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Issue 12
Cowles – Clayton
All posts tagged Cowles – Clayton
We finally got this comic!
and it is going to be very hard to beat this comic this year for Comic of the Year!
Gerry Duggan, Phil Noto, and Clayton Cowles finally reunites the Shadow, the Flame, and the Magik!
Plus, Joshua Cassara and Marte Gracia treated us to such a fantastic cover.
I thought it was two years since Kate and Lockheed were together, but it has been a full year to the month since Marauders Volume 2 Issue 12. Which is still way too long for my taste.
Then immediately after the third Hellfire Gala, in X-Men V6 25, we get Kate Pryde’s concern for Lockheed :
Which clearly was Duggan setting up that we as Lockheed fans, can expect Lockheed to return . . . eventually.
Well, that eventually, turned out to be seven long long months.
Issue 32 has my favorite cast of characters :
So much so that I’m reorganizing my top ten X-Men to move Emma way up the list.
- Kate Pryde with Lockheed
- Magik
- Nightcrawler
- Emma Frost
- Storm
- Rachel Summers
- Cyclops
- ForgetMeNot
- Wolverine
- Rogue
Which I’m still not too thrilled with my last three there, but I think its a solid list. I almost had Emma at three, but I still have to keep my love for Kurt pretty high. Thankfully Uncanny Spider-Man was a delight.
Emma was at a solid six, then I swapped Storm and Rachel around.
Issue opens with exactly where Lockheed has been staying safe :
Lighthouse Keeper Bill (as I’ve been referring to him as) makes a terrific stealth Excalibur reference which I adored.
Next, we catch up with Magik who is invading an Orchis stronghold, looking for a scientist that infected her with nannobots which prevent her from using her powers. Which I did not read X-Men 24, but I read all of Realm of X, including those datapages / lore journals, and not once did they referenced Magik having nannobots inside her – they implied it was the Asgardian land / Saturnyne’s doing that was preventing Magik from using her powers. So I guess it was both?
So Magik finds the scientist, who wants to just kill her instead of helping so. Magik looks exhausted and in so much pain, so she isn’t quick enough to stop him.
Thankfully someone else is!
We get the first of two hugs, which I share twitter friend @GraysonMaximoff’s desire for the Katyana ship to move up to the kissing phase, but that hug is so well earned. The two of them have been separated since the Hellfire Gala.
Polaris comes in for the grand rescue, she removes the nannobots from Magik, and a Stark Sentinel arrives, and the trio has to destroy it.
Emma Frost arrives, and tells them that there is so much to do, but first, she has a gift for Kate :
Which I adore not only this page, and I would love a poster of this page as well, but that Lockheed was able to find Emma, or that he sought her out first, as she would know where Kate is – as they grew extremely close during Marauders Volume One – by far my favorite ongoing series of the Krakoan Era. X-Men Volume Six would probably be my second favorite, I’ll have to think about that, but I can’t think of what would come close.
So that would be the second hug of the issue as well.
There isn’t enough hugging in comics.
I also covered this on the podcast, if you want to hear how much I loved this comic :
Spotify –
Apple Podcast –
https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/115-x-men-2021-32/id1653932419?i=1000648726895
I also now have a linktree, that I’m hoping makes it easier to share all of my content
Thank you, dear reader, for reading, and listening, and for watching.
I started playing Midnight Suns, and been uploading my progress, as of this writing, I have 13 episodes to be enjoyed.
It has been such an enjoyable game, and I’ve been loving hanging out with Illyana, and she even considers my Hunter to be friends, which thrills me beyond belief.
In X-Men Volume Six Issue 25, we got a Lockheed reference :
I thought it would be fun to track any additional Lockheed references, just in case this is the beginning of building up to his grand return.
