Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Gail Simone

Artist Luciano Vecchio

Color Artist Matthew Wilson

Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed, Part Three

Graymalkin Prison.  Scurvy dies, as Warden Ellis gives us some more of his back story.  He’s only 24 years old, which calls into question how old is she?  A doctor, a podcaster, a warden?  At least 30? 

As soon as Scurvy dies, Prisoner X takes over his body.  Prisoner X is Ellis’ brother, Oscar, but he wants to be known as . . . Perimeter.  Sure.  He has the mutant ability to warp reality, just like Proteus and Jamie Braddock. 

Monet has been waiting for this moment to happen.  Nice that we got to see Siryn, Fawn, Fred Dukes, and Sarah Grunt again. 

Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters  Somewhere.  Somewhen. 

Magikolossus and Mr. S’s X-Men are fighting off the Zombie Sentinels. 

Which is cool, but my favorite part is that Jitter’s love for Calico comes through, so their real personalities are coming through.  Poor Becca, she must have been so confused why these new emotions felt so strong. 

Calitter is just simply the best.

Mutina, who if they sold her All Different All New Mutants outfit, with cat ears, I would totally buy this as a jacket. 

Jitter is epileptic, as we learn when she’s having a Jacksonian March, a seizure.  Does that explain her stutter?  I just figured it was due to the child abuse.

Becca is told Jitter needs a med bay, and starts clearing the way.  Probably smart not to take Jitter along with her, as Ember and her are on fire.  This horse is on fire.  Alicia Keys is the best.

This is such a cool image.  Vecchio is slaying it with this arc. 

Ransom tells Deathdream that they have to get Jitter to safety, whatever it takes.  Which, ever since Avengers Endgame, I love it when people repeat “whatever it takes,” once they hear it. 

Mutina figures out the X-Men are fake, more like Ex-Men then, right? 

Cute that we see Ember and Calico fighting off Zombie Sentinels in the distance.

Mutina stabs Nightcrawler as he’s not real.

Referencing things that are not real, Ellis starts giving us Perimeter’s backstory.  He’s been torturing her since she was eight, and he was ten.  That’s just what happens when someone has reality wrapping powers.  He also killed their parents.  So, she does have a reason to hate mutants.  Well, a reason to hate one mutant in particular, being racist about it, is a second choice. 

Monet shows up, ready to fight Perimeter.  I guess the name is because he has no perimeter?  I get the sense that these two have fought before.  Probably how they got him in the prison to begin with.

Though, it is odd they had to turn this into a prison.  Couldn’t this have gone the X-Factor route, and Ellis have a mutant team prepared to attack her brother, if he ever got out?  Provide them with room and board, and treat them like actual people?  Imprisoning them is another choice.  Also, where is Dazzler?

It is at thist point that I’m wondering if Perimeter is the reason the Outliers are in this weird alt place, but Mutina states they are AI later, so maybe that doesn’t add up? 

Haven House.  Rogue is trying to talk to the New Mutants about their history together.  Rogue has been training them for a year to kill the Avengers.  They are getting tired of all of the questions.

Gambit is on his way home, if Vic finds out anything, he’ll let Gambit know.

Magikolossus is ready to kill Mutina, and Ransom isn’t too fond of her at the moment.  Mutina reveals her mutant powers, she has the ability to read people’s emotions.  Which is fine, as long a she isn’t controlling those emotions, as that’s always a gross power. 

Mutina vs Cologik.  This is where she reveals they are AI, so is Arcade behind this?

Gambit makes it home just in time for the New Mutants to attack.

Ransom vs Magikolossus. 

Mutina vs Cologik, I like how they both have giant swords.  That’s cool. 

Calico and Ember finally make it to the mansion and Doctor MacTaggert, but she doesn’t have a face.  I imagine they got their too quickly, so MacTaggert’s programming hadn’t caught up to it yet.

Rogue vs Cannonball, she doesn’t know how to fight him as he’s nigh invulnerable while he’s blasting.  Though I did expect her to have the thought that he’s only nigh invulnerable, leaving her some wiggle room.

Gambit grows vampire wings to catch up to Rogue, so that’s where the cover image comes from. 

Issue ends with Monet vs Perimeter, but she’s not alone, she’s brought reinforcements.  Like, okay, is her backup just going to be Fawn, Fred Dukes, and Sarah Grunt?  Maybe with Dazzler?  Or, OR!  Are we getting a Generation X team up?  Well, minus Jubilee. 

We’ll find out next issue!

I’m really enjoying this arc. 

