Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Jed MacKay

Penciler Netho Diaz

Inter Sean Parsons

Colorist Fer Sifuentes-Sujo

Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

Variant Cover Todd Nauck, the Doctor Doom Homage Cover

I’m on record that I’m a huge fan of a villain spotlight issue, which was true for X-Men V7 24.  Is it too soon for another villain spotlight issue?  For me?  No, I’m on record for being a huge fan of a villain spotlight issue.  This time, we get Ms. Danger’s Danger Room. 

I’m also on record about how if a villain knows the X-Men will win, the way to get your agenda done is by making sure your end goal happens toward the middle of your plan, so even when you get optic blasted, you still got your goal accomplished.  The X-Men are notorious for not locking their villains up. 

Maxine Danger, who is between a high functioning sociopath and a narcissistic solipsist.  Which I had to look up. Apparently they believe that the only thing they can guarantee is the existence of their own mind – which seems interesting, but also, other people do exist, but I guess not from their point of view.  Which I know I’m the type of guy, once someone passes me on a highway, I do consider that person.  Where are they going?  How did they catch up to me on the highway to pass me by?  Are they thinking about me right now?  Probably just in terms of “get out of my way!”

We meet former SHIELD Agent Jackson, in Arbfield Women’s Prison.  She has the ability to make people sad enough that they kill themselves, so that’s not great, please seek help before hurting yourself or others.  She knew she had this within herself, so knew once she was a SHIELD agent, she’ll have to get her body count as high as possible. 

Ms. Danger works for the Beyond Corporation, who I’m pretty sure Spider-Man also worked for, so is that the same corporation?

We get the group shot of everyone together, as they are pleased with themselves.  I do love seeing a plan come together. 

I do appreciate that they planned to take Psylocke out first, by separating her from the rest of the team.  One always has to take out of the telepaths first, then the speedsters. 

Psylocke is with Xorn in the Marauder, as it gets blasted out of the sky.  This new Danger Room is full of killers, who, of course, won’t be killing the X-Men.  A real shame that we don’t have resurrections anymore so these new villains can be established as a new lethal force.  I supposed that could make them deadlier, but there is a world of a difference between killing regular humans, and elite mutants. 

We next meet Colton Colton in Calford Penitentiary.  We all know a person with the same name, right?  Or know a person who knows a person?  In high school, my Life Science teacher was Thomas Thomas, and I’ll never forget him.  In my jobs over the years, I have mailed letters to people with the same name.  Those poor nurses having to bite their tongues to not want to request double confirmation on the name. 

Fun fact, my college friend Susie, is a Leap Day baby, so she’s only nine now. 

Colton is a Machiavellian, which I’m starting to think my understanding of some of these words are not exactly what I think they are.  He lived in a trailer park, and turn everyone against each other, to the point they were killing each other, and then he killed everyone else. 

We catch up to the X-Men at the Factory.  Glob Herman is bleeding out on the table, which is odd they didn’t take him to a hospital, especially as they know they don’t have Xorn NOR 70s Beast.  Which is very clever planning on the Danger Room’s part.  I really do wish it was simply called, Danger’s Room, that’ll be fun, plus distinguishes her group from the actual room, or the robot gal.  But like they mentioned in the issue, the X-Men and Merle, Alaska, don’t quite trust each other.  Quintin Quire is mad enough to make some poor decisions.

We see Magik on a screen in the back, which is fun, as we head towards the main event.

I was thinking, isn’t there two more bad guys, how many pages are left of this comic?  So, the solution is, time to double up.  We meet Grigos and Marquez, thanks to the podcast, I might have a chance at remembering their names, or thanks to the website, I can at least refer back to this.  These are two guys who think they have depowered Skrulls, thanks to that cursed Reed Richards!  I think it would be a lot of fun if it turns out that she’s wrong, especially being a solipsist, and they actually are depowered Skrulls.  Why not?  They created a giant fire, which brought the firefighters, who they murdered, so they hate infrastructures. 

We see the X-Men fighting off the ship.  Even if they win the day, and we know they will, without Magik’s teleportation abilities, they’re still stranded deep in the ocean. 

More fighting of the ship.

Magik’s “Cyclops, what’s the plan” reaction meme drop!

I do love Cyclops being “I knew there was a trap, so of course, I sprung it.” He brought along a slew of sledgehammers, and they’re going to wreck their way out. 

He’s going to make whoever this is pay.

Then, to my wonderful surprise, I got my 11^th letter published!  I didn’t think a letter for Age of Revelation Book of Revelations 1 would ever get printed, but it is nice to see it was received, plus, I guess we’ll be picking up on Apocalypse’s kids eventually.  Hence the publishing of the letter.  I see you.