X-Force #1 review starring Black Tom Cassidy *spoilers*

[JKtheMac]

Xavier used telekinesis in HoX.

That was open to interpretation. It appears that he did at a very low level and canonical sources suggest he has that ability at a very low level (At the time I was challenged to prove that he had low level telekinesis and found two tiny references but remain convinced there was a more convincing one that I can’t find any more).

However, what we saw may have been something else. Maybe he is capable of using the powers of others for example. It was perhaps a hint that things are different. We now know Xavier has manipulated himself a little, by resetting himself, so he may have changed himself a little.

None of this suggests he has the power to stop a bullet.

[lurkerforyears]

That was open to interpretation. It appears that he did at a very low level and canonical sources suggest he has that ability at a very low level (At the time I was challenged to prove that he had low level telekinesis and found two tiny references but remain convinced there was a more convincing one that I can’t find any more).

However, what we saw may have been something else. Maybe he is capable of using the powers of others for example. It was perhaps a hint that things are different. We now know Xavier has manipulated himself a little, by resetting himself, so he may have changed himself a little.

None of this suggests he has the power to stop a bullet.

he had "telekinesis" in the Stan Lee run and early in the Claremont run (he even destroys a sentinel with his mind), that was soft retconned by Claremont, he made it so psychics could no longer affect matter, only the minds of other living beings
it wasnt real telekinesis, moving things from one side to another, it was just that "mind bolts" were powerful energy blasts that could affect matter
Even Emma in the Dark Phoenix saga, focuses all her psychic energy into a single mind bolt, to release herself from Phoenix Jean, and it makes her factory and base explode, making people think she had died there
in the first panel of the second page here Xavier deflects an iron beam with his mind

[People Of The Earth]

That is mot what we saw in the conic. It went out of its way to show the preparations and how they were carefully sidestepped. At least read and acknowledge the comic’s contents and context before criticising it.

Right back at you with my posts, maybe read them and acknowledge their contents and context before criticizing too.
Pretty sure I already said this earlier in this thread, but I'll repeat it all the same: there was no one on the ground to act as enforcers/soldiers on the Kraked side.
You had Sage on radar duty, and you had Cassidy on radar duty. That was it.
What good does it make to be able to detect threats if you have no one to act upon them?
"Hey look, I detected that boogey there, I have no idea what this is, do you have anyone to go check on this?"
"Yeah, I've got so-and-so patrolling in the area nearby, I'll alert them"
Boom.
Done.
This is one way to illustrate how, yeah, you have this great detection system in place, but also people on the ground able to act upon it.
Was this so hard to show in this comics? Personally, I Don't think so.
And there's so many other ways you can do that...
You can say your patrols are too far apart to zero in on the intruders.
You can say your patrols aren't responding for some Reason suddenly, but really it's just the intruders who have neutralized them already.
You can even say there is no patrols on this particular evening because there's this great celebration where people are and the habitual security are over there.
You can come up with millions of ways to illustrate that there's some basic level of security on Krakoa.
Here? they detected the intruders, were confused by the readings, but had no one on the ground to act upon it anyway.
THAT is what the absence of preparedness looks like to me.
Unless you consider Cassidy as THE response to any intrusion, in which case as I pointed out in an earlier post, it's a reckless responsibility to give this man, beyond making-up for very light a defense.
Unless you consider Logan, Jean and Hank as THE response to any intrusion, in which case they messed up big time.

[BroHomo]

