Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Artist Frazer Irving
Lettering & Production VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Dated August 2013
I finally own this issue! It was one of five issues that Hastings never received, in a three week period.
Cyclops, Emma and Magneto’s powers are broken. Magik’s are broken, but not in the same way. She has grown stronger. Doctor Strange’s long time foe, Dormammu, has attempted to take over Limbo. Magik has recently transformed into Darkchild.
Issue opens with Illyana, speaking to a second party. The other person recognizes the name, Rasputin. The voice does not recognize Illyana. The voice is . . . Doctor Strange! So she must have gone back to way before she ever joined the team, so prior to the original New Mutants run. Strange is willing to listen to her. I love, so much, that Bendis has paired these two characters.
Illyana narrates the issue. She spends most of the story, as her Darkchild persona. Except, Irving draws her with a giant dose of Dormammu. At least, that’s how I see it.
Dormammu’s resident realm is, the Dark Dimension. Illyana’s big thing with Limbo, is that she takes it for granted. Even after all the times that S’ym has attempted to take it, she is under the impression that all she would have to do, is appear and shut down any rebellion.
I like the idea of Illyana referencing her parents, have we ever dealt with her lost of her parents? I know she was a seven year old (the second time), so the emotions were not the same. Plus, she, herself, died soon after that. She doesn’t have much experience with her oldest brother, Mikhail. I know he was in New Mutants : Truth or Dare, and is responsible for her getting the Legacy Virus, in the first place, but that hasn’t been retreaded either.
Dormammu does have Darkchild, held as a captive.
The Cuckoos had manipulated the other young students, to be brave and courageous.
Dormammu taunts Darkchild. Goldballs, tries his best to defend the realm, unfortunately, Limbo is falling apart, all around them. Darkchild realizes that Limbo isn’t much more than empty space.
This train of thought, leads Darkchild to a plan and she starts to realize it. Her power comes from Limbo, and that was destroying the realm.
That Limbo starts to crumble, gives Scott courage to order the team to press the attack.
Such a fun sight gag there, by Irving, that Phoebe asks Benjamin, if all he does is vaguely resemble the person next to him. As he tries to defend himself, a giant rock falls on his head.
Oh, this is when the Cuckoos were all blondes, so glad we have passed this phase.
Goldballs starts to lose it and starts POINK!ing all over the place.
Darkchild starts to overload, Scott can tell that it isn’t an ideal situation.
There is an house ad for Guardians of the Galaxy 5, by Bendis, Neil Gaiman (mostly in spirit) and Sarah Pichelli. This is after Age of Ultorn, as Angela has left the Spawn portion of the Image Universe, and joined the Marvel Universe.
Magik straight up, absorbed Limbo! That is intense! Which is why it annoyed me so much, that I couldn’t buy this issue. It was a defining moment and I had to read about it, online and in the comics.
Magik teleports the team back home, and they all fall into the snow. Bendis really likes the idea of, at least one person, falling face first into the snow. That would be Goldballs, in this issue. He will have Cyclops and Magneto do it, in two different upcoming faces.
Benjamin isn’t getting up and one of the Cuckoos asks for help. Triage has to head over, even though he doesn’t think he can do it.
In what is left of Limbo (which is massive!) is empty space. Magik is back to her regular self. She thinks about Belasco, and her own origins in Limbo. She must be looking fierce, as Dormammu looks scared. He is on his kneeds and it looks like he is begging for his life. It is nice to see that Magik is on the same level as these other lords of their realms. That is how it should have always been, she is the Queen of Limbo, she should be sitting at those tables. Instead, writers would like to have her combat her Limbo duties, but there is a wealth of story potential there.
Emma walks Triage to heal Benjamin. Tempus says “crikey” which I like to pepper my own speech with. Scott isn’t happy that the students had to go to one of the worst places the X-Men have ever been too. They’ve never really had a good time, in Limbo. Scott wants everyone to start training, again. Faculty and students, alike. I do like Angel and Scott having a conversation. Those two have never really been close.
Goldballs really wants to go home, which he will do, in the next issue. Well, attempt to do.
Magik has come to Strange, to become stronger and to control her powers. Magik has gotten this far, with only the seven years of training that she received from both Belasco and (Limbo) Storm. Which is a long time, but it isn’t like she is studying spells. It has been like, she knows six spells, and has been using them regularly. Those days are over, she is going to become a true magician.
Strange is impress, that Magik has the entirety of Limbo, within her. Anyone else, would have exploded.
Strange quickly pieces it together – well, maybe not too quickly, he was listening to a very interesting story. There is an unspoken question, of why not ask his current self for help. Illyana couldn’t go to the Avengers, which Strange figures out that he is now an Avenger – and he can’t fathom the sequence of events that would make that a reality. Probably because it is still 20 years (our time) into the future.
I do like how Illyana doesn’t want to burden Strange, as she repeats it. It isn’t a burden, this is what he does. He rarely gets a proper student, though we have seen him with a few, over the years.
There is a house ad for World War X, by Brian Wood and Alvaro Martinez, starting in Ultimate Comics X-Men 29. Pretty great storyline, there!
Other titles on sale in June –
A+X 9 – Captain America + Wolverine! Doctor Strange + Gambit!
All New X-Men 12 & 13 – The Uncanny Avengers come to investigate the trouble Mystique caused in the X-Men’s name!
Astonishing X-Men 63 – Iceman takes a frightening turn as global winter settles in
Cable & X-Force 9 & 10 – A showdown between X-Force and the Uncanny Avengers, with Hope caught in the middle
Deadpool 11 & 12 – Deadpool finishes up his soul hunting gig, and has to deal with teh powerful demon at the other end
Gambit 14 – Gambit brings his thieving ways to the land of fairies! Guest starring Pete Wisdom!
Savage Wolverine 6 – Spidey and Elektra and Ninjas, oh my!
Uncanny X-Force 6 & 7 – As old demons return to haunt X-Force, the Fantomex-Psylocke love rhombus explodes!
Uncanny X-Men 7 – X-Men vs Dormammu for the fate of Limbo!
Wolverine 4 & 5 – Hunting season draws to a close, but Logan is still drowning in trouble
Wolverine and the X-Men 31 & 32 – The Hellfire Saga begins as the Hellfire Academy steals students from the Jean Grey School
X-Factor 257 & 258 – The end of X-Factor begins here!
X-Men 2 – The Jean Grey School is on lockdown as Areka attacks!
x-Men Legacy 12 – Legion is determined to take the Red Skull’s mutant cure – but at what cost!
I own the All New X-Men issues, Astonishing X-Men, Uncanny (naturally), the Wolverine and the X-men issues and X-Men 2.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 