Rise of the Powers of X #1 - Review/Spoilers

[Grunty]

I am 99 percent sure of what's going to happen.

Moira was never a mutant. When she got sick, the doctor who visited her was Sinister (or one of them) and made her into a mutant. By stopping him, she never becomes a mutant, and therefore lives life as the pre retcon Moira.

That sounds like a reasonable expectation, especially since the sickness in life 1 was essentialy implied to be when her mutant powers were activated and therefor one of these potential "will become important later" details.

However it still leaves the can of worms open that there is someone on Earth who via scientific means can give another human the power to REBOOT THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, which is still a stupendous escalation of super powers for Earth bound characters, if that is still the final explanation of what Moira X's powers actualy are.

After all there are galactic empires in the Marvel Universe with hundreds of billion citizen, using technology close to magic, which can allow a person to fly between stars in mere minutes without the need of a space craft and entire species with physical or meta physical powers which can make the average human look like mice infront of an elephant, but somehow among these billions of entities, natural powers and fantastic displays of technology, no one else could develop the kind of super power that a random girl on Earth could because someone put a single gene into her body via a pointy piece of metal?

Admittedly that's likely just my personal suspension of disbelief drawing a line in the sand for these kinds of super powers, because of a preference for more "down to earth" type action and plots, albeit involving people being able to manipulate weather or teleporting multiple kilometers.

[sunofdarkchild]

This was better than Fall was last week, at least. There were things actually worth caring about.

[JB]

Is this RotPoX #2 Variant cover a spoiler of Xavier's team?

I hope not.

Hmm good question. I'm thinking no only because Xavier's team has been monitoring the X-Men and their fight against Orchis, which Logan and Kurt are in the middle of. It seemed like Doug was walking into another room in No-Place when he went to inform the "others" of Rasputin's results.

[Micabe]

That sounds like a reasonable expectation, especially since the sickness in life 1 was essentialy implied to be when her mutant powers were activated and therefor one of these potential "will become important later" details.

However it still leaves the can of worms open that there is someone on Earth who via scientific means can give another human the power to REBOOT THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, which is still a stupendous escalation of super powers for Earth bound characters, if that is still the final explanation of what Moira X's powers actualy are.

After all there are galactic empires in the Marvel Universe with hundreds of billion citizen, using technology close to magic, which can allow a person to fly between stars in mere minutes without the need of a space craft and entire species with physical or meta physical powers which can make the average human look like mice infront of an elephant, but somehow among these billions of entities, natural powers and fantastic displays of technology, no one else could develop the kind of super power that a random girl on Earth could because someone put a single gene into her body via a pointy piece of metal?

Admittedly that's likely just my personal suspension of disbelief drawing a line in the sand for these kinds of super powers, because of a preference for more "down to earth" type action and plots, albeit involving people being able to manipulate weather or teleporting multiple kilometers.

Correct me if I'm incorrect but I seem to recall Moria contracting the Legacy Virus (a connection?) many years before she was ever identified as a mutant -- something involving Mystique?

[lefthanded]

That sounds like a reasonable expectation, especially since the sickness in life 1 was essentialy implied to be when her mutant powers were activated and therefor one of these potential "will become important later" details.

However it still leaves the can of worms open that there is someone on Earth who via scientific means can give another human the power to REBOOT THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, which is still a stupendous escalation of super powers for Earth bound characters, if that is still the final explanation of what Moira X's powers actualy are.

After all there are galactic empires in the Marvel Universe with hundreds of billion citizen, using technology close to magic, which can allow a person to fly between stars in mere minutes without the need of a space craft and entire species with physical or meta physical powers which can make the average human look like mice infront of an elephant, but somehow among these billions of entities, natural powers and fantastic displays of technology, no one else could develop the kind of super power that a random girl on Earth could because someone put a single gene into her body via a pointy piece of metal?

Admittedly that's likely just my personal suspension of disbelief drawing a line in the sand for these kinds of super powers, because of a preference for more "down to earth" type action and plots, albeit involving people being able to manipulate weather or teleporting multiple kilometers.

