MUTANT X #15 - December 1999

The Ripple Effect

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: After the Friends of Humanity nuke the X-Men’s mansion, President pro tem Graydon Creed declares amnesty for Nick Fury and SHIELD. Now promoted to General, Fury invades the Six’s home, allegedly to “protect” them from terrorists. The Six, joined by Cerebro, escape to Forge’s mountain headquarters where they meet the pro-mutant resistance: Captain America, Sebastian Shaw, Katherine Pryde, and Sunfire. Abruptly, Sunfire turns on his teammates and destroys the mountain complex. The team escapes with Captain America, while Forge’s new Cerebro design emerges as a monster from the wreckage.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: Kitty, now Katherine, Pryde has become the Hellfire Club’s Black Queen since her last appearance. Sebastian Shaw, for some reason, has yellow word balloons and is apparently wearing armor based on Ronan the Accuser’s. Nick Fury is still a remorseless anti-mutant bigot on this world.

Continuity Notes: There are a lot of vague deaths in the issue. The X-Men were killed in the nuclear attack, according to Cerebro. Sebastian Shaw, Katherine Pryde, and Forge are apparently killed when the mountain complex is destroyed, at least according to Bloodstorm. Sunfire is presumably dead, too.

“Huh?” Moments: Where to start? For some reason, two Nightcrawlers are members of the X-Men during their group shot. Graydon Creed has somehow become President in-between issues (What happened to President Starr and Vice President Kelly? Or Reed Richards becoming President in the ’99 annual?). And, most egregiously, Havok warns Brute to keep his voice down while traveling underwater in the team’s jet, because Nick Fury, who’s several yards away in another ship, might hear him. That one has got to go down in the Howard Mackie Hall of Fame.

Better Than X-Factor? : Oh, this is somehow even worse than X-Factor. What could you even say about something this bad? I guess I’m obligated to mention that Cary Nord’s art is stylish and attractive, but for some reason he draws one horrific Captain America. It’s unbelievable that an artist who’s clearly extremely talented could dog one of Marvel’s most important characters so badly. If only that were the issue’s only flaw…

This is essentially unreadable. Apparently, Mackie’s decided that the Mutant X universe needs a massive humans vs. mutants conflict, because that’s never been done, but he doesn’t know how to undo the peaceful relations he’s already established for the book. Now, he could develop this in a credible way, as he creates a series of events that begin to unravel the passive co-existence between the two races. Maybe use the series to write a thoughtful examination of just how fragile peace could be. Make the readers care as they watch old hates resurface and mutants go back into hiding. But, no, this is Mutant X. In a move that would make even a fanfic writer blush, Mackie’s decided that the entire mutant/human dynamic of this universe will be undone in just four pages.

Now, Havok and his teammates are a persecuted minority, because of course they are, and they’re on the run from the comically bigoted Nick Fury. (And don’t call him “Colonel” any more, unless you want him to literally kill you.) They run into more arbitrary recastings of established characters, which are promptly killed off by Sunfire, who’s suddenly taking orders from a mysterious “they” who want everyone dead. Things blow up, people die off-panel, and somehow Captain America becomes a team member. So, that’s the new direction, I guess. Captain America joins a persecuted group of mutants, and who cares how many continuity and logic errors had to be endured in order to get here. How did any of this get past an editor?

MUTANT X #14 - November 1999

Homecoming!

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Cyclops and the Starjammers learn from the Skrulls, who are monitoring humans with connections to the Goblin Queen, that Havok is alive. Cyclops and his team travel to Earth, just in time to protect Havok and Scotty from Gladiator and a Kree hit squad. The Watcher suddenly appears to defend Havok and Scotty, declaring that Earth is under his protection now that the Goblin Queen is dead.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: The Scott Summers of this world is a devil-may-care adventurer who’s often chided by his teammates for not taking life seriously. Apparently, in this reality, Cyclops’ parents were killed when the Shi’ar came to Earth, and Cyclops took Corsair’s place as their captive. Cyclops also dresses like Corsair, oddly enough.

Continuity Notes: This reality’s Starjammers consist of Binary, Nova, Lockheed, and “Surfer,” who appears to be Silver Surfer without the board.

