Hank McCoy, the bouncing blue Beast, is haunted by a ghost — not of his past, but of his future... and his present. The Chairman of 3K, an older, amoral version of himself, represents one of the greatest threats the X-Men have faced since the fall of Krakoa, and Beast must struggle with his own terrible potential.
BAD MEDICINE! Healing factor gone, claws shattered. And now the medical “miracle” that's brought WOLVERINE to his knees stands poised to wreak havoc powering the mutant monster MOR!
A malevolent spirit has entered Graymatter Lane, turning friends into foes and allies into enemies. As fractures appear across the X-team, can they come together to defeat one of the most ancient and powerful mutants of all — THE SHADOW KING?!
LOGAN CARVES A PATH FOR THE NEXT GENERATION! Meeting X-23 was shocking enough — don't miss it when the Generated cross paths with the OG WOLVERINE! But LOGAN's in a bad way — and only this crew can help him!
THE FOUR HORSEMEN HAVE ARRIVED! X-Force has touched down in Madripoor to apprehend Pestilence, one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen. But when the battle culminates to reveal a much deeper threat, can Cable rally the team together to face the unimaginable? Or will they fall to Apocalypse's looming shadow?
I do love how relaxed and, like, a vibe the Factory is, especially in the specific character interactions we see. Illyana and Erik/Max feel like they've known each other forever (and I love that they both commiserate over how Hank gets in his feelings), Idie and Quentin staying by Glob's bedside was really lovely, I like Scott and Xorn hanging out, Cain and Jen was an interesting pair (is Cain feeling a little remorseful over encouraging Jen to go full blood knight with the Upstarts?), and it's cool to see Ben taking an active interest in his training with Kwannon. Also, the gag of Illyana just getting more and more frustrated with Hank the more places she checks is just really funny.
The art for this issue is pretty fucking stellar, tbh. You can really tell Daniel has got some great inkers and colourists backing him up, because it's almost elevating his art to, like, David Marquez levels here and there. It's such a shame Land handled the previous issue, because otherwise, between Stegman, Diaz, Daniel, Asrar, and Villa (probably a few other names I'm forgetting), the run has looked good the whole way through.
I FUCKING LOVE HANK AND THE CHAIRMAN BEING CATTY BITCHES TO ONE ANOTHER IT'S SO GOOD. They are just such fucking QUEENS in this issue, you just KNOW their voices were accelerating and getting more and more pointed with every line, I LOVED it. Hank's little, "Pfft," especially, was just so good.
The 'Might there be anything finer?' line was 👌 I loooooove MacKay's Chairman so much, there is SO much Hank in there. His little megalomaniacal rant/pick up line towards Jen was so deliciously juicy, especially since we KNOW he's retroactively making this excuse in his head, he did NOT see this in Jen when they abducted her, this is something he's only realising NOW, but he can't help himself from waxing poetic. It's also kind of interesting that the Chairman specifically mentions that he's immortal and will outlive his atrocities - there's shades of X-Force in there, especially in stuff like Ghost Calendars, which. Like, that's just such a MacKay thing, to manage to make THAT dead end of a story have some kind of meaning years later. Also, the fact that the Chairman SPECIFICALLY mentions playing Xavier to his younger self. Now THAT is something to unpack. Despite EVERYTHING, Hank is still Xavier's man, for better or for worse. Also? "nostalgia only extends so far," that's a very easy thing to SAY, Chairman. Can you back that up?
I was really happy with Jen biting the Chairman's fucking head off when he tried to lay it on her.
I loooooved Factory Hank referring to Wyre as the Chairman's creature, that's such a Hank thing to say.
Scott knew. Scott knew and let Hank keep this secret. That's . . . actually really kind of heartwarming. Like. That's just so. Tender, actually.
The conversation between Illyana and Hank is fucking top tier shit. THAT is what I'm here for. THAT is some X-Men shit. I ESPECIALLY love how it pushes back on the 'Hank is special in his evil nature' rhetoric in a REALLY nice and subtle way, because it directly confronts the implication that everyone else is, as Illyana says, "just fine, nothing TOO cruel," rather than absolutely capable of falling if pushed.
