NO WAY OUT

MUTANT X #2 (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, Havok encounters the Fantastic Four of another world, in “No Way Out!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #2 is cover dated November 1998 and its story and art were handled by Howard Mackie, Tom Raney, and Andrew Pepoy.

The Six answer a distress call from the Fantastic Four, who are battling Moot and his insectoids. The Six make quick work of the insectoids, allowing Reed Richards to take out Moot. When Alex tries to talk to Reed about being stranded in an alternate dimension, he discovers there is history between the other Alex and this world’s Reed and Sue. After returning to Bannerman’s Castle, Alex talks with Scotty about Scotty’s knowledge of the alternate dimension situation. Alex promises to bring Scotty’s real dad back, and goes back to Reed to ask for his assistance in returning home. Alex reveals his predicament to Reed, who attempts to dissect Alex, revealing that Reed has been taken over by Moot. Moot offers to help Alex return home if Alex will become his ally. With the help of Sue, Johnny, and Ben, Alex defeats Moot and restores Reed to normal. Alex talks with the real Reed about his inter-dimensional nature. Reed runs some tests and comes to a conclusion: Alex is suffering from brain damage, caused by the Sentinel blast last issue. Reed calls Madelyn and informs her of this news, and leaves Alex in her custody.

This issue is clearly aiming to fill out the universe a bit more, especially after the first issue’s heavier X-focus. It’s refreshing to see more than just X-characters in play, and the hints at history between Sue and Alex are fun, as is having the FF be powerless adventurers. The twist at the end where Reed thinks Alex is just crazy is an interesting misdirection, but it’s ultimately not executed in an all that thrilling fashion, making the final panel of the issue a rather mundane shot of Alex and Maddie flying home. Unfortunately, the focus is largely just on Alex and Reed this issue, with the rest of the FF and the Six being just bit players. The Six get a fight scene at the beginning and a short character scene when they return to the castle, but it’s still not much to go on. We do at least get a solid scene with Scotty this time around, which helps to set the stage for how central the Alex/Scotty relationship will be to the series.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This issue is the first of many that I’m reading for the first time on this read through. It’s cool to see the ground work for things I know are coming later, but I don’t know how well it works as an issue on its own.

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.