Legion of X #10, Recap and Review, One Bad Mother

[Dante Milton]

We open on the Astral Plane with the astral Technarch infecting the minds of the mutants of Krakoa. Ruth is cradling the rapidly deteriorating Legion and asks Xavier what he did to him. Xavier explains that he deployed a psychic virus on Legion to subdue him, assuming that David was going to attack him or lose control. Ruth points out that Legion could have defended the Astral Plane from the Technarch, Xavier says it’s too late for David so he will fight it, but first he must defend his people on Krakoa. The Technarch senses David and breaks off to absorb him. Ruth tells Xavier that his son needs his help, but Xavier says his people come first and leaves for Krakoa.

We get a datapage detailing the Daedalus Contingency, Xavier’s plan to subdue Legion with a psychic virus derived from a Shiar mindfulness technique, as well as his rationalizations for why it might be necessary.

Next we cut to the team at the Babel Spire on Krakoa. They are fighting the infected Krakoans who are reconstituting themselves. Lost finds the neural device for remembering Forget Me Not on the ground and contacts him by radio. He lets her know that there are Sentinels inside the Narthex, and Nimrod is using Warlock to hack Krakoa and the gates. Lost tells the rest of the team that they need to get inside now. Juggernaut says that he would have been able to but he’s not as strong as he once was, so Vox Ignis has a suggestion about Ghost Riders …

Back in Bavaria, Kurt has almost beaten Black Knight to death in his addled state, while Orchis agents surround him and his unconscious team. Margali offers to help, but only if Kurt submits to the doubts inside himself. Kurt again losses control and attacks and takes out the Orchis agents.

In the Astral Plane the Technarch is growing close to Ruth and Legion and about to absorb him, when Xavier returns finding himself unable to leave David. Xavier asks Legion if he trusts him, David says no, but he hopes to. And so Legion opens his mind to Xavier, and Charles is able to understand and use David’s power. The Astral Technarch is scattered and the Krakoans free from infection. Xavier has a nice little moment where he reaches a better understanding of his son.

Mother Righteous is watching the moment and finds it disgusting, she then turns her attention to the group on Krakoa with Vox Ignis, where …

Vox Ignis is riding Juggernaut as his steed, as Ghost Riders do, and empowers him enough to break into the Narthex. The team battles the Sentinels inside, but it’s not going well for them. Warlock begs Cypher to kill him and break Nimrod’s connection to Krakoa, but Doug can’t. But Forget Me Not can. He is able to activate Warlocks self destruct, but not without being eliminated by the Sentinels. Before he dies he asks Lost to remember him, but the neural device falls off her in the chaos. As Warlock dies, Nimrod and the Sentinels are purged from Krakoa and the Babel Spire collapses. Juggernaut asks Vox Ignis if he can ride him again some time. Cypher mourns Warlock, but Lost reassures him that his mind may still exist somewhere and she promises that they will find it. As the team walks away they say that this is mostly a win and anyone lost can be resurrected, except they have forgotten Forget Me Not.

We then have a datapage that is a conversation between Nimrod Prime and the fraction of Nimrod that was active on Krakoa returning for reabsorption to Prime. It is revealed that Warlock’s mind has been captured by Nimrod and that they successfully hacked Krakoa’s gates.

Back in Bavaria, Kurt has dispatched the Orchis team as Margali taunts him. She basically reads him, summing up his internal conflict that has reached a head in the Krakoan era, pointing out that through it all he has remained joyous and hopeful. She uses some magic to reach into Kurt and pull out that spark of hope as a weapon, the Hopesword. She takes this sword and leaves a traumatized Kurt to be collected by Orchis. Mother Righteous appears to Kurt and offers to fill the void that Margali has left in him, for a price. In the final panel, she lifts her mask and it is revealed that there is a heart on her forhead.



This issue was alright. Like the last, there was a lot going on, and many of these plots get wrapped in this issue in a way that is a little too quick and unsatisfying. And there is not room for exploring any of the fallout. We know that will get dealt with in the Fall of X one shot, but again that seems anticlimactic for some of these beats that have been teased since the beginning of the Krakoan era.

Now the good stuff. The emotional conflict between David and Xavier came to a head this issue in a way that was poignant, and hopefully when we catch back up with these two they can move forward together. It’s good to know that Warlock isn’t dead, but it’s unclear whether his story will be resolved in the upcoming Sons of X one shot. The Orchis/Nimrod stuff sets up a new, potentially interesting conflict. Margali’s reading of Kurt showed a good understanding of his fundamental character and history and I’m interested to see what happens with him, Margali, and the Hopesword in Sons. Taking the moment with Juggernaut being Vox Ignis’ steed as confirmation that Cain is a bottom, love that for him.

The reveal of Mother Righteous as the heart is expected, but I think there is more going on than her just being a Sinister. In Immortal #8, something appears to Essex and grants his wish, and that’s MR’s whole MO, so perhaps she predates Sinister somehow? Looking forward to learning more about her, but I’m not really into what I’ve seen of the Nightcrawlers SoS book.

[NewMutant]

Important to remember that Mother Righteous also met with Sebastian Shaw during Judgement Day to "make a deal" in Shaw's Immortal issue.