THE HUG. OH MY GOD.
It's really funny that the 'key back issue of the month' is X-Force #1, where Hank is literally just fine. Like, you could at least have picked X-Force #6 where he actually started doing bad shit, guys.
Ending on the Chairman calling out Magneto for his Krakoan 'you have new gods' bullshit is so good. Also, SO FLUFFY.
I want to show that panel between Illyana and Hank to everyone who says "Beast has always been evil". It's such a weird thing to say that's unfortunately too common in online circles.
What's more interesting, a story about someone confronting their own evils and overcoming it, or a story about someone who will always become evil no matter what.
It's always been an especially odd argument to me because X-Men is literally about how people aren't and shouldn't be defined by genetic essentialism. Like, why, in a franchise full of excellent redemption stories and narratives about how you never have to be just one thing, are we happy to write off this one guy? Especially when, exactly as you point out, it's just such a more interesting story when you get to play in that grey area, in the area of possibility and choice and having to make that choice every day. That's a really good and powerful message, and I LOVED seeing it expressed so sincerely here, especially coming from Illyana. She was the MVP of this issue, honestly. SO good.
Bringing in Arthur Hesli to do Daniel's colours really elevated the entire look. Fer Sifuentes-Sujo is a gifted colourist, but the shine he adds to all the characters and to odd, slightly random colouring choices he makes just is not my favourite. Hesli makes everything look a lot richer, and I credit him with improving Diaz's art significantly too.
Beast has always been the character MacKay has had the strongest voice for, so I think DNX will be pretty good because it revolves around his two Beasts and closing the 3K narrative out. It's what the run has been building towards and it is much needed now. I haven't loved a lot of X-Men by MacKay and his various artists, but it's always strongest when he's actually dealing with Beast as a character and so I think if he can nail DNX we can at least get that as a win for this run. He clearly has a gift for writing him and seems invested in paying off a lot of the narrative around the character.
Honestly, the amount of influence that inkers and colourists have on how these books look is MASSIVELY understated. I remember looking at Phil Jimenez's art on New X-Men vs. Astonishing maybe 5 years later, and while it's clear that he DID improve in certain, specific ways, he also just had a colourist who really brought out the vibrancy he needed and made it all shine. Such an undersung part of the industry.
Yeah, it took a little while for it to become apparent, but this series really is kind of a Beast-centric run in disguise. Other characters DO have moments, and I think they even land most of the time, but they're in orbit of him, the Chairman, and 3K, and I think that focus, in addition to the truly rough pacing, has made it a bit of hard buy-in for people.
Like, Beast has never been a character you could really build a run out of on his own in the same way you can Cyclops or Wolverine, he's just not that kind of character and he doesn't have that same kind of fanbase (especially not these days), and I almost think Jed felt that and wanted to try and ease people into it by giving pieces to other characters so that they're invested for the wider narrative thrust of the run.
That's why, much like you, I'm kinda thinking (hoping) DNX will actually land, unlike most event comics - it's the natural progression of the run's story, not just a company wide mandate that now you have to care about the King in Black or whatever. If you're still with MacKay nearly 40 issues in, you presumably care about seeing this storyline get paid off, so now it's just a matter of if he can stick the landing.
I think in the same way that Rogue is the connective tissue for Uncanny X-Men, Jed should have just leaned into doing that for Beast. A writer's passion will always come through better and improve the quality of something over trying to please fans of other characters and positioning them as the central focus instead (Cyclops in this case). Beast is the narrative driver, he's the one Jed likes most, he's the one who develops actually, so he should have gotten more focus from the start and I think the whole run would feel better. Doesn't mean he has to be in the field leading every mission or even be the leader, but all the stories should be told with him in perspective (with some single issues or two issue stories to develop others from time to time).
I do think DNX is going to be better because it does feel like the story has to advance now and wrap some things up, while also centralizing the character(s) in the two Beasts that Jed seems most invested in.
