Weapon X #18 Review (Good. Not a Rant)

[Silver Fang]

I am here with an actual favorable review of this chapter. If I have to give a grade, this may actually be a B.

spoilers:

Anyone who read the preview got that part. And I was prepared to be disappointed, as there was already something in it I didn't like. That something was Sabretooth's recap. He admits over the course of working with this team, he's been sloppy & charging into trouble. I was happy he recognized that about himself. But instantly disappointed when he says "Who cares, nobody can kill me." That seemed to imply he knows he's been acting stupid, but is gonna keep doing it anyway. But, apparently, that's not the case. Omega Red continues dragging him through the tundra, and using him as a power source. Meanwhile, he's speaking to some voice in his head. Sabretooth continues reflecting on things and realizes he's much better & more skillful than the way he's been acting & it's time to start showing it. He then says it's the kind of intelligence & skill that comes with surviving for over 200 years. I think that's a bit of a flub, but can let it slide. So he lays his cards on the table. He tells Omega that he can speak Russian, and knows he's been talking to someone & it's not him. He knows & can smell something is wrong with Red, and he's been tampered with. He tries to appeal to him, and says he wants to help him. Omega doesn't buy it because the X-Men have always hounded and imprisoned him. He accuses the X-Men of only helping mutants if they fall in line & obey. He finishes by saying he trusts the voice in his head more than the X-Men. But Creed says he can give better choices. Red still doesn't listen and is promptly attacked by tigers, whom Creed intentionally led there using his blood for a small trail. Omega Red is mauled by said tigers while yelling for backup. Creed prepares to leave, but chose to go back after seeing Omega Red helpless. He succeeds in killing the tigers, and repeats to Red that he said he'd give him a choice. He's gonna find his team & have Yuriko fix him up, and they're gonna treat him like a person for once. Just then an infant tiger appears, which Red picks up with his tendrils. But he doesn't harm it. Creed then takes it, and lets it bite his finger, stating that animals needed to stick together. They leave, taking the baby tiger with them. Creed declares that he's Sabretooth. The deadliest mutant who ever lived, and the best X-Men there ever was. Seems to point to a bright future here. This is the kind of thing I want to see. Some real story. That's the A story, since it's Sabretooth's arc. But the B story is more simple. Not in a bad way, but it sets up for the next chapter. Warpath & the ladies are fighting the other mutants whom Omega Red sicked on them. Warpath is pissed at Sabretooth and plans to have it out with him. ONce they get the other mutants calmed down, the rift starts. Yuriko & Domino want to find Creed. Warpath does not, and wants to help the others. The girls wanna stick to the mission of dealing with Omega Red, and finding Creed because he's the leader. Warpath makes note of Yuriko & Sabretooth plotting behind their back, but Yuriko calls him a drama queen. Someone wanted to hire them for a job where they could get paid a good bit. Hearing about the payday, Domino is all for it, and really wants to find Creed now. Warpath makes is clear he looks down on them for just being mercs, and declares there is no team -only a bunch of mercenaries. Domino is not pleased with his holier-than-thou attitude. Now bring on the showdown we know is to come next chapter.

end of spoilers

That was a long summary, with some opinion mixed in. But overall, this is the kind of story I wanna see. Some depth & developments among the characters. And what appears to be the fixing of Sabretooth's character. Because, imo, he's been done the worst this entire book. But once we got past that cringe opening dialogue from him, everything was enjoyable. NOW, I can officially drop the narrative that Sabretooth is evil. This chapter did a better job of showing a more noble side to him. They brought up his goodness & inversion in chapter 16. But, everything before it, and the subsequent chapter after it didn't have me convinced. I needed more. And I got it here. I'm actually pleased. Which is shocking because I feel the last chapter was pure garbage. This was a big turn-around. And IF Pak can actually keep this up, and not use Sabretooth as a Plankton villain, things could drastically be better.....unless Mystique is one of the new team members, because i'll have to bail no matter how good things may get.

[AcesX1X]

i am horrified at the details on the end of your summary.

so sabertooth intentionally led a family of siberian tigers (which are an endangered species) into a trap and then helped omega red murder them all?

please tell me that's not true.

[TheCape]

i am horrified at the details on the end of your summary.

so sabertooth intentionally led a family of siberian tigers (which are an endangered species) into a trap and then helped omega red murder them all?

please tell me that's not true.

That wouldn't he the worsr thing that Creed has done thought.

[Silver Fang]

i am horrified at the details on the end of your summary.

so sabertooth intentionally led a family of siberian tigers (which are an endangered species) into a trap and then helped omega red murder them all?

please tell me that's not true.

