Rise of the Powers of X #2 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

We get a lot of answers, some of which raise more questions.

We open with the preview pages, Enigma watching young Moira. He notes that in this, her tenth life, she has a new plan. He says she may as well try it because she thinks she has tried everything else. But he says she is mistaken, that there is one more thing she could try. He will offer it to her but not now.

He moves through some important moments in the history of a few X-Men. He looks at "now", noting the war between the X-Men and Orchis. He's looking for Xavier. He last saw him in the ruins of Sinister's lab, then he goes back to Krakoa before disappearing. Enigma vows to find him.

We're in No-Place X, "as close to nowhere as science can allow." Charles says the first plan has failed so they must move to the second one which is somewhat difficult. He's talking to Rasputin, Doug, and Rachel who we see for the first time in this title. She says they're playing hide-and-seek with something (Enigma) that can see them anywhere that exists. "Difficult" is an understatement. He responds with, "Yes, Rachel, I know, but..."

"But nothing!" It's Mother Righteous, trapped inside a gold dome. She says they can't fight Enigma and that the plan isn't going to work because Enigma has won. This is the real Mother Righteous while her alt self that she created is in the WHR.


(Sorry so blurry, it's a huge double page.)

She turns to Doug asking to be let out. She says she can put them on the right path if they can make a deal with her. Doug says he knows all languages including body language and she's lying. She's best as a radio to contact the WHR via the other Mother Righteous, that's it. Xavier says she is useful and that they must merge their talents, that even though MR is doing so under duress it doesn't matter. They have to work together to defeat the problem because they're all responsible. MR says she's not one of his students and not to patronize her, but asks what to do next. Just as we learned in Dead X-Men the plan is to reach Moira before her gift activates. The new info we learn is that there are Dominion Arachno-Sentinels in the timestream watching for attempts to reach that point. They believe they can dodge the Sentinels once but only once. They need to choose where to strike carefully.

Doug says he still thinks they should just go back and shoot Moira in the delivery ward. Charles admonishes Doug for saying this. He says even if that was the plan they can't trust the information Sinister gave them so they need to confirm the data from a biological Moira. This is how the book connects to Dead X-Men because as we know, Prodigy confirmed the data in Dead #1. Rachel says her team will get them what they need. MR continues to say that Enigma is out of time and already won. That there's nothing they can do to change anything because he has already escaped causality. Rasputin says MR lied to her and is probably lying to herself right now. That she's scared of hope, scared of the monster she helped create. But Rasputin makes the good point that Enigma put those Arachno-Sentinel defenses in the timestream for a reason so it must be afraid of anyone going there. Doug says there may be a limitation caused by Moira on the timeline too, preventing Enigma from putting up defenses any earlier in the timestream. Maybe it doesn't want them messing around in the 19th century when the clones were made. Or maybe it's a trap. Either way it doesn't matter because this is all they've got to go on. They're like five ants trying to take down Galactus, he says.

Charles says he is right, all they have are long shots and that they'll start with the least dangerous which is the trip to Moira. Rachel asks if her team is ready. Rasputin turns to MR who is connected to the MR in the WHR. The MR in the WHR, a gun pointed at her head, says Mother Askani's team are resurrected and ready. It's Hope pointing the gun and we see the "Dead" X-Men behind her in the school uniforms. WHR MR asks if they can get Hope to stop pointing the gun at her. Charles says Hope is not one to follow orders at least not from him. He asks how she has a gun in the WHR anyway. NPX MR says apart from the one Hope was wearing at the gala, she assembled this one from atoms. It's her comfort gun, a copy of the first 9mm Cable gave her.

Rachel asks how things in the WHR are generally. They give us a look though I'm not quite sure what we're looking at but it looks like the Five and maybe some others are exhausted and scared. Elixir is trying to work on Jean but he's crying as it doesn't seem to be working. Jean is quietly repeating "nowandforever" as she looks catatonic still. Can someone help me interpret that page of the string of light shooting up from the center of Atlantic Krakoa into the sky at night? In any case things don't look good in the WHR.



We're back to Enigma's narration. He moves forward in time to see how Xavier is eventually exposed and we see a damaged No-Place X, Xavier in shock looking at a murdered Rasputin and Doug. Enigma says it's impressive, realizing Xavier grew himself a No-Place that hangs out of time, hard to find, nearly not there at all. But not nearly enough. Enigma now knows where to look and what to send looking. He compares NPX to a submarine nesting underneath all of reality and him as a fleet of destroyers throwing depth charges. We see the Arachno-Sentinels and they're pretty scary. He says they'll be waiting for the slightest thrum of reality and then the hunter-killers will converge.

As Rachel is working Charles and Rasputin walk off speaking telepathically. Rasputin asks if Rachel knows the plan and he confirms that Rachel does not know they plan to kill Moira. Rachel believes he's just going to talk to her. He says Rachel knows of the final goal and thinks this is a step toward it, which is correct. But the final plan is the longest of the long shots and risks all of reality if they're wrong. It may be even worse than letting Enigma win. He wants Rachel to continue believing because he no longer has the luxury of belief. He has to clear up the mess they've made, no matter what. Rasputin gets emotional because she comes from a future where Krakoa was the dream of what could be. Charles comforts her but reminds her that she came from a hell that Krakoa birthed. He tells her what Moira said, that it's not a dream if it's real. Looking sad, he says it was never real. He says Rasputin is a hero and they have to save the world no matter the cost. That Krakoa is the cost. Rasputin says she needs to think about this because though she may agree with him, she feels deceiving Rachel is wrong. After Sinister and MR, she says she will not be a pawn... she's interrupted as NPX is attacked with a loud BOOOOM knocking the two of them off their feet.

