Variant Cover Alexander Lozano, as soon as I saw that plush Lockheed, I had to have this 80s Magik variant cover.
This was such a great comic!
It looks gorgeous too, Daniel, Morales, and Hesli really brought it this issue.
I really appreciate that we got to see how Magik interacts with this 70s Beast, as I don’t feel like they have too much character history together. She hung out with Teen Beast during Brian Michael Bendis’ All New X-Men / Uncanny X-Men tenure. Nothing else really comes to mind.
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I really love Magik bringing Magneto to a temple in Merle, Alaska. That was very kind of her.
Maybe a reference to Kitty Pryde would have been too much to ask for?
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Magik is such a great character, that we can establish where everyone is with her portals, Such a clever use of her power, and we get a quick glimpse of how she interacts with her team, as she’s looking for 70s Beast.
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70s Beast is still unraveling his interaction with Krakoa Beast, the Chairman of 3K. He’s not used to seeing a personification of his inner darkness, so who else to ask but Magik, who has her own personal Darkchild.
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Is this Magik learning about Krakoa Beast’s involvement in 3K?
No, Cyclops must have told them when he updated them on the Age of Revelation.
But always good to reestablish plot points.
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Age of Revelation Darkchild did look cool, and I love that her and Juggernaut are Best Friends Forever.
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Apparently, Cyclops has kept the Krakoa Beast a secret, and only Beast, Animalia, and now Magik know who they are truly up against.
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70s Beast is so vulnerable here.
And I just love the softness of the colors here.
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Magik tells 70s Beast that seeing her darkness personified is a gift.
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It is interesting how living in a comic book universe, that one is treated to seeing what their worst selves look like. That must be such a trippy experience.
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Magik must give the best hugs. The absolute rarest of gifts is a hug from Magik.
The panel of her saying she’s a big softy, and just thinks spikes and swords are cool is a panel that will live on forever. It is a shame she’s not seen saying it inside the panel, but might as well include the hug and the quote when reposting it.
There, I did it for you. You are so welcome.
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Issue ends with an explosion at The Factory.
This probably is my favorite issue of this series thus far. It is so great!
Pages 9-10, 19-20, 33 Jed MacKay, Tony S. Daniel & Mark Morales
Pages 14-15, 26-27, 48 Eve L. Ewing & Federica Mancin
Pages 18, 21-25, 28-32 Saladin Ahmed & Federica Mancin
Pages 36-46, 49 Saladin Ahmed, Cory Smith & Oren Junior
I got the RB Silva variant cover, as Kitty is spotlighted on it.
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Sebastian Shaw is attempting to take back the Hellfire Gala name, and is going to do it in high fashion with a masquerade ball.
I was hoping we’ll get a final page with all of the characters with their new costumes, and their names above their heads.
I don’t think Magik attended this, or I completely missed her.
Rogue takes time to chat with Cyclops.
Oya wasn’t supposed to be here, she just happened to be in town.
Mister Sinister, dressed as an angel, is bored with Shaw, who is dressed as a king. #NoKings
Angel, dressed as a devil, is also there. The mansion’s AI programmed everyone’s costumes, besides Shaw’s.
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We get to see Storm for a panel, and establish Kitty Pryde’s Cat outfit. She looks great here.
Hellion gets a moment.
Cyclops and Psylocke get a dance, and they are very flirty. The dialogue implies she’s going to cheat on Greycrow, but actually, they have a devious other plan. To murder either 3K member, Astra or Joseph, or ideally, both.
These two have intense chemistry though. Does remind me of the Jim Lee X-MEN run, where Betsy, in Kwannon’s body, was flirty with Scott, but he was able to resist, oil licking good as Betsy was. So I like the idea that now that Kwannon is in her proper body, he’s actually attracted to the right mind in the right body.
I also love that it was Emma who insisted on Scott learning to dance. Scemma was truly the best.
Oya and Ransom find each other, and I really like these two. I wish they were not separated by 4,371 miles.
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Page 13, the Kitty & Martinique dance, which is by Saladin Ahmed & Joelle Jones.
The Kitty Pryde subreddit spoiled these images, so I sort of know to expect this, and knowing there was an illusionist, that maybe Shaw wasn’t actually murdered. I kept waiting for a reveal.
I like how Kitty doesn’t recognize Martinique, she recognized everyone else, but it makes sense she wouldn’t know Martinique.
I wouldn’t want Kitty to cheat on Nina, please break up with someone before you cheat on them, that’s just gross.