With how much they are elevating the importance of Sinister/Dominion/Enigma, yes I think that they will play a role in Moira's power. Just like in the Die comics by Gillen, they will show that Enigma guaranteed its own existence by pardoxically being involved in the creation of Moira (likely indirectly through nudging Sinister).

Moira's power in a random Earth girl exists, because it exists in the present. Just like how OS brought back Worldmind technology from the future to the present so that it can be developed quicker, Enigma can send back present day knowledge of Moira's gene to the past so that Moira has that power in the past. Paradoxical, but that is how how this time travel and Dominion mumbo jumbo is playing out.

Franklin Richards is as powerful as Moira, so it is perfectly in keeping in line with the idea that Earth is more powerful than any thing else in the universe. It is always Earth that is breaking time or the universe (Secret Wars, Age of Ultron, etc.). 616 Earth is the protagonist, so they always get to be the ones affecting the whole universe/multiverse. I do agree with you that once super powers get to a certain point, it hits a deadend because there is nothing to do but depower character, or make the opponent even more powerful.



But, this theory is copying the Franklin Richard retcon that everyone already hates: "Franklin/Moira was never a mutant, he/she just wanted to be or were made into one."
I think it is a cop out, and wouldn't be in favor of it.

[Pav]

At one point, if I remember correctly, the Dominion talks about once being human but becoming A.I.

Could this relate to what happened to Darwin?

-Pav, who wishes he knew how different these comics are to Hickman's planned ending...

[HomoSuperior]

Not quite. A Dominion isn't a distinct entity. It's an alliance of Titans. Kind of like the X-Men aren't a single being, but rather a group of mutants working together. Gillen has essentially retconned what Dominions are.

But has he? Enigma is the sum of all the Sinisters.

[Grunty]

Correct me if I'm incorrect but I seem to recall Moria contracting the Legacy Virus (a connection?) many years before she was ever identified as a mutant -- something involving Mystique?

She did. However at the time it was not supposed to be a hint that she was a mutant, but rather to up the stakes regarding the Legacy Virus by showing that it had seemingly mutated to the point where it could affect normal humans too.

Since the Legacy Virus has often been noted to have been at least partial inspired by HIV and the hysteria and fear it caused in the 1980's and 1990's, it made sense that the writers would eventualy show that it too wasn't just a "mutant disease" either.

With Moira being the defacto normal human scientific ally of the X-men and working on a cure to the virus, the writer likely simply singled her out as the ideal "patient zero 2".

However wasn't the Moira at the time supposed to be the "Shi'ar Golem" or was that just her for the moment she got killed by Mystique?

Which raises the question if Moira X was really infected with the Legacy Virus at some point, since it would mean that her plan with it's 1200 years of build up, could have been foiled by her playing her "fake role" as the caring and determinded friend of the mutants too well and perhaps even resulting in something much worse than another universe reboot, because the Legacy Virus had the effect of boosting mutant powers and causing them to go out of controll (like all her previous 10 lifes collapsing into a horrible amalgamation).

Because if she wasn't actualy infected by the Legacy Virus at all and only faking it, it also means that it's no longer a confirmation of having been a mutant all along...

With how much they are elevating the importance of Sinister/Dominion/Enigma, yes I think that they will play a role in Moira's power. Just like in the Die comics by Gillen, they will show that Enigma guaranteed its own existence by pardoxically being involved in the creation of Moira (likely indirectly through nudging Sinister).

Moira's power in a random Earth girl exists, because it exists in the present. Just like how OS brought back Worldmind technology from the future to the present so that it can be developed quicker, Enigma can send back present day knowledge of Moira's gene to the past so that Moira has that power in the past. Paradoxical, but that is how how this time travel and Dominion mumbo jumbo is playing out.

