THE END

MUTANT X #32 (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!

It’s almost over, guys!  I’m officially at the Mutant X finish line!  Yes, this week, things get pretty cataclysmic and pretty hectic in the mad dash to wrap everything up in “The End!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #32 is cover dated June 2001, and officially brings to a close the Mutant X title, just under 3 years from its start.  The issue is credited to Howard Mackie, Ron Lim, Andrew Pepoy, Chris Eliopolous, Gina Going, Michael Golden, Lysa Hawkins, and Joe Quesada.

Magneto cradles a dying Polaris outside the castle, following the attacks of Dracula and the Beyonder.  The battle has ended, but it has left most of the heroes, including all of the other X-Men, dead.  As Beyonder demands Alex Summers, a distraught and vengeful Magneto is collected by Doctor Strange, who offers Magneto a chance to help stop the Beyonder.  Inside the castle, Scotty has succeeded in waking up Havok, who saved the remnants of the Six from Dracula.  Bloodstorm reveals to Havok that Strange has told them that Havok is the key to defeating the Beyonder.  Strange, however, informs Havok that he is actually the key to the Nexus of all realities, and he is the one thing the Beyonder wants.  Havok wants to join the other heroes in fighting the Beyonder back, recounting his brother Scott’s encounters with the Beyonder in 616, but Strange shows Havok that all of the heroes have fallen.  As Strange takes the few remaining heroes to a safer location, Dracula awakens once more in the castle, sensing an opportunity.  He offers to help the Beyonder locate Alex and the others, at a price.  Strange teleports the heroes to Antartica.  Magneto reveals he has built a “Citadel of Seclusion” at this location, having been greatly strengthened by the proximity to the pole.  Inside the Citadel, Havok argues with Magneto, wanting to take action against the Beyonder.  Strange reveals that the being they’re facing isn’t actually the Beyonder, but some other entity using the Beyonder’s form.  Victor Von Doom leads one last stand against the thing masquerading as the Beyonder, while Strange calls in reinforcements in the form of Reed Richards, Xavier, Baron Mordo, and the Fallen.  Mordo reveals that when the Nexus was “destroyed” in the first annual, it was actually moved into Havok’s body.  Richards, Xavier, and the Fallen aid in preparing Havok and Scotty to do battle with “her,” revealing the Beyonder to actually be the Goblin Entity, having merged with the Beyonder’s corpse following its defeat by Havok and Scotty previously.  Dracula and “Beyonder” arrive at the Citadel, and Havok and the Entity do battle. Dracula lurks in the Citadel, killing Reed, but is finally killed by Bloodstorm.  Havok is nearly overwhelmed by the Entity, but is able to separate it from Madelyn.  Havok absorbs the Entity into the Nexus, and sends Madelyn back to the others.  Havok finds himself once more floating in a black void, but now instead of only remember dying, he also remembers living.

The annual crammed a lot of plot into its pages, and it didn’t do a spectacular job of it at that.  This issue also has a lot to do in the grand scheme, but ultimately less moving pieces than the prior issue.  We get some actual clearing up of exactly what happened to the bulk of last issue’s heroes, which at least makes things a little less confusing.  I suppose it’s also nice that they managed to bring all of the original Six members back for the finale, even if most of them aren’t left with much to do.  Bloodstorm again gets the biggest focus of the non-mains, with her moment to kill Dracula and a few other scattered lines of dialogue.  Brute is unfortunately out of commission the whole time, and Ice-Man’s in a lot of panels but doesn’t utter a single word for the entire issue.  The Fallen gets perhaps the silliest turn of all, re-appearing as part of Strange’s crack team to take down the Entity, uttering no lines, and not contributing anything at all to the actual story in the slightest.  You gotta admire their full three-year commitment to having Warren never actually do anything.  The twist with Beyonder being possessed by the Goblin Entity’s not a bad one, and it wraps things up with a neat bow, but it does feel awful rushed, to the point that the resolution of the actual Mutant X universe’s characters is literally 3 panels at the bottom of the second to last page.  We don’t even really see how everyone else reacts to Madelyn’s sudden return.  For his part, Havok will be floating in limbo until he gets brought back into the mainstream universe by Chuck Austen, and…well, that’s it’s whole own thing that I ain’t touchin’.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After the last few issues, I knew this one would be rushed, and I prepared myself for that.  It helped, though not immensely, I suppose.  Like, it’s not a great issue, and it’s a lot more of a “we just stopped telling the story” sort of ending than a true wrap-up.  There’s a degree of closure, but only in the loosest of terms.  I can’t say I loved it.

