The Camel’s Back
Credits: Fabian Nicieza (wrtier), Andy Kubert (penciler), Mark Pennington (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer) Joe Rosas (colorist)
Summary
Havok and Psylocke stop Reaper, and the rest of the MLF are soon defeated. Storm hopes that the MLF will have info on Stryfe. In Canada, Cable teleports with Bishop and Wolverine to Graymalkin. Elsewhere, Stryfe mockingly feeds Cyclops like a baby before deciding that it’s time to confront Apocalypse. Zero teleports him to Egypt, where he easily defeats the Dark Riders and faces Apocalypse.
Gimmicks
This is part seven of the X-Cutioner’s Song crossover. It comes polybagged with a MLF trading card. On the back, Stryfe says that their cause never meant anything to him.
"Huh?" Moment
Stryfe force-feeding Cyclops mush and baby food has to be seen to be believed.
Continuity Notes
It’s established that former New Mutants Rusty and Skids were brainwashed into joining the MLF.
Rogue is blinded by MLF member Strobe, leading to a subplot that lasts for a few issues.
Stryfe implies for the first time that he was raised by Apocalypse.
Review
X-Cutioner’s Song is now past the halfway point and it’s starting to drag. It is fun to see the various X-teams have a giant fight scene with the MLF, but it’s a diversion from the main story that goes on for too long. There’s really no reason for this fight to take up two issues when it easily could’ve been finished in less than one. It’s not as if the MLF are a credible threat against three united X-teams in the first place. The plot does begin to pick up when Stryfe makes a move against Apocalypse, dropping even more non-subtle clues about his origin. Some of the mysteries from X-Force are starting to get resolved, which was exciting at the time.
4 comments:
Has it been established what Stryfe's powers are at this point? The Dark Riders may not be the most imposing characters but he does take them out pretty easily.
Boomer's comment on Psylocke's posing was pretty funny. You have to wonder if Nicieza called for a pose in the script or just couldn't resist a gag when he saw one.
Didn't the three x-ladies take out Dragoness last issue? Those pages could have been spent much better on further plot developments or an extended baby food scene with Cyclops and Stryfe. Three panels just isn't enough! "Little boy enjoy his dinner?" Magneto never stooped that low. That Stryfe is one bad mofo, baby talk and all.
I haven't had the patience to get through my first disc of the animated X-Men series so I guess this is a semi-fair question here:
Did Stryfe ever appear on the animated series?
I remember Apocalypse, Dark Riders, even Immortus for cryin' out loud, but I don't seeing or hearing about Stryfe when I'd keep the show on as background noise while studying.
Stryfe was established as a super-powerful TK in the Cable mini, which was coming out at the same time as these issues. And Dragoness did seem to get a lot of attention in these issues, for some reason.
Magneto has the good sense to delegate babying the X-Men to his robot minions. And it tortured Cyclops. "That voice! Like a marshmallow dipped in honey!"
Though Nanny's treatment of the Beast was the best. "Perhaps we can find some bows to put in your fur. Won't that be nice?"
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