X-Men #13 pg 15 (Asrar art, Hickman story) Apocalypse and Genesis go their separate ways

From the middle of the X of Swords Saga (ch 10 of 22), comes this page of X-Men #13. X of Swords storyline started so well and ramped up for a big battle between the old mutants of Arakko in Amenth vs the Krakoa mutants on Earth. The lead up was so fun, discovering who was chosen and what mystical or magical sword they would choose for each side. But the follow through was horrific, their competitions and big build up battles were a waste of resources, time and energy. This chapter fell in the good section of setting things up. One really great thing that came from this huge X crossover event, was getting a further origin of Apocalypse, meeting his wife Genesis, their children (and grandchild), and learning the deep history of Okkara that was split into two entities by the Twilight Sword becoming Krakoa and Arakko and the mutants that were left to survive in the dimension Amenth with Arakko.

Featured on this page in their second appearance is the wife of Apocalypse, Genesis (in the middle, who first appeared in the issue right before, #12 in 2020), flanked by their children from left to right: Famine (son), Death (son), War (daughter) and Pestilence (daughter). In the back are Arakko who is holding up Summoner (son of War and Bracko, grandson of Apocalypse and Genesis), as they walk to the gate to enter Amenth, where they will be stuck for many generations.

The art and writing are absolute gold, Asrar and Hickman teamed up beautifully to create some truly uncanny mythology in the land of X (soon alter this, they continued to create the saga of CHILDREN OF THE VAULT, issues #18 and #19, one of my favorite storylines). Asrar’s details in both inking and design are fantastic, as he creates a triangular composition in the top splash to have the viewer engage in each character as they walk away to their new life. Genesis, in her abrupt way (much more fierce and stoic than Apocalypse) tells him that he should stay behind and judge the world they are leaving behind. Make them and yourself stronger, ”see that only the fittest remain.”

I am really X-cited to have a page for this piece of deep history of Apocalypse, his wife Genesis, and seeing their children as they go their own ways, but especially to have a page of Arakko in this beautiful form.