x-men #70 Review

Quote: “Don’t raise your voice t’me Mcoy! You’re the one shackin up with a glory hog who’d turn us all in for a Headline!”

Synopsis:
The scene opens where last issue left off, Iceman and his team minus Sabra are on their way back to the X-men’s home. Marrow and Cecelia continue their unique chemistry while Bobby zips them to his home. Once they land Bobby tries to reassure the doctor that things will get better while Marrow continues to threaten everyone (she really is ms. Personality).

Our trio is shocked however to discover that Bastion has thoroughly stripped the mansion of everything by use of nanotechnology (not even paint is left mind you…… Man that bugger is thorough). Cecelia is heartbroken as her life was destroyed by O.Z.T and her only hope lay her and now…..well its just a warehouse. Before things can get worse Cyclops, Phoenix, Cannonball, Wolverine and Storm make a surprise return as well, alas they bring bad news: Cyclops has a nanotechnology bomb in his stomach thanks to the time he and his teammates were imprisoned by Bastion in the Hulk buster Base (Thanks for the consolation prize B); luckily wife Jean is (barely) keeping the bomb from exploding thanks to her telekinesis.

Cecilia returns to the mansion to get a memory dump from jean (Sounds dirtier than it is) and decides to perform an operation in order to save Scott’s life (and to prevent them all from going Boom!). She quickly dispatches the team. Cannonball rushes off and returns with antibiotics from a drugstore. Storm boils some water in the woods while Marrow taunts her….and pisses her off. With everything on hand Cecilia then uses Wolverine’s middle claw as a scalpel to open Scott up (I’m sure Wolvie loved gutting Scott like a trout!).

Things get complicated when Juggernaut and his lawyer turn up at the door, and announces that he is the legal owner of Xavier’s financial estate, following Charles’ incapacitation. Storm, not amused tells him to return when she has time to properly ignore him. She ultimately rains on him (literally) and this results in pissing him off. Juggernaut not amused by her little temper tantrum becomes enraged and breaks down the front door to kick her a$$ (Beautiful, so we have an empty house…..a wrecked roof and now no front door! Just perfect!).

Before anything can happen though our space faring x-men return; Rogue, Beast, Joseph, newcomer Maggott and Trish Tilby (the reporter and Beasts then Girlfriend) return. Maggot engages him in battle while beats and Dr. Reyes have an interesting introduction (I smell chemistry). Amused by Maggott’s slugs and the overall condition of the team, Juggernaut decides to depart (Ain’t nothing here to pilfer anyway).

With everyone’s attention now back on the situation at hand, Cecilia manages to extract the bomb after Marrow forcibly removes a couple bones. With the Bomb now uncontainable they have only a few seconds to act , Rogue quickly tosses it to one of Maggott’s slugs, and in one chomp devours it and contains the blast. Thus saving everybody from a gruesome if not certain death.

Eventually, everybody goes to bed (Even though no beds are there), So Scott is saved but the team is left in a state of uncertainty. Animosity brews between old teammates (Storm is pissed at bobby for bringing Marrow, Beast and Wolvie are about to kill each other) questions remain as to the whereabouts of Gambit, Bishop and Professor Xavier and the arrival of new mutants Maggott, Cecilia and Marrow guarantee that things are about to get interesting!

The Good

Carlos Pacheco’s art combined with Joe Kelly’s writing makes for a damn good story. Sure Joe has to clean up dangling plots left unresolved by previous writers (Scott’s bomb, three new x-men, a massive cast) and he does so beautifully. The stars of the issue are not the old X-men but the three new members. Cecelia is the reason Scott survives via her expertise and her skill as a surgeon even without proper equipment. Maggot shows his courage as he faces down juggernaut (even if the big lummox thought he was funny) and Marrow even though she and storm (and by extension the X-men team) have more than just “bad blood” between them manages to forcibly remove two bones just to save Scott. Kelly gives all three members just enough personality and the perfect situation to merit them becoming X-men. Sure Doc Reyes still thinks they are the worse thing to ever happen to her but she needs them at this point as much as they need her.

There is just enough tension in this team to keep one curious enough to pick up next issue 🙂

For character dynamics and future conflict we have the beautiful yet reluctant mutant Cecelia who rubs Marrow the ugly, volatile and very proud mutant the wrong way. We have storm and Marrow’s past history and the fact that Marrow loves pushing people’s buttons. The mystery of Maggott is also something to look forward to.

The Bad

No complaints here

The Ugly
Good art, solid writing, perfect characterization makes this a solid beginning to what is probably the most underrated run in X-men history. Joe Kelly deserves mad props!  5/5 stars