I would have said I was always more of a Regan Wyngarde / Lady Mastermind fan, of the two sisters, as she’s just pure fun, and Regan is the more serious of the two, which is usually the one I’m more drawn to, but Regan has more page time, and been in more stories that I’ve read. BUT! Martinique Wyngarde having crazy chemistry with Kitty, well now, I have a great reason to love Martinique. You best know that I’m going to be listening to that Cerebro episode again with Alex Abad-Santos.
Cross referencing my League of Comic Geeks with Travis Starnes’ Complete Marvel Reading Order, I’m only missing Emprye X-Men issues 2 & 3 of the issues she’s in that I want for my collection. For whatever reason, I own issue 4, but not issue 1 either, so I should try to buy those first three issues once I’m back in the back issue buying game.
Emma Frost and Namor meet up, and talk about the Seven Virtues and Sins. These two are always a joy.
Logan and Jubilee are the stars of the issue, as they investigate the murder. The Murder of Sebastian Shaw, dun dun DUN!
Shaw was killed by a nerve gas.
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With Shaw’s death, the mansion’s black market security kicks in, and Kitty helps stop some of the defenses.
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So silly having Kitty be the one to say “X-Men aren’t murders.” Frank Bohannan, Director of O*N*E*, is very quick to point out that Kitty herself has killed people.
Toad points to Emma as a prime suspect, as she’s always willing to kill Shaw.
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Kitty and the mutants finally get to see Shaw’s dead body, so we know he’s actually dead. I still, at this point, think this is all an illusion, and Shaw is grinning somewhere.
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I love so much Kitty shipping Emma and Namor. They need a ship name, but I can’t think of one immediately. White Fish, Imperial Frost, something.
Emma doesn’t want Katherine to be crass. I love these two together.
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Emma is already looking forward to never having to think about Shaw ever again.
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So silly Doop up in the sky with his costume. I wish we got a look at his front.
Shaw murdered Kitty, way back in Marauders V1 11, so naturally, she is also a prime suspect, but she was dancing with someone extremely hot wearing a lily mask.
Shame Lockheed wasn’t in this issue, as he was left to drown by Shaw.
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Hellion is quick to accuse 3K’s Astra and Joseph of killing Shaw. Astra mentioned the black market security system, which gives Logan a lead. He tells Jubilee she’s on her own to maintain control of the room.
I hope I captured all of Kitty’s scenes, as I look for her in every panel.
I like that we get a moment with Cyclops, he cancels the mission to kill Astra and Joseph, as the attention is on them, and Shaw is dead, and he doesn’t care about his death, he was scum.
Rogue and Gambit are cute this issue, and maybe bored with the plot? Gambit offers to make her soup or gumbo. Either sounds good to me.
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I love Rogue taking the time to make an Ember reference, as he is a ghost horse.
Logan follows his nose, to Toad, but he assures us, that it isn’t what it looks like. “Jubilee” who looks like what she looks like, but isn’t her, shots Logan.
Turns out we have a new grouping of mutants . . . The Hellfire Brotherhood!
Mystique, who still has some facial scarring, so that’s nice continuity. Destiny, always looking great. Toad. Empath, who is the absolute worst. And . . . Mastermind herself, Martinque! Wha?!
Kitty would work so well in this group.
Mystique explains everything. She was aware of the mansion defenses. She convinced it that she was the real Shaw, and the mansion killed Shaw with the defense nerve gas. He was going to rally the mutants, and the ones who wouldn’t work with him, he was going to use Forge’s perma mutant power gun / technology, and remove any mutants who wouldn’t work with Shaw.
Poor Forge, that gun is his true legacy.
And being one of Storm’s exes.
I was really really hoping Martinque would have interjected with some comment about how she was dancing with a real hottie, and found out who Kitty was. As we don’t ever get them learning about the other. Which is a real shame.
Also, Shaw is super dead.
The mansion defenses finally stop, and the doors open. The room suspects 3K was behind Shaw’s murder.
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Emma and Namor leave as friends.
I like Emma telepathically calling for Rift to get her and Katherine out of here.
Rogue has a nice chat with Oya, telling her that Ransom isn’t as tough as he looks, so please don’t hurt him. Oya was going to have the same conversation with Rogue, which seems odd, she was going to ask Rogue to not have Ransom hurt her? But sure, dialogue is complicated, and I fumble more times than I’m proud of.
I’m really liking this silly new trend of putting the credit page at the end, so that we can have a legit post credit scene.
