Imperial War: Exiles #1 (2025)

In the sky slums of Chandilar, Electron and his Imperial Guard stand over their captured Majestrix Xandra and her aunt Deathbird. He chastises the royals for years of subjugation and caring for themselves over the people they rule. Claiming to be the bastard son of Emperor D’Ken, he asserts that the throne should be his and moves to execute his captives. Deathbird tells her niece to close her eyes, and when they open again Xandra sees that her would-be executioner is frozen. Her parents, Professor Charles Xavier and the resurrected Lilandra have come to her rescue. Leaping into action, the former empress dispatches a Warstar and fights against reinforcements with her sister. Charles tries to convince Xandra to escape with them, but the young leader, with new knowledge of her subjects’ quality of life in the slums, does not wish to abandon her people. Deathbird suggests that they kill the pretender Electron as he and his forces are held in place by the Professor, but Xandra insists such callous behavior will make martyrs of their opponents, inspiring more. Noting her niece’s excellence in diplomacy, Deathbird decides to stay behind and delay the usurper’s pursuit while her family escapes. Xandra and her aunt share a goodbye hug, and Charles uses his powers to confuse the minds of the Superguardians and transform their Hobgoblin into Xandra’s likeness before they leave Deathbird behind. When the changeling awakes in a ship’s cockpit surrounded by bodies, Deathbird tells her unwitting accomplice that they were injured when the revolutionaries attacked. Addressing “Xandra”, she says they must escape the crazed guardians and seek out the help of Gladiator as they speed toward a stargate. Neutron lands atop their vessel, and uses his powers to stop their flight, boarding with Shi’ar gunmen. Deathbird takes a moment to slay her false niece, leaving a bloody message for Neutron and his master: “all traitors must die”. Shooting out in a smaller vessel, Deathbird escapes through the stargate. Ordering the shutdown of all such gates, the new Majestor returns to Chandilar proclaiming his rule. When a noble raises his voice against the leader and his revolution, Superguardian Arc threatens him with his power, but Electron stays his hand, aiming for an exchange of power without needless bloodshed. Later, the Superguardians find Electron in the baths and make him aware of a special force now under his control, introducing the Shi’ar Death Commandos as his covert tool for destroying exiled Xandra. On their ship, Charles and Lilandra try to connect with their daughter as she worries over the safety of her aunt and her empire. Lilandra wants to teach her daughter how to rule, and shares her plan to retreat to a little known safe haven and recruit a new team to take back the throne.