Way of X issue 4. Kill no man. SPOILERS!

[Hulkout42]

When Santo made that small cameo in the last X-Factor, I got the feeling his story isn't over. At least I hope it's not.



Usually a failed state is when the majority of citizens start rebelling and the government has lost control.

So Inferno to be the start of the "failed state" scenario perhaps? I mean it sure as hell not going to be the Trial that frankly just seems like it is no big deal at all.

[Tobinator]

Credit where it's due, Kurt's handling of the Cortez/Gorgon situation was the best thing he's done all series. I can't remember how long it's been since I've seen Kurt make a plan or play to a crowd, except maybe Age of X-Man. Seriously, have any of the writers ever read Excalibur?

But the whole Cortez conundrum was insultingly juvenile. "I put this unmarked bomb in public, so if someone nudges it and it explodes, it's not my fault!" Like, seriously? Of course he'd be held accountable. Coercing someone else into committing a crime isn't a legal "gotcha". There's no ethical conundrum there.

As for the actual plot of the book, I guess that belongs to Legion. It's hard to get invested in it, because it's a bunch of omega-level beings doing arbitrary things. In the end, Onslaught's probably just going to be defeated when they blast him a bunch or dump him in the Negative Zone again.

[Master of Sound]

I am on vacation so don't have this one yet. Can someone give me the names of all those at the lagoon bar who were killed? Just curious.

[Aeon]

I am on vacation so don't have this one yet. Can someone give me the names of all those at the lagoon bar who were killed? Just curious.

Dazzler (Ali Blaire) (Death)
Doctor Nemesis (James Bradley) (Death)
DJ (Mark Sheppard) (Death)
Blink (Clarice Ferguson) (Death)
Loa (Alani Ryan) (Death)
Pixie (Megan Gwynn) (Death)
Gorgeous George (George Blair) (Death)
ForgetMeNot (Death)
Erg (Death)
Bedlam (Jesse Aaronson) (Death)
Bevatron (Fabian Marechal-Julbin) (Death)
Blob (Fred Dukes) (Death)
Warpath (Jimmy Proudstar) (Death)

[Lady Midnight]

Dazzler (Ali Blaire) (Death)
Doctor Nemesis (James Bradley) (Death)
DJ (Mark Sheppard) (Death)
Blink (Clarice Ferguson) (Death)
Loa (Alani Ryan) (Death)
Pixie (Megan Gwynn) (Death)
Gorgeous George (George Blair) (Death)
ForgetMeNot (Death)
Erg (Death)
Bedlam (Jesse Aaronson) (Death)
Bevatron (Fabian Marechal-Julbin) (Death)
Blob (Fred Dukes) (Death)
Warpath (Jimmy Proudstar) (Death)

Will anyone remember to resurrect Forget Me Not?

[king of hybrids]

The thought occurs that resurrection is probably how Onslaught is getting such influence. Probably via Charles guilt at the other half of Moira’s little eugenics experiment

[pkingdom]

The cynic in me just has a hard time seeing how they could end this problem with a satisfying conclusion. Frankly with the way everyone has been mocking Nightcrawler's faith I don't WANT them to have a 'mutant religion' at this point. Plus it kind of reminds me of those old Christian arguments against atheists. You know, "If you don't believe in God we'll all just be amoral monsters and hurt each other! If there's no God there's no reason to be good and responsible!" It was a bad argument when people were telling it to me in high school and I'm seeing its underpinnings here.

Maybe I'm reading too much into things. But when they're dropping so many 'big questions' and all Nightcrawler is doing is look depressed and literally make a fool out of himself, its hard not too. And like Tobinator said, when you have all these uber powerful Omega mutants dealing with things the solution is either a mundane brawl or someone just poofing the problems away.

[jwatson]

The cynic in me just has a hard time seeing how they could end this problem with a satisfying conclusion. Frankly with the way everyone has been mocking Nightcrawler's faith I don't WANT them to have a 'mutant religion' at this point. Plus it kind of reminds me of those old Christian arguments against atheists. You know, "If you don't believe in God we'll all just be amoral monsters and hurt each other! If there's no God there's no reason to be good and responsible!" It was a bad argument when people were telling it to me in high school and I'm seeing its underpinnings here.

Maybe I'm reading too much into things. But when they're dropping so many 'big questions' and all Nightcrawler is doing is look depressed and literally make a fool out of himself, its hard not too. And like Tobinator said, when you have all these uber powerful Omega mutants dealing with things the solution is either a mundane brawl or someone just poofing the problems away.

