THE CHALLENGE

MUTANT X #27 (MARVEL COMICS)

“In another place–in another life–Alex Summers led a team of mutants in a battle against oppression. His methods were extreme, his tactics questionable, but–in his soul–he knew that he was fighting for the greater good.

Now that soul has been transferred to another world, and Summers, also known as Havok, has found himself living a lie, allied with a team of mutants who are sinister, parallel versions of his friends and family. It is to this dark, new place that Havok has come, where he stands as a man alone… a mutant alone. Alex Summers is Mutant X.

Fear him. Fear for him.”

25 years ago, Marvel Comics launched Mutant X, a Havok led X-spinoff. I recently came into a complete run of the series, and so now I’m going to re-read the series once a week, and you guys get to come along for the ride!

This week, it’s another Storm story, because we need more Storm, I guess.  Hey, somebody was demanding it, so, here’s “The Challenge!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #27 is cover dated January 2000….which is definitely a typo, because it immediately follows an issue dated December 2000.  Hey, that not remember the new year bit happens to publishers too, you guys!  The book was written by “Happy” Howard Mackie, penciled by “Terrific” Tom Lyle, inked by “Amiable” Andrew Pepoy, colored by “Gifted” Gina Going, and lettered by “Cheery” Chris Eliopoulos.  Yes, the adjectives are really there.  Check for yourself.

Ororo reminisces of her life before becoming a vampire, remembering the sun and the wind, but also remembering the moment she was orphaned as a child.  Her claustrophobia begins to act up, and she is jolted back to the present, finding herself buried underground.  She realizes that she’s not actually claustrophobic anymore (neat trick, that), and digs herself out.  Having lost track of Gambit since they were set upon at the end of the last issue, she goes looking, coming across this universe’s Dagger, who is the leader of “The Outcasts”, the group that abducted Gambit and Ororo last issue.  Gambit has stood trial for the crimes he committed against this group, and has been placed on a crucifix, awaiting the arrival of the sun to end him.  Ororo challenges Dagger for Gambit’s life.  Meanwhile, back at the castle, Havok has a conversation with Jean Grey about his time with Madelyn.  They are interrupted by Ice-Man and Brute, who are wondering about Ororo and Gambit’s wearabouts.  A holographic duplicate of a pre-Brute Hank reveals himself, having been downloaded into the computer system before he lost his intellect again.  He believes he can find Ororo and Gambit.  Meanwhile, Ororo prepares for her duel, while the Marauders continue their way through the sewers.  Dagger and Ororo duel, and Ororo ultimately gets the upper hand, stabbing Dagger in the chest.  Ororo refuses to finish Dagger off, and she and Gambit contemplate letting the sunlight take them.  Dagger reveals that in this universe, she and Cloak have merged into one, and are now suffering.  They seek an end, but are unwilling to do it themselves.  The Six arrive to save Ororo and Gambit, bringing with them a serum made by Hank that will squelch their bloodlust and let them walk in the sun.  As they take their first steps into the daylight, Dracula awakens…for real, I guess?

This issue doesn’t really feel like it covers much new ground, largely rehashing stuff from the issue prior, and even ending on the same general cliffhanger.  At least it remains generally linear, in contrast to other Bloodstorm stories.  The Six are at least more than a flashback this time, though I’ll admit to some amusement at *another* typo, where the narration refers to Havok as having been part of “X-Force” not “X-Factor.”  Honest mistake, really.  Still, they’re kind of background again.  The Cloak and Dagger reveal is…odd, and not really well-explained.  I’m still confused by exactly what happens to them at the end.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I still know very little of this storyline, and I’m still not much of a Bloodstorm fan.  I didn’t really care much for this issue.  I mean, it’s not bad, I guess, but it’s also kind of boring, honestly.  The fact that I picked out the two typos, I think, speaks to this.  I want to say maybe we’ll move onto something else now, but Dracula keeps waking up, so I feel like there’s more Bloodstorm content on the horizon.

I snagged this whole run from my usual comics stop, Cosmic Comix, so I want to give them a shout out here, because it was a pretty great find.