David Bowen

[cover by Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson]

到目前为止，今年最大的《x战警》出版了!它……主要是体面的。

X-Men这个系列的编剧Gerry Duggan在这里处理了很多素材，虽然它并没有完全融合，但考虑到这个特别的年度杂志的要求，他可能已经做得最好了，有点像整个X系列的年度杂志。

[Read more…]《x战警:地狱火盛典》The Secret Is Out

[cover by Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson]

Quiet (Suspense) Before the Storm

的暴力事件之后,最后一个问题,这个是在停机模式,代替行动得到政治紧张局势的升级,不仅为Krakoans Arakkii大环之间的风暴和T 'Challa Krakoa和仍然神秘的银河边缘的集体,是由奥比斯Stellaris经过这些天的星际/星际理事会(即使只有少量的物体上)。Yet there are also poignant and meaningful moments of catharsis that, quiet though they are, begin to shift, wrinkle and question the narrative around the value of Krakoan resurrection–refracted through three fascinating perspectives:Magneto; the mutant who is a strange amalgamation of all possible Rockslides; and the recently assassinated Shi’ar Majestrix Xandra, or rather others’ reactions to her assassination and potential return to life…

This is also the first issue of any X book this year that directly alludes to the current goings-on of more than one other title in the franchise–and these references are crucial to both the theme and narrative of this issue’s thematically braided story, straightforwardly titled “Three Short Stories about Death” (We also get another direct reference to happenings in the ambiguously adjacentBlack Panther).

At least the Emily Dickinson reference on the title/credits page is a little more evocative: “Because I could not stop for Death” is one of her most famous poems and while complex, what matters here is that it’s essentially a surprisingly peaceful lyric on the acceptance of death. Broadly spiritual, it could speak to anyone of any faith or philosophy: Death is real, but that’s no reason to hasten it or grossly/unnaturally delay it out of fear. Of course, for those who believe/have faith in some version of immortality beyond life, there’s that too–the horses of the poet’s carriage riding without haste toward that limitlessness, of which dying is only a moment in infinity.

当然，在“因为我不能为死亡而停车”之后的首行其余的句子是:“他好心地为我停车”——断章取义也适用于Krakoa，但这首诗明确地说，当诗人太忙/专注于生活而不能停车——死亡时，死亡的“马车”为她停车，也就是在通往永恒的路上载着她。克拉考人比其他人更不能真正地阻止或消除死亡。

The steeliest acceptance of mortality here is from Magneto, who, after all, isn’t exactly surrounded by friends, much less allies.

This series just keeps getting better, more interesting with every issue. I do miss the stunning beauty and drama of Stefano Caselli’s artistry, but guest artists Juann Cabal, Andres Genolet and Michael Maria do serviceable work, only occasionally jarring. All three typically do much better, though, and much of the art throughout feels a like it might’ve been under tighter deadlines than usual. Whatever happened on the production side of things this time, well, who knows, but there’s not a strong narrative reason for to be different art styles whose differences aren’t striking enough to do anything interesting for the story.

We open with what appears to be Magneto’s first time seated on the Great Ring, while Storm is off at an emergency meeting with the (Inter)Galactic Council at the politically neutral space station called the Proscenium (which until now had only been seen in Ewing’s recentGuardians从第7期开始)。本期三篇短篇小说中的第三篇大多以克拉考恩的日落海滩为背景。

So, three relatively basic settings (two councils and a beach) in a braided narrative where these individual stories converge and refract each other only thematically. And the theme is death.

In the Great Ring: Ora Serrata v. Magneto – v. Isca?

Ora Serrata makes her case in the data page at the opening of the issue. It’s a cogent argument: Arakkii do not resurrect (except for those in the White Sword’s army, which as far as we know has no presence on the Great Ring), so what are Krakoans actually risking when they fight in the Circle Perilous? Smartly, Ora’s case isn’t about whether Arakko should be friendly with Krakoa:

“Krakoans have a place in the broken land.”

What she provocatively but reasonably argue is: “But we must decide if they have a place here [on the Great Ring, where losing a seat in a challenge is permanent, regardless of whether death is].”

Now if there’s not even ariskof permanent death, then the value of the challenge is hollowed out, especially as it’s their only path to power: Seven other Krakoans could repeatedly challenge Arakkii of the Great Ring until they’re victorious and their opponents are permanently dead. Obviously, that’s not what an upstanding citizen of Krakoa would ever do – but why risk it? It’s not a gamble worth the Arakkii’s interest.

A striking moment in this issue of great moments is Ora very dryly (oh man, dry eye!) sniping at Isca – who finally comes off as just a tad grating this time, which is good; we have to start to see some cracks in “the Unbeaten.” And it’s interesting that Ora’s concern is focused on the possibility of more Krakoans winning seats on the Ring and much less concerned with Isca’s claims that Roberto simultaneously undermined the nature of her power and of the Circle Perilous.