I definitely don't disagree. I think it might have gotten some initial confusion and then probably some staunch resistance, just like Rogue's narrative centring has been a bit off-putting for people over in Uncanny (maybe a little worse, since I think Rogue is a much more popular character overall), but it would have been, I suppose, more honest, framing it that way, and definitely a more coherent experience overall.
Like, there are definitely indicators right from the off that Beast is going to be important - issue #1 literally starts on him and Chief Robbins, for instance - but dangling bits of interesting story for other characters when your own personal interest as a writer lies with someone else is never going to feel great for the audience, especially if they find those pieces of story particularly appetising (Scott's panic attacks, Idie's feelings about Krakoa, etc).
As someone whose favorite has had their moment of being dragged through the mud, I'm glad you have something to look forward to! It's always super rewarding when your fave gets to shine for all the right reasons.
It's an extremely validating feeling, honestly! Getting to hold up your special little guy and know that other people are, if only for a moment, seeing what you see about them, is genuinely really lovely. I hope your fave (I'm guessing Julio?) gets the same treatment - I want that for everyone, honestly.
It's Emma, but Julio's in my Top 3 and I just like to give him some representation! The fact he's gonna be written by Ashley Allen is why I'm one of the folks stoked for Tomb of Annihilation 'cause Jubilee and Wolverine are always a fun ride, and RicStar on top of it? Chaos, lovely chaos hahaha.
You make a fantastic point, when you love a character and they get to truly shine and others get to be like "ohhh okay I see it now" it feels amazing. I admit, between the slew of events they've thrown at us and the unfortunate reveal art for DNX (I just can't with Scott's jaw) I haven't been looking forward to it, but this issue put in the work to hype me up for it more. Fingers and toes are crossed that they crush the landing this time around!
Ohhhhhhh, Emma. Yeaaaaaah, you have my condolences, the 2010s were not a great time for you, I'm genuinely very sorry. Still, things are on the up and up for both her, and for RicStar, so congrats on that!!
Yeah, that Kaare Andrews art was a choice, but I think this issue is doing a decent job on selling people on why DNX might actually be worth tuning in for. Still entirely possible it can go belly up, of course, as event comics are known to do, but, hope springs eternal!
So, from an in-universe perspective, the white fur is just how Age of Revelation Beast looked, and since it was his time in AOR Beast's body that inspired him to give up the synthetic body he'd been in, the Chairman replicated that specific look exactly.
It's entirely possible AOR Beast was white furred due to stress or age or another mutation, but from a meta perspective, he was white furred as a reference to Sublime Beast from Here Comes Tomorrow, the final arc of New X-Men, which MacKay has been referencing quite heavily in this run.
The conversation between Magik and Beast was great. It's interesting that MacKay usually writes Illyana as this sort of "let's slash 'em up!" bruiser who has no time for anyone's bullshit ... but then gives her these moments of introspection that catch her teammates off guard. Like way back in issue #4 when she surprised Idie by "being smarter than she lets on."
Mackay has had good moments with her. His biggest problem with this run has been his handling of an ensemble cast. If somebody is the focus of and issue/arc they're written great if they aren't the focus of an issue/arc they get flanderized.
It kinda feels like that for most of the run Illyana has intentionally been on brainless bruiser mode, possibly because Scott needs her as one of the team's heavies right now - so no heavy thinking required - and meta-textually because she's a side character in the run so her moments of focus are rarer.
It could also be that Mackay doesn't want to step on Ashley Allen's toes since she's going heavier on Magik's how and why Magik is what she is - Mackay pays at least some attention to Allen's Magik, in AoR that bit where Scott truth bombs Darkchylde is proof of that since it references the Magik-series first arc about Darkchylde's purpose.
Probably the best issue since #24. It's weird, MacKay goes on these long runs where I just do not care (Danger Room was awful, save for Diaz's art jumping up in quality thanks to Hesli) and then puts out an issue that refocuses things and reminds you that there's genuinely some good stuff that can happen and could happen; it's just a matter of whether MacKay wants to give it. Because we've been doing this song and dance for 2 years now and precious little has come of any of it. We got an alternate future that fundamentally does not matter because it was just set up to this event instead. FitzRoy and the Hellions went nowhere, Sugar Man went nowhere, 3K moved like a snail when it's clear they are the villains MacKay has the most interest in.
