Legion of X #2 Review/Spoilers - Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law

[Rift]

We start with Mother Righteous offering Legion a glowing disco ball on a string. She oy guvna's to David about how she can give him clarity and power to be better than his dad. She throws the disco ball on Blindfold's face to make her see the future, but Blindfold refuses. But she does show a vision of what's currently happening - a horned god tormenting a naked guy on a stool, while a shadowy figure holds something. So Mary Poppins over here forces Blindfold to show them a vision of the future. In this vision, Legion says "To me, my X-Men" before the Quiet Council, consisting of at least Old Man Nightcrawler, his Bamfs, and Blindfold.

Blindfold says that this is only one possible future. She goes to warn the Legion about the vision she saw of the present. David stops her and says that, if the vision of the future is true, they could make a difference. He wants her help to decide on what to do. Blindfold says that she'll love Legion no matter what, but she's not his conscious, and he must make his own choices to be a leader.

With Ruth gone, the Queen of England over here explains how she trades in ideas. Gods, devils and spells are ideas that turn belief into power. David asks what she wants of him. Presumably, she'll say "Hellion's love, luv. The belief he inspires from people will make me the most powerful Marvel character, next to Hellion himself, bruv," before drinking some tea and eating gross food.

Data page time: Doctor Nemesis data on gods. The tl;dr is that the more belief and worship a god has, the more powerful they are, though some gods never seem to manifest. He also wonders if they can erase Thor from existence if they somehow made everyone forget about him.

Back at Krakoa's tiki bar, Sage explains to Nightcrawler and Zsen how they haven't been able to find Switch, and no Arakkii has visited Krakoa this month, despite Ora Serrata's claims. Zsen proposes that they just plant listening devices on people, but Nightcrawler is against becoming secret police who plant bugs on their civilians. Banshee shows up, and Zsen notices that he has blood on his glove. Banshee asks Sage if they can talk tomorrow, as he needs help with an old case. They agree to meet by the Pointe later, and gives him directions. (Uh oh.) Black Tom asks Banshee to join him and Juggs for some drinks. Banshee says that he won't sit with primitives, then spits in Tom's beer.

Back at the Altar, the Legion (Lost, Forget-me-not, Pixie and a giant Dust) meet with the little guy from last issue. He just wants to get his punishment over with, but the Legion just want to understand what happened to his wife, from his perspective. Ruth shows up and says that Switch is covering his tracks with blood.

Back at the bar, Nightcrawler is talking to Sage about the Spark while giving her a back massage. They stop when Sage gets an alert about an intruder at the Pointe, which turns out to be Zsen. Beast lunges out of the shadows to beat her ass, but she dodges and cuts his leg. He acrobats around and gets on top of her, threatening to rip her throat out if she doesn't talk. She has her blades pointed at his dick, so she can also kill him if he kills her. Which isn't much of a threat, since Beast can just be revived, but whatever.

Another data page, this time written by Beast. The tl;dr is that the Skinjacker isn't bothering him or making trouble big enough for X-Force to get involved. So he'll let Nightcrawler and his Emocops worry about it.

Sage and Nightcrawler bust in, and Sage makes a joke about Beast being fat. Zsen reveals that Sage has "singing stones" to listen to people all over the island, and that she wasn't the first person to break in. She reveals that Banshee broke in first, and that he had been fishing for an entrance location from Sage earlier. She tracks Banshee down and finds him cutting his arm, spilling blood on the grass.

Luckily, the The Legion are on top of this. They drop Juggs down on top of him to knock him out. They explain that Switch can only jump once every 23 hours, so he's stuck in Banshee for now. Switch immediately proves this wrong by jumping into Juggernaut's body and kicking their asses. Lost stops his chaos by anti-gravitying him into the air, and Pixie stabs his brain with her souldagger.

With Switch mobilized, Nightcrawler can talk. He says that he believes in restorative justice, with no retribution. He says that he'll help Switch understand the pain he caused others, but he also wants to know what motivated Switch to do all this in the first place. Switch just says that he's doing this for fun. He speaks some magic rune language that forces the Souldagger out of him, then boops out of Juggernaut.

Zsen shows Pixie a branch made to look like a an arm, tied to a hand with the tips of its fingers cut off. She found it in the Pointe. Pixie explains that it's the Hand of Glory, used to open any lock. The fingers are from Spike. Nightcrawler also finds a magic circle made of blood.