At this point, Magneto seems to know he’s at a disadvantage, off his home turf.

But a Great Ring Arakkii we’ve barely heard from yet, Lodus Logos, quietly challenges Isca by questioning whether she herself ever truly risks death. The Unbeaten retorts that she can die like anyone else; after all, “victory in death” might in some situations be the only path forward. And yet another member, Xilo, points out (as a question rather than a direct challenge) that she could never be unseated from the Ring by challenge.

现在，伊斯卡为自己辩护说，她只是在让创世纪的座位保持温暖，等待她的妹妹回来，让她听起来像是一个失踪的女王的摄政王——万磁王指出了这一点。创世纪不会和Arakko的现任主管发生冲突，不管Ororo对她矛盾的女王地位感到多么不安。

Certainly, as we get to see more Arakkii characters developed, Isca’s views no longer appear to represent those of her fellow Arakkii, whereas in her early appearances she appeared to go about blithely unchallenged. For someone who’s unbeaten, she’s beginning to look hemmed in by everyone around her – she really must be impatient for Genesis to get back!

The Intergalactic Game Goes On

在舞台前，Storm参加了一个紧急会议，8个外交官中的6个代表着相当大的一片空间的利益(其中肯定包括数十亿的感知者，这个温和版本的光明会看起来并不像我们在现实世界中通常认为的那样在实践软实力，除非你是一个容易相信的玩世不认/阴谋论者)。值得注意的是，其中一个缺席的是lacuca，她目前正在关注万磁王，因为她认为银河政治在她之下(让她成为他们议会的一个奇怪的选择)。

It’ll be interesting to see how the Great Ring Arakkii develop as characters, starting with how they voted inX-Men: Red的第一期:拉图卡和洛德斯投票支持和平;西洛和奥拉与阿蒙斯开战;当然，Isca投了弃权票。

As for Storm, she’s not to be put in the hot seat, much less “live on [anyone’s] chessboard” – here referring to T’Challa Wakandan politics (intergalactic or otherwise) but of course implying that she’s no one’s pawn, or queen, to be moved about by another’s hand.

Their marriage having been annulled a decade ago (inAvX, after only a handful of years),Stormand T’Challa don’t really owe anything to each other as heads of state, and she certainly owes him not even a hint of Krakoan resurrection. And it sounds like Wakanda’s king never told his wife about his own state secrets (both the Galactus Protocols and Kimoyo communications technology, which allowed for mass surveillance, can be found in the pages of previousBlack Pantherruns; Krakoa’s resurrection protocols have been, at least among those it directly concerns, comparatively anodyne).

Indeed, the Russo-Wakandan mutant Gentle has been a sleeper agent for Wakanda for a long time, since beforeX of Swords, as revealed in January’sBlack Panther#3 (Since the end of Coates’ run, he’s been a minor supporting character in the title; hopefully he can be put to more interesting use elsewhere).

The Shi’ar Imperial Guardian Oracle has called this meeting, to sorrowfully share the news of Xandra’s assassination – which is interesting as she and Delphos, whom it appears she didn’t know was a Kin Crimson agent all along, masterminded Deathbird’s kidnapping, which she here laments, in Tini Howard’sSecret X-Menone-shot earlier this year (I don’t think she expected things to go sideways so disastrously). The Kin Crimson were first revealed recently, inMarauders第一，他们是特工，在第三期结尾杀了珊德拉。

In fact, it’s wild that Xandra’s posthumous story is continued here rather than inMarauders, somewhat undermining its latest issue’s cliffhanger uncertainty. I dig it, though. And it means Orlando can open the next issue with different surprises.

As revealed later in the issue, Xandra “broadcast” not just her mind but her entire being (which is, after all, an energy form) all the way to her “father”* Xavier, who Storm says is perhaps the most powerful telepath in theuniverse尽管他不是欧米茄(Jean是)。

(*Half his clone, shared with Lilandra’s DNA, she otherwise has zero relationship to either of her forebears.)

Without Xandra, the Shi’ar Imperium will fall into chaos and civil war, leading totrillions的死亡。就像愤世嫉俗而又神秘的军火商奥比斯·斯特拉里斯所说的那样，什叶派已经被帝国主义的利剑所征服，所以他们已经奄奄一息了。就像他的全球主题的对手，奥拉，他提出了一个体面的理由来反对山德拉在克拉科亚的复活:有哪个理性的人会同意“一个不朽的独裁者在王座上……直到时间的尽头”?

But knowing full well his position would lead to trillions dead in interstellar war, he nevertheless believes that’s the lesser of two evils.

We’ve Been Getting the New Rockslide All Wrong

Magneto’s stoic existential line about people being perhaps only “a handful of memories held tight against the setting sun” is followed by Roberto finding the non-Santo Rockslide on a Krakoan beach at sunset.