I knew only scattered elements of the end of this book going into this read-through.  Honestly, I was shocked by how quickly we shifted from still building up the world to “hey this is it, it’s the end.”  You can clearly see the shift when they found out the book was ending.  The end result is a lot of loose ends that don’t ever fully resolve.  Wolverine and Jean both rather abruptly disappear, with little explanation.  Gambit gets an explanation, but it’s not one that offers any more closure.  Cap and Elektra both at least get actual resolution, but it’s also hollow to say the least.  And that’s not getting into story elements that just get plain dropped.  What the heck happened with Cerebro and his “bad” side?  In general, the book wound up as a real mixed bag.  Year one is very punchy, which makes sense, given they originally intended to only do a 12-issue run.  After that, there’s some promising ideas as the book tries to keep building out, but it ultimately never truly finds the footing it’s looking for.  I think year three might have really gotten them back on track, had it not been cut short. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be.  Having read it all the way through, it’s an entertaining experiment, and I certainly don’t regret the time I put into it in the slightest.  It may be imperfect, but you can’t say they didn’t try to do something unique.  And with that, the Mutant X re-read is finished.  That was pretty crazy, huh?

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.

THE KEY

MUTANT X ANNUAL 2001 (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, the end draws nearer, as the Beyonder arrives for the penultimate chapter for the Mutant X universe, in “The Key!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

The 2001 Annual of Mutant X was “cover dated” May of 2001.  It was words by Howard Mackie, pencils by James Fry, Inks by Andrew Pepoy, colors by Gina Going, and letters by Lysa Hawkins, with a cover by Tom Raney.

At the Earth’s core, Beyonder drains the remaining life force from Captain America’s corpse.  As the planet above begins to be torn apart by the forces from Cap and Havok’s battle last issue, the Beyonder sees the planet as ripe for destruction.  Beyonder uses the life force from Cap’s body to fill himself in on what has been going on during his slumber (and also to recap readers on what’s happened in the book up to this point).  He determines that he needs Havok’s power to accomplish his vague goals, whatever they may be.  Meanwhile, the X-Men make their way back from the shattered moon, protected by Magneto’s magnetic shielding.  As Beyonder returns to the surface, he waxes about this universe’s version of the Secret Wars, while searching for Havok to act as his key.  He uses his power to calm the Earth’s destruction, before wondering what makes Havok so special to wield the power he does.  At that moment, Havok is being drained by Dracula (as you do), but the Six have intervened.  Before a battle can really break out, all parties are struck down by some sort of psychic attack.  Beyonder continues to explore the world, now heralded as a savior.  He is decried as a false god by a deranged and disheveled Donald Blake, who is turned on by the crowd.  Blake is saved by the timely arrival of Spider-Man, who is quickly joined by Daredevil and the Lethal Legion.  Beyonder makes quick work of the Legion, leaving only Spider-Man.  Back at the castle, the Six awaken and get Havok to the medi-lab, while wondering what happened to Dracula, who watches from afar.  Dracula realizes that Havok is the key to…whatever it is the Beyonder wants and decides that he also wants…whatever that is.  The X-Men return to Earth, arriving at the castle, and they and The Six are joined by Doctor Strange, who tells them all that the Beyonder mustn’t get to Alex.  The Beyonder is faced down by an army of heroes, all of whom he quickly wipes out.  Havok continues to drift through the void, while Scotty attempts to contact him.  While Scotty works, the combined forces of the Six and the X-Men try to hold off Dracula, resulting in most of the X-Men’s deaths.  Gambit takes one of the ships and flees, leaving the others to fend for themselves, while Ororo and Elektra do their best to protect Alex and Scotty.  Ororo is unable to face down Dracula directly, leaving Elektra to kill herself with a grenade in an attempt to take out Dracula.  It doesn’t work, but just as Dracula is about to drain Scotty, Alex wakes up and blasts the Count, who tells them all it’s only just begun.  The Beyonder stands victorious from all his battles, ready to make his way to Havok.

