Age of Apocalypse Turns 30 Part 10: The Penultimates Part 1

The 30th anniversary look at Age of Apocalypse continues (even if it’s now technically 31).

X-Man #4

W: Jeph Loeb | P: Steve Skroce | I: Bud LaRosa | C: Mike Thomas & Digital Chameleon | L: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

ESSENTIAL – (Continued in part from Factor X #3) Apocalypse rages as Shadow King reports that Domino failed to capture or kill the mysterious telepath while at the same time elsewhere, Nate is unleashing a fury of energy upon Sinister. During a brief pause in the fight after Sinister shows off his ability to heal from Nate’s attacks, Sinister reveals Nate’s origins–how he was engineered from the DNA of Cyclops and Jean Grey  before Cyclops unwittingly helped him escape. Nate’s reason for being, according to Sinister, is to kill Apocalypse. Enraged, Nate unleashes enough power to kill Sinister. He says goodbye to Soaron and Theresa and flies off in search of the X-Men. Along the way, he has a vision of Apocalypse torturing Magneto. Nate flies off to Apocalypse’s citadel, arriving during the chaos of those in the pens being exterminated. Nate runs into the fleeing Cyclops and Jean Grey, and the trio share a brief, strange moment where Jean and Nate realize a connection between them. Rather than stay with them, though, Nate flies off on a collision course with Apocalypse.

At least Sinister is consistent. Two universes and he’s obsessed with Jean and Scott in both of them. Plus the whole killing Apocalypse thing. Sinister isn’t much of a character here, though. He was developed nicely in Factor X #1, but in X-Man he’s more of a device to set Nate in motion. Sinister gets Nate to use his powers and then exposits on Nate’s origin and his plans for the young man.

X-Man is unique among Age of Apocalypse titles in that it is completely divorced from the event’s major. Its connection to Apocalypse is tangential, limited to the encounter with Dominio. And though there is a backstory connecting Forge to Magneto, the series isn’t linked to anything Magneto and the X-Men have going on. If not for Sinister’s big mouth, Nate would have no motivation to abandon his friends and seek out Apocalypse. Indeed, X-Man is essentially wrapped up at the three-quarter mark of X-Man #4. From there Nate becomes Factor X adjacent on his way to X-Men Omega.

Nate’s encounter with Jean and Cyclops is kind of a must-happen moment. A flash of energy between Nate and Jean will impact how the Jean/Cyclops storyline unfolds in Factor X, but there isn’t much more to it than that. All Loeb really does with the scene is have the three characters give voice to the vague idea that they’re all connected. This ultimately matters more when Nate crashes into the original timeline and his unconscious attempt to reach out to his Jean Grey resurrects Madelyne Pryor.

Skroce’s style continues to develop over the course of his time on X-Man. Sinister’s appearance here versus X-Man #19 when Nate finally encounters him in the main timeline offers a look at how Skroce’s work has evolved over time. By then, Sinister looks closer to Apocalypse as seen here.

My labeling this issue as essential notwithstanding, X-Man isn’t critical to the larger events of Age of Apocalypse. In some ways it’s more important for what’s to come once Age of Apocalypse is over. That said, Nate’s presence in X-Men Omega is considerably enriched by familiarity with this series. Additionally, the story of heroes that in other circumstances we would consider terrorists is a worthwhile point of view.

Factor X #4

W: John Francis Moore | P: Steve Epting with Terry Dodson | I: Al Milgrom | C: Glynis Oliver | L: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

(Continued in part from X-Man #4) Alex sends the Guthrie siblings, the Bedlam Brothers, and McCoy to kill everyone in the pens while he searches for Cyclops. Elsewhere, Jean and Cyclops flee Apocalypse’s forces. Jean finds that her powers have been enhanced since her encounter with Nate. Cyclops and Jean run into the Bedlam Brothers but convince them (rather easily) to turn on Alex and his other forces. The quartet splits up with Cyclops and Jean heading for Apocalypse’s brain trust–disemboied telepathic brains that keep the prisoners in the pens from using their powers while the Bedlam Brothers go off to cause general mischief. Meanwhile, a squad of Infinites invades Heaven to take Warren into custody. He flees through a secret exit. Back in the pens, Cyclops and Jean take out the brain trust which allows the prisoners to fight back. Elsewhere in the citadel, Havok confronts Scarlet, discovering not only that she is a member of the human resistance but that she is also pregnant with his child. Down in the pens, Cyclops and Jean change their plans to help all the prisoners escape from Apocalypse’s forces. Havok surprises the two of them, and after a knock down, drag out fight, Cyclops knocks his brother out but resists killing him. Cyclops, Jean, and the prisoners continue their exodus.

