GENERATION HEX #1 - June 1997

Humanity’s Last Stand

Credits: Peter Milligan (writer), Adam Pollina (penciler), Mark Morales (inker), Bob Lappan (letters), Scott Baumann and Digital Chameleon (colors)

Summary: An outcast in the quaint town of Humanity, Jono Hex’s mutant powers surface the night his father is killed by the locals. Branded a “Malform,” Hex grows up in exile. He forms a band of Malforms and names them Generation Hex. His nemesis, Marshal “Bat” Trask, develops primitive robots called the Razormen to eliminate the Malforms. On the run, Generation Hex arrives in Humanity. Disguising his face, Hex earns the town’s trust and convinces them that a sinister group of Malforms is coming. Following his instructions, the townspeople disguise themselves as Malforms to avoid trouble. Soon, a group of Razormen arrives. Mistaking the citizens for Malforms, they murder the locals.

Continuity Notes: Jono Hex is an amalgam of Chamber and Jonah Hex. Generation Hex consists of Madame Banshee (Siryn and Madame 44), Johnny Random (Random and Johnny Thunder), Skinhunter (Skin and Scalphunter), White Whip (Emma Frost and Whip), Retribution (Penance and Firehair), and the Twins Trigger (Northstar and Walter Trigger, and Aurora merged with Wayne Trigger and Cinnamon). Marshal “Bat” Trask merges Bolivar Trask with Bat Lash.

Review: Generation Hex has my vote as the strangest concept to emerge out of Amalgam. Many of the Amalgam characters exist solely because their name is a play on words, but only a few of these characters starred in their own one-shot. Jonah Hex and Generation X are diametrically opposed concepts, so this comic easily could’ve turned out as a mess. It isn’t, though; it’s actually a very effective Western revenge story with some great moments of dark humor. While the genesis of the story might be the Hex/X pun, the amalgamations of the cast are anything but obvious. Everyone probably assumed that Superman and Captain America would be amalgamated when the event was originally announced, but who could’ve predicted a Random and Johnny Thunder amalgam? It’s ridiculous, in a good way, but it also works as unobtrusive fan-service. The story’s strong enough to be enjoyed without the insider references, so a Generation X fan who’s totally ignorant of DC’s Western heroes still has a lot to get out of this. And, as fate would have it, even though this was produced by DC, editor Frank Pittarese will be Generation X’s editor within the next year.