Children of the Atom #5 Review/Spoiler - Secrets Revealed

[Triniking1234]

So why didn't they all go through the gate during the 1st issue? If she has been a mutant from the start it should have worked. Did the suits screw everything up or did she some how stop the others from going through the gate?


It's clear that this story got changed a lot from what it was supposed to be and it is leading to some confusion

The book implies she's a late bloomer and her X-gene wasn't active so the attempt in #1 wouldn't have worked.

[pkingdom]

I agree, what Storm did left a bad taste in my mouth...though honestly her general attitude n this has really put me off. I also feel there is a disconnect with what we see from Carmen here and what we saw in her brief cameo in the Gala. i go so far as to say Storm whether she meant to or not (and to some degree the others when they walked away from the kids who had saved them) snubbed her friends by what she did.

Also, unrelated topic, but was Outlaw concluded? Or this crap still going? I ask because they mention that law but i haven't seen anything on that in the last Champions issue.

Outlaw is long over and Kamala's Law has been repealed. The politician who proposed it in the first place was convinced to lead the repeal process when the people responsible for enforcing it got too....fascist-y about the whole thing. He really did want to protect kids, but not things like re-education brainwashing camps.

[Kingdom X]

I feel like this book is just full of jumbled up metaphors. Like people mentioned the outing scene was off, but more than that I feel like we completely brushed over these kids pretending to be mutants.

I never expected the X-Men to be that mad, but I do think a more serious conversation should have happened about trying on other people's identities. Storm was like "it's cool", when really it's not. It'd be one thing if they book made it clear that this was a parallel to exploring gender or sexual identity, but as of now it's giving cultural appropriation.

Also... I still don't get why they did it. Buddy (and maybe Jay Jay) seems to be the only one who is actually obsessed with mutants and everyone else just had an unrelated problem. Loved the first two issues of this book, issue 3 was pretty good, and then it completely nosedived for me.

[Master of Sound]

So next issue is the conclusion and we already saw Gimmick at the Hellfire Gala.

What do you guys think will happen to all 5 of them, will we see them again, or just Carmen, or maybe forgotten from now on?

[Kingdom X]

So next issue is the conclusion and we already saw Gimmick at the Hellfire Gala.

What do you guys think will happen to all 5 of them, will we see them again, or just Carmen, or maybe forgotten from now on?

I think there are a couple options:

1. They become sidekicks/ assistants of the new X-Men team. X-Men #1 specifically mentions the prospect of sidekicks and this team was originally marketed as “what if the X-Men had sidekicks?”
2. They show up occasionally in Vita’s New Mutants run.
3. They cameo in one of Tini or Leah’s (if she gets another book) books. The three of them tend to reference each other’s runs a lot.
4. The dark abyss of limbo.

[Grunty]

I feel like this book is just full of jumbled up metaphors. Like people mentioned the outing scene was off, but more than that I feel like we completely brushed over these kids pretending to be mutants.

I never expected the X-Men to be that mad, but I do think a more serious conversation should have happened about trying on other people's identities. Storm was like "it's cool", when really it's not. It'd be one thing if they book made it clear that this was a parallel to exploring gender or sexual identity, but as of now it's giving cultural appropriation.

Also... I still don't get why they did it. Buddy (and maybe Jay Jay) seems to be the only one who is actually obsessed with mutants and everyone else just had an unrelated problem. Loved the first two issues of this book, issue 3 was pretty good, and then it completely nosedived for me.

I think the story would have worked better if the X-men were completely aware of the kids being humans right from the start and held back on directly confronting them because of feeling a sort of "kindred spirit" in their wish to be super heros (Jean and Scott in particular given they were teenage super heros themself when they started out) or identify with mutants, but also taking hidden actions to make sure they don't get themself or others too much in danger.

With the rest of the story progressing with that in mind.

Also not giving the Hell's Belles a blank pardon because of some sad story about not knowing they could have gone to Krakoa get themself killed and respawned with powers, but flat out arresting Briquette and giving the rest the choice of being kept under american juristidiction or getting a trial on Krakoa (because depowered or not they are mutants and therefor Krakoan citizen), while paying for the damage the Belles caused. Reinforcing the X-men as super heros, even under their own national interests.

Similar i think it would have worked better for the drama and showcasing their friendship if Carmen's powers had gone haywire, with her fleeing in fear (classic mutant powers comming out of nowhere story) and the rest trying to find her. The very psy-blockers they have used in the hopes of not being found out as humans by the X-men also preventing the X-men from noticing that her X-gene switched on and with everyone bussy at the Gala not being able to respond straight away.
So the reader could see how everyone on the team reacts to her actualy being a mutant (envy, acceptance, support, concern, etc.) while also showcasing their bond beyond the mutual interest in mutants and super heros.
And of course avoiding the awkward "outing" by Storm we have seen this issue.

But maybe i'm trying to see a good super hero story here first and the identity elements (and therefor issues of cultural appropriation) second to that, hence why i would have gone with the X-men being less offended and more forgiving towards the kids pretending to be mutants until things hit the fan and they need to step in.

So next issue is the conclusion and we already saw Gimmick at the Hellfire Gala.

What do you guys think will happen to all 5 of them, will we see them again, or just Carmen, or maybe forgotten from now on?

Judging by repeating patterns when it comes to Marvel comics (or similar works of fiction).

Their creator can still try to push them by having them appear in their other titles. Carmen in particular has the chance to be used in backrounds or forced into the roster of her creator's future X-men works.

Though the chances of that succeeding are notoriously slim, as failed characters often need a serious rework by usualy more skilled or renown writers to have a second chance.