Right back at you with my posts, maybe read them and acknowledge their contents and context before criticizing too.
Pretty sure I already said this earlier in this thread, but I'll repeat it all the same: there was no one on the ground to act as enforcers/soldiers on the Kraked side.
You had Sage on radar duty, and you had Cassidy on radar duty. That was it.
What good does it make to be able to detect threats if you have no one to act upon them?
"Hey look, I detected that boogey there, I have no idea what this is, do you have anyone to go check on this?"
"Yeah, I've got so-and-so patrolling in the area nearby, I'll alert them"
Boom.
Done.
This is one way to illustrate how, yeah, you have this great detection system in place, but also people on the ground able to act upon it.
Was this so hard to show in this comics? Personally, I Don't think so.
And there's so many other ways you can do that...
You can say your patrols are too far apart to zero in on the intruders.
You can say your patrols aren't responding for some Reason suddenly, but really it's just the intruders who have neutralized them already.
You can even say there is no patrols on this particular evening because there's this great celebration where people are and the habitual security are over there.
You can come up with millions of ways to illustrate that there's some basic level of security on Krakoa.
Here? they detected the intruders, were confused by the readings, but had no one on the ground to act upon it anyway.
THAT is what the absence of preparedness looks like to me.
Unless you consider Cassidy as THE response to any intrusion, in which case as I pointed out in an earlier post, it's a reckless responsibility to give this man, beyond making-up for very light a defense.
Unless you consider Logan, Jean and Hank as THE response to any intrusion, in which case they messed up big time.

But you got all the green energy spores/pod that's an alert system i thought

[loke13]

Or just maybe, like the mission creep with Omega mutants, telepathy has been over used and became overpowered. I really dont have a problem with it.

Yeah to be honest I wouldn't very much prefer a scale back of mutant powers to seem less GODLIKE they can be a supernatural as they want but I do think there should be very clear limitations on what's possible and what isn't.

[loke13]

But you got all the green energy spores/pod that's an alert system i thought

Yeah there were definitely security measures in place but as far as an organized Strike Force that's able to be deployed at a moment's notice Krakoa was lacking in that aspect which I feel like this issue was supposed to showcase.

The mutants are coming off of one of the biggest victories of their lifetime and because of that they've gotten a bit lax and careless X-Force it's supposed to be there reactionary response to that.

[Starfish]

She doesn't get an automatic pass, it seems.

Citizen rights tied to the proper genes? Procreation enforced by law? Sorry, but maybe I'm just too German to root for Krakoa without getting a foul taste in my mouth.

[People Of The Earth]

My apologies then. Do you think you'll continue with the next issue? I have a feeling there's a plant (no pun intended) on the island.

It's ok, I should have reiterated that after my first post in this thread really.
Personally, I enjoy stories with a certain sense of structure, of details, carefully crafted or at least, with a feeling that there was thoughts and attentions put in their conception, into the worldbuilding.
I Don't think the writer approached this first issue with that level of concern in mind, I think he just wanted to get the pieces he needed where he wanted them to be and that came with a degree of carelessness I wasn't expecting at all.
I didn't click with this issue for that very Reason.
Some passages felt very sloppy, others very telegraphed and cliché, it's such a downgrade from what Hickman has been doing previously, it gaves me pause you know?
It felt very much like all those X-books that came out during this decade where stories were poorly manufactured...
So yeah, I'm willing to see if the quality of the writing improves at least until the end of this arc, but of all the DoX books I've read, this is the weakest to me - and by a wide margin.

I just think it is just much coincidence that in the moment of the attack no one is close. No way they planned this without some help from someone in krakoa.
I still ownder if this was a plan by Xavier

I hope not! Xavier being involved in this attack would be a new low for the character.
He already turned his back on his vision, he doesn't need that particular casserole in plus behind him.

[JKtheMac]

Right back at you with my posts, maybe read them and acknowledge their contents and context before criticizing too.

Well let’s not go into a spiral of ‘no you are not listening’ I can only assure you I have been reading your points. Mostly with disbelief. As if you read an entirely different book. I get people have different interpretations but there are facts here. Clear cut things that are not open to interpretation. There are also layers of analogy and context to help interpretation. This is exactly what you later accuse it of not being, a carefully crafted book. To say it isn’t is to ignore half of it.

Pretty sure I already said this earlier in this thread, but I'll repeat it all the same: there was no one on the ground to act as enforcers/soldiers on the Krakoa side.

We see them. They are right there being shot at. The whole point is that this was a coordinated attack by four people who split-up. How exactly would the actual forces coordinate this? From the moment they realise there is a threat people are getting shot. The tactics were to sow confusion. To actively combat a coordinated defence by breaking it up.

You had Sage on radar duty, and you had Cassidy on radar duty. That was it.

