Immortal X-Men #2 Review/Spoilers

[Saithor]

I enjoyed this book! But couldn't Proteus have turned the Kaiju into jello?

If we got a dollar for every time a threat to Krakoa could be solved by insert X mutant here we would both be many dollars richer and have no real threat to Krakoa at all short of ramping it up to the mutants doing something like declaring war on the One Above All. Or maybe Kang.

[captain Qball]

They said it's energy was connected to Otherworld and the gates...so turning it to jello may have jeopardized those.

[Jackraow21]

What happend with Candra and the rest of the Externals? are they back?

No. At one point they got killed in Cable's book by Gideon. Or at least a bunch of them did. Then they were back in Excalibur, but Apocalypse killed them to create the External gate from their bones. And they haven't been seen since I don't believe.

[CrimsonEchidna]

Honestly, I don't really get the "shock" over Selene's fate here. I mean, yeah it's absolutely a double standard on the Council's part of what "crimes" they've chosen to overlook and what they've chosen to punish. And that's basically been a reoccurring thing throughout this Krakoa-era, it's not new. The whole "Rule for thee and not for me" has always run pretty rampant, where as long as the crime could be spun as being in the best interest of Krakoa as a whole, or covered up, it gets overlooked. Selene pretty explicitly did neither.

[Mercury]

As far as getting rid of them, no, and that was never my argument; its just how I feel about the characters.

As for the last comment, the person asked others to share why they might not like Hope. And I don't think I've been disrespectful at all in this discussion, being respectful doesn't mean you need to like what the other person likes.

See here

This is fair. I'm sorry for overgeneralizing and perhaps criticizing your comments too harshly. I dislike a handful of characters for myriad reasons, but I try not to go out of my way to drag them because I know they have fans, as most characters do. And no one likes their favorite character(s) derided or disregarded.

As for Hope, I like her, and I think it's easy to point out the distinctions between her and Jean. Moreover, I've always seen her relationship with the Phoenix Force tied to Jean, who was White Phoenix at the time of Hope's conception and heralded both her arrival and the arrival of the Phoenix Force before Avengers vs. X-Men. Additionally, Jean convinced Scott to release the fragments of the Phoenix Force he possessed right before Hope manifested the White Phoenix. So, I've always seen it as Jean, as White Phoenix, having bonded with Hope to help Wanda subdue and send the Phoenix Force back to the White Hot Room (see Avengers vs. X-Men #12 and Phoenix Endsong #5).

If anything, I wish we'd get a story with Jean, Hope, Rachel, and Madelyne as the main characters. Something both kickass and moving.

[captain Qball]

I did not expect this thread to be so polarizing. Didn't realize that many people liked Selene. I guess enjoyment for thisissue largely depends on how much you like Selene and Hope.

Personally, I loved it. Reading Gillen makes me giddy, like Hickman's HoX/PoX. Just delight as I go through it.

I love Hope Summers and thought she was well represented here. There was some discussion about this regressing her, but I would argue she hasn't had any character development since Krakoa started. She's just been ignored and been a plot device now more so than in her messiah days. Hope and Exodus are a fun pair.

Intrigued to see Selene team up with clan Akkaba...didn't think they like mutants. I like how she just dropped a magic mess and walked out to let them deal with it.

I hope Xavier starts investigating Sinister a bit more now. Seems a little odd he would hulk himself out to help, and tip his hand at the same time.

Art was great. I see comments that people might drop this, but I feel the opposite, can't wait for more!

[ChronoRogue]

This is fair. I'm sorry for overgeneralizing and perhaps criticizing your comments too harshly. I dislike a handful of characters for myriad reasons, but I try not to go out of my way to drag them because I know they have fans, as most characters do. And no one likes their favorite character(s) derided or disregarded.

You're fine, I didn't take your comment as harsh at all lol. I can't say I enjoy when my faves get dragged either, but I try to remain open-minded on that end. People have a right to express themselves, especially in regards to how they might be protrayed in a certain issue like this one, so imo we should all accept our faves just won't be everyone's cup of tea.

If anything, this just reminds me I feel bad for Beast fans (if they exist :O). He gets dragged every issue he appears in. T.T

[Rift]

If anything, this just reminds me I feel bad for Beast fans (if they exist :O). He gets dragged every issue he appears in. T.T

I have a few friends who are Beast fans, but that's mostly because they think he's hot. As long as he's aesthetically appealing, they're happy.

[ChronoRogue]

I have a few friends who are Beast fans, but that's mostly because they think he's hot. As long as he's aesthetically appealing, they're happy.

Huh... the more you know!

[PyroFN]

I mean, she’s always been this petulant and full of herself. I honestly don’t see it as that much of a departure.

Petulant, perhaps. Still, Selene was never really this short-sighted. I’m not just talking about Necrosha. Even back in Claremont’s days, he had Selene stay in the background watching Rachel and consuming innocents until she was ready to strike on two occasions. We fast forward to the 90’s era and she is taking Externals left and right for their power and she is planning a coup against Sebastian Shaw using Madelyne as an apprentice. (Which never pans out, somehow) Even in this era, she had X-Corps where she is working good-will with Monet and Angel to gain a board member seat.

There are only very few occasions where I can recall Selene not having a long-term motivation to drive her actions.

[PyroFN]

Yours is an optimistic view,I'll give you that.With favours with Kate,Storm, Destiny and Mystique ,secrets on Sinister, blackmail of Shaw, disparaging (and humiliation) of Magneto and whatever else she has in her repertoire..it wouldn't surprise me If Emma wants sole leadership of Krakoa and is laying all the groundwork.

