HOUSE OF X [02] : The Uncanny Life of Moira X *Spoilers*

[JKtheMac]

In the reality of Apocalypse, perhaps Moira lived hundreds of years of war thanks to Celestial technology.

However, that is irrelevant for now, we know that in the long term it did not work and she ended up dying.

Let’s not write off a glorious warrior love match as ‘not working’.

[TOTALITY]

It would seem that life 10 isn’t her final one if we allow that her final life can’t be one where she lives long enough to manifest her power, though I suppose there are ways around that (if she “cured” herself in the 10th life? Or her 11th “life” came as some kind of transcendence in the 10th timeline?) I would be surprised if they introduced that rule to never use it, but maybe bolstering Destiny’s threat was use enough.

Definitely not discounting anyone’s theories about the two black panels, but I just want to say that using two of them is great comic storytelling just on a fundamental craft level even if there is no hidden meaning to the specific number of them. Super cinematic, like when a film cuts to black for several seconds and you aren’t quite sure if you’re about to get the end credits or an epilogue. Or if earlier in the film, a kind of chapter break or palate cleanser. I guess cinematic visual language has been increasingly common in comics for decades now, but especially makes sense for Hickman now given that he’s been writing mostly (unproduced) screenplays since his last Marvel work. And in its specific context here, it’s a great implication of the magnitude of Moira’s experiences in her 9th life, more tastefully evocative in its own way than a couple more Larraz renderings would be.

Or maybe something twisty is happening twice there, which would be cool too!

[Hulkout42]

I think we can answer the second one and the third one.

The diagram isn’t trying to suggest any end, but instead eons of time.
The story is about retconning what we know about our current timeline and as such T11 would be unnecessary. T10 is already recognizable and we may even have ‘ten maybe 11’ if those two blank panels represent a failed birth.

But see that's the thing, in the other timelines minus the sixth she dies and gets reset, even in the current timeline they go out of the way to say she faked her death and the current timeline is still ongoing because she isn't dead and thus no reset...but in the Apocalypse time line it says the war began and that's it, no reset so again what sets that time line apart? Is she in fact not dead and found a loop hole? We can't just discard that timeline just because of the current one, in fact in the splash panel were you see all the characthers you see Blink and AoA iceman, it has to be important for some reason, Hickman may throw a lot of curveballs but he never does it for no reason (see his run on Fantastic Four).

No, no I don't think so if it was unnecessary why is it mentioned at all? Again Hickman isn't known for just throwing in something seemingly random and then not coming back to it, also given that this timeline still has mutants face exctintion because of Sentinels means it isn't the definitive time line, House and Powers of X are set ups for what is to come they are not what is to be set in stone. I can only guess, because with Hickman that's all you can do really, that something will go wrong with this timeline in such a way that allows her one final reset as Destiny spoke of.

[houndsofluv]

In the reality of Apocalypse, perhaps Moira lived hundreds of years of war thanks to Celestial technology.

However, that is irrelevant for now, we know that in the long term it did not work and she ended up dying.

I’d argue it isn’t entirely irrelevant. Between the “Moira-as-Apocalypse” character design on the cover, the preview cover of Moira and Apocalypse sucking face, the oft-theorized “and then...and then...” panels and the timeline graphic specifically opting out of showing us where she died in the apocalypse timeline, Hickman and The X-Office At Large are giving us a big wink and nudge that this timeline should be near the forefront of our thoughts on the issue. Right behind the franchise-altering mind-busting retcon of course

[hawkeyefan]

Seems like Moira needs to back off. The more involved she gets in mutant affairs, the worse things seem to go.

Gotta be deliberate on Hickman’s part, no?

[Chessboxer]

Mindblowing issue. I'm definately in for a Apocalypse/Moira ongoing.

[PrezValentine]

"The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is a novel by Claire North, a pseudonym of British author Catherine Webb, published in April 2014."

"Another One Bites the Dust/Anazāwan Baitsa Dasuto (アナザーワン バイツァ・ダスト) - January 10, 1996"

"Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Ramis and Danny Rubin."

yoooooo bill murray's got the claim on it
he's gonna use the infinity gauntlet to summon all the ghostbusters out of portals and then send out sheer heart attack but it'll look like garfield

When is Araki sueing Hickman for basically putting Moira on the same grinder where Diavolo is stuck nowadays

[RachelGrey]

I’d argue it isn’t entirely irrelevant. Between the “Moira-as-Apocalypse” character design on the cover, the preview cover of Moira and Apocalypse sucking face, the oft-theorized “and then...and then...” panels and the timeline graphic specifically opting out of showing us where she died in the apocalypse timeline, Hickman and The X-Office At Large are giving us a big wink and nudge that this timeline should be near the forefront of our thoughts on the issue. Right behind the franchise-altering mind-busting retcon of course

I wonder if Moira and Apocalypse found a way that he could remember the previous timeline. Perhaps she restores his memories of the previous timeline and that's why they end up getting their romance on.

[stillanerd]

Three issues into Jonathan Hickman's revemp of the X-Men and he's firing on all cylinders. We often hear a lot about how certain comics are game changers, only to be undone a short time afterwards. Well House of X #2 really is a gamechanger in every sense of the word. And for it to pivot around Moira MacTaggert was complete surprise. Great time to be an X-Men comic book fan again.

Stillanerd Reads: House of X #2

[CRaymond]

Why didn’t Moira get in front of the A/I emergence, marry a Trask, and create them herself as a mutant ally?

Once again, Alan Davis’ Excalibur proves prescient.

[JKtheMac]

Why didn’t Moira get in front of the A/I emergence, marry a Trask, and create them herself as a mutant ally?

Once again, Alan Davis’ Excalibur proves prescient.

I honestly think T6 is the attempt to ally the Trask family.

[CRaymond]

I honestly think T6 is the attempt to ally the Trask family.

Weren’t there a few mutant Trasks? Definitely timetravellin’ Tanya, but there was another one, with a power-dampening amulet? All the Sentinels went into the sun at the end of that story?

[JKtheMac]

But see that's the thing, in the other timelines minus the sixth she dies and gets reset, even in the current timeline they go out of the way to say she faked her death and the current timeline is still ongoing because she isn't dead and thus no reset...but in the Apocalypse time line it says the war began and that's it, no reset so again what sets that time line apart? Is she in fact not dead and found a loop hole? We can't just discard that timeline just because of the current one, in fact in the splash panel were you see all the characthers you see Blink and AoA iceman, it has to be important for some reason, Hickman may throw a lot of curveballs but he never does it for no reason (see his run on Fantastic Four).

Where is your sense of romance? We don’t want to know how the ‘Forever War’ ends. We know that no war and no love can last forever but the Moira / Apocalypse Romance and Battle lives on. If you listen carefully you can hear them fighting still. They had no need for petty things like plans.

Mindblowing issue. I'm definately in for a Apocalypse/Moira ongoing.

At least someone understands.

[JKtheMac]

It would seem that life 10 isn’t her final one if we allow that her final life can’t be one where she lives long enough to manifest her power, though I suppose there are ways around that (if she “cured” herself in the 10th life? Or her 11th “life” came as some kind of transcendence in the 10th timeline?) I would be surprised if they introduced that rule to never use it, but maybe bolstering Destiny’s threat was use enough.

Or as I believe PoX#1 hints, Moira will find a way to live forever. That’s a way to ‘break all the rules’ if ever I heard of one.

[houndsofluv]

Mindblowing issue. I'm definately in for a Apocalypse/Moira ongoing.

Oh if this shows up in wave 2? Jonathan Hickman my money is all yours