After Rockslide’s death in Otherworld at the start ofX of Swords，克拉考人复活了一堆乱石——这是另一个世界死亡后复活的结果，是一个来自无数平行宇宙的人的各种可能版本的乱石(这也是高更的命运)。

但这是我们第一次在这些复活的容器中发现有人的家。这个新的Rockslide可能比原来的更清晰!当然，他有一种永恒的智慧，完全不同于桑托幼稚的青春期——正如罗伯托承认的那样，桑托的青春期更有活力。桑托和蛇发女怪是迄今为止喀拉科亚时代唯一真正的死亡，想想都觉得不可思议。

This scene seems to firmly establish that the Earth-616 Santo is gone for good. And that is meaningful. It shouldn’t be betrayed (though the cynical reader believes it surely will be, eventually).

Indeed, youth only lasts so long too, a much shorter time than life as a whole – making it all the more meaningful, as it skips along the water’s surface, farther from shore with each forward leap.

Magneto’s Move

The mysterious Cerebro-like sphere Magneto brought with him to the Ring turns out to have been created by Forge as a “Cerebro Drive,” basically a small-scale version of the cradles, storing only current copies of himself and Storm. We also get the clearest statement about the relationship between the purely secular “mental records” of a person’s memories and their soul: If the latter senses the existence of the former embodied once more, then it’s drawn back – at least that’s Magneto’s conjecture; he doesn’t seem overly preoccupied with souls, more with a heroic fatalism, like a Marcus Aurelius, a classical Stoic of antiquity.

Is it Isca’s derision here that forces Magneto’s decision – to destroy the backups?

I doubt it. My argument is that not only was he already decided on this course – the problems of Krakoan immortality as embodied by certain individuals on the Quiet Council are a prime reason that Magneto is no longer on Krakoa.

他来到了阿拉科，他不可避免地成为了阿拉基，特别是如果指环外的普通阿拉基已经接受了他，这我们已经看到了。

Perhaps he’ll need an army, and Storm’s Brotherhood, as a bulwark against the corruption of both councils.

Ororo’s Fait Accompli Over Xandra’s Fate

Nova’s little speech here may prove unnecessary, since for Ororo’s big surprise this issue, she was already decided, but I’m glad Ewing got to bring in one of his top faves from hisGuardiansrun. Here, he speaks of those tragedies where “he stood when all else fell.” Most famously, he survived the destruction of Xandar in 2007’sAnnihilationevent, but the world had already been destroyed once before, by Nebula, in 1985’sAvengers#259-260(罗杰·斯特恩的经典之作!)Richard Rider restored the Xandarians and their home in 1993’sNew Warriors#40-42(一家Fabian Nicieza连锁店)。

What matters here is that Nova’s argument certainly trumps Orbis’: Saving countless lives, even if it means maintaining the fragile status quo of a military empire, is definitely a lesser evil than thepotentialfor someone like Xandra, a child ruler, to turn out to be a wicked or just plain self-interested immortal hanging on to power for centuries.

And Storm has already made sure that Xandra is coming back. She did reach her father, and Xavier, despite their non-relationship, didn’t hesitate to make her resurrection his top priority immediately.

But though “there was never a debate to be had over this” from Storm’s perspective, still, she knew the need to show up and remind everyone from across the far reaches of space that “Mutantkind does not need permission.”

Also, she has a clear ally now in Rick Rider. He wants to be on her side for whatever storm is brewing. So, expect him to be a staple ofX-Men: Redgoing forward – and an interesting addition to the cosmopolitan mix of the Diplomatic Zone, an urbane concentration of high and low, frontier and establishment, subcultures and power politics, a fine place for an evenhanded space cop (if only such people actually existed).

Rockslide’s Wisdom & Roberto’s Mysterious Suggestion

The most radical idea this issue, though, is surprisingly reserved for “Wrongslide” – unlike anyone else, he’s been envisioning a new kind of resurrection, his way, what everyone believes to be thewrongway. But truly, it’s the most natural way, like the Tao: “I’ll lie down in the flowers and give myself back to the everything.” Critically, though, only “when itis他向罗伯托保证，他在许多年内都不打算这么做。

But going to Otherworld to die once more will allow yet another wholly new version of Rockslide to be born. It’s the radical remix version of resurrection. And if that’s the future of the Krakoan narrative for at least several prominent mutants, I’m all here for it. After all, once you kill death – where can this franchise go next? It either resets at some point, rather abruptly, or the X office figures out how to work out all the permutations of this idea first, leaving us with a bigger sandbox of ideas – always additive – stuffing in as much wonder as possible, and sharing the beauty of that.

现在，我想知道罗伯托对阿拉科的Rockslide有什么设想。他肯定不会只是一堆没有孩子愿意说话的石头;在破碎之地，人们必看见他安然无恙。

First though: Eternal War…