Rise of the Powers of X #3 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

Holy moly.

We open with the preview pages, young Moira reflecting on how she's been careful (not to die) thus far in her 10th life as she's about to reach age 13. She has plans. Xavier. Magneto. Together. Mutant solidarity. She walks down to a meadow and finds Xavier sitting on a bench. Immediately she realizes he must be there for one reason on the day her powers activate. He says he wants to talk to her one last time as he points a gun a futuristic looking pistol at her.

In the present, Enigma has approached Moira and they start communicating. Moira asks him if she's met him before. He disappears because Omega Sentinel arrives. Moira says she'll be right with her. Enigma now communicates by dropping letters at her feet. He tells her that she has never met him but Omega Sentinel. "In fact, I brought her here." Wow! Enigma was the Trickster Titan that brought OS to the current reality.



Moira asks him why he wants her to join him and he says if she does he'll be able to travel to the timelines of her previous lives. Without her he's trapped inside the current timeline. He says regardless he can help assist Nimrod's present AI uprising. Moira asks what's in it for her.

No-Place X is being attacked by those zombie looking Sentinels again and Rasputin is fighting them. She tells "Doug" to hurry up because the Sentinels are starting to breach. He needs more time as the tendrils he uses to move NPX have to grow. Rachel says they all need time, that Xavier needs to finish his mission with Moira. Mother Righteous says she can get them all out of there if they release her but Rasputin tells Rachel to ignore what she says. A Sentinel's hand breaches NPX.

Young Moira questions why Xavier is doing this, asking if Krakoa doesn't work. He tells her that she betrays them, convinced them all to be fools. He knows what he's throwing away by killing her but he has to. He thought he could have a family, thought he could be loved, thought he could have both. But he was mistaken and now he's making a choice. He says the dream must go on without him and, finally, the world will go on with her. Young Moira is on the ground now with Xavier standing over her.

The Sentinel is about to grab Doug/Sinister so he activates a shield making himself untouchable. Rasputin slashes through the Sentinel just in time and Doug/Sinister is able to get NPX finally moving. Rasputin is about to ask how he created that shield around him and he reveals the red diamond on his forehead. He tries to explain but she immediately bolts into the portal Xavier went through to get to Moira, saying they have to abort any plan that Sinister is a part of. As she runs in she says they have to stop Xavier from killing Moira, which of course shocks the heck out of Rachel.

Young Moira says there must be another way, that killing a child can't be the answer. Xavier says unfortunately it is, the other path is way worse. He fires and Rasputin blocks the shot just in time. She demands he get away from young Moira and says they can't follow Sinister's plan. Xavier says it's his plan and that he has neither the time nor patience to explain himself. He tosses small red diamonds that morph into monster Sinister's to keep Rasputin busy while he goes after young Moira. He catches up to her and is about to fire again when Rachel telepathically yells in his mind. She says before he does this her team wants to talk about the dream. "About Krakoa. What it means. Why you can't wipe it away, no matter what, and especially like this. Listen..."

Xavier remains still and silent as Rachel tells him something. He then lowers his head saying she doesn't know what she's asking of him but he agrees to not destroy Krakoa and try to save mutantkind the other way. He tells young Moira that he hopes she makes the right decision in end, that she thinks of something other than herself. He says something to her telepathically that we don't see/hear then says she'll forget all that just happened. He tells Rasputin that he has much to explain and he regrets all of this, but they must cover their tracks. Rasputin reluctantly agrees, saying yes they must remove the mistake and go. They leave together and young Moira starts running in the meadow again.

We get a data page, conversation between current Moira and Enigma.



She agrees and opens up a port for him. She says, "now what" and it seems that he integrates her into him. We get some great art panels as she joins the Dominion. Her eyes have what looks like swirling galaxies in them. She comes back to reality as Omega Sentinel approaches saying they need her. Moira says she has good news, that a Dominion has made contact and wants to help them.