Better Than X-Factor?: Not particularly. Mackie goes for the second most obvious alternate reality rendition of Cyclops you can do (making him a villain is the first), and doesn’t really get anything out of it. Considering that Cyclops has believed his brother to be dead since he was a child, this should be an emotional reunion, but given that Howard Mackie is so often unable to convey even basic human emotions, all we’re left with is an issue of Cyclops making bad jokes while Havok runs around making dumbfounded expressions. And bringing in the Watcher as a quicky plot resolution is just lazy. I’ll give Cary Nord a lot of credit for making the visuals work, though. He’s evolved into an impressive cartoonist.

MUTANT X ‘99 Annual - May 1999

A World Gone Mad!

Credits: Jay Faerber (writer), Paschalis Ferry (penciler), Andrew Pepoy & Paschalis Ferry (inkers), Joe Andreani & Jason Wright (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Havok is rescued from Goblin Queen’s attack by the last remaining Avengers, Yellowjacket and Stingray. They’re soon joined by Leonard Sampson, who helps the team invade Goblin Queen’s headquarters. From Brute, Havok learns of her plot to control the Nexus of All Realities. They travel to Florida, where the Goblin Queen’s forces are already attacking the Nexus’ guardian, Dr. Strange. Havok decides the only way to stop Goblin Queen from ruling the Nexus is to destroy it with his powers. Meanwhile, vigilantes Vendetta and Firestar fight the Sentinels in New York. Vendetta convinces Firestar to take him to the White House, where he enters President Kelly’s mind to remove Goblin Queen’s influence. Later, President Kelly names Reed Richards as the new President.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: In this reality, Yellowjacket is female, Stingray has cybernetic wings that resemble Archangel’s, Dr. Leonard Sampson has green skin like the Hulk, and Dr. Strange is actually Man-Thing.

Continuity Notes:

· This story is set in-between Mutant X #8 and #9, resolving the cliffhanger from issue #8.

· According to Yellowjacket, Bruce Banner is no longer the Hulk in this world.

· Following their battle, Dr. Strange, Yellowjacket, Stingray, and Leonard Sampson form a new team called the Defenders.

· Robert Kelly is not the established President in this world, President Starr is. Kelly’s the Vice President. The art depicting Robert Kelly is also extremely off-model, more closely resembling President Starr.

Better Than X-Factor?: I suppose. It’s hard to rationalize this with the monthly Mutant X series, though. I am glad to see that Mutant X #8’s cliffhanger was actually resolved somewhere, even if this issue’s claim that Goblin Queen blasted Havok all the way into the Hudson River is a stretch, and the story ends with Havok stranded in Florida, which doesn’t fit Mutant X #9 at all. It’s obvious that Mackie and Faerber really had no idea what the other was doing while writing these comics, right down to Faerber getting the President’s name wrong. And I have absolutely no idea what the point of the Vendetta/Firestar/Kelly subplot was supposed to be, anyway. If Vendetta freed Kelly of Goblin Queen’s influence, why is another one of Goblin Queen’s flunkies named as his replacement? How exactly could get Kelly away with ignoring the Constitution and just naming whomever he felt like as his replacement? Plus, as of issue #12 of the regular series, there’s been no mention of Reed Richards as President. Why is any of this material in the book?

Regardless of these complaints, I have to say that this issue is far more enjoyable than any of the “Goblin Queen Takes New York” issues of the regular series. Faerber is able to pull from numerous corners of the Marvel Universe and use a batty cast of characters to his advantage. Yeah, there’s no compelling reason to make Man-Thing this world’s Dr. Strange, but it’s inevitable that Dr. Strange would be changed in some manner in this reality. This was an unexpected way to go, and Ferry’s art sells the concept. It’s unfortunate that the best creative team to work on this series is relegated to the annual, but considering the lax standards Marvel seemed to apply to this book, it’s not a big surprise.

MUTANT X #13 - September 1999

The Hunger

Credits: Ben Raab (writer), Mike Miller (penciler), Saleem Crawford (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: In the past, Kitty hunts down Storm, who’s recently been turned into a vampire. She’s held in a castle, where Forge is already being kept for food by a group of vampires. Storm breaks free, taking Forge with her. Kitty soon locates Storm, and during their fight, Storm finally succumbs to her urges and sucks Kitty’s blood. Months later, Colossus accepts that Kitty is gone.

