TALES FROM THE AGE OF APOCALYPSE - December 1997

Sinister Bloodlines

Credits: John Francis Moore (plot), Brian K. Vaughan (script), Steve Epting & Nick Napolitano (pencilers), Al Milgrom (inker), Comicraft (letters), Kevin Tinsley (colors)

Summary: Five years ago, Apocalypse’s men shot down an alien craft over Manhattan. Today, Christopher Summers escapes from Sinister’s custody and runs into the city. Sinister sends the Prelates to find him, but intentionally excludes Cyclops and Havok. When the Prelates fail, Cyclops and Havok search for Christopher. Christopher recognizes them as his children, and tells them the story of his alien abduction and eventual return to Earth. After facing a group of scavengers, the trio takes refuge during a storm. Later, infected humans attack their shelter. They’re rescued by Sinister, who explains that he hid Christopher from Cyclops and Havok because he was infected with alien DNA. Christopher suddenly mutates into a Brood Queen, and with his remaining humanity, begs Cyclops to kill him. As they dispose of his body, Havok declares he’ll never forgive Cyclops.

Continuity Notes: In the opening sequence, set five years ago, Beast is still human and Havok and Cyclops are training to become Prelates. Emplate and “the Monets” are Prelates in the present day, although Christopher Summers apparently kills Emplate. While on the run from Sinister, Christopher is aided by the AoA version of Joe Robertson. While under the Brood’s influence, Christopher kills him. He also infects Colleen Wing, who kills Misty Knight. During Christopher’s tale of his alien abduction, we see that the Brood have overtaken the Shi’ar in this timeline.

Production Note: This is a$5.99 prestige format book with no ads.

Review: Factor X was probably the most consistent of the AoA titles, so I’m glad Marvel revived these characters instead of presenting another underwhelming prequel story about the X-Men. Factor X’s John Francis Moore and Steve Epting return, aided by Brian K. Vaughn and Nick Napolitano. I know that Vaughn was a new writer Marvel was trying out in these days, but I’ve never heard of Napolitano. I can’t really tell where his art begins and Epting’s ends, which does at least give the book a consistent look.

The story is well-structured, taking advantage of the forty-eight page format. The opening “five years ago” scene is really only there to establish the arrival of Corsair (only called Christopher Summers in the story), but Moore also uses the space to establish the cast and set up the conflicts between Cyclops and Havok. The other cast members of Factor X aren’t the focus of the story, but they are at least given enough room to make more than cameos. Introducing the AoA version of Corsair is more significant than, say, the AoA Inhumans, which makes the one-shot feel like a legitimate story that’s perhaps deserving of the format.

I like the revelation that Corsair is actually a Brood Queen (for a second, I wondered if he would turn into the AoA version of Man-Wolf), although I have my continuity quibbles about the idea. The AoA diverged twenty years ago with Xavier’s death in Israel. Corsair was abducted by the Shi’ar a few years later, and as this story shows, they’re already Brood-infected by this point. How did Xavier’s death, years before he would’ve had contact with Lilandra and the Shi’ar, lead to the Brood taking over the Shi’ar? I realize this is kind of pedantic, but it goes against the basic premise of the Age of Apocalypse. The AoA isn’t just another alternate reality; it diverged from ours at a specific point. Xavier’s death would’ve had a large chain reaction on mutants on Earth, but it wouldn’t have impacted one alien race taking over another (especially if they’re doing it years before the X-Men had any contact with them). The inconsistency doesn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book, though. Besides, I’ve already come up with my own No-Prize explanation.

FACTOR X #4 – June 1995

Reckonings

Credits: John Francis Moore (writer), Steve Epting & Terry Dodson (pencilers), Al Milgrom (inker), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering), Glynis Oliver (colorist)

Summary

Havok orders the Prelates to follow orders and kill all of the prisoners in the Pens. The Bedlam Brothers refuse to kill the weak and wounded, which leads to a fight with the Guthrie siblings. When Havok receives word that Cyclops has escaped with Jean Grey, he orders the Prelates to find them. The Bedlam Brothers soon locate the pair, but disobey orders and allow them to escape. The Guthrie siblings witness their treason and attack, but are soon defeated. Meanwhile, Apocalypse’s Infinite soldiers arrive to shut down Angel’s nightclub, Heaven. Angel responds by setting the building on fire and escaping. Inside Apocalypse’s Black Tower, Cyclops and Jean find the Brain Trust, six telepathic brains used to anesthetize the prisoners in the Pens. Jean tries to psionically shut them down, but ends up accidentally killing them when they fight back. As Havok learns from Scarlett that she’s pregnant, Jesse Bedlam shuts off the main generators and kills the power. While the prisoners escape, Havok and Cyclops fight. Cyclops has a chance to finish Havok, but refuses to kill his brother. After Cyclops leads the prisoners to freedom, Havok wakes up and vows vengeance.

