First, I have to say, "Original Sin" is really knocking it outta the park lately. Between the revelations in "Amazing Spider-Man" #4 and this issue, the authors aren't giving us minor secrets that will shortly be forgotten. They're really weaving them not only into the ongoing stories that they're telling but into the characters' histories. It's pretty rare to see an event have such long-term implications (particularly before it's even concluded), and I salute Marvel for coordinating it so well. (Hell, Bendis even managed to use part of "Secret Invasion" in creating the mysterious Matthew.)
The revelation that Charles married Mystique was amazing for two reasons. First, it confirms that the Xavier from the future Brotherhood is really Charles and Mystique's son. Bendis implies that he might also be this mutant that Charles describes as "so powerful that their very existence threatened our way of life and any chance we would have for a peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans." However, we're going to have to wait until next issue to be sure. Second, we were all expecting that the surprise in the will would be that Scott would inherit the School. It was clear that Bendis was going this way early in this issue; I was thrilled when Ororo and Scott came to that conclusion once they heard that Scott was required to be present at the reading of the will. It really set up the surprise, that Charles was married to Mystique and she presumably now owns the School.
But, this issue was about more than just Charles' will or the School's future. I loved that the School crowd got the jump on Scott. He is always portrayed as the consummately brilliant tactician, and Bendis makes it clear that he was stunned when the X-Men just waltz into the New Xavier School. It's an important reminder that the X-Men aren't just pacifist teachers, but honest-to-goodness superheroes who can do just fine without Scott. It seems shocking that no one has made that point earlier, but it definitely needed to be made, particularly as it's clear that Storm will be taking up the School's reins when Logan "dies." Moreover, Bendis does a great job of conveying the emotions driving the events of this issue. From Bobby realizing that Charles is really dead to the anger that Hank, Logan, and Ororo exude in their interactions with Scott, this issue would've been nowhere near as powerful had Bendis hadn't taken the time to remind us of the state of play between these people that've known one another for a very long time.
Finally, it's worth noting that we end this issue with the two teams together. Such an event usually results in a slugfest, but here they are standing together for the first time in a long time: Scott, Bobby, Hank, Ororo, Kurt, Logan, Dazzler, Kitty, Rachel, Emma, Magik, and, well, Firestar. It's pretty much all the surviving X-Men from the 1960s and 1970s in one room. It's a big deal, and Bendis knows that it is, making it clear how much the revelations next issue are going to affect the future of the franchise.
Now, I just have to wait until next issue!
***** (five of five stars)
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