Writer : Eve L. Ewing

Artists : Carmen Carnero & Federica Mancin

Color Artist : Nolan Woodard

Letter : VC’s Travis Lanham

Pride Cover : Meghan Hetrick

This issue is going to be my comic of 2025, I can just tell. It makes me so happy.

In issue 9, Emma defeats Mister Sinister, but at a price. Not only did Emma defeat Sinister, but she also rescued Axo. Now Emma is trapped inside Sinister’s mind, where he’s having a Mad Hatter inspired tea party.

Federica Mancin draws these pages in a very fun decision. I really like the visual continuity of having Woodard do the coloring for both artists.

Emma reflects on her and Kitty’s origins, and we get a page from New Mutants V1 15.

Emma is still haunted by her Hellfire Club days, and her treatment of Kitty Pryde. Which, of course, makes me wonder if she is haunted by Firestar’s beloved horse, Butter Rum.

We catch up to the rest of the Exceptional X-Men team, Kitty Pryde, Iceman, Melee, Bronze, and Axo. They are distraught by Emma still being unconscious. Axo tells them that Emma is very much still in danger, and has to go back in to rescue her.

I do like how all of the students are X-Men now. They took down a major X-Villain, so they have earned it. Let’s hope they survive the experience.

Kitty, to her credit, did not want them to be present for the confrontation, as she wasn’t raising child soldiers. Sinister sent a clone Iceman to get them, and bring them, but since they are here, they got into the fight.

We see in Sinister’s mindscape, that he’s ten, but not a cute ten year old, he’s Sinister but as a ten year old. He likes to perform dissections, and is generally a cruel child.

Axo returns to the mindscape, Emma doesn’t miss a beat that she sacrificed herself to free him, so this undoes all of that. Sort of like the climax of Top Gun : Maverick.

Meanwhile, the Exceptional X-Men having to fight Sabretooth sabretooth clones. As there is no end to what Sinister will do with Victor Creed’s DNA.

Axo finds a cute plush elephant of Sinister’s, which calms Sinister enough that Axo can force him to nap. Emma compliments Axo, and they are free!

Emma wakes up, which means Sinister wakes up.

in a very classic Claremont Care Bear stare, the united Exceptional X-Men team take down Sinister.

But was it the real Sinister? All we know is that, like the fake Axo clone, or how Dr. Stephanie Burt phased him, Faxo, he explodes in a goo.

But we have no time for that, as Kitty looks over, and sees . . .

LOCKHEED THE DRAGON!!!

. . .

it took ten issues, but we are here!

I keep fondly remembering this fun exchange I had with Carmen Carnero

🤐😉

— Cᴀʀᴍᴇɴ Cᴀʀɴᴇʀᴏ (@CarmenCarnero) April 9, 2024

Way back on April 9, 2025, and a took a while, but her dragon drawing skills are exceptional.

. . .

I can only imagine the only way to top this issue will be if we keep getting more and more Lockheed, but getting him back in monthly comics is all I’ve wanted for so long.

We’re no longer in a Lockheed-less era!

. . .

I do have a concern that Sinister made Sabretooth sabretooth clones, that this could be a Lockheed clone that he created to mess with Kitty Pryde, and all of our emotions, but maybe he was also just keeping him prisoner too?

One of my least favorite villains, and one of my top two favorite characters prisoner.

I’m really hoping that this is the genuine Lockheed, as I don’t want to be hurt again.

. . .

This also explains why we’ve seen him on the covers to Giant Size House of M and Giant Size X-Men 2 as

as Lockheed is back!

I can’t stop smiling 🙂

What a great day this as been, and came at the best time as the school district has decided to shut down the elementary school my wife teaches at, so this comic worked as a perfect distraction when I needed it most.