X-Men Red #4 Spoilers - We Have a King, a Goddess, and a Gabby

[Harpsikord]

It's that time again folks! Let's get right to it.

• We start out with the preview. Them crashing the sentinel into the sea, Jean approaching Ororo, Ororo going for Nezhno and T'Challa.
• Trinary lands the sentinel right in front of Gentle who uses his power to stop it til they assure him they are friendly. I didn't realize it hurt him THAT much.
• Jean telepathically removes Cassandra's telepathic suggestion to come to Wakanda from Storm's mind, and in doing so the program of the machine telling her to attack mutants causes her to attempt to commit suicide. Gentle saves Ororo from herself and Laura knocks her tf out to be safe. She'll be fine tho. Jean explains that Storm will be fine but that she and Gentle need medical attention.
• Back in the Wakandan they get Storm and Nezhno the care that they need. Jean and T'Challa have a nice chat about his relationship with Ororo, and Jean laments that you miss a lot when you're dead. They find the nanites in Ororo's mind - attached to the amygdala - and Jean makes a call to remove it before shutting it off.
• To do so she links her mind with Trinary and T'Challa's, Trinary's to find the machine and T'Challa's to know how to remove it safely. Which she does, by "thinking as small as she ever has before" and passing the machine through safe passages in Ororo's brain.
• Suffice it to say they get it out. Turns out, it's called a sentinite and it is in fact the next evolution of sentinels - they attach to the human beings' amygdalae and increase our hate and fear centers. That's why mutant-human relations are at an all-time low. We are the new sentinels. Jean asks everyone's help to stop the person who is making people do all of these things before it wipes out mutantkind altogether. We know it's Cassandra Nova, but the team is still unaware.
• They can't stay in Wakanda. They need to go somewhere that nothing like this can reach them and where they will be safe. T'Challa tries to insist that they are safe there, but both Ororo and Jean disagree. Kurt reminds them they did have another offer.
• Enter: Namor and his amazing panties! So, it turns out the Searebro is based in the ruins of a long forgotten civilization that was long ago swallowed by the sea. The structures are sound, and they've been advanced by Atlantean technology in order to keep the team safe besides. That includes modern technology.
• Gabby and Laura saw a mermaid! Even Laura wasn't able to keep her cool, and I don't blame her. That would be freakin' awesome.
• Searebro is a new mutant sanctuary. Gotta say, this makes more sense than the ones that we've had in the past with Genosha, Utopia, and Limbo. They aren't out in the open and ready for invasion like with Genosha and Utopia, and they aren't at the constant threat of danger from demons like with Limbo. Jean convinces Namor to join the team, because he's not just an Atlantean, but a mutant, and a king. They're going to need him. Oh, but one caveat: he has to put on some clothes. Aw, man.
• Storm wisely points out that they need to make sure he can't be taken over by the Big Bad if they're gonna be at the bottom of the sea with him, and protected by Atlantis. Tru, Ro.
• Oh, yeah. STORM IS THE LAST MEMBER OF THE TEAM. AYYYYY.
• The suits created by Trinary with the help of the Wakandan's were created to specifically keep the sentinites from infecting them while they're on the surface, and they can't reach them in Searebro due to the water pressure.
• Gentle isn't sure that he should be here but Jean assures him that she can help him reach his greatest potential by turning off his pain center while he's using his power, and he insists that he doesn't want to hurt people. Jean and Kurt both tell him that's what makes him perfect for this team. "We want you on this team for you compassion as much as your strength."
• "We're going to face opposition. Some people will try to tear us down. But we are X-Men. We know there's a better way. We are going to change the world. Our new mutant nation starts here."
• Meanwhile, Cassandra Nova is going on a world tour to infect politicians all over the world with sentinites. From Europe, to Afria, to Asia, to the United States. She uses a speech to try and convince people that Jean is a menace and I mean, she has some serious strength to her argument, using the facts of what the Dark Phoenix did to the D'Bari star system. Kind of just proves how much of a threat Jean is to her.
• To make sure that they listen she brings in FORGE who she has forced to create the sentinites, and infects the politicians, who will now be able to sense who is and is not a mutant. This causes the African politician to literally kill his right hand man just because he was X-Gene positive.
• The mutants can never hide again.
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  Another solid issue! A few points.
  
