X-Men #9 - "The King Egg" (Spoilers)

[JB]

Hmm I'm still letting this one digest, all puns intended. I'm not the brightest when it comes to sci-fi stuff so help would be appreciated, especially with the data pages.

We flashback to 8000 years ago on Hala with the Kree Empire. They have captured a brood and have been studying it, watching it it a windowed cell. Two scientist-ish people are presenting what they have learned to an Accuser. They determine that the brood consumes "not just the host but also the knowledge that host contained". They observe as it does its thing on some poor victim that they put in the cell with it. The victim turns into a brood and now there are two.

While the Accuser goes into the cell to kill the two brood, the scientists explain that they want to "genetically seed the hive with a biological control mechanism". They want to weaponize the hive. You see, the hive is matriarchal and they "want to produce a patriarchal element that - when introduced to the hive - will seize control of the entire society and turn them into a weapon to disrupt rival advanced civilizations".

The King Egg.

The Accuser askes the Supremor to provide judgment on if the weapon should be created. Supremor extrapolates and determines that the weaponized Brood could topple a rival empire. It lists potential rivals such as the Skrull, Badoon, Galador, Shi'ar, and Cotati. It almost determines the most favorable target is the Shi'ar. Weapon approved!

The Present, what we saw in the preview. The X-Men flying the King Egg recovered in the last issue trying to escape the Brood-controlled Acanti chasing them. They realize there are even more Acanti in front of them heading right towards them so they're kinda trapped.

We then go aboard the station-thing where the Accuser has the Starjammers prisoner. Roberto is still on the phone with him and is stalling, the Accuser growing impatient. 'Berto was stalling to give the Shi'ar Guard time to arrive to save the Starjammers, which they do.

Kid Gladiator reminds his father Gladiator how he's always too busy to spend time with him and gives us a great line, "Well, I'll forgive you if you $@%& this guy up for me".

And then we see the Accuser flying through a wall of the staton and straight into space, being swallowed by an Acanti. It just so happens the Acanti was about to munch on the X-Men jet but they narrowly pull ahead. Havok sends a message to the station the Accuser just came out of and realizes it's his father's crew and the Shi'ar on it. Alex tells them they have the King Egg, Gladiator is like, "ahh, so that's what this is all about. Ya'll gonna land on the planet below?"

They crash-land on the planet and an Acanti, chasing the X-Men, slams into the station, sending the Guard and Starjammers landing onto the planet also. Everyone runs into a cave and the Brood is behind them. Jean does a great job explaining why she can't control the Brood and why they are adamant about getting the Egg. They are essentially fighting for survival as they know that Egg can destroy everything that they are. The explanation lasts for a few pages as the Brood (SO MANY OF THEM) close in on the makeshift team. I find the battle to be beautiful, thank you Yu.

The Brood close in, Vulcan is in the grip of one and Scott's head is about to get eaten, Jean screams "SCOTT!", then suddenly all the Brood stop. Vulcan gives us an explanation: "They've lost their fire". He's so cute!

Broo cracked open the King Egg and ate it. The Brood have frozen in their tracks.

Ladies and gentlemen, Broo is now the one and only Brood King.



NOW, I mentioned this over in the GS Nightcrawler thread but we seem to have to a running theme of eggs in Hickman's recent work. Just saying.