X-Force #10: The Ethics of Gardening Your Enemy Before They Garden You

Without necessarily getting into a larger discussion about “Dawn of X,” it’s safe to say that X-Force #10 gives readers the best and worst of Marvel’s current X-periment with its merry mutants. For the former, it’s an exciting, genre-bending romp that puts Wolverine, Domino, Kid Omega, Black Tom, Jean Grey, and Sage into some weird circumstances with no real precedent. On the downside, we have several characters acting very out of character and a further extension of the notion that Krakoa is something akin to a giant orgy.

Let’s get into the pros first, though. Because on the whole, this was a very solid issue. The idea that Beast did something in defense of Krakoa/mutantkind that might have been… ethically questionable isn’t necessarily something new, but the fact that he’s willing to justify his actions that have grown into an extreme threat by using the old “ends justifying the means” trope says a lot about were Hank’s head is at these days. It’s interesting (though not wholly original), but may turn some readers off. Under Jonathan Hickman’s reign, the X-Men have definitely moved further toward Magneto’s way of thinking than behaved in more traditional superhero roles. I remain convinced we’re viewing an alternate timeline that will ultimately default to a more traditional setting by the time it’s all said and done, so for now, it’s an interesting spin on everyone’s favorite mutants’ traditional roles.

The idea of the “green death” that Beast let loose on Terra Verde (“green land”) is a fun one, and one unique to X-lore. It also lets Black Tom Cassidy let loose a bit in his current role as chief Krakoa security officer, step off the island, and show what he can do. Writer Benjamin Percy’s ongoing examination of Cassidy’s slipping mental state has been the most fun anyone’s had with the character in years, and it adds an exciting new player to the Krakoan hierarchy.

As for the bad… well, like I said, for some it could definitely be off-putting to see our merry mutants running around murdering folks outside their traditional roles. This certainly isn’t the first time it’s happened, though this is the first time (to my knowledge) an X-Force squad’s kill-first-ask-questions-later policies has been officially sanctioned by the main team – Xavier included. It’s a stark break from tradition, and speaks volumes to just how different the current timeline is from what readers know. Some readers will be able to get behind that, others won’t.

And, it must be said, there’s a lot of sex happening on Krakoa. Like, a lot. For all intents an purposes, the X-Men seem to have turned into a sort of free-love cult, and that gets hammered home this issue:

And, ah, more happens after that.

Readers of a more conservative mindset will probably flinch at this development. They’re entitled to their opinions, but many others are going to see this as a welcome and fun development. It reveals character growth for both Wolverine and Colossus, and takes their relationship in whole new levels. This ain’t no innuendo.

Joshua Cassara is one heck of an artist, and shines throughout X-Force #10. He resembles Leinil Yu in places, but with softer linework as necessary. Simply put, Percy has a fantastic partner-in-crime for a terrific comic. X-Force remains one of the most consistently entertaining “Dawn of X” books, and issues like this are why.