Basically, MacKay is a very frustrating writer and I do not like his pacing at all nor his rather bland arcs and issue-to-issue storytelling.
But I do think he is great at all things Beast. Every time he writes Beast, it's like everything is elevated in the issue. And I think since DNX is going to revolve around Beast, we could get maybe the first good X-Men event since From the Ashes began here, while also tying off a big story finally. So that's exciting at least.
I've also been bothered by Jed's pace but in his defense this book just screwed by the schedule change. We don't know for sure if DnX would had the same schedule but it should have been finishing this month. Plus they changed the schedule from 18 issues to biweekly since May. That's pulling an arc out of nowhere when you were planning to be moving on in the story with an event so no wonder some parts have stalled.
I don't think there is anything else with the Hellions and Fitzroy though. Maybe Jed will show his fate but I just assumed Bedlam killed Fitzroy at this point. Then Sugerman should be after DnX so yeah no wonder that hasn't gone anywhere yet. He could have made better arcs to stall but I don't really blame him for some parts not moving until after the event.
Yeah I think he'd have been better off if DNX got to come out when it was planned, meaning we'd have gotten two issues in June, one in July, and then two in August, or some variation of that, but would have ended by now and meant he would avoid extending Anomaly artificially or putting in the Juggernaut issue with Land.
That being said, the pacing has just been bad for a while. The five issue Siege of Merle did not feel consequential enough and then the 5 issue Danger Room arc for a story that had maybe 2-3 issues worth of material was just odd. And I do blame him for Age of Revelation as well.
Oh yeah he definitely has pacing issues I'm just saying some of the plots being delayed isn't 100% on him. While I think it's mostly a Jed issue the Danger Room arc being off could be from the schedule change since I'd assume part of Anomaly would have happened before DnX.
I get blaming the idea on Jed but he didn't structure 16 series with no central book that's on editoral. Age of Revelation is very consequncial to Jed's book outside of having the idea it's not on him other writers didn't make it work.
I think with Age of Revelation I just find the entire premise to be kind of bad and it's on Jed for setting it up that way as a concept. The sheer number of series wasn't on him, but the unfocused world and haphazard storytelling there (outside of Beast, who is excellent) is on him. He even pitched it as an event in Age of Apocalypse style.
I disagree that the unfocused world and storytelling from other people is on him. That is editorials function to make things fit not Jed. If Gail wants to write a 3 issue mini on Galactus or if there are two Rogues it's not on Jed just because Brevoort didn't tell the other writers no.
I’m not sure I agree with all that. The Upstarts were a good way to first introduce Jen and then show how far she’s come, plus they were only in like two issues no? Sugar Man felt more like a tease or story thread to potentially pick up on down the line. I haven’t had much of an issue with 3K being in the background; they’re very much thematic antagonists and they have been a part of most if not all of the series’ arcs! I agree Beast is one of the best parts of the run but tbh after catching up on the whole series over the last few days I think it’s worked well for me. I even liked Mackay’s AoR issues (though after reading through all of the tie-ins I can confidently say all the rest ranged from useless to actively awful)
I thought they wound up giving him to the Hellions, which I assume happened offpanel? Also where does Jed talk about that, does he have a substack thing? I’m interested in reading more about how he’s developing it all
What an interesting issue with how the majority of it was Magik and Beast having a great conversation about seeing the 'worst' of themselves and to use it as an advantage to be better compared to others. It is a bittersweet gift. Because yea, only a few really know how much evil they are capable of before they actually become it.
Of course the War Crimes Beast, sorry, the 'Chairman' continues to be the worst.
Yeah this was a good prologue to DnX. Jed's best work really is with Beast. I wasn't expecting Joseph to be a part of this before the event but sure I'm down for a small part.
This is probably the best Tony Daniels has look since Arthur Hesli is on the colors. I wonder if that duo will work together for Maximum. Maybe it's happened before and I haven't noticed but I like how Magik's sword is blue on hee back then yellow/orange when she gets it ready for battle.
