Owing to its myriad time travelers, chronomancers, and re-setters, the denizens of the Marvel Comics Universe are often gifted with knowledge of the future long before it happens. While this is seen by many as a blessing, there are others who see it as a curse. For certain Marvel citizens, there may be no future to look forward to at all.
Having been the dominant species on Earth for 200,000 years, humankind can be forgiven for having developed a sense of security regarding its place in the universe. However, that security was challenged when Charles Xavier made his telepathic speech to the humankind in House of X #6 (by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia, David Curiel and Clayton Cowles). “We are the future”, he stated, and “The Earth’s true inheritors.” Xavier not only threatened humankind’s supremacy on Earth, but its continued existence entirely. This isn’t the only looming danger imperiling humanity’s future. All roads appear to lead to ruin. One future glimpsed in Powers of X #6 (by Jonathan Hickman, R.B. Silva, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia, David Curiel and Clayton Cowles), depicts that humanity — even absent their out competition by the mutants — still faces eradication at the hands of Phalanx class mechanical intelligences.
The Only Constant in the Universe Is Change
As a biological species, humankind remains beholden to the process of evolution. The development of language, higher thinking, and even the opposable thumb are just a few factors that allowed humanity to reach its place of pride on Earth's evolutionary ladder. But in its distant past, these developments must have seemed just as spectacular to other species as mutant abilities do to humanity. As Orchis noted, mutantkind is on a trajectory that will soon see make humanity extinct as humankind's evolutionary rivals became extinct. Though there have been setbacks — the annihilation of Genosha being a prime example — mutantkind is facing its own cycle. Birth, proliferation, destruction, and rebirth again. But with each turn of this cycle, the mutants succeed a little more. Bringing them closer and closer to finally replacing humankind for good.
Despite the apparent inevitability of humanity’s replacement, there remains another path, as evidenced by the “post-humanity” discovered in the possible future from Powers of X #6. Here it is revealed that all of its prior gambits — the Sentinels, the Nimrods — were only ever delaying tactics, buying time in order for humanity to break free from the cycle of natural evolution. Homo Novissima mastered technology, and by extension, evolution itself. In doing so, they transcended the limitations of nature and became something more. In this future, it was mutankind’s turn to be left in the dust of its own super-evolutionary betters.
Humanity’s Destiny Is To Leave Itself Behind
While this development may appear to be the same success envisioned by Orchis — where humanity surpasses all its rivals — the reality is a bittersweet victory at best. For humankind to win the war against mutants, they must leave their humanity behind. Thus, even in success, humanity finds defeat. Humanity is condemned to become unrecognizable to itself before its eventual assimilation into the hive mind of a greater machine intelligence.
While humankind technically has a future, it would seem that it's not a future desired by many. Yet, daunting as it may seem, this kind of change is merely the next step in mankind’s journey, and it is just as likely to yield excitement and adventure as any other. This may well be a new chapter for a new breed of human beings who've hopefully learned their lessons from those who came before them.