House of X #3 *spoilers*

[jamesslow]

I don’t feel like we quite have the clues to what the second half of HoX/PoX is about. The Nimrod issue needs to be resolved, but what then? With the PoX future we’ve seen now apparently done, it’s not clear where PoX goes next except that Sinister is yet to come off the bench.

I believe the jury's out on what happens when Moira dies... does the entire universe reset to the time of her birth or does a parallel timeline split off (9 so far)?

PoX has been showing us 4 time periods: X^0, ^1, ^2 & ^3.

X^0 and 1 strongly appear to be the HoX storyline, which we're told is Life X (although we don't know whether this is the 616 universe).

X^2 and 3 had looked like a continuous story primarily because of the linking character Cylobel who's been in a Bath for around 900-1000 years but this would only be possible if the universe did not reset on Moira's death as we're told occurs after Logan did what he does best.

So, if the universe resets on Moira's death, then X^2 and 3 could not be the same timeline. This then could only mean X^3 is in Life X, which seems very unlikely to me for numerous reasons which I won't go into.

I find myself left with the improbable scenario that the narrator was unreliable or a liar when he said "so ended the 9th life", and Moira was plucked from the jaws of death by Nimrod and then lived until X^3 (she might be the very old blue skinned mutant present at the Phalanx's arrival, or she could be one of the other prisoners in a Bath next to Cylobel -- the Librarian clearly referred to more than one such prisoner, and Omega Sentinel had earlier used the words, "this is not a death you can escape from").

Apart from those two options, I can't see any other way we the reader could have reached the tale of Ascension in Year 1000 -- whaddaya think?

[HeartofTheStoriesWeTell]

I believe the jury's out on what happens when Moira dies... does the entire universe reset to the time of her birth or does a parallel timeline split off (9 so far)?

PoX has been showing us 4 time periods: X^0, ^1, ^2 & ^3.

X^0 and 1 strongly appear to be the HoX storyline, which we're told is Life X (although we don't know whether this is the 616 universe).

X^2 and 3 had looked like a continuous story primarily because of the linking character Cylobel who's been in a Bath for around 900-1000 years but this would only be possible if the universe did not reset on Moira's death as we're told occurs after Logan did what he does best.

So, if the universe resets on Moira's death, then X^2 and 3 could not be the same timeline. This then could only mean X^3 is in Life X, which seems very unlikely to me for numerous reasons which I won't go into.

I find myself left with the improbable scenario that the narrator was unreliable or a liar when he said "so ended the 9th life", and Moira was plucked from the jaws of death by Nimrod and then lived until X^3 (she might be the very old blue skinned mutant present at the Phalanx's arrival, or she could be one of the other prisoners in a Bath next to Cylobel -- the Librarian clearly referred to more than one such prisoner, and Omega Sentinel had earlier used the words, "this is not a death you can escape from").

Apart from those two options, I can't see any other way we the reader could have reached the tale of Ascension in Year 1000 -- whaddaya think?

I am still thinking life 6 might be x3

[Alexi]

If they did this in the movies I might've enjoyed the later ones more.

[useridgoeshere]

I believe the jury's out on what happens when Moira dies... does the entire universe reset to the time of her birth or does a parallel timeline split off (9 so far)?

PoX has been showing us 4 time periods: X^0, ^1, ^2 & ^3.

X^0 and 1 strongly appear to be the HoX storyline, which we're told is Life X (although we don't know whether this is the 616 universe).

X^2 and 3 had looked like a continuous story primarily because of the linking character Cylobel who's been in a Bath for around 900-1000 years but this would only be possible if the universe did not reset on Moira's death as we're told occurs after Logan did what he does best.

So, if the universe resets on Moira's death, then X^2 and 3 could not be the same timeline. This then could only mean X^3 is in Life X, which seems very unlikely to me for numerous reasons which I won't go into.

I find myself left with the improbable scenario that the narrator was unreliable or a liar when he said "so ended the 9th life", and Moira was plucked from the jaws of death by Nimrod and then lived until X^3 (she might be the very old blue skinned mutant present at the Phalanx's arrival, or she could be one of the other prisoners in a Bath next to Cylobel -- the Librarian clearly referred to more than one such prisoner, and Omega Sentinel had earlier used the words, "this is not a death you can escape from").

