State of the Multiverse 69

Friday, Mar. 12 2010 | Author: darrren

Dark X-Men #5

Spoiler alert for Dark X-Men #5. You may want to read the issue before reading this column.

This week saw the end of the Dark X-Men series, and I must admit this has been one of my favourite Dark Reign spin-offs. I was overjoyed to see the return of the X-Man, and I hope this isn’t the last we see of him, but his short term prospects do not appear great. In the future, I would love to see him teamed with Noh-Varr, they now have a lot in common, both screwed over by Osbourne, and both tasked with the defence of humanity on a global scale.

Still, even Nathan Summers was not the highlight of the series for me. Each of this characters (barring maybe Weapon Omega, although he shows promise) have been favourite characters of mine, and each of them have received an abject lesson in this story.

Mystique learns how she has quite clearly backed the wrong horse. Again. You would think she would have learnt by now, but her time as one of Xavier’s operatives and her many encounters with the X-Men seem to have taught her nothing. She leaves the series as owned by Osbourne as when she began.

The Mimic was given glimpses of the potential he could reach. If you happened to read Exiles, then we know what Calvin could be here in the real world, erm, I mean mainstream world (I must remember they are different. They are!). He needs to be put in a team where he can finally, well, grow a pair. Maybe Marvel should have him fall in love and either have a child or lose his partner in an Uncle Ben situation. After all, he could be up there with Nate Grey and Noh-Varr. But not while he remains the poster boy for depression.

Then again, more attention could be paid to his depression, he has been clinically diagnosed if I remember correctly, and that is story worthy in and of itself, but only in a team book. I don’t want Calvin to miraculously recover, it has to be believable else it denigrates the topic, but he needs to walk the path of the hero sometime. After all, we’ve only been waiting since the Sixties.

So Weapon Omega, Michael Pointer, is potentially the most important mutant on the face of the planet according to Nate? Now there’s a tidbit! However, what’s the chances that throwaway comment will disappear into the mists of obscurity?

I’ve not got a great deal to say about the Dark Beast, except how can you not love this character. He is the perfect corruption of everything Henry McCoy is, and long may he reign. He is a perfect sleeping threat, much like Mr Sinister under the shadow of Apocalypse was for so many years.

However, the very best insight has to be how, within the confines of Norman’s fractured mind, both Norman and the Goblin have made peace, and both support each other. We have seen this implied with his many conversations with his reflection over the years, but here we see something new. The Goblin acts in Norman’s interest, rather than simply his own. Has Norman finally found approval from his daddy issues?

Whatever the fate of Osbourne, this team needs to continue. After all they have the explosive chips inside of them in a true Suicide Squad tradition, so who would be the best person to take the reins? Valerie Cooper? Henry Peter Gyrich? Doom? Or maybe some new mover and shaker, taking up the mantle of the late Senator Kelly?

I sincerely hope this is not the last we have seen of this team. They need a few more members, but they must not fade away, they have too much potential. Are you listening Marvel?