SWORD Finale (Review and Spoilers)

[RamaBird]

As the peak heads towards earth, Cable does his best to control it while Manifold prepares for it’s arrival on land.

Meanwhile, Gyrich, James Hudson, Orbis and Wiz Kid witness the fall of the peak from their station. Hudson realizes the peak will crash in Australia, and sloiwly starts to turn on Gyrich, who is also concerned about the assassination attempts on Xandra.

The Superman of the Marvel universe, Gladiator is totally useless in defending Xandra so Storm has to save the day with an impressive display of power. (I hate when writes tear down one character to prop another. I would’ve preferred Storm and Gladiator teaming up).

As the peak finally reaches earth, Manifold has a great display of power when he opens a portal redirecting the peak back out into space and saving Australia. Cable is then able to control it now that he’s going with the momentum as opposed to it. An exhausted Manifold falls to the ground to rest.

At this point, Gyrich and Hudson are still arguing about how far they’ll go to stop the mutant menace, when Wiz Kid reveals he’s a double agent and has gathered enough evidence of Gyrich’s betrayal and shared it with the Shiiar. Gyrich runs away trying to contact ORCHIS to save him but Brand shows up and reveals her plan. She also wants Krakoa to fail and ORCHIS to succeed, she’s just mad at Gyrich for being so bad at it. She kills him and makes it look like he killed himself by accident. Brand promises to help ORCHIS end the Krakoan threat as she is the true mole, not Wiz Kid.

[loke13]

I'll quote what I said in the preview thread

This was definitely a great finale! Ewing knocked it out the park here. I love how he spent his entire run building up Brand to be a serious threat just to have it be revealed that she's a serious threat to Krakao!

I have to go back and read this entire run again because it definitely recontexualizes a lot of Brand's decisions.

Bring on the Brand vs. Storm and Cable in X-Men Red!

Like honestly WOW I'm extremely excited for X-Men Red Storm is gonna have her hands full with Arrako customs, intergalactic politics, AND the Brand Orchis alliance.

[jwatson]

My only issue is brand. I read comments in other thread about Nick fury etc but my real issue was all said and done brand was battling herself. There was no opposition. Even those who were weary of her trusted her for the most part so it doesn't feel earned imo that she is some mastermind who has played from doom to Xavier. Granted this was from her point of view so dirtynun is probably right that we see the other side of it in X-Men red but so far it just doesn't feel earned or believable but solid issue.

[Viteh]

I did not see the Brand twist coming. I think it works quite well after the fake out that was Wiz Kid. I'm still not sold on her motivations though. I guess that her goal is for Sol to be a major player, and she doesn't think the mutants have what it takes to do that, even Arakko.

I get feeling that way, but aligning herself with ORCHIS? Like, her entire team is made up of mutants. Mutants granted her access to that special metal thing. Aligning herself with an anti mutant organisation? It's not the greatest idea.

[Kingdom X]

I liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite issue. In general I feel like this run wasn’t given the space to properly develop the story Ewing wanted to tell before it enters it’s next phase as X-Men Red.

Nonetheless I’m very excited to see it continue and Marvel is dirty for not giving us an image of the cast of Red. Like y’all gon spoil plot details about Cassie Nova and Magento in other books, but can’t give us a roster preview?

[dirtynun]

As the peak heads towards earth, Cable does his best to control it while Manifold prepares for it’s arrival on land.

Meanwhile, Gyrich, James Hudson, Orbis and Wiz Kid witness the fall of the peak from their station. Hudson realizes the peak will crash in Australia, and sloiwly starts to turn on Gyrich, who is also concerned about the assassination attempts on Xandra.

The Superman of the Marvel universe, Gladiator is totally useless in defending Xandra so Storm has to save the day with an impressive display of power. (I hate when writes tear down one character to prop another. I would’ve preferred Storm and Gladiator teaming up).

As the peak finally reaches earth, Manifold has a great display of power when he opens a portal redirecting the peak back out into space and saving Australia. Cable is then able to control it now that he’s going with the momentum as opposed to it. An exhausted Manifold falls to the ground to rest.

