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X-Men Mutantversity: The Deep Breath

By | December 6th, 2021
Posted in Columns | % Comments

Welcome back to Mutantversity, a class offered at the Krakoan Akademos Habitat. This isn’t a place to find big reviews of X-books, (that’s what our Review section is for!) but it’s a great way to keep up with one of the most complicated superhero series around. We’ll learn, we’ll laugh, and we’ll banish shadow entities that have infected our soul for decades. We’ll do all those things, but most of all, we’re going to dive into the deep end as we try to parse all the secrets of this new era of “X-Men” comics. As your designated X-Pert, I will do my best to help you work through everything Marvel’s Merry Mutants have to offer!

Here’s how it’s going to go. First we’re going to recap the last month of the ongoing superhero soap opera that is “X-Men,” focusing on the titles that are really driving the story. Think of it as your monthly headlines into all things “X-Men.” Then we’ll take a quick look at every single X-book that came out this month. Finally, we’re going to close things out with our very special Monthly Mutantversity Medals of Merit to close out these issues of “X-Men.” Stick with me true believers, and maybe we’ll survive this experience!

The Deep Breath

You can feel the deep breath before the plunge. As we were headed for the Hellfire Gala, we saw its presence in every book. Every issue was about an invitation, or a costume change, or some sort of interpersonal conflict that played out at the party. Now? The books feel farther apart than ever, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

We’ve got two major stories set to shake things up once again. There’s the Jonathan Hickman swansong, “Inferno,” which is going to blow up the status quo one more time before  Hickman exits the writer’s room. And there’s “Trial of Magneto,” which looks like it’s going to change how we understand resurrection. These two stories are huge, but instead of pulling the rest of the line in with their gravity, every other series is waiting to pull the trigger. This is the last chance to tell isolated, inconsequential stories, which is when some of the most interesting character studies happen.

After that, the line changes. We are losing the Head of X in monthly books and taking time to explore we Krakoa ends up at the conclusion of these two miniseries. Even within the series, you can feel things being dragged out. In “Trial of Magneto” for example, a lot of the latest issues have been devoted to the X-Men teaming up with the Avengers to fight some Kaiju. Are they cool Kaiju? Absolutely. But it can’t help feel like treading water until we get a verdict on whether or not Wanda will be accepted as a mutant.

It’s not all bad though. Wolverine is about to be dragged up into “X Lives” and “X Deaths” which might be the shot in that arm the series needed. Gerry Duggan is leaving Marauders and taking up the main X-series. Steve Orlando is replacing him on Marauders. The X-Line doesn’t feel like it’s getting complacent, far from it. This is an important quiet moment. Everything else will be defined by what happens in early 2022.

Shadow King Redeemed?

The Shadow King is a really interesting X-Men villain. He’s got a lot of history with characters like Storm and Professor X, and he’s as classic as you get when it comes to malignant psychic entities. He’s powerful, and fights with him usually end up on the Astral Plane which is a treat for comic artists. But writers have always found trouble putting him in memorable stories set in the present day. Part of that is because he was going to be the center of Chris Claremont’s next big story, one that you can see him seeding in the late 80s and early 90s before his sudden departure from the comics. So what happens to the Shadow King on Krakoa?

Continued below

Vita Ayala has had a strong voice for Amal Farouk since he debuted as a character in one of their first issues of “New Mutants.” This latest story moves his story forward in significant ways. We’ve always seen that Shadow King was an entity possessing Farouk, so finally freeing him of that influence is a great move. Especially seeing as Farouk seems to be stuck in some sort of state of arrested development. He let Shadow King in when he was young and his father was sick. He’s been a scared little boy trapped in the body of a monster and killer.

Is this Amal Farouk’s chance to be a hero? Can he pick a new codename, befriend other mutant children, and join a team protecting a world that hates and fears him? And what happens to the psychic entity that is Shadow King? I guess it can join Onslaught and form some sort of support group for evil disembodied clouds?

The sure thing is that Farouk has never been a more interesting character. It’s a huge compliment to the creators, and writer Vita Ayala especially that not only do I believe that Farouk can change, I believe that the story had enough weight to make the change stick. Comics love reverting to the status quo, but this development might be so interesting that we end up with a new hero, hunting the beast that once possessed him.

Psychic Continuity Bandages

As a twisty soap opera, it can sometimes get hard to remember who has what information in “X-Men.” Usually, that just leads to writers assuming the characters know as much as the average reader. Sure, we all know that Wolverine was born as a prissy farm boy in 1840s Canada. But do his students? It’s unclear, and I think there’s more of a chance of a character like Anole cracking a joke about Wolverine’s past than actually learning about it on the page.

But Krakoa has introduced an interesting wrinkle to this problem. I’m talking about psychics. Take for example, the recent(ish) story where young versions of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Beast, and Iceman came to the present. That story ended with the O5 returning to their timelines with no memories of that experience. But now we know that the current O5 retrieved those memories psychically. Laura Kinney could have her memories of the Vault returned to her, but it would be subjectively from the perspective of a guy in love with her, Synch.

The phenomena has raised its head in two interesting ways. The first involves Scarlet Witch. Wanda has had a rough couple of decades in the comics, her parentage and hero status toyed with. Now we have a newly resurrected Wanda, who has the personality she left behind in her good soapy 80s adventures. But she’s downloaded all the messed up stuff that’s happened to her since. She can react to her life from the outside, and criticize the writing choices. This leaves us with a Wanda unburdened by the trauma of all her adventures, but knowledgeable enough to bring them up in the present.