Apart from those two options, I can't see any other way we the reader could have reached the tale of Ascension in Year 1000 -- whaddaya think?

I think you're analyzing it well. In X3, we've been told that the war was pointless and had a surprising end. It would be surprising if Nimrod actually stopped the death, used the bath to discover Moira's abilities and knowledge and that changed the dynamics in some way.

I'll find it hard to see how Moira makes it to the Ascension and returns as a woman who cares about anything in the short-term. Imagine the scale of knowledge and experience she'd have in her head. That's the point where I could see her either trying to get back to the collective immediately and skipping all this mutant-human-machine crap or even ending it as a child to avoid another reincarnation.

[jamesslow]

I think you're analyzing it well. In X3, we've been told that the war was pointless and had a surprising end. It would be surprising if Nimrod actually stopped the death, used the bath to discover Moira's abilities and knowledge and that changed the dynamics in some way.

I'll find it hard to see how Moira makes it to the Ascension and returns as a woman who cares about anything in the short-term. Imagine the scale of knowledge and experience she'd have in her head. That's the point where I could see her either trying to get back to the collective immediately and skipping all this mutant-human-machine crap or even ending it as a child to avoid another reincarnation.

I agree. If the universe doesn't carry on after Moira's death, then everything we've seen in HoX/PoX has been through her eyes, including X^3 culminating in the Ascension... How does one transition from fighting, and seeing all your loved ones die, and finally dying yourself, after a thousand years and "x" number of lives, pun intended... to being reincarnated as a baby and forced onto the hamster wheel (groundhog wheel?) all over again? The existential horror is unimaginable...

[TOTALITY]

I believe the jury's out on what happens when Moira dies... does the entire universe reset to the time of her birth or does a parallel timeline split off (9 so far)?

PoX has been showing us 4 time periods: X^0, ^1, ^2 & ^3.

X^0 and 1 strongly appear to be the HoX storyline, which we're told is Life X (although we don't know whether this is the 616 universe).

X^2 and 3 had looked like a continuous story primarily because of the linking character Cylobel who's been in a Bath for around 900-1000 years but this would only be possible if the universe did not reset on Moira's death as we're told occurs after Logan did what he does best.

So, if the universe resets on Moira's death, then X^2 and 3 could not be the same timeline. This then could only mean X^3 is in Life X, which seems very unlikely to me for numerous reasons which I won't go into.

I find myself left with the improbable scenario that the narrator was unreliable or a liar when he said "so ended the 9th life", and Moira was plucked from the jaws of death by Nimrod and then lived until X^3 (she might be the very old blue skinned mutant present at the Phalanx's arrival, or she could be one of the other prisoners in a Bath next to Cylobel -- the Librarian clearly referred to more than one such prisoner, and Omega Sentinel had earlier used the words, "this is not a death you can escape from").

Apart from those two options, I can't see any other way we the reader could have reached the tale of Ascension in Year 1000 -- whaddaya think?

Where are we *told* the universe resets upon Moira’s death? I don’t recall anything like that?

And I really, really think we can discount readings where the omniscient narrator is unreliable / lying. I could see something Hickman does retroactively rendering some narration somewhere unreliable, but not something Hickman himself wrote in his 5th issue fully knowing he would contradict it in one of the next 7. I could be wrong, but there are a million better ways to tell a story than that and I have think Hickman would choose something else. Especially in a story where every necessary element to not have to have a cheap lie is something he alone is in control of. If something in issue 9 doesn’t work with issue 5, there’s no reason issue 5 could not just be different.

A lot of readers seem to think that totally unexpected plot points are the ultimate thing writers aspire to, and what would be more unexpected than something the writer outright told us didn’t happen? But I don’t think most writers think of surprise as the ultimate pursuit in and of itself. I think Hickman wants to surprise us, but in ways that make us look at something in a new way, or expanding the story in an interesting direction — not just by doing something no one could guess. There are 6 more issues but I think those will be covering new ground, even if some bits are spliced in to history we know... there may be more retcons coming, I just don’t think that will involve this miniseries having to retcon itself. More just filling in things that haven’t been filled in yet.