Creative Team –
Writer Gerry Duggan
Artist Stefano Caselli
Colorist Marte Gracia
Letterer Clayton Cowles
I reviewed the comic on the podcast :
Episode 48
Apple Podcast : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/048-x-men-2021-25/id1653932419?i=1000623886333
Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jcb0tHwkinv0UOYy02dDB?si=ORAxPTkbRtuBbuZKK8Wsdg
Cover Dated July 2010
This comic is filled with one page origin stories, which were actually used in some trades in 2010. The following characters get origins –
Captain America, Steve Rogers
Fantastic Four
Doctor Doom
Amazing Spider-Man
Green Goblin
Thor
Loki
Invincible Iron Man
Incredible Hulk
Avengers
X-Men
Writer Fred Van Lente
Art Leinil Francis Yu
Colors Dave McCaig
Letters VC’s Clayton Cowles
So great that Kitty makes it to the cast of characters.
Daredevil
Doctor Strange
Writer Fred Van Lente
Artist Butch Guice
Color Artist Val Staples
Letterer Blambot’s Nate Piekos
Black Panther
Nick Fury
Wolverine
Hawkeye
Mockingbird, sometimes the two facing pages relate to each other and sometimes they do.
Black Widow
Punisher
Black Cat
Ms. Marvel, Carol
Hercules
Luke Cage
Immortal Iron Fist
Moon Knight
Ares
Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew
Ghost Rider
Skaar, Son of Hulk (whatever happened to this guy?)
Iron Man 2 is clearly coming out as there are ads for it and various merchandise.
Pet Avengers
Writer Chris Eliopoulos
Artist Ig Guara
Color Chris Sotomayor
Letter Blambot’s Nate Piekos
Lockheed! I miss that purple dragon,, he needs to show up in a comic again!
Deadpool
Power Pack gets a very generous two pages
The Hood
Sentry
Captain America, Bucky Barnes – I like how they start and end with Captain America. It at least gives a reason for not starting with the Fantastic Four – though Cap (both of them) predate the first family by twenty years.
a
Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Artist Alex Maleev
Color Artist Paul Mounts
Letterer & Production VC’s Clayton Cowles
This is the Iron Man title wherein he is trying to figure out who his birth parents are. Tony has caught up to childhood friend and current arms dealer, Cassandra Gillespie. Apparently, her dad may have told her who Tony’s father really was. Are there any golden age characters that could benefit from being placed back in the spotlight as Tony’s parents? They will have to be, right? Also, is Bendis’ reveal going to be who Kieron Gillan had in mind?
One Week Ago. But First! We have to do with the little matter of Tony trying to deal with the fallout of Civil War II’s first issue. Yesterday was the Celestial attack and the after party. Friday is his lady holographic assistant. I like that Magik is getting some good press there, being on multiple news feeds. Really, it was the magic empowered heroes who saved that day.
Tony wants Friday to do a search for who his biological parents are.
She’s been working on this search since Tony found out he was adopted – which would have been nice to have an editorial note stating which issue or trade I can find that information in. A quick Google search reveals that was in Iron Man 17, that way way back in October 2013! Such a long time to not pick up on that again.
Magik continues to be seen on the news coverage.
Tony asks Friday what she has discovered.
Bulgaria. Iron Man lands in the country, on a playground it looks like. I’m not sure why he didn’t go to the American Embassy. Which is in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Iron Man has a fun little exchange with Anna, a nice elderly lady. She can’t believe Tony Stark is in front of her, he asks what her name is and she says “Iron Man” as she is still processing it. He makes a joke about how he’s been called Iron Man, as well, for years. I like those little moments of levity.
He has come to the place where he was adopted from. Does that mean he is Bulgarian? That’s a big get for that country! He had to personally come here as their files have not been digitized. Tony is pretty sure someone took his file, most likely Howard Stark. Which makes complete sense, he’s rich and doesn’t want people to know he is adopting a kid – for business reasons, I’m sure.
Tony mentions how only Howard would know about the adoption. Anna corrects him, his birth parents knew as well. Tony isn’t thinking clearly with this matter.
Auckland, New Zealand. Twenty Years Ago. I imagine that the beginning of this flashback was in the previous issue. Cassandra and Tony are having a fight. Hydra apparently attacked her family, Tony suspects to get at him. Tony is running away from his parents, he thought she was running from her parents but they know where she is. Always good to check in with your parents. Cassandra wanted information about Howard, Tony doesn’t believe he ever mentioned him. Cassandra corrects him, that’s all he ever talked about.
