Should the X-Men Move to Rockland?

Spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Since their inception in the 1960s by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the X-Men have become one of Marvel’s most recognizable properties. Set in Westchester, the X-Men sees young superpowered students fighting to save a world that hates and fears them. Their school, the Xavier School, is located in Westchester, where they train under the guidance of mutant telepath Charles Xavier. Over the years, the X-Men’s lore has grown complex and has subsequently moved away from the classic Xavier’s School setting we all know and love. Now, Marvel Studios is gearing up to introduce the merry band of mutants to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Adaptations of the X-Men typically stay loyal to the Xavier School setting, and the MCU is showing no signs of deviating from that tradition any time soon. Despite this, the X-Men are in a very different place in the comics, far away from what is now the former Xavier School.

Marvel Comics has an extensive recent history of trying to make the comics line up with the movies. The most famous example of this is the infamous retcon from 2012, as the MCU was still finding its footing, which stripped Magneto, the Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver of their parent/child relationship. As of that story, 14 years ago, Magneto is no longer the biological father of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. This was done, in large part, because at the time the MCU didn’t have the rights to use Magneto in their movies. It stands to reason that the introduction of the X-Men into the MCU could lead to changes in the current comics story. It’s entirely possible that a mandate from Marvel Editorial could place the X-Men back in Westchester, but that would be a mistake. If they were to go this route, the X-Men should move to Rockland instead.

If you haven’t read the comics lately, I’ll do my best to catch you up. In the years since the 80s/90s comics, which took place mostly in Westchester and NYC, the X-Men have moved all over the world. San Francisco, the Australian Outback, even a living Polynesian island. Right now, the X-Men are split between two main teams headquartered in Alaska and Louisiana, respectively. The Xavier mansion lies in ruin as a high-security prison for outlaw mutants, with Charles Xavier himself being something of a pariah.

If the X-Men were to move back to New York, I think they should headquarter themselves in Rockland. Westchester is frankly overdone. The county doesn’t have anything Rockland doesn’t have. You might argue that in terms of transportation infrastructure, Westchester is more integrated into NYC, but we’re dealing with characters who can fly. Storm isn’t taking the Metro-North to go fight Kulan Gath. The problem with Westchester as a setting for the X-Men is the baggage. As previously mentioned, the Xavier School is occupied by the organization known as Orchis, who have transformed it into a high-security mutant prison. Charles Xavier himself is now a figure mired in controversy in the comics, with many of his former students seeing their teacher as a shallow narcissist rather than as the great man who dared to dream of a better world.

Rockland simply makes the most sense for a setting if Marvel wanted the X-Men back in a similar status quo to what we’ll see in the movies. Rockland gives the X-Men the same access to New York City plus access to Jersey. It would also serve as a setting that feels both new and familiar, allowing new readers to recognize what they know from the shows and movies while also making sure old fans feel like the story is moving forward, and not back. As the X-Men get put back in the spotlight after years of rights issues and subpar comics, Rockland ought to be considered the best new setting for the mutant super team.