Writer Sean Ryan
Penciler Ron Ackins
Inkers Norman Lee, Roberto Poggi and Terry Pallot
Colorist Ruth Redmond
Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles
No End in Sight Part One of Three
I really like this issue. There are some fun moments in it.
Redmond should get a bunch of credit for her coloring choices, especially the skin tone as everyone isn’t just the same shade of white. I really like how pale Magik is in this, as that choice seems right. Emma having bleach blonde hair is nice to see again. Her hair was usually the same shade of white that her outfits use to be. Now it seems a bit odd with her all black outfit but I like the throw back decision.
Issue opens with a guy who can’t wait to see this task come to an end.
The New Xavier School students are looking at old photos. Goldballs comes across a New Mutants photo. In the photo is Sunspot, Magma, Cannonball, Wolfsbane and Magik. They are surprised to see Magik so happy. The photo feels odd to me, like that line up doesn’t fit in my brain.
This is also the page that I first notice Redmond’s talents.
Magik hints that some of her old team were not so lucky. Tempus asks if they are dead and Magik confesses that she was talking about herself. It is this comment that makes me realize that she hasn’t had a team up with a New Mutant since she ditch them to join Cyclops’ Extinction Team.
Cyclops calls the students to him. He takes them into the Blackbird – if that is what Cyclops’ side calls their plane. He wants them to learn how to fly and control the jet. Which, the last time I know of a student being trained to fly the jet – was in Uncanny X-Men 143. Where Kitty fights the alien on Christmas Eve and becomes truly a legend.
We are treated to a double splash page and I really like the layout by Ackins. Upper right corner is Cyclops trying to brace for impact. Which leads directly into the plane crashing. It is a great transition.
Death’s Head II has shot the plane down, along with his cyborg assistants.
Cyclops wants the Cuckoos to tell him any intel they can gather. This is during the time when Phoebe was still a blonde – which hopefully there is a website that is keeping track of the time when she is a blonde and which stories take place after she is a red head as it comes and goes and is worthy of tracking!
There is an ad for Jason Aaron’s Original Sin – Thor & Loki : Tenth Realm. We already know that this is the miniseries that reveals that Angela, from the Image Universe, is actually a daughter of Odin – so she’s the new sister of Thor and Loki. I just don’t get the decision to do make her the sister of Thor? It seems like a lame and weak way to connect her to the Marvel Universe – even though that as readers, we know that she really doesn’t have a connection with the Marvel Universe prior to Age of Ultron 10.
My main question with this reveal is, and this won’t be covered in the miniseries – does this mean that Marvel has found a way to backdoor the Spawn portion of the Image Universe into the Marvel Universe? As of now, it was more like a tear in the realities that brought Angela here but if Odin went to the Image Universe and it isn’t that difficult to do so – then that should make Image the equivalent of the Ultimate Universe or the New Universe or even the Malibu Universe. All that, plus they don’t have to own Image in this instant – so bonus! Plus, Spawn has had guest appearances in his title, such as Cerebus, so does that go beyond just Spawn’s corner of Image? Dave Sim would hate that!
Cyclops goes full blast, attacking the cyborgs. The two cyborgs are meant to be funny and I did smile when reading their first exchanges. But then Ryan went back to the well and it just seems like they are meant to be funny.
Cyclops tells Tempus to signal Magik to bail them out. Which they have a handy button for that.
Death’s Head throws a contraption on Cyclops’ head, blocking his power and they fly away. Right as Magik shows up and sees that her fearless leader is gone.
Then comes the true gem of the issue. The guy from the beginning of the issue is talking with Death’s Head. He sees Cyclops with the contraption and doesn’t understand why this Summers has it on his head. He wants the one with the hand blasting and chest blasting powers. Death’s Head wasn’t going to get that one as he is an Avenger and the other is a Space Pirate (Corsair).
The man in charge didn’t realize there was more than one Summers option, and he didn’t know there were three Summers boys (four now that Teen Scott is in the present).
I really like how time is taken so these two could have the real conversation about expectations and how you can’t just ask a bounty hunter to retrieve a “Summers” you got to be very specific in these things! Bounty hunters will assume the simplest target and get that. That may be a true assumption of bounty hunters. I don’t really know.
Death’s Head takes his payment regardless and leaves. Now that other guy doesn’t know what to do.
Over at the New Xavier School. The way Ackins draws Emma’s boobs, I’m not sure how they stay in place. They defy gravity! Also, Magik shouldn’t be standing so close to Emma when she is drawn like that. It makes her sad Power Girl chest window look sad in comparsion. Also, is Magik really that much shorter than Emma? I guess it is a simple way to show their age difference.
The two ladies realize they have to go to SWORD, so they send Benjamin and Irma out. Good thing Irma got her brunette look so much earlier, so now it is easy to tell her from the other two. Thus, she gets to be volunteered for such missions.
On the mission, Irma gives Benjamin a great piece of advice – just look slightly annoyed, that always helps. Which puts a light bulb over his head as it explains so much! Such a great piece of characterization!
One guy on the plane to the Peak tries to make friends with Irma and she isn’t having it. I do like how another lady can be seen in Irma’s same pose – it must be something confident young women do.
The new batch of SWORD recruits get to the Peak. Benjamin asks where the bathrooms are and he is off on his mission. He gets to a bathroom and once he gets there, he sees a giant purple squid being. I’m not sure if he is the bathroom, as he is surrounded by drains or is he just blocking the urinals.
Benjamin gets to a computer and Iron Man sees over his shoulder and recognizes Death’s Head. Death’s Head II and Iron Man have history from the recent Revolutionary War crossover that I only have the Omega issue listed on my Wishlist.
While they talk, Benjamin instantly grows a goatee, which is a great reminder of how his powers work.
Issue ends with Iron Man agreeing to help Benjamin with tracking down Death’s Head. Benjamin is excited and Irma knows this is going to mean trouble!
The story continues into Iron Man Special and concludes in Nova Special. Here’s hoping Magik is in both of these!
I wonder if this storyline is a response to the All New X-Men getting to team up with Guardians of the Galaxy and so now the Uncanny X-Men get to have their own space quest.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 