Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: marvel, new mutants, x-force, x-men, X-Men/Fantastic Four, X-ual Healing - The Weekly X-Men Recap Column

Reverse Domino Gets What She Deserves in X-Force #8 [X-ual Healing 2-26-20]

Published Tue, 03 Mar 2020 17:00:56 -0600

by Jude Terror

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There were five X-books out last week: X-Men #7, X-Force #8, Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost #1, X-Men/Fantastic Four #2, and New Mutants #8. In addition to that, I missed New Mutants #7 from the prior week, so I'll be recapping that too. Let's find out what happened in last week's X-books…

Sworn to sell comics for Marvel executives who feared and hated the fact that Fox owned their movie rights, The Uncanny X-Men suffered great indignities, but thanks to a corporate merger and a line-wide relaunch, the X-Men can finally get back to doing what they do best: being objectively the best franchise in all of comics.

X-FORCE #8 DX
DEC190791
(W) Ben Percy (A) Oscar Bazaldua (CA) Dustin Weaver
MISS FORTUNE STRIKES!
Domino's luck seems to be changing… Can she find the source of her misfortune before it costs lives all over the world? And has Colossus healed enough to help her… or even himself?
Parental Advisory
In Shops: Feb 26, 2020
SRP: $3.99

What happened in X-Force #8?

We check in on Reverse Domino (ugh) in the shower of a hotel bathroom with a minister she's about to have sex with. When she comes out of the shower, though, actual Domino is waiting for her. After a brief tussle, Domino shoots Reverse Domino (ugh) in the head.

Back on Krakoa, Dr. Cecelia Reyes explains that Reverse Domino (ugh) is similar to the assassins who killed Professor X except this one had Domino's DNA woven into her rather than her skin grafted on. Sage and Domino believe there are more Reverse Dominos (ugh) out there. But Domino is finding four-leaf clovers on Krakoa again, so at least some of her luck is coming back.

Later, Domino goes for a midnight swim where she runs into Colossus. He suggests they romantically drown themselves in the lake so that they can be brought back without physical or mental scars from their recent ordeals. Domino doesn't want to forget though. Later still, Domino meets with Sage, who reports on another potential Reverse Domino (ugh), this one a man, who recently rested entry through a Krakoan gate. Also, Sage has used satellites to scan the world for four-leaf clovers and has found a hot spot in Russia, possibly the location of the factory making Reverse Dominos (ugh).

So Domino and Colossus board a train on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The train is a lab making Dominos. Yes, not Reverse Dominos (ugh). These Dominos have the regular Domino skin pattern. They kill them all, but Domino is fatally wounded. She makes Colossus promise not to take away the memories of her pain when she's brought back.

In a final scene, Xeno Commander is holding a meeting at Xeno headquarters when a mysterious benefactor (Xeno Destro?) arrives, annoyed that he's been pumping so much money into Xeno and not getting results. He beats up Xeno Commander's bodyguard, Finnegan, and informs Xeno Commander he is going to take a more active role in Xeno leadership and declare war on Krakoa.

Was it any good?

This issue somewhat redeemed the Reverse Domino (ugh) reveal from last issue, which was super cheesy. It did that both by literally killing Reverse Domino (ugh), but also by adding some soap opera drama to the story with Domino and Colossus. X-Men connecting with each other amidst emotional pain is a hallmark of great X-Men comics, and it works well here. I also like how Xeno Commander has evolved from a scary shadowy organization that succeeded in killing Professor X in the first issue to a comically inept organization that's wasting a crapload of money on elaborate plots like developing Reverse Dominos. Working on the assumption this comedy is intentional, I'm all for it, as grim and gritty X-Force comics have been a dime a dozen over the years, but X-Force comics with over-the-top villains harkens back to the team's origins.

That's all for now. See you next week!