X-men: Leagcy #208 Review

Writer: Mike Carey
Art: John Romita Jr., Scot Eaton

Synopsis: Another day another X-men title, let's go. Dr. Charles Xavier is at a cafe with Moria trying to convince her of his vision of the future. Bishop suddenly appears and pops a cap into Xavier's head. He says Xavier killed them all. We cut to the lab where Xavier's body is being kept by Exodus, Cargill, Voght, and Sentinel. Exodus comments on how Xavier is still resisting him even though he is brain dead. Vought says that Xavier went to Korea during the war and his physic defenses are a natural instinct he developed to block out all the death (I hate Vietnam references). Exodus decides he has to completely rebuild Xavier's mind so everything must go. Sentinel, Exodus, and Cargill are talking and briefly recap Messiah Complex and some of the finer details like Xavier's body being stolen by a guy who was blown up by sand from the inside (not that there's anything wrong with that). Meanwhile Xavier is still brain dead and is having fragmented memories. He flashes back to the original X-men and their first day on the job. They start doing their first team workout in the danger room. Moria and Xavier are going over specs for the Danger Room and how to do all the holographic training when she calls out his ego. He says that this all just in case and he doesn't want to start a mutant army. She finds a note by Cyclops's name and asks what it is and he tells her that Scott might have had a previous encounter with some other mutant and he wants to follow up on that. They start to argue some where when the memory ends. Exodus is explaining that Charles isn't brain dead but damaged (my b) and his mind rejects all his memories. He is going off a few bits and traces and it is all a matter of finding the right stimulus. Xavier is having a vision of him and Scott as they talk about limitation on powers and whether it is right to impose their powers on anybody. Exodus calls in Magneto to help him get this shit on lock.


Comments: I got a beef with this issue. Here at the cave, Sports God (cool guy) and me (cool guy) review a lot of X-men. Look at our panel on the right at the bottom. Yeah, a lot of X-men, in fact i daresay you won't find more X's on porno sites that you will on the bottom of our bar (that's a challenge, not really, I'm sure there are several porno sites with more X's). The beef is this, the Messiah Complex ending (if you can call it that) sucked. One reason is the disappearance of Xavier's body and the lack of caring from all the other members of the X-men. I don't buy the explanation since Emma was there and I'm sure she has mental blocks to prevent that kind of stuff (for god's sake a vegetable can do it, see synopsis). Another though was how Sinister was just kind of taken out like a bitch. You can't do that, that is like HHH losing to Drew McIntyre. It doesn't happen. But the biggest of all beefs is how Magneto got left out. He is the best at what he does, you can't do that, which is why I'm glad he is back on one of the many X-titles. I wasn't a fan of what they did with the art of this issue but I realize how it is needed to differentiate between Xavier's dreams and the present world but it could have been better. This series will probably be the best out of all the Messiah Complex spin-offs because it has two of the most compelling characters in all of comics Magneto and Xavier. Lately it seems that X-men has lost what has made it great which was the intellectual debate between Xavier and Magneto. I enjoyed the undertone that it presented and it seems the message of the X-men about tolerance and acceptance has been lost. Call me optimistic, but I can see it making a return in this through the rebuilding of Xavier's mind. I always enjoyed how Magneto and Xavier seemed to wage this philosophical battle of one who believed society would improve if mutants took control because they are the superior species and the other who believed that society would improve if we co-existed. Now with the population dwindling and survival not guaranteed it will be interesting to see what that has done to their perspectives when they sit down and have that heart to heart that is so desperately needed. Now time to get off my soapbox and wrap this shit up, this was the best/most relevant spin-off from Messiah Complex containing a solid premise (weak foundations mind you) with good art. The character development that we get for Xavier is top notch seeing as his stock has fallen. This was a very well written issue which is why you should

GET IT