Franklin Richards is as powerful as Moira, so it is perfectly in keeping in line with the idea that Earth is more powerful than any thing else in the universe. It is always Earth that is breaking time or the universe (Secret Wars, Age of Ultron, etc.). 616 Earth is the protagonist, so they always get to be the ones affecting the whole universe/multiverse. I do agree with you that once super powers get to a certain point, it hits a deadend because there is nothing to do but depower character, or make the opponent even more powerful.

But, this theory is copying the Franklin Richard retcon that everyone already hates: "Franklin/Moira was never a mutant, he/she just wanted to be or were made into one."
I think it is a cop out, and wouldn't be in favor of it.

Valid points and it would be somewhat of a cop out.

But it also seems they have written themself into a corner with Moira X and the Dominions, so perhaps it was always going to end disapointing or unsatisfying in some way, especially when the momentum of the original story was lost a while ago, which could have kept everyone in a bit of daze (at least until they walk to the fridge and go "wait a minute...").

[charliehustle415]

But has he? Enigma is the sum of all the Sinisters.

ahh, good point!

I wish editorial had stronger hand on these definitions to make sure writers kept everything in line, especially since this era started with the idea of Data Pages that are meant to be pseudo series bible definitions or kinda like D&D rule book

[vitruvian]

We're back with another recap that will do no justice to the book itself because it was mind-boggling. I'm keeping things really general because the details need to be experienced firsthand. The art is spectacular. So much so that I'm on my way to my LCS after posting this because though I love my digital I must experience this in physical.

We open with the preview pages. It's been 10 years and the machines have just about completely won. Omega Sentinel and Nimrod talk over Emma's corpse, OS saying that they can't be too confident because the mutants have always won and may find a way this time as well. But the mutants are running out of time because tomorrow they meet with and become one with their god.

Mystique and Gambit are the only survivors of a battle at the Gyrich Detention Center. Mystique tries to reach out to Synch via her mind but she's too far underground. She obtained knowledge they were looking for and so Gambit sacrifices himself to get Raven out. When she reaches high enough she connects with Synch who is able to receive the information from her. Sentinels descend around her and she fires at them saying, "Irene. I'm coming."

"The Broken Sword" station in outer space is where Professor Synch and the other X-Men (AI Tony Stark Iron Man, Captain Kamala Krakoa, Shadowtiger who is Kitty after consuming the Death Seed, and Wolverine) are. He has received the information, a location.

On the Orchis Forge Nimrod, OS, and Moira are looking at a huge monitor at the Worldmind. OS says it took them five years to build it with the knowledge of the technology of the far future she came with when she was sent back in time. The Worldmind will attract a Dominion, which will then incorporate them all into it. Moira says she's finally safe, that after 10 lives all she wanted was to be on the winning side and now she is.

Stasis enters the chamber to tell them that the remaining X-Men have breached certain files and now know the location of "he who must not be named." OS looks nervous as she orders increased security scans on Phobos right away.

The X-Men arrive on Phobos, AI Tony quickly killed by the defense systems. As Nimrod and OS rush to Phobos Nimrod says they need to activate Worldmind now and can't risk the mutants stopping their ascension. Moira activates it and Stasis, exiting the room, wishes them luck.

Stasis teleports away and reappears in South America outside the Vault! He meets up with Cadena of the Children and tells her it's time. The Vault opens.

The X-Men battle Sentinels, Nimrod, and OS on Phobos. OS tells them to turn their attention to Mars as the Worldmind activates and attempts contact to the Dominion. It's successful in making contact and the Dominion approaches. The art is out of this world.
Back at the Vault Stasis says while the AI's (OS/Nimrod) had 10 years to build the Worldmind, he had taken their future knowledge and gave it to a supreme intelligence he constructed from humanity's greatest intellects (we see on the screen Tony, Banner, Reed, and others) and because he put it in the Vault they had a lot longer than ten years to solve for Dominion. Instead of begging to join it, he wants to kill it. The weapon is a small black orb which he sends on its way. In a nutshell the orb consumes the sun which charges it and then it blasts the Dominion. It infects the Dominion and blanks out its constituent intelligences, essentially leaving it a husk with pure processing power. There's another sequence with the X-Men finding red diamond Sinister and Wolverine kills him. Also a cool moment when Synch recalls Apocalypse' powers and smashes Nimrod's face.