But the longer they remain unused as group, the more likely they are to quickly fade into obscurity, becoming trivia for backround appearances, until either being used as random victims or in a "remember these washouts?" way as guest characters.

Of course there is also the chance one or two might get a new role years later using this failed series as backround and getting a bit reinvented to the point where they could rise to regular C-list status ala for example Riochet.

[superjosh]

WOW I thought this issue was horrid. The series was growing on me, but this was absolutely terrible. The X-Men coming in to save the day with many of their heavy hitters and immediately drop the ball and need to be saved by amateur children? So dumb. Power dampeners again?? It's getting so F'ing annoying.

Then to top it all off, Storm outing Carmen was just unbelievable. I can't believe Ayala, a queer artist, would do something like that... and write it like it was this amazing moment. Carmen wasn't even yet sure herself. It would have been a great scene if Storm visited her in private and gave her the "you're not alone" speech that way.

[Tycon]

WOW I thought this issue was horrid. The series was growing on me, but this was absolutely terrible. The X-Men coming in to save the day with many of their heavy hitters and immediately drop the ball and need to be saved by amateur children? So dumb. Power dampeners again?? It's getting so F'ing annoying.

What exactly was dumb about it? And clearly some of the mutants (ie Wolverine) still kicked ass without the x-gene dampeners.

Then to top it all off, Storm outing Carmen was just unbelievable. I can't believe Ayala, a queer artist, would do something like that... and write it like it was this amazing moment. Carmen wasn't even yet sure herself. It would have been a great scene if Storm visited her in private and gave her the "you're not alone" speech that way.

Don't quite get the criticism being levied here. Storm saw a manifestation on Cerebro and tracked her down. Cerebro tracks mutants, not humans. Why would she have known her friends were there?

[Havok83]

Don't quite get the criticism being levied here. Storm saw a manifestation on Cerebro and tracked her down. Cerebro tracks mutants, not humans. Why would she have known her friends were there?

Think about that statement. If someone wanted to talk to a closted gay person, it isnt appropriate to blurt out their sexuality in front of their friends just bc they didnt know anyone would also be there. The minute she saw her friends there, she could have altered her approach. Thats the criticism being levied here. Its not like they were alone and the group walked in on them speaking privately

[Uncanny X-Man]

And so after 4 really strong issues, COTA #5 totally dropped the ball for me. All my main pain points have already been mentioned by other users - I will say though, I always thought Paco Medina was a decent artist, I enjoyed him on New X-Men, Avengers etc but never quite loved his art. With COTA however something suddenly clicked for me, every single page is just beautiful to look at. Here's hoping he sticks around the X-office after this book concludes.

[darkalamator]

Is this the final issue? (please, please, please....)

[Havok83]

Is this the final issue? (please, please, please....)

the end of the issue says to be continued. There will be at least another

[Filthy Mutie]

This book can join Fallen Angels in the forgotten misfire mini pile.

[jwatson]

This book can join Fallen Angels in the forgotten misfire mini pile.

I wouldn't go that far. Vita created some strong characters here, very strong that can fit many places in the marvel u. That is nothing to be forgotten imo. And more than that i appreciate they showed more than anything, strong families. Anyone one of them can be bit by a radioactive spider or get hit with cosmic ways and there is enough there to make it matter. That was a feat imo.

[Grunty]

I wouldn't go that far. Vita created some strong characters here, very strong that can fit many places in the marvel u. That is nothing to be forgotten imo. And more than that i appreciate they showed more than anything, strong families. Anyone one of them can be bit by a radioactive spider or get hit with cosmic ways and there is enough there to make it matter. That was a feat imo.

With the series cut short, they are however settled with the status of having been the stars of what is by all accounts a failed series. This was after all presented as ongoing, which was meant to send the signal that they were confident these characters would not only catch on but also carry a whole book. A mini-series meanwhile would have send the signal that they were only testing the water, which puts less stress on the credibility of a new character (or characters).
Meaning they are essentialy marked as not having caught on with the consumers to hold anything longer planned. Which certainly won't help convince anyone to use them in the future, especialy when marvel comics is allready filled with many c-list or below characters, all also metaphorical fighting for relevancy and pannel time.

Because these old failed heros, will never really go away, they will just float around Marvel's orbit forgotten, until perhaps one writer will attempt to recycle them, but more often as jokes or victims, rather than in a serious attempt to give them a second chance at stardom.

And that's before we consider the behaviour of many writers to create new characters, seemingly in the hope of having them break out and have their name attached to them, rather than having to work with the "leftovers" of other writers and trying to elevate them instead. Which just makes things worse as it even further increases the debris field in Marvel's orbit.

There is a reason why some complained about these characters just being destined to join the rest of the Post-Morrison "young mutants" in their role as wallpaper (under the thought of them actualy all being mutants), because we have seen it becomming worse over the past 20 years with a far too large cast of Academy X students fighting for relevance while at least New Mutants and to some degree Generation X profited from being smaller teams and having an entire decade for themself (even later didn't lasted a decade, the 90's were Gen X's time and these characters didn't had to compete with 30+ other characters).

But now we know 4 of them are just normal humans using gadget, which means they have to compete with the entire Marvel Universe's selection of normal humans using gadget or getting otherwise empowered and that list is even longer than just the Academy X one.

Basicly, if in a few years from now a different writer wants to use a black young man who has some flight device, why should he use Gabe, who was part of a failed series, didn't catch on and was the creation of another writer, if he can just create his own one or use a fitting character who did caught on (like trying to get their hands on Falcon)?

At this point we might only see them in other of their creators works, unless even they allready gave up on these kids and instead focuses on the New Mutants or who ever else the X-office grants them for yet another series which might not last long.