X-Men Unlimited #129 - Fall of X #9 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

We open with a flashback that nicely connects the story to X-Men Red and the previous Unlimited arc set on Arakko.

It's the night of the Hellfire Gala and Sunspot is on X-Corps Island meeting with who he wants to be the founders of this new initiative: Jamie Madrox, Layla Miller, Trinary, and Wiz-Kid. These are his top recruits and together he says they will change how the world views mutants. Wiz-Kid asks why Strong Guy gets to party at the Gala but they're stuck "getting the sales pitch." Sunspots says Guido's got a big heart but he's not core to their operation and that they can arrive at the Gala fashionably late. He says what they're building needs to stay under wraps until it's ready to launch which is why he has Jamie turn off the island's Krakoan gates. He continues, saying once the new and improved X-Corps Island lifts off, it'll go wherever it's needed. While the X-Men fight Orchis head-on, X-Corps will provide relief worldwide. "If mutants can't come to the island, our island will go to them. We'll..." Suddenly all of their eyes turn white and "I surrender" is heard in their minds.



Title and recap pages. The founding X-Corps members are now huddled together reeling from Xavier's psychic intrusion. Jamie is distraught as he says his dupes at the Gala are gone. They've died before but this time "everyone's just gone." Sunspot goes outside and is standing at a gate. He says he thought they had more time to get the world on their side. To get it all perfect. He punches the defunct gate, shattering it. Layla approaches saying news is grim and she can't get in touch with anyone on Krakoa. If Sunspot hadn't had Jamie close the gates chances are they'd be gone too, she says. Layla says she knows what Roberto is thinking and that being at the Gala wouldn't have made a difference.

Layla: What we do next could. Mutantkind, the world, is going to need help. X-Corps Island is off the radar. Orchis was ready for everything they knew about. But they didn't know about your plan or us.

Roberto says that he told Storm he'd come back to Arakko as the situation there was already hot when he left. He needs to go there and mentions he'll use the tech he "borrowed" from Cable, connecting to what we saw in X-Men Red #14. Well done! Layla says they need him on the Island to finish what they've started, that the island needs a power source and though he was working on a system and finding others to share the burden, who knows who's actually left out there to help. Roberto promises to come back.

Now we're in the present as Layla, Thunderbird, Betsy, and Dani enter the core of X-Corps Island. John notes that they're losing altitude and Dani explains that every few days they land for one hour so "he" can recharge. It's an hour that Trinary spends working overtime to keep them off Orchis' sensors, definitely not the most relaxing part of their work. But with no other energy-generating mutants on hand, it's the only way to keep Roberto from burning himself out. The door to his chamber opens and Roberto steps out. He's in a tank top and appears, and sounds, a bit tired. He of course says he's never felt better. Dani assists him down a ladder while admonishing him for overextending himself. He tells her to relax and that he's going to soak up some fresh rays. Besides, he does his best thinking when he's in his little orb.

Roberto says that Layla pinged him and mentioned Crule of all "#$%@ people." He asks if he's involved with the disappearing mutants. Betsy confirms and not just Crule but Nicodemus, Abaslom, Saul... the Externals. Which means also Selene. John says they won't be so immortal once he's done with them. Betsy says the disappearances were never Orchis, not really. The soldiers they faced were Selene's homunculi and they're picking up the pace. (Are John and Betsy sparring in that panel? LOL)

Layla says on an immortal's timeline even existential conflicts seem inconsequential. Corruption is Selene's favorite pastime. With Krakoa and Orchis at war her fellow Externals make convenient tools. "We don't know much..."



Dani asks Roberto if --[A]-- could be involved but he says --[A]-- has genuinely turned a corner and just helped reunite his people. He doesn't see --[A]-- humoring Selene and that he always seemed like the odd man out - him and Sam back when he got conned into thinking he was an External too. Roberto, smirking, says all the Externals have centuries of reasons to distrust Selene, and that he knows just the mutant to track down the most likely immortal holdout.

Now we're in New Orleans at night as an Assassins Guild member has a man named Mr. Cornillion cornered in basically in an alleyway. The assassin says Mr. Cornillion has crossed his investment partners for the last time. Mr. Cornillion says before the assassin kills him he should know that he's not Mr. Cornillion. It's Feint! She transforms into her true appearance as her partner approaches the assassin from behind. The assassin starts to ask "Who..." and the dark figure knocks the gun out of the assassin's hand saying, "Don't worry 'bout dat, mon ami..."



Another great issue which ties everything together and fills in the blanks. Confirmation that this was the project Sunspot mentions to Storm in X-Men Red. The team is now all on the same page about who is responsible for the kidnappings and Gambit and Feint have entered the story. Looking forward to next week!