Turns out, Emma DID kill Shaw, she just overloaded his brain, which would have had the same signs as a nerve gas, so she got lucky there. Logan will keep this a secret, just like how he kept the Hellfire Brotherhood a secret from Jubilee.
This was a lot of fun, and Kitty actually got to do stuff in this issue, so I love that.
So rare for a modern comic to reach issue 25! Though Uncanny will be doing it with its next issue. Just to get it out of the way, here is your Fenris trigger warning. I treated myself to the Luciano Vecchio variant cover. We weren’t given this theme cover for Exceptional X-Men, which I would have gladly bough the Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost, and Melee covers. Actually, I probably would have gotten all of them, as I do love the format. Maybe with X-Men United we’ll finally get them? I’m still waiting for the Russell Dauterman Kitty Pryde costume gallery cover.
Issue opens with Cyclops telling the team about the Age of Revelation. I do like the idea that you can just skip AoR, and what you really need to know, you’ll be told through X-MEN dialogue. Future bad because of Doug Ramsey, and 3K (more about them later).
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Scott’s new goal in life? Fix the Present, Save the Future. Such a good team shot here.
Arizona, three miles from Rio Verde. Which is three and a half hours away from Yuma. When I was growing up, there was a popular blue shirt that had, “Yuma, four hours from everywhere else” that is burned into my mind.
We catch up to Fenris, who are eternally gross. Now, they’re super prideful of being white mutants, so they have a new lower level to their grossness.
I do love how out Jed MacKay is with calling the Strucker twins and Fenris (the name of their hate group) Nazis. Why hide behind code words? Also a good time to mention I was wrong about 3K being a clever way of not writing KKK, which makes sense now that we know Krakoa Beast is the Chairman of the Board.
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Then. Cyclops really needs to find Doug.
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Now. Cyclops sends Magik and Psylocke to join the fight. Once we’re done with the Psylocke retro series (which apparently is selling quite well), I would love to get a Magik & Psylocke miniseries.
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These two are great together!
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Then. I love the X-Men sharing a meal together, this team is very close.
Cyclops reveals that AoR had never heard of R-LDS. 70s Beast let’s out a “retrocausality” which sounds very fun to say aloud. I wonder what that would have looked like as a Mortal Kombat finisher?
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Magik telling Psylocke that her sword is sharper, and Kwannon calling Magik a brat. These two are the best.
Again, I just love Juggernaut and Magik being besties. This series has been great with showing Illyana being actual friends with people. I love to see it.
Juggernaut throws a car at Fenris, he’s so upset that they blasted Magik. Taking her out of the fight for the rest of the issue, which one has to do as she can end a fight rather easily.
Psylocke fights Andreas, and Oya fights Andrea.
Quenten Quire, who also can end a fight easily, has been holding back, as he really doesn’t want to enter a white supremacist’s mind – completely understandable.
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Juggernaut helping Magik up, they’re the best!
We finally learn who the mutant is who is in charge of O*N*E* . . . The Crimson Commando, who I barely remember. He’s on the cover of Uncanny X-Men 215, with Stonewall and Super Sabre. I mostly only remember Stonewall because of the historical event, and the cool flight helmet. He’s a WWII veteran, with the mutant power of peach physical health. I own his first appearance, so that’s cool. He is a Claremont / Davis creation.
The Crimson Commando arrived with a crew, and a press conference, announcing O*N*E*, and Cyclops’ X-Men are working together, then immediately has them stop recording, so mutants everywhere should have some distrust of Cyclops now. Which seems silly, as all it’ll take is for him to reach out to Rogue and Emma, and clear the whole thing up – he’ll probably do that in-between issues.
Cyclops references how the last time he fight Crimson Commando, he died, in Uncanny X-Men 529. Which was the issue Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost with Fantomex were searching for Sebastian Shaw, so I only remember that plot from the issue, but I owned his first and last appearance (until this issue, which I also own, so that’s nice).
We do get a reference to how Cyclops hadn’t realized Crimson Commando was resurrected on Krakoa, so that’s nice that era exists so any mutant can be brought back with ease. As long as they didn’t die in Fall of X (or Rise of X).
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Crimson Commando leaves, knowing he’ll win the long battle.
We get a back up where 70s Beast chats with Animalia, who likes the codename, another legacy of AoR.
70s Beast figures out 3K is actually 3000, otherwise written in Latin, MMM, Make More Mutants, and learns the Chairman of 3K is . . . Krakoa Beast! So, everyone knows what they are up against.
