Fire on the Mountains!
Credits: Chris Claremont (writer), Steve Scott (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Ed Dukeshire (letters), Lee Loughridge (colors)
Summary:
The X-Men defeat the Sentinel and explore the area. They enter an
abandoned complex and discover only one person conscious inside. She
claims to be a scientist, one hired by mysterious employers two years
earlier. SHIELD detects another village is being attacked by Sentinels
nearby. The X-Men leave to stop the attack while Nick Fury stays behind
to keep an eye on the woman. She pulls a gun and reveals herself as
Zigfried Trask. Meanwhile at the mansion, Sabretooth is fitted with an
ankle bracelet, and Gambit convinces ‘Ro to stay with the team.
Continuity Notes:
-
Beast has begun flirting with Jean, setting up a brief romantic subplot.
-
Zigfried (Ziggy) Trask, the daughter of Bolivar Trask and granddaughter of Dietrich Trask, makes her full debut. She’ll go on to become a major villain in the series. Ziggy tells Fury that she wants revenge against him for his part in her grandfather’s death in WWII.
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Ziggy Trask is immune to telepathic probes, allegedly because of a cybernetic implant in her brain.
Review:
I think a bi-weekly book can be forgiven for a more leisurely pace,
but this is a little much. Most of the existing subplots are touched
upon but not advanced, a regrettable new romantic subplot is introduced,
and one of the behind-the-scenes villains comes out into the light.
To be continued. Perhaps the issue wouldn’t seem so padded if Ziggy actually did
something during the story, but that reveal is saved for the
final three pages. Instead, the X-Men spend what feels like forever
walking around the complex and debating over whether or not Ziggy can be
trusted. This, combined with the tepid Sentinel fight in the opening,
makes the issue feel as if it’s marking time. I guess I shouldn’t
complain, though, because in future issues the pacing will shift
drastically in the opposite direction, giving the title an utterly
surreal quality. As for Ziggy, a part of me admires Claremont for just
embracing the ridiculous name, and another part wonders how anyone
possibly thought they could get away with naming a major villain that.
I’m tempted to make a joke connecting her to the comic strip character,
but I honestly can’t even remember what Ziggy’s supposed to be famous
for.
2 comments:
"I’m tempted to make a joke connecting her to the comic strip character, but I honestly can’t even remember what Ziggy’s supposed to be famous for."
Ziggy is mostly known for being perpetually frustrated & disappointed, which seems like an odd choice for a villain unless they're supposed to be a joke villain. Maybe Claremont was thinking of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust?
Yeah, the Beast/Jean thing just seemed creepy to me. I'm not sure why. It's not necessarily the "furry" aspect, since I have little problem with Beast and Trish Tilby. But it just feels... wrong.
I guess maybe it's because this is Beast getting it on with his best pal's ex-girlfriend mere weeks after the guy with whom she had an affair has died. I mean, I know the X-Men are a soap opera at times, but come on! The whole thing seems sketchy.
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