Continuity Notes: Havok is shown as a member of the X-Men when Kitty first joins, unlike the mainstream continuity.

Better Than X-Factor?: Say what you will about Ben Raab, but he never wrote anything as bad as Howard Mackie’s X-Factor. This is a fill-in issue dedicated to revealing the events that led to Storm becoming a vampire, even though we never actually see a vampire biting her. Raab assumes that the reader is already familiar with the Dracula issue of Uncanny X-Men, so the story begins with Storm fighting off her new urges as Kitty runs off to play the Van Helsing role. That’s an odd assumption to make, even if the Dracula issue has been reprinted a few times, but I guess it leaves the story room to explore new material. Unfortunately, none of the extra space is used to answer questions that need resolutions, like explaining how the X-Men already know Forge at this point, and who’s keeping him at this castle. Instead, the majority of the issue consists of decompressed scenes of Kitty chasing Storm, Storm dramatically bemoaning her fate, and Kitty fighting Storm. Not enough information about the new world is revealed, and when the story is judged on its own merits, it’s far too thin.

MUTANT X #12 - September 1999

Once Upon a Time…

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Madelyne sends a subconscious prompt to Scotty, giving him instructions on how to defeat the Goblin Queen. He then passes the information telepathically to Havok. Havok joins the X-Men and Dr. Doom’s UN brigade against the Goblin Queen. When Havok is drawn into telepathic combat with Madelyne, a portion of Scotty’s consciousness appears. The Goblin Force inside Madelyne is so afraid of him that it retreats. The Goblin Queen’s influence disappears, leaving Havok to contemplate a new lineup for the Six.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: Namor is a fierce anti-human bigot in this world. He agrees to help Magneto and Doom infiltrate New York because of a cryptic “blood debt” with Magneto, which he says is now fulfilled.

Continuity Notes: Havok’s research into this world has revealed that Rogue permanently absorbed Colossus’ powers during a confrontation with the Black Queen, and now lives with his memories. He also discovers that in this reality, Spider-Man rescued Gwen Stacy and accidentally snapped the Green Goblin’s neck during their battle on the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Huh?” Moment: Havok decides to tell his teammates the “truth” about where he came from, which is treated as a dramatic revelation. Have the creators already forgotten that Havok revealed his alternate reality past back in the second issue?

Better Than X-Factor?: No, “better” isn’t the word I would use. This is the double-sized grand finale to the first year of storylines in the title, and much like the previous issues, the execution is too rushed and frantic to convey the “epic” feel Mackie's going for. The book’s also sliding far too close to the realm of fan fiction, as the issue opens with a lengthy synopsis of the “Goblin Force,” an evil cosmic entity that’s so powerful it’s killed Galactus and consumed the Phoenix Force. Madelyne made a deal to save Scotty at some point in the past, bargaining with the Goblin Force, which has now consumed her. Yes, the storyline is now a direct “Dark Phoenix Saga” homage, and you can guess just how well it compares to the original. As opposed to Uncanny X-Men #137’s unforgettable ending, this story doesn’t even bother to tell us what happened to Madelyne after Scotty mysteriously compelled the Goblin Force out of her. She’s vaguely “gone.” I don’t know if that means she’s literally disappeared, or if she’s dead and Cary Nord just didn’t draw her body on the ground.

Is there anything to look forward to in this book? Havok assembling a new team has potential, and Mackie’s made the odd decision to begin a romantic subplot between Havok and Elektra this issue, but…how can I be optimistic about this title after seeing how quickly it went off the rails in its first year?

MUTANT X #11 - August 1999

And a Child Shall Lead Them.

