Dark Web: X-Men #3 Review *spoilers*

[Mercury]

New York City. We open on Forge and Synch outside the Treehouse as they battle demons and attempt to save and shelter as many innocent bystanders as possible. Forge informs Synch that the Treehouse "is at capacity," to which Synch responds by suggesting they use "the Krakoan transit system to send [the bystanders] away from here." Forge agrees and offers to keep the Treehouse's "perimeter secure" while Synch whisks people through the gates to New Jersey. "Aw, man. I don't wanna go to New Jersey," moans one man. "But you wanna live more, right?" asks Synch, likely already knowing the answer.

Outside the Treehouse, Forge thinks to himself, "If we can't bring everyone to Krakoa, maybe we can bring Krakoa to New York." He doesn't know or care why the demons aren't attacking the Treehouse, but he figures they're repelled by what it's made of. Krakoa—"the world's largest bonsai tree, able to be shaped to shelter, provide, and protect"—is an organism he can call upon and bend to his will with the gentle notes of a flute. And that he does—plays flute—and Krakoan vines respond to his melody, descending around him as demons taunt and scream just beyond an invisible boundary only they seem to sense and see.

"Bad news," Forge says to the contorted devils, "unfortunately for you, I'm a genius." He calls Iceman and Firestar on their shared "backup comm channel" and summons them to the Treehouse. "Krakoa is where it grows," he notes before resuming his fluting, the vines commencing their descent. One demon asks another, "What happens if we eat him?" "No," yells yet another before the querent gets a proper response: "The Goblin Queen will make us suffer if it is so!"

"Being at peace with yourself can sometimes be difficult, even more so when you've been cloned."
—Jean Grey

We get snapshots of Madelyne's life in panels and captions: Madelyne in a tube in the background and Sinister examining a test tube in the foreground; Madelyne and Scott kissing; Madelyne giving birth; Sinister and Apocalypse holding identical baby Cables; Madelyne and Scott framed by a broken heart; Jean, Scott, and teenage Cable happy and smiling; Madelyne and Alex kissing; Madelyne and Alex framed by a broken heart; Madelyne on her throne in Limbo.

"Mr. Sinister cloned Jean Grey and called her Madelyne Pryor so that perhaps Cyclops would fall in love with her, and they might have an interesting child, and they did. Cable changed the course of mutantdom forever. And then the Jean copy was discarded by the villains and perhaps the heroes. The real Jean Grey returned, and for a short time, before Cable was sent to the future, the trio was happy. Life went on, and hearts broke again. Now Maddie sits upon the Limbo throne, and she desires the memories of the days Jean lived in her stead, especially those about the baby she lost to the future."

Limbo. Presumably, moments after a notable reverberating slap, Jean and Madelyne are engaged in a tug-of-war over Jean's portable Cerebro backup. "What are you looking for on the Cerebro drive," Jean asks before Madelyne blasts her with a surge of power, causing her progenitor to temporarily fall back. "I want what was stolen from me," Madelyne screams. After all, "That's what this has all been about for the woman who was wronged by many, even our heroes. She wants to become whole in spirit...and mind." Jean reengages in the tug-of-war, which causes the mini-Cerebro to shatter. "No," Madelyne screams, blasting Jean back.

Jean lands on her feet and notes, "I don't need my mutant gift to feel your despair, Maddie. It's time for us to heal these old wounds and for you to learn a few things...including who I am." She clears a path through the psionic haze. "No more games. No more tricks. No more illusions," she asserts before reassuring Illyana that she will free her from Madelyne's spell. "After I free Madelyne." Madelyne is on her knees, crying over the broken pieces of the mini-Cerebro. "Dammit. You took them from me again," she says, referring to Jean's memories of raising Nathan. Jean hovers, her power signature glowing hot pink.

