INHUMANS V X-MEN #0
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Kenneth Rocafort
Colorist: Dan Brown
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Release Date: 11/30/16
Rating: Rated T+
Price: $4.99
During the first Marvel NOW! initiative in 2013 Marvel launched their Infinity Event which had the Avengers facing the Builders off world, and incursion events. Meanwhile the Mad Titan, Thanos heading to Earth with his inner circle to lay waste to the Inhumans in order to get to his son. His son Thane is an Inhuman that lives in an offshoot tribe.
To protect his people Black Bolt gathered all the Terrigen, the crystals that grant the Inhumans Terrigenesis and allows them to unlock their powers into a Terrigen Bomb. When Thanos arrived on Attilan, Black Bolt evacuated the kingdom to save his people leaving him to face Thanos himself. During the fight Black Bolt used his voice, which did not defeat Thanos, so Black Bolt unleashed the Terrigen Bomb which left people believing killed Black Bolt.
Black Bolt survived but was in exile as the Terrigen Bomb released a terrigen Mist cloud that either transformed any being with the Inhuman gene to go through Terrigenesis or die. The cloud transversed the world splitting into another cloud as it went on. It was later revealed that the cloud had another effect, not for Inhumans, or Humans, but for Mutants. The Terrigen Mist would give anyone with an X-Gene M-Pox which lead to them being sterile, and ultimately dying.
During Death of X Cyclops discovered Jamie Madrox on Muir Island near death or warned him that the Terrigen Mist did this to him. The Terrigen Mist affected different Mutants at different rates some could take months or years, while others it could kill instantly. Cyclops became infected by M-Pox and died, but Emma ept that from everyone. Emma projected a false Cyclops to everyone and allowed them to believe that he was going after the Inhumans to get rid of the clouds, which lead to Black Bolt “killing” him with his voice.
Plot: What happened in the 8 months between the death of Cyclops, and the All-New Marvel post-Secret Wars? Find out here!
Story: Just read the “Previously” section above. All of this happened since 2013, and since then we were thrown into numerous events that really make you wonder: Why? Why do I care about this story now? Even after Secret Wars we had to wait months to get to this point in the story. If this was told in 2014 I may be more interested, but as it stands I feel like it was an afterthought.
The Terrigen Mist isn’t anything new, heck even the interaction to the X-Gene isn’t knew. The only thing that is new is how it reacts, which goes against continuity to force these two races into a war. This event seems very forced as a whole, my only glimmer of hope lies in ResurrXion.
This issue starts eight months ago after Cyclops’ death present day Beast goes to New Attilan to help Iso discover a cure for M-Pox without destroying the Terrigen Cloud so both species can survive. Emma is diving off a cliff on Muir Island switching to her diamond form before she lands. When the Cuckoos confront her, we see that Emma is losing her mind, believing that Black Bolt did kill Cyclops.
We see this cycle every two months, at six months ago,for months ago, two months ago, where Emma goes from team to team recruiting the mutants in a strike against the Inhumans. This concludes with Storm’s teams just as Beast calls her with news on the situation, and Medusa prepares her people for the eventual war.
Now this would have been great if we seen this the last eight months in the books. But instead we had different stories going on that had absolutely no connection. This leads to that disconnect feel I have where I felt like I am missing something, but it is actually Marvel giving us this forced event.
Art: The art here was pretty consistent with what we have been getting with the X-Men and the Inhumans books lately. I like that the art fit there, it made more of a connection that the story did honestly.
Verdict: Overall, this was pretty bland and had me asking “Do we need this?” I say no but would love to hear what everyone else thinks.