Back at the Altar, Oliver Twist over here says that she'll give Legion the power she promised, and all he has to do is thank her. To have faith in her. To always keep a little sliver of him that remembers, she'd be the one responsible for his successes.

We don't see Legion's answer just yet. He goes to join Ruth and the Dust as they talk to the shortstack. Legion says that he could just read the dude's mind and take away any bad memories, but the guy is against it. "The right way ain't always the easy way," as his wife would say.

Kurt, Zsen, and Banshee show up to the Altar. Banshee goes off to do his own thing. Nightcrawler asks Zsen if she got any useful info from the singing stones, and she says that she might tell him if he gives her a massage. "If you're lucky, something will slip out."

While Banshee's alone, Ricky Gervais over here bemoans how Sean has lost control of his life. She offers him power so he'd never be alone again. The power to be a popular, beloved babe-magnet like Hellion.

Notes

• Banshee's run-in with Moira in XLoW/XDoW is referenced, with Sage saying that it was probably traumatic for him. Zsen finds what Moira did to be impressive.
• Zsen calls Banshee "Captain Sideburns." She speaks a little too contemporary for an Arakkii, but it begs the question: are sideburns a thing on Arakko?
• Guess Selene was right about Krakoa having a huge, glaring weakness to magic, huh?
• The Congregation from Onslaught Agenda is still a thing.
• I recently got into Twin Peaks. Kinda getting Black Lodge resident vibes from Mother Bri'ish. But also, watch this show. It's so good.

[Mercury]

Hmmm. I wonder…🤔

[Milici]

I like this book overall, I love the use of obscure mutants, but I find all this spark and faith talk boring, contrived and confusing.

[Grunty]

Sounds like quite a lot happening within in just one issue.

The "opens everything" hand thing sounds like Spurrier managed to avoid the temptation to have it made of bone for the usual "skeleton key" joke.

About Nemesis musing. I recall from the Storm appriciation thread that it has been established how Thor is definetly physicaly independent of faith, but does indeed grown stronger from it because of being a god.

[Rift]

What are you wondering, Merc? The Jean/Scott/Wolverine love triangle? An explanation on Moira's turn to the dark side?

Unrelated, but I'm thinking Switch made a deal with Mother Righteous to get a power upgrade, so she can have enough worshippers to be strong enough for the Circle Perilous. We know he can avoid detection on Krakoa, so maybe he tricked Ora Serrata.

About Nemesis musing. I recall from the Storm appriciation thread that it has been established how Thor is definetly physicaly independent of faith, but does indeed grown stronger from it because of being a god.

I didn't mention it in my review, but he also points out how Herc and Loki aren't exactly worshipped in enormous numbers these days, yet still exist. So the Thor thing is probably just him 'avin' a giggle.

[Dante Milton]

I enjoyed this issue, though not as much as the first . Poor Sean can't catch a break. I like Zsen and her little jabs and unapologetic thirst, it's a shame she didn't kill Hank, he could really use a reset. I like seeing the ways the Legionnaires are doing things differently from cops. It will be interesting to see how they deal with the threat of the Skinjacker, as their current methods don't seem viable with such a malicious actor. I feel like the Loki hints have to be a misdirect. I really liked Dr. Nemsis' data page about gods. Bazaldua's art and Blee's colors are still really good, although there were a few more panels with some odd proportions that felt a bit rushed.

I think Mother Righteous' goal is to become a god. Perhaps to escape the Astral Plane?

[Su_Whisterfield]

Too slow again, but as I wrote my review, you get it anyway.
That’s quite a trip.

We start with the pages from the preview of David, Ruth and our new character, Mother Righteous.
She uses Ruth’s powers to tempt David with futures, there is a panel showing Loki in silhouette, someone tied to a chair and someone else making something out of wood and fingers. We are to assume that that this relates to the SkinJacker, but it’s clearly relevant to the missing trickster godtoo. Mother Righteous says this is the present, not a future.

We get a glimpse of a future with someone bare chested with a fiery head David? Xorn? Ghost Rider? David we assume.
There are figures sat behind him at a Quiet Council style table, one of whom is an aged Kurt with his Bamfs (who haven’t up in this era yet) also shown is Ruth with a half mask of gold (quite like Irene’s) Krakoa looms in the back, it looks very technofied. David likes it, Ruth says the horned god and the stollen hand is happening now and they need to tell the Legionnaires.
David is tempted by Mother Righteous but wants to know the price.