Review

With the series drawing to an end, Moore makes an effort to conclude the various arcs, although a few things just end up as setups for X-Men Omega. A big Havok/Cyclops fight is the main event the series has been building towards, but it only ends up as a two-page brawl. A lot of things feel rushed in this issue, such as Scarlett’s revelation to Havok that she’s pregnant (why exactly this thread was even introduced is lost on me, unless it’s paid off in Omega and I just forgot about it), and the Bedlam Brothers turning against Havok. Moore has tried to portray the brothers as average guys just doing a job, but that’s hard to rationalize with all of the evil things Apocalypse would've require from them as guards in a concentration camp. They seem to switch sides just for kicks, which is probably a better way to handle it than suddenly giving them a true change of heart, but it still feels forced. The story itself is capably done, it just feels like it’s going through the motions and checking off the things it needs to do in time for X-Men Omega. There’s not a lot of focus on characterization, and the action scenes aren’t very exciting. I have a feeling that Marvel tried to sell Omega too hard by pushing off so many resolutions into it, when series like Factor X would’ve greatly benefited from bigger finales.

FACTOR X #3 – May 1995

Open Wounds

Credits: John Francis Moore (writer), Steve Epting w/Terry Dodson (pencilers), Al Milgrom (inker), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering), Glynis Oliver (colorist)

Summary

Jean Grey sneaks into the Pens in New York, hoping to evacuate the prisoners before the Council’s nuclear strike. She’s soon captured by Havok. Meanwhile, inside Angel’s nightclub, Scarlet is arrested by the Bedlam Brothers for secretly working as a spy for the Human High Council. They warn Angel that his claims of neutrality are suspect now that both Karma and Scarlet have been arrested. In the Pens, Havok reveals to Cyclops that he’s captured Jean Grey. He tells Cyclops that he knows that he’s responsible for the recent series of breakouts, and wants him to kill Jean in order to prove his loyalty. When Cyclops refuses, he’s attacked from behind by the Guthrie siblings. McCoy takes his unconscious body away for genetic experimentation. Jean manages to remove her power inhibitor and free Cyclops. They escape from McCoy and leave to liberate the Pens. Elsewhere, Rex informs Apocalypse that Havok has replaced Cyclops as commander of the Pens. Apocalypse tells him to inform Havok that the Pens only existed to placate Sinister. He’s shutting them down and culling all of the prisoners.

Continuity Notes

Three years ago, Jean Grey was kidnapped by Apocalypse’s forces. She was well treated as an “Alpha Elite” due to Sinister’s interest in her DNA, yet she still resisted. Jean’s resistance inspired Cyclops to question Apocalypse’s rule for the first time. He was prepared to help her escape, when Weapon X returned to free her. Through some confusion, a fight ensued with cost Cyclops his eye and Weapon X his hand.

Jean is attacked in the Pens by a wolf that appears to have a buried human consciousness. This is presumably the AoA version of Wolfsbane.

Weapon X is referred to as “Wolverine” in Jean’s flashback, which of course isn’t his name in this reality. It’s surprising that none of the other writers made that mistake sooner, actually.

Review

Some of the subplots begin to be pay off with this issue, as Havok finally moves against Cyclops and Scarlet is exposed. Jean Grey is introduced to the story in a slightly contrived manner, but her presence does at least advance the ongoing plotline with Cyclops and Havok. I like the idea that Jean is Cyclops’ inspiration to turn against Apocalypse in this world, but the way Cyclops suddenly falls in love with her feels forced. This is the most action-heavy issue of the series so far, and while Epting does a capable job on the fight scenes, you do get the feeling that this is a much lighter read than the previous issues. It doesn’t feel like the story’s stalling, but it seems like it’s more predictable than the previous chapters. The fight scenes aren’t bad, but I miss the scheming and maneuvering of the earlier issues.