Hooo boy is there a lot going on in this one, especially because they decided that two issues before this whole thing wraps was a good time for some world building.  As the Beyonder awakens, we’re treated to a splash page showing us many of the denizens of the Mutant X ‘verse, featuring the returning faces of Man-Spider, Doom, Dr. Strange, and Namor, plus also tweaked versions of the Lizard, Absorbing Man, Wonder Man, and Titania.  We also get the Lethal Legion, which has its own host of tweaked characters,.  I do love the Daredevil that’s a clever combination of Marvel’s DD with the old golden age hero’s design, and I want to know more about the character that I can only refer to as “Werewolf by Moon Knight.”  I won’t know more, of course, because the whole Legion’s wiped out two pages later.  They do better, I suppose, than the army of heroes that faces down Beyonder later in the issue, who don’t even make it to the end of their own splash page.  None of these characters get any actual name dropping, mind you, and that’s not even touching on the returning characters, such as the Defenders from the first annual, who make the final stand against the Beyonder in this issue.  There’s so much going on, that it’s honestly a bit easy to get lost.  Most of the X-Men seem to be dead by the end of the issue.  Elektra’s definitely dead too.  And…maybe Jean?  It’s very unclear.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I came out of the last issue hoping for maybe a little clarity about what was happening.  This issue goes full speed the opposite direction, throwing just about every character we’ve seen prior into the mix, plus *all* of the new ones, which is, like, nifty from a fan service aspect, but also *incredibly* confusing.  I felt like Dracula was too much last issue, and I feel like Dracula is more too much this issue.  We didn’t need two world-ending threats for the team to face, and having them both makes it all extra janky.  But, we’re in the final stretch now, so all we can do is land this thing, right?  Right.

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.

YOU SAY YOU WANT A RESOLUTION?

MUTANT X #31 (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, we find out just what the heck is going on with Captain America…and also, maybe conflict what we previously *thought* was going on with Captain America in “You Say You Want a Resolution?”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #31 is dated May of 2001, and has story and art by Howard Mackie, Ron Lim, and Andrew Pepoy, colors by Gina Going, letters by Chris Eliopoulos, and a cover by Michael Golden.

Deep within Earth’s core, the Beyonder sleeps. Meanwhile, at the Canadian border (perfectly normal segue), Havok, Logan, and Jean face down the Canadian government’s forces. Logan and the Professor argue, but a previously catatonic Captain America begins to stir with anger, spouting jingoistic words, calling the army enemies of the state. He begins to hulk out, as the Professor recognizes him as the only successful US super-soldier, a man whose latent mutant powers caused disaster. Cap, who has seemingly snapped, finds his way into the Professor’s mind, as the others are unable to do anything but watch. After vaporizing the Professor, Cap’s powers continue to grow, and he wipes out the army of Canadian super soldiers. This begins to awaken the Beyonder. Havok, Logan, and Jean retreat, but Havok is unwilling to leave the Six and the Avengers behind. Cap continues to spiral, facing down and killing Iron Giant Man. Havok returns and distracts Cap long enough for the other Avengers to rally, but Cap vaporizes them in an instant. Havok orders the rest of the Six to leave, and faces down Cap by himself. The collision of their respective energies creates a cataclysmic event. Seeing the moon start to crumble, and worrying about Scotty, Havok is forced to hit Cap with a killing blow. The energies discharged are enough to finally awaken the Beyonder, who pulls Cap’s remains into the Earth to study them. The Six return to their castle to discover Dracula!