(One wonders what Jean must be thinking, staring down at her doppelganger. Is she pondering what a profoundly intimate violation being cloned without one's knowledge or consent is? Are echoes of her chastizing Scott for leaving Madelyne and Nathan to chase after her and urging him to return to them reverberating in her mind? (X-Factor #8 and #12). Does she recall the time she surrendered her soul to Mephisto to save Madelyne and Nathan and to relieve Scott of his guilt-ridden dilemma? (Mephisto Vs. [X-Factor] #2). Did she recall Mephisto, deeply impressed by her self-sacrifice, calling her soul "rare and wondrous" (Mephisto Vs. [X-Men] #3). Do her memories of admonishing Madelyne afterward and chastizing Scott for marrying sting? (X-Factor #). Does the moment she reabsorbed the fragment of her psyche that gave Madelyne life come to her in waves? (X-Factor #38). Does Ororo telling her there is no "Madelyne other than in your own memories" reverberate (Uncanny X-Men #243)? Do Madelyne's memories–her memories—haunt her? Things to ponder.)

She speaks: "I regret not doing this before, Maddie. I don't know why you thought you could take what you sought by rooting around in an old backup of my mind." In turn, Madelyne explodes with rage, showering Jean with rocks and boulders. "What I would take from you?! WHAT ABOUT WHAT YOU TOOK FROM ME?!" Jean breaks through the airborne debris, "Stop! This doesn't need to end badly," she insists before knocking Madelyne back with a swift punch. "Stand down!" She composes herself. "You can get what you want," she begins to say, but before she can finish, Madelyne is already casting a magical spell. "Yes, I think I shall." A pentagram appears behind Jean, and suddenly, a small gang of demons emerges from the portal, and they pull her into it. Madelyne looks back at them, satisfied. "The notion that I'd negotiate or grovel for what is rightfully mine is insulting," she says, disgusted. "Okay, Maddie. Now you've done it," Jean warns as Madelyne walks away.

"NOW I'M PISSED OFF!" Jean explodes, glowing hot pink, and vanquishes the portal and demons, making minced meat of her magical spell. Madelyne quips, " Who cares? I've only been pissed off for my entire life and—" But before she can finish, Jean socks her in the mouth. They fight—choking each other, pulling each other's hair, Jean putting her in a headlock, both of them aiming their abilities at one another—and seem evenly matched. Frankly, they seem like sisters. "Of course, both women have the same mutant gifts. But they wield them in entirely different ways. Maddie would do very well on Arakko, but, in the end...there's only one Jean Grey." Once again, Jean glows and sends Madelyne flying through a series of stone pillars several feet away. She snaps her fingers, "Wake up, sleepyhead," she thinks to Illyana, who arises from her stupor. "Wh-what'd I miss?" she asks, and Jean telepathically uploads all she needs to know to her mind.

Suddenly, Madelyne quietly hovers above them, several boulders suspended over her. "I wanted to do this the easy way. While you were enthralled in my spell. Now I'll just have to bash the memories out of your head," she says, hurling the stones at Jean and Illyana. Jean catches them with ease and instructs Illyana to go help the team. "The rest of the X-Men could really use your gifts right now," she says, "and this fight between Maddie and me is over because," she pauses, "I'm surrendering." Illyana and Madelyne stare at Jean, bemused, and simultaneously exclaim, "You are?!" Illyana immediately understands and affirms, "'Kay, boss. I'll see how the others are doing," before transporting herself out of Limbo. Only Jean and Madelyne are left, sitting across from each other, hovering in midair.

(cont'd.)

[Mercury]

"I told you I wanted to heal our wounds, but you were too busy throwing rocks to hear me," Jean says. "You weren't looking to hurt me with the drive." Madelyne admits, "No. It wasn't about you. I never got over losing him. I gave birth to him alone...in a kitchen." She breaks. "He was such a good, quiet baby," Jean responds softly and solemnly. Madelyne, tears streaming down her face, cracks a joke, "Unlike the rest of those fussy Summerses." They smile. Jean wipes a tear from her face, telekinetically suspending it in midair. "You were after the memories of my time with Nathan before he had to leave," Jean says, and Madelyne, as if intuiting what comes next, demands, "I want it all...the good, the bad. First steps. Burps. Farts." "Then you shall have them," Jean says, sharing her memories with Madelyne: Jean and Scott changing Nathan's diaper; Scott helping Nathan take his first steps; Nathan pulling Scott's visor off; Jean holding Nathan up to her face; Nathan in a crib.

Jean Grey Notes
A few cherished memories Jean shared with Maddie:

Nathan only left behind one baby tooth before heading into the future, and it later went missing. Even though there was no evidence of this, everyone just assumed it was Mr. Sinister. What a creep!

