Immortal X-Men #10 - Recap/Spoilers. Wow.

[JB]

My brain is still in shock at the cliffhanger and Gillen has sparked so many questions. I anticipate the discussion of this issue to be a lot of fun.

We open with the preview pages. Sinister is in his lab after fleeing from his attack on the QC where he killed Hope, Exodus, Emma, and Xavier. He orders the machine to give him Moira VII and to quickly Velocidad the hell out of it because he needs a save point and to get out of there. He had hoped to kill more QC members but says, "yes, I could work with this." He doesn't need anyone else, Shaw can be played and Storm will be a problem but he'll handle it. He doesn't want to repeat Judgment Day. Moira VII is ready and he says, "Oh, I really hope this works... I really could do without being trapped helplessly in the Pit forever."

(Note: I'm going to summarize Xavier's thoughts/narration in bold.)

X-Force and Cable are surveying the damage and looking over the killed. Cable carries Hope outside where the citizens of Krakoa have gathered. They throw their fists in the air in solidarity as Cable descends the steps holding his daughter, the rest of the Five silently crying.

Xavier thinks people should be suspicious of him, that it's one of the ways he's been protecting others. He says his dream is intangible, that he created the X-Men to ensure there was a world where the dream - any dream - could come true. "Sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them. But protect it from whom?"

Important top secret data page written by Beast about resurrection redundancy. It goes over the 3 points to the protocol process:
- He says they presently need Sinister's DNA database however for every mutant they return, they gain a fresh source of DNA. Eventually they won't need Sinister anymore and be indebted to him. "The day can't come soon enough."
- Cerebro can be replaced if ever destroyed, and there are other telepaths who can take Xavier's place, as we know.
- The Five is the biggest problem. Although the death of Egg, Proteus, Elixir, or Tempus would be significant losses, their powers can be reliably duplicated by Mimic or Synch. Hope, however, is different. She is required to synergize the process and apparently attempts to perform resurrections without her have been disastrous. She is the X-factor and they're unsure if another X-Gene can duplicate the X-factor.

The remaining Five, Cable, the Cuckoos, Dr. Nemesis, Mimic, and Synch are meeting. Mimic immediately says he can't do the job, it's too horrible and it's too much pressure. Synch says he'll do it. Nemesis says he doesn't see to see Hope's deceased body but Synch wants to as it will make him feel closer to her. He's saddened when he sees her and says they have to bring her back. His aura lights up. They get to work.



Xavier is talking about how he had many fathers, each terrible in their own way. He even considers Sinister a terrible father of his as he had a hand in Xavier's upbringing. Something he feels he and Scott have in common but never talk about. Xavier wished to never become a terrible father like any of his terrible fathers. He succeeded. He became one in his own way.

It works and Hope bursts through the egg! Someone announces "Hope's Alive!" to the crowd outside, fists pump the air across the land. She asks what happened and Synch replies, "Sinister" as Exodus, Xavier, and Emma are also brought back. Crawling out of his egg, Xavier says that the council is leading the X-Men to him. Exodus and Emma want revenge.

Destiny has led the group to Alaska where Sinister once had a secret underground city. It's an awesome group, a mix of the council, the X-Men, Rogue, Laura, Angel. Cyclops says the X-Men will take the lead and wants Nightcrawler with them. They stand at the edge of and look down a crater to see the city is indeed functioning again, steam rising from factories and what not. Inside, Sinister's computer announces "Shaw batteries 94% charged." As the X-Men descend into the city Sinister deploys a bunch of Eye-Boy/Cyclops chimeras. They're gross and firing optic blasts all over the place.

Xavier talks about how he chose which mutants he called to him when forming the X-Men. He could have called anyone but he left the Morlocks in the tunnels and ignored so many others. He describes the O5 - "Bobby, an ocean of talent, barely touched. Warren, a mutant gift married to wealth that exceeded my own", etc.

One-eyed birds start attacking the X-Men, firing optic blasts as well. Cyclops says things have escalated and calls the council in for support. Shaw is like, "At last." He, Destiny, Mystique, Storm, Kate, and Colossus join the fight. Storm strikes down several of the birds at once, Kate slashes them with her sword, Colossus crushes them in his hands. Sinister deploys Logan chimeras with claws sticking out all over their bodies.

Xavier talks about how he then expanded the ranks. "A goddess with the honed skills of a thief, a trained circus acrobat, an ex-Interpol agent" etc. There were so many mutants out there but he didn't pick them. He gathered the people who could do the job. To protect a world that hates and fears them. How do they do that? Mostly fighting other mutants.

The art depicts the battle beautifully. It's kinetic action. Jean telepathically finds Sinister and immediately alerts Nightcrawler. "On it!" he says as he bamfs off. He appears in front of a brain in a jar. It was a damn decoy.

"Shaw batteries 98% charged" says Sinister's computer. He deploys a bunch of Proteuses next with wolverine claws. I swear this is like an event in and of itself. It looks like Magik is killed in the chaos.

Xavier recalls how his boy almost destroyed the world with his thoughts. Moira's son was a serial killer who could carve reality with his mind. Jean destroyed a planet when she lost control. All weaknesses of character and fortune, not planned malice. He says he has looked at Sinister across the QC table and shuddered thinking what Sinister would do if he had complete freedom.

"Shaw batteries 100% charged, ready for launch." Sinister boards a jet with a huge red diamond on it. He's so vain. Sinister is ranting about how Krakoa wasn't made by the X-Men but by him, Xavier, Moira, Magneto, and Apocalypse. How they take what they want from him but then want to cast him out when he turns their stomach. They should be saying a prayer to Mister Sinister every time they cheat death! He's about to escape in his jet when Exodus, Hope, Xavier, and Emma are waiting for him. Exodus and Hope hold hands and Exodus TK tears the jet in half, bringing it down, protecting his group in a TK bubble as it explodes. Sinister and his crew crawl out of the wreckage.

