Posted in: Comic Spoilers, Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: heroes reborn, marvel, way of x

The Nineties Are Back Bigger Than Ever In Way Of X #2 (Big Spoilers)

Published Wed, 19 May 2021 08:24:10 -0500

Last updated Fri, 04 Jun 2021 05:51:44 -0500

The Way Of X time! But first, today sees the publication of Heroes Reborn #3, reviving the title of the most quintessential nineties comic book of all, in which the Marvel Universe was reinvented in its own bubble by Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee, alongside Jeph Loeb, Jim Valentino, Whilce Portacio and more. But there was more to the nineties than Heroes Reborn.

Today's The Way Of X #2 is firmly embedded in the nineties – and with pretty everything as well, to be fair. So we have refelections of recent plotlines in S.W.O.R.D. in a fashion missing in many of the other Krakoan X-Men books.

We have those preparing for the Hellfire Gala, looking at their costumes and wondering who they are going to invite as their platonic threesome date, Krakoan style.

Loa, Mercury and Pixie, there. Now that she's back from the dead to the land of the living. Talking of which, so is Legion, by his own bootstraps, rather than his father's usual intervention.

With Legion rejecting the advances of both Professor X and Magneto.

And with Nightcrawler giving him one question to answer.

Who is the Patchwork Man? What is the Patchwork Man? The rumours of such an individual were first noticed by Nightcrawler last issue.

Defined only by the gossip of Krakoan children round the Adam-X campfire. Another notch for the more extremes of nineties X-Men.

While Professor Xavier had been having rather meaningful nightmares.

And the suggestion that this was tied to Legion, Xavier's son, David Haller.

Which may suggest Xavier's reticence to revive him. In some cases, he seemed to resemble a furry Juggernaut – Xavier's half-brother, Cain Marko.

In others, someone lankier, spikier, with a touch of the Xorn.

The Patchwork Man as an Omega-Level mutant hiding in plain sight. Nightcrawler on a mission to discover more, leading him to Legion.

An alternate future dubbed the Age of Apocalypse was created when Legion went back in time to kill Magneto before he could oppose Xavier's dream, but instead inadvertently killed Xavier himself. But he's not the only reality-remaker around.

Onslaught was a psionic entity born from the consciousness of Xavier and Magneto after Professor Xavier, fighting with Cortez amongst others, used his telepathic powers to shut down Magneto's mind, rendering him catatonic, but instead, Magneto's mind escaped into Xavier's subconscious, where it merged with Xavier's own darker nature to grow into a separate persona of its own.

A child of Xavier, as much as Legion is, the resulting battle across the Marvel Universe, saw the Avengers and the Fantastic Four sucked into a brand new reality, the original Heroes Reborn. And now it appears that Onslaught is back. Seriously, Charles should take better care of his kids…

Could we have a potential clash of the nineties reality-breakers-and-remakers on our hand? With Scarlet Witch and Sir James Jaspers thrown into the mix along the way?

WAY OF X #2
MARVEL COMICS
MAR210589
(W) Si Spurrier (A) Bob Quinn (CA) Giuseppe Camuncoli
A VILLAIN REVEALED!
•  The dark force hiding within Krakoa begins to show its true form.
•  The answers are hidden…WITHIN THE MINDSCAPE. Kurt's – and…others.
•  One of the most dangerous mutants is reborn!
Rated T+In Shops: May 19, 2021 SRP: $3.99

I bought my copy from Piranha Comics in Kingston-Upon-Thames. Piranha Comics is a small south London comic store chain with a small south-west store in Kingston-Upon Thames's market centre, and a larger south-east store in Bromley, with an extensive back issue collection and online store. With a new store planned for Watford, if you are in the neighbourhood, check them out.