Factor X #4 does a good job setting up the expectation that Apocalypse’s regime is about to crumble. The action only takes place in the pens, which is a far sight removed from Apocalypse’s citadel. But with the Human High Council’s attack looming and Magneto’s plan to rewrite history in progress, everything seems arrayed against Apocalypse. The Bedlam Brothers changing sides emphasizes this even more. Even Angel’s escape from arrest makes it feel like Apocalypse’s forces are losing control everywhere.

It’s nice to see the meeting with Nate followed up on as well.

Havok’s monumental hypocrisy comes home to roost here as he finds out that Scarlet is pregnant. It’s satisfying to see him brought down a peg by the whole thing.

Cyclops and Jean may be inseparable in any universe (at least in the nineties), but it’s nice that Moore never builds a romantic connection between them. For one thing, there isn’t really space for it. Nor does this fast paced rush to free the prisoners in the pens feel like the right place for such a subplot. The lack of a romantic connection between these two also validates the emotional connection between Logan and Jean–she didn’t leave Logan just to immediately fall in with the guy who blasted Logan’s hand off.

Factor X is a lot of fun. In some ways it’s just four issues of flavor. The storylines that run through the series don’t pertain to any of the big picture issues. The biggest plotline is the rivalry between Havok and Cyclops. It’s a bit melodramatic because Havok is so over the top. Even so, it’s an enjoyable read, especially as Havok’s life comes crashing down a little at the end.

X-Calibre #4

W: Warren Ellis | P: Ken Lashley | I: Tom Wegrzyn with Philip Moy | C: Joe Rosas | L: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

Destiny, Doug, and the newly named X-Calibre (Kurt, Mystique, Switchback, and Damask) assess the damage in Avalon. X-Calibre tries hard to convince Destiny to come back with them to execute Magneto’s plan. Before anything can be decided, though, the Shadow King takes over multiple mutants in Avalon, attacking not just the team and Destiny, but setting about destroying Avalon itself. When Doug continues to resist helping Magneto, defending his adoptive mother for creating and refusing to leave Avalon, the members of X-Calibre forcefully push back on him, telling him how the dream of coexistence they found in Avalon might have been furthered if they hadn’t hidden away and ignored the world. At that moment, Shadow King invades Mystique’s mind. Kurt, Damask, and Switchback are able to combine their powers to expel Shadow King and effectively lobotomize him. The last of his thralls attempts to kill Destiny, but she is saved by Doug who jumps in the way of the power blast. With Doug dead and Avalon destroyed, Destiny agrees to go back with X-Calibre and help destroy Apocalypse.

X-Calibre #4 is weirdly low stakes when all is said and done. The Shadow King invades Avalon via a whole bunch of people he takes over. It sounds dangerous, but it largely boils down to mutants we don’t care about being taken over to kill mutants and humans we don’t care about in Avalon which we also don’t care about. It’s not until the end of the issue that Shadow King takes over one of the heroes.

We finally learn what Switchback’s powers are. She describes her ability as being able to shunt herself backward on her own timeline. It’s demonstrated here early in the issue when she says she felt a headache coming on so she slid backward on her timeline ten seconds which ended up relieving her of the headache. Mystique, diplomat that she is, threatens to kill Switchback if she uses her powers again without warning. It’s later revealed that the headache was the Shadow King trying to gain control of her.

Unlike many of the other characters invented for the Age of Apocalypse, there has never been a Switchback equivalent. It’s really too bad. Switchback herself is inconsequential here. Ellis doesn’t develop her at all. But the power is fascinating and would have been interesting to explore further.