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), JJ Kirby & Mike Miller (pencilers), Pepoy/Greene/Elmer/Mei/Koblish/Candelario (inks), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Madelyne briefly escapes her Goblin Queen persona, but is soon consumed by demonic influences again. She sends Bloodstorm to the X-Men’s mansion to kidnap Scotty, who’s later kept prisoner when he turns away from his mother. When Brute visits him, Scotty uses his telepathic powers to erase Goblin Queen’s mental control. Brute is attacked by the rest of the Six, but when the Fallen targets Scotty, Goblin Queen turns on him. Madelyne apparently reasserts herself and sends Brute and Scotty back home with the X-Men.

Better Than X-Factor?: Not particularly, although I have to say the artists have done an admirable job under what had to be tight deadlines. Two pencilers and six inkers are not going to produce the most consistent comic ever, but I have to say that the majority of this issue looks perfectly okay. I think JJ Kirby is responsible for most of the issue, but even the pages by perpetual fill-in guy Mike Miller are decent. I’m assuming his pencils for the most recent X-Force issue were extremely rough. The story, unfortunately, does read like a last-minute deadline crunch. Scotty develops powers out of nowhere, Madelyne wastes numerous pages having a literal battle with her inner demons, more demons appear for no discernible reason during Brute and Scotty’s escape, and Madelyne’s personality abruptly changes again when it’s time for the story to end. The execution of the events is so disjointed it’s hard to care about anything that happens.

MUTANT X #10 - July 1999

The X-Men Cometh!

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Carey Nord (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Magneto and Polaris rescue Havok from the Sentinels, but they’re soon drawn into another fight with a new breed of Sentinels designed by Reed Richards and imbued with demons by the Goblin Queen. Nimrod also materializes and joins the fight. The tide begins to turn when the X-Men suddenly arrive.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: Along with Magneto and Polaris, the X-Men consist of Nightcrawler, Rogue, Mystique, and Quicksilver. Nightcrawler has a new costume but seems to be fundamentally the same. Rogue wears Ms. Marvel’s costume and has Colossus’ armored skin. Mystique appears as a giant monster. Quicksilver is covered in a bizarre armor.

Better Than X-Factor?: I suppose, if only because this is a straightforward action story that isn’t hinting at various conspiracies or vague future events. It would be charitable to say this makes perfect sense, though. Apparently, Reed Richards isn’t being brainwashed by the Goblin Queen, which is certainly an odd characterization choice. Havok also seems incredulous that Magneto is a hero on this world, ignoring the fact that Magneto did reform on his earth and was even chosen by Professor Xavier to run his school during his absence. We also have another example of Mackie misusing Mystique’s powers, although there could be an explanation for this reality’s Mystique’s new abilities. The only alternate reality twist in the issue I enjoyed was the revelation that Polaris is discreetly powering up Magneto, who’s weakened after an outer space battle. And, perhaps, Mackie can do something with Havok and this new Polaris’ relationship. Pretty much anything would have to be an improvement over the way Mackie handled it in X-Factor.

MUTANT X #9 - June 1999

The Uncanny!

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Mike Miller (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Havok is rescued from the Goblin Queen’s Sentinels by Ben Grimm, Mole Man, and Callisto. He’s taken to the underground, but demands to be freed so that he can check on his son. Callisto arranges for his release, only to reveal that she’s cut a deal with the Goblin Queen to give up Havok in exchange for the underground’s safety. When Havok refuses to surrender, Goblin Queen burns Callisto’s face. Havok fights his former teammates, as Magneto suddenly appears.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: Callisto’s face isn’t scarred (until of course Madelyne burns it off), and she’s in a relationship with Mole Man.

Better Than X-Factor?: This is probably on the same level as Mackie’s average X-Factor issue. That’s a polite way of saying that it’s a clumsy collection of mashed together, half-formed ideas. It’s hard to be charitable towards a series that has the protagonist falling to his death out of a skyscraper at the end of one issue, then opens the next issue with the same character talking on a pay phone with no explanation whatsoever. I have to confess that I found the non-hideous Callisto and Mole Man pairing amusing at first, but unfortunately Mackie has to do the most predictable thing you can do to Callisto (outside of having her lose a fight to Storm) and ruin her face just a few pages after she’s introduced. The idea that her relationship with Mole Man is based, as far as we can tell, solely on their desire to live underground also seems like a stretch if you think about it. It’s not as if the mainstream Callisto was pairing up with random Morlocks simply because they were conveniently located. Unfortunately, Mackie seems to be falling into the trap of sheer gimmickry every issue of this series and is already squandering some of the decent ideas he established in the opening issues.

