The following contains spoilers for A.X.E.: Judgment Day #6, now on sale from Marvel Comics.
The modern incarnation of the X-Men and their allies has been a boon period for the mutants, with their nation Krakoa only expanding in influence and power. But their enemies have been moving against them, and now it seems like some of their most dedicated foes are about to become heroes in the eyes of the public -- which could mean bad things for the mutants.
The X-Men played a major role across the crossover, and Judgment Day #6 (by Kieron Gillen, Valerio Schiti, Ivan Fiorelli, Marte Gracia, and VC's Clayton Cowles) delivers some pretty solid victories for the mutant heroes. But in the process, they may have also set the stage for their greatest foes to move towards the upcoming Fall of X.
Judgment Day's Aftermath is Huge For the X-Men's Future
The events of Judgment Day had pushed all the peoples of Earth -- human and mutant and Eternal alike -- into a fight for their very existence. Luckily, cooler heads were eventually able to prevail, and conversations with Iron Man, Ajak, and Jean Grey (coupled with the apparently permanent sacrifice of Sersi) are enough to convince to Progenitor to undo the damage he's wrought to the Earth. Everyone killed by the Celestial is restored to life, the world is rebuilt, and the Progenitor dies -- effectively reborn as a fusion with Ajak, watching over the world and always laying down judgment upon every single day. For the most part, it's a serious victory for the heroes.
In particular, the X-Men gain some very impressive advantages and responsibilities. As part of a newly established peace treaty with the Eternals, the X-Men gain the immortal race as their formal allies, meaning they'll always have some powerhouse backup. The Eternals declare any similarity between the mutants and the Deviants is inconsequential, as they're clearly different enough to not cause a rage in the Eternals. They are also afforded control over Uranos for an hour -- giving the mutants a Marvel WMD capable of wiping out entire planets with ease. Jean Grey also officially opens the Phoenix Foundation, a new independent branch of the mutant community that will work with the Five to resurrect certain humans as a means of charitable output into the world. Along with Nightcrawler playing a pivotal role in the rescue of Earth, it's arguably a huge win for the X-Men. But the conclusion of Judgment Day also quietly served as a major win for their greatest enemies.
The Role of Orchis Going into Fall of X
Since House of X/Powers of X ushered in the modern mutant era, Orchis has become one of Krakoa's most persistent enemies. A coalition of mutant-hating humans and advanced A.I. who seek to win their inevitable war with the mutants, Orchis has been playing multiple games over the last few years. Their most insidious though has been to counter the X-Men's efforts to improve mutant/human relations, with Orchis even using the chaos of Judgment Day as an opportunity to foment discord. With few other options in the fight against the Progenitor though, Nightcrawler was forced to rescue the Orchis leadership to convince them to fight alongside the heroes. Ultimately, Orchis do just that -- serving as the very final line of defense against the Celestial and stalling just long enough for the heroes to survive. As a result, though, much of the public begins to see Orchis in a different light. They begin to parade the group's symbology as prominently as some highlight Captain America's shield. A little boy is even seen with a Nimrod balloon -- turning one of the most dangerous and prolific mutant killers in history into an icon.
Altogether, this suggests that more of humanity might be more willing to listen to Orchis -- an inherently dangerous prospect, given the group's intentions for the mutant race at large. Notably, the mutants are still without the scores of Arakko mutants killed by Uranos -- and Magneto remains dead. On top of that, the mutants gaining a terrifying WMD could help spurn on support for Orchis, out of fear of the mutants potential. Fall of X is coming up next year, and has been teased to focus on the X-Men's enemies finally gaining enough power and influence to make a real move against Krakoa. It seems like Orchis may have been crucial to the heroes saving the world -- but in the process, the mutants may have inadvertently made them strong enough to finally try and bring them down.