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Who are the Children of the Atom? Ultimate X-Men #9 by Peach Momoko from Marvel Comics
The Mutants of Hi No Kuni
In Earth-6160, Hi No Kuni (The Land of the Sun), a group of high schoolers—Hisako Ichiki, Mei Igarashi and Nico Minoru—have been searching for answers behind powers that awakened to protect them in times of need. Hisako’s powers are that of Red Armor. Mei’s powers are those of the Storm & Nico posseses the Staff of One along with some psychic prowess. Their quest to learn more about their new abilities led them to discover a secret Cult of mutants.
The Cult
Turns out Mei & Hisako are not alone. There’s an entire secret group of other mutants. They call themselves the Children of The Atom. And they have a religion of sorts with their infratructure, rules, beliefs, literature and hierarchies. Nico shared with Mei & Hisako her grandmother’s research on this secret group.
The Children of the Atom
The Children of the Atom is led by a conspicuous figure called Maester. He offers them inspiring and motivating speeches. Maester preaches the teachings and gospel from the Testament of X. Not all mutants are the same. Some are not fortunate enough to fit into society due to how their powers manifested physically. So, they find comfort in the words of Maester. Unbeknownst to most members of the cult, Maester’s intentions are not that uplifting.
Behind the Facade
Unfortunately, the religion is a front for an operation under The Maker’s Council’s supervision. Maester is using the members of the cult for mutant DNA experiments. With the help of Shinobu Kageyama (Shadow), they are manipulating cult member’s DNA to awaken their mutant abilities.
Why Mei or Hisako?
Why Mei or Hisako had their powers awaken if they are not members of the Cult? Well, simple enough, Shinobu targeted Hisako on his own without the direct order of Maester. And Mei’s powers awakening incident was an accident. Shinobu was careless and unknowingly, his shadows came in contact with Mei.
Enter Psylocke!
Kanon Sainouchi (PSYLOCKE), and her brother, Tatsuya, a police officer, found a suitcase with human remains inside. The suitcase was disposed of by Maester. Viper is the member of The Maker’s Council responsible for supervising Measter’s secret operation. She personally contacted Tatsuya to force him to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and forget all about the suitcase and the victim found inside of it.
Spoilers for Issue #8
Psylocke is in Trouble
Kanon posts on the internet pictures of the Suitcase and the NDA her brother Tatsuya signed. These pictures go viral of course and causes many of the cult members to question the religion itself. This was far from wise by Kanon. Not only violates the NDA but it puts a target on their family. If there is a list of organizations to avoid, The Maker’s Council has to be on the very top. Tatsuya takes Kanon and they go on the run.
Maester has a Problem
The secrecy of the Children of the Atom is now gone. The reputation and credibility of Maester is tarnished. Members are questioning everything, which makes Maester panic. Viper demands he takes control of the situation before it’s too late. Maester decides to take drastic measures. Instead of denying, hiding or let this crisis cool off and maybe pass, he opts to go in the offensive.
How about the Art?
Peach Momoko’s classic Japanese watercolor art style is, once again, on full display. Momoko is well known for her anime-like style. However, her emotions and facial expressions are quite underrated. The fear on Tatsuya’s face when is quite palpable. You can feel how terrified he is for his and Kanon’s life. Hisako’s own anger and rage can be perceived in a moment of anguish. Even through her red armor spirit, her emotions can be perceived.
I give this issue a 9 out of 10
Issue #8 pushes the paste of the story of Hi No Kuni as a whole. Word is finally out, the Children of the Atom and consequently, Mutants’ lives are about to change. Therefore, they no longer will live in secrecy. I expect a full-scale explosion of new mutants to crowd the cities and towns of the Land of Fire. Peach Momoko clearly has some criticism for cults and its members/victims. The secret nature of the cult allowed Maester to execute his operation in the shadows.
He managed to experiment with unwilling and unconsenting children. Also, the literature and teachings on the parents allowed Maester to indoctrinate entire families. Providing a strong hold on the entire congregation. This is an excellent visual expose by Momoko on the sub-culture of cultism and its dangers. I’m looking forward for the next issue and I recommend everyone gets caught up with this series.
