Marauders Annual review *spoilers*

[RamaBird]

We begin with Daken investigating some mutant deaths when he is ambushed and captured by Brimstone and the Theatre of Pain.

Kate and Bishop toast to their old boat as they discuss getting a new one and forming a new Marauders team.

Kate then visits Psylocke who is still mourning her failed plan in Hellions. Kate asks her to join her team to help others from experiencing that sort of pain.

In the green lagoon, Bouncer and Tempo are talking. Sensing she’s being dumped, Tempo fast forwards to the end and they both end their relationship in a happy note. Bishop arrives for Tempo and wants a definite answer on whether she is joining the team. She is.

Kate and Psylocke search for Daken but can’t find him and he’s missing from XFactor. Meanwhile, Bishop and Tempo find Aurora in Canada and ask her to join them.

Finally, we have a scene of Iceman and Christian dancing while Somnus watches over. (Not familiar with Somnus or his powers so a bit confused here) but then it turns out the 3 are naked in a hot tub w Iceman and Christian cuddling while Somnus watches? Kate and Psylocke arrive to ask for his help after he puts on a towel.

Meanwhile, Brimstone Love is holding a public execution of Daken as revenge for Krakoa being the end of Xavier’s dream of co-existence. Daken is then goijng to have his blood spilled by a former Morlock (Carver?) who has bad memories of the Marauders. Brimstone love gives a speech and the crowd of humans (and mutants who feel rejected by Krakoa) seem to love him because they also see Krakoans as traitors to co-existence. He stabs Daken in the neck.

The team arrives to rescue Daken and discuss whether Krakoa still believes in co-existence. The team gets a scene each kicking butt before a furious Daken breaks free and cuts off a horn from Brimstone. A furious Brimstone then has the ground swallow him up and the Marauders has to save the humans/rejected mutants from being swallowed up with him.

The team reunites and toasts to a new boat they stole from Emma, and they all plan on being a new team.

Kate then meets with Emma and Sebastian to talk about the new team when Emma gives her blessing and gifts Kate with the mysterious box that Mystique had gotten her. The box is 2 billion years old and has a message inside for Kate. Kate opens the box and it seems to be a map with a handwritten note by Kate saying: the first blood spilled. Kate doesn’t understand how her handwriting was in the box.

[LordUltimus]

Well, I'm glad SOMEONE brought up the coexistence thing.

[AppleJ]

Well, I'm glad SOMEONE brought up the coexistence thing.

Same. It's been needed to be addressed.

[pkingdom]

No but i do think that it was showing that “allies” that get this mad when a group doesn’t act the way they want them to were never allies in the first. I also think Orlando was moreso making a statement about bad faith actors like Brimstone Love who don’t actually believe in what they’re saying but will use their charisma to get a rise out of people.

Yeahhh, Brimstone Love is a maniac obsessed with pain and cruelty, that manipulates those around him like a cult leader...but he is still have a point that the comic fails to address, because Krakoa is not about coexistence, even if specific humans can live in it, they are the exception, not the rule.

Because that is what Xavier said in his speech when creating Krakoa, that he was abandoning coexistence as a false dream. And while in private he has said otherwise, nothing that Krakoa has done in a public way, has shown that they follow the dream, so Kate, if you want people to believe in coexistence, better prove with actions, not empty words.

I mean, in the issue one character mentions that "towels" are a human concept and while is meant to be more of a funny joke, it shows that Krakoans considers themselves above humanity, not part of it, because that idea, "x is a human concept that doesn't work for us", is something that keeps popping up in this era beyond Hickman.

[*]Okay, so Somnus is giving Iceman and Christian a pleasant dream. I was hoping he was just creeping on them or trying to set up a threeway. Suddenly he's a lot less cool now. [*]But he also not-flashed some strangers, which is pretty cool.[*]Brimstone's motivation are pretty interesting. I like how his words and motivations seem good, but everything else shows malice. Aside from the obvious red flags, he's ruling people with fear to get what he wants, while claiming to be noble. He also refuses to listen to others, assuming everyone has ill intention. He claims everyone is trying to silence him, but he's the one who instigating things and not even giving others a chance to speak.

When you describe Brimstone like you it sounds like you're describing most of the Quiet Council. Hell, about a 3rd of the books have been mutants chest-thumping their way through international relations.

I didn't read it as 'we're mad you didn't do things THIS way', at least not with the little information we were given. Its very easy too imagine or even think of there being plenty of humans that really supported mutant/human coexistence, and then suddenly all the mutants vanish and Xavier beams a glorified 'Magneto was right and we're better than all of you and replacing you' speech into everyone's heads. What kind of message does that send to their friends and allies?

