The Last X-ManCredits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Chris Bachalo & Pop Mhan (pencilers), Al Vey & Scott Hanna (inkers), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering), Marie Javins (colors)
Summary: Bastion presents Jubilee with Cyclops’ battered visor, claiming that he’s dead. Jubilee doesn’t believe him, but her thoughts begin to drift back to Cyclops. Daria and Bastion monitor Jubilee’s thoughts, and witness the conversation she had with Cyclops after Illyana died. Bastion then shows Jubilee footage of Wolverine being tortured. Jubilee begins laughing after she hears Wolverine beg for mercy, which she knows he would never do. Bastion punches Jubilee, and orders Daria to target the X-Men in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Banshee declares that he knows where the rest of the students must be.
Continuity Note: When Jubilee questions his definition of humanity, Bastion’s memories suddenly appear on the monitors. Bastion’s memories consist of a robotic hand being covered in flesh, which is the most obvious hint about his origin yet.
Review: Chris Bachalo thankfully returns as artist, which saves a lot of this issue. The interrogation scenes with Jubilee aren’t bad at all, but they’re needlessly padded in order to fill up the entire issue (“writing for the trade” years before Marvel released that many trades). The first four pages of the comic only have seven panels (consisting of three splash pages), and the pace doesn’t exactly pick up from there. Lobdell, as usual, writes Jubilee very well, and I especially like the flashback scene with her and Cyclops, but there’s not enough story here to fill up even half of the issue.
There is a haunting quality to some of the proceedings here and Bachalo is on form in one of the last issues before before he outright makes everyone (including Emma) look 7. Overall, I don't love this post-Black Tom story, but this is still good.
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