X-Men: Legends #1 Review

[Adam-X]

I hated every second of this. Adam X is such an inherently terrible character and should've been forgotten.

Beauty is - every character has fans. No matter how bad others may think. Clearly, I am quite the fan - and over all, the responses in this thread have been positive.

Waited 28 years for this!!!!!
Amazing!!!!
So happy to of been right about this

Yes. Feels so good to see this finally told.

I loved it! I loved the retro feel (exposition and banners and issue references). Only thing missing were thought balloons. I can’t wait for the next issue!

This confused me because i went into it expecting absolutely nothing and ended up absolutely loving it and the energy in it. the colors were beautiful. go figure.

Wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I began reading this story. Knew from the preview that I would like the artwork and coloring but I wasn't sure if the story was going to be one I would like. Must say that I was pleasantly surprised and found myself not only liking the story but now patiently waiting for the second half of the story. Prior to this I didn't know much about Adam X and his up bringing, (not sure any of us did). Going to have to pull out my older issues and see just where this story fits into the timeline.
they have made Adam a interesting character and I for one can't wait to learn more about him and how he grew up. Seeing a Summers who has both control of his powers and a relative normal upbringing is quite the change from the usual Summer's origin story. Also found his mutant power an interesting approach on energy wielding. Was expecting his power to be somewhat similar to Scott and Alex and be some sort of energy beam but instead he seems to be able to emit microwave energy which is both unseen and effects any exposed cut. Quite effective person to have on your team.

book was fire!!
best x book of the week

Welcome to seeing the light.

1.) Just how long were Katherine and Christopher Summers held in captivity?
According to flashback he was rescued from some sort of birthing vat. Is that how all Shiar are born or was this some sort of cloning facility?

I don't think they specify an actual time - but back in UXM #156 (I believe it was), Corsair seems to suggest it'd been a long time.
As for Adam, this was a cloning facility; Shi'ar have children normally (through sex).

2.) If he was born on Shiar and was a project of the Emperor then why was he given an Earthen name like Adam?

If you look on the vat it says "Adam" then has some Shi'ar writing. I assume (based on the "Eve" vat) - D'Ken saw this as the "Adam and Eve" of the Shi'ar Empire - the new way.

3.) Just how long has Corsair know about Adam and why did he never search for or mention him before know? I will wait to hear his explanation next issue but at this time I nominate him for Worst Father of the Marvel Universe Award. Had four boys and never bothered to either search for or learn what happened to any of them.

Corsair barely looked for his own, legitimate sons (believing them dead) - he probably didn't care to search for Adam, who wasn't "by blood" - his own son.

1.) Did someone rescue Eve as well? Is she his twin and a fifth sibling or was their some other Shiar plot in the works?

Does not look like she was rescued.

2.) How did Adam-X end up on Mojo World?

Beats the #$%^ out of me. But I hate it.

3.) Why have Scott and Alex not felt any brotherly love toward Adam and attempted a rescue? Did something happen to make them forget that Adam existed?

[/quote]

Only Scott & Alex's grandfather seemed to have a sense that Adam might be related.

For once, Adam X was interesting.

He always has been. You've just not seen it till now, my child.

I think Adam X will be a half brother. Kid of Corsair and a Shi'ar female.

We already know Adam is D'Ken's son, but since he's a test tube baby, it may be revealed the other parent is Corsair after all. Perhaps Shi'ar scientists knew that Corsair's offspring would have the potential for mutant abilities, so they produced a child by splicing his DNA with D'Ken's. Thus, Adam would be a Summers and actually have 2 fathers.

People keep assuming Katherine is the mother, but with alien genetic engineering, it isn't necessary to have 1 male and 1 female parent. We know Adam is related to D'Ken and is a Summers. There's a good chance the 2 "parents" are D'Ken and Corsair. It also explains Adam's connection to the Corsair's parents (which wouldn't be the case if it was Katherine).

So I wonder if it is going to be a thing that Adam and Vulcan are twins or something.

No. Vulcan is the son of Corsair and Katherine; while Adam was revealed (Captain Marvel #3) to be the genetic son of D'Ken and a human female - which we can now assume to be Katherine. Because of what's shown here with their powers and what Corsair says at the end.

Why can’t he be the product of Corsair and a Sh’iar? Deathbird is always horny. He is clearly a half-brother. Gene splicing? I dunno.

Remember when they cloned a walking body for Professor Xavier. They travel through star gates. And yet gene-splicing seems too far fetched for the Shi'ar?

Fun issue overall. It really felt like I was reading a 90s comic.
And I've said this before, but even thought I don't usually like Booth's art, he's perfect for 90s nostalgia. Hated his X-men fill-in, but he makes sense for this title.
Only thing I couldn't quite stomach is Adam-X's power. I had forgotten he makes blood boil or something like that. It's just too ridiculous, IMO. If they expand to him being able to do similar things to other substances so it's not all about how extreme(!!) his powers are, I could give it a pass. I think.

Glad you liked the issue - but in a world where there's "Eye Boy" and "Nature Girl" and someone named "Cyclops" whose optic blasts for some reason don't shoot out of the sides of his sunglasses - and someone who ignites oxyenated blood is somehow too much?

[Odd Rödney]

Glad you liked the issue - but in a world where there's "Eye Boy" and "Nature Girl" and someone named "Cyclops" whose optic blasts for some reason don't shoot out of the sides of his sunglasses - and someone who ignites oxyenated blood is somehow too much?

This is a damn good point!

[The Twilight Mexican]

I loved every last thing about this issue. Every. Last. Thing.

