Before the Fall: Mutant First Strike #1 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

This is a giant-sized one-shot so I'll cover the main highlights. I highly recommend picking it up especially if you've been yearning to see the mutants in more straightforward heroic scenarios.

We open with the first two preview pages. While everyday residents are enjoying their usual activities, the town of Milford, New Hampshire, USA is hit with a sudden and devastating blast/explosion. The Orchis-run propaganda machine is immediately activated.



We then get the next three preview pages. Bishop is in front of the QC presenting his case for putting together a field response team. Things are rapidly spiraling out of control in Milford and the residents are suffering. Xavier backs Bishop's idea and a vote goes in Bishop's favor. Xavier's "gods" comment seems to be in response to the news reports. We then get the splash page of the response team descending upon the town from the Blackbird in their matching red/white jackets over blue/white uniforms: Bishop, Jean, Storm, Cyclops, Penance, Tempo, Triage, Angel, Iceman. But there are many more.

The title page tells us that "Orchis has launched its next offensive against mutantkind - spreading anti-mutant propaganda and fomenting dissent among any would-be supporters of Krakoa."

Judas Traveller is the Bloom station orbiting earth, asking for a sitrep from some Orchis goons while the news reports play on monitors behind him.
One of the goons reports, "Our custom X-Gene is delivering. Infrastructure, sanitation, health and safety are critical. Viral agents are active. All accelerated by our chronokinetic plug-in. Time is not on Krakoa's side." (That explains why things are spiraling out of control rapidly in Milford). Despite all of this though he says the Krakoans can still solve the disaster within a day or less as he tells Judas a response team has arrived as they predicted. Judas says that's fine, that Milford is just a stop on the road and their target is in sight. He orders them to call in "the dogs" now that the Krakoans are there.

Tempo is leading the crime scene investigation and finds a skull at the blast's epicenter. Theia puts up a gravity wall to keep the victims far enough back so they can work. Cerebra confirms the skull belongs to a mutant and Tempo says Bishop was right, that the attacker's bones are emitting a temporal nudge, "making days of disaster out of hours." (Sidenote: We learned in BishopWC that Orchis was experimenting with Blightswill and temporal mutant powers.) Tempo cancels the nudge and time starts flowing normally again. Cerebra further concludes that the genetics of the skull are piecemeal, a sloppily put together custom X-Gene that wasn't meant to last as it's degrading quickly. Cyclops announces that some idiots are charging the perimeter of the town. The Watchdogs appear with their leader riding a corny land jet ski moped thing saying "Beware of Dog!." They're all in uniforms wearing helmets, some on motorcycles and many armed with machine guns. Cyclops blasts the ground underneath them, separating them down the middle. Jean reads that the Watchdogs' anger is like thunder and that they're not locals.

From here the team works to both get rid of the Watchdogs while still providing relief to the townspeople. I've always enjoyed how Orlando uses mutant powers and he doesn't disappoint here. Some of the things that happen next:

- Storm disperses the biotoxin gas in the air.
- Cerebra deduces that the mutant used to cause the blast was young and created as a living weapon. She's able to project an image of what the mutant looked like and Tempo shows it to the angry/traumatized residents outside the gravity wall. Tempo holds up the skull projecting the image and says, "A boy. Dead against his will. It's easy to hate a skull... but look at him. Hear us out. Let us help you. Let us hunt down the truth. So we can be angry at the right people. Together."
- Thunderbird rips the roof off a totaled car freeing a man trapped inside. He also suggests that the Heritage Foundation might have something to do with the X-Gene used to create the exploding mutant. He informs the CSI team that they were buying native X-Genes.
- Iceman creates ice bowls for the dogs to drink water out of.
- Triage works to heal the critically injured and notes that half the town is sick or infectious due to the "dirty" explosion.
- Tag's powers are great for evacuation and he "tags" destroyed cars and buildings to help people escape them, while Karma telepathically guides people out of complexes.
- Storm confronts the leader of the Watchdogs and when he doesn't back down she increases the air pressure in his corny moped tricycle and blows it up.
- Angel turns into Archangel and he and Cyclops perform some nice teamwork which makes me miss them working together.
- Jean ends up TK levitating most of the Watchdogs and after reading their minds realizes they're not part of the false flag operation. They actually believe mutants are responsible for the attack. She gets them out of the way and has them "chasing their own tails."
- Storm creates an oxygen-rich bubble environment to enhance Triage's healing powers.
- Somnus keeps the wounded but stable victims dreaming comfortably as they rest.
- Thumbelina has a really cool moment as she's performing microsurgeries. She's so far repaired 7 lungs, 13 hearts, and more.
- Wither connects the deceased with their loved ones as grief counseling. Bishop notes that without backups of these people the Phoenix Foundation can't bring them back.

