Marvel’s X-Men have a new immigration-law-breaking villain: Kingpin

As a supervillain, Wilson Fisk — aka the Kingpin — knows no loyalty, even to his enemies. While he was created in the pages of a Spider-Man comic, he has no qualms about menacing Daredevil as well, or the Punisher, or Luke Cage, or pretty much any street-level superhero in Marvel’s New York City. But this past week he’s set his sights considerably farther afield by claiming asylum on Krakoa, the paradise island that exists only for mutants.

If you’re confused, there’s good reason: The Kingpin isn’t, and has never been, a mutant in Marvel continuity. What does it take to claim Krakoan citizenship, and all its benefits? It’s simple:

He’s MarriedTo a mutant.

Is there anything else happening inside our favourite comics’ pages? We’ll tell you. Welcome to Monday Funnies, Polygon’s weekly list of the books that our comics editor enjoyed these past few weeks. It’s part society pages of superhero lives, part reading recommendations, part “look at this cool art.” There may be some spoilers. You may not have enough context. However, there will be many great comics. This is the latest edition.

Image by Gerry Duggan and Stefano Caselli/Marvel Comics

Wilson and fellow Daredevil villain Typhoid Mary tied the knot in 2021’s Daredevil #36, just a few months earlier they practically sailed away into the sunset at night. Devil’s Reign event. And while it’s never been the most defining detail of her character, Mary’s psychic powers DoHer mutant gene is what you get.

I can only imagine how long X-Men writer Gerry Duggan has been waiting to pull this Chekhov’s gun down off the wall — probably at least since the Devil’s Reign: X-Mentie-in series in which he wrote about a dark and stressful past feud between Emma Frost and Wilson Fisk.

What does this all mean for Marvel’s Merry Mutants? Is this a sign that Fisk will have access to Krakoan’s resurrection? Hard to say, when this whole thing is a last-page reveal, but we’ll probably find out in the next issue.

Image: Ram V, Dexter Soy, Stefano Raffaele, Miguel Mendonça/DC Comics

Everyone knows that Batman is a terrible communicator. It’s a beloved character beat — which unfortunately means it’s also completely old hat and expected.

Therefore, I commend Ram V. Stefano Raffaele. Think it’s Raffaele on this page; Dexter Soy and Miguel Mendonça are also credited on the issue) for delivering this melancholy variation on the old tune.

Image: ZebWells, John Romita Jr./Marvel Comics

Amazing Spider-Man#21 said we’d finally solve the mystery that was set up Amazing Spider-Man#1: Was there something Peter Parker did six months back that was so scandalous among his friends, and Mary Jane? Well…. we still don’t know, except that it has something to do with Benjamin Rabin, a white guy who tried to summon a made-up Mayan god, and a supervillain that Amazing Spider-ManZeb Wells, a writer was presented in 2008.

I’m exhausted. “Do you remember ASM #555-557?” No!! I don’t!! Because I was still in college at the time it came out.

Image by Joshua Williamson/DC Comics

It’s early to judge the story of Joshua Williams’ new Superman, but it’s starting with strong bones. The sneaky Lex Luthor of Superman, an expansive super-family and Jamal Campbell’s superstar talent have all been pushing for Superman to appear in a book. Naomi.

Campbell does a two-page portrait on Superman, from his birth through heroism. It is an impressive feat of art and Campbell manages it with grace.