Xavier says mutants are dangerous. The world is right to be frightened. He says the X-Men are born of fear for their worst potential and were the first line of defense in ensuring mutantkind doesn't kill itself. He asks the reader why do you think he was so worried about the potential of mutants with grandiose power?



Cable is perp-walking Sinister through the crowd as they throw things at him, boo'ing and yelling and calling for blood. Cable brings him to the center of the QC and tosses him to the ground.

Xavier says that had he and Magneto swapped powers, every human on earth would be dead when Magneto was at his absolute worst. He says that if he (Xavier) wanted to, he could place a psychic trigger in every human mind. It would only take about a decade to complete and then on the same day, he'd triggered them to kill themselves and they'd all be dead in one morning. Thankfully he's not corrupt like that...

Emma joins Cable in the center. Xavier raises his hand and Krakoa's vines start grabbing him, wrapping themselves around him.

Xavier says he and Emma could force the entire world to follow their whims. Sometimes he wonders if he's wrong not to do it. Every time humanity acts with a hateful and foolish policy, he knows he could have stopped them. He feels complicit. He reveals that there will never be a nuclear war. He has placed psychic blocks in all those that would be involved in pushing the red buttons, all those trained to fire the missiles. They wouldn't be able to, and he did this with a thought. Just like how he gathered the X-Men. Are you petrified, reader? Good.

Sinister is pulled down into the Pit and is gone. Xavier says this is a wake-up call, that they must be better in the future and cannot act as they have. A useful monster is still a monster. With Sinister gone, he says let us make a better, kinder Krakoa. Kurt responds with, "At last." Hope and Exodus look at each other as they walk away with Emma and Xavier.

Off to the side, Destiny grabs Mystique's arm and says, "My love. We must leave. Immediately."

Xavier says he is afraid of his own capabilities, and that if you're not afraid of him then you're not thinking hard enough. (He probably has you under his control.) He says that while mutants are victims, he is not. He has never been a victim. He has chosen to allow humanity to persecute him because the alternative would be the death of everyone. He says he is a martyr, purposely making people suspicious of him so they keep an eye on him, just in case he turns to even shadowier paths.

He's alone, peering out from his balcony. He enters his bedroom and approaches a mirror, removing his Cerebro helmet.

He says everyone should wake up every morning and be grateful that his power and skill is not in the hands of someone who is even slightly worse than he is.

[Taurean Sun]

One thing from this issue, sinister is a cancer that needs to be permanently destroyed.

[davetvs]

Wow wow wow, what an issue. This is the best character work that's been done for Xavier in years.

[JB]

One thing from this issue, sinister is a cancer that needs to be permanently destroyed.

I did not see this at all coming. That sonuva now has what seems like Emma, Hope, Exodus, and Xavier under his control. Omega level mess.

Wow wow wow, what an issue. This is the best character work that's been done for Xavier in years.

Right?? Gillen knocked this one out of the park for me.

[charliehustle415]

Dang did the switch happen when Xavier was resurrected after Inferno? If that is the case then Inferno really was the beginning of the end and with Magneto gone and Charles gone things aren't looking good for our merry mutants.

Also it was pure luck that Magneto didn't fall under Sinister, dang great ending.

[StormBorn06]

It's a great issue.

[JB]

Dang did the switch happen when Xavier was resurrected after Inferno? If that is the case that Inferno really was the beginning of the end and with Magneto gone and Charles gone things aren't looking good for our merry mutants.

Also it was pure luck that Magneto didn't fall under Sinister, dang great ending.

That's def one of the interesting riddles here. When did the corruption of the protocols happen? Did he need Hope off the board to make it work or has he been doing it all along? It's wild.

[Cyclone_Ablaze]

The Whole QC are Sinister's Except Storm.

Get Rid of them.......

[Covetous_One]

Got to give to Sinister. Just when they thought they were on the path to victory he was leading them down the path to destruction.

[Mercury]

This was a fantastic and chilling issue. It left me gobsmacked and a little depressed, frankly. Excellent—actually, stunning work by Gillen. Thankfully, I had the salubrious quality of Dark Web: X-Men #3 to counter my temporary despondency. This was an excellent week.

[Saturius]

Wow wow wow, what an issue. This is the best character work that's been done for Xavier in years.

Definitely. This is what the character has needed. Nuance. Too many other writers have just leaned waaaay too hard towards Xavier being an ******* that is approaching Beast like levels.

[Steroid]

I've been pretty unimpressed with this series for the most part but even I have to admit this was a fantastic issue and character study on Xavier. I'm a bit more optimistic about SOS so I guess all I can say is well done Gillen.

[StormBorn06]

The Whole QC are Sinister's Except Storm.

Get Rid of them.......

Oh, and don't forget Destiny and Mystique. They were smart enough to join Storm right away.

[Krakoa]

That's def one of the interesting riddles here. When did the corruption of the protocols happen? Did he need Hope off the board to make it work or has he been doing it all along? It's wild.

I definitely feel the switch happened in this issue with the resurrection — there was a lot of emphasis on killing Hope.
Feel like that made way for this somehow.

[Taurean Sun]

The Whole QC are Sinister's Except Storm.

Get Rid of them.......

Likely mystique and irene are running to storm and arakko immediately to escape whatever Xavier sinister is about to unleash. Meaning that no one is sinster yet he is going to use 10 years to create psychic triggers and turn everyone sinister.