The end of Uncanny X-Men…again. It was shocking when Uncanny X-Men was cancelled and relaunched after the Schism event but the book truly was a very all-new, all-different book.
Kieron Gillen and Carlos Pacheco unite on this week’s Uncanny X-Men #20 and end the second volume they kicked off. When Uncanny X-Men relaunched Cyclops formed the Extinction Team (Emma Frost, Magneto, Storm, Colossus, Magik, Namor and Pixie.) Ironic that it was called the extinction team.
This assembling of the most powerful mutants was to show the enemies and the world that the X-Men (and those they protect) were not to messed with. The old tagline of protecting a world that fear and hates them with a stronger emphasis on the fear.
The series was designed to be a prelude and companion book to the Avengers vs. X-Men event. Gillen did the unthinkable (in my opinion) and revamped Mister Sinister into an even more bizarre and compelling enemy. Gillen gave us what I think is one of the new one villains in a long time. Unit could have been the X-Men’s version of Ultron. This alien android was a combination of C3PO and Hannibal Lecter (Gillen’s description.) I’ve already asked Gillen via Twitter to use Unit against Tony Stark in his upcoming Iron Man run.
I will remember Gillen’s run for the decontruction of the ultimate mutant power couple. Scott Summers and Emma Frost had a good run. She’s still the best thing that ever happened to him – sorry Jean fans. Utopias are always an illusion. The sexual tension between Emma and Namor, Scott’s growing zealotry, the ghost of Jean were always there and Gillen wove the undoing of Scott and Emma with perfection.
Cyclops is in prison – even though he was right after the Phoenix’s return and Hope’s destiny. Magneto, Magik, Colossus, Namor and Emma Frost are fugitives. Colossus will turn up in Cable and X-Force. I hope Emma Frost and Magneto form their own Avenging X-Men. I’d love to see the isolated Namor become Marvel Universe enemy #1 in a new series by Gillen or clash with Tony Stark in Gillen’s Iron Man run.
The X-Men as I’ve known them are long gone but that’s why I’ve loved them all these years. The mutants keep mutating but no matter who is writing or drawing I love these characters.
By Editor