[Proxy]

Apparently the hollowness that Zsen saw in Kurt was a sword shaped gap in his soul after the soulsword was removed that Nightcrawler has filled in with hope. Thanks Amanda, retroactively screwing with Kurt’s life yet again.

I’m sorry Xavier, changing your mind and going back for your son after psychically lobotomizing him only AFTER you see he can produce something you find valuable is not the redemption you think it will be.

I don’t think Margali has ever been this bad to Kurt. Sure she’s been self serving and can do some pretty villainous things but she has always shown concern for her sons welfare and truly cares for him. But now she just abandons him to Orchis after stripping him of a fundamental element of his very being. I know Spurriers got a thing about evil dads but now I’m thinking it’s just parents in general.

Also justice for forget-me-not, please someone remember he exists!

[Kingdom X]

I think my favorite part was Juggernaut having a surprisingly good time getting ridden by Banshee/Vox.

This issue had to tackle a lot and I do not envy Spurrier. Looking forward to see how it all wraps up in Sons of X, but after that I’m kind of ready for some new voices to handle these batch of characters. Spurrier’s real passion lies with Legion, but I think we can only mine so much new material from these story beats of him controlling his powers and the daddy issues.

[Krakoa]

I think my favorite part was Juggernaut having a surprisingly good time getting ridden by Banshee/Vox.

We've always known he enjoys getting ridden by the Cassidys.

[Big Joe]

The Vox Ignis/Juggernaut panels are excellent.

It's a mixed bag, some great ideas, not all of the potential is realised and the Mother Righteous reveal was what everyone expected.

I think Spurrier does deserve to be let to run with some of this into Fall Of X, whether with a continuation of his exploration of religion and spiritualism or something completely different. These 10 issues when read together are pretty good, and I wonder whether everything can be resolved in the forthcoming one-shot.

I want to see more of a few of these characters.

[Proxy]

I think my favorite part was Juggernaut having a surprisingly good time getting ridden by Banshee/Vox.

This issue had to tackle a lot and I do not envy Spurrier. Looking forward to see how it all wraps up in Sons of X, but after that I’m kind of ready for some new voices to handle these batch of characters. Spurrier’s real passion lies with Legion, but I think we can only mine so much new material from these story beats of him controlling his powers and the daddy issues.

Sons of X just seems like the conclusion of the 6 issue arc and has been shoe-horned into the one-shot line up in preparation for fall of X.

[Kingdom X]

We've always known he enjoys getting ridden by the Cassidys.

A cousin hopper! Do what you gotta do Juggs.

[gonnagiveittoya]

So if Orchis can hack the gates that must be a big part of Fall of X, because then suddenly Krakoa is either totally cut off from the world or Krakoa isn't any more safe than anywhere else

[Rift]

Back in Inferno, Orchis members talked about wanting to hack the gates and lead them to a sun, or shoot some heat lader through them, or something.

[Su_Whisterfield]

I think my favorite part was Juggernaut having a surprisingly good time getting ridden by Banshee/Vox.

This issue had to tackle a lot and I do not envy Spurrier. Looking forward to see how it all wraps up in Sons of X, but after that I’m kind of ready for some new voices to handle these batch of characters. Spurrier’s real passion lies with Legion, but I think we can only mine so much new material from these story beats of him controlling his powers and the daddy issues.

The Vox/Sean/Juggernaut stuff was delightful! Talk about keeping it in the family.
Marionette and Forget Me Not was poignant.
It feels like we keep treading the same ground with David and Chuck? I should be more engaged than I am.

The Kurt/Margali stuff did get into some new ground and built on previous canon. She’s always been a bitch, but this was above and beyond, eclipsing even Mystique! I rather like the idea of Kurt being Hope and the Souldsword leaving a void in him also works for me, it’s got the advantage of a soulsword concept but tweaked to be uniquely tailored to him.
I am guessing that he will get his normal form back when he gets his hope restored.

I’m glad they have left the door open for poor Warlock to be resurrected. Wonder what ramifications this will have for Doug and Krakoa?

But, as everyone is pointing out, it all seems very compressed, rushed.

[Dizzystarr]

Charles really is the worlds shittiest Father

[Proxy]

The Vox/Sean/Juggernaut stuff was delightful! Talk about keeping it in the family.
Marionette and Forget Me Not was poignant.
It feels like we keep treading the same ground with David and Chuck? I should be more engaged than I am.

The Kurt/Margali stuff did get into some new ground and built on previous canon. She’s always been a bitch, but this was above and beyond, eclipsing even Mystique! I rather like the idea of Kurt being Hope and the Souldsword leaving a void in him also works for me, it’s got the advantage of a soulsword concept but tweaked to be uniquely tailored to him.
I am guessing that he will get his normal form back when he gets his hope restored.

I’m glad they have left the door open for poor Warlock to be resurrected. Wonder what ramifications this will have for Doug and Krakoa?

But, as everyone is pointing out, it all seems very compressed, rushed.

I’m kinda liking this idea too. And I do hope Kurt returns to his normal form and gets his hope restored by the end of Sons of X.



Is this book cancelled though? I’m hearing rumors.

[Master of Sound]

Let at least us not forget ForgetMeNot. As they will not remember to resurrect him.

So sad.

[Nicoclaws]

Is Xavier already Sinisterized in this ?