Posted in: Comics | Tagged: death, joseph, spoilers, uncanny x-men, wolfsbane, x-men

Characters are Dropping Like Flies in This Week's Marvel Comics (Super-Duper Spoilers)

Marvel is killing off characters like crazy throughout the Marvel Universe this week, so get ready for some major death spoilers from Uncanny X-Men #16, War of the Realms #2, and Guardians of the Galaxy #4.

Starting with…

Last week, Uncanny X-Men writer Matthew Rosenberg returned from hiatus to his award-winning Twitter account to announce that he would kill off a beloved character in the next issue of Uncanny X-Men, which happened to be Uncanny X-Men #16, in stores today. But Rosenberg didn't deliver on the promise to kill off one character. Instead, he killed off two!

This is the point where you stop reading if you don't want to be spoiled…

Uncanny X-Men #16 finds the X-Men in a battle with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, led by a once-again evil Magneto. Or so it seems. Because when "Magneto's" helmet is knocked off, we learn that it's not Magneto but Joseph, the clone of Magneto first appearing in Uncanny X-Men #327 (though at that time he was believed to be the real Magneto), dying later during the Magneto War in X-Men #87, only to come back to life in Magneto: Not a Hero, where he was imprisoned on the X-Men's sovereign island of Utopia. Released into the wild after the events of Avengers vs. X-Men, Joseph appears once again in today's Uncanny X-Men #16, dressed in Magneto's signature gear and leading a Brotherhood of Evil Mutants consisting of Juggernaut, Pyro, Avalanche, and Toad.

But when Juggernaut decides to join the X-Men once again, Joseph is subdued. Unfortunately, before he can finish delivering a speech admonishing the X-Men for screwing over mutantkind, Joseph is not-so-kindly relieved of his head by Kwannon, now going by the name Nothing, having returned during the Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor mini-series.

But the second death of a Magneto clone is the least of the X-Men's problems, because before they can process what's happening, Dani Moonstar breaks down, a result of a psychic bond she's shared since the days of the original New Mutants series with Rahne Sinclair, who announced earlier in today's issue that she was leaving the team to try to lead a normal life.

Rahne's normal life didn't last long, sadly, because Dani soon revealed…

Damn you, Rosenberg. Your move, Brisson.

Uncanny X-Men #16 is in stores now, and you can't say nobody warned you that this would be a big issue. Hopefully, there's still time to grab a copy from your store…

Uncanny X-Men #16
(W) Matthew Rosenberg (A/CA) Salvador Larroca
Cyclops and the X-Men have set out to save mutantkind…but the Mutant Liberation Front isn't going to just wait for it to happen! Led by one of the X-Men's own, the MLF is willing to do whatever it takes to stop mutant oppression…even kill any mutant who stands in their way…
Rated T+
In Shops: Apr 17, 2019
SRP: $3.99

Next up it's War of the Realms #2, coming with an already high bar as it already killed off both Odin and Loki last week. Though perhaps all was not quite as it seemed, for Loki because he's currently appearing, possibly in Hel, in the pages of Thor, and because he has a new series launching when this is all over. And for Odin because, well…

Yeah, so the All-Father is back and even reunited with his estranged wife. But despite his bluster, he is a little worse for wear. And did War of the Realms just retcon another, less recent death, one that's already been undone since?

Or maybe he just didn't feel like talking about it…

But just when War of the Realms has made you feel like it's safe to read a comic without fear of your beloved characters dying, well, they make up for it by killing the Valkyries. By which we mean, all of the Valkyries. And their flying horses. Except Dani Moonstar. But definitely including Brunhilde…

Malekith slices off her head for good measure with his glowing pink sword too, getting to be a sort of running theme this week. So what does this mean for Annabelle Riggs then?

War of the Realms #2, in stores today as well if you're the ghoulish sort…

War of the Realms #2
(W) Jason Aaron (A) Russell Dauterman (CA) Arthur Adams, Matthew Wilson
The world at war! AS THE BATTLE FOR NEW YORK CITY CONTINUES, A HERO FALLS!
All the heroes of the Marvel Universe have assembled, yet this still might not be enough to stop Malekith's endless war. And the one hero who could turn the tide…is stranded where no one can reach him. With Thor trapped in the land of the Frost Giants and the forces of Earth overwhelmed, Black Panther, Jane Foster and Doctor Strange make a desperate gamble. Valhalla awaits…
Rated T+
In Shops: Apr 17, 2019
SRP: $4.99

But we're not done, as there's one more apparent death in Marvel Comics this week, courtesy of Guardians of the Galaxy #4, in which the new Guardians of the Galaxy travel to Halfworld, Rocket's home planet, to retrieve Gamora before Eros's Dark Guardians can find her first and kill her. And after a brief misunderstanding, Gamora does agree to go with them, even if Star-Lord is so distrustful of her that he insists she wear handcuffs.

But it seems Star-Lord hasn't grown so cold after all, as when the Dark Guardians arrive, pursuing a fleeing Nova, and gain the upper hand in a battle, with Nebula about to blow a hole in her sister, Star-Lord leaps in front of the blast, seemingly sacrificing himself for Gamora.

But wait, if Star-Lord is dead, then how does he grow to become Old Man Quill, also in stores this week? Perhaps this is one death that will yet be undone…

Guardians of the Galaxy #4 is in stores now.

Guardians of the Galaxy #4
(W) Donny Cates (A) Geoff Shaw (CA) David Marquez
THE DARK GUARDIANS!
• The Dark Guardians, a new cosmic hit squad made up of the most powerful and cunning people in space, are going to kill Gamora.
• It's time for the new Guardians of the Galaxy to saddle up!
Rated T+
In Shops: Apr 17, 2019
SRP: $3.99

But look, it wasn't all doom and gloom. The finale to Avengers: No Road Home is also in stores today, and that solicit teased the death of one of its titular Avengers…

Avengers: No Road Home #10 (of 10)
(W) Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Mark Waid (A) Sean Izaakse (CA) Yasmin Putri
THE ALL-NEW WEEKLY AVENGERS FINALE!
The extra-sized finale! Can anything stop Nyx from remaking the cosmos in her image? And will an Avenger die in the attempt?
LEGACY #718
Rated T+
In Shops: Apr 17, 2019
SRP: $4.99

But in the biggest shocker of all: everyone survived!

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!