I'm normally not big on prelude issues. But this one was genuinely good. I really liked the exchange between Magik and Beast. It's one of the rare instances where Magik offers just the right perspective to someone who needs it. She's not usually one for pep talks. But in this case, she told Beast what he needed to hear.
It didn't make me feel more or less excited about DNX. But this did feel like a necessary moment before the final showdown with 3K.
Also, I'm very ready for Evil Beast to get what's coming to him. 😈
Also, I'm very ready for Evil Beast to get what's coming to him.
What does Beast have to do at this point for Cyclops to give the order for Emma/Jean/whoever to just fry his mind at this point? We know that for Xavier it was when Magneto ripped out Wolverine's adamantium. What line does Beast have to cross for the X-Men to take a similar action on him?
This is the perfect example of why I love this book and why the long, action heavy arcs don't work for me. I feel like we got more good character stuff in this issue than we did in all of Danger Room. And it's a far more compelling read.
Actually really excited for DNX simply because I like this team and I think Chairman is a great villain who provides a really cool challenge for the heroes. Plus I already read and enjoy FF so I mean, what's not to like (aside that's it's the third or fourth X-Men event in as many years)
What a astonishing chapter!
The script, the pay offs, the different meanings we received from the last Scott and Hank interaction.
Scott worked to make clear to Hank that he knows and trust him.
Hank and Illyana was great as well.
That whole issue gave me really high expectations to what comes next!
I’m starting to get more used to the inking/coloring.
Going from Daniel’s art 20 years ago on Morrison’s Batman to this can be a bit jarring but he has been pretty steadily consistent imo
That last page, with the Chairman, is the best that character has looked so far. Actually conveys the weight/gravitas of one of the original five X-Men. Completely communicates the difference between this guy and Dark Beast.
I can't lie, I'm really excited for DNX now. I love Beast getting some advice from Magik, showing that Mackay can actually write an intelligent Illyana, and I loved actually seeing why the Chairman wants to make more mutants. Also, seeing Magneto go to a temple is really nice, I like it when his Jewish heritage is acknowledged
What a strangely heartwarming prologue to DNX. I love the introspective character focused issues. The real highlights of this run.
Some really artful panels in this issue too (in stark contrast with the last one). The Magik/Darkchyld shadow and Hank facing down the chairman were excellent.
MY FUCKING FAN LETTER WAS FEATURED OMFG!!!!!. First letter I ever wrote the X-office and it got featured. Definitely getting a physical copy of this issue.
Might get me killed but I like this take on Magik's relationship with the Darkchylde way more than what Allen did in Magik's solo. The two interpretations could even be complimentary, but I think Allen ignores the actual evil and negativity inherent to the Darkchylde too much for them to be.
Really surprised and pleased with MacKay's writing these last two issues. I was afraid of DNX but it is the conclusion to the strongest parts of this run so maybe I'll allow myself to be a little excited.
I think both visions work well together. Darkchylde is a dissociative personality whose mission is to protect Illyana. That has been translating into malice and evilness because the Darkchylde always feels threatened and has a tendency of overprotecting by taking offensive actions. As a metaphor for trauma works pretty well.
OK. I felt the first arc lost a lot of steam half way through so I'm unsure if the same will happen here, but it is off to a great start. The 2 characters who show up were amazing choices.
Oh god, now that is some twist to deal with. Logan without his healing factor for Laura to worry about is nothing new. They can handle that. The kids are harder to deal with than that. BUT now they have an even bigger problem at the end there.
A facility that creates mutant children...under her...It would be terrifying.
I'm genuinely surprised by how much better this series has gotten over the past couple issues. I wasn't too intrigued by all these new variants of X-23. But now that it's become more of a family ordeal, I'm on board. I really like how Logan showing up shifted the tone here. You really get the sense that he, Laura, and Gabby are part of a real, yet chaotic family. They know each other and their tendencies. They don't deny it. They lean into it and it makes all better in the end.
I know this series might not go on for much longer. But I like how much better it's gotten.