Maddie was also interested in her own funeral. Her body was cremated, and a very small service was held. Aside from the priest, the only attendees were the original X-Men and baby Nathan.

Having a funeral for the Goblin Queen presided over by a priest was perhaps a weird decision, but it was the thought that counted, and Maddie was glad to have a look into it.

The truth is, none of the memories shared were minute-by-minute, blow-by-blow accounts. What Maddie inherited from Jean were the emotional cores of those days, the highs and lows of being a mutant, a mother, and, at that time, a member of X-Factor.

Maddie's Heart broke for Jean when she and Scott gave the baby to the future to save him from the Techno-Organic Virus. Jean also gave Maddie more recent memories of Cable. His young teen self was an important piece of the formation of Krakoa, and while he's already moved on, they had so many big adventures and small meals together, and Maddie was invited to enjoy them all... How this light will affect her darker impulses is, well, a story for another day.

Madelyne gasps after seeing and experiencing Jean's memories. "I didn't think you would just—" But before she can finish, Jean clarifies, "Maddie, giving those memories to you...doesn't take them from me. I didn't have him as long as I wanted, either. Mutants grow up fast. Especially the Summerses. But right now, the world is still burning. New York needs the X-Men. So...say the words." Madelyne is taken aback. "Me? R-really?" Jean smiles. "Yes. Here's your megaphone," she says to Madelyne, psi-linking her with the rest of the team. "To me, my X-Men," Madelyne says. Jean cocks an eyebrow. "C'mon. Is that the best you can do?" Madelyne commands with more force, "TO ME, MY X-MEN!"

Suddenly, with puppies in hand, Scott and Alex enter the scene. Scott tells Jean they're behind schedule, while Alex assures Madelyne, "I meant what I said before. This team doesn't need me, but that doesn't mean I'm not an X-Man. I'm gonna serve, and I figure that's in your DNA too." Jean reassures Madelyne telepathically, "I agree. Do it your way." In turn, Madelyne asks Alex, "Would you help me fix my mistake in New York?" "I think there's a way I can help make amends," she suggests before noting, "And I owe you an apology, Havok." Alex: "Accepted." She asks him, "You sure you want to leave the team...your family?" Alex answers, "My family is stuck with me...and I'll be an X-Man on my own terms. Now, let's go kick some demon ass."

Before they head out, Jean says to Madelyne, "I know as well as anyone that the X-Men are all about second chances," revealing, "That's why I kept pushing the council to resurrect you." Madelyne is taken aback, "You...you did that?" Immediately after, the rest of the X-Men arrive, transported by Illyana. "The gang's all here. We miss anything? Big fight? Any kissing?" Illyana asks. Madelyne responds, "You missed me learning who the X-Men really are...and what it means to be one. You put your faith in me, Magik, and I let you down. But this is my mess, and I'm still the queen of Limbo, so it's time for me to clean it up. This ends NOW."

[JB]

I'm very happy we got a reconciliation between Jean and Maddie, and that Maddie received the memories she was hoping for. It was fun seeing Jean physically active (even if this was all psychic scenery)... I especially liked when she slid on the ground. I'm hoping for some more conversation between them in the closing issue of the event. And I hope the same between Magik and Maddie for sure.

Where Maddie and Havok go from here will be interesting to watch. Limbo X-Men? She needs to prove herself after causing this hellscape in NYC where lives were lost.

[Mercury]

I'm very happy we got a reconciliation between Jean and Maddie, and that Maddie received the memories she was hoping for.

It moved me deeply. This was a watershed moment, both literally and figuratively, for both of them.

It was fun seeing Jean physically active (even if this was all psychic scenery)... I especially liked when she slid on the ground.

Only part of their fight was psychic. After the portable Cerebro breaks, and Jean clears the psychic haze, they’re literally fighting in Limbo. The rock-throwing, the physical fight, Madelyne casting another spell, etc., is all real. And Jean breaking through magical spells is my new favorite thing (see Strange #6, too):

I'm hoping for some more conversation between them in the closing issue of the event. And I hope the same between Magik and Maddie for sure. Where Maddie and Havok go from here will be interesting to watch. Limbo X-Men? She needs to prove herself after causing this hellscape in NYC where lives were lost.