FACTOR X #2 – April 1995

Abandoned Children

Credits: John Francis Moore (writer), Steve Epting (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering), Glynis Oliver (colorist)

Summary

Polaris has a vision of Magneto helping her fellow prisoners in the Pens escape to freedom. Cyclops and Havok meet with Apocalypse, who thinks that Cyclops could potentially replace Sinister as a Horseman. Angered, Havok later tells his human lover Scarlett that Apocalypse will reward him when he sees his “strength and cunning”. Meanwhile, Angel warns Cyclops and the Bedlam Brothers about the rumors of a war with Europe. On Havok’s orders, McCoy experiments on Polaris, hoping to learn what she knows about the recent escapes. Cyclops orders him to stop, telling McCoy that he’s violating the Kelly Pact. That night, a cloaked man helps Polaris escape. They’re confronted by Northstar and Aurora, who were reassigned by Havok at the last minute. They manage to defeat the twins and escape before Havok arrives. Later, the mystery man drops Polaris off with a member of “The Underground”, Val Cooper. The mystery man removes his cloak to reveal that he’s Cyclops.

Continuity Notes

The AoA version of Polaris is given an origin. Her powers emerged after her parents were killed in the first Midwest cullings. Traumatized, she convinced herself that she was actually Magneto’s daughter. This (somehow) led to her pairing with another mutant, and losing half of her powers to Rogue. If Rogue is supposed to be the mutant she paired with, this issue isn’t clear on that. X-Men Chronicles #1 claimed that Rogue permanently absorbed a portion of Polaris’ powers during “a previous abduction attempt”. I can’t tell if Rogue was attempting to abduct Polaris, or if she was actually her aforementioned partner. It’s worth noting that more than one character says that DNA tests prove Polaris is not Magneto’s daughter, which contradicts future stories by Chuck Austen.

According to a mystery person Scarlet is talking to on the phone, she’s secretly working for the Human High Council. She thinks that things are too “hot” in Heaven, especially after Karma’s abduction (in Amazing X-Men #2), and she wants out.

Review

Instead of telling one large story like most of the AoA titles, Factor X focuses on a series of subplots at this point. It makes for a much denser comic, which almost feels like some of Claremont’s X-work in the ‘80s. There’s a sense that there’s a lot going on, with various characters scheming against one another and following their own agendas. It helps the series to survive on more than just the novelty of seeing established characters in twisted roles. Moore tries to do something with the political maneuverings established early on in the AoA event, but the Kelly Pact has to be the most moronic aspect of the entire storyline. Apparently, experimenting on Polaris violates the Kelly Pact, which would anger the humans. As opposed to…keeping humans in slave pens and conducting mass exterminations in large American cities? To be fair, most of the characters in the story refer to the Kelly Pact as a farce, but the idea that any human governments are negotiating with Apocalypse and creating treaties with him is beyond absurd. I get that the creators are trying to insert some realistic politics into the new world, but the reality they’ve established is already so far over the top it’s impossible to believe that any humans would be dumb enough to create treaties with Apocalypse. Maybe it’s revealed later that the human governments are stringing Apocalypse along, just as he’s doing to them (I don’t remember how this thread plays out), but it still seems too ridiculous to me.

After dropping a few hints in the first issue, this issue confirms that Cyclops isn’t a true villain after all. The twist at the end is handled well enough, although it opens up a “nature vs. nurture” question that doesn’t reflect too well on many of the other X-characters. If Cyclops is inherently good and able to fight against his upbringing, what does it say about Havok and Beast that they cannot? What’s strange is that Marvel did seem to use this storyline to justify relaunching Havok as a villain in the mainstream reality, yet Beast was able to stay a pure hero. If this storyline somehow reveals the true dark natures of the characters, why wouldn’t Beast turn out to be just as evil as Havok? Even though I liked this series in the context of the AoA, it did lead to the “Is Havok truly a villain?” nonsense that dominated the later issues of X-Factor (I think the final resolution turned out to be “Nah, he was just faking”, which couldn’t be reconciled with any of the previous stories).