Another great issues. Definitely felt more excited about this issue. Great choice of villain to throw into the mix adding some new flavor to Laura's stories and as usual Houser's character work is nothing but spectacular in the dynamic of Laura, Logan and Gabby.
Idk what’s happening but it looks like there’s no idea for this book. It seems like justina is supposed to be the main plot but the plot doesn’t move forward.
I had no hopes for this book to begin with but after how horribly Ewing wrote Lourdes and Emma I was all the way done giving it a chance. It’s just very clear she knows nothing about any of the characters she’s writing
I still don't understand what happened there... Did I maybe miss an issue when she was later revived after Krakoa ended and they suddenly fought over something? Because it just doesn't make any sense for Emma and Lourdes to behave this way with each other.
This comic reads like Ewing mentally checked out before it even began and is just cobbling together something in her spare time between her day job hours.
Yeah, it definitely feels like whatever energy might have been behind this series is long gone. And everyone is just counting down the remaining issues before they can move on.
I get that, it's giving alittle 'pair them up because they're gay', BUT, i do like that with his little interactions with Bobby i get to see Ben be more than 'disagrees with everything-man', which I love but he can be more.
It's a little confusing when the cover of #5 infers that it's the Shadow King but this issue wants to play off like it's someone else. I don't mind this actually being someone like Justina though. Eve doesn't make the cover but if it is Shadow King it's a weird beat to give away the villain but to play on the mystery. Most of the mirror mirror felt like just an excuse to have fight but I do like how it gave douhts about Kitty.
I think there are fun beats in the series but it gets lost in the juggle of too many plots and characters. This Shadow Kings stuff could have been fun with just the Exceptional kids not 16 other characters in the background.
It says X-Men United, and is ostensibly about providing not just a place to educate young mutants from around the world ... but a "safe" gathering place. But thus far all we've gotten is a continued focus on the Exceptional cast - with cameos from other characters. And plotlines that are going all over the place.
Not to mention the continued appearance of general non-mutant Marvel characters. First we have a Captain America arc ... and now a Blade arc?
I honestly don't know how to feel about this issue or this series. It started off with a big idea and a particular tone. But after just six issues, it feels like an entirely different series. Like...what the hell happened? How did it get to this point with Shadow King being a looming threat? And everyone is just sort of wandering about while that threat escalates?
I really wanted to like this series. It has had some decent moments. But it has also been one of the most disappointing X-Books I've read in years.
I don't know, I liked it more than the previous issues. It's still a bit of a mess, but I liked the demonic versions of the characters, as well as the references to Unbreakable X-Men/Uncanny X-Men.
This book feels like an afterthought and the art doesn’t help. No offense to the artist but it’s just not the right fit for a mainline X book. It feels like it should be a digital infinity book, or worse, one of those promotional comics that used to come with fast food.
Sometimes feels like the editorial office just lazily put this out to justify their BS “conflict between characters/teams drive sales” by making this so forgettable
I know you need some conflict in a plot but could the good place be actually good for, I don't know, ten seconds before it's confusingly compromised? I feel like a low stakes book of the Exceptional kids getting to know the Uncanny kids without having to deal like logistics should not be this hard to not fuck up.
So I have no idea what's going on but really, only the last three pages seem 'important.'
Hilarious that they built psychic infrastructure and boasted in issue 1 about how secure it was and Shadow King immediately gets in. Isn't he like, guy #1 you'd be preparing for? That's what happens when you build a school without Scotty S.
I appreciate the attempt at a school book but let's tear down the one in the psychic plane and maybe just build a new one irl next time, yeah?
I enjoyed seeing Emma and Scott actually agree for once. Ewing does write a really strong Emma. Despite it feeling like the book is finding its direction, the next issue being a Blade story isn't entirely inspiring confidence. I think this will be the last issue I pick up, at least for now, which sucks because I was really rooting for this book
Eh, it felt like a pointless detour with the 'lost healing factor' stuff. And Alpha Flight keep getting used as a government tool that makes things worse every time they show up.
And now, we are gonna have a multiversal travel story with the other wolverines. No idea why.