I do love a Villian issue! We see that 3K’s alliance is on very shaky grounds. Chairman Beast of Krakoa has been gone a week, giving Cassandra Nova and Astra (with Joseph) time to plot the other’s death. Cassandra Nova has her own Pixie, Myraid. Wyre and his X-Men just want to see who wants leadership more. Cassandra Nova puts the leadership to a vote. Joseph dons his helmet, but Myraid takes off the helmet, and Cassandra Nova is on the verge of winning, when Beast shows up! He is full Beast mode, but all white to match his Age of Revelation body. He was in a synthetic body, which I still feel like wasn’t fair for the home audience’s guessing game. He reveals the plot of Age of Revelation. We get one splash page of the events, so if anyone is interested, they can check out Amazing X-Men V3 for Cyclops’ journey, The Last Wolverine for Logan Death, and Laura Kinney Sabretooth for her adventure. We get this page, and earlier, we get a few panels of him and Animalia .
They are going to use a virus to turn all humans into mutants, succeed where Doug got the job mostly done.
Beast also knows one other thing, that Schwarzschild will eventually join Cyclops, so he has Wyre’s X-Men kill him, and they don’t even hesitate, so we have successfully splintered from the AoR future.
Issue ends with us seeing their base, which is a cool looking flying saucer above a nice mountain range. Are they near Alaska?
No Magik, but I’m getting the Clayton Crain variant cover, so this issue is a keeper.
It also feels like a big step in the direction this series is going in. Maybe not the franchise as I don’t see X-Men United dealing with this, but maybe? They have Armageddon to hopefully dodge, and whatever the 2026 Comic Giveaway issue is. (so silly of a name)
Future Scott swaps minds with Present Day Scott. He does optic blast Doug, BUT! Doesn’t even cause him a concussion. He figures out pretty quickly that Future Beast didn’t swap with him. I guess the plan was that Future Beast was supposed to deliver the death blow? Seems not like Cyclops to train for X years, just to fail at this crucial moment. I do like how he had a plan to attack the X-Men, and he succeeds at that rather well. He takes out Quentin Quire first, then Psylocke, who he was most concern about.
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He dodges Juggernaut, realizes how he must succeed, optic blasts Magik, takes her soulsword, rude!,
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He knocks down Glob Herman, and Beast tackles Future Scott.
In prison, and I like how this was teased in Age of Revelation Finale, so we think this is the end of the story, Future Scott is in The Brig. He explains the situation, but no one wants to kill Doug, as there must be a better way.
I really love that Doug and Bei the Blood Moon are creating their own sign language, that’s very cute. Oya reminds Doug of her time on Krakoa, which I appreciate that we haven’t forgotten she was a prisoner during that time.
Future Scott breaks out, and chats with Magneto, who sticks to his story that he is powerless, so which is it? Is he faking it? Is Age of Revelation already a splintered timeline that will be shredded from memory?
Psylocke shows up, and Future Scott is back in The Brig. Doug goes to talk to him, and dumb Future Scott just tells Doug how he’s going to take over the world by simply telling people to obey him, and geez Scott, just give him the directions to rule? This isn’t the Scott I know, which of all of the AoR characters, he is the one character we don’t know.
Issue ends with Doug, Bei, and Warlock simply leaving.
I like how Magik clearly had the thought that she wasn’t going to fight Scott, and after his attack, she grabs her soulsword, and leaves the issue. My head cannon is that she got attacked by him, and decided to go hang out with her brother, Colossus.
I also really like how this issue doesn’t try to sell you on the Age of Revelation crossover. There’s not even an editor box to tell you to read the crossover. Are you interested in where this Future Scott is from? Go check out Age of Revelation. He’s simply a Cyclops from the FUTURE! If you are interested, you can look it up. That is very new reader friendly.
#Exiles V1 28Unnatural Instincts, Part 1Timebroker has a new mission for Magik & The Exiles616 Havok's mind is sometimes his, and sometimes the Mutant X Havok (who is bad)They need Angel's blood, and Magik is willing to get it the old fashion way if that is what it takes to complete the mission
#Exiles V1 29Unnatural Instincts, Part 2Magik & Sunfire biker, as Magik is willing to do anything to complete the mission and go home. Sunfire knows that home is never comingAngel . . . somehow defeats Magik, those are some glovesIceman doesn't help anything but pointing out the ladies are dead
#Exiles V1 30Unnatural Instincts Magik finally wakes up, and Angel refuses to give back her soulsword. She simply creates another one.Did he keep using this sword?Chuck Austen was writing both Exiles & X-Men, so he probably did, but I don't remember at all.I'm not seeking out Angel comics 😀
Inks Scott Elmer, Michael Kraiger, Rich Perrotta, Cliff Rathburn, Rod Ramos and Vince Russell
Colors Kevin Somers
Letters Sharpefont and PT
Cover Dated June 2000
Thunderbird’s, Neal, Origin issue! X-MEN 100 is his first appearance, but chronically, this issue comes before that one.