As the mayor of Milford holds a press conference/update and tells the reporters that the mutants are not behind the violence, that they were the first to offer aid and X-Corp has pledged ongoing relief. As she continues to explain how much it means to her and the people of Milford, we see:

- Icarus singing local tunes to lift the hearts of the victims.
- Escapade switching places with trapped people as she seems good at escaping.
- Crave eats the contents of biohazard bags that have been collected, neutralizing them. He also finds them delicious.
- Northstar and Aurora light up the night sky.
- Sanjar Javeed (Horseman Death from Remender's Uncanny X-Force!) boosts the immune systems of the most vulnerable.
- Brutha Nature grows air-scrubbing flora all over town.
- Alchemist (Sudi Abadi) purifies the contaminated water.
- Iceman and his golems are doing CPA stuff in the comptroller's office, helping the town prepare for upcoming bureaucratic and budgetary battles.
- Jean rebuilds people's homes using their memories as blueprints.
- Theia also helps to reassemble the streets, businesses, etc.
- Greycrow cooks a massive pot of seafood boil while Madrox fills and passes out bowls.
- Eye-Scream (!) makes ice cream for the children.

Bishop commends everyone for their hard work.



He informs them that Hindsight was able to use his powers to identify Orchis as the culprits behind the attack. Thunderbird was right, they funded the Heritage Foundation to create the living mutant bomb. He shakes hands with the mayor while speaking more encouraging words, telling them that Krakoa will always be with them. As the response team leaves we see the Watchdogs walking in circles thanks to Jean, the townspeople throwing food at them. Bishop: "I'm sure Milford will happily turn them over..."



"but no one's listening." We see the leader of the Watchdogs on TV spewing lies about the mutants. The propaganda reporters are working in overdrive, spewing their own lies. A journalist by the name of Miss Shin is interviewing the mayor of Milford and brushes off the nice things the mayor is trying to say about the Krakoans, saying that many people feel the attack was yet another act of mutant aggression.

Judas Traveller is pleased because although Milford is in recovery and healing, he got the news sound bites he wanted. Behind him several monitors are showing Miss Shin making her statement about mutant aggression. The issue ends with two data pages, one an email from Judas thanking Miss Shin and stating there may be future opportunities for her if she keeps up the good work. The second is an email from Judas thanking Edwin Martynec of the Heritage Initiative for his work while informing him that the Initiative will now be shut down to avoid Orchis' culpability. He invites Martynec to join Orchis officially.

[Rift]

Seeing Eye-Scream took me out. I was not expecting him, of all people. Now he just needs to meet Soft Serve.

[Jackraow21]

Orlando’s writing is just not for me. Too many weird obscure mutants with weird, obscure or deus ex machina powers. I know some people around here love that stuff, and more power to them. But it feels fan fiction-y and not in a good way. Just my opinion, but I think going forward I’m gonna skip his stuff.

[JB]

Seeing Eye-Scream took me out. I was not expecting him, of all people. Now he just needs to meet Soft Serve.

I need Eye-Scream and Soft Serve to be at least distant relatives.

What I liked about this is that we often hear that mutants should be out solving all the problems with their powers and this showed just that. I’m a fan of the response team idea and I hope it continues somewhere. It gives lesser known mutants a chance to pop up without forcing them into a story and the concept is much more grounded than Orlando’s Marauders. Tempo is def the breakout star of his run.

I also like the shared narrative across titles of propaganda used against mutants by Orchis. It’s realistic for their sympathizers to be drowned out by the press. “Repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it.”

[Diammandis]

Orchis has just been whacking the mutants today omg

[Cyclone_Ablaze]

This was pretty Cool.

I really liked it. There was a lot of POC Mutants showing up and helping out. Although, its ashamed them helping the City of Milford won't help mutants when they ALL die LOL.

[Itchpfork]

Brimstone Love. Cerebra. Halloween Jack. And now Edwin Martynec.

Either Steve Orlando is the biggest John F. Moore fan at Marvel, or he is John F. Moore.

[JB]

Brimstone Love. Cerebra. Halloween Jack. And now Edwin Martynec.

Either Steve Orlando is the biggest John F. Moore fan at Marvel, or he is John F. Moore.

LOL! He loves his deep cuts. I couldn't believe he pulled Sanjar Javeed out of his hat.

[CGAR]

This issue made me want a Mutant Rescue Squad on-going. Overseen by the Captain Commanders. Preferrably with a core unit team but rotating secondary teams of more well known but not often used characters that could help sell the title.

Make the New Mutant/GenX/Academy X squads MRSs.

[Nyssane]

Thumbelina living her best surgeon life.

[useridgoeshere]

Orchis has just been whacking the mutants today omg

Feels a lot like the Rosenberg run. Hopefully there's a HOX/POX for 2024 when this nonsense wraps.

[ZephyrSurf]

Feels a lot like the Rosenberg run. Hopefully there's a HOX/POX for 2024 when this nonsense wraps.

ehhhhhh, I don't get this comparison.

A coordinated attack on Krakoa after years of spinning the wheels with Orchis and what they could or would do, is what I was waiting for.

[JB]

Thumbelina living her best surgeon life.

I knew you'd enjoy that.

[Diammandis]

Feels a lot like the Rosenberg run. Hopefully there's a HOX/POX for 2024 when this nonsense wraps.

If you mean this feels like Rosenbergs run as in the mutants are pushed with their back against the wall then yeah i can see that but we all know that they are going to eventually triumph over them. Orchis has been sowing seeds of mistrust against mutants since the beginning and it's about time we see these seeds show promise

[Nyssane]

I knew you'd enjoy that.

<3 Ah sure did.