[Frobisher]

Ok, crazy prediction for HoX #4. Someone dies on the mission; Probably Husk. We spend some time with the team as they mourn their loss, Cyclops blames himself, et cetera. They make it back to Krakoa dejectedly, only to be met by... Husk. Pod person ex machina, beeyatch.

[Glio]

Didn't the preview say that Xavier's Dream would become deadly to some of his students?

Someone is going to die, of course. Husk, Monet, Archangel or Nightcrawler.

Archangel makes more sense when using the word "students".

[Anduinel]

Didn't the preview say that Xavier's Dream would become deadly to some of his students?

Someone is going to die, of course. Husk, Monet, Archangel or Nightcrawler.

Archangel makes more sense when using the word "students".

Warren's also the character who'd potentially make for the best exposition dump about what the process of a Krakoan rebirth/resurrection actually does, given how often he's been tampered with, reset, etc.

[TOTALITY]

I’ve been thinking if anyone dies and gets resurrected it could be Kurt, which could put him in an interesting spiritual/existential position. Though that might have already been worn out with his last death, and the return of the “classic” Kurt was so fun to briefly glimpse in HOX #3 that I’d be disappointed to see him depressed again so soon.

[Glio]

Warren's also the character who'd potentially make for the best exposition dump about what the process of a Krakoan rebirth/resurrection actually does, given how often he's been tampered with, reset, etc.

Archangel could also help Hickman make an infodump of how Death Seed works and can conect with Apocalypse. And (this his harsh) few people care about him.

[H-E-D]

Archangel could also help Hickman make an infodump of how Death Seed works and can conect with Apocalypse. And (this his harsh) few people care about him.

It'd be fun if we finally got to see the implied but never explicitly confirmed on-page War, Famine, and Pestilence Seeds.

[Veitha]

It'd be fun if we finally got to see the implied but never explicitly confirmed on-page War, Famine, and Pestilence Seeds.

Hickman went with a general apocalypse seed in PoX 3, but that would be cool. I would love a chart about the various seeds with an in-detail explanation.

[H-E-D]

RCO004_1468906701.jpg

This was a throwaway panel, but Remender briefly implied there were SEVEN seeds.

Life and Death are confirmed on-panel, and Remender confirmed in an interview that he intended for War, Famine and Pestilence Seeds.

No clue what the other two would be. Wikipedia lists "Conquest" as an alternate interpretation of the Horseman of the Apocalypse termed "War", and "Law" as an alternate of "Famine". That's less speculation and more a matter of how I might approach it, though.

Alternatively, if we align the Seeds with the Seven Seals, then we have the first four accounted for.

The opening of the first four Seals release the Four Horsemen, each with his own specific mission.[6:1-8] The opening of the fifth seal releases the cries of martyrs for the "word/Wrath of God".[6:9-11] The sixth seal prompts earthquakes and other cataclysmic events.[2][6:12-17] The seventh seal cues seven angelic trumpeters who in turn cue the seven bowl judgments and more cataclysmic events.[8:1-13]

1. Pestilence
2. War
3. Famine
4. Death
5. ???
6. ???
7. Life

Admittedly, none of these exactly scream "Life Seed". I'd give it to the Seventh seal, just because of "angelic". If I had to go based on that, I might make something along the lines of:

1. Pestilence
2. War
3. Famine
4. Death
5. Wrath / Justice / Vengeance
6. Disaster / Catastrophe
7. Life

Powers Of X 03 (of 06)-011.jpg

Interestingly, "terminal apocalypse seed" is in lowercase here, which could imply it's not a reference to a particular seed. Of course, since all the appearances of Life and Death Seeds were in traditional all-caps lettering, we don't truly know if the difference is meaningful. I'd speculate that maybe it was a War Seed. But, if we accept it as one of the seven...

1. Pestilence
2. War
3. Famine
4. Death
5. Wrath / Justice / Vengeance
6. Terminal Apocalypse
7. Life

[Veitha]

Nice analysis. I always assumed the "seven seeds we planted" as in they planted 7 different Death Seeds but only Archangel hatched (since Oz says "of all the deaths we planted" later). But it could also mean there's more than 2 seeds.

Hickman did use Conquest as one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse in East of West. Disaster or Catastrophe could work also as one of the seeds since that would one aspect of the apocalypse that is lacking from the 4 horsemen.