MUTANT X #8 - May 1999

The Reign of the Queen!

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Carey Nord & Yancey Labat (pencilers), Andrew Pepoy & Scott Elmer (inks), Chris Eliopoulos (letters), Gina Going (colors)

Summary: The Goblin Queen mentally enthralls Vice President Robert Kelly, Larry Trask, and Reed Richards. Using their political power and scientific genius, she soon rules New York with her teammates. Havok and Elektra retreat to the X-Men’s abandoned mansion with Scotty. When Havok realizes the extent of Madelyne’s destruction, he sneaks into New York to confront her. She catches him and throws him out of a skyscraper.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: Robert Kelly is the American Vice President in this world, and the true power behind the mysterious President Starr. Larry Trask is the Sentinel Prime, after long ago sacrificing his humanity to be closer to his creations. Cerebro is revealed as an alternate version of Warlock. According to Cerebro, the X-Men and Magneto are in space aiding the Shi’ar.

Continuity Notes: The Thing is apparently killed by the Goblin Queen, while the remaining Fantastic Four members have possibly been killed by Reed Richards. There’s also an unresolved scene that has the Goblin Queen frantically searching for the Sorcerer Supreme, but not being able to find him. (Why do I have a feeling that this world’s Sorcerer Supreme is not Stephen Strange?)

Better Than X-Factor?: Eh…no. It seems as if Mackie’s already fallen into the What If…? trap of rushing through a series of dramatic events and not giving any of them dramatic weight. In just a handful of issues, Madelyne’s gone from a possible threat in the background to the absolute ruler of New York. The transition has happened so fast, it’s too surreal to be taken seriously. Rather than fearing for Havok’s safety, I just assume that some equally wacky event will happen next issue and save him. Will it be Ka-Zar and his wife Dazzler riding on a pack of pterosaurs? Will it be Jubilee, newly endowed with Captain Universe’s powers? Perhaps the middle-aged and pudgy Power Pack? Who knows, Mackie could make anything up and it wouldn’t be much more ridiculous than the story so far. Alternate reality stories obviously offer creators a lot of freedom, but abusing the freedom to do anything at the expense of solid storytelling is just a cheat.

MUTANT X #7 - April 1999

The Season of the Witch

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Suspicious of Madelyne’s behavior, Havok and Elektra take Scotty away on a trip. They’re confronted by the Brute and a group of demons serving Madelyne. Meanwhile, Bloodstorm and Ice-Man attempt to fight off Madelyne’s demons, but are soon possessed and forced into joining her side.

Better Than X-Factor?: The art is. The plot’s too thin to fill an entire issue, but I guess a needlessly padded story is preferable to an unnecessarily complicated and utterly nonsensical one, so it also reads better than Mackie’s average X-Factor issue. One of Mackie’s old traits is starting to emerge -- the inability to keep long-running subplots consistent. Little Scotty is supposed to be suspicious about Havok, since he’s the only one who knows for certain that this Havok isn’t his father. Mackie blunted that subplot a bit by having Havok confess this to the other cast members early on, but at this point in the story they still don’t believe him, so Scotty’s skepticism does have some value. As of this issue, his nanny Elektra is wholly convinced that Scotty loves Havok now, while he previously “respected” him, but felt no love. Maybe this is a clue that this reality’s Havok wasn’t a saint, or a sign that Scotty himself has some issues. Regardless, Scotty’s opinion on Havok has radically changed in-between issues for no apparent reason, which is needlessly jarring. As for the main plot, the cast fights demons and that’s essentially it. Nord’s well suited for this kind of story, yet the demons are left in darkness for the entire issue. That’s an odd decision, one that doesn’t help the already too flimsy story at all.

MUTANT X #6 - March 1999

The Trial of the Brute!

