X-Men #17 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

This issue put me in a really good mood.

We open with the preview pages, a crisp autumn day at the Treehouse. "Home of the best superhero team in the world, the X-Men." Synch is monitoring the monitors when Jean telepathically calls him saying he's needed at the Vault. There's a tear running down her cheek. He rushes to a gate saying he'll be right there.

A short time ago in the Vault, Forge closes the container holding Laura and says Darwin is the mission and they must leave her for now. Caliban is not having it and yells that he wants to help her. Forge reveals that the Caliban embedded in his suit is simply his mind and DNA woven into it. He doesn't exist. Forge presses a button putting him to sleep, but second guesses himself and wakes him back up. Caliban is tired of everyone using his "curse". Forge, feeling bad, asks him if he senses Darwin at all.

Before Caliban can answer, Serafina gets the jump on them and knocks Forge out. She pulls out a blade when Caliban, looking up at her as Forge is on the floor, says her name. She's surprised and he tells her that he has access to all the pertinent files needed for the mission. She asks him why they're there and he's honest in telling her it's a rescue mission. Forge starts waking up and "snikts" three red, glowing claws. He lunges at Serafina but she dodges gracefully like an Olympic gymnast. She throws the blade which punctures him just below the shoulder.

He stumbles back into the room with the body containers, orders his suit to increase power to its life support capabilities, and to prepare a mission failure beacon. Serafina follows him and Caliban suggests that he do the talking since Serafina mentioned that she already likes him more than Forge. Honesty goes a long way, friends. She sits on another container across from them to chat. She recalls being held prisoner by Orchis (See Hickman's X-Men #1) and the mutants freeing her. She asks why. Caliban smiles and says, "that's what the X-Men do. They do what is right. Leaving you a prisoner of Orchis would have been wrong." Serafina presses the blade to Forge's throat, saying she's going to ask some questions. If he tells the truth, he'll live. If he lies, he dies.

"Did you construct the trap outside the entrance to the Vault?""Yes.""Very good. Why?""The alternative was... war.""Correct again. What was your ulterior motive?""Because I wanted to see what will happen."

She believes him, that's why she's going to let them live and let them leave with their mutant. Her debt has been repaid. Plus she too wants to see how this will end (the war between the two species.) She leaves and Forge regrets not getting her number. As he's about to get up though, what looks like live wires come up from behind him and plug themselves into his body. Confused, he passes out.

He wakes up (looking incredible) on Krakoa, peaceful and quiet in bed in a really cool treehouse apartment. He wonders if he's dead when a voice calls out to him. He springs out of bed and to the balcony where he sees his vision of a glorious city of Krakoa come to life. Remember the model he was working on with buildings and streets, etc.? He's living in it now, and we see Banshee, Rogue, and a fire-flyer. It's beautiful! Darwin, with angel wings, floats down to him. This is all in Forge's mind as Darwin wanted to chat with him in private. Darwin explains that as he was being experimented on and hooked up to so many wires, he said to himself, "I don't know how I'm going to get out of this one", and the answer came to him.

Forge: "You're code."

When the Children scanned Darwin's memories, he gave them a curated version of his life and snuck his consciousness into their architecture. Forge is amazed and says he's done enough for mutantkind and wants to get him home and upload him into a new body. But Darwin prefers to stay. Without a body, he can be in many places at once and he's learning so much about the Vault and wants to learn more. He's free and without pain. He's a rockstar. Forge says he hopes they meet again and Darwin says he's sure of it, disappearing.
Forge wakes up and Caliban says he was out for several minutes. He orders the suit to transform into medevac frame. Caliban: "So we're doing the right thing?" Forge: "Yes. I think I heard somewhere along the way... that is what the X-Men do," as he opens Laura's container again.

I'll let the next 3 pages speak for themselves because they are some of the greatest pages I've ever seen and read.







Scott, smiling, "Or not." Forge uses a blowtorch to destroy the suit and announces that the Vault pacification systems are fully operational, and that as long as Krakoa is functioning, the Vault is on ice. They all walk through a gate, Everett and Laura holding hands. Forge has one thing to do before he briefs them on Darwin and what he learned.

We're at the Green Lagoon, Forge at the bar with Caliban. He asked Caliban to join him because there is trouble. Or there was trouble. Forge: “Hypothetically, if I asked you to trust me and to trust me with everything that you are - your powers and your mind - would you do that… if it could help mutants in trouble?”

Caliban, with his forever sweet face: “Yes.”

Forge is relieved and says he has quite a story to tell him and an apology to give him. But first he wants to tell him about the time Synch, Darwin, Wolverine went into the Vault...

Dr. Reyes data page which essentially says that "Alpha Wolverine"'s Cerebro backup was similar in size to Synch's when he emerged from the Vault. So it was very odd that Forge's backup was huge, measured in Zettabytes. Odd because he used Tempo's powers in his suit to keep himself in "a bubble" and safe from the temporal storm in the Vault. His mind should be the same size as when he went in but now his backups are larger than some of the most powerful telepaths.

Update: His next backup was inside the expected strike zone so his massive backup was either an error or an anomaly. Hmm.