Last issue was the one where we knew the book’s cancellation was eminent, and this one is the one where you can truly feel just how quickly that cancellation hit. The Logan sub-plot is very quickly pushed to the side in an effort to give any sort of closure to Captain America’s very slowly built up arc. The end result is that he’s kind of an overly patriotic Hulk, I guess? It sort of comes out of nowhere, and we’re left with little time to observe much characterization. The rest of the Six are reduced to set pieces, with Blood Storm getting two lines of dialogue, and no one else speaking. Havok gets more, of course, but everyone’s reactions to what Cap’s situation are effectively non-existent. And then he’s just gone. That’s it. Smash cut to the castle, where Dracula has shown up, in order to not drop a plot line that was just shown off three issues prior. It’s forced, but I’m sure there’s more of that to come.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I know only of the end of Mutant X in passing, so I know the general idea of where things are going, but nothing beyond that. I wasn’t prepared for this one. I liked last issues’s Cap-centric nature. This one? I don’t know. I feel like not a lot happens, but also too much happens. After more than a year of waiting to find out what Cap’s deal was, he just…is done. Also, the team is really let down by this story. And, of all the plots not to drop, Dracula? Really? Well, we’ll see where it all goes.

Also, of special note for this issue, there’s an ad for the PX-exclusive Mutant X figures that Toy Biz released, which I didn’t realize hit so late in the run. There’s a real comedy to not only the fact that only four members of the Six being released, but also the fact that two of four they did were characters who haven’t been part of the team for 20 issues by this point. For added fun-ness, 23 years later, we’re getting another Mutant X figure, as Hasbro just announced they’re doing a Legends Bloodstorm later this year!

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.

BLAME CANADA!

MUTANT X #30 (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, the team helps Logan evade the Canadian forces, while also facing down this Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in “Blame Canada!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #30 is dated April 2001. It has story and art by Howard Mackie, Ron Lim, and Andrew Pepoy, letters by Chris Eliopoulos, colors by Gina Going, and a cover by Michael Golden.

The Six’s jet flies towards the Canadian border. The onboard computer informs the team that crossing the border will violate international treaties. Captain America overrides the computer, and gives everyone the chance to sit this mission out, before the team ventures into breaking international law. As they near the border, they’re halted by Iron Giant Man, who is followed by Deathlok, Typhoid Mary, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow. They are this universe’s Avengers, and they have been sent to stop the team from aiding Havok and Logan. Meanwhile, Havok and Logan scope out the Canadian forces. Logan makes Havok promise to look after his kids, as he plans to create a distraction. A short distance away, Hudson, the Professor, and a squad of armored super soldiers land, and begin searching the forest. The Six and the Avengers exchange words. Widow calls Cap a coward for deserting them, and demands to speak to the team’s “real” leader. Bloodstorm steps up to speak. As she and Widow discuss terms, Cap talks with Ice-Man concerning his departure from the Avengers. Widow orders the Six to turn back, but Bloodstorm refuses, and strikes Widow with a bolt of lightning. A full battle breaks out, and Cap looks on in fear. On the other side of the border, a Super Soldier stalks Logan, but Logan reverses it on him. Havok and Jean aid Logan in defeating the soldier, and they make their way to The Six. They discover the remains of the battle, both teams lying around the battlefield. Cap remains conscious, but can only offer cries of “not again” in explanation of what happened. Before Havok can gather more information, Hudson and the rest of the Super Soldiers arrive.

After an absence, we finally get to see the whole team in action again this issue. Granted, Brute and Gambit are without speaking roles, but it’s a good focus for Cap, and Bloodstorm finally gets to act like she’s actually part of the team. After hints of them for the past 30 issues, the Avengers also arrive, with an interesting line-up to say the least. The backstory between them and Cap is an intriguing set-up.

This issue is also notable for being the first to acknowledge the impending cancellation of the series. The letters page is almost entirely dedicated to this fact, with many calls to avoid cancellation of the book, while the editorial staff sets the stage to wrap up the book’s plot lines in the next three issues.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I liked this one. After being unimpressed by the last two issues, this one’s pretty fun. I liked the Cap focus, the Avengers are nifty, and I even liked Bloodstorm this time around. I have a loose idea where it’s all headed, but I’m excited to read more.

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.

