Devil's Reign X-Men #1 (spoilers)

[jmc247]

Good Witches and Bad Witches

Summary: We find out that Elektra had been playing the role of bad witch killer hit woman for Kingpin. In the past Emma acted as the good witch manipulator for the obese mob boss.

Kingpin sends his flunkies to the mutant's tree house. Lorna plays with US Agent. Jean makes sure everyone properly knows he is the mayor now and they have to respect his authority and have to give up the tree house rather than fight for it.

Rogue isn't happy and gets a dig in at Emma. The X-Men show up to talk to Kingpin's flunkies. Rogue castigates Rhino for not turning a new leaf after befriending Gambit. Lorna says in a way Electro doesn't understand that she doesn't mind killing her and ending up in the hole but is stopped by Jean.

Emma shows up and saves the day. She makes clear the tree house is legally protected under a UN Blue Helmets like arrangement. Kingpin stands down but comes up with a new plan.

Review:

It was strong start to the mini. It is probably easier to understand if one reads the rest of the background of Devil's Reign. It was an issue of contrasts between bad witch Elektra's way and good witch Emma's way of getting things done. One could draw some of the same parallels between Lorna and Jean in the issue.

I enjoyed Lorna's flirtatious passive aggression with US Agent. The issue is in keeping with the Jean of X-Men Red and she received her new costume. The art by in large got the job done. The issue was above all a tour de force for Emma Frost.

[Diammandis]

Had to go back and read the issue again because I really thought that Rogue was finally being written somewhat interesting by Duggan but, she wasn't being snide towards Emma tbh she was more just pointing out that if the treehouse becomes property of Fisk, it would become public property for literally everybody. It wasn't really shade towards Emma imo.

The issue was pretty good though, but I feel like the whole thing was set up and for what's to come, a lot could have been teased prior in marauders or something, given that this is a3 issue mini. I enjoyed the contrast Emma made between her work and Elektras though that was fun and it was nice to imagine them working together. Kingpins revelation towards the end was quite interesting too, I expected that he was going to reveal something sinister Emma has done but it looks like he may frame her for the murder of the child just to get her thrown in prison, which looks to be the case going off the final issues cover. Overall it was a very solid issue and I am enjoying Emma becoming more interconnected with the larger MU.

[LordUltimus]

What the hell, Jean? You have to obey Fisk's whims? I thought the whole point of Krakoa was that they don't have to abide by human rules anymore.

[Ambaryerno]

What the hell, Jean? You have to obey Fisk's whims? I thought the whole point of Krakoa was that they don't have to abide by human rules anymore.

Still better than what Duggan did to Laura. It’s not like scans of her kicking Tasky’s ass in ANW aren’t the FIRST THING THAT COMES UP if you Google “X-23 vs Taskmaster.”

[Subliminally]

Still better than what Duggan did to Laura. It’s not like scans of her kicking Tasky’s ass in ANW aren’t the FIRST THING THAT COMES UP if you Google “X-23 vs Taskmaster.”

I didn't know that was a thing. I googled and it is in fact a thing. So who has memory loss?

[carmoc1234]

i see this story playing out two ways:

A) Elektra kills the girl and Emma uses her powers to cover it up, which involves mindwiping several heroes (the ones on the next issue cover) and police officers making her an accessory in the murder, but she gets way with because of krakoa laws or something else convenient.

B) Elektra does not kill the girl and instead has Emma help make the kid a ghost in the wind, tricking fisk and making him look foolish at the end of the story. she still does all the shady mental stuff to the other heroes though and there are no most likely no repercussions (in either scenario).

i feel like B is more likely as this is written by duggan in the krakoa era and he wont make emma involved in child killing,

[mugiwara]

I didn't know that was a thing. I googled and it is in fact a thing. So who has memory loss?

Taskmaster often loses memories to make room for new skills.
But I'm not sure that would count as a no-prize, because something he'll probably always remember is the people he fought.

[Del torro]

What the hell, Jean? You have to obey Fisk's whims? I thought the whole point of Krakoa was that they don't have to abide by human rules anymore.

Jean is such a wet blanket smh. Should have let Polaris rip that team a new one

[hairys]

i see this story playing out two ways:

A) Elektra kills the girl and Emma uses her powers to cover it up, which involves mindwiping several heroes (the ones on the next issue cover) and police officers making her an accessory in the murder, but she gets way with because of krakoa laws or something else convenient.

B) Elektra does not kill the girl and instead has Emma help make the kid a ghost in the wind, tricking fisk and making him look foolish at the end of the story. she still does all the shady mental stuff to the other heroes though and there are no most likely no repercussions (in either scenario).

i feel like B is more likely as this is written by duggan in the krakoa era and he wont make emma involved in child killing,

Yeah my gut assumption is this mini will end with the revelation that Elektra and Emma faked the girl's death before ever reporting back to Fisk, because they knew Fisk would demand she be killed to cover up any knowledge of his involvement, should Elektra and Emma's connection to him ever be discovered.

Great job, guys. Yeah, I think there's a 99% chance you'll end up being right. It's a pretty bad tie-in when the central narrative can be easily predicted from the beginning.

But maybe there will be some cool character moments to make up for it.

[Crimz]

Saw the name of the second issue, so you know imma be here

[PolarIceFire]

I'm going to take the liberty of referencing Salarta's excellent summation, in offering my own boiled down, oversimplified riff on the varying M.O.'s of our mutant protagonists.

Jean = deliberative, you know, like Xavier
Lorna = instinctive, like her father, Magneto
Emma = manipulative, as family & Hellfire taught her

This is not to say each is that only, and incapable of the other two, because that would be silly. They absolutely can be and certainly are all 3, of course. It's just these approaches are what they lean into the strongest, and where they operate from most... maybe? IDK, but given their respective Darkhölme & Howlett "tribal" influences, I'll add that I'd probably put both Rogue & Laura in with Polaris. Though Anna Marie has become somewhat more considered over the years, she still pretty much shoots from the hip, more often than not.

Also, thinking on it all, a shoutout to Lorna's tactile, "negotiating" techniques of passive resistance. She bought Ems the time she needed to do her good, dirty work. Makes sense that PHD of hers would = intuitive *smarts*, though.

[Subliminally]

Had to go back and read the issue again because I really thought that Rogue was finally being written somewhat interesting by Duggan but, she wasn't being snide towards Emma tbh she was more just pointing out that if the treehouse becomes property of Fisk, it would become public property for literally everybody. It wasn't really shade towards Emma imo.

The issue was pretty good though, but I feel like the whole thing was set up and for what's to come, a lot could have been teased prior in marauders or something, given that this is a3 issue mini. I enjoyed the contrast Emma made between her work and Elektras though that was fun and it was nice to imagine them working together. Kingpins revelation towards the end was quite interesting too, I expected that he was going to reveal something sinister Emma has done but it looks like he may frame her for the murder of the child just to get her thrown in prison, which looks to be the case going off the final issues cover. Overall it was a very solid issue and I am enjoying Emma becoming more interconnected with the larger MU.

That part left me on empty in terms of hype. I mean Emma has connections with people who can literally go back in time and prove she didn't do this or hell just summon the little girl's spirit.

[Pumpkin King]

The issue was pretty good though, but I feel like the whole thing was set up and for what's to come, a lot could have been teased prior in marauders or something.

Some of it was already teased in Marauders, with the Lourdes flashback establishing the Emma/Fisk connection.

[Fantasy Free Me]

To be honest I think Jean was right... They could've fought and completely demolish the Thunderbolts but that would've been just falling into Fisk's plan. I don't see her as acting passive but smartly.