#Eva Bell

[why-i-love-comics]

Timeslide #1 (2024)

written by Steve Foxe art by Ivan Fiorelli & Frank D'Armata

[rei-ismyname]

Let's talk R-LDS

R-LDS or Resurrection-Linked Degenerative Sickness was alluded to in X-Men #4 and the Infinity Comics before being named in X-Men #7. We're told that Magneto has it and it's directly caused by Krakoan resurrection/The Five, kinda.

Here's Beast doing some alluding.

In the panels above, we learn that Hank McCoy is the only one working on the problem - the problem being Magneto's loss of his powers and his body breaking down rapidly - his very chromosomes unraveling. He seems quite sure that it could happen to 'any of us' though the lack of quarantine suggests it's not contagious.

The next bit of information we receive is from Magneto and Scott in conversation, reflecting on The Iron Night. They took down a wild sentinel that was attacking the town and Mags lost control over his powers immediately after, requiring Scott to knock him out for safety's sake. Scott is no scientist, and while Magneto is a genius polymath autodidact (with plenty of experience in genetics) it's not a character trait that's seen focus lately. Thus, I'm assuming they're discussing it as amateurs and as patient zero in Magneto's case.

Magneto confidently names the condition for the first time as well as using an acronym for it, suggesting it's confirmed to exist, he's had a positive diagnosis, and they're using the term enough to require shorthand. He even spells out the subtext for us - it was a hidden flaw in Krakoan resurrection. I'll come back to that notion. Scott says 'we don't know that for sure,' implying that R-LDS is just a theory or speculation, which Mags doesn't directly refute. Instead he lays out the worst case scenario. They can't both be right here, so what's the deal? Magneto's symptoms are obviously confirmed, but how did they get from there to here?

If Magneto is the first and only person affected by his condition, why are he and Beast so sure about its providence and everyone being in danger? How could they possibly link it to Krakoan resurrection? I'm no scientist but I do know that there's only so much you can conclude from a single data point. Magneto was indeed only resurrected by the Five once, but he died again after that on Arakko (X-Men Red #7). The body he's in came out of a portal from Overspace in Adam Brashear's underwater base (Resurrection of Magneto #3.) His body suffering a condition borne of something that happened to a different body doesn't make sense. Considering he's the only person to return to life that way AND the only one allegedly with R-LDS, that would be the place to start for Beast's sciencing.

There he is, good as new.

Word of God

In a recent AIPT interview, Tom Brevoort removed any ambiguity and just straight up confirmed it. With the caveat that his recent X-history knowledge seems pretty poor, he is the de jure ultimate authority on the matter. I don't agree with that, and not just because I don't respect him as a creator. This habit of on-panel ambiguity and editorialising in interviews is vexing.

It's especially vexing when he contradicts himself. He counterpoints his own information with some of what I just pointed out, but the fact that they've made a list of who was and wasn't resurrected suggests R-LDS is a plot point they're committed to. I have to wonder why he bothered giving a detailed answer to this question if it's 'yes,' then 'maybe', then 'it will definitely be a thing you'll see as we progress.' Saying all of that and then ending with 'we know very little so far' really makes me wonder what he's thinking. Tom Brevoort could have given his usual cagey answer about not wanting to spoil anything, but he didn't here. I'm saving most of my Brevoort-specific criticism for a separate piece, but this glib and irreverent tone is typical of his commentary - even managing a light jab at Jordan D White.

Frankly, I think it's a graceless and cynical development. There are so many character beats, mistakes, and conflicts to use from the First Krakoan Age that choosing to create R-LDS feels like a shot at the core of hopefulness and creativity that blew our socks off in 2019.

HoxPoX

House of X/Powers of X was hopeful and magical. After a decade plus of endless misery and genocides, dull stories and bizarre characterisation, for once mutants got a W. The ability to use mutants working together to right the horrendous wrongs they'd suffered was central to that - the power of community and cooperation. What they built wasn't perfect but The Five was something they got right.

What would possess someone to take the cornerstone of the greatest X-Men story of all time (don't @ me) and try to tear it down? Remember, when the dust settled we ended up in Moira X life 10E. In 10A, the original Krakoan experiment, the mutants won! They thrived and protected what was theirs against Dominions. It took a literal apex AI God existing outside of space and time directly opposing them to fail. Enigma, on the back foot, sent Omega Sentinel through time to start ORCHIS years early and ensure Krakoa's collapse. Am I to believe 'no, sorry. That was a dead end?'

Haven't we been here before?