Hell, lions are an endangered species now. Damn near every mammal that isn't human is. Plus, thankfully no real tigers were harmed in the making of this comic. lol

Given Omega Red's unwillingness to listen to reason, Creed did what he had to do to get away. And he was content to let the tigers kill Red, but felt sorry for him in the last sec, and saved him. But sadly, he had to kill the 2 tigers to do that. But he didn't kill the baby they found.

Plus, not like Creed hasn't killed animals before. There was a dead bear outside of his cabin in the first chapter. Then the dinosaur he killed in Bunncanny. Then Wendigo he killed. Plus the hundreds of people. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Was anyone upset at this?
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[Ambaryerno]

I'm more disturbed by the idea Omega Red thinks that the X-Men only ever fought him because he doesn't "fall in line & obey."

[Drakeon]

i am horrified at the details on the end of your summary.

so sabertooth intentionally led a family of siberian tigers (which are an endangered species) into a trap and then helped omega red murder them all?

please tell me that's not true.

Yep. Absolutely true. He then seems to walk of with the now parentless baby tiger. Its as stupid as it sounds

[Drakeon]

Again, Domino is written out of character like a mindless money hungry merc. Sabretooth has hurrendous narration amd seems to change personality anytime the plot needs him to. Only one in character is Warpath.

[Tycon]

That baby tiger scene was v v adorable. And thanks Heavens for Omega Red written by Pak because whatever the hell happened to him in Gold was abomination-level bad.

Yep. Absolutely true. He then seems to walk of with the now parentless baby tiger. Its as stupid as it sounds

How???? Is that stupid?

[Drakeon]

That baby tiger scene was v v adorable. And thanks Heavens for Omega Red written by Pak because whatever the hell happened to him in Gold was abomination-level bad.



How???? Is that stupid?

I meant luring the tigers in and then killing them all. The scene was supposed to show him as heroic cause he goes back to help Omega but it loses the effect when he butchers the very same tigers he used as a trap.

The baby tiger was fine and cute and I want one lol

[Silver Fang]

I meant luring the tigers in and then killing them all. The scene was supposed to show him as heroic cause he goes back to help Omega but it loses the effect when he butchers the very same tigers he used as a trap.

The baby tiger was fine and cute and I want one lol

That may be intentionally. It's a bitter sweet deal. I loved his ship with Monet, but it had the same glaring flaw.

She's cursed by Emplate, and instead of helping her, he enabled her. He doesn't tell anyone what happened to her so she could get real help. He provided her drug by letting her feed on him in secret. The feeding strengthened Emplate & increased his influence over her, causing her to fall more into darkness. He goes to Limbo to find Inhumans, and then he seemingly saves the last one only so Monet could kill him. She's still cursed in GenX, and apparently he still never told anyone what happened. And the feedings also may be why he started reverting in the first place. So while he cared for her, and was trying to help her, he made everything worse & screwed both of them.

This is a similar bitter sweet deal. He was gonna let Omega Red die, but possibly saw Red as similar to him. Someone who needs a chance. Sadly, since the trap is already pulled, he was gonna have to kill the tigers in order to save Red & give him his shot. Same situations with Monet and the Inhuman he saved so Monet could kill it.

[akiresu_]

Surprisingly enjoyable! Still not good enough to redeem the book imo, but writing like this when it transitions to Weapon X-Force will be welcome. I like how they're approaching the jettisoning of Logan/Warpath, but it still feels off. The Domino/Warpath deal particularly.

[Silver Fang]

Surprisingly enjoyable! Still not good enough to redeem the book imo, but writing like this when it transitions to Weapon X-Force will be welcome. I like how they're approaching the jettisoning of Logan/Warpath, but it still feels off. The Domino/Warpath deal particularly.

I feel the same.

For me this was ONE good chapter out of the 23 that Pak's written these characters. There's still flaws, and improvement needed. But for now, I enjoy this chapter as the best one we've had.

[Angrel-San]

Yeah, this was a great Sabretooth, Omega Red and Warpath issue.

All 3 were very solid. Especially Sabretooth.

He's a psychopath with honor just like Logan but with a little more sadism and that's how Victor Creed should be.

Loved that line of how he has survived for more than 200 years because of using his smarts and brains instead of his savagery.

[DDM]

The tiger scene was disturbing and sad. Not cute but sick.

Which is what I think Pak was going for along with the internal monologue. Like Vic really is this dangerious, this delusional, this dranged. I think discomfort and the slaughter/adoption being offputting was intentional with the words (I’m the best damn X-Man, etc). It really was a horror show.

[Silver Fang]

Sappy as it is, I'd like it if Creed kept the baby. lol Domino adopted a puppy. Creed got a tiger.

Sadly, the baby won't stick around. But hopefully, there won't be anymore killing of tigers. Cinar posted this page, which I am guessing is from chapter 19.
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More tigers. Hopefully, Creed is bringing them the baby and they don't kill it, or he has to kill them.