Remender answers the question that I've been asking since issue #7, confirming that Kang always intended for the Twins to use Jarnbjorn to kill the Celestial.* But, he does so much more than just that in this issue. He also makes it clear how long of a game Kang has been playing. He needed Thor to ensorcel Jarnbjorn so that it was capable of slaying the Celestial and Exitar. He needed the Twins to kill the Celestial so that Exitar would come to Earth seeking vengeance. He needed Exitar to destroy the Earth so that he could convince the future super-villains to form the Chronos Corps. He then needed Thor to return to the past so that he could prevent Exitar from destroying Earth. At the end of this issue, it all comes together: the Chronos Corps holds off the Avengers while Kang drinks in Exitar's life force, becoming a cosmic force in his own right. It is the work of a highly skilled manipulator, and Kang finally stands triumphant at the end.
But, on some level, this issue isn't about Kang. After all, Kang has seemingly been triumphant before; we have no real reason to believe that he'll stay so for long. Instead, this issue is really all about Rogue and Wanda. I've previously criticized Scott Snyder for writing "Batman" as if everyone is merely there to teach Bruce the lesson that he has to learn that month. Characters are constantly acting against type simply because it advances the story that Snyder needs to tell. But, Remender proves why he's telling a higher level of story here. Everyone acts according to his or her established character as the story unfolds, and, along the way, each character learn the lessons that s/he not only needed to learn, but that the events logically forced him or her to learn. Rogue learns to trust Wanda because she realizes the dangers of acting rashly, something that Rogue clearly needed to learn. (Her actions leading to the destruction of Earth also seem to be a good inspiration for learning this lesson).
As a result, after almost a decade, Wanda now stands fully rehabilitated in the eyes of the superhero community. After "Avengers: The Children's Crusade" and this story, it feels emotionally real, like Cyclops' slow descent into darkness. It wasn't just Remender waving his hands to make it happen. As a reward, we now have a fully united Unity Squad. A lot of authors would've rushed the moment, particularly as the memory of "Avengers vs. X-Men" faded. The squad would've just been presented as united, and, to be honest, we probably would've accepted it. But, Remender took his time, and now I'm really excited to read about a truly united Unity Squad. Of course, they just have to survive next issue.
* I'm going to go down a rabbit hole here, so I'm putting it at the end for anyone not as anal-retentive as I am. We've been at this story for 21 issues, so it's hard to remember all the details at times. But, if I remember correctly, the Twins were initially in our time implementing a plan for Kang. It was originally unclear if the murder of the Celestial was part of Kang's plan or if the Twins did it on their own. It now appears that Kang manipulated the Twins into killing the Celestial, even though it wasn't part of the plan that he told them that they were implementing. Although it's not essential, it would be interesting to learn, at some point, what plan the Twins thought that they were following for Kang. If killing the Celestial was a deviation from it, what did Kang tell them that they were being sent to this time to do? If it was part of plan, where did the Twins actually deviate? Was it the Rapture and Planet X?
***** (five of five stars)
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