Recap
The X-Men emerge from the stargate and are immediately confronted by a cavalcade of aliens who may or may not be their enemies until Cyclops almost instantly abandons any attempt at diplomacy. This issue is almost entirely one long expository fight scene and the X-Men are massively outnumbered. Fortunately Corsair and the Starjammers show up to bail them out, but even their combined numbers aren’t enough to stop the Mad Emperor D’Ken.
Senseless Space Battle
Cyclops acts extremely out of character in jumping straight into attack mode rather than attempting a conversation with Gladiator.
On the plus side, it does give Nightcrawler an opportunity to pull a great move and there’s an interesting moment where the reader discovers that Nightcrawler is already considering getting rid of the image inducer entirely. Nightcrawler also gets a swashbuckler’s chance to save the damsel in distress when he manages to teleport Lilandra to safety, discovering in the act that it is possible to teleport with another person.
Meanwhile Wolverine is busy being Wolverine which in this era equals crass reactionary anger.
(Mad) Emperor D’Ken and the M’Kraan Crystal
Now we finally see the ultimate plan that has been driving the plot since Xavier’s nightmares began and Erik the Red aka Davan Shakari made his first appearance. Turns out D’Ken has been searching for the M’Kraan Crystal which is described as a portal that grants the user absolute power. When Lilandra opposed his plan he declared her a traitor and has now summoned a soul-drinker as her executioner. Despite the X-Men’s best efforts, the portal opens as the issue ends.
Corsair and the Starjammers
The arrival of Corsair kicks off a lot of trauma and confusion for Cyclops. Jean Grey foreshadows some of it in her reaction to mind scanning Corsair. For now, however, the reader knows very little about them except that they showed up in the 11th hour to help level the playing field.
Side Note Confessional
Okay, I’m just going to come out with my possibly unpopular opinion: I don’t like X-Men in space. My justification: as soon as characters not originated/based in space enter that setting the entire plot tends to become about the setting rather than character. This issue is undoubtedly well executed and handles a lot of exposition and an extended fight extremely deftly, but it’s not really my cup of tea. So you’ll have to bear with me while I gut my way through getting our heroes back to terra firma.
MVP: I’m giving it to Nightcrawler. His brilliant use of the image inducer plus his rescue of Lilandra were pretty crucial to keeping them in the fight long enough for Corsair to swoop in.
Benchwarmer: Colossus was pretty background after an attempt to act as a shield for Nightcrawler.
Rating – 4/5 – It did an impressive job of giving relevant backstory, introducing a boatload of new characters, and still moving the plot forward. I also have to tip my hat to artist Dave Cockrum for some incredible alien and costume designs!
Loose Threads: Wolverine’s Canadian origins, Illyana Rasputin, Mikhail Rasputin, Krakoa, Count Nefaria, Black Tom Cassidy, the Juggernaut, Stephen Lang, Phoenix, Magneto, Christopher/Corsair and the Starjammers, Mutant X, Havok and Polaris (dead?), the M’Kraan Crystal
Next up: And Now – Armageddon! (Again!)
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