One of my biggest annoyances, and alerts right now is they make onslaught the escape for everything. It's like no onslaught didn't show up until legion did but if i accept the story for what it is then that could have been at any time, but to do that is also to say that any moment in this run could have been effected by him because we don't have concrete information on when he appeared if we are to assume legion is the good guy here and not straddling the fence. In that sense i am now seeing what posters have been positing for months that wasn't in print but now it is in print but it does blurry the lines for me. Like why is nightcrawler so easily believing David interpretation of things but on the flip has nightcrawler always felt this way and David is giving him what he wants. Nightcrawler conviction feels unbelievably weak to me. Like i believe in god, it doesn't matter what anyone says i know the connection i have felt, but i do not believe in and detest organized religion.

[blinkingblah]

Oh they definitely did her wrong, I agree with that 100%

Girl was left with a basic AF flappy tent. They couldn't even put up a makeshift building for the outcasts. ICE is doing better than that. You are telling me the Master of Magnetism can't spare a few minutes? Or his daughter.

[pkingdom]

One of my biggest annoyances, and alerts right now is they make onslaught the escape for everything. It's like no onslaught didn't show up until legion did but if i accept the story for what it is then that could have been at any time, but to do that is also to say that any moment in this run could have been effected by him because we don't have concrete information on when he appeared if we are to assume legion is the good guy here and not straddling the fence. In that sense i am now seeing what posters have been positing for months that wasn't in print but now it is in print but it does blurry the lines for me. Like why is nightcrawler so easily believing David interpretation of things but on the flip has nightcrawler always felt this way and David is giving him what he wants. Nightcrawler conviction feels unbelievably weak to me. Like i believe in god, it doesn't matter what anyone says i know the connection i have felt, but i do not believe in and detest organized religion.

They are so, so dangerously close to saying "Everything that was bad was all because of Onslaught! He's the reason people are unhappy and why Nightcrawler is miserable! Any bad idea is because he's been sitting on everyone's shoulders telling them to do bad things!" I have just enough faith in the writing to hope they don't go that route, but the possibility is there and it sucks. There have definitely been points in Marvel/X-men history where they've done the 'evil psychics/brainwashing made me do it!'. It has almost always been terrible terrible writing.

[hairys]

The cynic in me just has a hard time seeing how they could end this problem with a satisfying conclusion. Frankly with the way everyone has been mocking Nightcrawler's faith I don't WANT them to have a 'mutant religion' at this point. Plus it kind of reminds me of those old Christian arguments against atheists. You know, "If you don't believe in God we'll all just be amoral monsters and hurt each other! If there's no God there's no reason to be good and responsible!" It was a bad argument when people were telling it to me in high school and I'm seeing its underpinnings here.

Maybe I'm reading too much into things. But when they're dropping so many 'big questions' and all Nightcrawler is doing is look depressed and literally make a fool out of himself, its hard not too. And like Tobinator said, when you have all these uber powerful Omega mutants dealing with things the solution is either a mundane brawl or someone just poofing the problems away.

Smart writer (or writer with a rep for being smart) writes comics. Smart writer then decides to tackle "complex" / "philosophical" subject in a new comic. Smart writer bites off more than he can chew and can't make a coherent point by the end of the story.

It does feel like that's where we're headed. This sort of thing happens a lot, and not just in comics.

[Starfish]

It feels like a story originally planned to play out over a longer run that got cut down to the essentials to make its point and get to Onslaught as quickly as possible.

[Sylarmax]

I do not think you quite got the Gorgon thing? Gorgon was not pretending, he came back with the mind of a child. Cortez was amping up his telepathy, so he was overwhelmed by the public. Nightcrawler was looking like a fool on purpose, to make the people laugh and make them think happy thoughts. That way Gorgon was not overwhelmed anymore so he could cover his eyes... He saved the day there.

Agreed with this.


Good issue 3.5 / 5

[Grunty]

It feels like a story originally planned to play out over a longer run that got cut down to the essentials to make its point and get to Onslaught as quickly as possible.

The story beats of the first issue and the cover of X-men #7 also suggests the story was original meant to have Apocalypse as an opponent/antagonist to Nightcrawler on his search for mutantkinds "way". Especialy since the world seen in Legion's simulation fits his ideology.

It seems that what ever Ten of Swords became it threw a wrench into these plans, by removing Apocalypse from the pool of usable characters for now.

Overall, what ever it's the pandemic, decreasing hype (and with that sales) for the X-books or the X-office losing it's aim after Hox/Pox, one gets the feeling there have some shifts in focus and directions.

[pkingdom]

I've also seen rumors from retailers and aggregate sites about Way of X preorder sales being comparable to Children of the Atom, which was a bona-fide sales disaster.