Yes. Also them. Pretty effective against a standard assault. They would have been able to assemble a coordinated attack very effectively if it wasn’t so surprising and specifically tuned to bypass that.

THAT is what the absence of preparedness looks like to me.

So aside from you failing to notice the responders reacting immediately, your critique is that you personally would have organised things differently, in very human and non mutant manner, as if it was a game of Platoon Commander. As if the X-Men or any other team has ever operated like this. This isn’t a military comic. We don’t need granulated details on exactly where everyone is. We just need to see the respondents and we do. They take down all but one of the insurgents. One was enough because their plan was both well conceived and lucky.

Unless you consider Logan, Jean and Hank as THE response to any intrusion, in which case they messed up big time.

Yes there was a mess created. Just as there was on 9-11. Who should be blamed. That’s what this book is about. The systems in place are specifically being questioned in this issue.

Overall it’s up to you. You need to put the work in too. But to actively put the work in to undermine instead of support the story is totally counterproductive to enjoying it.

[People Of The Earth]

Well let’s not go into a spiral of ‘no you are not listening’ I can only assure you I have been reading your points. Mostly with disbelief. As if you read an entirely different book. I get people have different interpretations but there are facts here. Clear cut things that are not open to interpretation. There are also layers of analogy and context to help interpretation. This is exactly what you later accuse it of not being, a carefully crafted book. To say it isn’t is to ignore half of it.

Please, do tell where are those Kraked enforcers/soldiers in this issue - what panel, which page? Since I can't properly read according to you. Point them out to me, I'm all ears.

We see them. They are right there being shot at.

The ones being shot at are the Kraked civilians who were in that residential area at the time: a bunch of no-namers and a couple of known figures like Caliban or Vanisher.
Are you considering that Caliban, Vanisher and Boom-Boom were the ones serving as the security forces on the ground at the time? Because that would be a wild leap to make in the unknown.
If you are referring to Logan, Beast or Cassidy being the ones shot at, I'll refer you to what I said earlier about them acting as the security forces of Krakoa.

The whole point is that this was a coordinated attack by four people who split-up. How exactly would the actual forces coordinate this? From the moment they realise there is a threat people are getting shot. The tactics were to sow confusion. To actively combat a coordinated defence by breaking it up.

I didn't make the point that the Kraked needed to be shown having an effective defensive force in that issue - just that they should be shown having an existing defensive force, period.
Go back and read my previous posts.

Yes. Also them. Pretty effective against a standard assault. They would have been able to assemble a coordinated attack very effectively if it wasn’t so surprising and specifically tuned to bypass that.

Again.
To assemble *who*?
That's the crux of the issue I have here, not whether or not Sage is a competent coordinator… another point I wasn't discussing to begin with.
*Who* on that island has the role of enforcers/security/military/ whatever term you want to use for that denomination?
Hickman established there was a command structures with Great Captains in leading positions.
Good.
Don't those Great Captains have dedicated teams to lead to combat as a result?
If it's a yes, where were those dedicated teams at the time? How hard was it to write them off as "nowhere around the attack"? as I pointed out in my examples, there are millions of ways to acknowledge there is basic security forces in play without it hindering whatever direction the plot is taking.
If it's a no, we are back to wondering what exactly is the point of having alert systems without dedicated security people to do Something about said alerts when they occur.
Unless you consider Cassidy to be THE security response on the ground,
Unless you consider Logan, Jean and Hank to be THE security response on the ground.
Unless civilian Kraked get conscripted into defense forces whenever an attack occur.
I already adressed what I thought about the two first instances, as for the last one, Nothing has ever been hinted about civilians eventually being conscripted on the spot into these roles.

So aside from you failing to notice the responders reacting immediately,

As I said in my first paragraph, do point out to them in that issue please, thank you.

your critique is that you personally would have organised things differently, in very human and non mutant manner, as if it was a game of Platoon Commander. As if the X-Men or any other team has ever operated like this.