Cassandra, again, tells Tony that she loves him. He doesn’t believe it. Howard shows up in SHIELD flying cars of that era. He doesn’t want the kids talking as Cassandra is a terrorist. Howard brought good ol’ Dum Dum Dugan, who has a sniper rifle pointed at her head. Howard is having SHIELD arrest her. Tony keeps trying to get a word in but classic Howard is shutting Tony down.
Hydra planes fly in and start firing on the SHIELD cars and the Starks. Cassandra runs away. Hydra agents land and grabs Cassandra. They open fire but Howard has a force field, so they are okay.
Bucharest. Gillespie Compound. Today. We see current day Cassandra, who has an eye patch over her left eye. Tony asks her who his biological father is. She has a gun pointing at his head. She reveals that her parents are dead, which surprises Tony. I take it, he didn’t do any research on his old friend.
Cassandra can’t believe Tony isn’t asking her how she is still alive. He goes right into the explanation of how clearly if she’s alive, she’s been working with Hydra. He’s been in the costume slash armor business for a long time now. He didn’t ask as it has nothing to do with the information he seeks.
Tony also knows that Cassandra has summoned Mandroids to their location. Tony originally created Mandroids for SHIELD, I had to look it up. I would have sworn they were AIM created and I was going to write how odd it is that a former Hydra agent now has AIM technology but that isn’t the case. In three minutes, the Mandroids should be arriving.
Cassandra didn’t know Tony was adopted, I imagine most don’t. She’s watched Tony’s superhero career unfold, expecting to run across him at any moment. It never happened.
Cassandra explains how silly it is that both Hydra and AIM are loud about their business practices. She has carved out a corner of the arms market that her clients appreciate is very discrete.
Tony asks if she thinks about him as he thinks about her all the time. I suspect he doesn’t but it is a nice thing to say. Cassandra wonders if Tony really is adopted or if this is some bad intel that he has been given. Which is a good point, I’m not sure of the actual story that revealed that he was adopted. How did that information come out?
Issue ends with the Mandriods arriving. Cassandra can’t let Tony leave as it will hurt her reputation. I suspect he makes it out of there alive.
Words Max Bemis
Pencil & Inks Michael Walsh
Colors Ruth Redmond
Letters VC’s Clayton Cowles
So Bentley has become a student at the Xavier Institute. Last issue, Mystique tried to recruit Bentley to her side. He turned her down but not before she kissed him, while taking a picture of it. So now she has some blackmail material and wants him to kill Xavier.
Issue opens with Wolverine lecturing Bentley’s class. In a fun sight gag, the chalkboard is full of teams students can join including All New, Super New and Kinda New. The strategy to a winning X-Team is – a big guy, a hot chick and Wolverine or someone who looks like him. He goes on to lecture about how unassuming mutants are typically the ones that are chosen by demons and become ultra-powerful. He also talks about how Xavier is constantly giving multiple chances to people who don’t deserve them, such as Mystique.
Bentley asks about the X-Men themselves being given second chances. Such as if Rogue went naughty one day, which Wolverine wouldn’t have any problems putting her down.
At a Mutant Youth Outreach Seminar & Mixer. Bentley and Rags & Riches are hosting a table for the Xavier School. I like how they are the least visited table. Who would want to join the X-Men when their house and all of their shit keeps being blown up?
Bentley introduces himself to Miranda, in a few fun scene. Neither of them have parents in their lives, she lives at a shelter. I really like how Bentley takes a stab at Macklemore, and how (like me) Miranda likes Macklemore. What is great is that Bentley totally recoups with a throwaway line.
Miranda’s powers are that she can make things not exist. Bentley asks if it is like a Kitty Pryde-type thing, which seems odd. Her power isn’t that she can make things disappear unless he means simply by phasing things under things or inside objects but that seems like a stretch. Then again, he probably doesn’t really know Kitty.
Miranda shows off her power, everyone at the mixer disappears and only she can Bentley remember that people were even there.
In the Danger Room, Miranda shows off her powers to Beast. We get a great one page explanation of how these omega level mutants don’t go out of their way to just undo all of reality or destroy the planet as easily as their powers would allow. Beast says Miranda is an omicron-level mutant, something he just made up.
