Rise of the Powers of X #4 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

Things are heating up. We definitely got a bit more nuance in Xavier's betrayal of humanity and the Enigma saga is reaching what seems to be a very interesting climax.

We open with the preview pages, Rasputin furious and shocked at Xavier's murder of Rachel. She tries to kill him but is stopped/frozen by Mother Righteous after Xavier asked her if she could stop Rasputin. In exchange Xavier would release MR which he does. He then shoots Rasputin, killing her as well.

MR tells Xavier that while held captive she figured out a way to dissolve her avatar self in the WHR, allowing her to be free of his control. (We see the dissolvement happen in this week's X-Men Forever.) Xavier says MR is still useful as he goes to the control panel and crashes No-Place X into regular reality, right on the shore of Pacific Krakoa. He calls out to Orchis, knowing there would be a standing order to bring in Stasis' wife.

We now see Xavier, tied to a chair, meeting with Omega Sentinel. This connects us to FotHoX #4. Xavier tells her that he knows the A.I. are making moves against humanity. He asks her to spare mutantkind, to build them an island of their own with fences. A cage, really. OS asks him what he would do in exchange and he, looking tired, says he sees the world like no one else and that he is the ultimate sentinel.

We're now on Atlantic Krakoa as the Five resurrect Rachel. She immediately tells them that Xavier is going to do something terrible and Destiny says they already know. The scene cuts and Rachel is now back in her costume and she's hovering over the dark island. Hope and Exodus are floating with her and Hope apologizes for not telling her (about Jean's fate?) but that right now everyone needs her. Hope says Rachel needs to kick-start the Phoenix and then the Phoenix will kick Enigma's ass. All the while Rachel will return to Earth and kick Orchis' ass. Rachel agrees with the plan but says she can't get to Earth with the cavalry. Hope says she thinks they got that part covered.

Xavier is now sitting in a much more comfortable chair and OS is giving him orders. She says Orchis scientists are useful but she wants to feed only the faithful to the A.I.'s model. She tells Xavier to identify any Orchis scientists with even the slightest thought of rebellion. He does as he's told and Nimrod brutally kills the scientists. Looking sullen, Xavier asks what's next. OS says human world leaders are being surprisingly organized and orders him to do something about that. He reluctantly adds a cognitive drain to the world leaders, not enough to have them replaced but enough to render them useless. She next wants the X-Men away from Krakoa so they can finish it off once and for all. Xavier and she exchange words as he calls her out for gloating and grandstanding.

Moira is walking alone elsewhere and informs Enigma that they have Xavier and that he's selling out humanity. "No more humans." She can't believe it. Enigma says no, that Xavier knows about him and that Xavier is up to something else. Moira offers to talk to Xavier but Enigma tells her to stay away from him. She asks Enigma why he won't just ask Xavier and Enigma says he distrusts him. Enigma has been to the future and the A.I wins. He has seen it. However, that makes him wonder about all the things he can't see.

Back in the White Hot Room Rachel's team is carrying Jean as she continues to mumble "nowandforever." They lift her up onto the pyre and Rachel kisses her forehead, wishing her mom luck and saying she'll see her soon.

Hope is now speaking in front of a group which includes newly resurrected mutants that have X-training. I'm 99% sure we see Hellion. Rachel's X-Men team are there as well as Archangel, Chamber, Pixie, and at least one Cuckoo. Hope informs the group that Apocalypse is trying to protect Krakoa while being hunted. That's where they'll return to earth and engage to help. Rasputin, freshly resurrected, asks how they are communicating with earth since MR's avatar's body is dead. She also asks how they can leave the WHR and go to earth. Because no one demanded it, Sinister appears, freshly resurrected. Ugh. Rasputin grabs him by the throat but he convinces her that because he still has Doug's X-Gene he can communicate with Krakoa and that's how they know what's happening to earth Krakoa. He also says he thinks he can get the X-Men back to earth.

Apocalypse, dragging little Krakoa behind him, has returned to Pacific Krakoa the island. Sentinels are firing at him as he runs deeper into the brush of the island until he comes upon big beautiful pink flowers. One of them seems to say, "Fall is over" as it starts to open.