I’m hoping Jean and Madelyne are instrumental in taking Sinister down. They deserve to be the ones to do it, tbh.

[Kingdom X]

It moved me deeply. This was a watershed moment, both literally and figuratively, for both of them.



Only part of their fight was psychic. After the portable Cerebro breaks, and Jean clears the psychic haze, they’re literally fighting in Limbo. The rock-throwing, the physical fight, Madelyne casting another spell, etc., is all real. And Jean breaking through magical spells is my new favorite thing (see Strange #6, too):







I’m hoping Jean and Madelyne are instrumental in taking Sinister down. They deserve to be the ones to do it, tbh.

It does seem odd that Duggan is completely removed from Sins of Sinister. He’s playing with a lot of characters that have long-term beef with Essex, AND he was the first one to introduce another version of Sinister with Dr. Stasis.

And thanks for posting this summary/ review! Looking forward to the last issue and mainly hoping that this leads to some long-term (or at least as long-term as comics can get) growth for Maddie’s character.

[sunofdarkchild]

I'm very happy we got a reconciliation between Jean and Maddie, and that Maddie received the memories she was hoping for. It was fun seeing Jean physically active (even if this was all psychic scenery)... I especially liked when she slid on the ground. I'm hoping for some more conversation between them in the closing issue of the event. And I hope the same between Magik and Maddie for sure.

Where Maddie and Havok go from here will be interesting to watch. Limbo X-Men? She needs to prove herself after causing this hellscape in NYC where lives were lost.

I wouldn't hold my breath after the entirety of Maddie and Illyana's interaction is a 1-sentence apology after everything's over. She doesn't even get to be upset that she was made to think she was a toddler again, let alone about being betrayed.

This was a strong contender for the most boring comic issue I've ever read. No stakes whatsoever, the fight was pretty much over nothing and the 'villain' wasn't a threat, and every character not named Jean or Madelyn was completely superfluous. I don't know why this series even exists, and I'm in shock this was written by the same man who wrote Savage Avengers. Duggan has proven he can write action, stakes and a large cast of characters far better than this.

[JB]

I wouldn't hold my breath after the entirety of Maddie and Illyana's interaction is a 1-sentence apology after everything's over. She doesn't even get to be upset that she was made to think she was a toddler again, let alone about being betrayed.

This was a strong contender for the most boring comic issue I've ever read. No stakes whatsoever, the fight was pretty much over nothing and the 'villain' wasn't a threat, and every character not named Jean or Madelyn was completely superfluous. I don't know why this series even exists, and I'm in shock this was written by the same man who wrote Savage Avengers. Duggan has proven he can write action, stakes and a large cast of characters far better than this.

Yeah my biggest disappointment here is the barely there conversation between Maddie and Magik. I wondered if maybe the demon invasion was an illusionary spell all along but now that it seems to be real and lives were lost, Magik should be livid.

[Dante Milton]

I didn't enjoy this. Maddie's motivation was a big misstep. Her opinion of the child she never chose to have should be much more complex and I really don't think she would desire any of the memories of Jean raising him, and they very clearly belong to Jean not Maddie. Duggan's Jean continues to be written without flaws and an utter bore, the soft retcon that she was pushing for Maddie's resurrection was completely unnecessary, let Jean be selfish, let her be human. Havok really was taking up space on the team just for this crossover, and that is such a waste. Magik was an afterthought, so was Scott, and the rest of the team didn't even really need to be there, their background story was completely throwaway and included just to pad out this thin idea into a three issue mini. The art by Reis and Noto was very nice, but doesn't make up for the underwhelming writing.

[Mercury]

[/B]

It does seem odd that Duggan is completely removed from Sins of Sinister. He’s playing with a lot of characters that have long-term beef with Essex, AND he was the first one to introduce another version of Sinister with Dr. Stasis.

And thanks for posting this summary/ review! Looking forward to the last issue and mainly hoping that this leads to some long-term (or at least as long-term as comics can get) growth for Maddie’s character.

This makes me wonder if the are going to be instrumental in taking down Sinister.

Yeah my biggest disappointment here is the barely there conversation between Maddie and Magik. I wondered if maybe the demon invasion was an illusionary spell all along but now that it seems to be real and lives were lost, Magik should be livid.

