Credits: Written by Scott Lobdell, pencilled by Brandon Peterson, inked by Terry Austin and edited by Bob Harras.
Plot: Apocalypse climbs the cliff to one of his safehouses, his power diminished as he was pulled from his hibernation too early. His goal is to find his Horsemen and learn why they attacked members of the X-Men without his approval. As he steps inside this safehouse, he sees that Colossus, Beast, Iceman, Quicksilver, Storm and Archangel are waiting along with his unconscious Horsemen.
At the Xavier Mansion, X-Force are in detention cells, mocked up by the Danger Room (the X-Men’s equivalent of a holo-deck), dressed in official X-Men uniforms and being harangued by Jubilee before she is pulled away by Guido ‘Strong Guy’ Carosella. In the Danger Room control area, Polaris and Havok talk about how they’re the age they were when they started and have had a much harder road. In the infirmary, Psylocke considers a mercy killing on Xavier and he clings desperately to life.
Violence and trash-talk about as Apocalypse battles the X-Men whilst in an unknown location, Jean Grey is grabbed by several tentacles and robotic arms until she escapes, collapsing at the feet of Stryfe who points out that her experience matches that of an abandoned baby, grabbed by unfeeling hands. Jean asks why he’s doing this and Stryfe replies that he was about the ask the same question of her.
Back at the Mansion, government liason Val Cooper is briefing the remaining combined X-Men/X-Factor team about Stryfe and it’s pointed out that what the government and the X-Men know is almost nothing whatsoever. Val stops her briefing to ask where Bishop and Wolverine are. Rogue and Gambit dissemble a little to cover, but we then transition to Department H in Canada and we readers learn where the pair of them are. They are looking for information on Cable and are shooting their way through the dept to go get it. Bishop thanks Wolverine for the trust he’s shown him and Wolverine points out that there’s no trust, he just didn’t want to risk any of the X-Men getting caught and Bishop already has a record.
Meanwhile at the safehouse, Apocalypse temporarily bests the X-Men, including the enraged Archangel. The whole battle leaves a bad taste in Apocalypse’s mouth and he realises he’s been manipulated and that is more important than killing an unconscious foe, something he feels is unseemly. Back at the X-Mansion, Havok and Gambit bring Cannonball in and ask for any information he has about Stryfe and the Mutant Liberation Front. Sam offers to use X-Factor’s contacts to offer up a list of suspected safehouse for the MLF. He asks for pardons for his team who’ve been involved in one or two public battles, Havok counters with the chance to go get the MLF with them. Cannonball points out that it’s only his best guest, Havok counters that he’s been gone too long, best guest was always good enough for the Professor.
Back at Department H, just as Bishop and Wolverine reach the records room, Cable arrives looking for information to help him find Stryfe.
Notes: After Sinister’s departure from the plot in the last issue, now the focus gets moved to Stryfe, who is doing everything he can to out drama Darth Vader, Disney’s crown prince of dramatic themes. It sort of reminds me of Robin Hood: prince of thieves, where Alan Rickman plays the Sheriff of Nottingham as if he’s in a different flm. With one X-Team being successful, the other has it’s a**e handed to it by an Apocalypse who can barely stand, before he too gets interested in what’s going on. The issue is split between the quieter moments where the Mansion is taking a breath from the breakneck pace of the first few parts and the battle with Apocalypse. In between those pieces are the beginnings of whatever Stryfe’s endgame is, which seems to be some kind of thematic revenge on Scott and Jean, readers of the time had already had a guess or two about what was happening there, I know I had.
Nothing pivotal is happening here, it’s very much a moving the pieces along so we can get to something later, but it’s the small moments that I enjoy most. Psylocke considering euthanasia is one and the other is Wolverine and Bishop bonding a little before the introduction of Cable in a scene that’s dripping with french farce energy. It’s not hard to guess that the next issue will open with a fight.
Verdict: Writing 3 out of 5 – Solid writing carries the story forward, but the momentum has slowed from the previous issue, part of the usual ebb and flow of a crossover of this length. The writing is snappier and at times more glib, but usually when it serves the main story. The banter between Bishop and Wolverine is a welcome change and feels very Wolverine in it’s manner.
Art: 3 out of 5 – Facial expressions are Peterson’s strength here as everyone emotes incredibly well and when the dialogue feels less than authentic, the visuals more than pick up the ball. The biggest problem is a little on the inconsistency side, but it does exactly what it needs to.
Overall: 6 out of 10 – From the purple prose of Apocalypse’s climb to the sitcom-esque ending, this issue goes all over the map, but the change in tone does feel more organic and allows the crossover to shift gears without derailing.
Next Time: Scarlet Spider Unlimited – I know, I’m not optimistic either
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