Omega Sentinel tells Xavier that if the X-Men succeed in destroying Sentinel City they'll need an alternative method of annihilation. Xavier, begrudgingly, tells her that he now has the nuclear codes. He says the mutants must be on the winning side for once.

We get to see Exodus going off on Sentinels while shouting righteous commands which is always fun. "May iron run molten through the streets!" as he TK shatters one of their heads. Rachel reminds him that ultimately this battle means nothing though as it's up to Phoenix. She wishes she could be there to light the fire but it has to be this way so Enigma won't see it coming.

Yeah, about that. Enigma approaches Mother Righteous who, frightened, immediately begs him not to kill her and says she'll tell him everything. Enigma's narration tells us that she does indeed tell him everything. With the dimensions Moira has now opened up to him he thinks he could "crush the bird as it emerges from its egg, but..."

[JB]

Wow! This was a great issue and the stakes are now really high. I understand better what Xavier is doing even if I don't agree with it. It makes sense, to him, to do all he can to save mutantkind and of course martyr himself.
The Dominions answering Enigma's call, telling him they will all come if Phoenix is reborn, was really spooky and exciting. This is good stuff.

[CGAR]

Beautiful art and Gillen continues to carry the narrative.

[MythicalChicken]

For real. Those that don't like this era are reading too much Duggan. This is wonderful, I have no idea what's going to happen next, and I can't wait for it.

[lefthanded]

For real. Those that don't like this era are reading too much Duggan. This is wonderful, I have no idea what's going to happen next, and I can't wait for it.

It is probably just the way Duggan writes things, but now it kind of seems like Gillen is taking all the good parts.

Duggan has Xavier act out of character randomly, while Gillen gets to show the reasons and actual plot developments.
Everything that Duggan shows poorly, Gillen gets to fully expand on it.

Is Duggan/Xavier martyr'ing himself so that Gillen/mutants gets all the glory?

[JB]

Beautiful art and Gillen continues to carry the narrative.

For real. Those that don't like this era are reading too much Duggan. This is wonderful, I have no idea what's going to happen next, and I can't wait for it.

Really great stuff. I’m very happy we have Rise carrying us to the end of the era.

[Alex.]

I wonder if the entire thing will read better after it's finished. This and forever were fun. The art is incredible and I'm extremely sad to see RB leave this book without drawing issue 5.

Edit: can we talk on how not having Wolverine in this makes everything better? I'm glad he's busy with tooth and quite far from this

[Jackraow21]

You can, but talking about Wolverine in a thread about a book he doesn’t even appear in feels a bit… not sure the right word to use here, maybe I’ll just go with “pointless”?

Really great stuff. I’m very happy we have Rise carrying us to the end of the era.

Look forward to reading it. I typically agree with your takes on books, so sounds like this one is pretty solid. Thanks.

[Alex.]

You can, but talking about Wolverine in a thread about a book he doesn’t even appear in feels a bit… not sure the right word to use here, maybe I’ll just go with “pointless”?

I... agree. I was just highlighting something positive IMO, in contrast to all the Duggan's comment

Where is Doug in all of this?

[MythicalChicken]

My suspicion is Doug will make a 9th inning appearance. He's a bit Chekov's gun at this point.

[Mormel]

Man, Kieron Gillen has been on fire. He's one of the X-Books GOATs.

[cranger]

This has gotten to Duggan levels of characters acting OOC and trying to juggle way too many ideas at once to wrap everything up. It does not help that there is now too much overlap and contradiction with the Fall part of the story, and what could be good character moments are not given any reason to happen or make it clear what it is that is at stake. There is so much nonsense magic/sci-fi stuff to just make everything happen conveniently, for all parties involved. Gillen did this kind of story way better in Once & Future.

[razzmatazz360]

Nice to have Hellion appearing in this issue

[Mutant X]

Gillen created a very complex concept to start this story but then realized he wouldn't be able to end it in 5 issues.
This issue doesn't work by itself, the motivations and actions of the characters are very weird and underdeveloped.
All explanations are in X-men Forever, which is more a glossary than a story by itself.

I think Gillen bit off more than he could chew. Just like he did in Judgment Day.

[king of hybrids]

You’d think Xavier would at least do the charade of asking what happened to the 616!Karima when Omega took over. Oh well.

I though Resurrection of Magneto made it clear that the other Dominions are freaked out by Enigma?