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’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!
This month continues to see new energy thanks to ‘Destiny of X!’ Here’s what’s happening:
X-Men Red, a bunch of Narcs
While Storm assembles a new Brotherhood of Mutants to defend Planet Arakko, Abigail Brand has been busy. I think I ultimately trust Brand to do the right thing at the end of the day, but she’s proven herself to be capable of some pretty awful things in the name of the greater good. Collaborating with her greatest enemies? Sure. But assembling a team of X-Men to act as her narcs? That’s unforgivable.
The actual “X-Men Red” team is made up of Cable, Vulcan, Mentallo, Frenzy, and Random, all mutants who have been considered villains at one point or another. The only member of the team with a pure heart is Manifold, and he quits by the end of the first team meeting. Why? Because he recognizes the team for what it is, the authoritarian arm of a colonizing force. Abigail Brand doesn’t consider Arakko to be a legitimate sovereign planet; she thinks the people are there by her mercy. It’s an ugly look, and I’m glad Manifold didn’t stick around to be manipulated by her.
On the other side of things, we have Storm, Magneto, Sunspot,and the Fisher King. Though using the name of Magneto’s old crew of supervillains, they are loved by the Arakki. Storm is exactly the person who will learn about the people she is responsible for. She wants to be the best leader she can be.
It’s only a matter of time before the two teams clash, and my money is obviously on Storm’s crew. Both teams have Omega-Level members, but it’s not a fair fight. Storm and Magneto are two of the greatest mutant warriors ever to live. Vulcan has never won a battle he didn’t undermine with his own hubris. Expect the battle to shake the planet, and reassert Arakki independence.
Juggernaut Watch
If you’ve been following this column since before Krakoa, you know of my love for Juggernaut. I have a weakness for villains who punch in and punch out like it’s a regular job. Juggernaut will beat up mutants sure, but an hour later he’d buy them a beer. In the pages of “Legion of X,” we find that Juggernaut is one of the few non-mutants permitted on Krakoa. Juggernaut is the brother of Professor X and the partner/boyfriend of Black Tom Cassidy, so he’s connected to the mutants nation. But it’s strange that he’s been employed as the island’s cop.
Though Juggernaut rarely keeps a cool head, it’s his job to restrain people when they get out of hand. Considering how many mutant fights start as simple misunderstandings, he’s got his hands full. His partner is ForgetMeNot, a mutant with the power to be forgotten the second you look away from him. This looks to be the start of a series of great gags.
Witch Gals Unite
Of all the incredible writers making X-books, no one does better character work than Vita Ayala, and in the latest arc of “New Mutants,” they turn their eye to one of my favorite characters, Magik. In this story, Illyana is retiring from her role as the queen of the demonic limbo, and she’s handing the proverbial crown to another demon babe, Madelyne Pryor.
Madelyne started her sad life as a clone of Jean Grey that Mr. Sinister created to mess with Cyclops. The plan worked a little too well, and Madelyne became the biological mother of the man called Cable. After plunging New York City into Limbo during the original ‘Inferno,’ she more or less disappeared from comics for more than 30 years.
Continued belowThere’s no version of Madelyne who gets to be a normal person enjoying normal things, so placing her in charge of an infernal realm is actually a great role for her. Madelyne deserves to rule over something, and if she’s always going to fall back into dark sorcery, she should have a mantle to go with it. She also deserves a friend, so I am so happy to see her placed alongside Magik. Illyana has managed to build a life for herself as a Krakoan captain, maybe she can help Madelyne find a place in the world that doesn’t involve cursing major American cities.
A Perilous Quest!
If you’re new to the world of “Excalibur,” “Knights of X” has some of the deepest continuity pulls of any X-books on the shelves. So maybe this is your first time encountering a character like Kylun. You might be surprised to learn that, though he’s furry and chilling in a magical kingdom, Kylun is a dude named Colin. Since his powers manifested though, he’s been spending more time in fantasy kingdoms than on Earth 616. Despite his cat-like appearance, his powers actually have to do with sound manipulation. He can perfectly duplicate any sound he hears.
Recently, Kylun has been on the run from the furies. You might think the furies are just magical sentinels, but actually they are based on a creation by Alan Davis and Alan Moore! The original Fury was a creature of Earth-238, built by Mad Jim Jaspers (also in the most recent issue) to destroy anyone with powers. You know you’re looking at a fury when you see the big cyclopean eye and the Mega-Man-style hand cannon. Now, Otherworld is crammed with the things, and they hunt down “witchbreed” for Merlin.
It appears that the furies are guarding, or at least trying to prevent our heroes from reaching the Siege Perilous. Also introduced by Alan Davis and Alan Moore, Marvel’s Siege Perilous has traditionally been an oversized mirror. Betsy Braddock, Colossus, Dazzler, and Havok have all walked through the Siege Perilous, and woke up thinking they were different people. Colossus for example thought he was a regular artist named Peter. The Siege Perilous vanished for years before showing up in Kade Kilgore’s Hellfire Academy. The artifact has a mind of its own, and thus its effect is unpredictable. The perfect mystic relic to find at the end of a dangerous quest! What’s it going to do for Betsy this time? We probably won’t know for sure for a long while, but keep vigilant!
X-Books Read:
“Giant Size X-Men: Thunderbird” #1 – This issue did everything it needed to do. Thunderbird, his life, his struggles, and his home, feel more vivid than ever.
“Marauders” #2 – Half of this issue was Shi’ar intrigue and the other half was an incoherent fight scene.
“X-Men” #11 – A fun issue that evoked some great late-Bronze Age stories. The twist at the end was delightful.
“Immortal X-Men” #2 – Kieron Gillen brings fresh voices to Hope Summers, Exodus, and even makes a Selene monster fight worthwhile and fun!
“New Mutants” #25 – Again, nobody does deep characterization better than Vita Ayala. And again, Rod Reis is the best artist today. Plus a few pages by the great Jan Duursema!
“X-Force” #28 – I will say this, there is a lot going on in this book now. I wish more of it was interesting.
“Wolverine” #21 – I mean Deadpool was there. Deadpool made me smile.
“Legion of X” #1 – Wow. This is probably my favorite Spurrier issue ever. I am optimistic to see more!
“Knights of X” #2 – A jam-packed issues with a lot of good story to parse.
“House of XCII” #2 – I want more from this book than repeating great moments from better comics.