I think Illyana realizes what a huge, deeply personal, and profoundly intimate moment this is for Jean and Madelyne and is sufficiently familiar with their shared trauma to temper her anger and betrayal and prompt her know to stand back. I also think she trusts Jean and has been briefed on the Phoenix Foundation enough to allay her concerns. This was not the moment for her to go on a tirade against Madelyne, which Jean probably would’ve cut short anyway.

[Krakoa]

I feel this did the best it could to bring together the two different directions for Madelyne between New Mutants and Dark Web, and I do think that Wells has a very specific direction in mind for Ben in this event in regards to memories that Duggan had to go with here.

Agree w/ others at the handwaving of what is a pretty big attack on NY though. I liked it otherwise. And I do like that Madelyne had to work through her issues before getting closer to the redemption that was hoped for her by Magik in Labors of Magik. Hopefully Dark Web: Dawn #1 lets her fix some of the damage she did as well.

Never a big fan of Havok/Madelyne and his time on the team was a little weird overall to end this fast.

[justanotherclassic]

So I'm a parent. The idea of losing my child is my biggest nightmare. Maddy's birth experience sounds horrible. That being the root of all of this for Maddy seems...I don't know. I don't love it. I feel like there were so many other traumas of Maddy's to explore to have her lash out onto the world that would have been more relevant to the current goings-on of the X-Universe -- like, I dunno, Sinister having a seat on the government -- than just wanting Jean's memories of raising Cable. Speaking of, if he was literally the crux of the event, he was noticeably absent! I really do feel like he needed to be there.

In theory, the conflict makes sense. Yes, it could be solved by a conversation. In real life, it doesn't work that way. But this is also a story, and not real life, so I wish it was something more substantive going on than something that could easily be solved by a conversation. Or having both parties be petty, rather than one party being unreasonable and the other perfectly nice.

I don't necessarily love that Jean was advocating for Maddy's resurrection. It seems contradictory to Scott's line in Hellions regarding his wife being a complication -- why would she be a complication if she were all for it? Was Scott being a liar/jackass, which okay, fair, Scott has little moral high ground when it comes to Maddy, but still -- and, in part, because it further adds to my biggest complaint when it comes to Duggan's writing of Jean -- she feels like a boring almost-Mary Sue, leaning far more into the "Saint Jean" writing than an actual complicated individual. Even when she fucks up -- election meddling, anyone? -- the narrative bends to justify and agree with her actions rather than do anything interesting with it. I honestly think it would have made Jean more human, and honestly fascinating, if she didn't go hard in the paint for Maddy coming back. Then again, Duggan isn't the writer I'd trust with exploring than nuance. Gillen though? God, I wish Jean were still on the Quiet Council so she could actually get compelling writing. Because this feels...bland. I loved the AXE issue of Jean because she was messy and complicated, "a saint and a bully", but we see none of the latter with Duggan.

Also, Havok being on the X-Men team solely so he could be in this event is incredibly stupid. He didn't actually need to be in the X-Men to appear in the story. They could have just called him because he had a history with Maddy. Or they could have run into one another while shopping. We could have had a different character be elevated on the team. Instead we got some Summers brother drama.

[Krakoa]

So I'm a parent. The idea of losing my child is my biggest nightmare. Maddy's birth experience sounds horrible. That being the root of all of this for Maddy seems...I don't know. I don't love it. I feel like there were so many other traumas of Maddy's to explore to have her lash out onto the world that would have been more relevant to the current goings-on of the X-Universe -- like, I dunno, Sinister having a seat on the government -- than just wanting Jean's memories of raising Cable. Speaking of, if he was literally the crux of the event, he was noticeably absent! I really do feel like he needed to be there.

In theory, the conflict makes sense. Yes, it could be solved by a conversation. In real life, it doesn't work that way. But this is also a story, and not real life, so I wish it was something more substantive going on than something that could easily be solved by a conversation. Or having both parties be petty, rather than one party being unreasonable and the other perfectly nice.

I don't necessarily love that Jean was advocating for Maddy's resurrection. It seems contradictory to Scott's line in Hellions regarding his wife being a complication -- why would she be a complication if she were all for it? Was Scott being a liar/jackass, which okay, fair, Scott has little moral high ground when it comes to Maddy, but still -- and, in part, because it further adds to my biggest complaint when it comes to Duggan's writing of Jean -- she feels like a boring almost-Mary Sue, leaning far more into the "Saint Jean" writing than an actual complicated individual. Even when she fucks up -- election meddling, anyone? -- the narrative bends to justify and agree with her actions rather than do anything interesting with it. I honestly think it would have made Jean more human, and honestly fascinating, if she didn't go hard in the paint for Maddy coming back. Then again, Duggan isn't the writer I'd trust with exploring than nuance. Gillen though? God, I wish Jean were still on the Quiet Council so she could actually get compelling writing. Because this feels...bland. I loved the AXE issue of Jean because she was messy and complicated, "a saint and a bully", but we see none of the latter with Duggan.

Also, Havok being on the X-Men team solely so he could be in this event is incredibly stupid. He didn't actually need to be in the X-Men to appear in the story. They could have just called him because he had a history with Maddy. Or they could have run into one another while shopping. We could have had a different character be elevated on the team. Instead we got some Summers brother drama.

Do think it's important to note that the core idea on the Spider-side of the event is definitely about memories so I think some of that comes from there in terms of what the conflict revolved around. I do feel like this needed a little more nuance to explore the idea that Maddy literally nearly sacrificed Baby Nathan in the og Inferno and what she thinks about that, though.

[Kingdom X]

I didn't enjoy this. Maddie's motivation was a big misstep. Her opinion of the child she never chose to have should be much more complex and I really don't think she would desire any of the memories of Jean raising him, and they very clearly belong to Jean not Maddie. Duggan's Jean continues to be written without flaws and an utter bore, the soft retcon that she was pushing for Maddie's resurrection was completely unnecessary, let Jean be selfish, let her be human. Havok really was taking up space on the team just for this crossover, and that is such a waste. Magik was an afterthought, so was Scott, and the rest of the team didn't even really need to be there, their background story was completely throwaway and included just to pad out this thin idea into a three issue mini. The art by Reis and Noto was very nice, but doesn't make up for the underwhelming writing.

Oh that would have been a GAG! Also could have led to more of a mutual reconciliation with both of them being like, “we messed up/ did each other dirty but let’s move past it.” It would have balanced out Maddie acting absolutely bonkers in this event because it gives her a concrete reason to not just ask for those memories. But alas, coulda, woulda, shoulda.

Side note: Jean’s time on the Council is such a weird footnote. It’s like she advocated for all these great things (clone resurrection, justice for Terra Verde, representation for the people of Krakoa), but the books weren’t ready to make any of those shifts when she was on the council so she left without having any impact. It would be cool if this lead full circle with her returning to Krakoan government to make reforms after Fall of X.

[JB]

This makes me wonder if the are going to be instrumental in taking down Sinister.



I think Illyana realizes what a huge, deeply personal, and profoundly intimate moment this is for Jean and Madelyne and is sufficiently familiar with their shared trauma to temper her anger and betrayal and prompt her know to stand back. I also think she trusts Jean and has been briefed on the Phoenix Foundation enough to allay her concerns. This was not the moment for her to go on a tirade against Madelyne, which Jean probably would’ve cut short anyway.

The issue with the Phoenix Foundation is it requires DNA and mental backups. But there’s always the chance there’s a magical solution to retrieving what’s needed to resurrect those lost.

And there’s still time for a conversation between Magik and Maddie, in the final issue or after. But if it gets handwaved that’s a big miss.

[justanotherclassic]

Oh that would have been a GAG! Also could have led to more of a mutual reconciliation with both of them being like, “we messed up/ did each other dirty but let’s move past it.” It would have balanced out Maddie acting absolutely bonkers in this event because it gives her a concrete reason to not just ask for those memories. But alas, coulda, woulda, shoulda.

I think this is a good point about balance, because this whole event felt incredibly unbalanced to me. It's one thing to feel unbalanced -- the villain is bonkers, the heroes are saints -- if the point is that the villain is just a bad person doing bad things. But since Madelyn is supposed to be sympathetic, I think the story would have been served better if the hero side had some apparent flaws and done a bit more, recently, to earn her ire. It would have made the story stronger.