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going-Raney (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: The Brute stands trial for the murders of Man-Spider and the Green Goblin. Matt Murdock’s surprise witness is none other than Man-Spider himself, who claims his clone was the true victim. Suddenly, the courtroom is attacked by Hand ninjas and Bullseye, giving Madelyne and the Fallen an opportunity to lock the Brute in an empty room. When he emerges, the Brute dismisses his lawyer, pleads guilty, and asks for the death penalty.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: Gwen Stacy is a television reporter in this reality. Matt Murdock (presumably his first name is Matt, at least) is a trial lawyer, but no mention is made of Daredevil. Bullseye is essentially the same character, although he has a new costume.

Better Than X-Factor?: Yes, and it’s an improvement over the previous issue. Mackie’s main focus seems to be playing up the Madelyne Summers/Goblin Queen subplot; so much so that the Hand and Bullseye fight scenes are only given a few pages at the end of the issue. An unknown force is manipulating Madelyne into transforming into the Goblin Queen, and while the Fallen is in on her secret, that doesn’t stop her from horribly torturing him off-panel when he steps out of line. These scenes work pretty well, although Mackie seems to have forgotten about them just a few pages later, since the Fallen is still associating with Madelyne without any apparent resentment. Regardless, the Goblin Queen mystery is one of the more promising subplots in the series, so hopefully the payoff will be worth the wait.

Meanwhile, the Brute is on trial, which may or may not be a reference to the Beast’s trial from the first season of the X-Men cartoon. The courtroom scenes are slightly repetitive, but Cary Nord does a great job on the closing fight sequence. Unfortunately, as nice as the fight looks, it feels tacked on. This is the most interesting thing Nord’s been asked to draw in the issue, and it’s rushed through on the final five pages for some reason. At least a few of the numerous pages of Havok thinking to himself or escorting little Scotty around could’ve been cut, easily.

MUTANT X #5 - February 1999

Goblins in the Night

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Tom Raney (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: The Six team up with Man-Spider to stop the Green Goblin and his army of cloned goblins. The Green Goblin is cornered by the Fallen and Madelyne, whose Goblin Queen persona has emerged. Man-Spider arrives and is shocked by their behavior. With the Fallen’s help, Madelyne kills Man-Spider and Green Goblin. The Brute witnesses the event, but is silenced when the Fallen threatens to kill his parents. The murders are pinned on the Brute, who is taken into custody.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: This reality’s Spider-Man goes by Man-Spider, presumably because he has six arms (a callback to the storyline in Amazing Spider-Man #100-102). Also, this reality has a President Starr, which may or may not be a reference to an existing Marvel Universe character.

Better Than X-Factor?: This isn’t much of an improvement, to be honest. At the time, Howard Mackie was the sole in-continuity Spider-Man writer, a responsibility that I don’t think any writer had been given since the spin-offs began, so perhaps he’s playing off the reputation Marvel tried to build for him as the “Spider-Guy” with this issue. Of course, the critical consensus was that Mackie was unsuited to be the Spider-Guy, and the material produced during his stint turned out to be even worse than many were expecting, so this issue isn’t off to a great start. Mackie tries to throw in some clone-related meta-humor, but it feels awkward and a little forced. Plus, his Green Goblin isn’t any different from the standard Green Goblin of the era, right up to the nonsensical “world domination” schemes that were grafted on to Norman Osborn in the late ‘90s, so that’s another letdown.

Revealing that Madelyne and the Fallen are so evil they’ll casually kill their opponents and frame a teammate does up the stakes for this universe, however. We haven’t seen just how nasty Havok’s teammates can be in this reality, perhaps because the creative team was still trying to work out just how far to take the idea, so at the very least some new revelations are being made. Unfortunately, much of the action in this issue is hard to follow, and almost every page is drowning in unnecessary text. There’s also an awkward scene at the end that reveals that the Brute had an off-panel confrontation with the police after leaving the murder scene. I honestly can’t think of a single reason why this scene occurred in-between pages, especially when the Goblin fight dragged on forever. There should’ve been plenty of pages to work that scene in. For the most part, this book hasn’t felt as sloppy as X-Factor could be, but this is not an encouraging sign.

