X-CALIBRE #4 – June 1995

On Fire

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Tom Wegrzyn w/Philip Moy (inkers), Joe Rosas & Digital Chameleon (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary

Nightcrawler returns with the rest of X-Calibre to Destiny’s village, unaware that they’re being trailed by the Shadow King. He begins to possess the refugees in Destiny’s camp, turning the mutants against the humans and causing chaos. Damask uses her “psionic skinning” powers to attack the Shadow King, but ends up killing one of his host bodies instead. Shadow King possesses Mystique, causing her shapeshifting powers to go haywire as he tears through her memories. Nightcrawler formulates a plan to attack Shadow King in the dimension he inhabits while in-between bodies. He holds hands with Damask and Switchback and teleports. With the help of Switchback’s time-altering powers, Nightcrawler’s able to stay in the adjacent dimension he enters while teleporting for a longer period of time. While there, he confirms that Shadow King inhabits the same dimension, allowing Damask to psionically attack him while he’s distracted. A wounded Shadow King inhabits one last mutant and shoots an energy blast at Destiny. Her adopted son Doug Ramsey blocks the blast, which kills him. Inspired by his sacrifice, Destiny agrees to help stop Apocalypse.

Continuity Notes

When Shadow King possesses Mystique, she begins to morph into different people from her past. She turns into Sabretooth, as the Shadow King comments that this memory is “worse than all the rest…” This, combined with last issue’s comment that Nightcrawler’s father had “fur in his genes”, makes me wonder if Marvel wanted Sabretooth to be his father at this point. Technically, Sabretooth is just hairy, not furry (the fur is supposed to be part of his costume), but it’s a vague enough reference to still work.

Creative Differences

On the page after Mystique is possessed by Shadow King, Nightcrawler’s dialogue has been totally re-lettered (in another example of hand lettering awkwardly being inserted in-between computer fonts). The altered dialogue details his plan to enter the adjacent dimension and attack Shadow King, which implies that someone changed this plot detail or didn’t like the way Ellis described the plan in his script. Since this is the next page after a possessed Mystique turns into Sabretooth, it’s possible that Nightcrawler might’ve inferred something about him that Marvel wanted changed, but that’s pure speculation on my part.

Review

It’s another action-heavy finale, which is able to work because Ellis also provides some strong character work throughout the issue. He doesn’t allow the characters to just easily go along with what the plot wants them to do; they have realistic doubts and insecurities that get in the way (Doug’s disbelief in alternate worlds is countered pragmatically by Switchback who points out that everything in this world is nuts). The story, oddly enough, seems to be making a statement against pacifism, as both Doug Ramsey and Destiny graphically learn about the dangers of “putting your head in the sand” and realize that fighting against Apocalypse is the only way to actually have peace. Superhero comics are inherently violent, but it’s rare to see a story that doesn’t tell you that putting down weapons is the ultimate solution. The Shadow King is a generically evil villain who can get old quickly, but Ellis is able to make his eerie narration interesting, and the chaos he creates at the camp brings a fair amount of excitement to the story. Lashley produces his strongest work yet, which is still very ‘90s but more attractive than his previous issues. On a few panels he skimps on the backgrounds, which unfortunately inspired someone to fill the white space with ugly, early ‘90s-style computer generated graphics that are supposed to look like trees. It dates the book pretty badly, which is unfortunate because this isn’t a bad issue at all.

X-CALIBRE #3 – May 1995

Body Heat

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Tom Wegrzyn w/Philip Moy (inkers), Joe Rosas & Digital Chameleon (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

Callisto’s body lies in the water, as Mystique and Nightcrawler reunite. She takes Nightcrawler to Cold Grey, her Antarctic base near Avalon. Nightcrawler confronts Mystique about stealing from the refugees, claiming that her shame is the reason why she never enters Avalon herself. He convinces her to go into Avalon with him to find Destiny. They’re escorted into Avalon by the monk Cain, and soon meet Destiny and her adopted son, Doug Ramsey. Destiny doesn’t want to leave Avalon, because she thinks that her absence might instigate the destruction she foresaw earlier. Damask and Dead Man Wade enter Avalon, although Damask is reluctant to go through with Apocalypse’s order to destroy the sanctuary when she sees how beautiful it is. Wade presses the assault and attacks Destiny’s tent. When Nightcrawler tries to talk Cain into fighting back, he has an apparent aneurysm after trying to restrain his inherent lust for violence. Damask turns against Wade, and Nightcrawler uses his teleportation powers to decapitate him. Now joined by Damask and the refugee Switchback, Mystique and Nightcrawler prepare to take Destiny back to America.