[Adam-X]

This is a damn good point!

Thank you. Every once in awhile, I do that. It's very rare though.
(BTW, love the animated avatar!)

I loved every last thing about this issue. Every. Last. Thing.

It was beautiful, wasn't it?

[Odd Rödney]

I know a lot of fans wanted/want Gambit to be revealed as a brother, but that isn't his history. In X-Men: The End, Claremont is just taking advantage of Fabian's open 'brother' plotline; In one reality Claremont had Remy as the son of Sue Storm and Namor so I definitely don't see anything canon about The End. Claremont even originally created Gambit to be an X-Men infiltrator (with both Sinister and Gambit manifestations of an actual mutant villain's mind) . I'm glad they changed that and love Gambit as an X-Man, but in my mind he's not a Summers.

Yeah, I'm with ya! I don't want Remy to be a Summers brother.

Gambit should be Mr. Sinister's son over him being a Summers.

Oooh! I really like that concept. Could be really interesting!

[Adam-X]

I could easily see Sinister taking a note from D'Ken - using his DNA with a Summers (or whoever) DNA - and making Gambit.

But honestly - would rather Gambit be unrelated - and just be a guy from New Orleans, who was a thief and a mutant - so the X-Men tree can branch out a little.

And Odd Rödney - you honor me with putting me in your signature!

[Odd Rödney]

And Odd Rödney - you honor me with putting me in your signature!

No worries mate, you're welcome. It is something I do when someone makes a good point.

I've had quotes from Fokken, Devaishwaya and a few other folks in the past and I'll likely keep doing it.

[patch]

I could easily see Sinister taking a note from D'Ken - using his DNA with a Summers (or whoever) DNA - and making Gambit.

But honestly - would rather Gambit be unrelated - and just be a guy from New Orleans, who was a thief and a mutant - so the X-Men tree can branch out a little.

I've been trying to remember and do some searching, but was there ever an in-panel where Sinister and Erik the Red encountered each other/interacted? I know in X-Men #39, the closing frames showed 1) Erik the Red spying on Adam-X as he's leaving Philip Summers' hospital, then 2) Sinister spying on Erik the Red spying on Adam-X.

I think X-Men Legends #2 is headed to Shi'ar space so not sure if they'll address the Sinister connection but I'm still curious how Sinister might fit into this (the Shi'ar are far advanced enough that they wouldn't need Sinister at all for any science/genetic manipulations). Yet, how would Sinister know that Adam is a Scott/Alex's brother (as he let slip in X-Men #23, and as hinted in Sinister Secrets in POX #4)? Prevalent thought is that Sinister had to have been referring to Adam in these instances because there's no way he could have known about Gabriel's existence, but at that time only Erik the Red (and his cult) knew of Adam's heritage whereas more people knew about Gabriel (including potentially Erik for whom Gabriel was supposed to travel to earth to serve as a slave).

[The Cool Thatguy]

I've been trying to remember and do some searching, but was there ever an in-panel where Sinister and Erik the Red encountered each other/interacted? I know in X-Men #39, the closing frames showed 1) Erik the Red spying on Adam-X as he's leaving Philip Summers' hospital, then 2) Sinister spying on Erik the Red spying on Adam-X.

I think X-Men Legends #2 is headed to Shi'ar space so not sure if they'll address the Sinister connection but I'm still curious how Sinister might fit into this (the Shi'ar are far advanced enough that they wouldn't need Sinister at all for any science/genetic manipulations). Yet, how would Sinister know that Adam is a Scott/Alex's brother (as he let slip in X-Men #23, and as hinted in Sinister Secrets in POX #4)? Prevalent thought is that Sinister had to have been referring to Adam in these instances because there's no way he could have known about Gabriel's existence, but at that time only Erik the Red (and his cult) knew of Adam's heritage whereas more people knew about Gabriel (including potentially Erik for whom Gabriel was supposed to travel to earth to serve as a slave).

I'd just presume that Sinister scans the planet on a regular basis for mutants. Adam turned up one day, and that was that

[Adam-X]

I've been trying to remember and do some searching, but was there ever an in-panel where Sinister and Erik the Red encountered each other/interacted? I know in X-Men #39, the closing frames showed 1) Erik the Red spying on Adam-X as he's leaving Philip Summers' hospital, then 2) Sinister spying on Erik the Red spying on Adam-X.

I think X-Men Legends #2 is headed to Shi'ar space so not sure if they'll address the Sinister connection but I'm still curious how Sinister might fit into this (the Shi'ar are far advanced enough that they wouldn't need Sinister at all for any science/genetic manipulations). Yet, how would Sinister know that Adam is a Scott/Alex's brother (as he let slip in X-Men #23, and as hinted in Sinister Secrets in POX #4)? Prevalent thought is that Sinister had to have been referring to Adam in these instances because there's no way he could have known about Gabriel's existence, but at that time only Erik the Red (and his cult) knew of Adam's heritage whereas more people knew about Gabriel (including potentially Erik for whom Gabriel was supposed to travel to earth to serve as a slave).

I don't think they ever interacted - but considering that Adam was told to go look for "Nathaniel Essex" for a clue (who is Sinister's other name) - I assume that Sinister has his hands in everything.

The moment Adam worked for Strong Industries - and there was another mutant there (Neurotap) - Sinister probably manipulated and got a hold of both of their DNA (and probably that of Strong's as well).

I just see Sinister as someone - who like Dexter, who saved blood samples - Sinister has cabinets full of every mutant's DNA.