Stasis zaps the Children (we learn he helped create them) and is ready to insert himself into and take over the Dominion.

Except...





Enigma reminds the reader that the roads taken by all four Sinisters led to it. Enigma watched as red diamond Sinister kept resetting the timeline with his Moira clones and Enigma ensured that Sinister would never remember the timelines where he discovered the other three Sinister's or their Dominion attempts. Because red diamond Sinister was just killed by Wolverine, the Moira clones in this timeline explode and the timeline dies. Enigma exists outside time and space and says it cannot be prevented. "You are merely watching how I came to be. You are merely watching how I won."

Now we're somewhere called "No-Place X" with Xavier, Rasputin, and Doug! Rasputin killing Stasis was an attempt to stop him from reaching Dominion but she failed. Xavier says it's okay because though they prevented him nine other times, preventing Enigma from coming into existence was near impossible and it was inevitable. They tried their best and, as Charles says, they now must walk a harder path.

Rasputin asks what must be done and Charles at first doesn't want to tell her for risk of Enigma finding her along her missions and stripping the truth from her. She says if he wants her to continue then he must tell her, that she won't follow someone blindly again. He says very well, that he was hoping to spare her the burden of knowing. He points to a screen at where they strike next.

Rasputin: Hmm. What happens then?Xavier: The whole timeline falls apart, and the Dominion ceases to be. It's cut off at the root.



The final pages are two awesome data pages.

Hmmm... the planet Xandar had a Worldmind ages ago. Why did that not attract a Dominion to take over the universe?

[cranger]

Hmmm... the planet Xandar had a Worldmind ages ago. Why did that not attract a Dominion to take over the universe?

Other than using the same (similar) terms here, there is almost no consistency with how any of this seemed to work even in Hickman's stories so just read everything here just how Gillen wants it to work for his story.

[lefthanded]

Other than using the same (similar) terms here, there is almost no consistency with how any of this seemed to work even in Hickman's stories so just read everything here just how Gillen wants it to work for his story.

Pretty much this. Gillen 'Dominion' is not necessarily the same as intended by other writers, just as Gillen 'Worldmind' is not the same.

Although, since the Xandarian Worldmind is typically inhabiting Richard Rider's head, it would be a pretty interesting comic where a Dominion is just constantly chasing Richard Rider across the universe ... although that story arc was already done in the Nova comics, where it was the Phalanx and Technarchy who infected Nova.

[Arachne]

LOL

When they said "worldmind" I was hoping for a Nova reference. :7
BTW, the Xandarian Worldmind is currently in the Cancerverse, not Richard's head. Poor thing's gone mad.

[Hulkout42]

So wait why didnt the dominion work in this issue? Rasputin said she was too late but it still worked out for them.

There was A LOT going on. What two dominions were there?

Because in all the attempts the Dominion already exists, each one seems to just add to the central Essex.

[patch]

One other thing, and to be fair maybe this will come up later in the series, but we found out this issue that Moira knows OS came from a future where the mutants won and apparently doesn’t care? That should have been a huge revelation for her, the entire reason she switched sides was because she was convinced the mutants couldn’t win.

I think she's too far gone but I secretly hope that Moira's been a mole and infiltrated Orchis to learn from Omega Sentinel how the mutants do win (aka how to use the Phoenix force to burn A.I. and the Dominion away).

I hope it’s not a total reset. Use the gun to depower Moira and let the era keep bits and pieces. I woild hate for everything to be wiped clean.

I know this has been stated elsewhere, but they can't erase everything because of the greater impact on all of 616 (you wouldn't just be resetting X-Men history, you'd be affecting all of Marvel. They can do that with the Moira engine because those are all now self-contained stories (i.e., Sins of Sinister (including the issue in Immortal to kick off SoS), this issue of RoPOX). They can't erase the last several years of X-Men stories without doing the same to the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man etc