Warning! Spoilers forX-Men: Age of Revelation#0 ahead!
TheX-Menfranchise has moved on from Professor X, butthe psychic powerhouse many fans pegged as his replacement, Quentin Quire, was just turned into a full-on fascist villain in the newAge of Revelationdystopian future.This troubling turn is an unexpected future for the character, but in a way, it evokes shades of his past.
X-Men: Age of Revelation#0, written by Jed McKay, with art by Humberto Ramos, officially introduces Marvel’sAge of Revelationfuture, and in an issue packed with surprises, perhaps the darkest one involves Quentin Quire’s role in the series.
Quire is confirmed to be “Revelation’s spymaster,” in charge of the bleak intelligence-gathering network known as the “so-called Omega Kids.”
Quentin Quire Goes Full Fascist In Marvel’s Oppressive “Age Of Revelation” Future
X-Men: Age of Revelation#0, Written By Jed McKay, Art By Humberto Ramos; Available Now From Marvel Comics
Age of Revelationserves as a spiritual successor to the seminal'90sX-Menevent,Age of Apocalypse, and the #0 issue serves the critical role of establishing more than just the details of this nightmare Marvel future, but also its tone.Among the most striking concepts the issue introduces are the “Babels” and the “Omega Kids” in their midst.
“Babels,” the issue’s narration explains,“are humans and mutants who have incurred Revelation’s wrath,” whom the villain “stripped from their minds the very concept of communication,” exiling them to live on the outskirts of his territoryas little more than animals. “Children spy on their parents for any sign of dissent,” the narrator adds.
The idea of stripping dissidents of their ability to communicate, and turning their own children into spies for the system they oppose, is a devastating example ofX-Men’sability to reflect real world concerns.
These are the “Omega Kids,” who are controlled by Quentin Quire; who, of course, uses the codename “Kid Omega” as a member of the X-Men, and before that, as an antagonist in his earliest appearance.This plot point makes it clear that Revelation’s regime is supposed to be an extremely uncompromising, fascistic system of oppression.
The idea of stripping dissidents of their ability to communicate, and turning their own children into spies for the system they oppose, is a devastating example ofX-Men’sability to reflect real world concerns.It uses the fantasy element inherent in the franchise to allegorical ends, in the same way the franchise always has, since its early 1960s inception.
The Original “Kid Omega” Returns To His Villainous Roots As The “Age Of Revelation” Dawns
X-MenBack Tracks On The Powerful Psychic’s Heroic Trajectory
It isn’t surprising thatAge of Revelationwould go to such a dark place with its version of a bleak Marvel future, ruled over byRevelation, the successor to Apocalypse, formerly known asX-Menmember Doug Ramsey.What has come as a shock to fans is that among his servants is another prominent member of the team: Quentin Quire.
Many readers have looked at [Quentin] as a future successor to Xavier, andAge Of Revelationplays on that in the most twisted way possible.
With Jean Grey currently on a solo adventure in space, in Marvel’sPhoenixseries, Quentin has filled the role ofX-Men’smost powerful psychic, in the wake ofCharles Xavier’s exit from a central role in the franchise.Many readers have looked at him as a future successor to Xavier, andAge Of Revelationplays on that in the most twisted way possible.
Rather than training kids to be heroes who fight oppression,theAge of Revelationversion of Quentin uses them as a tool for perpetuating the oppressive rule of his master, Revelation. It is a cruel subversion of fans' expectations for the character, even if it is only for the sake of this dark future status quo so long as theRevelationstory arc lasts.
What is also noteworthy about this turn, though, is that this new story calls back to Quire’s origin inGrant Morrison’sNew X-Men, in which he was portrayed as an aggressive, demagogic teenage mutant who instigated the deadly “Riot at Xavier’s” storyline.Age of Revelationmight not reflect who the character is now, it does spring from the dark potential Quentin always possessed.
Quentin Quire Is Set To Play A Pivotal Role In “Age Of Revelation”; Fans Are Already Predicting His Downfall
Omega Kids,Written By Tony Fleecs, Art By Andrés Genolet; Available June 27, 2025 From Marvel Comics
Grant Morrison left the fate of his original version of Quentin Quire, aka Kid Omega, somewhat ambiguous.He wasn’t quite redeemed, but he wasn’t exactly killed off either. His first few returns toX-Menlore found him serving as an antagonist, but over time, thecharacter began to be converted into a more sympathetic figure, eventually leading him to claim full-on hero status.
Age of Revelationreverts Quentin to villainy, and the grim, fascist nature of his actions, just as described in the #0 issue alone, make this the most unequivocally evil incarnation of the character yet.While the greater implications of this creative decision are unclear for now, this does set Quentin up as one of the top antagonists of the crossover.
Prior to the release ofAge of Revelation#0, Marvel teased the names of nearly twenty spin-off titles accompanying the main arc of the event series. Among the many intriguing titles wasOmega Kids, and now it is known that the series will involve the unwilling spies under Quentin’s control. As the synopsis for the series reads:
KID OMEGA’S ALL GROWN UP! X YEARS LATER, Quentin Quire protects the dream of mutant supremacy and independence as head of the Revelation Territories' spy network. But when a conspiracy threatens the mutant utopia, Quire and his psychic students will have to distinguish friend from foe. Has Quentin got what it takes to carry the dream forward, or will the next generation replace the former revolutionary?
While this description skirts around Quentin’s villainy, it comes through as subtext in the light ofAge of Revelation#0.Now, fans have already begun to speculate that the arc of the series will involve the “Omega Kids” breaking free of Kid Omega’s control, and restoring the heroic values of theX-Men, as founded by Professor X, in order to bring down his fascist successor.