Miranda will join the school, but only if she can be on the same team as Bentley. But she already has an X-Uniform, so she must have signed some paperwork.
On their mission, Rags & Riches are fighting off a horde of Brood. Riches gets hungry and demands Bentley to get him a slim jim. This is all Bentley can offer as he can’t do anything and Miranda (who is also on the mission) can do too much. So they just sit back and hang out.
Issue ends with Bentley having to clean the debris of the battle. Magneto pulls Bentley towards him, across city blocks and he wants to have a chat with the young man.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Artist David Marquez
Color Artist Justin Ponsor
Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles
Designer Victor Ochoa
Cover Artist Marko Djurdjevic
Since we went to the Hastings’ Launch Party, we received this –
Lithograph by Michael Cho, which was also a variant cover.
As we saw from from May’s Civil War Month tie-in, I didn’t get that many comics in the first Civil War that won’t be the case with the sequel as I already know I’m getting five tie-ins.
All I’m hoping for, is to not be on Iron Man’s side in this event. As I want to be Team Carol, all the way!
Columbus, Woods-N-Waters Campgrounds. Ulysses, the Inhuman, is running in the woods. The Royal Family, plus Human Torch and X-Traitor, Beast – confront him.
Manhattan, Weeks Later. I miss those cast pages to these big events. This issue does a great job of putting name boxes next to the characters but I guess that is up to the writer’s preference or maybe editor, I’m not sure.
We catch up to the All New All Different Avengers – Iron Man, Miles Morales Spider-Man, FalCap, Nova and Ms. Marvel. They are clearly in a middle of a fight. They are fighting back a Celestial invasion. As things look bad, Jane Foster Thor comes onto the battlefield. She’s brought a whole slew of heroes! It is an extraordinary page, except it is missing Magik from the X-Men corner of the page. We’ll see her in a bit.
Carol and Tony are friendly in battle. Tony asks for the doctor’s assistance.
We see Doctor Strange and several sorcerers. They include – Scarlet Witch, Hellstrom, Doctor Voodoo, Wiccan, Shaman and Magik! I simply love that Magik has been allowed to become a mainstay in Marvel’s magic realm.
Magik gets to show off some of her wit, Bendis was always good at writing her. They sorcerers cast “the group spell of dimension reversal. Book of Vishanti, page 2342.” Which I still like that Bendis continues to cite where the magic spell comes from.
Like he tried to do on the previous page, Hellstrom tries to steal the moment with his attitude.
Spider-Man and Spider-Woman are rescuing kids. Miles is on the page, so I see what the creative team is trying to do there.
Doctor Strange announces that the Celestial Destructor is gone. All of the mages look exhausted but Magik is at least getting to her feet.
Medusa and Beast are impress that the plan worked. Nova wonders how they got the heads up about this invasion.
Stark Tower, the Next Evening. Looks like the X-Men all showed up for this party, but not Magik – for some reason. Tony gives a big speech and everything is genuinely having a good time.
No one still knows how they were given such notice of the invasion. Carol knew it came from the Inhumans, she is about to ask the question as Tony is already asking. Medusa pulls aside a select group of heroes. War Machine, Peter Parker Spider-Man, Steve Rogers and FalCap are all invited.
Medusa introduces everyone to Ulysses, who can see the future. Everyone wants to know how the mechanics of that works, Tony wants to get Little Jean Grey in the room. Rogers isn’t sure if that’s a good idea due to the rift between the X-Men and Inhumans.
Jean tries to read Ulysses’ mind but it is unreadable. Little Jean Grey, the worst.
We get the set up, how Carol wants to use Ulysses and Tony doesn’t want to use Ulysses. Tony really doesn’t want to get into this as last time he disagreed with a captain, heroes were pitted against each other. Though I do like how Tony is written, how he points out that Ulysses didn’t see a future, he saw a possible future. The future he saw, involved the Celestial destroying the world (I imagine) and that isn’t the future that happened.
