X-MEN #7 Review *spoilers*

[Mercury]

X-Men #7 opens with a flashback to Dr. Stasis in New Jersey, preparing to send his chimeras to wreak havoc in New York.

Subsequently, there's a flash-forward to Emma greeting Scott upon his resurrection.

Flashback: Scott, Synch, and Wolverine (Laura) are fighting the chimeras on the streets of New York City. (We learn that Jean, Lorna, and Rogue are on Arrako.) Synch and Scott accomplish some incredible feats. The former uses what is later suspected to be muscle memory to replicate Jean's telekinesis. The latter effectively ricochets and channels his optic blasts through traffic lights to target and blast several chimeras at once.

Finally, Scott saves a baby from a chimera before it slices him on the neck. After he hands the baby to a woman, he collapses on a garbage heap. A paramedic approaches him and assures him, "The good news is, it wasn't a complete cut of your carotid artery," before pulling out a scalpel, slicing him, and noting, "The bad news is...now your carotid's finished." As Scott lies dying, the paramedic says to him, "Let's try a little experiment. I'm going to tell you exactly where to find me, and let's see if you can remember when you come back," before whispering his location, which is illegible.

Flash-forward: Forge and Jumbo Carnation are examining the Captain Krakoa suit in the Quiet Council's meeting room, presumably after Scott used it in X-Men #6, as Scott, Jean, and the Council look on. Scott talks to Jean telepathically, admitting, "I don't remember anything about the day." Jean responds, "Not surprising, but--" and Scott interrupts: "Urich knew about resurrection...until he didn't. I'd like you to look back on my chat with Ben the other night." Jean is surprised. "Oh," she says, "You don't think I erased Ben's memories, do--" and Scott interrupts again: "No. Just making sure, because..."

There's a panel of Scott and Jean looking at Emma before Scott continues, "Because we may be in a two-front war. One with the Quiet Council, and of course, we have a much bigger problem..."



The scene cuts to Dr. Stasis looking at the uniform of the paramedic that killed Scott. Presumably, it was Dr. Stasis who murdered him. Scott continues his thought, in voiceover: "Somebody is playing a dangerous game with us. And they're ahead. And I'm pissed off."

The issue ends with two data pages:

Synch's Medical Report: As noted above, Dr. Cecilia Reyes theorizes that Synch was able to replicate Jean's telekinesis, even though she is "off-world," due to the fact that "[t]he resurrection protocols are increasing the previous baseline powers, and Synch's power set may now include the ability to retain a limited 'muscle memory.' His close proximity to Jean since moving to New York may also have helped him pull off this feat."

Dr. Reyes also notes the following: "We define an 'Omega mutant' as having no upper limits to their powers, and it may be that we are witnessing the emergence of a new Omega in Synch. It's unclear what, if any, role resurrection has played in the ability to 'recall' Jean's powers, more data is needed."

Earth-Arrako Relay (E.A.R.): E.A.R. is described as "ten satellites [that] were launched into space with the purpose of connecting mutants on Arakko with mutants on Earth." Additionally, it is noted that "[t]he satellites are well-protected and carry a robust self-destruct system which might seem like overkill for a web of communication satellites." Moreover, it is revealed that "[m]utant communication is fundamentally telepathic, and each of the satellites carries a bank of mutant telepathic brains. Forge reckoned correctly that he did not need entire brains but rather just multiples of telepathic left hemispheres that governed speech and language from a single volunteer. The Five were put off at the request, but Xavier nodded, said he was the donor tissue, and E.A.R. was born. Finally, "[t]he existence of the satellites is common knowledge on both worlds, but their telepathic nature is known only to Forge, Krakoa's telepaths, the Quiet Council and the X-Men."

[Saithor]

Goddamnit Scott, I had five bucks riding on you getting squished by Stilt Man during a fight.

This was pretty good, I like that we are finally getting to the Dr. Stasis Plot, and he seems very interested in what I'm interested in: How the heck do these resurrection protocols work?

[Mercury]

I thought this was a phenomenal issue. Scott, Synch, and Sunfire are the stars of the show here. Also, Dr. Stasis is proving to be more and more intriguing. And what about Scott indicating that he, Jean, and the rest of the X-Men may be at "war" with Emma and the Quiet Council?

Damn.

[jwatson]

10/10. This was just beautiful and fun.

my fave parts.

thehero.jpg
awholemood.jpg
somebodycallthenotary.jpg

[Exodus]

I thought this was a phenomenal issue. Scott, Synch, and Sunfire are the stars of the show here. Also, Dr. Stasis is proving to be more and more intriguing. And what about Scott indicating that he, Jean, and the rest of the X-Men may be at "war" with Emma and the Quiet Council?