That is not Emma’s style. She usually takes second-in-command because she likes playing from the background. This was true even back when she was a villain in both the Hellfire Club days as White Queen and during Secret Empire when she had Xorn take leadership as the face of New Tian. The only time I’ve known Emma to take a direct leadership role was during Dark Reign when she led the Dark X-men and the 2018-19 Uncanny X-Men era when she became Black King of the Hellfire Club. Emma is ambitious, but she doesn’t really take the lead, most likely to work on the background while the face of whatever takes the brunt of any hostility.

[BobbysWorld]

The most interesting takeaway from this issue for me was the stealth twist with Exodus. Like, personally I wasn't hugely impressed by the resolution of the Selene thing mostly just because I found it anticlimactic, but on the other hand I do have to give it to Gillen that it took him all of one page to potentially ignite a huge game-changer for Exodus' character moving forward. And could be key to why Gillen's been hyping Sinister as particularly terrified of Exodus or something he might do or be capable of.

Like, its been long-established that Bennet's powers have an emotional/zeitgeist component, with his already enormous power levels increasing as a direct result of people believing in him and his capabilities. But he's never been previously confirmed to be AWARE of this aspect of his powers, with it usually being something talked about in captions or by others observing him. Its similar to how Gladiator of the Imperial Guard is empowered by his self-confidence....Exodus is augmented by the confidence others have in him.

But TRADITIONALLY, he's always stood in as a proxy for someone else, a leader he's fighting on behalf of. Because Exodus for most of his existence....has always been a follower. Even at times when he's led the Acolytes himself, its always been in the name of Magneto as a figurehead, or while identifying as his 'spiritual successor.' So the faith people have in him and his abilities, even when super-charging him in past battles, has typically been more about the faith they have in him as a champion for someone else's cause.

Even recently, as a confirmed omega-level member of the ruling council of Krakoa.....he's still actively directed and channeled attention towards others on the Council (like Magneto, and now Hope) or Krakoa as a whole. While nominally one of twelve leaders of their nation.....he's never shown any inclination towards wanting to rally people behind HIMSELF specifically. Never thought to ask them to put their faith in HIM rather than in his chosen cause or leader.

But as established by his conversation with Hope in this issue.....according to Gillen's take on him, until now he had no idea that the faith-augmentation aspect of his abilities even existed.

And Hope bringing that directly to his attention is potentially a HUGE catalyst for dramatically shifting his entire character direction.

Because now, for the first time, Exodus - who's spent pretty much his whole life in search of someone to follow, to devote himself and his cause to - has reason to contemplate the very idea of people putting their faith in HIM, personally. He's just been brought face to face with the notion that he has something TANGIBLE to gain by putting himself out there not as a proxy for another leader above him, or as just one of a body of leaders.....but as someone for people to follow DIRECTLY.

Ever since the forming of the Krakoa nation, Exodus has seemingly found a true sense of purpose for himself, and is one hundred percent committed to ensuring the longterm survival and success of the mutant race. And he's just been told that the more people believe in him specifically....the more this translates into literal power that can fuel and augment his already enormous abilities....and thus heighten his ability to fight for that purpose he's found, his own personal intent to see mutants flourish and survive at any cost.

In one single page, Hope just handed the dude who since his inception has ONLY ever really been limited by his lack of personal ambition, his ready willingness to be a right-hand man rather than the man in charge.....

The grand-daddy of all motivations to stop shilling for other people and start putting himself out there as a figurehead and rallying point.

Exodus the loyal follower and Exodus the ambitious leader are two entirely different characters....and we've never truly seen Exodus ever TRY to be the latter before, as its never seemed to be something he's had any interest in. But now that he has a reason to be interested in that? To seek actual followers of his OWN, rather than automatically steering them to follow someone else?

That has the potential to springboard him off in a brand new direction with pretty ginormous implications. Cuz thing is, as far as loyal number two's go...Exodus is GOOD at rallying people behind someone else. He's always been successful at recruiting people to a cause or amassing large followings for someone like Magneto. And there's zero reason to think he couldn't be equally good at doing that on his own behalf too.....if he ever decides to make THAT his focus, instead of always looking for the next mutant messiah to hand out pamphlets on behalf of.

Its also worth noting that Gillen's hyped up Exodus as leading the charge against the Eternals who'll attack Krakoa in Judgment Day.....and Exodus, historically, is one of the only mutants who already have precedence as being able to take on an Eternal like Sersi and fight her to at least a standstill, all by himself. And that was an Exodus at his 'base' power levels.

But an Exodus empowered by millions of Krakoans' faith in his ability to fight for them....

What could HE pull off?

[Marvelman]

If we got a dollar for every time a threat to Krakoa could be solved by insert X mutant here we would both be many dollars richer and have no real threat to Krakoa at all short of ramping it up to the mutants doing something like declaring war on the One Above All. Or maybe Kang.

Good point. And we don't really know what repercussions would follow.

[Rift]

Bobby, you should write articles or something. I'd definitely follow your career.

[Rev9]

That is not Emma’s style. She usually takes second-in-command because she likes playing from the background. This was true even back when she was a villain in both the Hellfire Club days as White Queen and during Secret Empire when she had Xorn take leadership as the face of New Tian. The only time I’ve known Emma to take a direct leadership role was during Dark Reign when she led the Dark X-men and the 2018-19 Uncanny X-Men era when she became Black King of the Hellfire Club. Emma is ambitious, but she doesn’t really take the lead, most likely to work on the background while the face of whatever takes the brunt of any hostility.

I guess her pov in a few weeks will let us know.I won't hold my breath.