Continuity Notes

Dead Man Wade is now able to speak for some reason. He still doesn’t have Deadpool’s personality, and seems to have the mind of a child.

Mystique tells Nightcrawler that his father carried “fur in his genes”. He responds, “And what a father you found”. I don’t know if there were any concrete plans to reveal Nightcrawler’s father at this time, or if this was just supposed to be a joke. Chuck Austen later revealed that his father was the Devil or something back in an Uncanny X-Men storyline that’s become a shorthand reference for bad comics.

Review

This is probably the best issue of the series so far, as the plot picks up and some of the emotional arcs are paid off. Cain, the pacifist inversion of Juggernaut, could’ve simply been another gimmicky reinvention of an established character, but he’s played for more than just shock value here. His recounting of the hundreds of deaths he’s caused and his “psychopathic need” for peace and redemption are handled extremely well. I also like Nightcrawler’s confrontation with Mystique, which helps to round out her character without alleviating her of her crimes. Damask’s conversion against Apocalypse is a little forced, but Ellis at least tries to make it work. Destiny, who’s essentially been a plot device so far, is given enough of a personality to make her reluctance to leave Avalon seem credible. I’m not sure how exactly her psychometric powers are supposed to validate Bishop’s claims (unless her powers in this reality would enable her to see not just his future, but his past in the original timeline), but I guess that’s material for a future story.

X-CALIBRE #2 – June 1995

Burn

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Roger Cruz & Renota Arlem w/Charles Mota & Eddie Wagner (pencilers), Moy/Wegrzyn/Candelario (inkers), Joe Rosas/Digital Chameleon (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

In Manhattan, John Proudstar’s secret headquarters is invaded by Apocalypse’s Madri priests. They kill him for his role in smuggling refugees to Avalon. Inside the submarine Nightcrawler is taking to Avalon, the electrical systems have blown and the refugees are choking on the bad air. Desperate, the crew lights a flare to attract a nearby ship. The ship’s captain, Callisto, rescues the survivors and takes them onboard her ship. Meanwhile, Moonstar and Damask are trailing Nightcrawler, along with Dead Man Wade. Apocalypse gives word to Damask that their mission is now to destroy Avalon once they discover it. Damask then kills Moonstar as punishment for cutting Wade for fun. On Callisto’s ship, the survivors place all of their valuables in giant sacks on her orders. She claims that the ship’s cover is that it is a shipwreck recovery vessel, and the valuables will help sell the illusion if they’re boarded. Nightcrawler, wary of Callisto, doesn’t go with the other travelers inside the ballast tanks. Callisto opens the ballast tanks directly into the ocean, killing all of the refugees. Unknowingly, her ship later drifts into one of Apocalypse’s “Atrocity Zones”, small islands where excess corpses from America are sent. While Callisto’s distracted, Nightcrawler kills her crew. He then confronts Callisto, but they’re interrupted by the sudden appearance of Mystique.

Continuity Notes

John Proudstar’s name is now listed as “Ghost Dance”, which is odd since he wasn’t called that in the last issue. (EDIT - As Chris points out, I probably misread that scene, as "Ghost Dance" is a reference to the transport to Avalon).

Destiny’s power is listed as “psychometric clairvoyancy”, the ability to touch someone and see his or her future. In the mainstream reality, Destiny’s ability to see the future isn’t tied into actually meeting someone. Xavier’s death wouldn’t have actually changed her powers (especially since she’s an old lady who was already grown when he died), so this is either a mistake or a hint that her powers were altered (presumably by McCoy or Sinister).

