X-Men #26 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

As mentioned in the Immortal review thread I like the quick pace of Fall of X.

We open with the preview pages, a brief recap of the Hellfire Gala particularly focused on Fisk and Typhoid Mary, followed by a scene of Emma and Fisk down in the sewer tunnels of NYC. Fisk says Orchis will move to seize Emma's assets, resources they'll need for their war effort against Orchis. Emma agrees to sign them over to him which is what we saw them doing in a previous Invincible Iron Man issue. This was X weeks ago.

In the present we see a gambling party taking place in the "newly reconstituted Hellfire Club." Fisk is now the White King and Tony Stark is the Black King. Stark is being a bit of drunken ham while gambling with the guests (though we know this is an act to make Orchis think he's spiraling out of control). Emma, in disguise as Hazel, pulls Tony away from the blackjack table with urgency. In a private room Emma says that she knows Tony has "optics" into Orchis and asks him if it's Firestar. He hesitates then says that they agreed to compartmentalize some of their actions for safety reasons and Emma tells him if she's his mole that there's a target on her back. She doesn't say it's Kate but tells him a rogue mutant assassin is coming for Firestar and that she won't survive. Eyes wide, Tony says he should make a call.

Kamala Khan is walking out of a building at the Orchis school she's attending and witnesses two hooded guys attacking someone on the street. Narration tells us the Orchis propaganda against mutants is translating to such violence. She's about to intervene but realizes that would blow her cover so she pulls out her phone and yells that she's recording. The assailants run off and the victim tells Kamala that they're not even a mutant, that they look different due to their alopecia. They say that nobody different is safe anymore.

We get the last preview page of Kate breaking into the Bloom, the Orchis space station. "Mutant detected!" alarms go off and we see Firestar lifting a gun ready to fire as she says "Oh God." She's inside a small room seemingly for her protection, a window looking out to space behind her. Narration tells us that Tony's warning hadn't come soon enough for her to evacuate the space station. Kate quickly kills two Orchis guards (one quite brutally) and then she's standing outside the door to Angelica's room. Angelica, assuming Kate may be on the other side of the door, attempts to speak to her and says she has a crazy story to tell her. We see Kate floating through space behind her! She phases inside and kicks Angelica in the back of the head, calling her a traitor. Angelica tells her to wait and listen but Kate punches her. Angelica fires up and Kate puts her katana through her fiery head. The words in Angelica's speech bubble are very small indicating that she's speaking very quickly as she's telling Kate what happened with Jean and her at the Gala. Kate pulls her katana out and prepares to strike again as Angelica says if she's going to kill her then maybe she (Angelica) should stop holding back and at least destroy the space station. With Kate's katana at her throat she says, "I know you don't believe me, but it's the truth."





Angelica asks her who else survived the massacre and Kate says she doesn't know and she wouldn't tell her anyway. Everything right now is strict need-to-know. Angelica asks her to then tell the others that want to come after her that she's on the mutants' side but Kate laughs and says absolutely not. It's better for Angie's cover for her to have to fight the resistance once in a while. Kate warns her not to get any ideas about playing both sides and lets Angie see her go through a gate. As she's leaving she tells Angie to make the most of Jean's sacrifice, to get them as much intel as possible and disrupt whatever she can.

Data page, a letter from Firestar to her father on official Orchis letterhead. Basically she asks him to return her Avengers I.D. card to Tony because the Avengers are requesting it back. As part of her cover she tells him why she doesn't trust Krakoa anymore and why she teamed up with Orchis. But we the reader understand this is her way to communicate with Tony.

Emma and Kate meet in a dark alley behind the Hellfire Club. Emma asks if Kate has found out about Scott's status yet but she hasn't. Emma is ready to join Kate on her mission and is looking forward to some revenge. Kate says they're going to make a great team as Emma goes back inside to tell Tony she's leaving with Kate.

Inside she spots Feilong. She grows angry and moves to pull off her power dampening ring that Tony gave her but Tony grabs her before she does and pulls her into a private room. He tells her not to wipe Feilong's mind because he has information Tony needs to finish his new suit. He says wiping Feilong's mind will only prolong the war. Emma is determined and doesn't want to hear any of it, kneeing Tony in the crotch as she removes the ring and he tries to grab it.