I suspect Lim did the flashback pages and Booth did the present day pages. I only think that due to the flashback pages being a cleaner style.
Scotland. Neal Sharra is waiting to leave the dock to go to Moira MacTaggert’s Muri Isle. Jean Grey shows up on a speed boat, along with a very sea sick Cable. Neal wastes no time hitting on Jean. He doesn’t know this, but Jean has recently lost Scott – who was combined with Apocalypse at the end of The Twelve storyline. I’m surprise to see Cable being so sick, I’m sure that isn’t continued from here.
Seven Months Ago. The Port City of Calcutta, in Eastern India. Neal is from a very rich family, who owns a very prestigious tea plantation. Neal’s brother, Sanjit, has gone missing. Sanjit is a reporter and was looking into the impoverished of the city. Neal wants to go, but his father forbids it. His father is the Chief of Police. Neal doesn’t listen and takes off. Neal seems, to me, to be in his late twenties, so he isn’t a mere child.
Muir Isle. The three of them are greeted by Wolfsbane and Colossus. Neal hits on Rahne, so he has a thing for red heads. Colossus states that he is only visiting the island. Colossus is on his way to Cape Canaveral, setting up X-MEN 100, which Neal will come along for that mission. Neal is impressed with Colossus, as he has never met an astronaut before. Colossus mentions that his brother, Mikhail, was the astronaut of the family – we all have one of those, right? Colossus does state that he has been to space, which is an odd thing to just throw out there.
Neal picks up on the hint that Mikhail is no longer in the present, and he can relate to a lost of a brother – hinting at where the flashback tale is heading.
Calcutta. Neal runs into some thugs, who attack him. Neal is saved by Karima Shapandar, Omega Sentinel, making her first appearance! That’s pretty cool that I own her first appearance, I didn’t even know that! PLUS, I bought this for under two dollars on Mile High Comics, so you can own it as well and not pay too much. She isn’t Omega Sentinel, at this point.
Muir Isle. The group of five are relaxing. Cable, as he got distracted, his metallic arm starts going haywire. Jean tries to calm Cable down, and we see the Phoenix Force aura around her. Rahne is going to get Moira and turns into a werewolf, which is the point when Neal freaks out. As Wolfsbane runs into the other room, Blue Ape Beast drops all of his books, but he gets to say that they are, The X-Men. Colossus armors up, a good thing, as Neal throws a flameball at Colossus. All of this seems odd, as he knows he is a mutant, at this point. Did he not do any research before going to the Muir Island Research Facility? Neal human torch flies away.
Calcutta. Neal and Karima are flirting, and slowly falling in love.
Bullpen Bulletins. Available May 3rd. There are six oneshots coming out, all of them are from the vantage point of What Are Comics Like Within the Marvel Universe? I own all of these, at one point and I still own the X-Men one by Mark Millar and Sean Phillips. Comicbookdb refers to these comics as Marvels Comics : X-Men, I will reveal it one of these days.
Neal and Karima kiss and are shot with darts at the command of . . . Bastion!
Muir Isle. Neal is embarrassed by his over reaction. He is also naked. Jean is the first to find him in the woods. Rahne lead her to him, she also brought a spare X-Uniform. She is confused why, until she sees the very naked man. Jean opts out of having to explain the science of the uniform. This, though, he has researched. He goes on about how Reed Richards created these unstable material on a molecular level.
Calcutta. Neal is the first to wake up. He sees his brother, Sanjit. Bastion explains that Sanjit is no longer human, instead, he is a Prime Sentinel – a human / Sentinel hybrid. Operation : Zero Tolerance was three years ago at this point (1997) but he is still around. Claremont takes this opportunity to explain his name. His goal is to stand as humanity’s final bastion against the forces that threaten to destroy it.
Bastion gives the signal and Neal and Karima are electrocuted. This process reveals two details. Karima would make a perfect candidate for the Prime Sentinel program and Neal is a mutant, which disgusts Bastion.