LOGAN’S RUNNING

MUTANT X #29 (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, there’s more Wolverine in “Logan’s Running.”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #29 is cover dated March of 2001. It has story and art by Howard Mackie, Tom Lyle, and Andrew Pepoy, letters by Chris Eliopoulos, and colors by Gina Going. One again, Michael Golden provides the cover art, and it’s one of his better ones for the book.

Logan runs a program in the Six’s training room, as Havok and Jean look on. They discuss telling him something, wondering if his mind can handle it. Jean goes to talk with Logan as Havok converses with someone unseen. Jean and Logan discuss their lives since they last saw each other. They’re interrupted by the unseen figure, James Hudson. Hudson is a cyborg, pieced back together after an incident where Logan left him for dead. Logan tries to finish the job, but Jean restrains him. Hudson reveals the Creed is after Mariko and the children. Hudson takes Havok, Jean, and Logan to the border. Meanwhile, Wildchild tracks the children. He discovers them and tells them he’s one of the good guys. He’s ambushed by Creed, who quickly kills him. Logan splits off from Alex and Jean, who are set upon by Creed. After a brief fight, Creed captures Jean. Logan discovers Wildchild’s remains, and also finds the children unharmed. Alex finds Logan, telling him Creed took Jean. Alex stays with the kids, as Logan confronts Creed. Creed attempts to force Logan to choose between Jean and Mariko’s lives, but Havok intervenes, using his powers to superheat Creed’s bones. Logan uses the opportunity to finish Creed off, finally reuniting with his family. Before they can depart, the group is set upon by Hudson and the Canadian forces.

Like last issue, this one largely feels like a pretty run of the mill Wolverine story. On the plus side, Havok does at least get more to do this time, but the rest of his team is unfortunately absent. The sequences with Alex interacting with Logan’s kids made me really miss Scotty, whose absence from the book has definitely been felt. I did at least like the reversal of the Jean/Logan dynamic, where she’s the one forced to admit she’s happy for him.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Last issue was a letdown, to be sure. This is…well more of that, I guess. I found this one kind of meandering and trickier to get through. The resolution was at least a little more intriguing, but I’m not thrilled about another issue devoted to this plot line.

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.

THE HUNTED PART 1

MUTANT X #28 (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 Wolverine episode.  I know.  I’m shocked too.  Let’s look at “The Hunted Part 1!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #28 is cover dated February 2001.  We’ve fixed the year this time!  Yay!  The issue was written by Howard Mackie, with pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Andrew Pepoy, letters by Chris Eliopoulos, and colors by Gina Going.  Once more, Michael Golden is back to handle the cover, though this time, we do get a slightly better summation of the story within.

A group of hunters track something in the snowy wilderness.  When they catch up to whatever it is, they discover it’s a man, specifically Wolverine, last seen back in issue #3, feral and in the Canadian wilderness.  Wolverine disappears, and the hunters are set upon by Creed, who kills them all and chases after Logan.  Back at the castle, Jean Grey (who apparently has become an official member of the team, according to the narration) has a nightmare, seeing the rest of the Six dead and buried in the snow, seemingly killed by Logan, who Jean knows, and believes to be dead.  Meanwhile, the team trains in the danger room, when Jean arrives and tells them of her dream.  Havok brings up the team’s earlier encounter with Logan, and they decide to go looking for him.  Back in the wilderness, Logan breaks into a remote house, stealing food from the fridge.  He’s confronted by the young girl who lives there.  She believes he is her father, who her mother told her “went away to heaven”.  Logan flashes back to moments of his past life, and, sensing Creed nearby, tells the girl to go to bed.  As he leaves, the girl’s mother recognizes him.  Logan runs and Creed chases him down.  The two face off, and Logan wins, igniting Creed with Gasoline.  The Six (all seven of them) arrive, and Jean offers Logan her help.  Back at the house, the mother urges her children to pack quickly, so that they can run, before a scarred Creed arrives at their front door.

