Thursday 8 August 2013

X-Men Re-read: X-Men: Supernovas

comic musings

The Great X-Men Re-read

X-Men: Supernovas

Collects: X-Men, #188–199 and Annual
Writer(s): Mike Carey
Penciller(s): Chris Bachalo

Finally, back into the good stuff as Mike Carey's run begins, along side some ace art from Bachalo.

Quick Synopsis
Core Cast: Cable, Cannonball, Iceman, Lady Mastermind, Mystique, Omega Sentinel, Rogue, Sabretooth

Supernovas (X-Men: #188-193)
Sabretooth is running scared and goes to the X-Men to seek sanctuary. Lady Mastermind is found in a coma and injured.

To combat a new threat - The Children of the Vault - Rogue assembles a ragtag strike team made up of regular X-Men and foes reformed since M-Day (Mystique) and foes coerced into joining (Sabretooth). The Children of the Vault first attack using a brainwashed Northstar and his sister, Aurora, before trying to use Lady Mastermind's powers to brainwash Cannonball which brings them to their attention.

Joined by Cable, they clash again and the X-Men are triumphant.

Covenent (X-Men Annual 2007)
Whilst trying to fix Northstar and Aurora the X-Men are aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D helli-carrier when Exodus and the Acolytes attack, hijacking the computer to turn it into a giant Cerebro looking for new mutants since M-Day. Finding that there are no new mutant births and the X-Gene no longer exists, Exodus departs for antarctica where it's revealed he's working with Mr Sinister.

Primary Infection (X-Men: #194-196)
Investigating what happened to Lady Mastermind, they track down Pandemic, who used to be the Dr Palance, the X-Men physician way back when. Obsessed with Rogue he tried to harness her powers, through a disease, but is stopped before the plan comes to fruition (such is life), but Rogue ends up contract the disease.

Red Data (X-Men: #197-199)
Whilst Rogue recovers, the X-Men fight a Mummudrai which is a Shi'ar entity similar to Cassandra Nova. The romance between Iceman and Mystique blossoms, Rogue wakes up and it all gets sorted out. Iceman and Cannonball have a nice moment taking down a sentinel, but this is pretty much treading water until things kick off again in X-Men #200. Oh and in the chaos Sabretooth escapes. C'est la vie.

Best Bit
The battle between the X-Men and the Children of the Vault in Supernovas. Actually, lets chalk up the whole Supernovas arc and call it a win.

Final Words
The Children of the Vault are memborable and different foes, being highly advanced humans. Pandemic is a fun foe with ties to Rogue's past and the Mummudrai is interesting enough, but not the book's high point.

Great
8 / 10

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