Muir Island. Neal narrates that his family and Moira’s have been family friends for decades. He is there to be tested on. Colossus forgives Neal’s attempt to burn him. Moira hugs Neal, which I wouldn’t have done unless he actually successively hurt Colossus. Neal looks around, realizing that these people know each other so well, and he is an outsider.
Colossus reveals his origins, so we get to see Illyana – one of the reasons why I bought this issue. Actually, I’m pretty sure that this is the sole reason why I bought it. Kitty being shown in the lost pages of X-Archives, was a bonus.
Calcutta. Neal is trying to fight off a slew of Prime Sentinels. Sanjit dies and Karima is in the beginning phases of becoming a Prime Sentinel. Neal has been running ever since.
Muir Island. So Neal’s powers were awaken, from a dormant state, which is why he is so much older. He needs help controlling his powers. This is why he is joining the X-Men.
. . .
There is also a section of unused art from the X-Archives!
Including this unused page from X-Men 100!
Art by Leinil Francis Yu and Mark Morales
Letters are from – Gabe Kveton / Doug Cook / Scot W. Myers / Paul Slattery
This is the only chapter of this famous story, as it is the big reveal of why Old Man Logan quit being Wolverine.
Here is what happened before. 50 years ago, the villains won and America was divided. The Wolverine is dead, his claws haven’t been popped, since that eventful day. Logan has been leaving in Sacramento, with his wife and family.
May I say, that I’m a huge sucker for fictional maps? I love just looking at them, at the landmarks that the map maker deems important. Then I look at where Yuma, Arizona is – here it is in the Kingdom of the Kingpin (formerly the Domain of Magneto). The names of cities hold so much potential story and history. Montana falls in the vast unclaimed area, the Wastleland, I believe they call it in this title.
Logan was living in Hulkland. To the right of the Wasteland, is Doom’s Lair, next is Clyde’s Pit and lastly, is The President’s Quarter. Certain villains have cities, along the path that Logan is now taking.
I’m getting ahead of the recap. Logan is a farmer, and the grandchildren of the Hulk, want Logan’s rent but he is pretty behind.
Clint Barton, the now blind archer – wants his old friend to cross the country with him. Logan agrees, as long as he doesn’t have to get involved with any violence. They are heading to New Babylon, which is in The President’s Quarter. What is in the package, that Clint has to deliver, is another mystery of the storyline.
They have met Moloids and clone tyrannosaurs, they are currently being stalked by the venom symbiote. At the end of last issue, Logan agrees to tell Clint what happened that day.
Now we are at this issue.
Back in the day, most likely a Tuesday – Jubilee tells Wolverine that every hero team is sending out a distress signal. The villains are rising up. There is a huge explosion, and it is on!
There is an ad for the Honda Fit, it breaks up my comic and this review.
Now, we get to the panel that got me to buy the issue. That brunette, in the third panel – telling everyone to get to the evacuation tunnels, that has to be Kitty Pryde, right? It is her or X23 but I say, X23 would be popping her claws and heading towards the attack. Kitty would hang back, and make sure the students were okay. There are not that many brunette X-Women, and not that many with a modest breast size. Sorry but in a world of Double Ds and larger, normal breasts stand out.
Marvel Database use to list Shadowcat, as being in the issue but I imagine now they don’t list either lady, as there is no way to prove which one it is. Unless Millar and McNiven have revealed the script for the issue or have been asked. I say it is Kitty and thus, I own this issue.
There is another panel, that she could be in, later but we’ll get to that one.
comicbookdb has Shadowcat listed for the issue, so they are with me, on this.
Two students are not sure and Wolverine tells them to get the heck out!
Wolverine then, somehow, slashes Blob but he is so focused on murder, that nothing is sinking in.
Sabretooth and Mister Sinister enter the fray and Wolverine punches Sinister to his face! Has that ever worked, to the extent that blood comes out of his face?
Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike go down. As do Omega Red, Absorbing Man and Scorpion. Shocker even tries to do it. as if Wolverine would be easier to kill now that he has killed thirteen other villains.
So great that McNiven got to draw this assortment of villains. When would he be able to draw Scorpion or Shocker, before this?
There is a double page ad for Spider-Man : Web of Shadows, a game I wanted to play, when it came out. I recall it didn’t get great reviews.
The only villain to really put up a fight, is the last one – Bullseye! They fight for 90 minutes, taking pieces out of each other.
