Excalibur #12 Starring Candra (SPOILERS)

[Nyssane]

I see nobody else felt compelled to make a thread for this issue, so here we are.

Apocalypse summons the Externals to a volcano or something. He brings Rictor in and tells them basically the Externals are no better than normal mutants who are the "new" High Lords. Selene and Gideon side with Apocalypse and a fight ensues. Rictor obliterates Crule, Nicodermus, Saul, and Candra (Absalom's lame ass gets to stay I guess). He begins a ritual to open a gate using the fallen Externals' skeletons, but Rictor notes that badass queen Candra feels different from the others.

Gambit and Rogue are on Otherworld still. Candra appears to Gambit as he's holding her gem. She taunts him and reveals she knew all along about Apocalypse's plan. She's safe in Saturnyne's hands, but Gambit has her and she needs him to give her back.

They make their way back to Captain Britain and Saturnyne, and Candra reminds Gambit he either helps Apocalypse or her. Gambit thinks it over and throws Candra's gem into the portal (ugh) which pleases Apocalypse. The Externals' skeletons open the permanent portal to the Starlight Citadel.

* * * * *

I didn't give a lick about any of this nonsense other than Candra. We all had a hunch the Externals would be used as fodder, so it's such a shame that they ended up being as such. I genuinely thought Gambit would save Candra, but nope. At least she had a great showing, and as it's a comic book I doubt she'll never appear again. Not surprised at Selene being spared, but Gideon?

What did everyone else think?

[Beetle]

Gideon and Absalom surviving but Candra dying was a poor choice

Rictor controlling lava is just lol. I love the boy, but stop giving him more powers.

[JB]

See, the King.



Thanks for starting the thread. I loved the issue and thought it was a great start to the big event.
Loved the last bit:
"In that moment, the magician of mutantkind spoke a bardic truth: He would indeed lose more than he had planned for."

[Beetle]

Why did his shirt burn off but his pants didn't?

[Journey]

Why did his shirt burn off but his pants didn't?

He has Wolverine X-Men Last Stand Syndrome shredding everything but the pants.

[Weather]

I really enjoy this book. And this issue was very fun and I liked it adressed older chronology (Candra's gem and her relation to Gambit). Marcus To is also a god.

I just don't understand the motivations of the characters. Rictor and Betsy work for Apocalypse for no reason I can understand. Just because he is in the Council? They always question his motives, but at the same time they completely do what he asks. And I didn't buy the decision Gambit made in the end completely.

[JB]

Why did his shirt burn off but his pants didn't?

You pose the most important question of all. Let us pray.

[Veitha]

Rictor erasing Magma purpose and reason to exist. King

[Frobisher]

Why did his shirt burn off but his pants didn't?

Unstable pant molecules.

[Andru]

I actually enjoyed this issue for the most part, but was a tad confused...

So are the "dead" externals really dead? Or they cannot be re-born until the gate to Otherworld is destroyed?

[loke13]

I actually enjoyed this issue for the most part, but was a tad confused...

So are the "dead" externals really dead? Or they cannot be re-born until the gate to Otherworld is destroyed?

It's a little bit contradictory? Apocalypse says that those who are used in the ritual will die a true death which is the reason why he didn't want to sacrifice himself but then the data page talks about how externals don't ever really die and then eventually they will undergo some form of Resurrection. Maybe the externals can be resurrected but their bodies won't have the mystical energy that they've been storing up in their bones for millennia?

Idk.

[Beetle]

I actually enjoyed this issue for the most part, but was a tad confused...

So are the "dead" externals really dead? Or they cannot be re-born until the gate to Otherworld is destroyed?

Yeah it's weird because Apocalypse was killed earlier in this run to power the Krakoan gate to Otherworld but he got resurrected no problem in the next issue

[Weather]

I actually enjoyed this issue for the most part, but was a tad confused...

So are the "dead" externals really dead? Or they cannot be re-born until the gate to Otherworld is destroyed?

Yes. I believe they can only come back to life after their energy, that is within those pink crystals, is liberated. So if one destroys the portal and the pink stuff, the cicle of Externals begin again.

[Dante Milton]

I actually enjoyed this issue for the most part, but was a tad confused...

So are the "dead" externals really dead? Or they cannot be re-born until the gate to Otherworld is destroyed?

I would guess that they can't be reborn through their External power because it was exhausted to build the gate, but they can probably be reborn through Krakoan resurrection but they will no longer be true Externals.