X-Men #11 review *spoilers*
As we saw in the preview, Loa, Anole and Rockslide are trying to act friendly with Summoner by playing with him a game from Arrako, but their meeting gets interrupted by the arrival of massive Cotati spaceships, who are angry at Krakoa after Vulcan wrecked a part of their moon base.
There's two data pages written by Cyclops to the council on Krakoa's war protocols and preparations. The telepaths of the island, Cypher and Krakoa itself have been coordinating to create safe spaces and evacuate the island in cases of attacks. Bishop is leading training on Danger island, but apparently attendance has been low. A section concerning Omega mutants is almost entirely redacted from our view. The most important part of it regarding this issue is that Cyke and other war captains are inforcing the creation of coordinated offensive and defensive actions based on the combinations of different mutant powersets, as inspired by the Five.
The invasion of Krakoa by the Cotati is all told by Exodus as he talks to the same group of children that we saw him warning about the Pretender in issue #7. This is an interesting look at Exodus' actions on Krakoa and the construction of mutant culture. We don't know if this is exactly what happened, but he frames it all as an story about Magneto being the hero of Krakoa and the power of mutants in general.
As he beings to tell his story, we see Magik and Gorgon coming to warn a very naked Magneto while he meditates about the upcoming attack. They tell him the telepaths are already coordinating the evacution and they want him to lead the defenses on the island, since the captains will be joining Cyclops on the moon at the frontlines of the battle. Mags decides to dress himself for the occasion of war, choosing his good ol' red and purple outfit.
The battle scenes allow Hickman to use various mutants like the Cuckoos, Magma and Iceman as they combine their powers to create an eruption, freeze the lava and turn it into something Magneto can use to attack the Cotati. There's a couple of other cameos in the fight like Wolverine, Egg, Black Tom and Toad, who is killed by one of the Cotati.
Magneto finishes the battle by throwing a ton of satellites on the Cotati's war leader, and asking Mindee (or she is Sophie? We just don't know.) to apologize for the governments' that those satelites are from (except the secret monitoring ones they are supposed to not know about). He later joins the battle on the moon alongside Cyke, Jean, Wolverine & others.
Exodus' Mags fanfic seems to please the children, as they all chant his (mutant) name in the end.
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This was a good issue. I like how Hickman basically used these tie-ins to improve on the worldbuilding of Krakoa and continue some of his plot threads - Vulcan's double personality, Exodus indocrinating the mutant children... Yu's art also was a great fit for this issue. And for naked Magneto, obviously.
I also enjoy how DoX's writing of the Cuckoos consistently has them fucking with people for their own amusement.
Next, X of Swords...
X-men #11 - Empyre Tie-In : Super Mutant Combinations!
[img]https://i.imgur.com/2Rg9kRY.jpg[/img]
The X-kids walk up on Summoner who wants to play a game with them. He describes it as a trial that is about weakness. He asks them that once they stat, they must complete it till its end. As they start the Cotati start to drop from the air
Next is a data page for the council from Cyclops. He makes notes about recent incursions of Krakoan space, mutant training that Bishop has been cataloging and Money being consulted for X-Corp stuff. There is a blacked out entry about the Omega mutants. Finally there is an entry about enhanced combat technique which is about conjoining powers. Magneto was an example of integrating his power with 3 or fewer mutants with complementary powers for 40 useful combinations. 28 offensive, 12 defensive. Bishop will preside over the first war college
The next day Exodus is talking to some kids nad mentions that mutants died (Im assuming the New X-men). One kid says he isnt afraid bc he knows they are coming back. The kids dont feat death, but rather men.
Magik and Gorgon interupt Magneto in his quarters. They let him know about the Cotati incursion. The children and noncombatants are being placed in a bunker for safety. Cyclops must stay in space since thats where it started and Magik and the other captains are joining him so she is leaving Krakoa in Magneto's hands.
He puts on his red costume and slaughters the aliens. He is joined by Sophie Cuckoo who connects him to Sage who says they need to locate Iceman and Magma. Magma mentions there is a dormant volcano 12 miles away and blows it up on Magneto's orders. Iceman then takes the 20 tons of magma that has erupted and cools it down. This combination gives Magneto metal to work with and he obliterates the Cotati
[img]https://i.imgur.com/VoEUcnT.jpg[/img]
Toad is seen being killed by a Cotati and is confronted by Magneto who lets him know that he has already won and drops a satelite on him. He tells Mindee to apologize to Sage for stealing that. Exodus is with the kids and asks them what is their hero's name and they chant Magneto. Finally scene is the space battle
[img]https://i.imgur.com/bxeG5c3.jpg[/img]