FACTOR X #1 – March 1995

Sinister Neglect

Credits: John Francis Moore (writer), Steve Epting (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Starkings/Comicraft (lettering), Glynis Oliver (colorist)

Summary

Cyclops, Havok, Northstar, and Aurora track down escapees from Sinister’s pens. As Cyclops fights their leader, Havok comes from behind and kills her, telling Cyclops he’s gone soft. Sinister watches the events from his hidden lab inside a giant statue of Apocalypse , which took the place of the Statue of Liberty years ago. Havok meets with McCoy, called “The Beast” by the prisoners, to discuss Cyclops’ recent personality change. The Bedlam Brothers join Havok for an evening out at Angel’s nightclub, Heaven, where they later stop a human insurgent. Backstage, Havok continues his illegal affair with the human lounge singer, Scarlet McKenzie. When they return home, Cyclops asks his fellow Prelates to help him break into the missing Sinister’s private lab. They discover that Sinister trashed all of his equipment and extensive research data before abruptly leaving. With Sinister gone, Cyclops reluctantly takes command. Meanwhile, Sinister sets off an auto-destruct sequence in his hidden lab inside the statue of Apocalypse.

Continuity Notes

The continuity between the various titles gets dodgy with this issue. An enraged Apocalypse already discovered Sinister’s trashed lab in X-Men Alpha. A much calmer Apocalypse received news that Sinister was gone from Rex during a brief scene in Astonishing X-Men #1. In Weapon X #1, Cyclops reports to Apocalypse that Sinister is gone and has likely turned against him. Weapon X #1 explicitly takes place before this issue because Havok’s mishap with the Sentinel hand is referenced here. Actually, Apocalypse is told about Sinister’s defection and Havok’s incident with the Sentinel in the same scene in Weapon X #1, which makes this issue’s ending even harder to fit into continuity.

The Pens are prison camps that provide “genetic stockpile of human and mutant alike”. Sinister explains that Apocalypse wants the next generation of homo superior to be created “not by accident, but by design”.

The Infinites are created with a “patchwork protein of mutant DNA” developed by breaking mutants down to “protoplasmic soup”. Havok comments to McCoy that they can’t survive for more than a year.

Cannonball and his sister, Elizabeth Guthrie, are revealed to be guards in the Pens. Sinister says that their sister, Husk, refused his “sponsorship”. Elizabeth Guthrie is described as a “teenaged Amazon” who can increase her size and mass. I have no idea if she showed up in the regular continuity, but I’m afraid to think about what Chuck Austen might’ve done with her.

The mutant Bedlam Brothers, Terrence and Jesse Aaronson, appear for the first time. Terrence can create mental confusion in others while Jesse psionically disrupts machinery.

The escapees from the beginning of this issue are Artemis, Phantazia, Pyro, Avalanche, and Newt. Artemis is apparently this world’s version of Callisto, although she seems to have chameleon powers here (EDIT - actually, didn't Callisto show up in X-Calibre?). Pyro is shown with the ability to create flames, which contradicts his ability only to control fire in the mainstream continuity (a fact the movies surprisingly got right). Since all of the characters have been experimented on by McCoy, it’s possible that his powers have been altered, though (it’s established here that creating the fire hurts him, so it’s possible that Moore did this intentionally). Newt resembles Jack Kirby’s original Toad design, which implies that the Toad in X-Man might not be Mortimer Toynbee (the X-Man character more closely resembles one of the new Dark Riders introduced a few months earlier in Cable). Was there ever a comprehensive list of all of the alternate versions of the established characters during the AoA?

Review

Like most of the other AoA first issues, this issue is more concerned with reintroducing the cast and establishing the new world than telling a specific story. Aside from setting up various plot threads for this specific series, there’s also a lot of time spent covering material the other X-titles have already dealt with. I understand that Cyclops needs to have a dramatic realization that Sinister has abandoned him, but the scene obviously needed to be better choreographed between the titles. That’s really the only distracting aspect of the story, as the rest of the issue is dedicated to establishing the world of the Pens and the relationships between the Prelates. Most of the setups are pretty interesting, although the future conflict between Havok and Cyclops is telegraphed way too obviously. At the very least, this seems to be a better fit for Moore than the regular X-Factor series turned out to be. Steve Epting’s art suits the dismal mood very well, even though it wasn’t slick enough for my tastes as a teenager.