Back in No-Place X Sinister is annoyed that Xavier didn't kill young Moira. Rasputin is like enough is enough. Xavier tells her not to do it because they need Sinister and she's like really, like how Krakoa needed him? Xavier is like fine, do it. Rasputin kills Doug/Sinister, running her sword through him. Rasputin feels shame that killing him felt good. Xavier says sometimes feeling shame is necessary. Rachel says he's damn right and asks how he could have tried to do what he almost did. He says it was the best option they had, that the alternative is much worse. So much worse and more unlikely.

Xavier: But you win. We will try it.
Rachel: We resurrect the Phoenix. It'll work. I know it will.
Xavier, behind her: Rachel, I know it's late for this, but you should know...

[Askani's Flame]

Are you f*+@king kidding me?!?!

[Bgred37]

He's killing Rachel as a way to access WHR/Phoenix is my theory.

[IN-a-Synch]

Click Click Boom!!!

[Luckystar.]

Yeah, I'm ready for this to end already. Stuff happens, but it feels like the story doesn't progress at all.

[DarkMagnus]

so Xavier is Traitor X and Moira will be Prisioner X

so "Xavier dream"

[JB]

He's killing Rachel as a way to access WHR/Phoenix is my theory.

I've heard a similar theory elsewhere and it may be on track. That he did this to jumpstart the Phoenix resurrection.

[Ilargi]

so Xavier is Traitor X and Moira will be Prisioner X

so "Xavier dream"

I believe the traitor and the prisoner are the same person.I mean he is a prisoner for being the traitor, right?

It's pretty obvious that it's Xavier, so either they reveal something darker than what's going on here or it's going to be a bit meh.

[CGAR]

Yeah, I'm ready for this to end already. Stuff happens, but it feels like the story doesn't progress at all.

We reach the half-way point of Rise of Powers of X, which is basically the end of the first movement, before exploding into the second half. It's one of my favourite sorts of issues – fundamentally rotating around someone(s) making a decision or not. The character stuff. There's a lot of sci-fi coating in this, obviously, but conceptually (as a sequel/reflection to PoX) it had to come down to the people: Moira and Xavier, talking, seeing where they've come from and where they're going to.

Kieron Gillen on the mid point of his RotPoX mini.

[Souther]

I thought it was an excellent issue and brought back some of the necessary connections to what Hickman was setting up all the way back, so I'm glad we got more Xavier and Moira content with nuance. That cliffhanger though...!

[JB]

I thought it was an excellent issue and brought back some of the necessary connections to what Hickman was setting up all the way back, so I'm glad we got more Xavier and Moira content with nuance. That cliffhanger though...!

I enjoyed it too and all the new implications it offers. So Enigma sent Omega Sentinel back and is in cahoots with Moira X. We know that Enigma needed Krakoa to happen so Sinister could make his Dominion attempt. Could it be that we'll learn Moira X/Moira, being in cahoots with Enigma, pushed for the inclusion of Sinister and the DNA database, and pushed for Krakoa, on behalf of Enigma? What a puzzle.

[HomoSuperior]

He's killing Rachel as a way to access WHR/Phoenix is my theory.

If that’s Forge’s neutralizer he’s not killing her. He’s shutting down her X-gene (and connection to Phoenix). Also, Forge’s neutralizer isn’t permanent; Storm got better.

But with Rachel and her chrono powers shut down, what happens to Dead X-Men who she is helping hop around?

[cranger]

Charles planted a trojan memory in Moira who will become part of the Dominion and fight against it once awakened. Sending the Phoenix after the Dominion would ruin the plan.

This was better than it should be with all of the unnecessary connections (and sloppy retcons) to Hickman's plots. I can ignore those mistakes because I think Gillen really delivers on the confrontation between Charles and Moira.

[MythicalChicken]

This issue was awesome, and it's the first time in a while I had no idea what was going to happen next.

[danielsan52]

I didn't read, but I thought that was Rusty Collins, not Rachel.