[Nyssane]

Yassss, Candra! My body is ready.

[Nicoclaws]

Way to make SEVERAL entrances !


I'm always very happy when Layla is well written, even for one page.
I'm a bit sad they didn't include Monet or Angel in the X-corp pre-gala meeting, but I love this team.

[Malachi]

Nice to last part with Remy and Carmen. 130 will probably be great.

Loved reading Layla and Jamie again. Sadly I still can’t really stand Betsy. It’s giving me Excalibur flashbacks. That series unfortunately soured me on Betsy and it will take some time for me to find my joy for the character again.

[Kingdom X]

Nice to last part with Remy and Carmen. 130 will probably be great.

This part had me so hyped! It’s seeming like they’re the next iteration of the Remy/Ororo (or Remy/ Laura) duo!

Loved reading Layla and Jamie again. Sadly I still can’t really stand Betsy. It’s giving me Excalibur flashbacks. That series unfortunately soured me on Betsy and it will take some time for me to find my joy for the character again.

Can I ask what about her appearances are most reminding you of Excalibur? Genuinely curious, cause here she seems to be much more of a team player and I don’t even recall her saying much in the issue.

[Malachi]

This part had me so hyped! It’s seeming like they’re the next iteration of the Remy/Ororo (or Remy/ Laura) duo!



Can I ask what about her appearances are most reminding you of Excalibur? Genuinely curious, cause here she seems to be much more of a team player and I don’t even recall her saying much in the issue.

Oh it’s not how she was written here. Probably the uniform alone is enough. I think her in a different costume would be a great start. I am also unsure about her as a leader as I did not like the way that especially early Excalibur wrote her as a leader. Not that she is a leader here, just spitballing a potential future comic if I could pick one for her to appear in.

[Fokken]

Ooooh that ISH was SO GOOOOD!! That ending with Feint & Remy?? Outstanding! Also, shout out to Josh Cornillon -- the obvious inspiration for the New Orleans target.

[JB]

Yassss, Candra! My body is ready.

Mine too! This is especially fun after finishing the Candra Cerebro episode just last week which was a lot of fun. I'm curious to hear what she has to say about what Selene and the others are doing.

Ooooh that ISH was SO GOOOOD!! That ending with Feint & Remy?? Outstanding! Also, shout out to Josh Cornillon -- the obvious inspiration for the New Orleans target.

So much fun and I loved the Cornillion wink! It's great to see Feint again so soon after Dark X-Men. I really came to like her in that mini so I'm glad Foxe is writing her once again.

It was great to get a look at what happened with Sunspot and the others during the gala. It tracks so well with the guilt Roberto was displaying in Red and the Arakkii Unlimited story.

[JB]

Posting these pages to applaud the Steves and their ability to weave in and out of continuity. This is from last August, you guys.

[Kingdom X]

Posting these pages to applaud the Steves and their ability to weave in and out of continuity. This is from last August, you guys.

Oh wow. And here I was thinking, “wasn’t Sunspot on Arakko the whole time?” This series makes my subscription worth it.

[Fokken]

Oh wow. And here I was thinking, “wasn’t Sunspot on Arakko the whole time?” This series makes my subscription worth it.

It is WILD how this Unlimited series is doing a LOT of heavy lifting when it comes to piecing together the gaps, connective narrative tissue, continuity cohesion, and all while giving a stage to several unsung mutants.

[Jackraow21]

Now we're in New Orleans at night as an Assassins Guild member has a man named Mr. Cornillion cornered in basically in an alleyway. The assassin says Mr. Cornillion has crossed his investment partners for the last time. Mr. Cornillion says before the assassin kills him he should know that he's not Mr. Cornillion. It's Feint! She transforms into her true appearance as her partner approaches the assassin from behind. The assassin starts to ask "Who..." and the dark figure knocks the gun out of the assassin's hand saying, "Don't worry 'bout dat, mon ami..."



Another great issue which ties everything together and fills in the blanks. Confirmation that this was the project Sunspot mentions to Storm in X-Men Red. The team is now all on the same page about who is responsible for the kidnappings and Gambit and Feint have entered the story. Looking forward to next week!

Gambit! Nice. And he's still rocking the beard. Very cool.

[CGAR]

I am freakin loving this arc and Sunspot setting up basically what is X-Corps / Rescue squads is AWESOME. I hope Breevort keeps this in the next era.

[Bgred37]

Why use Gambit when he's with Rogue in the main story right now?

I still don't buy they can hide a whole island from Orchis.

[JB]

I'm hoping for lots of interaction between them and between Betsy and Thunderbird as well. I was envisioning her and John fighting back to back and they'd be a deadly duo.

My vision is coming to life...

I'm so glad we have many more weeks of this story!