• Most people called that Ororo was going to be the ninth member of the team and I am so excited for her to be here. Jean has her best friend, her sister, at her side. This team is such a good one. Gosh.
• The characterizations continue to be on point. A lot of the biggest moments this issue as always came from Jean, but Ororo, Gentle, Namor, and Cassandra all had some pretty big moments here, even if they were quieter.
• The art is consistently good but I feel like some panels and pages got more attention than others. I really liked the panels where Jean was flying, the big panel with the whole team sans Gambit in costume, and the one where Gentle saves Storm.
• Speaking of, dat Storm costume doe. THAT is how you do a Storm look. Hot damn. I have a lot of thoughts about this.
• Cassandra is, as of right now, always one step ahead of the team, but the team is getting ever closer. They are officially immune to the sentinites.
• Gambit will probably be taken over by the sentinites and saved later and that's how he gets involved.
• A LOT of stuff is unpacked nicely and neatly in this issue. We're getting somewhere.
• I am stupidly excited for Travis Charest's cover for issue seven if it's anywhere near as beautiful as the ones for issues one, two, and six.

I give this issue, once again, a solid 10/10. And it's even more deserving than both issues two and three tbh.

[stormphoenix]

Nicey, NICE I look forward to this.

[Grey]

Thoughts in no particular order:

1. The thread title could be considered spoilerish
2. Loved all the shirtless namor panels
3. I still think gabby needs to be toned down a little bit but I did love her “king of Ab-Lantis” comment
4. Taylor REALLY gets adult jean’s voice right
5. I love how Taylor’s story is about the online data being used for evil. And he had this plot planned before the very recent data issues with Facebook etc. shows he grasps a modern version of the mutant metaphor better in a proactive/non reactive way
6. Wolverine’s comments about “still being able to appreciate f’ing mermaids” was hilarious.
7. Extremely happy to see storm on the team, but the roster seems bloated for a monthly book. Plleeeease move to double shipping.
8. I was negative about the roster at first but Taylor took a risk that paid off. This book feels so refreshing and new.
9. As usual my sky high expectations for an epic battle bit me in the butt. It was a great issue but I need to stop expecting more epic battles.

[Fokken]

I'm holding out for a hero, here.

Who gunna scan/post that Storm costume, EH???

[Grey]

I'm holding out for a hero, here.

Who gunna scan/post that Storm costume, EH???

I tried posting but getting an error message.

To be honest there isn’t a super high quality picture of it in this issue. When she’s wearing it she’s kinda in the background. We will likely get a better view next issue or so.

Props to Taylor for being able to keep her joining a secret.

[phoenixzero23]

Cool, I love Storm!

[Havok83]

At least this thread wont get shut down....LOL



To all those that said Storm wouldnt be the secret member, looks like ya'll were wrong!

People also thought Storm would still be possessed into June but we learned that Jean's other friend that got used is Forge

[ariwl1]

Haha, so the Storm fight was a bit of a fakeout, but I'm fine with that especailly if Ororo is really truly on the team now. (and if that's the case, there's STILL at least one character still to join).

The part with Forge suprised me and it offers plenty of promise of conflict if Storm is sticking around for future issues.

And now that the gang's all here (except Remy) and they have their base they can finally take the initiative and see where the plot really goes.

Side note: so the team costume's show up with a valid story reason so I assume we'll be seeing them the most from here on out. Still, I hope Asrar gets the opportunity to draw them in regular clothes still because...damn...

Screen Shot 2018-05-16 at 5.55.44 AM.jpg

[PrezValentine]

7. Extremely happy to see storm on the team, but the roster seems bloated for a monthly book. Plleeeease move to double shipping.

Don't. Asrar is an important part of this book and Taylor already said he can't keep up with double shipping. It's part of the book's visual identity and should be kept as such.

[PrezValentine]

Well, if it isn't another excellent issue. Jean really shines here and Taylor's grasp on her character shows. Amazing art too and good to know there's a reason for the suits. Cassandra is great and it's good that she's on the hand of a skilled writer. Points for putting Storm on the team and for her AWESOME new outfit. Definitely buying the TPB in a few months.

[ShepardOakenshieldPrime]

Pretty dissapointed that there wasn't a bigger fight tbh but I'm glad Storm joined! Finally the plots moving, the outfits are epic and payback is coming.

Points for calling Storm the Goddess (it looks like Taylor is actually paying attention to her in BP), and Jean getting the nanite out of Storm's mind feat was pretty cool.

There was 2 things that I did have a bit of a problem with though. 1) Would a nanite really be able to survive in Ororo's brain with the amount of electricity in it? 2) A lightning bolt shouldn't come close to being able to actually kill her (I mean the power of the galactic core couldn't). Plot always comes first but that last thing is a little annoying but its whatever I'm just glad she's saved from Gold.