Wolverine straight up thrusts his claws through Bullseye’s chest.
I’m not sure if what is making all of this is possible, was just wearing off or if it was due to Bullseye being the last, but the fog starts to lift over Wolverine’s eyes. Bullseye calls Wolverine, friend, and this startles Wolverine.
Wolverine is holding Jubilee’s body! She was Bullseye! How she was able to withstand a 90 minute fight with Wolverine, is beyond me – much less take chunks out of him. OR! Even being able to survive one slash of his claws.
Turns out, the villains big plan to take the X-Men off the board, was to get the big ol’ dumb Wolverine to do it for them!
I like Mysterio, who is clearly a hologram – giving Wolverine shit for thinking that he could have taken out all of these named villains.
I’m surprised no one has ever had Wolverine face off with Mysterio, after this issue came out – but Mysterio has been off the board, for a while now. Last I read him, he was involved in Spider-Men, as Mysterio was also, Ultimate Mysterio!
Wolverine straight up murdered these X-Men! Gambit, Iceman, Havok (who was Stryfe, as he has no head!). Colossus, with who I thought was Shadowcat – on his chest but that is clearly Psylocke with her costume (butt sticking out, and all) and the purple tint to her hair. Cannonball, Storm, Longshot, Beast, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Polaris and even Forge is dead!
We cut to the present and Clint is being a good guy, not judging Old Man Logan for something he is clearly still broken by and it was fifty years ago.
Mysterio was so good that he could even affect the way Wolverine’s senses worked.
After Wolverine killed the X-Men, Logan walked away and kept on walking, for weeks, maybe even months. Logan decided to kill Wolverine, so he put his head on a railroad track and let a train run it over. He survived as, of course he did.
There is a hint of what happened to the other heroes, there was a giant battle in Vegas where the heroes fought the villains – and clearly lost.
There is an ad for Bendis / Deodato’s Dark Avengers, a pretty great title in a fun era of Marvel Comics. I only read issue eight, which was written by Fraction and what part of the Utopia crossover. Luke Ross was the penciler, so I don’t even own any issues with the main creative team.
Old Man Logan uses this story to emphasis why he doesn’t want to be a fighter, he uses his hands as a farmer.
Dwight’s Toll. I really like the choice to have a light page, after the bulk of this issue being so heavy on death. Dwight is a teenager (or maybe a twelve year old boy) who has an Ant-Man helmet. The kid only wants people to pay him eighty cents, to cross the bridge. For those who don’t pay – and many don’t, as we can tell from the view from below the bridge – get killed by a million ants. I do like the idea of this kid, knowing he has picked a silly amount for a toll so he gets to get his fair share of stupid kills but for those who know him (like Clint) they know to take the toll very seriously.
Doom’s Head, Illinois. Clint apologizes to Old Man Logan, for bringing him on this trip, where hazards are everywhere.
Issue ends with a giant T-Rex, with the Anti-Venom symbiote.
Inkers Butch Guice with Andrew Currie & Karl Story
Colorists Paul Mounts with Justin Ponsor & Rain Beredo
Letterer Chris Eliopoulos
Flashback Artists – David Finch, Danny Miki, Frank d’Armata, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, Morry Hollowell, Olivier Coipel, John Dell, Mike Deodato Jr., Joe Pimental, Dave Stewart, Leinil Yu, Mark Morales, Laura Martin, Bryan Hitch, Rain Beredo, Billy Tan, Matt Banning, Justin Ponsor
Cover Dated June 2010
Jessica got the cover treatment! Looking at the credits, I’m not sure which other pages Immonen and his team did, besides the very last page. I suspect he may did any pages with Jessica (as she isn’t part of the action) but those pages still look like Hitch. Maybe it is the inkers throwing me off but I’m not sure. The final two page splash are the only pages that look like Immonen.
This issue starts with a warning, to read Siege 4, prior to this issue. This issue ends the, Dark Reign of Norman Osborn. Well, Siege 4 did that, but this has the aftermath.
Issue opens with everyone’s favorite villainous father daughter pair, Count Nefaria (of Uncanny X-Cast fame) and his lovely daughter, Whitney, Madame Masque. She is seeking help from her father as her boyfriend, The Hood, and her are on the run. This is one of the few appearances of the Count’s that I’ve actually read and it is hard not to read his voice in the classic vampire fashion.
I do like how, under the Iron Patriot helmet, Norman would still paint his face green to represent his Goblin side. So kooky! Siege took place on the Asgard portion of Oklahoma.