[JB]

This was a fantastic, touching issue. Excellent character work by Duggan, from Caliban being the hero using honesty and integrity, Serafina remembering what the X-Men did for her and allowing Forge to complete his rescue mission, Darwin's new status and how he is free from pain and able to explore as much as he wishes, Forge realizing what's important and bringing Vaultverine home, the touching moment at the bar and of course the reunion.

They could have brought Laura to the Treehouse but it was so special for them to summon Synch. The way they were all smiling really touched my heart because he's such a good man and they were legitimately happy for him. It was a nice moment for Angelica to witness. Just perfect.

[Jackraow21]

Yeah, this issue was really, really solid. And Cassara’s art was hot fire too. Good stuff. Waaay better than today’s X-Force issue, which was a hot mess.

[Tenebrae]

Some of those grins are Greg Land worthy.

[JB]

This may be some of Cassara's best work. It was emotional, it was tense (the Serafina scenes), and you could feel the energy of the team as they waited to see Synch's reaction. Cassara translated all of that beautifully. This team is going to remember that moment forever because it was so special.

Yikes, sorry to hear about X-Force!

[Steroid]

This issue was fantastic and is probably my favorite of the run so far. The moment with Synch and Laura really brought a smile to my face and it was all illustrated beautifully by Cassara. Absolutely no complaints from me with this issue.

[Rift]

So are thy foreshadowing Forge going Omega? That's how I read the file size thing; his mind, or his potential, has been expanded.

EDIT: Nvm, just remembered the wire thing. Trojan horse time?

[davetvs]

This issue was fantastic and is probably my favorite of the run so far. The moment with Synch and Laura really brought a smile to my face and it was all illustrated beautifully by Cassara. Absolutely no complaints from me with this issue.

Agreed, this was one of Duggan's strongest issues for sure. I'm excited to see where these story beats go, he was able to weave a bunch of different plotlines (with further ramifications) into the same issue pretty tightly. I'm impressed. It seems like Forge just got a huge power boost.

[Cyclone_Ablaze]

This Issue felt very Short to me, but i'm happy Synch got his Woman back. This may be wishful thinking, but hopefully Serafina can repay the Mutants back for rescuing her from Orchis.

[Rakurai]

That was good issue for Forge. I love how he changes his mind, from abandoning Laura to rescuing her after talk with Caliban and Serafina. Also that last page with them talking and him apologizing to Caliban for misusing his mutant abilities.
What I hate is that we get Synchverine, again. I want Synch to interact with GenX pals, I want him to at least talk with Monet, hell, I want him to be his own character, not to be defined by that "lovestory".
I want Laura to be something more then a prop in his development. I get, great that we get that whole scene that looks like Jean and Scott giving their son a gift for X-Mass, but I'd like at least one panel to hear how she feels, maybe she saying something like "Did he make it, can I see him?" or anything like it. Cool that it was her decision to kiss him, that's a bare minimum.
I really don't enjoy this plot, for both of them.

[Mercury]

Another fantastic issue! Hugs and kisses to Forge, Synch, Caliban, Darwin, and Mature Laura! This was their show. Now, let me get my Jean bits in...she was the MVP supporting player.

This made me swoon! (I want him.) So much is conveyed here with so little. Cassara's work is sublime.



See Jean's thread for why this moment got me going. ::chef's kiss::



And, of course, this (Jean's crying and now I know why!) was so perfect...

[Ulysian_Thracs]

This may be some of Cassara's best work. It was emotional, it was tense (the Serafina scenes), and you could feel the energy of the team as they waited to see Synch's reaction. Cassara translated all of that beautifully. This team is going to remember that moment forever because it was so special.

Yikes, sorry to hear about X-Force!

Thanks for the recap. Great for Synch, but I'm with the Laura fans who see this as a shaft of Laura. She is just a prop. Hope in the future they make her at least equal in the story. But doubt it...

I don't pick up this line, so can someone tell me how it comes about that Seraphina is just A-OK with leaving the Children in the X-Men's trap? That sounds so contrived and forced as a story beat...the opposite of everything the Children have been written as. Even if she feels a debt for being freed from Orchis, this plot point just doesn't make sense to me. Another interesting potential recurring enemy thrown away by the writers for what will likely be more jobbers of the week.

[JB]

This issue was fantastic and is probably my favorite of the run so far. The moment with Synch and Laura really brought a smile to my face and it was all illustrated beautifully by Cassara. Absolutely no complaints from me with this issue.

Agreed, this was one of Duggan's strongest issues for sure. I'm excited to see where these story beats go, he was able to weave a bunch of different plotlines (with further ramifications) into the same issue pretty tightly. I'm impressed. It seems like Forge just got a huge power boost.

Co-signed. There's a lot to be explored from this issue and I like that the saga with the Children continues. Serafina did them a solid so they're even, which likely means their next encounter is gloves off war time. I look forward to seeing Darwin again.

[Viteh]

It sounds like something else came back with Forge's mind and downloaded itself into the cradles. Perhaps it's Darwin? Or one of the Children? They had already infected Storm's mind with a virus, so maybe they did something similar here.

[Mercury]

I mean... 🥹🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭😭