I'm going to warn you upfront the summary is l-o-n-g. I tried to stick to the basics, but Claremont crams a lot in here, giving us the origin stories of Dani, Rahne, Roberto, Sam, and Xi'an. (In Xi'an's case, it's a re-telling of her origin, as she had already débuted in "Marvel Team-Up" #100. Professor X informs us that Reed Richards referred her to him after the events of that issue.) With the benefit of hindsight, I tried to focus on revelations that have faded from focus over time, such as Dani's ability to communicate telepathically with animals or the limitations on several team members' powers. At the end of the day, it's a 47-page graphic novel, so grab a cup of coffee, find a comfy chair, and get ready for some recapping! Otherwise, skip right to the review!
Summary
Summary
Part One: Introductions
Moira MacTaggart is surprised when a wolf leaps over her, since wolves don't exist in this part of Scotland. She's amazed as she watches it turn into a girl and shocked when she realizes it's Rahne Sinclair, who she delivered years ago. Rahne lapses into unconsciousness as a result of the fall, and Moira discovers she's been shot. (It's just a flesh wound!) Moira recalls tagging an "anomalous DNA matrix" in Rahne's blood when she was born, but hadn't followed up further. Revered Craig arrives with a group of gun-tottin' and torch-bearin' villagers in pursuit of the "witch." "Lady" Moira tells Craig he's trespassing on Kinross land, and Craig says he's there to "save" Rahne's soul from the devil who possesses her. Moira wryly notes a bullet doesn't seem the best course of action to do that. She puts Rahne under her protection and tells Craig and his followers to leave. Moira realizes she needs to get Rahne to Professor Xavier.
In Rio de Janeiro, Roberto da Costa scores a goal in the championship soccer match against his high school's arch-rivals. His adoring father and girlfriend celebrate in the stands. Roberto is on his way to the goal again when two white players trip him; one of them, Keller, calls him "halfbreed." The referees don't realize it's an intentional trip, so hot-headed Roberto tackles Keller, who exults at having successfully baited Roberto. He begins to whale on Roberto, saying "your father's wealth can't change the color of your skin," followed by, "you're still black -- an animal masquerading as a human being." (Jesus, 1983.) Keller and everyone else are shocked when Roberto's powers suddenly manifest themselves, with Roberto throwing Keller across the pitch. Everyone -- including two of Roberto's friends -- flee in a panic. Roberto is confused why he feels so hot and screams for his father and Juliana to help him. Roberto's father -- so proud of him moments earlier -- stares at him in disbelief. The fleeing crowd allegedly carries his father with it, whereas Juliana fights her way to Roberto. (Obviously we're Team Juliana, though that doesn't do her much good later.) As he depowers, Roberto tells Juliana not to approach him lest he hurt her, but she ignores his warning, telling him she'll stay with him whatever comes. He slumps into her arms, and she screams for a doctor when she realizes he's cold as ice. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure with a familiar ruffled cuff watches on a monitor, declaring more mutants are appearing every day and he'll be there to destroy them all!
In Cumberland County, Kentucky, Sam Guthrie, "age 16," heads into the mines. Mr. Lewis, one of his fellow miners, expresses sympathy after hearing Sam's father died of the black lung. Lewis asks about Sam's family, and Sam says he's started working the mines because inflation is eating into his father's pension (oh, 1983) and his mother is too proud to go on welfare. Lewis recalls Sam's father saying he was so proud about Sam going to college on a scholarship, but Sam says he couldn't leave for school knowing his family didn't have food to eat. Sam comments that he's the man of the house now and swears to make sure his father's dream comes true for one of his siblings. Resenting his father for "offering a dream of something better, only to snatch it from Sam's hand as it was about to come true," Sam gets to work. However, a cave-in pins Lewis, and Sam struggles to get to Lewis against the other miners as they flees. Lewis tells Sam he's definitely his father's son -- "more guts than brains" -- and, as the roof collapses on them, Sam's powers manifest themselves, sending him and Lewis to safety. The ruffled-cuff figure observes the scene, saying he planned on using Sam for his own purposes and then killing him with da Costa.
Outside Sundance, Colorado, Moonstar communes with nature, using her ability to communicate telepathically with animals to greet Ridge-Runner, a mountain-lion friend. The mountain lion bolts when Black Eagle, Moonstar's grandfather, approaches. He tells Moonstar it's time for her to leave the mountain and attend Xavier's school so she can learn how to control the powers of the mind that the Great Spirit gave her. She's furious at him both for sending her from the mountains and for sending her to an "anglo." (Seriously, 1983, racism much?) Her rage apparently weakens his "natural psychic defenses," and she projects one of her "dream shapes," of two armored men beating Black Eagle to death. She exposits she fled town because she can't control these images, and Black Eagle tells her it's why she has to go to Xavier's. However, she declares all white men are enemies, but Black Eagle informs her Xavier was her father's best friend and blood brother. (If that's true, you have to wonder why she didn't even know who Xavier was. Good job keeping tabs on her, Charles.) Moonstar still resists, but relents to go when Black Eagle commands her to do so. Dismissing them as "noble savages," the ruffled-cuff figure is finally revealed to be Donald Pierce, who plans on ambushing Xavier (without his X-Men) when he travels to the Rockies to fetch Moonstar. We learn Pierce is holding Tessa hostage and plans on destroying the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club -- dismissing it as a "mutie clique" -- in order to take command of it. Later, Moonstar awakens suddenly at the sound of Black Eagle's "psychic deathscream" and rides her pony to his body. She realizes he had foreseen his own death and she had pulled this image from his mind earlier in the day. (The narration to this scene is: "To the sheriff, Black Eagle will be just another drunken old Indian who wandered out onto the highway and got himself splattered." 1983 racism rears its ugly head again!) Moonstar swears revenge.
In Westchester, Xavier is still reeling from the alleged death of the X-Men. (It's set during the era when the Brood has kidnapped them.) Moira and Rahne arrived a week earlier, and Moira is helping the Professor examine Xi'an Coy Manh, codenamed Karma, while Rahne observes. Charles says Xi'an's powers to possess people rival his own, but Xi'an expresses disdain for them, saying if she must have them she has to learn to control them. Moira volunteers as a guinea pig, but Rahne loses her shit when she hears Xi'an's voice coming from Moira's mouth. She immediately switches into wolf mode and threatens Moira/Xi'an. Xavier stops Rahne from attacking Moira, and Xi'an releases her hold on Moira. We learn Xi'an can act somewhat independently when she possesses someone, but her actions are limited. Conversely, she has absolute control over the "victim," who doesn't even remember the possession. The foursome retire for lunch, and, under prompting from Xavier, Xi'an recounts her history for us. She and her family were "boat people" fleeing Vietnam; her father was a colonel in the South Vietnamese Army. Thai pirates killed her parents during their escape, and she fled to America to care for her younger brother and sister. She shamefully admits she used her powers to secure work, noting her twin brother, Tran, had the same powers as she did but didn't share her reluctance to use them. She also has an uncle, Nguyen Ngoc Coy, living outside Vietnam, but she and her father didn't trust him. Xavier notes she isn't totally forthcoming about her history, and Claremont makes that clear when she hesitates in describing her brother as having "died." That said, Xavier is impressed she managed to use her powers so well without training, and Rahne asks why he's happy they've mastered "these gifts from Satan." (Oh, Rahne, never change.) Xi'an expands on the subject of her brother, saying he saw people as mere puppets, and she wants Xavier to help her reject that temptation. Xavier hesitates in accepting this charge, telepathically telling Moira he has enough blood on his hands. Moira reminds him the dream wasn't forming the X-Men; the dream was helping mutants to learn to live with their powers and society to learn to accept them. The X-Men are "far less important than the dream which brought them together." After Xavier agrees, Xi'an expresses concern about her little brother and sister, saying she won't have enough time to take care of them, go to school, and have a job. Xavier hires her to run the School with him, and she accepts. Charles then receives a letter from Black Eagle informing him Moonstar is a mutant, and Charles notes the coincidence as he heads out West.
Part Two: Getting the Band Together
In Colorado, Charles, Xi'an, and Rahne are before Black Eagle's funeral bier, and Xi'an wonders how they're going to find Moonstar. (We're left to our own devices to figure out how the three of them came to find themselves alone at the bier.) On cue, the three of them are suddenly thrown into the Vietnam War, clearly a sign of Moonstar's dream shapes pulling out Xi'an's (and possibly Xavier's, frankly) worst memories. Before Xavier can react and block the intrusion, a real explosion throws the three of them to the ground. Moonstar crashes past them, fleeing an armored men on a skybike. Ridge-Runner attacks the man to protect Moonstar, and he throws her to her death. Moonstar is distraught, allowing the man to capture her, but Karma uses her powers to possess him, turning him against his two colleagues. Karma has the man remove his helmet so Xavier can interrogate him (because apparently she could get through the helmet's psychic-resistant properties, but Xavier couldn't), and Moonstar realizes the helmet was the only thing preventing her from attacking him. She attempts to drive him insane with her "spiritforms" (formerly "dream shapes"), but Xavier stops her, calling her "Danielle" much to her shock. Apparently only she and Black Eagle knew that name, but Xavier says he was there the day her parents gave it to her. (Jesus, Charles, you really are terrible at mentoring young people, aren't you?) He tells her he's there to train her as he promised Black Eagle he would do, and Dani retorts that his help didn't save Black Eagle. (Oh, teen angst. It's particularly biting when it leads them to speaking the truth.) She demands he leave her on the mountain, and he asks her if she really wants to live alone in terror of powers she doesn't understand. She seems amenable to the training he offers, but she then stumbles from the pain of her dislocated shoulder. Xi'an uses the first-aid skills she learned during the war to set it, though Dani is appalled, as a proud Cheyenne, that she screamed. (She also refuses to be called "Dani" or "Danielle.") Xavier explains his telepathic probe of the man reveals he and his fellow goons are linked to Donald Pierce, who plans on killing Roberto and Sam. Xavier suggests splitting up the team to save them. Learning Xavier has no need for the man anymore, Dani takes out her knife and plans on killing him. Xavier stops her, saying the "scales of justice" will be partly balanced when her testimony helps convict the man. Dani argues with that, saying justice would only be served if her grandfather was resurrected. She pledges to take out her vengeance on Pierce instead.
(OMG, it just doesn't end. We're only half way through here, but it's thankfully less narrative driven so we should wrap it up soon.)
In possibly the most bizarre scene I've ever read in a comic, police bust into the room Moira, Xi'an, and Dani have taken in Rio de Janeiro, declaring they're under arrest. Moira asks why, and the cop smacks her upside the head. (Really.) He says her call to Emmanual da Costa regarding Roberto has made them suspicious, because Roberto and Juliana were the victims of an attempted kidnapping the previous day. Xi'an possesses the cop who smacked Moira so he doesn't lock the handcuffs he puts on them and realizes Moira is signaling to her to wait for a better moment to escape. Once the cops lead them outside, she has the cop punch his partner so she and Dani can make a break for it. Moira says she'll stay with the cops to try to convince them of the truth and orders them to find Roberto. The girls do so via a Cerebro wristwatch, but they watch as he escapes his family's townhouse and heads to an abandoned warehouse where Pierce's goons have Juliana. He tells them to let her go now that he's met their demands, but one of the goons smacks him, saying they'll do what they want with him and his "cutie." Roberto asks what ransom they want, but the guards tell him they want his blood. Roberto uses his powers to attack them, but the goons reveal they became cyborgs after Wolverine cut them to ribbons, which is why they're fast and hate "muties." Roberto's powers fade and he begs the goons to let Juliana go. One of the goons menacingly says he can't grant him this last wish, but Xi'an then possesses the goon and has him open fire on the other goons. However, she's unused to handling a cyborg's rapid reactions, so Dani uses her powers to scare the goons when Xi'an fails to hit them. Dani then inadvertently chooses to punch the goon Xi'an is possessing, severing the connection. Xi'an approaches Juliana and Roberto while possessing a second goon, telling Juliana they're friends and asks for her help with Roberto. However, Roberto somehow suddenly loses his capacity to speak English, firing up his powers once again and attacking Xi'an, thinking she's the enemy. It breaks her concentration from the second goon she's possessed, and he opens fire on the kids. As Roberto's powers fade (again), leaving him disoriented, Juliana leaps into the line of fire to save Roberto as Dani uses another image of Wolverine to scare the goon. However, she's so upset she winds up scaring him to the point where he loses his sanity. She's rattled by the hate she saw during their connection, while a distraught Roberto holds Juliana's dead body. He blames himself for her murder, as he hoped in his arrogance he would save her and people would see him as a hero and not a monster. Xi'an tries to comfort him, but he refuses her words, saying he's a freak. She tells him they're also freaks, but Professor Xavier is trying to help them learn how to use their powers. Roberto wants none of it, saying he now lives solely for revenge, and Dani is on board with that, saying they want the same thing.
Part Three: Team Revenge
In Kentucky, Xavier and Rahne are driving in a jeep when Cannonball -- outfitted like Pierce's goons -- rams into them. (Xavier had been thinking about a call he just had with Moira, lamenting Juliana's death and reminding himself he's dealing with children and not X-Men. Good time to remember that, Charles, after an innocent girl has died. Also, why are Xavier and Rahne just now getting to Kentucky if Moira and her team have already found Roberto in Brazil. Did they stop at Dollyworld?) Rahne turns into her wolf form and jumps free while Sam drags Xavier from the jeep. (Not to get into too much analysis here, but Sam is particularly rube-y here: he tells Professor X not to worry because he'll have him free from the jeep "in a jiffy." Um, he's unconscious in a burning jeep because of you, dude.) Some of Pierce's goons appear on the scene, and Sam tells one of the goons he swore he saw a girl in the jeep. The goon tells him they're the only humans on the scanner. Sam asks what Pierce wants with Xavier, and the goon tells him to take his "heckuva salary" and be quiet. They depart in a helicopter, and Rahne picks up the scent when she lifts her head to howl in sorrow. She follows the trail to Pierce's compound and uses her half-human/half-wolf "transitional" form to leap over the fences, as it gives her "lupine strength" and "human dexterity." She gets onto the roof, despairing of her lack of humanity in transitional form. But, she also realizes it helped her get to Xavier, and she watches through a skylight as Pierce tells the professor he's put a "mindtrap" on him. The device will prevent him from using his telepathic powers and absorb the data stored in his brain. (Convenient!) Moreover, the more Xavier resists the device, the more brain damage he'll suffer. Rahne frets, as she knows she can't take on Pierce and his goons on her own. But, just then, Dani contacts her telepathically, as Moira successfully guessed her ability to communicate with animals would work with Rahne (though it's difficult for her to do).
At this point, Cannonball sees Rahne and attacks, though he's startled when he comes upon her in her transitional form. Rahne leaps to safety, and Dani uses her powers on Sam before he can recover, making him believe he's in the collapsing mine again. He flees in a panic, but takes off part of the roof with him, attracting the other goons' attention. Rahne bites ones on the shoulder, while Sunspot pounds a hole in the wall, causing an explosion that takes out several goons. Dani exults in their injuries, prompting Xi'an to remark that they're not killers; Dani tells her to speak for herself. (I've got to say, it's pretty ballsy of a girl raised in the Colorado mountains to suggest to a woman raised in a war zone that she's too soft on killing.) Dani agrees to stay non-lethal only until they get to Pierce. Cannonball has recovered and attacks since he overhears them talking about taking on Pierce, with Roberto barely dodging him. Meanwhile, Xi'an correctly finds herself wondering why Pierce hired a mutant if he hates them so much. (It's an early example of pet peeve #3, where an author uses a character to point out a plot flaw.) Xi'an tries to stop Sam, but she finds she's too excited and scared to use her powers. Instead, she picks up a machine gun and opens fire, hoping people will scatter (and thanking her father for teaching her how to use a gun). At Xi'an's instruction, Roberto breaks into the building and starts tearing through machines. In his own moment of reflection, Roberto thinks about how he always wanted this sort of power when kids made fun of him because he was so small but also how it's not going to bring back Juliana.
Inside, Pierce tells Xavier he's going to snap his neck, but Rahne breaks through the skylight and grabs his arm. However, she stunned to find it's circuitry, and Pierce kicks her, breaking her ribs. Dani then leaps through the broken skylight, but Pierce shakes off her powers thanks to his cybernetic shields. Rahne can barely breath, and Xavier guesses she has a punctured lung. But, he knows she's their best chance at survival, so he directs her to a control panel as Roberto (inadvertently) distracts Pierce in his rage at coming face-to-face with Juliana's killer. However, Sam attacks him from behind, throwing him into the wall. Sam still can't stop at will, though, so he also crashes into the bank of machines. Rahne reaches for a switch as Xavier frets he's killing her, and Xi'an appears on the scene, expositing she no longer has ammunition. She tries to possess Pierce, but she too runs into his cybernetic shields, so he stuns her. He tells Sam to get rid of them, and Sam, holding Roberto, asks if he wants to throw them off the property or turned into the sheriff. (Yes, Sam, that seems like options Pierce will suggest to you.) Of course, Pierce tells Sam he wants them dead, and Sam refuses. Pierce turns the gun on him, and Sam tries to summon his powers to shield himself, but they're spent. Pierce goes to open fire, but Xavier stops him, as Rahne has successfully turned off the "mindtrap." Xavier eventually overpowers and takes control of Pierce, something he claims is distasteful and difficult for him to do. (Nice try, Charles.) He has Pierce free Tessa while Dani expresses concern about Rahne as her pulse is weak. Xi'an takes over possessing Pierce, and Xavier summons Moira with the "hovercar." Xavier says they should be able to get Rahne to medical personnel in time as he's "psionically monitoring her injuries," and Tessa pledges to take care of Pierce. Tessa tells him it's the last they've heard of Pierce (ha!), and Xavier is torn: he doesn't want Tessa to kill Pierce, but he also doesn't have time to delay getting Rahne to a doctor. He allows Tessa to depart with Pierce, and Sam glumly asks what happens to him. Roberto tells him to follow Pierce as Xavier and company crowd into an elevator. (Jesus, Xavier is ice cold.)
Epilogue
In the mansion two weeks later, Xavier calls the class together for the first time. As they change into their costumes, they reflect on the last few days. Xi'an expresses disbelief everything could work out so well, and Roberto commits to non-lethal force so he'll never become like Pierce. Dani tells her grandfather she chose life (saving Rahne) over death (killing Pierce) and commits to trying to be happy away from Colorado and him, and Rahne marvels that her uniform can change with her. Xavier exposits that Rahne's shape-changing abilities include recuperative abilities, so she healed quickly. When everyone arrives for class, Xavier chastises Dani for wearing a Cheyenne belt and not the one the rest of the team wears. She says she's an individual who won't do anything to abandon or forget her heritage. Xavier reflects on how he once would've forced her to conform, but now realizes they're individuals whose spirits need to be shaped not broken. (Um, yeah, Charlie. Good epiphany.) The doorbell rings, and Rahne is shocked to find a suit-clad Sam. Xavier informs them anyone can make a mistake; Pierce duped him, and Xavier invited him to the school. Roberto dismisses Sam as lacking honor for attacking him from behind, but Sam says he's willing to learn what honor means. Rahne tells Roberto he has to forgive Sam if she does since she almost died, and Roberto charmingly says he can't refuse a beautiful girl. The team laughs, and Xavier allows himself a smile.
Moira MacTaggart is surprised when a wolf leaps over her, since wolves don't exist in this part of Scotland. She's amazed as she watches it turn into a girl and shocked when she realizes it's Rahne Sinclair, who she delivered years ago. Rahne lapses into unconsciousness as a result of the fall, and Moira discovers she's been shot. (It's just a flesh wound!) Moira recalls tagging an "anomalous DNA matrix" in Rahne's blood when she was born, but hadn't followed up further. Revered Craig arrives with a group of gun-tottin' and torch-bearin' villagers in pursuit of the "witch." "Lady" Moira tells Craig he's trespassing on Kinross land, and Craig says he's there to "save" Rahne's soul from the devil who possesses her. Moira wryly notes a bullet doesn't seem the best course of action to do that. She puts Rahne under her protection and tells Craig and his followers to leave. Moira realizes she needs to get Rahne to Professor Xavier.
In Rio de Janeiro, Roberto da Costa scores a goal in the championship soccer match against his high school's arch-rivals. His adoring father and girlfriend celebrate in the stands. Roberto is on his way to the goal again when two white players trip him; one of them, Keller, calls him "halfbreed." The referees don't realize it's an intentional trip, so hot-headed Roberto tackles Keller, who exults at having successfully baited Roberto. He begins to whale on Roberto, saying "your father's wealth can't change the color of your skin," followed by, "you're still black -- an animal masquerading as a human being." (Jesus, 1983.) Keller and everyone else are shocked when Roberto's powers suddenly manifest themselves, with Roberto throwing Keller across the pitch. Everyone -- including two of Roberto's friends -- flee in a panic. Roberto is confused why he feels so hot and screams for his father and Juliana to help him. Roberto's father -- so proud of him moments earlier -- stares at him in disbelief. The fleeing crowd allegedly carries his father with it, whereas Juliana fights her way to Roberto. (Obviously we're Team Juliana, though that doesn't do her much good later.) As he depowers, Roberto tells Juliana not to approach him lest he hurt her, but she ignores his warning, telling him she'll stay with him whatever comes. He slumps into her arms, and she screams for a doctor when she realizes he's cold as ice. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure with a familiar ruffled cuff watches on a monitor, declaring more mutants are appearing every day and he'll be there to destroy them all!
In Cumberland County, Kentucky, Sam Guthrie, "age 16," heads into the mines. Mr. Lewis, one of his fellow miners, expresses sympathy after hearing Sam's father died of the black lung. Lewis asks about Sam's family, and Sam says he's started working the mines because inflation is eating into his father's pension (oh, 1983) and his mother is too proud to go on welfare. Lewis recalls Sam's father saying he was so proud about Sam going to college on a scholarship, but Sam says he couldn't leave for school knowing his family didn't have food to eat. Sam comments that he's the man of the house now and swears to make sure his father's dream comes true for one of his siblings. Resenting his father for "offering a dream of something better, only to snatch it from Sam's hand as it was about to come true," Sam gets to work. However, a cave-in pins Lewis, and Sam struggles to get to Lewis against the other miners as they flees. Lewis tells Sam he's definitely his father's son -- "more guts than brains" -- and, as the roof collapses on them, Sam's powers manifest themselves, sending him and Lewis to safety. The ruffled-cuff figure observes the scene, saying he planned on using Sam for his own purposes and then killing him with da Costa.
Outside Sundance, Colorado, Moonstar communes with nature, using her ability to communicate telepathically with animals to greet Ridge-Runner, a mountain-lion friend. The mountain lion bolts when Black Eagle, Moonstar's grandfather, approaches. He tells Moonstar it's time for her to leave the mountain and attend Xavier's school so she can learn how to control the powers of the mind that the Great Spirit gave her. She's furious at him both for sending her from the mountains and for sending her to an "anglo." (Seriously, 1983, racism much?) Her rage apparently weakens his "natural psychic defenses," and she projects one of her "dream shapes," of two armored men beating Black Eagle to death. She exposits she fled town because she can't control these images, and Black Eagle tells her it's why she has to go to Xavier's. However, she declares all white men are enemies, but Black Eagle informs her Xavier was her father's best friend and blood brother. (If that's true, you have to wonder why she didn't even know who Xavier was. Good job keeping tabs on her, Charles.) Moonstar still resists, but relents to go when Black Eagle commands her to do so. Dismissing them as "noble savages," the ruffled-cuff figure is finally revealed to be Donald Pierce, who plans on ambushing Xavier (without his X-Men) when he travels to the Rockies to fetch Moonstar. We learn Pierce is holding Tessa hostage and plans on destroying the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club -- dismissing it as a "mutie clique" -- in order to take command of it. Later, Moonstar awakens suddenly at the sound of Black Eagle's "psychic deathscream" and rides her pony to his body. She realizes he had foreseen his own death and she had pulled this image from his mind earlier in the day. (The narration to this scene is: "To the sheriff, Black Eagle will be just another drunken old Indian who wandered out onto the highway and got himself splattered." 1983 racism rears its ugly head again!) Moonstar swears revenge.
In Westchester, Xavier is still reeling from the alleged death of the X-Men. (It's set during the era when the Brood has kidnapped them.) Moira and Rahne arrived a week earlier, and Moira is helping the Professor examine Xi'an Coy Manh, codenamed Karma, while Rahne observes. Charles says Xi'an's powers to possess people rival his own, but Xi'an expresses disdain for them, saying if she must have them she has to learn to control them. Moira volunteers as a guinea pig, but Rahne loses her shit when she hears Xi'an's voice coming from Moira's mouth. She immediately switches into wolf mode and threatens Moira/Xi'an. Xavier stops Rahne from attacking Moira, and Xi'an releases her hold on Moira. We learn Xi'an can act somewhat independently when she possesses someone, but her actions are limited. Conversely, she has absolute control over the "victim," who doesn't even remember the possession. The foursome retire for lunch, and, under prompting from Xavier, Xi'an recounts her history for us. She and her family were "boat people" fleeing Vietnam; her father was a colonel in the South Vietnamese Army. Thai pirates killed her parents during their escape, and she fled to America to care for her younger brother and sister. She shamefully admits she used her powers to secure work, noting her twin brother, Tran, had the same powers as she did but didn't share her reluctance to use them. She also has an uncle, Nguyen Ngoc Coy, living outside Vietnam, but she and her father didn't trust him. Xavier notes she isn't totally forthcoming about her history, and Claremont makes that clear when she hesitates in describing her brother as having "died." That said, Xavier is impressed she managed to use her powers so well without training, and Rahne asks why he's happy they've mastered "these gifts from Satan." (Oh, Rahne, never change.) Xi'an expands on the subject of her brother, saying he saw people as mere puppets, and she wants Xavier to help her reject that temptation. Xavier hesitates in accepting this charge, telepathically telling Moira he has enough blood on his hands. Moira reminds him the dream wasn't forming the X-Men; the dream was helping mutants to learn to live with their powers and society to learn to accept them. The X-Men are "far less important than the dream which brought them together." After Xavier agrees, Xi'an expresses concern about her little brother and sister, saying she won't have enough time to take care of them, go to school, and have a job. Xavier hires her to run the School with him, and she accepts. Charles then receives a letter from Black Eagle informing him Moonstar is a mutant, and Charles notes the coincidence as he heads out West.
Part Two: Getting the Band Together
In Colorado, Charles, Xi'an, and Rahne are before Black Eagle's funeral bier, and Xi'an wonders how they're going to find Moonstar. (We're left to our own devices to figure out how the three of them came to find themselves alone at the bier.) On cue, the three of them are suddenly thrown into the Vietnam War, clearly a sign of Moonstar's dream shapes pulling out Xi'an's (and possibly Xavier's, frankly) worst memories. Before Xavier can react and block the intrusion, a real explosion throws the three of them to the ground. Moonstar crashes past them, fleeing an armored men on a skybike. Ridge-Runner attacks the man to protect Moonstar, and he throws her to her death. Moonstar is distraught, allowing the man to capture her, but Karma uses her powers to possess him, turning him against his two colleagues. Karma has the man remove his helmet so Xavier can interrogate him (because apparently she could get through the helmet's psychic-resistant properties, but Xavier couldn't), and Moonstar realizes the helmet was the only thing preventing her from attacking him. She attempts to drive him insane with her "spiritforms" (formerly "dream shapes"), but Xavier stops her, calling her "Danielle" much to her shock. Apparently only she and Black Eagle knew that name, but Xavier says he was there the day her parents gave it to her. (Jesus, Charles, you really are terrible at mentoring young people, aren't you?) He tells her he's there to train her as he promised Black Eagle he would do, and Dani retorts that his help didn't save Black Eagle. (Oh, teen angst. It's particularly biting when it leads them to speaking the truth.) She demands he leave her on the mountain, and he asks her if she really wants to live alone in terror of powers she doesn't understand. She seems amenable to the training he offers, but she then stumbles from the pain of her dislocated shoulder. Xi'an uses the first-aid skills she learned during the war to set it, though Dani is appalled, as a proud Cheyenne, that she screamed. (She also refuses to be called "Dani" or "Danielle.") Xavier explains his telepathic probe of the man reveals he and his fellow goons are linked to Donald Pierce, who plans on killing Roberto and Sam. Xavier suggests splitting up the team to save them. Learning Xavier has no need for the man anymore, Dani takes out her knife and plans on killing him. Xavier stops her, saying the "scales of justice" will be partly balanced when her testimony helps convict the man. Dani argues with that, saying justice would only be served if her grandfather was resurrected. She pledges to take out her vengeance on Pierce instead.
(OMG, it just doesn't end. We're only half way through here, but it's thankfully less narrative driven so we should wrap it up soon.)
In possibly the most bizarre scene I've ever read in a comic, police bust into the room Moira, Xi'an, and Dani have taken in Rio de Janeiro, declaring they're under arrest. Moira asks why, and the cop smacks her upside the head. (Really.) He says her call to Emmanual da Costa regarding Roberto has made them suspicious, because Roberto and Juliana were the victims of an attempted kidnapping the previous day. Xi'an possesses the cop who smacked Moira so he doesn't lock the handcuffs he puts on them and realizes Moira is signaling to her to wait for a better moment to escape. Once the cops lead them outside, she has the cop punch his partner so she and Dani can make a break for it. Moira says she'll stay with the cops to try to convince them of the truth and orders them to find Roberto. The girls do so via a Cerebro wristwatch, but they watch as he escapes his family's townhouse and heads to an abandoned warehouse where Pierce's goons have Juliana. He tells them to let her go now that he's met their demands, but one of the goons smacks him, saying they'll do what they want with him and his "cutie." Roberto asks what ransom they want, but the guards tell him they want his blood. Roberto uses his powers to attack them, but the goons reveal they became cyborgs after Wolverine cut them to ribbons, which is why they're fast and hate "muties." Roberto's powers fade and he begs the goons to let Juliana go. One of the goons menacingly says he can't grant him this last wish, but Xi'an then possesses the goon and has him open fire on the other goons. However, she's unused to handling a cyborg's rapid reactions, so Dani uses her powers to scare the goons when Xi'an fails to hit them. Dani then inadvertently chooses to punch the goon Xi'an is possessing, severing the connection. Xi'an approaches Juliana and Roberto while possessing a second goon, telling Juliana they're friends and asks for her help with Roberto. However, Roberto somehow suddenly loses his capacity to speak English, firing up his powers once again and attacking Xi'an, thinking she's the enemy. It breaks her concentration from the second goon she's possessed, and he opens fire on the kids. As Roberto's powers fade (again), leaving him disoriented, Juliana leaps into the line of fire to save Roberto as Dani uses another image of Wolverine to scare the goon. However, she's so upset she winds up scaring him to the point where he loses his sanity. She's rattled by the hate she saw during their connection, while a distraught Roberto holds Juliana's dead body. He blames himself for her murder, as he hoped in his arrogance he would save her and people would see him as a hero and not a monster. Xi'an tries to comfort him, but he refuses her words, saying he's a freak. She tells him they're also freaks, but Professor Xavier is trying to help them learn how to use their powers. Roberto wants none of it, saying he now lives solely for revenge, and Dani is on board with that, saying they want the same thing.
Part Three: Team Revenge
In Kentucky, Xavier and Rahne are driving in a jeep when Cannonball -- outfitted like Pierce's goons -- rams into them. (Xavier had been thinking about a call he just had with Moira, lamenting Juliana's death and reminding himself he's dealing with children and not X-Men. Good time to remember that, Charles, after an innocent girl has died. Also, why are Xavier and Rahne just now getting to Kentucky if Moira and her team have already found Roberto in Brazil. Did they stop at Dollyworld?) Rahne turns into her wolf form and jumps free while Sam drags Xavier from the jeep. (Not to get into too much analysis here, but Sam is particularly rube-y here: he tells Professor X not to worry because he'll have him free from the jeep "in a jiffy." Um, he's unconscious in a burning jeep because of you, dude.) Some of Pierce's goons appear on the scene, and Sam tells one of the goons he swore he saw a girl in the jeep. The goon tells him they're the only humans on the scanner. Sam asks what Pierce wants with Xavier, and the goon tells him to take his "heckuva salary" and be quiet. They depart in a helicopter, and Rahne picks up the scent when she lifts her head to howl in sorrow. She follows the trail to Pierce's compound and uses her half-human/half-wolf "transitional" form to leap over the fences, as it gives her "lupine strength" and "human dexterity." She gets onto the roof, despairing of her lack of humanity in transitional form. But, she also realizes it helped her get to Xavier, and she watches through a skylight as Pierce tells the professor he's put a "mindtrap" on him. The device will prevent him from using his telepathic powers and absorb the data stored in his brain. (Convenient!) Moreover, the more Xavier resists the device, the more brain damage he'll suffer. Rahne frets, as she knows she can't take on Pierce and his goons on her own. But, just then, Dani contacts her telepathically, as Moira successfully guessed her ability to communicate with animals would work with Rahne (though it's difficult for her to do).
At this point, Cannonball sees Rahne and attacks, though he's startled when he comes upon her in her transitional form. Rahne leaps to safety, and Dani uses her powers on Sam before he can recover, making him believe he's in the collapsing mine again. He flees in a panic, but takes off part of the roof with him, attracting the other goons' attention. Rahne bites ones on the shoulder, while Sunspot pounds a hole in the wall, causing an explosion that takes out several goons. Dani exults in their injuries, prompting Xi'an to remark that they're not killers; Dani tells her to speak for herself. (I've got to say, it's pretty ballsy of a girl raised in the Colorado mountains to suggest to a woman raised in a war zone that she's too soft on killing.) Dani agrees to stay non-lethal only until they get to Pierce. Cannonball has recovered and attacks since he overhears them talking about taking on Pierce, with Roberto barely dodging him. Meanwhile, Xi'an correctly finds herself wondering why Pierce hired a mutant if he hates them so much. (It's an early example of pet peeve #3, where an author uses a character to point out a plot flaw.) Xi'an tries to stop Sam, but she finds she's too excited and scared to use her powers. Instead, she picks up a machine gun and opens fire, hoping people will scatter (and thanking her father for teaching her how to use a gun). At Xi'an's instruction, Roberto breaks into the building and starts tearing through machines. In his own moment of reflection, Roberto thinks about how he always wanted this sort of power when kids made fun of him because he was so small but also how it's not going to bring back Juliana.
Inside, Pierce tells Xavier he's going to snap his neck, but Rahne breaks through the skylight and grabs his arm. However, she stunned to find it's circuitry, and Pierce kicks her, breaking her ribs. Dani then leaps through the broken skylight, but Pierce shakes off her powers thanks to his cybernetic shields. Rahne can barely breath, and Xavier guesses she has a punctured lung. But, he knows she's their best chance at survival, so he directs her to a control panel as Roberto (inadvertently) distracts Pierce in his rage at coming face-to-face with Juliana's killer. However, Sam attacks him from behind, throwing him into the wall. Sam still can't stop at will, though, so he also crashes into the bank of machines. Rahne reaches for a switch as Xavier frets he's killing her, and Xi'an appears on the scene, expositing she no longer has ammunition. She tries to possess Pierce, but she too runs into his cybernetic shields, so he stuns her. He tells Sam to get rid of them, and Sam, holding Roberto, asks if he wants to throw them off the property or turned into the sheriff. (Yes, Sam, that seems like options Pierce will suggest to you.) Of course, Pierce tells Sam he wants them dead, and Sam refuses. Pierce turns the gun on him, and Sam tries to summon his powers to shield himself, but they're spent. Pierce goes to open fire, but Xavier stops him, as Rahne has successfully turned off the "mindtrap." Xavier eventually overpowers and takes control of Pierce, something he claims is distasteful and difficult for him to do. (Nice try, Charles.) He has Pierce free Tessa while Dani expresses concern about Rahne as her pulse is weak. Xi'an takes over possessing Pierce, and Xavier summons Moira with the "hovercar." Xavier says they should be able to get Rahne to medical personnel in time as he's "psionically monitoring her injuries," and Tessa pledges to take care of Pierce. Tessa tells him it's the last they've heard of Pierce (ha!), and Xavier is torn: he doesn't want Tessa to kill Pierce, but he also doesn't have time to delay getting Rahne to a doctor. He allows Tessa to depart with Pierce, and Sam glumly asks what happens to him. Roberto tells him to follow Pierce as Xavier and company crowd into an elevator. (Jesus, Xavier is ice cold.)
Epilogue
In the mansion two weeks later, Xavier calls the class together for the first time. As they change into their costumes, they reflect on the last few days. Xi'an expresses disbelief everything could work out so well, and Roberto commits to non-lethal force so he'll never become like Pierce. Dani tells her grandfather she chose life (saving Rahne) over death (killing Pierce) and commits to trying to be happy away from Colorado and him, and Rahne marvels that her uniform can change with her. Xavier exposits that Rahne's shape-changing abilities include recuperative abilities, so she healed quickly. When everyone arrives for class, Xavier chastises Dani for wearing a Cheyenne belt and not the one the rest of the team wears. She says she's an individual who won't do anything to abandon or forget her heritage. Xavier reflects on how he once would've forced her to conform, but now realizes they're individuals whose spirits need to be shaped not broken. (Um, yeah, Charlie. Good epiphany.) The doorbell rings, and Rahne is shocked to find a suit-clad Sam. Xavier informs them anyone can make a mistake; Pierce duped him, and Xavier invited him to the school. Roberto dismisses Sam as lacking honor for attacking him from behind, but Sam says he's willing to learn what honor means. Rahne tells Roberto he has to forgive Sam if she does since she almost died, and Roberto charmingly says he can't refuse a beautiful girl. The team laughs, and Xavier allows himself a smile.
The Review
OMG, that summary almost killed me. I promise I'll keep it shorter in the future, but I felt like it was important to establish the original set of circumstances under which the team came together.
I'll turn to the characters in a minute, but I want to talk first about the prevalent racism we find throughout the story. Since the end of the Obama administration, we've seen fewer people claiming we exist in some sort of post-racial, post-sexist, post-homophobic Utopia. It's become all too clear that was never the case, and a lot of the controversy over Marvel's effort to publish a more diverse lineup stem from that erroneous assumption. First, I'm going to ignore the straight white guys who just want to read about straight white guys. I just can't with them. But, for everyone else, I'll admit I've been surprised by the extent to which Marvel has kept its characters in that post-racial, post-sexist, post-homophobic Utopia. The only bias anyone in the Marvel Universe seems to have is anti-mutant. To be fair, some authors made an effort to address the actual reality. In "Captain America: Sam Wilson," we could all read between the lines when Nick Spencer literally had a cabal of old white guys work against Sam Wilson because he simply wasn't "Captain America material." (John Walker is basically the only superhero currently depicted as racist.) in "Ms. Marvel," Willow Wilson showed Basic Becky and Josh trying to impose a certain vision for Jersey City that made sure everyone not like them stayed in their place. But, for the most part, every character -- hero and villain -- is shown as totally on board with the "liberal agenda," to borrow from Fox News. It reminds me of the issue of "Avengers: The Children's Crusade" where Billy is shocked to learn Captain America had no problem with him being gay. Maybe he should've been? Maybe it would've been better to show Captain America slowly coming to accept gay people, because it would also show how acceptance can be a long journey and doesn't need to be a preexisting condition. After all, Bobby's parents are the only people in "Iceman" to be shown as upset he's gay, but they're dismissed as relics, as if only the Greatest Generation is homophobic. The only other person even remotely upset is Kitty, Bobby's ex-girlfriend. The same was true of Rahne learning Rictor was bisexual in "X-Factor."
I'll turn to the characters in a minute, but I want to talk first about the prevalent racism we find throughout the story. Since the end of the Obama administration, we've seen fewer people claiming we exist in some sort of post-racial, post-sexist, post-homophobic Utopia. It's become all too clear that was never the case, and a lot of the controversy over Marvel's effort to publish a more diverse lineup stem from that erroneous assumption. First, I'm going to ignore the straight white guys who just want to read about straight white guys. I just can't with them. But, for everyone else, I'll admit I've been surprised by the extent to which Marvel has kept its characters in that post-racial, post-sexist, post-homophobic Utopia. The only bias anyone in the Marvel Universe seems to have is anti-mutant. To be fair, some authors made an effort to address the actual reality. In "Captain America: Sam Wilson," we could all read between the lines when Nick Spencer literally had a cabal of old white guys work against Sam Wilson because he simply wasn't "Captain America material." (John Walker is basically the only superhero currently depicted as racist.) in "Ms. Marvel," Willow Wilson showed Basic Becky and Josh trying to impose a certain vision for Jersey City that made sure everyone not like them stayed in their place. But, for the most part, every character -- hero and villain -- is shown as totally on board with the "liberal agenda," to borrow from Fox News. It reminds me of the issue of "Avengers: The Children's Crusade" where Billy is shocked to learn Captain America had no problem with him being gay. Maybe he should've been? Maybe it would've been better to show Captain America slowly coming to accept gay people, because it would also show how acceptance can be a long journey and doesn't need to be a preexisting condition. After all, Bobby's parents are the only people in "Iceman" to be shown as upset he's gay, but they're dismissed as relics, as if only the Greatest Generation is homophobic. The only other person even remotely upset is Kitty, Bobby's ex-girlfriend. The same was true of Rahne learning Rictor was bisexual in "X-Factor."
I'm not saying I want people to be racist. But, people are racist, and pretending they're not doesn't do us any good either. I mention it because even Spencer and Wilson didn't put bigotry on quite the same display as we see here. We start the issue in Scotland with Moira MacTaggart fending off a preacher and his torch-bearing parishioners after they've shot Rahne and want to finish the job. In Brazil, Roberto's white opponents beat on him specifically because he's black, calling him an animal and a half-breed. (They don't even know he's a mutant at this point.) In Colorado, Dani expresses outrage her grandfather is sending her off the mountain to be taught by "an anglo" and "a white," and Donald Pierce (not all that surprisingly, frankly) dismisses Dani and her grandfather as "noble savages." In other words, Claremont portrays a world where everyone -- even people who share a similar trait that targets them for discrimination -- doesn't get along. Dani is the rare example of hero who possesses some sort of bias, and Roberto literally flirts with sexism here. Claremont makes it clear the New Mutants are on a journey to accept themselves and each other, and I found it refreshing they didn't start there. As sad as it is, the world Claremont portrays here feels more like 2018 than other comics I'm reading now, and I look forward to watching the characters struggle with hatred that publishers currently don't seem to believe exists anymore.
That said, it's not all grim here. After all, Moira fends off the anti-mutant preacher, and Juliana fights against the fleeing crowd to get to Roberto after his powers manifest, something his wealthy father fails to do. In all honestly, Juliana is the real hero of this book, the only person other than Moira and Xavier who accepts Bobby for who he is as a black man and a mutant. Her commitment to him is notable exactly because she's the only one so committed to him; if everyone accepted him, it would undermine the courage she exhibits here, and not only because she leaps into the gunfire to save him.
That said, it's not all grim here. After all, Moira fends off the anti-mutant preacher, and Juliana fights against the fleeing crowd to get to Roberto after his powers manifest, something his wealthy father fails to do. In all honestly, Juliana is the real hero of this book, the only person other than Moira and Xavier who accepts Bobby for who he is as a black man and a mutant. Her commitment to him is notable exactly because she's the only one so committed to him; if everyone accepted him, it would undermine the courage she exhibits here, and not only because she leaps into the gunfire to save him.
Turning to the characters more directly, it was obviously interesting to see how they started. Even the mention of white people enrages Dani, but the fact she thought only she and her grandfather knew her (not Cheyenne-sounding) name was Danielle implies something else is afoot there. Moreover, Xavier is suspicious Xi'an isn't telling him everything about her past, though she's upfront about her twin brother's more brutal use of their shared powers. Sam is portrayed as furious with his father for leaving him to work the mines, his dream of a college scholarship now destroyed. I can't remember ever hearing him talk about his father this way, and Claremont is also clear in his disdain for Sam's mother being too proud to go on welfare and thus sending her 16-year-old son into the mines. (As far as I can tell, we never learn how Sam's mother is going to replace his income now that he's at school.) In other words, Claremont reminds us throughout this story we're dealing with children forced into adult situations. He leaves a lot on the table and makes you want to keep on reading.
Also, it's interesting to see how limited the characters' powers are. Dani overwhelms one of Pierce's goons with her spiritforms to such an extent she drives him insane. Juliana dies in part because Roberto's powers fail him almost immediately. Sam notably can't change directions or stop easily, and both he and Xi'an are unable to summon their powers in the excitement and fear of battle. They have a long way to go to get to the characters we know today.
My only real complain about this issue is Claremont not only makes Pierce too much into mustache-twirling villain here, but he also leaves his motives -- beyond "DEATH TO ALL MUTANTS!" -- unclear. For example, he never shows us why Pierce hired Cannonball -- a mutant -- in the first place. It almost seems like he did so just because he was local. I also don't totally get why Tessa is here? I mean, I get narratively why she was here: Claremont needed someone to handle Pierce at the end to get him off-stage. But, Claremont doesn't explain what Pierce's actual motivations were in kidnapping Tessa. Was it for her knowledge of the Inner Circle? Doesn't he already have that? In fact, I don't really get why Donald Pierce wanted to take over the Hellfire Club in the first place. Like, was it really that powerful? Did he not realize the Inner Circle of the Club was filled with mutants until it was too late?
Overall, I have to say, this story really reminded me why Claremont is remembered so fondly. Other than a few small bobbles, he tells an engaging, emotionally driven story that gives us a great sense of the characters and the challenges they face going forward. I'm legitimately excited to see where we go from here.
My only real complain about this issue is Claremont not only makes Pierce too much into mustache-twirling villain here, but he also leaves his motives -- beyond "DEATH TO ALL MUTANTS!" -- unclear. For example, he never shows us why Pierce hired Cannonball -- a mutant -- in the first place. It almost seems like he did so just because he was local. I also don't totally get why Tessa is here? I mean, I get narratively why she was here: Claremont needed someone to handle Pierce at the end to get him off-stage. But, Claremont doesn't explain what Pierce's actual motivations were in kidnapping Tessa. Was it for her knowledge of the Inner Circle? Doesn't he already have that? In fact, I don't really get why Donald Pierce wanted to take over the Hellfire Club in the first place. Like, was it really that powerful? Did he not realize the Inner Circle of the Club was filled with mutants until it was too late?
Overall, I have to say, this story really reminded me why Claremont is remembered so fondly. Other than a few small bobbles, he tells an engaging, emotionally driven story that gives us a great sense of the characters and the challenges they face going forward. I'm legitimately excited to see where we go from here.
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