X-Men Red #7 - Review/Spoilers

[Odd Rödney]

The writing in this issue was on point. I had serious emotions with everything between Storm and Mags as he passed. When he says he's seeing Anya. My god. I got goosebumps and tears y'all. So good.

[Jackraow21]

It really was such a great scene. Sad to see Magneto go, but he got a fitting end… at least until they bring him back. Which I hope doesn’t happen for some time as it would cheapen the great death he got here.

Cannot wait for November 2nd! Just four looong weeks away.

[Odd Rödney]

It really was such a great scene. Sad to see Magneto go, but he got a fitting end… at least until they bring him back. Which I hope doesn’t happen for some time as it would cheapen the great death he got here.

Cannot wait for November 2nd! Just four looong weeks away.

I thought of you when I saw that scene with Cable at the end, adorable to see it as your avatar now!

[Jackraow21]

Thanks, Rodney. I couldn’t resist. Cable’s “rage face” was too money not to make my avatar for awhile.

[JB]

Thanks, Rodney. I couldn’t resist. Cable’s “rage face” was too money not to make my avatar for awhile.

Such a great scene. Secret dealings with Orchis, even being in the same room with Nimrod... she's finished.

[Odd Rödney]

Such a great scene. Secret dealings with Orchis, even being in the same room with Nimrod... she's finished.

Indeed, it's gonna be killer. Brand versus Cable? Cable?! No contest. She's a dead woman walking.

[mugen]

I still don't buy Brand's reasoning for allying with genocidal robots that want to kill all organic life. It's just so weak.

Ewing better be writing some catclysmic plot twist...

Ewing said in an interview that abigail manipulated orchis just like krakoa and arakko that her goals were bigger than krakoa and orchis and that she manipulates everyone to achieve them,
but she still attacks mutants without really explaining then honestly mutants who work with anti-mutants whose goal is the total extermination of all mutants (abigail and juda are no exception) it has no meaning in addition to being stupid after killing grynch we don't even know how abigail convinced orchis to recruit her when she's a mutant and the commander of the sword...no explanation.


I agree with you I also don't accept her reasoning that makes no sense or logic, the only info ewing gives us at the end of S.W.O.R.D is that she thinks the ground system is too big for charle and magneto and that it is better that it is she who is in charge of the sol system, it is very weak on the part of ewing as an explanation to justify this betrayal coming out of nowhere and wanting to destroy krakoa not to mention the attempted murder on xandra which still has no explanation either.

I already said that I hated the characterization of abigail since the end of sword, ewing said that he decided to turn abigail into a traitor after S.WO.R.D #5 which means that it was not planned for the beginning of the story it was the same with moira and we know the disaster it became then ... for me abigail is really badly written the only fault of sword and x-men red.

After 7 issues apart from character assassination I don't see what it brings to the story of x-men red to have transformed abigail into a traitor, what does it bring more or better than peter grynch who was already the villain of sword with stellaris that I find in the end more coherent and logical than abigail.

what's the point of having made Abigail a traitor if it's for her to be discovered after only 7 issues... it's going much too fast and it's a little too easy I find the conflict with Abigail didn't have the time to mature nor its x men to settle down that its duplicity (triplicity? Quadriplicity?) Is already revealed.

Now that cable and wizkid know the truth they will tell everyone abigail is screwed, all her allies and the people she manipulated (mutant, avenger, shiar, kree, orchis and stellaris) will know the truth and when we read the synopsis of x-men red 9 i cant guess that abigail will end up like moira in inferno after x-men red 9 or 10 she will lose everything and have no choice but to flee or stay with orchis (unless they kills because she manipulated them and is no longer of any use to them) to become the generic villain 9990 who will want to avenge the mutants for having prevented him from having the sol system... I hope I'm wrong and that Ewing will surprise us but I no longer have too many illusions.

[Hulkout42]

Another solid issue from Ewing, i felt something seeing Magneto give his final words (again, i hope they allow this death for a time to remain, and that if he is brought back it is done so in a way that does not make this sacrifice cheap and meaningless) and the look when he sees the one child he can never have back as he fades was hitting me hard.

Storm is been another solid portrayal here that i have sorely need away from the likes of Marauders or Black Panther that felt did not do her justice. I liked how she knows she can't beat Isca but still stands in defiance of her alongside the others.