No.
MY critique is about the absence of security forces/ enforcers on that island.
You have someone who monitor the portal network (Sage), someone who monitor the surroundings of the island (Cassidy), what I'm asking is who, concretely, does the security on that island, whether as soldiers, enforcers or whatever the term that will be used to describe them.
I only provided examples as to how one could demonstrate that, Indeed, there were people dedicated to security on that island.
Examples.
Not a "critique of how {I} personally would have organised things differently, in very human and non mutant manner, as if it was a game of Platoon Commander", whatever that game is.

This isn’t a military comic. We don’t need granulated details on exactly where everyone is. We just need to see the respondents and we do. They take down all but one of the insurgents. One was enough because their plan was both well conceived and lucky.

Ah, this bit is interesting.
So, for you, Logan, Jean and Hank ARE the security forces on the ground for Krakoa.
For me, they looked like to be there - as respondents to reuse your term - out of pure luck:
Logan was camping/having dinner in the middle of the woods, Jean was just coming back from visiting the Healing gardens and Hank was on a trekk throughout the island.
IIRC, all three of them noticed Something was off.
All three of them reacted.
Since you were referring to my examples as being very "human" in their approach, I'm sorry to inform you that I'll be approaching this situation here from the very same "human" manner:
When they are on duty, "human"(sapiens really) guards/enforcers/soldiers happen to stand guard.
Go on patrols.
Track down criminals.
This sort of things (and by the way, the X-Men did use to go on patrols before around cities, so my earlier examples were not so far out there as you made it sound, just sayin')….
What those "human"(sapiens really) guards/enforcers/soldiers Don't do however, is to go on extended trekk/ seclude themselves in the middle of the woods to have diner (possibly hunted)/ pay visit to hospitals when they are on-duty.

Those activities can be done off-duty, as far as I can tell from my limited perspective.

So I have to Wonder, from my very "human" way to see things: if we assume that Logan, Hank and Jean were off-duty when they were doing all the activities I listed above… who was on-duty in that timeframe then?
And if they weren't, then surely me saying that in such context, they messed up isn't that outrageous a declaration to make?
Just asking.

Yes there was a mess created. Just as there was on 9-11. Who should be blamed. That’s what this book is about. The systems in place are specifically being questioned in this issue.

I Don't dispute that.
It's the execution that I find lacking in many departments.

Overall it’s up to you. You need to put the work in too. But to actively put the work in to undermine instead of support the story is totally counterproductive to enjoying it.

Here's the thing.
I've payed with my money all of these books that I've read.
As a result, I expect:
1. a certain level of quality from the content,
2. the ability to point out when I find that level of quality to be lacking (or to be excelling when it excels).
I won't excuse myself for that. Ever.
Call me entitled as a result or sue me - I'm totally at peace with that.

[Punch Dimension.]

lol at these circular walls of text.

[Striderblack01]

Haven’t picked up the issue yet.

But are y’all telling me that Krakkoa wasn’t ready for an attack involving a mutant being skinned and worn like a shirt by an assasination squad, and then para-shooting in like Jason Bourne?

It’s like these mutants want to be murdered.

/s

[Tycon]

If I keep scrolling down for three seconds and see the same post, I automatically can’t read or respond to it. But anyway rereading the issue, I do like that this issue set up this being the first and last time something like this happens but that’s a big promise to keep and I’m sure it won’t be followed through but I hope they continue that line of thinking for as long as they can.

[JB]

The ones being shot at are the Kraked civilians...
I didn't make the point that the Kraked needed...

Is it Krakoan or Kraked? Krakoan feels right in my heart but Kraked is funny.

If I keep scrolling down for three seconds and see the same post, I automatically can’t read or respond to it. But anyway rereading the issue, I do like that this issue set up this being the first and last time something like this happens but that’s a big promise to keep and I’m sure it won’t be followed through but I hope they continue that line of thinking for as long as they can.

It's as if these Kraked Krakoans don't read X-Men comics. They totally thought they had a peaceful paradise and weren't worried about anything. WE knew better!

[AbnormallyNormal]

It's as if these Kraked Krakoans don't read X-Men comics. They totally thought they had a peaceful paradise and weren't worried about anything. WE knew better!

I'm gonna need some kind of marker of how much actual 616 continuity exists in this Moira X at some point. I honestly don't know. It really does not seem like Rosenburg's run happened here. Or other things.