Ulysses goes into his origins, it basically is the new Inhuman origin of the Terrigen Mist bomb and waking up an Inhuman.
Tony tries another approach about what would happen if Ulysses sees a possible future where a hero has turn bad. Would everyone turn on that one hero, just because a possible future states they could go bad.
Carol points out that Tony is a futurist, which he is, he wants to protect the future.
Ulysses is impressed that he met Tony Stark, Spider-Man (in a fun moment) says that it s cool but then you get over it.
New Attilan, Three Weeks Later. Ulysses wakes up, from another vision. He tells his Queen, Medusa.
Mary Jane tells Tony that something bad happened to War Machine.
There should be a big black page that reads “Go Read Free Comic Book Day Civil War.” There, the Ultimates (one of Carol’s teams) and War Machine went up against Thanos. It didn’t go well as War Machine died and She-Hulk was badly injured.
War Machine may have been Tony’s best friend but he was also Carol’s boyfriend – so both leads are sad. Carol retells Tony the tale of that free issue, in a quarter of the pages.
She-Hulk wakes up but then goes back into cardiac arrest as the issue ends with Tony flying away.
Of the titles that are promoted at the end, I know I need to buy Civil War II : X-Men 1, Deadpool 14, International Iron Man 14, New Avengers 12 and Nova 8. Like Original Sin, Magik was there for a key moment in the beginning but she may not keep appearing in other titles after the premise has been established.
Would I protect the future (Tony) or change the future (Carol)? I would change the future, at this moment.
Words Max Bemis
Pencil & Inks Michael Walsh
Colors Ruth Redmond
Letters VC’s Clayton Cowles
Marvel Database finally updated this series, I had already bought this issue on my own. I have to go back and get the third issue as Kitty is mentioned in it. I must have overlooked that when I was skimming the comic. So I’ll review that issue once I own it, which should be the next time I’m at Hastings.
In the preceding issues, Mystique and the Brotherhood have tried to recruit Bailey. Last issue, Magneto captured Bailey.
This issue opens with a classic X-Men baseball game. We see Colossus, Cyclops pitching (which he must be great at), Kurt, Storm and Wolverine up at bat. We see Kitty, in that bottom panel. That’s who I think it must be, Marvel Database doesn’t list her. She is wearing a long sleeve yellow shirt with brown shorts.
We don’t see Kitty again, which made me think that it was a miscolored Jean but she’s wearing a strip shirt and black shorts. Plus their two hairstyles are different so it must be two different characters.
Bailey, the star of this series, comes marching up to Cyclops. Since Bailey has never been on Kimmel, his opinion isn’t worth as much. Jean states that baseball games are only for the proper X-Men.
These pages have all been a dream sequence of Bailey’s. Mystique and Magneto are pitching their side to Bailey, who isn’t really listening. Mystique punches him to his face and he wakes up, back at the school.
I do like Magneto’s comments about how identifying with the minority isn’t so special anymore. Every minority now has representation in the media and it isn’t hard to get media attention, as social media has made it so that everyone has a voice.
Juggernaut is trying to escape from a bank robbery, the siblings we saw from the first issue are now called “Rags & Riches” Rags being the sister and Riches, is the brother. He can turn things to gold, and I don’t recall her deal.
Bailey, who has a crush on Rags, jumps on Juggernaut’s head. Just as a reminder, Bailey has the mutant power to explode like a nuclear missile but he can’t reform after that so that’ll be it for him.
Riches isn’t impress with Bailey. Also on this mission is Miranda, she snaps her fingers and a giant well is created under Juggernaut and he falls to the center of the universe.
Riches explains that Miranda’s power is to make things disappear, he isn’t impress with her either. He whispers to Bailey that he has no chance with his sister. The two get into a fist fight that Bailey doesn’t win. Storm lightning strikes Riches’ hand, which seems overly harsh as that can cause permanent damage. At least a senior X-Man was on site for a Juggernaut fight. The two boys are sent to the principal’s office, which is Xavier in Cerebro. Xavier gives a nice speech about how they only fight because their time here is limited so they might as well do some good while they are here.