Speaking of, seeing the one human being among the council take the unbeatable mutant to task with something she can't actually do which is lose was something that blew me away.

I wonder just what secret Cable and Wizkid found out that set Cable off to the point he is gunning for Brand? I mean was it the meetings with Orchis? Her actions that lead to the deaths of millions when she blocked the SOS from Hulkling?

[loke13]

Ewing said in an interview that abigail manipulated orchis just like krakoa and arakko that her goals were bigger than krakoa and orchis and that she manipulates everyone to achieve them,
but she still attacks mutants without really explaining then honestly mutants who work with anti-mutants whose goal is the total extermination of all mutants (abigail and juda are no exception) it has no meaning in addition to being stupid after killing grynch we don't even know how abigail convinced orchis to recruit her when she's a mutant and the commander of the sword...no explanation.


I agree with you I also don't accept her reasoning that makes no sense or logic, the only info ewing gives us at the end of S.W.O.R.D is that she thinks the ground system is too big for charle and magneto and that it is better that it is she who is in charge of the sol system, it is very weak on the part of ewing as an explanation to justify this betrayal coming out of nowhere and wanting to destroy krakoa not to mention the attempted murder on xandra which still has no explanation either.

I already said that I hated the characterization of abigail since the end of sword, ewing said that he decided to turn abigail into a traitor after S.WO.R.D #5 which means that it was not planned for the beginning of the story it was the same with moira and we know the disaster it became then ... for me abigail is really badly written the only fault of sword and x-men red.

After 7 issues apart from character assassination I don't see what it brings to the story of x-men red to have transformed abigail into a traitor, what does it bring more or better than peter grynch who was already the villain of sword with stellaris that I find in the end more coherent and logical than abigail.

what's the point of having made Abigail a traitor if it's for her to be discovered after only 7 issues... it's going much too fast and it's a little too easy I find the conflict with Abigail didn't have the time to mature nor its x men to settle down that its duplicity (triplicity? Quadriplicity?) Is already revealed.

Now that cable and wizkid know the truth they will tell everyone abigail is screwed, all her allies and the people she manipulated (mutant, avenger, shiar, kree, orchis and stellaris) will know the truth and when we read the synopsis of x-men red 9 i cant guess that abigail will end up like moira in inferno after x-men red 9 or 10 she will lose everything and have no choice but to flee or stay with orchis (unless they kills because she manipulated them and is no longer of any use to them) to become the generic villain 9990 who will want to avenge the mutants for having prevented him from having the sol system... I hope I'm wrong and that Ewing will surprise us but I no longer have too many illusions.

7 issues is to fast? That's 7 months longer if you take into account the delays this title has expirenced. Plus let's not forget that Red is just a continuation of the things Ewing was building up in SWORD just with a heavier focus on Arrako and Storm's brotherhood. That's what almost 20 issues? Hardly the plot moving that slow lol

[BobbysWorld]

Plus, y'know, Ewing's understandably gunshy about potential cancellations (even though the recent rumor was debunked, I just mean in general, given Marvel's track records with his books). He knows better than to take too long to pad out his plot twists. Its not like Claremont who knew he had years to slowburn a plot.....we're talking about a guy who has his books pulled out from under him all the time. If he wants to be sure he gets to tell a story he wants to tell, he's learned he has to get to the point sooner rather than later.

Your understandable feelings about Brand aside, given that she's a fave of yours and this IS a distinct departure from earlier appearances of hers that its totally valid for fans of hers not to like.....pacing issues in Ewing's stuff didn't arise in a vacuum. Marvel/current industry standards play a huge role there and he's adapted his writing (and pacing) style in response.

On another note, one thing I've really been wondering about and hope we get answers on soon(ish) - is how the hell Roberto even found out about the Night Seats TO go looking for the Fisher King and Syzya before X-Men Red #1. Sure, he could presumably have just gone around asking random Arakkii for info - that's likely how he found out about the CURRENT Night Seat holders, like, it doesn't seem the Night Seats are openly acknowledged in Arakkii society but clearly they're not a total mystery. People do know the Fisher King by reputation, the Great Ring members weren't surprised by the identities of the Night Seat holders when they showed up....it seems more like its just a cultural thing that there's no official record of them and their actions and they don't openly advertise themselves nor do people talk much about them out in the open.