The strength of X-Calibre #4 is really the argument between Kurt and Doug. It’s interesting on multiple levels. The most basic is the indictment of Doug and Destiny for hiding away, their heads in the sand, rather than help the wider world in some way–especially since the two of them are so focused on humans and mutants coexisting in peace. The interesting thing is that Kurt is the one who is making the argument–Kurt who, in the previous issue, found Cain’s story about his brother who believed in these very things laughable. And layered on top of all of that is that Kurt is there, very grudgingly, to bring Destiny back to confirm Bishop’s story that the world as it’s supposed to be is one where that very coexistence is possible. Of course, I’m likely finding layers of meaning that Ellis didn’t intend. Either way, it’s interesting within the context of this series that Kurt is the one making this argument.

X-Calibre is probably the second most skippable series after Generation Next. But the story here is fairly engaging, and there is good character development in Kurt and Mystique. The art is somewhat forgettable in the pantheon of Age of Apocalypse series. That’s not to say it’s bad by any means–it just doesn’t stand out especially.

Generation Next #4

W: Scott Lobdell | P: Chris Bachalo | I: Mark Buckingham | C: Steve Buccellato & Electric Crayon | L: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

Mondo is hiding Illyana inside himself as he tries to surreptitiously get out of the core. Unbeknownst to him, Sugar Man has Skin, Vincente, Husk, and Chamber cornered elsewhere. The four students are able to escape. Mondo tries to leave the core only to be killed by Sugar Man. Colossus arrives at that moment, helping to free his students before saving Illyana from Sugar Man. Shadowcat, phased inside Colossus during his attack, extricates herself and joins the fight. She urges Colossus on, intending to go back for the students. Colossus, insisting that their responsibility is to rescue Illyana, insists that Shadowcat leave the students behind. Once they get Illyana to safety, Shadowcat starts back to help the students. Colossus sends Shadowcat on with Illyana, insisting that he will help their students. He makes his way back to the door protecting the core from the outside and pulls it slightly open. He sees the students under siege, on the verge of being overwhelmed, and allows the door to close with his students trapped inside. He leaves the core and catches up with Shadowcat and Illyana, reporting that their students are dead. Unknown to everyone, a miniaturized Sugar Man is hiding in Colossus’s boot.

Generation Next #4’s story feels rushed and disjointed. Issues two and three progressed so little that this issue couldn’t help but shove in as much narrative as possible. Unfortunately this means that there is virtually no payoff to any of the setup. The students’ stealth entrance to the core amounts to very little in the end. The Sugar Man himself turns out to be little more than a null threat–Colossus effectively dispatches him with a single pounce while the true danger comes from the Sugar Man’s various minions.

Lobdell tries to inject some drama into Mondo’s rescue of Illyana. What should be a simple rescue is complicated by Illyana’s insistence that they must also rescue a friend of hers. There is a humanity to this little story component, but it comes off very much like filler, especially given how much space is devoted to it. Mondo’s story thread already has a sense of urgency and danger because he can only keep Illyana inside himself so long before he starts digesting her..

Colossus’s singular focus on Illyana has been set up over the past two issues. It’s almost an obsession in this series, and it culminates in tragedy here. Colossus doesn’t so much as sacrifice his students for the good of the mission as he does purposely let them die because of what his sister means to him. Shadowcat twice urges him to save them. The first time Colossus basically brushes her off and the second he simply leaves them for dead when he sees how much trouble they’re in. Colossus is not a hero by the end of this series. It’s arguable whether he ever was. He is a selfish man–maybe even a coward. He uses Illyana to give up any responsibility for his charges.

In the light of Colossus’ story arc in the series, the use of the student characters comes across as manipulative. Husk, Chamber, Vincente, and Skin accomplish almost nothing over the course of their entry into the core. They feel like plot devices, existing for no other reason than to set up Colossus’s failure to save them.

Generation Next is my least favorite Age of Apocalypse series. Bachalo’s art is the strongest aspect in my opinion. There is virtually no character development beyond Colossus. The story itself drags through the middle two issues and as crafted seems to mainly be setting up Colossus’s selfish actions at the end. As far as skippable series go, I’d rank this one at the top of the list.

Opening quotations: https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/x-men-age-of-apocalypse-oral-marvel-history-25-years-later