X-Men #25 puts to bed a months-long mystery by revealing the identity of a character first teased in X-Men #20. The issue is written by Jed MacKay, joined by new series main artist Tony Daniel, inked by Mark Morales, and coloured by Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. In it, the X-Men take stock of their present situation following Cyclops’ soujourn to the future, before encountering mutant villains on various sides.
The issue begins with a recap of Cyclops’ experiences in the Age of Revelation and recounting their present circumstances; in order to prevent this dark future from happening, they must find and secure Doug Ramsey, Revelation himself. Only he’s gone in the wind following the future Cyclops’ assassination attempt.
X-Men Suit Up
Arizona is where he’s likely to be, so the X-Men prepare to suit up. MacKay takes the time to linger on a long-running mystery that has stalked the series from the onset: what is wrong with Magneto? As Cyclops explains, in the Age of Revelation, Magneto was never ill, nor did they have any memory of him being ill. Beast proposes that Magneto’s illness may be caused by some action from the future, retro-causality.
It’s a welcome bit of information, as the R-LDS that has weakened Magneto was never followed up on or explained. It can be surmised that the Chairman of 3K, who witnessed the future, may be the source of this, but that’s speculation. Regardless, it opens up a new front and story for Magneto and reassures readers that the Age of Revelation is not some alternate universe.
In Arizona, the X-Men encounter the Fenris twins. The neo-nazi pair seek to bridge the mutant-human divide through old fashioned racism, proclaiming the white race, be it mutant or human, as the ideal, and that mutants and humans who do not fit this definition deserve purging. With a pack of human followers, they set themselves upon a Morlock compound in Arizona. The X-Men swiftly engage them and overpower them, with Psylocke and Temper fittingly being given the opportunity to humble the pair.
A New Villain Revealed
The easy battle is interrupted by the arrival of a third party: the new director of the Office of National Emergency. First teased in X-Men #20 by Agent Lundqvist, the character is boldly revealed to readers now. As has become a pattern for Jed MacKay, it’s a character from Marvel’s past that some might call obscure: Crimson Commando. The World War II veteran, mutant, and cyborg, Crimson Commando will probably be most familiar to X-Men readers as a member of Freedom Force, a mutant team sanctioned by the government. Crimson Commando, or Frank Bohannan, occupies a similar role now: he is the mutant leader of an organization that seems to antagonize mutants quite a lot.
While the reveal might be somewhat underwhelming, MacKay finds an intriguing angle for the character. Crimson Commando proclaims that he loves his country, the United States of America, and that the X-Men and many other mutants abandoned it to live on Krakoa. Rather than seeking kinship with his people, his loyalties are to the state first and foremost, and views mutants as untrustworthy guests on government land.
It’s a solid angle, rife with some political commentary: not every member of a minority group is going to be a freedom fighter or an activist. Some assimilate or join the system that oppresses them. Crimson Commando may not be the most exciting character on the surface, but with his cunning and jingoism, he certainly will be a dangerous one.
Inside Joke
There is a back-up story in this issue, courtesy of Jed MacKay and artist Agustin Alessio, entitled “Inside Joke.” This is not to be dismissed as a filler story set to amuse readers. Rather, it’s a highly consequential story.
Beast of the X-Men brings Jen Starkey to his lab, recounting how they were given Cyclops’ memories of the future and so they are as aware as he is of the Age of Revelation and what that future entails. While Jen is in awe of her future self, Beast takes the time to call the card given to him by Wyre in X-Men #18. The card was an invitation to join 3K, but Beast has no desire to do so. He speaks with the voice from 3K, and quickly parses out what the name means. 3K means 3,000, which in Roman Numerals is MMM. MMM was the slogan of Krakoa: Make More Mutants.
It’s a clever bit of storytelling there, with the name having stared at the reader in plain sight for close to two years without anyone deciphering it. But Beast also realizes that the name was a deliberate inside joke, one that only he would recognize. “Like recognizes like” as he says, and Beast finds himself standing before a holographic projection of his counterpart: Beast of 3K.
Tony Daniel Continues to Impress
Tony Daniel continues as the new main artist for X-Men. His pencils are inked by Mark Morales and the colors are provided by Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. The issue looks good and stylish. While there aren’t any particularly distinct pages, Daniel conveys action well and structures each page in a very coherent, logical way. The colors seem more suited to Daniel’s work than X-Men #23 indicated: gone is the overly airbrushed look and a more muted tone is given to the complexion of the characters. Daniel proves to be an able replacement for Ryan Stegman.
Agustin Alessio draws and colors the back-up story. First seen in the World of Revelation one-shot, Alessio’s artistic style is exceptionally unique and is, simply put, very cool. His art adds a level of atmosphere and moodiness that suits the story remarkably well. Seeing him return for this quick short-story is hopefully a sign that he will be doing more X-Men work in the future.
An issue heavy on action and plot developments, X-Men #25 gives the story a real sense of movement. Identities are revealed, some mysteries are solved or at least pushed forward, and realizations are abound. The identity of the ONE leader is followed up swiftly by Beast realizing who the leader of 3K is, both are exciting developments. The art on the issue is strong in the main sequence and in the back-up story.
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X-Men #25
X-Men #25 gives the story a real sense of movement. Identities are revealed, some mysteries are solved or at least pushed forward, and realizations are abound. The identity of the ONE leader is followed up swiftly by Beast realizing who the leader of 3K is, both are exciting developments.