Damn.

Cannot wait to read it. Sounds great.

I hope we will get more insight why Jean and Scott distanced themselves from the Quiet Council in the first place. What is their real agenda forming the X-Men? Only Krakoa marketing and superheroics or is it maybe more complex than that? Do they have their own agenda for Krakoa?

[Saithor]

Cannot wait to read it. Sounds great.

I hope we will get more insight why Jean and Scott distanced themselves from the Quiet Council in the first place. What is their real agenda forming the X-Men? Only Krakoa marketing and superheroics or is it maybe more complex than that? Do they have their own agenda for Krakoa?

Glorious Mutant Revolution. Rise up!

[Baron of Faltine]

Glorious Mutant Revolution. Rise up!

Scott Summers...essentially mutant Trotsky...

[andreikes]

Cannot wait to read it. Sounds great.

I hope we will get more insight why Jean and Scott distanced themselves from the Quiet Council in the first place. What is their real agenda forming the X-Men? Only Krakoa marketing and superheroics or is it maybe more complex than that? Do they have their own agenda for Krakoa?

That must be why parts of him appear in the Immortal X-Men variant.

[Mercury]

I hope we will get more insight why Jean and Scott distanced themselves from the Quiet Council in the first place. What is their real agenda forming the X-Men? Only Krakoa marketing and superheroics or is it maybe more complex than that? Do they have their own agenda for Krakoa?

Jean distanced herself from the QC when she was forced to make an ultimatum between fighting alongside mutants during X of Swords and remaining a QC member. Moreover, we got some insight into Jean and Scott's further distancing from the QC and the formation of the new team during Hickman's X-Men, in issue #16:

[Steroid]

My favorite issue of this run so far and that Synch feat put a big smile on my face.

[ExodusCloak]

When I read this issue I was surprised that this is what they fall out over the QC. Its actually so minor and Scott once tortured a guy to get information when he had Karma in the room. As well as wanted to break Bishops mind to get more information in another instance. Plus he had the Cuckoos on stand by to clean up after X-Force. Any way when I read this I had to face palm...

Anyway...the QC have a lot more to fall out over then protecting the protocols from their enemies. I'm surprised Xavier didn't get pissed off with them in the first place. Or did Emma smooth everything over so the QC didn't reprimand him

[Saithor]

When I read this issue I was surprised that this is what they fall out over the QC. Its actually so minor and Scott once tortured a guy to get information when he had Karma in the room. As well as wanted to break Bishops mind to get more information in another instance. Plus he had the Cuckoos on stand by to clean up after X-Force. Any way when I read this I had to face palm...

Anyway...the QC have a lot more to fall out over then protecting the protocols from their enemies. I'm surprised Xavier didn't get pissed off with them in the first place. Or did Emma smooth everything over so the QC didn't reprimand him

The Quiet Council sent the same group of mutants to attack and die to ORCHIS floating space station multiple times. They don't have any ground to stand on criticizing folks for accidentally revealing the protocols.

[Exodus]

The Quiet Council sent the same group of mutants to attack and die to ORCHIS floating space station multiple times. They don't have any ground to stand on criticizing folks for accidentally revealing the protocols.

that's true actually and does not make sense at all...

...the mutant resurrection controversy in this book does not really make sense. The Quiet Council never really tried to hide it before.

[ExodusCloak]

The Quiet Council sent the same group of mutants to attack and die to ORCHIS floating space station multiple times. They don't have any ground to stand on criticizing folks for accidentally revealing the protocols.

They also sent the same Duds over and over while leaving more useful mutants at home. When all it took was Xavier and Magneto to kill Nimrod. In any case that would explain why they didn't reprimand him. It still makes no sense at all why this is the straw that breaks the camels back.

[Gray Lensman]

When I read this issue I was surprised that this is what they fall out over the QC. Its actually so minor and Scott once tortured a guy to get information when he had Karma in the room. As well as wanted to break Bishops mind to get more information in another instance. Plus he had the Cuckoos on stand by to clean up after X-Force. Any way when I read this I had to face palm...

Anyway...the QC have a lot more to fall out over then protecting the protocols from their enemies. I'm surprised Xavier didn't get pissed off with them in the first place. Or did Emma smooth everything over so the QC didn't reprimand him

Its been pretty obvious that Marvel has been trying to walk back Utopia era Scott back to his previous characterization for a while now. How you want to interpret that is up to you, but I spin it as Utopia was never who Scott naturally is, or ever was, it was Who He Had To Be when times were at their darkest. He buried his self doubts and disgust for the larger goal of ensuring there would actually be mutants left to condemn him after he was gone. Now times are nowhere near as dark, and he can be who he wants to be. Well, until his public death, anyways.