Join us, Brothers and Sisters ! Uncanny X-Men #28 H-Spoilers / Review

[People Of The Earth]

Heavy Spoilers:

- The issue start with Cyclops and Magik taking with them Matthew for a ride, while the SHIELD people emerge from the wreckage of their helicarrier, helplessly watching them disappear. Maria Hill is out of idea on how to stop the both of them now that they are gone.

- Back in JGS, Beast appears profoundly affected by the indifference of every single government and world powers in 616, let alone every other super-teams he could think of. Scott Summers was RIGHT! More bad news for him when he learns from Ororo that said Summers took-off with Matthew Malloy lord knows where. Beast too, admit being out of idea, this time about how to deal with this situation without further destruction and death.

- Cyclops and MM are both atop a mountain, alone. First odd remark of Scott while talking of experiencing the world when you are and know mutants, “all of this is ours because we have the power to make it ours”. The location also has the advantage to be isolated from civilian populations (hikers notwithstanding). Cyclops offers Malloy the opportunity to read his mind.

- We see a flashback of Scott meeting Xavier in his orphanage, and how he is grateful for his help – the man gave him a purpose, a family with the X-Men and basically saved his life.

- As memories succeed, we see various iterations of the X-Men: O5, ANAD, TAS…always there to uphold the message of Xavier: fight for the ideal of mutants and humans (i.e. sapiens) to live together in harmony. BUT…

- The humans (i.e. sapiens) still hated mutants, despite said efforts (anti-mutant strike in front of the Capitol to illustrate). They hated mutants on a cellular level even (second frown-inducing remark from Summers). Why are the Avengers adored for saving the world when the X-Men are loathed for it? Yet, because they were taught to rise above this kind of comportment, the X-Men kept fighting the good fights (as in Magneto wrecking into havoc earlier anti-mutant strike). Fighting other mutants if necessary (illustrated with the Utopia team). At the end of the day though, Cyclops thinks Xavier may have been WRONG.

- If Xavier was right, the world would be better, the humans would trust mutants…but it’s not the case. When Malloy ask Scott what to do about that, he tells him they have to rise up. And when he asked him to do what, the answer is “to take our place”, angrily… Then Scott goes on basically to do a speech-lite version of Genesis’ Axis #6 own speech. Malloy is confused about what Scott wants from him and what he want to take. Scott tries to calm him down but it’s too late, Malloy is freaked out and is about to lose control again.

- He remembers the innocents he just killed earlier today. Scott makes a desperate plea about the two of them going to balance out his karmic debt, and how he can help Matthew…if he joins Scott’s revolution. It further freaks out Malloy who states that he doesn’t want to be used to scare the humans (i.e. sapiens), but Scott tells him that he’s gonna scare them anyway... (so...join?)

- Apocalypse, Jean Grey, Onslaught/ Franklin Richards, Madelyne Pryor, David Haller, Magneto, Wanda Maximoff, Scott Summers… All cautionary tales about power consuming people. Malloy can avoid such fates though.

- Summers tries to guide Malloy into controlling his power, as he’s his “brother” (third weird remark) but it’s too late and Malloy just rips apart the mountain. Magik manages to teleport Scott to safety moment before.

- Cyclops tells her he will persevere and try and save him, refuses to involve Emma despite Illyana’ suggestion and want to go back to the man immediately while she figures out a magic way to heal (?) their new brother. Magik takes note of this sudden “brotherhood” and decides to give him one last shot before pulling out the mission, asking him if it’s possible that Xavier was RIGHT about Matthew after all ?

- Scott is back with Matthew, detailing him how they’re gonna help him, train him, give him a focus and purpose and how he’ll be able then to use his powers to balance out the accidental deaths he caused. And how he will feel good, and whole and well thanks to that. Scott goes on another round about how Matthew will make a lot of folks reconsider their ways of treating mutants, his people, once Matthew becomes a capable trained mutant. When Matthew asks him how far he’s willing to take him scaring the hell out of humans (i.e. sapiens), he simply answers “as far as we have to, dismissing the eventuality of things escalating too much”. Matthew insists: what if things do escalate though?

- Magneto concur. He’s heard enough and declares Scott has gone too far and he won’t let it go any further.

Review:

Well, not a Magneto/Cyclops issue, but a Cyclops/Malloy issue.
How misleading.