MUTANT X #4 - January 1999

Secrets and Lies

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: While Bloodstorm visits Forge, demons invade the Six’s headquarters. Havok and Scotty are cornered by the monsters, but Madelyne suddenly emerges as the Goblin Queen and saves them. She then abruptly shifts back into her human form.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: A girl named Kitty is a servant at Forge’s manor. Forge offers himself to Bloodstorm as food, and she seems to believe that feeding on him relieves his unspecified suffering. Bloodstorm can also transform into fog in this reality.

Better Than X-Factor?: Sure. Cary Nord’s just doing fill-ins at this point, but his style matches the dark tone of the story perfectly. There’s a lot of setup going on here, as page after page is dedicated to Scotty’s demonic visions and Madelyne spends several pages being tempted by the actual demons, but the art and colors help to sell the mood. It’s an “Inferno” callback, and as a late ‘80s Marvel fan, I can’t complain about that. Mackie’s also delivered a much more natural and subdued script this month. Perhaps this started as a gimmicky Halloween issue, but it worked out quite well.

MUTANT X #3 - December 1998

The Pack

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Tom Raney (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: On their way to Alaska, the Six are shot down by the Canadian military. The team is kidnapped by the Pack, leaving Havok alone. After he accidentally uncovers the abandoned Weapon X facility, the Pack agrees to free the team. Inside, the flood of memories drives the Pack insane, leading to another fight with the Six. Alpha Flight arrives and arrests the Pack. To avoid an international incident, the Six peaceably leave.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: The Pack consists of Wolverine, Sabretooth, and Wild Child. They’re all feral, and apparently only Wolverine has (limited) verbal skills. In this reality, the Weapon X project existed to create super-soldiers to fight against America in the Canadian/American conflict.

Better Than X-Factor?: Even though this is the weakest issue so far, yes. The idea of a militarized, hostile Canada is so absurd I can’t help but to like it, but the introduction of the Pack is a disappointment. The actual plotting of the issue is also a bit sloppy, as the story requires 1) the Brute to abruptly switch sides twice, with no compelling reason either time, 2) Havok to luckily blast into the hidden entrance of the Weapon X facility, 3) the Pack to irrationally turn on the Six for a second fight, and 4) Alpha Flight to conveniently arrive in time to stop the battle. Mackie is still having some fun with the premise, though. Havok presents a rational argument to the Six, explaining that being stuck in an alternate reality is no more implausible than anything that’s already happened to the team. That’s, you know, a good point. Maddie counters that even if he’s telling the truth, in this reality Havok’s respected by his peers, is married, has a baby, and lives a nice life. Why would he want to give that up? That’s not a bad argument, either. Just think -- two pages of rational conversation in a Howard Mackie comic. How often did that ever happen in X-Factor?

MUTANT X #2 - November 1998

No Way Out!

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Tom Raney (penciler), Andrew Pepoy & Walden Wong (inks), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: The Six aid the Fantastic Four against aspiring inter-dimensional tyrant, Moot. When Moot possesses Reed Richards’ body, he’s rescued by Havok. Richards listens to Havok’s story of slipping in-between dimensions and examines him. Finally, he offers a solution -- psychiatric help from Dr. Leonard Samson.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: In this reality the Fantastic Four were apparently never exposed to cosmic rays and instead wear cybernetic armor. I assume they also eschew code names, since Reed Richards doesn’t recognize the name “Mr. Fantastic.” Ben Grimm is much larger with what appears to be a glowing skull head, which may or may not be a part of his suit.

Continuity Notes: This reality’s Havok had a fling with Sue Storm, and Reed Richards is still angry about it. Madelyne makes him promise that there’s nothing going on between him and Sue anymore.

Better Than X-Factor?: Yes. Placing Havok in Namor’s role in the classic FF love triangle is an unexpected twist, and it leads the story in some interesting directions. Does Reed genuinely think Havok has brain damage, or is he setting up his former rival to be institutionalized out of spite? I like the fact that Mackie isn’t forcing Havok to keep the truth a secret for an unnatural period time, also. Havok might briefly play along while he’s still trying to figure out what happened, but it’s hard to believe that he would unnecessarily lie to his teammates after he’s confirmed that he really is in an alternate reality. The catch is, no one on this Earth has even heard of alternate realities (except for Moot, who doesn’t know how to access them but knows he wants to rule them), so instead they just assume he’s insane. Using an altered version of the Fantastic Four also opens up the question of when exactly this timeline diverged from the main Marvel Universe, which introduces numerous possibilities. The first issue just showed an alternate history for the X-Men, but now we see much larger implications for this new world. All of this is more intriguing than any of the byzantine “mysteries” that never amounted to anything in X-Factor.