So its not too hard to posit how Roberto - who definitely has a way with people - got specifics on the current Night Seat holders and tracked them down once he went looking for them. But the question that remains for me is....how did he even know TO go around asking for questions about the Night Seats? Sure, maybe he caught wind of a rumor and that was enough to pique his interest and everything snowballed from there, but it still seems to me that's presumably a lot of effort to put in on just a hunch that there was something there worth pursuing, let alone something that could be advantageous to himself in particular.

That said - Ewing's said his upcoming arc (or at least an upcoming arc) is about the Shi'ar. Likely it'll involve Vulcan's return, and it'll involve Storm building further ties with Xandra and the latter perhaps becoming more involved or invested in Arakko and mutant matters after her recent resurrection. And given Roberto's history with Deathbird, it makes sense if he's involved because of that connection, or because of his long friendship with Sam, if he ends up being involved like I suspect (and hope) he might. He did live with Sam and Izzy in Shi'ar space for awhile after the launch of the current New Mutants run.....only coming back to Earth right after the X of Swords tournament, since he was there with the rest of the New Mutants to celebrate Doug's marriage to Bei, at which point the others caught him up on everything that'd been happening while he was gone.

And the timing of his return to Earth is the part that's interesting to me there.

Because....there's another angle in which Roberto might make sense to have a narrative role to play in the Shi'ar arc, and which ties back into the Night Seats. Because we know Ewing and Spurrier have coordinated on a lot of Arakko world-building stuff and Arakkii characters....but less remarked upon is the fact that there's obviously been coordination between Ewing and Orlando too, given the whole plot-point with Xandra's death and resurrection.

In Marauders, we learned that there is long-distant history between the Shi'ar and Earth mutants, going all the way back to Threshold. And we also learned that ever since Threshold, the Shi'ar (or the Kin Crimson in specific)....have kept an eye on Earth, watching mutants and gauging their potential to be a threat to the Shi'ar Empire. It was specifically mentioned that the Kin Crimson were aware of Okkara and when it was split in two by Annihilation, with Arakko falling into the rift with the Amenthi. And it was also established that the Shi'ar - under the supervision of the Kin Crimson - had monitoring posts set up on or near Earth, with Avalon being one such monitoring post before it was repurposed by Magneto.

Obviously the Kin Crimson kept a tight leash on what info people had and it was a big secret WHY they were wary of Earth mutants and watching them for so long....but they still had to have people doing the grunt-work of all this longterm surveillance, even if the specific reasons and what was done with most of that intel was a highly classified secret. My point is....somewhere within Shi'ar archives.....is the Empire's knowledge of past mutants they've taken particular note of. Like....the mutants of Okkara.

What if during the time Roberto spent living among the Shi'ar, he got curious about what the Shi'ar knew about the history of Earth's mutants (particularly if he went back and looked for any info they had on Okkara, after he found out about the X of Swords tournament and Arakko)? Of course we know the Kin Crimson weren't letting ANYONE in on the information they had about Threshold, let alone awareness of its very existence.....but there's not necessarily any reason they'd have the records their research/monitoring stations took of Okkara similarly under lockdown. That stuff could very well just be the Empire's official anthropological notes on a pre-spacefaring civilization they'd noted as potentially interesting. But it could very well include stuff like their observations of Okkara's political structure.....including the original Night Seats, from before the split into Krakoa and Arakko. Since it seems the Night Seats of old, before Genesis dissolved them, were more formally recognized?

What if Roberto went around Arakko asking about the Night Seats in specific....because he'd already learned from Shi'ar records that this Great Ring of Arakko's SHOULD have three more Seats, and he wanted to know what happened to them?

The reason I find this potentially interesting, is if this is how Roberto found out about the Night Seats, the question from there is...what ELSE might he know about Arakko's history? Especially when you pair this with Xilo's wounds and the loss of a lot of his memories, something Ewing's pointed out repeatedly. The Shi'ar histories or records about Okkara could absolutely have information with all kinds of story potential, and whether or not Roberto has that info too, all of that could very well come into play in the Shi'ar arc, not just current politics. The question of how Roberto found out about the Night Seats was just what sent my thoughts down this particular path, but there's plenty of possibilities here even if turns out Roberto isn't connected to this potential plot point.

