It's surprising that the events that occur in this issue happen in "Guardians of the Galaxy," because they're all really about the original X-Men. Actually, they're all really about Jean, until they're suddenly about Scott.
Jean reveals the ability to combine her telepathy and telekinesis into psionic energy (and in so doing showing where Nate Grey got his powers, in a way). Bendis clearly connects this development to the story, since it comes not only after Oracle continually pushed Jean to control her abilities but also after Gladiator gave her a pretty compelling reason to push herself to the limit. Control + anger = innovation. But, it's more than just Jean advancing to the next level in terms of her powers. It's also about Jean Grey forgiving herself for the crimes that she will allegedly commit. Jean correctly notes that she was the host to a force of nature that no one else managed to control; she posits that Gladiator is mad at the fact that he wasn't able to stop nature, and she makes the (probably accurate) point that someone else would've been forced to destroy that galaxy if she hadn't. When Gladiator insists that he's improving his odds of it not happening again by killing the Greys (thereby proving that he pretty much listened to nothing that she said), Jean lets loose on him. It's all so beautifully crafted, Jean coming to maturity, emotionally and physically, at exactly the moment that she needs to do so.
But, lest we think that this issue is about Jean, Scott steps into the fray. The Scott Summers that we see threaten to kill Gladiator if he comes after Jean again is one that we all recognize now, the first sign of the man that he will one day be. But, Bendis doesn't stop there. To everyone's surprise, Scott announces that he's leaving Earth and going with his dad. It's totally unexpected, but it makes complete sense. In terms of the comic, we sort of expect Scott to stay with the team because, well, they're a team. But, in terms of reality, it makes total sense that Scott would want to go with his father (even if, at some point, Bendis really does have to explain how Corsair is still alive). As Scott said, he's an orphan who suddenly discovers that he's not, and he needs to take advantage of that. The moment that really got me, though, isn't when he announces that he's going with Corsair, but when he describes his decision to Jean. It's a quiet moment, as he holds her head in his hand and tells her that they know that they don't live happily together and that they now have a shot to be happy. You can sense that he's right, that he's liberating himself from the burden that his present counterpart has carried with him since he was 16 years old.
In other words, in terms of the original X-Men's lives diverting from the path that their present counterparts took, this development is the most significant so far. It's a bomb in the middle of the original X-Men's lives, and I can honestly say that I have no idea where we're going. Pichelli and Marquez make it clear that Jean is slowly losing control in the end sequence, and, without Scott to ground her, it's anyone's guess what's going to happen. Will we have another Dark Phoenix? Will Hank fill Scott's shoes when it comes to Jean?
Honestly, I can't think of a comic that excites me more right now than "All-New X-Men" (even if this series is technically "Guardians of the Galaxy"). Hopefully, the series will stay connected by Kitty and Peter's long-distance relationship. (Hurrah!) At any rate, this cross-over event was truly, truly epic. It advanced the plot of both series, spurring honest-to-goodness character growth and delivering pretty grand battle sequences to boot. Nothing feels cheap here, as these events often do with the author trying to rush to the finale. Every development is based on a previous one, and each character acts in a way wholly consistent with the events that they're experiencing and their established personalities. That's remarkable for most authors, but particularly Bendis, given his run on "Avengers." If you're thinking of buying this TPB, do it!
***** (five of five stars)
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