There is a data page from Doctor Nemesis with observations about Gods. It’s quite entertaining, he theorises that if they could wipe the existence of a god, eg Thor off the minds of man, would they to cease to exist? Hm. Fun idea. We should try.

Kurt and Weaponless Xsen are meeting Sage in The Green Lagoon.
Sage can’t find a trace of Switch (the mutant they think is the Skinjacker) Xsen says that the skinjacker is irrelevant, she’s still on the hunt for the missing Arakki god (who must have arrived with at least one follower) but Sage says she is the only Arakki they the island, Xsen believes Ora Serrata over Krakoa.
In the background, Black Tom and Cain Marko are bonding (aww!).
Xsen wants Sage to eavesdrop, Sage denies that Krakoa has such yeah right, says Xsen and the audience. They are interrupted by Banshee (who is looking fine...) and is carrying something in his bloodied hands. He says he needs to discuss a crime with Sage and she gives him the coordinates of The Pointe.

On his way out, Black Tom invites him over to drink with him and Cain (Cain is still smarting over Chuck trying to veto his joining the Legion) but Sean spits in the cup, he doesn’t drink with primitives. Tom dismisses this as being because he was traumatised over the Moira skin suit affair .
We can assume the Skinjacker is inside Sean’s head...

The Altar, Pixie, Dust, Forget me Not and Lost are still interrogating Paulie DeCosta (the mutant from last issue who killed his wife while under the control of the Skinjacker) Ruth enters. The mutant Switch is the Skinjacker she reiterates, he’s covering his tracks with blood magic.


The Green Lagoon, Kurt is giving Sage a shoulder massage…when The Pointe alarm goes off, Xsen has infiltrated The Pointe.
There follows a wonderful fight between Xsen and Hank. It is glorious. She is glorious.

Another datapage from Hank on the Skinjacker. His analysis, leave it to Kurt and his Emocops. How rude!

Kurt and Sage arrive in time to stop Zsen eviscerating Hank.
Zsen points out that there are listening devices across the island and that Sean has already been to The Pointe ahead of her, despite all Hank’s protests about how impenetrable the place is.
Kurt finds something on the floor. Meanwhile, in a feat of amusing proportions, Pixie teleports Cain Marko on top of Banshee to stop the Skinjacker who is inside his head from doing something involving carving his arm up for the blood. The Skinjacker jumps into Cain but Lost uses her gravity control to stop him, Pixie stabs him through the head with her souldagger. Kurt and the possessed Cain exchange some excellent barbs (fuzzy blue line, heh) but the Skinjacker throws off her dagger and escapes with a speech bubble in Marvel Norse script.
Pixie identifies the thing Kurt found as a hand of glory, made from Switch. Kurt says Switch has learned sorcery to level up.

Mother Righteous is still tempting David, she doesn’t want his soul, just his respect and to remember his success is due to her. David says he needs to think on it.
David returns to the Altar, where Paulie’s still being debriefed and seems to be breaking down over killing his wife.
Sean is invited in by Kurt, Zsen thinks him weak, Kurt disagrees. He asks if she got any intel while in The Pointe, she suggests that he gives her a massage and they will see if any secrets slip out.
In The Altar, Sean is approached by Mother Righteous, she has an offer for him…

[Rift]

Too slow again, but as I wrote my review, you get it anyway.
That’s quite a trip.

I'm motivated to work fast and make Hellion references. But you can do the Marauders thread if you want.

[Grunty]

(...) I didn't mention it in my review, but he also points out how Herc and Loki aren't exactly worshipped in enormous numbers these days, yet still exist. So the Thor thing is probably just him 'avin' a giggle.

Makes sense for the character, but i thought i throw the information in, in case anyone wanted to discuss it.

Though it also reminds me to the old video game Planescape Torment, which mostly takes place inside a giant circular shaped city at the center of a multiverse named Sigil. Because of the cities reality warping nature, faith and belief can actualy manifest things or people but also unmake them.

This includes that the player can create a person by introducing himself to enough people by a false name, causing them to belief such a person exist. Likewise the player character can learn of a trial in which everyone, including the person in question, got convinced that said person does not exist, at which point he disappeared from existence.