After subverting the usual Wolverine tropes in his first appearance, this issue brings Logan almost completely in line with his regular universe counterpart.  He’s not really feral anymore, he’s got fragments of memories, he’s got the rivalry with Creed, and he and Jean have some sort of connection.  The main characters wind up pretty minor in this story, which is frustrating, since they were also largely absent from the last two issues as well.  Honestly, there’s just not really much in the way of new ground here.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t a rather disappointing.  I kind of liked the early appearance of Wolverine making him into such a minor player in this universe, just for a change of pace.  Now he’s…just Wolverine.  Like, that’s it.  No real changes, no new intriguing story.  Just the guy we keep seeing everywhere.  Also, not really digging how little we see of the team, in favor of more Wolverine.  With only a short bit of the run left, this feels like a bit of a waste.  Maybe the second part will turn it around?

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.

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.

LONG DAY’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE NIGHT!

MUTANT X #26 (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 Bloodstorm episode.  Bear with me as I look into “Long Day’s Journey Through the Night!”

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #26 is cover dated December of 2000.  It has story and art by Howard Mackie, Ron Lim, and Sandu Florea, with colors by Gina Going, and letters by Chris Eliopas.  Once again, the cover is by Michel Golden, though I don’t think this one has quite the same dynamic flair as the last one.

Bloodstorm is on a warpath, tearing through patrons at a bar called “The Bucket of Blood.”  She’s looking for someone, but her rampage is interrupted by the arrival of Gambit.  Gambit reveals that Ororo has been doing this routine for some time, and he wants to know why.  After a scuffle between the two, Ororo fills Remy in.  Earlier at the Castle of the Six, the team was contacted by Henry Gyrich regarding an emergency at the Vault.  He reveals a box was removed from the Vault by unknown intruders, and requests that the team retrieve it.  While Havok balks at the idea, Bloodstorm volunteers.  Back in the present, the Marauders (Cannonball, Husk, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, and Jubilee), move the box through the sewers.  A booby trap is triggered when Cannonball attempts to open the box, causing a fight between the team members.  While they’re distracted, something unseen grabs the box, and the group chases after it.  Storm and Gambit track the box to the sewers, and Storm enters alone.  The Marauders are fighting shadows around the box, and Storm jumps in, almost turning them into meals in the process.  Gambit intervenes and the Marauders escape.  Gambit causes an explosion that sends the box further into the sewers, and Bloodstorm reveals what the box contained: Dracula.  The pair are surrounded by hooded figures looking for Gambit, and elsewhere Dracula awakens.

This issue represents a hard break from previous build-up, and, like most Bloodstorm-centric stories, picks up in the middle, with vague indication at first as to when exactly in the timeline it’s supposed to be happening.  I honestly thought it might be a whole flashback story at first, until the actual flashback occurred.  The Six getting relegated to just the flashback (in stark contrast to the cover depicting Havok in the sewers with the other two) feels like a bit of a waste of the characters.  The Marauders are an interesting idea, though, and I’m curious to see if they get expanded upon at all as the story progresses.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I know absolutely nothing about this particular storyline, so I didn’t even know it was coming.  I continue to not be much of a Bloodstorm fan, but as the letters column in the back likes to remind me, I’m the odd man out on that point.  People just really wanted more of her, I guess.  Well, maybe this story will turn me around?  We’ll see.  On the plus side, we did get another Bullpen Bits in this issue, and that’s always fun!

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.

THRESHOLDS

MUTANT X #25 (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, Hank McCoy experiences his own “Flowers for Algernon” as he attempts to fix all that he can with his restored intellect in “Thresholds”!

