Writer Gail Simone

Artist Luciano Vecchio

Color Artist Matthew Wilson

Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

Wild Ride, Part Four

Northern Italy, a location no map shows.  Three centuries ago.  La Cattedrale oi Ferro.  The Iron Cathedral.  A ritual is performance. 

A frecciorossa train in Northern Italy, three centuries later.  Rogue, Gambit, Gabriel, and Repent are traveling together.  Repent is quite thirsty, and apparently has a demon inside him, but a nicer one than the one Gambit has inside him. 

Apparently Repent’s mother died during child birth, which is super sad, and she had a demon inside of her, so when she died, it transferred over to Repent.  He tired to perform his own exorcist, costing himself an arm, an eye, and his sanity.  I checked, and he has one black eye, and one red eye.

Monet is on day three of leading the Uncanny X-Men, and they find themselves fighting a big bruiser of a guy, Calamity. 

Logan, who Monet thinks of as a Canadian, but the way she does it, feels loaded.  Logan confirms that Calamity is a 22 year old, who isn’t being mind controlled.  Calamity was one of the mutants held captive, until he got promoted to tormentor.  With that knowledge, Logan attacks Calamity, berserker rage style.

I really appreciate that Monet isn’t tempted to stop Logan, these are child traffickers.  Monet gets the killing move on Calamity. 

Monet is tearful that she gets to free the children.  Though I can’t help but think about how she was cool with holding mutants prisoner who were just being a little loud in public. 

Rogue and company make it to the Iron Cathedral.  Repent explain the world has always known mutants, which makes sense as we are well aware of Apocalypse and Selene.  Like modern mutants, the ones from centuries ago were hunted as they were feared.  Some died here, while trying to cast out demons that didn’t exist. 

Rogue threatens to kill Repent if Gambit is hurt.  Repent doesn’t seem too concerned. 

We learn that Repent’s mutant power is to transmute liquid, any liquid, into holy water.  One of those classic mutant powers that is created out of the situation the mutant needed most.

Wyren arrives, claiming the underworld hates two things, mutants and priests.  Rogue uses her mutant power to transfer the demon to her, so that Gambit is weakened, and can have the other Eye of Agamotto carved out of his chest. 

Louisiana.  A guard is freaking out about all of the uncaged mutants, gross, and Jubilee swiftly kicks him.  Then she destroys the house they were in. 

I like Nightcrawler and Quicksilver working together, plus the green & white looks great with the black & red in these panels. 

Kurt says that not every evil wears capes, which is a silly take on that expression. 

Always great to see Ember and the New Mutants joining into the battle.

The land owner tries to flee in his fancy limo, but Howler is there to finish the job.

Howler is justified, but is also sad about the whole thing, Logan tells him it is okay.  I love that it is Becca who holds Howler. 

I love how the local police show up, recognize the situation completely, and not going to do anything more than give Monet a citation, maybe. 

Issue ends with Gambit free of demons, or at the very least, this demon. 

Next issue, we get the return of Sarah Grunt!