Amph X-Men: Messiah Complex

it's really sorta like children of men meets x-men.

 

Rockslide needs to call dyfs on cyclops.

 

I've enjoyed part 4 more than part 3 as the New X-Men decide to disobey Cyclops orders to stay put. Additionally, it was interesting to learn how big and organized the Purifiers are. Why would they enlist the help of Lady Deathstrike?



The next chapter should be really good as the X-Men has taken the battle to Mr. Sinster.

 

Perhaps it is because they are still existing through Stryker's legacy moreso than actually moving on without him. We have no idea how much of their organization comes simply from Stryker already having these plans in place. Conversely, the last time we saw Deathstrike, before Civil War, she was working with Stryker; the two were also lovers during this period. That's when she was responsible for the injuries that lead to Sunfire giving Rogue his powers.

 

Now we know who has the baby!

It's Cable, yes surprisingly enough, he's not dead. I'm shocked I tells ya!

 

Loved that twist.

 

this weeks issue was good, just like the others, the "suprise at the end wasn't very suprising, but it was still good.

 

X-Force is going to be interesting...

 

Spoilers highlighted for those who haven't read part 6:
Is Cable actually responsible for the attack on the mansion or is Cyclops just assuming he is? For some reason I found this weeks issue very confusing. And the lack of Madrox and Layla in the future was dissapointing. Also, I could have sworn that Iceman was still in the mansion when the Sentinals attacked. When did he have time to get in the Blackbird (or X-Jet, or whatever they're calling it thesedays. BTW, how many do the X-Men have?) and round up the New X-Men who were all scattered about between New York and Washington? Since this issue had a big fight taking place we didn't go forward much story-wise beyond the introduction of the X-Force. The fight was awesome but I hope next week will pick up the pace a bit.

 

The rumored traitor was revealed today when Bishop shot Cable in the back, possibly killed Forge, and the book ended with him aiming his gun point blank at the mutant baby. The future Madrox and Layla are in appears to be Bishop's future as Jaime had an identical "M" tattooed on his face when he was brought into a mutant camp. This story is simply fantastic and I can't wait for the last 4 issues.

 

I'm really happy with this crossover. It's usualy the first book i read every week.

Overall i've been happy with the x books since house of M.

 

It feels a lot like the fun 90s x-overs, which were just great popcorn action movies in comic form. The main complaint I have, from a character-perspective, is the inclusion of Exodus as a C-list villain. I mean, he can teleport, hold off the Avengers and X-Men, retains the power of an "omega" level mutant + a Horseman...and yet BAMF! he's out and unseen since?

Bah!

 

I had a chance to read the past few issues of the Messiah Complex, and I really like how the story has been moving along. It is like the 90's again as Cable is untrusted and Bishop has a secret agenda. There's been a lot of blood letting as well, with the different bans of villains and heroes. Great stuff.

 

I'm going to have to pick up the trade since I didn't buy the X-Factor or New X-Men tie-ins. The story is fantastic though and I did read those in store, thus tradeeeee.

 

Given all the positive reviews, I'm starting to get vaguely curious.

 

So you've been skipping the two most consistently well-written and interesting X-books?

 

I used to read New, but I just kinda fell off it, and I'm trying to do X-Factor in trades.

 

I do most superhero comics in trades, and boy oh boy do I hate those stupid Premiere Hardcovers that make me wait so many months extra for the TPB. I'm all for massive HCs collecting 12-16 issues, and the Omnibus editions are beautiful, but those Premieres . . . gah!

 

I will give X-Force and Young X-Men a chance though, most likely.

 

Having read through to the penultimate part, I can say it's a lot of fun, but they sort of tried to do too many characters and not enough storyline. When I think back to successful, large-cast crossovers, I think of 1) The Phalanx Covenant or 2) The Executioner's Song. In the former, each title had a story that was part of the whole and read together, you got a picture of the whole invasion. In the latter, which is a better template for Messiah Complex, each title also had it's own storylines and while they did weave around the others within each title, I got a clearer sense of the moving pieces.

This really is an X-Men/Uncanny/X-Factor crossover, with New X-Men thrown in for good measure, but what's the point? Their contribution will no doubt read better collected.

I still am upset with the treatment of Exodus in this story. For those of you who remember his past, notable appearances (Fatal Attractions; Bloodlines; Age of Apocalypse; Cable & X-Man vs. Exodus; Black Knight: Exodus), in each one he was a being of immense power and tactical ability. Perhaps it's the presence of Sinister, an augmented human whose power has been mysteriously amped up for this arc, that they cannot have two top tier bad guys.

Would've made sense to not have him be introduced as part of Sinister's group, but a later entrant into the race, setting him up as a new rallying point for mutants like Magneto was. I always thought Exodus becoming the new Magneto-type character made sense given the backstory and power level. But then again, I am partial to the (potential of) character.

 

Final issue out today. I plan on picking it up as soon as I get off work.

 

I really enjoyed this crossover. I think it flowed really well from issue to issue and was well plotted.

Did anyone else notice that Kitty wasn't in it? I wonder if she is going to die in astonishing.

 

That speculation is going around. Though hasn't she shown up in some recent X-books? I could swear I've seen her since M-Day, anyway, and I thought Astonishing was set right after Morrison's New X-Men

And why would Whedon bring back Colossus just to get rid of Kitty?

That said, she's not featured in any upcoming solicits. . .

 

Judging by her current location at the end of Astonishing #24, it doesn't look good for her. But does the current Astonishing Arc take place before or after Messiah Complex? Judging by what's happened to Cyclops it seems like it would be after so who know.
Astonishing Spoilers: My guess is that she manages to phase the entire 10 mile long "bullet" that Breakworld fired at Earth, but the strain is too much and it kills her.

As for the final issue of Messiah Complex, I was kind of let down that the book didn't have a real ending. Just a couple of cliffhangers for the new X-books. All in all though, I really enjoyed this X-over and look forward to seeing where things go from here. For those who haven't read it and want to be spoiled, here's the gist of it:
Bishop looses an arm to Predator X. Wolverine allows himself to be swallowed and he kills it from the inside before cutting his way free. The New X-Men take on the remaining Mauraders with Pixie taking down Omega Sentinal and Dust takes out Exodus.
Rogue wakes up angry at Mystique since she tried to save her by sacrificing the baby. She grabs Mystique but doesn't kill her. She realizes that all the people who were in her head (and I'm assuming powers) are gone except for Mystique's so she leaves to think, telling Gambit not to follow.
Cyclops demands that Cable give him the baby. Prof. X agrees. When Cyclops holds the baby it pulls on a locket of him and Jean that's around his neck and he's reminded of when he had to send Cable to the future as a baby. He gives the baby back to Cable to take to the future. Bishop screams and fires on Cable again as he time travels away. The shots hit Prof. X in the head, apparently killing him. Cyclops says the X-Men are no more.

 

Yet Mike Carey says Xavier is a main character in X-Men: Legacy, and he didn't say it in terms of past tense... Weird.