of the current state of the MCU, The Five do not exist. The very concept of a unified mutant nation like Krakoa has not been introduced. While mutants are officially entering the MCU—teased with Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel and Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and fully explored in the animated series X-Men '97 (which is not part of the main MCU timeline)—their societal structure and advanced capabilities are yet to be established. Should the MCU choose to adapt the Krakoan Age, the introduction of The Five would be a monumental event. It would likely require significant setup:
An adaptation would likely streamline the concept. Instead of a decade-spanning backstory for each character, they might be introduced together as a newly discovered group whose powers synergize in an unexpected way. The ethical and philosophical implications of conquering death would provide fertile ground for the kind of character-driven conflict the MCU excels at.
The primary mandate of The Five is the implementation of the Krakoan Resurrection Protocols. They are not a field team or a governing body; they are a biological process made manifest, a sacred institution tasked with ensuring no mutant can be permanently lost. Their structure is a “circuit,” a specific, unchangeable sequence of power usage that must be performed in a precise order.
Fabio's power, once a source of embarrassment, is the foundational step. He generates dozens of golden, spheroid-shaped biological objects. On their own, they are inert and non-viable. However, they serve as the perfect, genetically neutral biological medium—the “egg” from which a new body can be grown. His role is to provide the raw material for resurrection.
As an Omega-level mutant with psionic control over reality, Proteus's role is complex and dangerous. He takes one of Goldballs' eggs and infuses it with a stored sample of the deceased mutant's DNA from the Sinister genetic database. He then uses his reality-warping abilities to make the egg viable, effectively transforming it into a perfect, empty clone of the target. Due to the immense energy consumption of his power, Proteus requires a steady supply of “husk” bodies for himself, which Krakoa provides to keep him stable and functional for the resurrection process.
Once the viable husk is formed by Proteus, it falls to Elixir, an Omega-level biomancer. Joshua Foley has ultimate control over biological matter, including life and death itself. He uses his power to trigger mitosis, starting the cellular growth process within the husk. More importantly, he infuses the body with the “spark of life,” turning an inanimate collection of cells into a living being ready to receive a consciousness.
The body created by Elixir is that of a newborn infant. To restore the mutant to the age at which they died, Tempus creates a localized time bubble around the husk. She accelerates time within this bubble, causing the body to grow and mature to the correct physical age in a matter of seconds or minutes. Her control is precise, ensuring the body is an exact match to the one that was lost.
Hope is the lynchpin that makes the entire circuit possible. Her mutant ability is power manipulation, mimicry, and enhancement. She stands at the center of the other four, psionically linking to them, amplifying their individual powers, and ensuring they work in perfect, seamless synchronicity. Without her, the process would be unreliable, flawed, or might fail entirely. She is the battery, the conductor, and the focusing lens for the entire resurrection miracle, cementing her status as the true mutant messiah.
The process, from confirmation of death to rebirth, is a meticulously managed protocol:
The Five's sole and all-encompassing affiliation is to the nation of Krakoa. They are not members of the X-Men, X-Force, or any other team. They are a national utility, a sacred institution held above the normal fray of superheroics. Their well-being is the well-being of the entire mutant race, and their safety is paramount to the continuation of the Krakoan dream.
This is the foundational story for The Five. House of X #5 is dedicated almost entirely to explaining their identities, their process, and the philosophical implications of their existence. The storyline shows their successful resurrection of Cyclops, Jean Grey, and other X-Men killed in an attack on the Orchis Forge, cementing their role as the cornerstone of the new mutant world order. The reveal was a paradigm shift for the X-Men franchise, moving it from a story of survival to one of dominance.
This event placed The Five under immense strain and revealed the first major flaw in their process. As Krakoa's champions fought and died in the tournament in Otherworld, The Five were forced to work around the clock to resurrect them. When Gorgon died, he was resurrected but without his sanity. When Rockslide died, he was resurrected as a composite of all the alternate-reality Rockslides from Otherworld, his original self gone forever. This established that death in Otherworld had real consequences, adding a layer of peril back into the narrative.
This storyline explored the catastrophic consequences of Mister Sinister's treachery. After murdering key members of the Quiet Council, Sinister activated his hidden genetic protocols. The Five, now unknowingly resurrecting mutants with the “Sinister-gene,” became the engine of his conquest. The timeline spiraled into a dystopian future where the entire galaxy was ruled by Sinister-ized chimeras. The event was a dark testament to The Five's power, showing how their life-giving gift could be perverted into a tool of absolute corruption and control. It highlighted the immense vulnerability at the heart of Krakoa.
During the third annual Hellfire Gala, the anti-mutant organization Orchis launched a devastating surprise attack. Using a compromised Xavier as a psychic weapon, they forced the majority of mutants off Earth through Krakoan gates. In the chaos, most of The Five were targeted and killed or incapacitated. Hope Summers was grievously injured and captured. With the members of the circuit broken and the Cerebro backups destroyed, the age of Krakoan resurrection came to an abrupt and brutal end. This event shattered the central promise of Krakoa and forced the remaining mutants back into a desperate fight for survival, making the era of The Five a tragically lost golden age.
Due to their recent creation, traditional “alternate reality” versions of The Five are rare. Instead, their variations are explored through timeline manipulations and their pre-Krakoan lives.