After all, Xandra vowed at the end of the first Marauders arc to strengthen ties between her people and Earth and Arakko's mutants....and also promised reparations for what the Kin Crimson had done, and an end to the secrecy they'd shrouded their history with. Again, including all that history with Earth mutants....and everything they'd learned and recorded about past generations of mutants because of it.

Sooooo....

What if, as part of her new stance about Shi'ar history and the Empire's official relationship with Arakko....Xandra gives Storm and the Great Ring everything the Shi'ar (and Kin Crimson) have in their records about the history of Earth's mutants, Okkara included?

Could be lots of potential goodies and story fodder in an archive based around all that.

[Kingdom X]

I have a feeling we could see the relaunch of such a flagship book with the X-men ‘97 cartoon coming next year. Would make sense to have a book with an all-star creative team featuring Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Logan, Beast, Rogue, etc.

Ewing would definitely be my choice to write it.

Isn’t next year also the franchise’s 60th anniversary? I could definitely see them doing an Uncanny relaunch with a more classic roster.

My only hesitation is that I kinda like when the A-listers are distributed across titles so that they interact with and give space for the B- and C-listers.

[ARkadelphia]

She's going to join the QC.

Yaaaasssss. Queeeeeennnn!!!!

[JB]

Plus, y'know, Ewing's understandably gunshy about potential cancellations (even though the recent rumor was debunked, I just mean in general, given Marvel's track records with his books). He knows better than to take too long to pad out his plot twists. Its not like Claremont who knew he had years to slowburn a plot.....we're talking about a guy who has his books pulled out from under him all the time. If he wants to be sure he gets to tell a story he wants to tell, he's learned he has to get to the point sooner rather than later.

Your understandable feelings about Brand aside, given that she's a fave of yours and this IS a distinct departure from earlier appearances of hers that its totally valid for fans of hers not to like.....pacing issues in Ewing's stuff didn't arise in a vacuum. Marvel/current industry standards play a huge role there and he's adapted his writing (and pacing) style in response.

On another note, one thing I've really been wondering about and hope we get answers on soon(ish) - is how the hell Roberto even found out about the Night Seats TO go looking for the Fisher King and Syzya before X-Men Red #1. Sure, he could presumably have just gone around asking random Arakkii for info - that's likely how he found out about the CURRENT Night Seat holders, like, it doesn't seem the Night Seats are openly acknowledged in Arakkii society but clearly they're not a total mystery. People do know the Fisher King by reputation, the Great Ring members weren't surprised by the identities of the Night Seat holders when they showed up....it seems more like its just a cultural thing that there's no official record of them and their actions and they don't openly advertise themselves nor do people talk much about them out in the open.

So its not too hard to posit how Roberto - who definitely has a way with people - got specifics on the current Night Seat holders and tracked them down once he went looking for them. But the question that remains for me is....how did he even know TO go around asking for questions about the Night Seats? Sure, maybe he caught wind of a rumor and that was enough to pique his interest and everything snowballed from there, but it still seems to me that's presumably a lot of effort to put in on just a hunch that there was something there worth pursuing, let alone something that could be advantageous to himself in particular.

That said - Ewing's said his upcoming arc (or at least an upcoming arc) is about the Shi'ar. Likely it'll involve Vulcan's return, and it'll involve Storm building further ties with Xandra and the latter perhaps becoming more involved or invested in Arakko and mutant matters after her recent resurrection. And given Roberto's history with Deathbird, it makes sense if he's involved because of that connection, or because of his long friendship with Sam, if he ends up being involved like I suspect (and hope) he might. He did live with Sam and Izzy in Shi'ar space for awhile after the launch of the current New Mutants run.....only coming back to Earth right after the X of Swords tournament, since he was there with the rest of the New Mutants to celebrate Doug's marriage to Bei, at which point the others caught him up on everything that'd been happening while he was gone.

And the timing of his return to Earth is the part that's interesting to me there.