OK I knew the proposal and upcoming wedding was going to be fake but I didn't expect it to happen this way. LOL! Duggan is crazy for this.

[Master of Sound]

As I am keeping the list on this forum on where all mutants are after the Krakoa attack, would someone please share if we saw any mutants we did not see yet, in this issue? If so, who were they and where are they?

[davetvs]

That proposal scene was like something out of a sitcom. I'm also enjoying the fast pace of FoX but Duggan's writing can be so hit or miss, even in the same issue. I do like this darker take on Kitty though.

[JB]

That proposal scene was like something out of a sitcom. I'm also enjoying the fast pace of FoX but Duggan's writing can be so hit or miss, even in the same issue. I do like this darker take on Kitty though.

Out of all the ways the proposal could have happened I didn't expect it to be them fighting over the ring as Feilong walks in. I'm lowkey mad we don't get to see Emma out there on her revenge tour with Kitty.

Sometimes the current 4-5 issue arc format can be good for a story and sometimes it makes a story draaaaag. So I'm glad things are moving and shaking along. Who will Firestar have to fight next? lol

[Jackraow21]

This one was “meh” for me. Admittedly I’m waiting for Logan to show up and join this damn team, though.

[Kingdom X]

This issue gave me the push to finally pause buying this book. After the last one I’d kinda assumed this book would really be stepping up as the flagship of FoX, but instead we get a SUPER simple solution to the Firestar/ Kate plot, the GOOFIEST reason to have a comic book wedding I’ve ever seen, and no actual direction on how the X-Men are going to attempt to take down Orchis. PLUS they want me to buy Iron Man SO bad and I’m not about it.

[RAWRlrus]

Out of all the ways the proposal could have happened I didn't expect it to be them fighting over the ring as Feilong walks in. I'm lowkey mad we don't get to see Emma out there on her revenge tour with Kitty.

Sometimes the current 4-5 issue arc format can be good for a story and sometimes it makes a story draaaaag. So I'm glad things are moving and shaking along. Who will Firestar have to fight next? lol

The whole idea started as a joke, so I'm not bad it started as one in the comics too. A Kate and Emma team up would have been great. Hopefully Emma sticks around in X-Men during Fall of X and Kate makes an appearance in the Shaw issue of Invincible Iron Man. Not feeling too confident about Invincible Iron Man from the solicits.

[Cyclone_Ablaze]

Very Disappointed in this.

Was REALLY looking forward to Kitty and Angelica fight. UGH. Oh well.

[CGAR]

It was an alright issue.

The art was interesting because I feel like in the last few pages they were trying to really emulate Pepe Larraz.

[Nicoclaws]

I for one love the reveal of the proposal. Way to play with expectations Duggan.

[danielsan52]

wrong thread

[Devaishwarya]

I appreciate the pacing. After the shock of 25 this issue is a nice step back and a good push forward plot-wise. #27 might be more focused on Scott and then #28 is the Angelica/Juggernaught fight.

[SugarMan]

Out of all the ways the proposal could have happened I didn't expect it to be them fighting over the ring as Feilong walks in. I'm lowkey mad we don't get to see Emma out there on her revenge tour with Kitty.

Sometimes the current 4-5 issue arc format can be good for a story and sometimes it makes a story draaaaag. So I'm glad things are moving and shaking along. Who will Firestar have to fight next? lol

Isn’t she supposed to fight Juggernaut?

[Cyclone_Ablaze]

Isn’t she supposed to fight Juggernaut?

She is. And i'm going to say they probably won't fight. It'll be the same outcome we just saw with Kitty.

Because I really thought we were about to get a Fight Scene and all we got was a bunch of nothin......

Y'know I wonder how come Nimrod didn't show up. You'd think he would be ontop of this "Mutant Detected" stuff.

[JB]

Isn’t she supposed to fight Juggernaut?

Yup, he may be next. From the way Duggan had Kate word it, it sounds like there may be other encounters in store.