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #25 is a double-sized issue cover dated November of 2000.  Its story is by Howard Mackie, with art by Tom Lyle, colors by Gina Going, and letters by David Sharp.  It’s also got a cover by Michael Golden, which may well be my favorite cover in the series, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Hank McCoy narrates through entries in his journal.  It is his birthday.  He recounts how his mind was returned to its former state by a psychic blast from Charles Xavier, and how he has been monitoring his brain activity since.  This monitoring has lead him to the devastating discovery that he is once more losing his mind.  With no knowledge of how much time he has left, Hank gathers everyone together, hoping to make good on all of the promises he’s made since last issue, the biggest being his promise to send Havok home.  The team aids Hank is exploring a portal that goes through the Negative Zone, with Alex and Hank going into the breach together.  When Hank is almost pulled through the portal, Havok decides they’re all tired and tells everyone to take some time to themselves.  Hank hangs back to continue his work, with the others try to find themselves without the team.  Iceman, Cap, Gambit, and Bloodstorm all encounter each other at a nearby bar, having nowhere else to go.  Hank continues his experiments, looking for a solution to each team member’s own struggles.  Alex meets a young woman, Andrea, and her nephew, Shane, in the park and reminisces about his home universe, remembering his struggles to fit in.  When Shane is put in danger, Alex steps in to save him, reminding him of his place in this new reality.  The team returns to the castle, solidified in their beliefs that this is where they all belong, and Hank re-opens the portal to send Alex home.  When something else comes through the portal and begins attacking, Alex decides to stay and fend the creature off, saving his new friends.  Hank reveals that he is becoming the Brute again, but he has also found a way to cure Ice-Man’s permanent ice-state.  He performs his experiment before collapsing, reverting once more to the Brute.  Days later, Hank is completely back to the Brute, with no memory of regaining his intellect.  His journal once more takes the narration, but it is now much simpler, identifying Ice-Man as his “bestus frend.”

It’s interesting to see such a milestone issue take such a hard focus on Hank, but I can’t say I minded it much.  His narration and his struggles with knowing his end was near add some solid pathos to his story, and I very much appreciated that his returned intellect didn’t immediately make him into a villain.  In fact, it amplifies his selfless traits, as he prioritizes helping his friends over keeping his own mind.  In the end, he’s happy, and it’s nice to see that.  In fact, though bittersweet, this is probably one of the most satisfying ends to an issue the series has given.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I owned this issue growing up, and I *vividly* remember its cover.  As I said above, it’s one of my favorites.  I recalled absolutely nothing about the contents of this issue prior to the re-read, though, and I think that’s largely because the cover had very little to do with the actual story within.  But, I love the cover, and I enjoyed the story, even if they maybe don’t go together all that well.  And, from here on out, I’m in uncharted territory, at least for first hand knowledge of the story.  Let’s see where it goes.

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.

DOORWAY TO YESTERMORROW

MUTANT X #24 (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!

Hey, you guys remember when I was writing about comics? Yeah, I had some stuff going on and inadvertently took a three month hiatus. But have no fear, I haven’t given up! So, back into the strange world not our own! This week, Hank McCoy reacclimatizes to his surroundings with his restored intelligence!

THE ISSUE ITSELF

Mutant X #24 is cover dated October 2000 and has story and art by Howard Mackie, Javier Saltares, and Andrew Pepoy.

Hank McCoy, his intelligence restored, explores his old lab with Havok. Hank’s intelligence has returned, but he still struggles with his memories, making it tricky for him to gain access to his lab. The two find their way in, and Hank is haunted by visions of his past. As Hank settles into his old work, Alex and Ice-Man converse about their respective alternate universe counterparts. Hank revisits his journals and begins to recall the night that caused his loss of intellect, an experiment that was meant to restore Ice-Man’s powers to where they were before Loki meddled with them. Hank reveals to Alex and Bob that the person responsible for the explosion that caused the experiment to fail was Alex’s alternate universe counterpart. Hank further reveals that he thinks he can send Alex home, and that he believes the alternate Havok may already be there.

We’ve got another issue that picks up pretty closely on the heels of the last main one (the annual having been a completely unrelated flashback story). It’s a Hank-centered story, which certainly leans into the series’s strengths, but the focus on Ice-Man and his background was nice to see. We’re leaning back into the “other Alex wasn’t such a good guy” plot as well, which gives our Alex a little more to work with as he becomes more acclimated with his surroundings.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I missed this issue when it was new, which isn’t all that crazy, except that I managed to get the two issues on either side of it. I blame this one not having Cyclops on the cover for my missing it, honestly. It’s certainly a smaller scale issue, but there’s some good developments in the story, and it sets a good pace for the book’s third year.

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.