Writer Gail Simone

Artist Luciano Vecchio

Color Artist Matthew Wilson

Letter VC’s Clayton Cowles

We open with WARDEN Ellis and dying Phillip in the Graymalkin Prison, the former Xavier Institute.  A good reminder that this plot is still around.  Once Phillip dies, Inmate X is going to get out, and Ellis is going to be next.  We do get Monet for a panel, so that’s nice.  She has a picture of Quicksilver, which, not to beat this drum again, why isn’t he trying to break her out?  Though this does seem more like a resort, that one just can’t get away from, unless you sign a contract to attend a concert.  Would have been nice to see Dazzler here. 

They found Xavier’s hover chair, which is fun to see.  That thing is a very bright yellow. 

Elsewhen.  The All Different New Mutants are getting their first Danger Room fight.  In a very fun page turn reveal, they are going to fight . . . Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur! 

Haven House.  Rogue, Logan, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee are looking for the Outliers.  Rogue says, “Okay.  I don’t think ah need ta say this, bur them kids . . . they gotta be brought back, even if it means hidin” which does that make sense?  Repeating it for the sixth time, I think it means if they are hiding from the X-Men, they need to be brought back.  Which Nightcrawler must have immediately understood what his sister meant, as he’s not sure if she means it. 

St. Thomas Abbey.  Abandoned.  Mostly.  Gambit makes a deal with Vig, who we’re not getting rid of any time soon.  20% of the Thivs Guild profits will go to Vig, just to help find the kids.  Gambit says, “I belong to you again.” and he’s sad, which I get, but does he belong to him?  Seems like Gambit is going to write him a check every month, and there isn’t much drama there.  I mean, should Remy have put an end date on that?  Yeah, probably, as even a year’s worth is pretty solid.  Plus, what happens when Gambit doesn’t pay?  Vig takes the Outliers?  Actually, that might be what happens. 

Louisiana X-Men arrive home and we see the New Mutants – Moonstar, Karma, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Wolfsbane. 

Elsewhen. I’m on record of being a huge fan of Vecchio’s art.  But sometimes it is hard to tell Jitter and Deathdream apart, when they are both wearing New Mutants uniforms.  They both have short black hair, and are very slender. 

Becca says Ember looks very dowdy, and he does! 

Ransom wants Calico to “Valley of Gwangi” Devil Dinosaur, a movie that is fully available on YouTube, thanks Adam of ComicsXF, for cluing me onto this! Will I watch it?  Could be fun, but I’m three Daredevil episodes behind, and barely started the Punisher second season, but I’ll add it to my list.

Ember does continue to look dowdy here. 

Moon Boy attacks Jitter.  She tries translates Moon Boy’s language to English, which is handy.

Unfortunately, Mutina is also too handy, and cuts off Moon Boy’s head.  Yikes!

So they did survive the experience, which is nice.

Beast tells them that they usually don’t destroy / kill their opponents, but good job.

Nightcrawler alerts everyone Sentinels are at the door, and we get even more twists!

Sentinels hunt mutants . . . to eat them!  We have Zombie Sentinels, ya’ll!  They’re inmates that the Trasks turned into robots who eat mutants.  Imagine the blue prints for these guys?! 

Nightcrawler teleports Deathdream and Jitter, and we learn he has two extra, but short, arms.  So we are definitely in a different time line. 

We get Calico, Ember, and Mutina team up!  Mutina was willing to be Becca’s friend, but Becca wants to help out, which is a turn off, which is fun.

Doctor Moira MacTaggert mentions the Professor, and it is around here, that I’m remembering that she keeps saying Professor, but I don’t think she ever said X.  Though we do know it is the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. 

Jitter takes out a Sentinel thanks to field testing the shock gloves that Spider-Man gave her.  That feels weird, right?  So the Outliers are in the bodies of their counterparts here?  I do wish they had their memories of their time together, but it is fun to see their friendships get reestablish here as Random and Deathdream seem to be getting along like brothers. 

Mutina decided to stick around, so that’s nice.  Ember doesn’t look as dowdy now that he’s lit up again.  Becca continues to be a delight, calling the Sentinels “doodyheads.”  She’s the best.

Just in time, we get the reinforcements! 

Professor S, Sauron, is here with his X-Men!  Magikossus, Cologik, Siryn, and Warpath. 

Magik has Colossus powers, and Colossus has Magik powers, so there’s a whole backstory there I want to see.  Siryn is a prisoner of Graymalkin, I’m sure we’re supposed to be reminded of that.  I imagine this is Warpath to go with Siryn’s inclusion.  Sauron is always a fun pull. 

Where is Xavier?  Does it matter?

Haven House.  Rogue almost touches Cannonball’s hand, and this makes the New Mutants freak out, as her touch is death to men.  Rogue tries to reassure them, but they don’t need it.

They’re cool with Rogue and her mission . . . to KILL THE AVENGERS! 

So so many twists this issue. 

Is this a three or four parter?  It seems like we need an explanation issue before we get a concluding issue.  We are only getting wilder from here.