Rachel says it's too soon, that they need more time as the Dead X-Men have only tried ten timelines. Charles orders Doug to move the No-Place and Doug runs off saying he'll fire a secondary tendril and when it connects he'll cut the first and swing them to safety. But he needs time. Rasputin says he'll have it. She exits No-Place saying that though the environment is without reality and is implicitly hostile to all existence, this is what she was made for. The panels are beautiful as she fights huge Stark Sentinels.

As Doug is working he tells Charles that he could see the psychics having a good old chat. He turns to look at Charles and there's a red diamond on his forehead. Damnit!! He says he wanted to eavesdrop but that would have revealed what else he has loaded into this clone of Doug. Charles tells Sinister to put the diamond away and to not play games, that Rasputin would never forgive him. More beautiful panels as Rasputin continues to fight. Dougister says they're ready to go and Charles tells him to rescue Rasputin. He sends out a tendril which reaches and then covers Rasputin in a gold dome. He cuts the main tendril and more beautiful panels as No-Place X swings away to safety. As Rasputin climbs her tendril to get back in Dougister asks what Charles is going to do when she finds out who Doug really is. Charles is like I dunno man, hopefully it'll be too late by then to make a difference. Rasputin is back onboard and Rachel announces her team accomplished their mission (as they did in Dead #1.)

With the information they need obtained, Xavier prepares to walk through a diamond shaped portal to reach Moira. He tells Rasputin to keep it open until he returns. He asks if he can trust her and she's like at this point I'm committed and it's too late to do otherwise. She wishes him luck and Rachel, smiling, gives Charles some encouraging words. She tells him to have the word with Moira then come back so they can get on with the really dangerous stuff. Charles: "Yes. Just a word." He enters the portal and Enigma says, "It is time. The time for Moira to learn the one other thing she could try."

We're now on Earth during the X-Men invasion against Orchis, the present. Moira is running, Orchis soldiers dead all around her. She demands Nimrod give her an update and he says their human allies are crumbling so it's time they prepare to take their next step. We can't see who he is battling but Nimrod seems to be getting his ass kicked. He's now on the ground on his knees with Moira standing near him. Then Enigma's voice is heard, saying Moira lucked out and joined them just in time. He says that in ten years' time they'll be part of a perfect god machine. "The A.I. will be the only winner here." Moira says, "huh" and looks up.

[PhoenixStudies]

Xavier lying to Rachel, that bastard!

[DarkMagnus]

Xavier lyyng?? woow that is very expected.

Xavier will be the X-traitor and Sinister and MR will be quasi-reddemed and maybe Moira will be a muttie again.

[Fokken]

Not my LabraDougie!!!!

[Kingdom X]

Whoever designed Rachel’s new look DEFINITELY took some inspiration from Evangelion. The art was nice, I’m going back to liking Rasputin, and I’m sort of digging Enigma as a final antagonist.

The Doug-Sinister reveal was a big eye roll. Would it have been so bad for Doug to have some agency again after his initial Krakoan resurgence? And it’s not like we’re getting anything new in place of Doug. WE KNOW Gillen can write Sinister, it’s truly beating a dead horse at this point.

[Master of Sound]

Xavier lying to Mother Askani AND to Rasputin. How can he win this if he lies to his allies?

[DarkMagnus]

Xavier lying to Mother Askani AND to Rasputin. How can he win this if he lies to his allies?

Because he will not win.

Mutankind will win - Krakoa will win but not Xavier

[charliehustle415]

I feel like every time I read more the more confused I get

[JB]

Whoever designed Rachel’s new look DEFINITELY took some inspiration from Evangelion. The art was nice, I’m going back to liking Rasputin, and I’m sort of digging Enigma as a final antagonist.

The Doug-Sinister reveal was a big eye roll. Would it have been so bad for Doug to have some agency again after his initial Krakoan resurgence? And it’s not like we’re getting anything new in place of Doug. WE KNOW Gillen can write Sinister, it’s truly beating a dead horse at this point.

I feel the exact same way about Rasputin. I haven't been digging her presence but she's been great in this book. She really works on the cosmic level and that fight with the Sentinels was stunning. Heading to the comic shop soon to get my physical copy and drool.

I was so saddened to see the red diamond on "Doug"'s head. It was a good fake out but I'm also like no more, please. Where is he??

[Master of Sound]

How do those Arachno Sentinels look like?

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

Whoever designed Rachel’s new look DEFINITELY took some inspiration from Evangelion.

Truly, a cruel angel's thesis.

[king81992]

At what point did Doug become Sinister?

[CGAR]

Really dig Silva's art style but ready for this to be over.

Rachel looked cool.

SiniDoug was definitely an eye roll as someone else said.

Ready for Sinister to retire for a decade.

[JB]

At what point did Doug become Sinister?

It happened off panel. I guess Charles needed Sinister for this mission and decided a clone of Doug would be the best cover so Rasputin didn't chop his head off.

[lefthanded]

Only thing thing that was great in this issue was the artwork during the WHR scenes. Such beautiful simple scenes that tell you a lot but also witholds some of the information.

And it is a huge contrast to the overwhelming deluge of speech bubbles and exposition in every other page. I mean, just skim through the whole issue just to see how many white speech bubbles there are on almost every page except for the two WHR pages. Too much telling and not enough showing has been an achilles heel of this latter part of the Krakoan era.

Gillen is like Oprah, except everyone gets a Sinister instead of a car. I'd rather have a car.