Bailey is moved by Xavier’s speech, as we watch Xavier die. Bailey turns around and sees Xavier’s dead body. I knew this wasn’t in continuity but it really isn’t now. Apparently Riches has another power that we will get into next issue.
Well, I won’t as Kitty isn’t in that issue. Once I get the third issue, I’m done. Which is weird, as this was published as a digital comic first. So I’m not sure why there was a delay between issues as they already had the comic, someone only had to click on the “publish” button. Anyone know what happened there? Seems super odd.
Writer Marguerite Bennett
Main Story Artist & Color Artist Kim Jacinto & Israel Silva
Substory Artist Stephanie Hans
Letterer & Production VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist Stephanie Hans
Recap Page Artist Julian Totino Tedesco
Part Two of Two
This is the continuation of the following series – Angela : Asgard’s Assassin & 1602 Witch Hunter. This would be the 17th issue, if it wasn’t for reboots.
Angela and Sera present the recap page, though Sera does all of the talking. The two of them conquered Hel, dethroning Hela. They even took the extra step to create a new afterlife for the slave angels. They have a daughter, Leah, who I met during Secret World 2015’s Siege. That will come into play later. Sera goes meta and states that this series hasn’t been super well received, I get the impression it has a super loyal fanbase but that fanbase isn’t large. Secret Wars 2015’s series, 1602 Witch Hunter, had its own Angela – who has now crossover to the All New All Different Marvel. So that makes Contest of Champions and this issue as issues that have dealt with Secret Wars 2015 directly, or at all. That Angela is now, Faustia, probably so characters could talk without having to distinguish between the two Angelas.
New York City. Central Park, Now. Faustia has Angela, Sera, Leah and Thor captives. Faustia was promised certain things from God Doom but he didn’t deliver. She wants to rule a kingdom.
Leah will make a deal, she wants seven years and after that, she will give Faustia a kingdom. Faustia has her own Sera but it is spelt, Lady Serah. If Leah fails, Faustia can have Leah’s soul. Leah has nothing to live for as she once knew love and can’t find it in this new world. Faustia accepts the dea.
Year One, New York City. Leah hasn’t changed much and is still going to school. To be honest, I’m not really sure what these seven years are suppose to represent. It just sees like Leah made a deal and then forgot about it. Leah likes Sera to read her stories. I do like the commitment to make Angela a lesbian, that I believe was strongly hinted in Bendis’ Guardians of the Galaxy – I’m not sure if it was hinted at over in the pages of Spawn.
Year Two, Los Angeles. Sera makes a “City of Angels” joke, that she’s been wanting to do for 17 issues – a fun meta reference! Leah clearly takes after Sera, especially with the green outfits – starts singing a song that ends with “get the Hel out.” These ladies are pretty clever.
Year Three, New York City. Leah is sad as she still can’t find the Magik she fell in love with from Secret War 2015’s Siege. I’ve checked all 17 issues, as far as I can tell, this has been the only reference to Magik in the past seven issues and the 1602 series. If I missed a reference, like the hint from two images above, please let me know.
I wonder and hope if Leah can still meet our Magik – as who knows, maybe Leah can sway Illyana. As a woman’s sexuality is a moving target.
Thanks to Pinterest user, Karlee Butler for having the above image. Oh Lily, she really is perfect.
How I Met Your Mother, was such a great show.
They were such a great couple i in Siege, they flipping saved the flipping day, they did!
Year Four, the depths of space. The family meets the future Guardians – Kitty doesn’t appear, which is a huge missed opportunity. Groot is there as is Drax, Quill and Gamora. Apparently, in an upcoming adventure, Sera loses her wings to save Leah, to the Collector.
When will Kitty and Angela finally meet? We need an issue with Pryde, Gamora and Angela. I know Angela will be in an upcoming issue of Guardians of the Galaxy. Which for me, would be an issue after seven for that series.
Year Five, New York City. So are we five years into the All New All Different Marvel Universe? Also does it even matter, I imagine nothing is really altered or prophesied in this issue.
Leah meets male Loki, and they make references to how Leah wishes this was girl Loki. Loki knows a Leah, but not this one. Leah makes another meta reference about tie-ins. Which I’m all for.