At this point, Gyrich and Hudson are still arguing about how far they’ll go to stop the mutant menace, when Wiz Kid reveals he’s a double agent and has gathered enough evidence of Gyrich’s betrayal and shared it with the Shiiar. Gyrich runs away trying to contact ORCHIS to save him but Brand shows up and reveals her plan. She also wants Krakoa to fail and ORCHIS to succeed, she’s just mad at Gyrich for being so bad at it. She kills him and makes it look like he killed himself by accident. Brand promises to help ORCHIS end the Krakoan threat as she is the true mole, not Wiz Kid.

Gladiator needs confidence to he powerful. A telepath is literally his worst nightmare as they can easily strip him of his confidence and hence his power. It wasn't tear him down more or less. Also he isn't marvel superman it is sentry and hyperion both get their powe from the sun it is literally that on the nose.

[Journey]

I will be rooting for Abby Girl! Go ahead sis crush the Patriarchy.

[RamaBird]

Gladiator needs confidence to he powerful. A telepath is literally his worst nightmare as they can easily strip him of his confidence and hence his power. It wasn't tear him down more or less. Also he isn't marvel superman it is sentry and hyperion both get their powe from the sun it is literally that on the nose.

I know about the confidence thing, but it's so overused! His character is usually treated like a chump when he should be a powerhouse. Other villains with weaknesses for telepaths don't get so easily knocked out over and over again. I really like him and every time I read him, he has major confidence issues, so it's a bummer for me.

[Kingdom X]

I get feeling that way, but aligning herself with ORCHIS? Like, her entire team is made up of mutants. Mutants granted her access to that special metal thing. Aligning herself with an anti mutant organisation? It's not the greatest idea.

I feel like Brand’s betrayal was a take on “not all skin folk are kin folk” and that not every mutant is going to be down for the cause.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

It was a middling issue. I'm fine with Brand breaking bad. I guess X-men Red is season 2?

[Kurolegacy]

I personally loved the moment in Brand’s speech about how she might be a mutant but she wasn’t even raised on Earth and that it’s her mutant DNA that’s all that matters to them, thinking that they’re this much grander thing when in reality, they’re just another flavor of Earther. It’s honestly refreshing that as of late, we’ve been having characters who are mutant actively calling out mutantkind rather than falling in line like they had all done back at the start of the Krakoa era.

[Habis]

What I want to know is, how does Brand expect to seize control? Even if Krakoa and Orchis destroy each other... how can Brand get real power...?

Not to mention that she most probably is in Orchis's (and Doom's, and every major government on Earth's) kill list... she is a turncoat mutant half-alien... they will get rid of her as soon as possible...

I can see Brand succeeding only if she has a powerful backer, like some major alien power...

I know about the confidence thing, but it's so overused! His character is usually treated like a chump when he should be a powerhouse. Other villains with weaknesses for telepaths don't get so easily knocked out over and over again. I really like him and every time I read him, he has major confidence issues, so it's a bummer for me.

I didn't like the Orbis Stellaris agent was "we wiped the floor with the Imperial Guard, but of course we couldn't defeat an Omega mutant...", as if the IG were crap compared to mutants...

[xhx23x]

The Brand stuff was very not surprising so this issue felt more of a set up then a proper ending, so it fell like a flat final issue. I'm looking forward to how this will play out in Red, so at least it was successful in that I wantto check out the follow up.

[loke13]

My only issue is brand. I read comments in other thread about Nick fury etc but my real issue was all said and done brand was battling herself. There was no opposition. Even those who were weary of her trusted her for the most part so it doesn't feel earned imo that she is some mastermind who has played from doom to Xavier. Granted this was from her point of view so dirtynun is probably right that we see the other side of it in X-Men red but so far it just doesn't feel earned or believable but solid issue.

I'm curious why it's not believable. It's been hinted at since issue one that Brand's Allegiance was moreso to Sol than it was to Krakoa or even Earth. Considering she was a trusted X-Men ally up till now just made it easier to manipulate everybody.

[loke13]

I feel like Brand’s betrayal was a take on “not all skin folk are kin folk” and that not every mutant is going to be down for the cause.

I always found it funny how Magneto was so trusting of Brand just because she had a X-gene despite the fact that she grew up in Space has little to no emotional connection to Earth or mutants.