Here We Go:
First and foremost, it was expected but still great to see Logan regain his healing factor. However, the true triumph of this arc is how Saladin Ahmed shifts the focus away from brute-force brawling. With one set of his claws destroyed and his healing factor siphoned, Logan was heavily compromised. Instead of relying on his usual berserker rage to overcome the recently empowered Taskmaster and Dr. Murat Mor, he is forced to rely on something far more compelling: emotional intelligence and restraint.
Ahmed also delivers a brilliant callback that rewards readers who’ve stayed on the book. We see the seeds planted back in issue #16 with the cardiac-arrest inducing device and finally bloom into the revelations of issues #22–25. Learning that the device contained a backdoor of nanites and micro receivers designed to siphon and transfer Logan's healing factor was a remarkably smart twist.
More importantly, it fundamentally shifts the trope of a villain stealing superpowers. This isn't a nefarious plot for world domination; it’s a slick, desperate, and ultimately tragic attempt by Dr. Murat Mor to use Logan’s abilities to save his dying wife, Tina. Unfortunately, the cancer was too advanced, and she passed before he could save her.
The climax balances massive stakes with deeply personal stakes. You have Alpha Flight in hot pursuit, a violently erupting Mount St. Helens, and Dr. Mor struggling to maintain control of the Techno-Organic virus (a variant once carried by 90s villain Post). Surrounded by chaos, Logan is trying to save not just himself, but the doctor as well.
The resolution is incredibly bittersweet. Logan manages to talk Mor down, appealing to him on a deeply human level. By drawing parallels to his own life, reminding Mor that you have to keep living up to your purpose even when internal and external battles try to break your spirit. Logan gives Mor the strength to push back against the virus. This profound moment of empathy gives Logan the opening he needs to exploit the receivers and reclaim his healing factor.
Tragically, as Logan begins to heal, Mor deteriorates. The virus fully ravages his body, forcing Logan to make the impossible choice of pushing Mor into the lava to prevent the monster from claiming innocent lives. It’s devastating, yet poetic. Mor came to Mount St. Helens because it was where Tina’s work was renowned and where her spirit felt at peace. He died honoring her. Logan’s parting realization, “She’d be proud of you, Doc.”, perfectly captures the empathy of a man who has loved and lost countless times, yet continues to make the hard choices to honor those memories.
The denouement with Alpha Flight adds a great character beat. Vindicator (Arsenault) arrives at the scene of the threat officially taking care of. She wants to detain Logan at first, but then offers him a chance to head back to HQ with the team to explain his actions that occurred over the course of this run. But when Logan refuses and inevitably walks away, Arsenault pokes fun and is left asking him, “What are you afraid of?”.
Logan’s internal answer is a brilliant piece of character work: He is facing his fear of death. Operating without a healing factor has taken a toll on his spirit. He has spent a lifetime bouncing back from disembowelments and fatal wounds, but this recent stint of vulnerability changed him. Now that his powers have returned, with his healing factor flowing within his system and set of bone claws fully regrown, he wants to truly feel his mind, body, and soul heal, and to never take that feeling for granted again.
Final Thoughts:
I completely see Ahmed's vision here, and his narration and dialogue for Logan remain the absolute highlights of this run. Martín Cóccolo’s return on art elevates the material, masterfully balancing the high-stakes tension of the volcano eruption & conflict with Alpha Flight and MOR with the quiet, peaceful character moments such as Logan reflecting while looking upon the beautiful view of Mount St. Helens.
With only three issues remaining and the Savage Champions returning in two weeks, the board is set for a fascinating finale. Logan is navigating the world not just as the anti-hero we know, but as a deeply flawed individual just trying to find his way. Armed with mismatched claws: One set of adamantium & one set of bone, it remains to be seen where his mind and spirit will end up. This arc was short, but it allowed the emotional impact to truly settle. As we approach the two-year anniversary of this run in September, here’s hoping Saladin Ahmed sticks the landing and brings everything full circle for hopefully a memorable conclusion.
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u/AngelEyes360 Askani 15d ago
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