Year Six, the Invasion of Heven. As Angela and Sera invaded Hel, now they invade Heven. It isn’t working out for them. There is talk of a Hierophants engine but these pages are sort of a lost to me, they look good though. They do win the day and Heven gets some new residents.
Year Seven, New York City. Christmas time. Sera gives Angela a new song and Angela gives Sera a flute – they get each other. Angela really isn’t the focus of this issue. Neither does it feel like plotlines are being tied up.
Leah gets a box that glows from within, it is what she wanted but who knows what it is. Is it Siege Magik? I hope so!
New York City, Central Park. Now. So the past seven years, all happened inside the ladies’ minds from the beginning of the issue.
Elysium, the afterlife of the angels. Leah gives Elysium to Faustia, so she can be the fallen angels’ new queen – so everyone is happy. It seems all very low stakes to me but maybe that’s the point. But what was the point of those seven years pages?
New York City. Thor leaves as Angela realizes Leah had a plan the entire time Leah gets a car and takes off for an epic road trip.
Three Days Later, The Brooklyn Bridge. Angela and Sera seem happy to relive the next seven years together, it worked out so well the last time. They might try to recreate those future adventures and find jobs to pay for their homes. Though I imagine Stark could buy his former Guardian a home.
With that, this series comes to an end. Marguerite Bennett wrote a nice letter to the readership on March 30, 2016 while in Los Angeles. I wasn’t going to post it but it really is very sweet. I should try to get these trades, to send Marvel a message that this series was good. Plus, I want Leah and Magik together!
Words Max Bemis
Pencil & Inks Michael Walsh
Colors Ruth Redmond
Letters VC’s Clayton Cowles
This is a fun little issue, Marvel Database isn’t doing a great job of keeping up with the cast list of the other issues but as far as I can see, Kitty is only in this first issue. If I’m wrong, please let me know.
Issue opens with Bailey and a friend of his are trying to see which girls are in Bailey’s league. Turns out, not that many young ladies are in his league. Or rather, he isn’t in any of their leagues. Poor Bailey feels like an outcast. He’s pretty normal of a kid, he likes video game, he’s average at most things he does.
One day, his parents it him down. They reveal that they are mutants – this excites Bailey as this means he could be a mutant. I do like this approach, a teenager who embraces the aspect of becoming a mutant.
They go to the Xavier Institute to get Bailey tested. Beast is going to administer the tests. Bailey is all types of happy to be meeting Avenger and X-Man, Hank McCoy. After the tests, Beats informs Bailey that he does have an active X-Gene. That’s the good news.
The bad news is, Bailey has the ability to explode on demand. Bailey thinks this means he has relatively the same powers as Gambit but he’s his own playing cards. It is much worst, he can only use his power once – and then it is gone, as he would be too. It isn’t like Nova, who can explode and mysteriously reforms his body.
Bailey is a mutant but one with a power he can never use. He can attend the school, but he’s back to just being a nobody at this school. Poor kid was excited, this has to be the worst case scenario.
As the family walks away, things get worst.
With a page turn, a giant Sentinel steps on Bailey’s parents! It is one of those shocking splash pages but also, a complete shock. I had to turn back the page and flip again, to fully comprehend this situation.
Look at Kitty phasing through the wall in the second row panel. She’ll make a proper appearance later.
We get a fast ball special!
Poor Bailey, as the battle continues, he can only cry and hold his head.
A month later, Jubilee decides to check in on Bailey. He hasn’t left a dorm, so he’s an outcast among outcasts. He agrees to be shown around the school.
So far, this could have all been in continuity, or at least, possibly. Since Kitty is a student, it clearly can’t be a present story and costumes and such imply that this is a fun out-of-continuity miniseries. That really is the way to handle this. Jubilee does state that Kitty is available now that she broke up with Colossus.
Jubilee introduces Bailey to Forge, who is working on a suit of armor for Bailey. Sort of like Doug wearing Warlock so that he can fight.
Issue ends with the school being under attack and Forge and Jubliee head off to confront the intruders. Bailey is going to take the armor out for a spin.
Such a fun issue, with a narly page turn.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 