MUTANT X #1 - October 1998

In the End…As In the Beginning

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Tom Raney (penciler), Andrew Pepoy (inker), Gina Going (colors), Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

Summary: Havok floats in a black void until he encounters the recently deceased body of another timeline’s Havok. Possessing his body, Havok emerges in a new reality. In this world, he leads the Six with his wife, Marvel Woman. After defeating a Sentinel attack, Havok and the Six stop a rogue Nick Fury and SHIELD from unleashing the Legacy Virus.

“That’s Crazy Because They’re Different”: In this reality, Havok was a founding member of the X-Men. He now leads the Six, formerly the government-sponsored superhero team X-Factor, which consists of Marvel Woman (Madelyne Pryor), the Fallen (Archangel), the Brute (the Beast), Ice-Man (Iceman), and Bloodstorm (Storm). Elektra is nanny to Havok and Madelyne’s son, Scotty. In this world, Madelyne Pryor rescued her son in “Inferno” by striking a deal with N’astirh (she occasionally manifests the Goblin Queen persona), Archangel developed the ability to breathe fire from Apocalypse, the Beast grew green and amphibious (and less intelligent) after experimenting on himself, Iceman’s powers never recovered from Loki’s manipulations, and Storm remained a vampire after her encounter with Dracula.

Continuity Notes: The Six wonder why Sentinels are attacking them since human/mutant relations are “on an upswing.” Fury was discharged by the government for his extreme anti-mutant views. Cyclops died as a child during his family’s plane crash, leading Havok to name his son in his brother’s honor. Little Scotty instinctively knows that “our” Havok is not his father. Jean Grey also served in the X-Men as “Ariel” before her death. The Six split from the X-Men after Xavier left Magneto in charge of the school.

Better Than X-Factor?: By X-Factor I mean Howard Mackie’s run specifically, since comparing it to something like Peter David’s stint would be an apples and oranges kind of thing. And, yes, this is better than a good 90% of Mackie’s X-Factor issues. The dialogue is still extremely wooden in places, and while some of the characters are mocked within the story for their “extraneous exposition,” Madelyne lets out this gem without comment: “Ororo, the gale force winds you are summoning up and directing toward this one don’t seem to be having any more effect than either Havok’s or my powers.” Seriously, how does something like that get published?

Anyway, nitpicking aside, most of the dialogue is at least passable, and the situation Mackie has dumped Havok into has a lot of potential. He knows nothing of this world, his wife has a secret deal with demons, most of his teammates resemble monsters, and his son knows he’s an imposter. The premise of an alternate reality that’s allowed Havok to develop out of brother’s shadow is pretty novel, and it’s telling that these X-Men have lost so many of the battles they won in our reality under Havok.

Some of the status quo changes, like Storm’s vampirism, make sense while others seem too arbitrary. (Why would Havok replacing Cyclops on the X-Men lead Beast to develop a different formula? Or Apocalypse to mutate Archangel in a different way?) It’s hard to see the logic behind these choices. Later on, this book will become notorious for Mackie’s capricious reality warps, so this stuff is fairly mild. If you think Elektra the nanny and Nick Fury the bigot are too ridiculous, there’s much worse coming.

At any rate, aside from those complaints, I’m still willing to give the new reality a chance at this point. Considering the hasty development of this book, it’s actually impressive that a new reality has been fleshed out so quickly, and over the course of thirty story pages (and six character bios in the back) Mackie gives the readers a lot of info to digest. Unfortunately, Tom Raney’s art is looking a bit rushed. He has a tendency to occasionally produce faces that are oddly distorted, and there’s a higher ratio of those present in this issue. When he’s on his game though, like in the opening sequence, it’s hard to find any faults. One of the problems with X-Factor in the later years was the consistently below-par art, a situation that seems to be rectified now.