A fun example has been Harry Leland. It turns out that the circumstances around his death and return were hard for Harry, and Emma Frost has kept him in a psychic illusion to help him adjust to his new circumstances. When he was finally brought up to date, the rapacious rascal seemed to find peace. Now he uses his talents serving Krakoa politically. Harry is an example of what Krakoa can attempt to do for the mental health of its citizens. Is this power going to be abused? Yeah it is, they left Professor X in charge. But it’s a powerful way to repair bad writing mistakes of the past.

This Month’s X-Books:
“Hellions” #17 – When did Nanny and Orphan Maker become Marvel’s most compelling mutants? This book is a miracle.
“Excalibur” #25 – The Merlyn War stuff is just fine, but I’ve got to give it up for Betsy dueling King Arthur with a sword.
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“SWORD” #10 – The first issue to focus on Whiz Kid… ever? Since the 80s? This issue defines him as a unique and irreplaceable X-Men character.
“New Mutants” #23 – Vita Ayala and Rod Reis are two greats, and a consequential issue on the Astral Plane combined their powers as well as they combined the powers of the mutants in this book!
“X-Force” #25 – I didn’t know how much I wanted an issue where Wolverine does nothing but surf (on an Adamantium board!). The rest of the issue is fine.
“Marauders” #25 – Emma and Shaw’s torrid past gets a lot more fun with the return of Harry Leland!
“Trial of Magneto” #4 – While still the most exciting damn book coming out right now, this was definitely a #4 in a 5 issue miniseries.
“X-Men” #5 – Polaris isn’t my favorite mutant, but this was the ever elusive great Polaris issue.

The Mutantversity Monthly Medals of Merit:

The Cable’s Pouch of X-Treme Grittiness Award
Given to a mutant for demonstrating badassitude and commitment to the 90s aesthetic

Orphan Maker

Most comic book badasses are unsentimental. Even when they express emotion, they do it in a collected, restrained way. Not Orphan Maker. That dude has feelings. We’ve still never seen him use the full might of his powers, Orphan Maker has to wear that suit to keep them contained, but we did see him mow down a crowd of guys with a gun. He broke the first law of Krakoa without a second thought. He had feelings.

Merriest Mutant Award
Given to a mutant who found a rare moment of happiness

Wolverine

I give Krakoan Wolverine a lot of guff. He’s finally found paradise, a land full of friends and family, a place where he can be safe and stop running. And so he… does what he always does. He goes to magical dimensions, underground auctions, and Madripoor bar fights. This isn’t what Logan would do in this situation. He would… just go surfing. Which is pretty much exactly what he does in this issue. On an adamantium board no less! And sure, it ends up being a dangerous vacation, but that’s the beauty of Krakoa. He can just be resurrected and learn from his mistakes. More Wolverine taking a day off please!

Fastball Special Award
Given to a duo who exhibited great friendship, collaboration, and
teamwork

The New Mutants & The Lost Club

Who doesn’t love this idea of mutant circuits? Groups of mutants working together can combine their powers in ways they couldn’t even imagine alone. This month we saw two entire groups of mutants do this to become one incredible gestalt being. The New Mutants, consisting of Dani Moonstar, Karma, Warpath, and Magik combined their forces with the Lost Club, made up of Anole, Gabby Kinney, Rain-Boy, Cosmar, and No-Girl. They turned into an astral-angel-cyclops thing. It ruled. But not only were they stronger together, they were strong enough to save a soul, not end one. The two teams banished the Shadow King from Amal Farouk, giving the man a chance at a life that he never had before.

Let’s Talk About X Baby Award
Given to the sweetest, sexiest, bestest romantic couple

Sebastian Shaw & Harry Leland

There’s something about a couple who are calibrated perfectly to each others’ terribleness. Shaw and Leland are greedy, childish men, but they recognize themselves in each other. When Leland lost his temper, he used his powers to make Shaw collapse through a sinkhole, possibly hurting Krakoa itself in the process. Tensions were high for a second, before the two of them were laughing and embracing once again.

Listen, Shaw is the worst. He’s slimy and I hate him. But this issue he seemed less lonely and desperate. He reunited Harry with Shinobi, who it turns out is Harry’s son. Shaw describes Shinobi’s mother as a woman both of them were friends with. And I couldn’t help but think about Magneto and Xavier in X-Men: First Class. They were ostensibly lying on the same bed to watch a (female) stripper, but the two of them had far more chemistry with each other than with anyone else in that room. Maybe Shaw and Harry have to involve women because they aren’t ready to admit it yet, but the love they share is the realest thing in either of their lives.

Continued below

MVX: Most Valuable X-Man
Given to an X-Man who embodied the values of the team and showed all around X-cellence

Whiz-Kid

The best X-Men are ones who can be moral pillars as well as superhero warriors, but then there are the triple agents. Every so often, a mutant needs to pass as a human in order to infiltrate and anti-mutant hate group. Rictor notably did this when he lost his powers. This month it’s up to a longtime X-character who has rarely gotten the spotlight: Whiz-Kid. It turns out the charmingly smug young adult has been in touch with ORCHIS. He’s even working with Gyrich, longtime enemy of mutantkind. But Whiz-Kid isn’t actually interested in selling his people out. He’s working closely with Abigail Brand to go undercover with the greatest threat known to mutantkind.

I love undercover stories. They are all about crumbling identity as characters forget who they really are. I don’t think that will happen to Taki though. He’s too self assured. He’s the perfect undercover agent because his identity is solid as adamantium. This is the kind of heroic spyrcraft I’d love to see in “X-Force.” Never before has Whiz-Kid been an important character in “X-Men,” but he’s already set to go down as one of the great but forgotten Marvel heroes.


//TAGS | Mutantversity

Jaina Hill

Jaina is from New York. She currently lives in Ohio. Ask her, and she'll swear she's one of those people who loves both Star Wars and Star Trek equally. Say hi to her on twitter @Rambling_Moose!

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