Creative Differences

This is another issue with computer fonts, but hand-lettered corrections. The entire page where Nightcrawler kills Callisto’s crew has been re-lettered, although I can’t determine what might’ve been changed.

Production Note

The June cover date doesn’t match the other second issues from the AoA event, so I’m assuming it was a misprint.

Review

This is, not surprisingly, another dismal, grim chapter in the massive AoA event. There is a sense that this specific storyline is padded, with the first issue dedicated to getting Nightcrawler on a sub bound for Antarctica, and the second one devoted to his trip there, but Ellis at least tells an entertaining story along the way. The malfunctioning sub and the exploitation of the refugees add a sense of realism to the story, which helps to make the new world more conceivable. The idea that Apocalypse is sending his excess bodies to small islands also seems plausible at first, but doesn’t hold up to a lot of scrutiny. Couldn’t he just burn the bodies? Unfortunately, there’s a real word precedent for this. The art remains the weakest aspect of this series. Lashley is gone, replaced by Cruz and a small group of unknowns. Cruz’s cartooning looks okay on a couple of pages, but overall it’s a pretty ugly comic book. The art is somewhere in-between an impression of the “realistic” Jim Lee ‘90s style and the new, anime-influenced look of Joe Madureira. It doesn’t pull either of them off, and just looks like a mess. The fight scene between John Proudstar and the Madri is particularly dreadful.

X-CALIBRE #1 – March 1995

The Infernal Gallop

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Wegrzyn, Moy, & LaRosa (inkers), Joe Rosas (colorist), Starkings/Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

A young mutant named Switchback travels through Antarctica to reach Avalon, a refuge where mutants and humans live in peace. She’s escorted by a large monk named Cain through the forest and finally through the entrance of Avalon. In New York, Nightcrawler intimidates Angel into making travel arrangements for his journey to Antarctica. After Nightcrawler meets his mother there, she’ll take him to Avalon to retrieve Destiny. At the X-Men’s base, Magneto makes an intercontinental call to Mystique, threatening her life if she doesn’t aid Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler travels to an abandoned building to meet John Proudstar, the mutant who will take him to Antarctica. When Proudstar criticizes Nightcrawler’s mother for charging refugees large fees for transport into Avalon, Nightcrawler severs his index finger by teleporting it away. Danielle Moonstar overhears the conversation, and reports back to Apocalypse that Avalon is in the Antarctic. Back in Avalon, Switchback meets Destiny for the first time. When they touch hands, Destiny cries out in pain that she sees the apocalypse.

Continuity Notes

Avalon is this world’s version of the Savage Land. Cain is the AoA version of the Juggernaut. Deadpool is revealed as “Dead Man Wade”, a lackey for Apocalypse who can only say the letter “X” apparently.

Nightcrawler meets Proudstar in a dilapidated warehouse once named “Stark Holdings".

Nightcrawler tells Angel that he exists “solely upon the excellence of your groveling to Apocalypse – and your worth to us.”

Approved By The Comics Code Authority

Angel sarcastically lists “watering pot-plants” as one of the activities in Avalon.

Review

It’s another satisfactory chapter for the massive AoA event. Ellis’ dark style is obviously a natural fit for the grim new world, and Lashley delivers his strongest artwork so far (even if it is still firmly rooted in the stereotypical ‘90s style). All that basically happens in this issue is Nightcrawler travels to Antarctica, but Ellis tells an entertaining story that gets him there, while also developing more of the AoA’s world. Revealing that Proudstar’s people are performing the same tribal dance they used to ask God to remove the white man against Apocalypse now is a nice touch that helps to convey the impact Apocalypse has had on all aspects of society. The inversion of Nightcrawler, that he’s a ruthless jerk with a disdain for religion, is a little obvious but Ellis pulls it off well. It’s too bad that Ellis was only used on this title during the AoA stunt, because he would’ve done a great job on some of the peripheral titles that came out during this time.