The issue was half-decent comparatively to all the other LWAT issues, mainly because we get to see the interaction between the two prodigal sons of Xavier...
It was interesting to see the parallel between Scott and Matthew, at least, the semblance of and how Scott really relates to what Matthew is going through.
Not surprised about Scott trying to recruit Malloy into his revolution, I thought so already since the last issue.
What I was surprised by was him adopting a "do whatever it takes" stance though, for mutantkind to "take its rightful place" ala Genesis/Apocalypse.
And how the entire population of sapiens is reduced to "they hate us" without any kind of nuance...How simplistic.
The arc is set before the whole Axis business, there's no Inversion at play here, so it's pretty telling on his current state of mind. Magik evidencing it was nice.
To the point I'm actually wondering if he wasn't phoning in Genesis' speech in Axis #6 today...

I don't know how the story will play out with Magneto in the coming issue, but the fact that he appeared on the very last page of the book when being promoted on the front cover of it was a strange joke to make to his fans, and people who were expecting an issue heavy on his presence...
Also, I don't see how Bendis is not trolling the gold side at this point, the scene with Beast was just ridiculous. There's a dozen of characters that Hank has on speed-dial that would jump-in without any kind of hesitation to help him if he asked, the "woe, everyone in the whole world abandoned us" is over the top non-sense...
Even with the Avengers being off-world.

Anyway, the issue was not heavy on the action, personnally I didn't mind, but I know it will be annoying for some readers.
Still not convinced Anka's on his A-game, I know he can do better than that.
Some panels were really good though, the ones with the various incarnations of the X-Men actually.

[norj]

So Beast thinks that whenever the X-men call Avengers Mansion everyone hides under the table and have Jarvis lie about them being off world?

[nx01a]

>The cover should be for the next issue, I'd think.
>Beast was far too over-the-top. I can't believe that no one wants to touch this situation. It IS nice to see him finally come to terms with his own stupidity and ineffectiveness. Learn humility, fool.
>Scott's going waaaaaaaay too far down the garden path here. This is the same guy who was talking to human pro-mutant supporters about tolerance and working together not so long ago. This Xavier thing really is getting to him.
>Anka is a breath of fresh air.
cyc1.jpg
>Nice bits of X-history here. X-Tinction Agenda, Dark Phoenix Saga, Onslaught, Inferno, AvX Dark Cyclops, Legion Quest, Psycho Bitch, Magneto from 1991's X-Men #1.
cyc2.jpg
>Magik: the voice of reason. I will always love you, Illyana. Bendis is doing right by you, after all.
cyc3.jpg
>The deeper we get into this story, the more I think that the only way out is to convince Matthew to shut down his powers, leave Earth, or pull a Legion and erase himself. He's dangerously unstable and even Cyclops isn't going to turn this one into a win.
>Really enjoyed the issue but this book needs to be twice monthly.

[ImprobableQuestion]

Great. Now Cyclops has destroyed my favorite National Landmark

[nx01a]

Great. Now Cyclops has destroyed my favorite National Landmark

I think the spirals greatly add to its aesthetic value.

[ImprobableQuestion]

I think the spirals greatly add to its aesthetic value.

I like how Magneto is somehow able to find them before the Park Rangers, who are likely soiling themselves.

[AcesX1X]

So Beast thinks that whenever the X-men call Avengers Mansion everyone hides under the table and have Jarvis lie about them being off world?

he would know, he is one of them after all. they probably did drill practice while he was being their pet clown all those years.

[Bafflement]

Bendis had Cyclops reference Legion? He's really no good at this continuity thing, is he?

[nx01a]

I like how Magneto is somehow able to find them before the Park Rangers, who are likely soiling themselves.

Illyana probably brought Magneto. She's obviously the smartest mutant around.

[AcesX1X]

if magneto gets in the way then he can suffer the consequence with the rest of them.

[nx01a]

This issue shows that Matthew is nowhere near under control. Cyclops spouting rhetoric at him isn't helping. Mags might be able to help Scott tone it down a bit before Matthew gets overwhelmed even more and turns the western hemisphere into pretty spirals extending into space.

[just another user]

Bendis had Cyclops reference Legion? He's really no good at this continuity thing, is he?

That's not Bendis's job, that's what editors are for. Please retract your hurtful accusation.

[People Of The Earth]

Illyana probably brought Magneto. She's obviously the smartest mutant around.

That's a good hypothesis, I don't think Magneto has the power to fly all the way to wherever he was before up to where Malloy and Summers were. Unless his use of MGH is more casual than we were shown.

[AgentFelix]

The Anka spread of the X-Villains was great. The way he captured the style of the original artists was spectacular

[nx01a]

Bendis had Cyclops reference Legion? He's really no good at this continuity thing, is he?

That's not Bendis's job, that's what editors are for. Please retract your hurtful accusation.

Legion didn't just erase himself from existence, he retroactively erased himself from history? I didn't know that was how far it extended.