Because....there's another angle in which Roberto might make sense to have a narrative role to play in the Shi'ar arc, and which ties back into the Night Seats. Because we know Ewing and Spurrier have coordinated on a lot of Arakko world-building stuff and Arakkii characters....but less remarked upon is the fact that there's obviously been coordination between Ewing and Orlando too, given the whole plot-point with Xandra's death and resurrection.

In Marauders, we learned that there is long-distant history between the Shi'ar and Earth mutants, going all the way back to Threshold. And we also learned that ever since Threshold, the Shi'ar (or the Kin Crimson in specific)....have kept an eye on Earth, watching mutants and gauging their potential to be a threat to the Shi'ar Empire. It was specifically mentioned that the Kin Crimson were aware of Okkara and when it was split in two by Annihilation, with Arakko falling into the rift with the Amenthi. And it was also established that the Shi'ar - under the supervision of the Kin Crimson - had monitoring posts set up on or near Earth, with Avalon being one such monitoring post before it was repurposed by Magneto.

Obviously the Kin Crimson kept a tight leash on what info people had and it was a big secret WHY they were wary of Earth mutants and watching them for so long....but they still had to have people doing the grunt-work of all this longterm surveillance, even if the specific reasons and what was done with most of that intel was a highly classified secret. My point is....somewhere within Shi'ar archives.....is the Empire's knowledge of past mutants they've taken particular note of. Like....the mutants of Okkara.

What if during the time Roberto spent living among the Shi'ar, he got curious about what the Shi'ar knew about the history of Earth's mutants (particularly if he went back and looked for any info they had on Okkara, after he found out about the X of Swords tournament and Arakko)? Of course we know the Kin Crimson weren't letting ANYONE in on the information they had about Threshold, let alone awareness of its very existence.....but there's not necessarily any reason they'd have the records their research/monitoring stations took of Okkara similarly under lockdown. That stuff could very well just be the Empire's official anthropological notes on a pre-spacefaring civilization they'd noted as potentially interesting. But it could very well include stuff like their observations of Okkara's political structure.....including the original Night Seats, from before the split into Krakoa and Arakko. Since it seems the Night Seats of old, before Genesis dissolved them, were more formally recognized?

What if Roberto went around Arakko asking about the Night Seats in specific....because he'd already learned from Shi'ar records that this Great Ring of Arakko's SHOULD have three more Seats, and he wanted to know what happened to them?

The reason I find this potentially interesting, is if this is how Roberto found out about the Night Seats, the question from there is...what ELSE might he know about Arakko's history? Especially when you pair this with Xilo's wounds and the loss of a lot of his memories, something Ewing's pointed out repeatedly. The Shi'ar histories or records about Okkara could absolutely have information with all kinds of story potential, and whether or not Roberto has that info too, all of that could very well come into play in the Shi'ar arc, not just current politics. The question of how Roberto found out about the Night Seats was just what sent my thoughts down this particular path, but there's plenty of possibilities here even if turns out Roberto isn't connected to this potential plot point.

After all, Xandra vowed at the end of the first Marauders arc to strengthen ties between her people and Earth and Arakko's mutants....and also promised reparations for what the Kin Crimson had done, and an end to the secrecy they'd shrouded their history with. Again, including all that history with Earth mutants....and everything they'd learned and recorded about past generations of mutants because of it.

Sooooo....

What if, as part of her new stance about Shi'ar history and the Empire's official relationship with Arakko....Xandra gives Storm and the Great Ring everything the Shi'ar (and Kin Crimson) have in their records about the history of Earth's mutants, Okkara included?

Could be lots of potential goodies and story fodder in an archive based around all that.

Great post and great ideas here. I too am curious about how Roberto found out about the Night Seats and why he feels it advantageous to sit on one. Knowing 'Berto, he has several reasons.

Your post also gave me a vision in my mind of a united Shi'ar/Arakki Alliance. Didn't Ewing play a big role in the creation of the Kree/Skrull Alliance?

[Habis]

Indeed, it's gonna be killer. Brand versus Cable? Cable?! No contest. She's a dead woman walking.

Or she just teleports and hides until Marvel forgets about this story arc and next time she appears everybody acts like nothing happened...

[Odd Rödney]

Or she just teleports and hides until Marvel forgets about this story arc and next time she appears everybody acts like nothing happened...

Lol, wouldn't surprise me. However, I sincerely hope she gets her comeuppance.