Poor Jessica Jones is watching the news, looking for any sign of her husband, Luke Cage. Danielle is happy, sucking down some milk or formula.
Jessica gets a call from the US Army, Luke borrowed a phone. Which is nice as my wife would not answer her phone from a number she didn’t recognize. Luke is telling her that he is okay but there is a mess.
Cut to an awesome and what Hitch does best, double page splash. The pages are full of debris and so much detailed destruction.
Jessica wants him to come home but he can’t as the New Avengers are still fugitives of the law – due to the Superhero Registration Act. Their phones get disconnected.
The team make sure that they are all okay. Ronin wants to take a moment to appreciate their win. After that moment, the team wants to leave as, if they help the police, they will get arrested. Most likely, after the damage has been cleaned up. Captain America, the real one, is summoned by the President. Most likely, Obama, but Bendis doesn’t like dating his comics, like that.
Spider-Woman looks over and sees the fallen villains that Norman had en massed, including the Wrecking Crew. Ronin wants to know where the Hood is, but none of the thugs know. So this whole issue is about finding the Hood. Someone gives up the name of Hood’s cousin, John King. They find him, he calls Hood and arranges a meeting.
The team gets to where Hood, Madame Masque and Count Nefaria are. Cage is told about who Nefaria is. Carol explains his powerset. He has the combined power of Living Laser, Atlas of the Thunderbolts and either Whirlwind or Whizzer (it is Whirlwind)’s speed. So energy projection from Living Laser and strength from Atlas. Also, he is essentially immortal. Cage makes a phone call, they need some additional power.
Inside, Nefaria is willing to help Hood but only for all of his money. With the power upgrade that Nefaria promises, the Hood can make up all of that money, rather quickly. He is not impressed with the Hood,at all.
The Avengers crash through the window and the fight begins. Carol is the first to confront Nefaria, she’s going by Ms. Marvel at this point. She starts taking a beating from him, but only so she can absorb his energy – a powerset people forget that she has. I didn’t even know she had it! Is that a left over from her Binary days?
So she hits him with his own power which weakens him to merely “not so powerful” but still. He takes down Carol and shouts that he is immortal. Just then, Wolverine shows up to start ripping into Nefaria. This is who Cage called. Carol starts back into Nefaria, taking more of his energy. He is immortal but a tad less so, so Wolverine’s attacks are mostly weakening him.
Wolverine was on the West Coast, as the X-Men are on Utopia.
Asgard, Oklahoma. The Avengers drop – Hood, Madame Masque, Count Nefaria and John King.
Cage asks Hill what the Avengers are, and she tells him that they need to watch the news.
New York. The Next Day. Superhuman Registration Act Thrown Out. Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, replaces Norman Osborn as America’s Top Cop. So this issue sets up the Heroic Age, a more back to basics approach Marvel branded the titles with.
Rogers, out of his star spangled suit, informs the team that the President has appointed him, The Director of SHIELD. Which lasts a decent amount of time. Rogers reveals that Count Nefaria was one of the responsible parties from the original first issue of New Avengers, volume one.
Mockingbird brings up the question of what they do now. This, somehow, sets up Cage to provide a giant monologue, which is mostly an excuse to reprint art from previous storylines.
We get a glimpse from the original Ronin storyline, that had Echo under the hood.
Yes, I own this just because of this page, that I already own once, during the original Sentry storyline.
Cage has been honored to be counted among these New Avengers.
Which is taken directly from New Avengers 8 with art by David Finch.
I guess the House of M counts as it was a Bendis penned crossover and this title would have had tie-in issues.
We get the storyline reminder, and the mess that it was, with the essence of the lost mutant powers, reappearing on Earth and killing Alpha Flight and eventually ending up with Weapon Omega. It also was Bendis doing what Marvel needed so that they can use Magneto again after Morrison’s attempted to shelf the character with the Xorn business.
Double splash page (they all have been, thus far) of Secret Invasion, another Bendis written crossover.
Double splash from when Doctor Strange was looking for the new Sorcerer Supreme.
New Avengers v Dark Avengers!
The final one of these is when Rogers, as Captain America, got to throw his mighty shield into Iron Patriot, Norman Osborn’s face.
I really like this final page, clearly done by Immonen – with all of the characters, out of costume. My only problem, with it? Shouldn’t Bucky’s arm be metallic? It is definitely flesh colored.
The next issue is Bendis’ first Avengers 1, with a very complicated time adventure.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 