Also, hi. It me. The guy who called Somnus a dream rapist. His use of his powers still comes across really creepy here, and the idea that he knows Daken better than anyone because he used a one night stand to invade his mind and give him a happy fantasy is deeply uncomfortable to me. If nothing else its lazy writing to retcon a 'super special most important person' into Daken's life.

And for those who didn't read his introduction, Somnus also has a giant family he left behind. He died of old age surrounded by his loved ones, including children and grandchildren, who I guess just won't ever find out that grandpa isn't dead anymore and is just wandering the world.

[Kurolegacy]

Same. It's been needed to be addressed.

Would be great though if they didn’t only bring that up as a strawman for those who are off put by the lack of coexistence angle sans the X-Men book.

[Master of Sound]

Never heard of Carver or Bouncer before.

Are the theTheatre of Pain characters any interesting?

[Dthirds3]

Never heard of Carver or Bouncer before.

Are the theTheatre of Pain characters any interesting?

Weren't they on Jon sublimes legaly not xmen teams ?

[ChronoRogue]

Decent issue.

It did feel a bit rushed in "collecting" everyone on the team but I'm glad we've gotten this out of the way so we can work on bonding the team and developing the main plot points for the series.

[Rift]

Damn, Somnus sounds like a freak. I don't know if it'll make more sense in context, but I'm just picturing him staring at them like some voyeur, or some creeper who's trying to live through them vicariously. Either way, I love Somnus now.

[JB]

I really enjoyed this and Orlando is definitely lurking on this board. LOL! I liked the way Tempo and Psylocke worked together with their powers, and Brimstone Love was great.

The ending has me intrigued and definitely sets the tone for the series. The mystery box with the map of Krakoa inside is very interesting.

Damn, Somnus sounds like a freak. I don't know if it'll make more sense in context, but I'm just picturing him staring at them like some voyeur, or some creeper who's trying to live through them vicariously. Either way, I love Somnus now.

You and me both.

[BobbysWorld]

Now aside from wherever the mystery of the mystery box is leading to next, I also really reaaaaally want to know how Emma even found out about it in the first place. Like, she's been trying to get her hands on this for a long time now, so SOMETHING had to set her in that direction, in order to even know of its existence. Like way back at the Hellfire Gala, the people she was talking to about it were surprised she even knew of their existence at all, so as much as I want to know where this plotline is GOING, just as much I really hope we get some kind of flashback look at how it even began.

[ExodusCloak]

She found it out via Elias Bogan maybe? But why is Nova needed? Anyway probably the best issue out this week.

[Milici]

Ugh! I am really not liking this Sommus person, he feels like a creep, great way of introducing a new character. I will give it a chance just for Tempo and Kwanon.

As an homosexual man I am very disappointed with how the X-Office have handled Christian and Iceman relationship, have they even had a meaningful conversation in the Krakoa era?

[Fokken]

Ugh! I am really not liking this Sommus person, he feels like a creep, great way of introducing a new character. I will give it a chance just for Tempo and Kwanon.

As an homosexual man I am very disappointed with how the X-Office have handled Christian and Iceman relationship, have they even had a meaningful conversation in the Krakoa era?

I mean, MANY homosexual men have shallow and/or vapid "relationships" with other men, often exclusively for their "physical" company, so..... I'm not mad at seeing the less romantic side of gay interpersonal dynamics. If Christian and Bobby are simply basic **** buddies, so be it.

Edit: Maybe I'm misunderstanding people's assessments.
I'll have to get my copy this afternoon and see for myself.

[RachelGrey]

Now aside from wherever the mystery of the mystery box is leading to next, I also really reaaaaally want to know how Emma even found out about it in the first place. Like, she's been trying to get her hands on this for a long time now, so SOMETHING had to set her in that direction, in order to even know of its existence. Like way back at the Hellfire Gala, the people she was talking to about it were surprised she even knew of their existence at all, so as much as I want to know where this plotline is GOING, just as much I really hope we get some kind of flashback look at how it even began.

Maybe a days of future past tie in. Kate Pryde while inside of Kitty Pryde, left the mansion for one night and went to meet with Emma Frost and she allowed Emma to read her mind. In the Days of Future Past world Emma Frost had a mental breakdown when all the children at the X-Mansion and the Massachusetts Academy were murdered by Sentinels, she died helping Magneto and Logan escape a Sentinel attack on a resistance base just before the events of the Days of Future Past comic, that was how Magneto was captured and put in the concentration camps, and Logan fled to Canada to join the Canadian resistance cell after the American resistance collapsed under the Sentinel attack/regime. We find out right after this is when Tessa and Emma offered a seat on the Hellfire Club to Magneto and Storm, and Emma started trying to get the Hellions and New Mutants to work together in an alliance with Magneto. We also find out that this is one of the reasons that Emma asked Kate to rejoin the X-Men in the 2000's and work with her and Scott.