So i guess Nemesis could have a point regarding the idea that belief can unmake someone if enough of it is centered against one. A sort of opposite end to the creation or empowering of gods.

[Kingdom X]

What are you wondering, Merc? The Jean/Scott/Wolverine love triangle? An explanation on Moira's turn to the dark side?

Unrelated, but I'm thinking Switch made a deal with Mother Righteous to get a power upgrade, so she can have enough worshippers to be strong enough for the Circle Perilous. We know he can avoid detection on Krakoa, so maybe he tricked Ora Serrata.


I didn't mention it in my review, but he also points out how Herc and Loki aren't exactly worshipped in enormous numbers these days, yet still exist. So the Thor thing is probably just him 'avin' a giggle.

This is a really good theory Rift.

Overall I actually liked the issue better than the first one.

Side note: Hank has really got to go. I can’t with them dickhead attitude every time he shows up.

[Su_Whisterfield]

I'm motivated to work fast and make Hellion references. But you can do the Marauders thread if you want.

Sorry, hon, I haven’t read it.

[Proxy]

Mother righteous is intriguing, sounds to me like she’s a deity herself, needing gratitude like a form of worship.

But I found this issue pretty boring overall and had a poorly executed plot contrivance. None of cast really got to do anything except Zsen and even then everyone else had to be made dumb as a box of rocks to make it happen.

Kurt’s blind faith that Krakoa isn’t the type of nation to be listening in on it’s citizens was already really naive considering Beast is in charge, but then Zsen reveals it is actually happening and then he doesn’t seem bothered at all. Never mind, the story doesn’t need that detail anymore, moving on.

And are you telling me that Nightcrawler and Sage wouldn’t notice that Banshees hand was covered in blood (and carrying a bag dripping blood) and wouldn’t notice Sean’s accent slipping and not sounding like himself, boiling it down to ‘he got skinned recently, so he’s a bit out of sorts’. Really? Zsen is the only one to notice this? In comparison to the other characters who actually know and spend time with him? It sounded too much like an excuse to give Zsen some spotlight. I like her character fine enough, but please don’t dumb down the other characters to make her look better in comparison it does her character a dis-service.

Not a terrible issue but nothing really happened and everyone just seemed to be fulfilling whatever their required role was to move the story forward.

[Kingdom X]

Mother righteous is intriguing, sounds to me like she’s a deity herself, needing gratitude like a form of worship.

But I found this issue pretty boring overall and had a poorly executed plot contrivance. None of cast really got to do anything except Zsen and even then everyone else had to be made dumb as a box of rocks to make it happen.

Kurt’s blind faith that Krakoa isn’t the type of nation to be listening in on it’s citizens was already really naive considering Beast is in charge, but then Zsen reveals it is actually happening and then he doesn’t seem bothered at all. Never mind, the story doesn’t need that detail anymore, moving on.

And are you telling me that Nightcrawler and Sage wouldn’t notice that Banshees hand was covered in blood (and carrying a bag dripping blood) and wouldn’t notice Sean’s accent slipping and not sounding like himself, boiling it down to ‘he got skinned recently, so he’s a bit out of sorts’. Really? Zsen is the only one to notice this? In comparison to the other characters who actually know and spend time with him? It sounded too much like an excuse to give Zsen some spotlight. I like her character fine enough, but please don’t dumb down the other characters to make her look better in comparison it does her character a dis-service.

Not a terrible issue but nothing really happened and everyone just seemed to be fulfilling whatever their required role was to move the story forward.

Now that you mention it, this was definitely a case of "how do I make my original character stand out as much as possible so that they don't completely fade into obscurity once I'm gone."

[Nicoclaws]

So is there an explanation for Mother Righteous's accent, beside providing Rift comic relief in his review (which I appreciate).


Also, Hank being "I won't use X-force resources". Dude you have like 4 guys and 3 guns. The Legion got probably half the islands at this point.

[Mercury]

What are you wondering, Merc? The Jean/Scott/Wolverine love triangle? An explanation on Moira's turn to the dark side?

That quote definitely made me think of Jean, Logan, and Scott. Genuine question: Who else on Krakoa is married? Rogue and Gambit, and...?

It'll be interesting to see if this development is used to explain some of the uncharacteristic ways in which certain characters have behaved. We'll see.