We've had mutants suffer from the Legacy Virus and M-Pox already, and I might even be missing other examples of nebulous diseases that threatened to wipe out all mutants. Obviously it's the prerogative of the X-Office to use whatever plot points they want, but do we really have to do this again? There are plenty of ways to sideline Magneto as a combatant that don't require repackaging old storylines. We've even had Hank McCoy decades behind the curve desperately trying to catch up before - in All-New All-Different X-Men.

Small World

Defenders-era Hank McCoy might be the worst possible 616 scientist to tackle this problem. He's literally decades behind the science curve and doesn't have the experience in dealing with anything like this. He's not the same guy that worked on M-Pox or the Legacy Virus. He never set foot on Krakoa and has never met any of the Five. We don't know how much data was recorded or kept from The Five but Beast may not have access to it.

Why isn't he talking to Cecilia Reyes, Forge, Jean Grey, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, Adam Brashear, Healer, Doctor Nemesis? Even doctor dickhead that extorted Storm has the ability to instantly diagnose anyone. It makes the world feel tiny, and when you're following an era of interconnectedness that's just so disappointing. Portraying him as supremely concerned about 'all of us being ticking time bombs' rings hollow if he's working on it solo. Hank McCoy has always had a sense of arrogance where his scientific ability is concerned but not to this degree. Look at the guy! He's hating the stress he's under.

Sins of Sinister and the White Hot Room

I have to wonder if the implications of linking Magneto's illness to The Five's resurrection have been fully considered. The Sins of Sinister timeline ran for a millennium with the Five resurrecting on an industrial scale. Rasputin IV would have noticed, or the Quiet Council. The mutants left behind in the White Hot Room in RotPox spent 15 years bringing back ALL the dead mutants. That's 16 million, minimum. 15 years is less than a thousand but it's still longer than the First Krakoan Age, several times over. Nobody noticed anything? Elixir, member of the Five and Omega biokinetic, with his unlimited mastery of DNA didn't notice anything? Destiny didn't see mutants falling apart? Sounds dubious as hell to me.

Towards the end of the era many humans were resurrected too. 5% of the Five's work was set aside for bringing back poor children etc through the Phoenix Foundation. Steve Rogers was resurrected into his current body on Judgement Day. I am extremely skeptical that this has been considered, and in Steve's case whether the X-Office can even use him.

Conclusion

Magneto's physical degradation has been swift. Here he is in Uncanny X-Men #700, implied to be at most 6 months before X-Men #1. I think I've demonstrated that the concept is nonsensical and to reiterate, I think it's a terrible narrative choice. If I'm being generous, it'll be interesting to see if they can explain R-LDS in a way that makes sense - if they can do something new and interesting with a tired concept. There's only been one issue since it was introduced, so perhaps I'm jumping the gun on breaking it down. Let's check back in 6 months.

What do you think of R-LDS? Do you think my reasoning is sound? As always, I'd love to hear what other fans think.

[ywnoart]

Tempus

[comicwaren]

From Timeslide #001

Art by Ivan Fiorelli and Frank D’Armata

Written by Steve Foxe

[heckcareoxytwit]

As the remaining Quiet Council are discussing family matters and their plans on going home, Kafka the winged mutant boy overhears the conversation and starts to have doubts. Kafka eventually talks to Exodus about his doubt about how the rest of the mutants may have to stay behind in White Hot Krakoa while some of the mutants are selected to go home (and fight Orchis). The Quiet Council and the chosen mutants prepare for a ritual which Mister Sinister empties a vial of Cypher's genes into the pool so that Krakoa could help them in teleporting the mutants back home. The Krakoan vines wrap around Mister Sinister & the mutants and turns them into buds. Hope Summers remains behind on White Hot Krakoa as she reminds herself that she has to bring Phoenix Force back and she has some Messiah shit to do. Back on Earth, Apocalypse is dragging Krakoa-Treant back to Krakoa island when the chosen mutants pop right out of the flowers.

Much later, Hope Summers is having much difficulty in dealing with the Phoenix Force and Jean Grey. In order to save all of mutantkind and resurrect both the Phoenix and Jean Grey, Hope alongside the help of Legion (as the talking Hope Gun) shot the Phoenix with the consequence being her sacrificing herself in the process. Jean and the Phoenix have come back but Hope is gone. Meanwhile, the mutants are fighting the Stark Sentinels on the ruins of Krakoa island when Exodus, Destiny and Mystique teleport in. The Hope Sword is back in Nightcrawler's hands. Even though Destiny hugs Nightcrawler after some getting her motherly memories back from Xavier, she gives the bad news - Hope Summers is dead. Exodus at first doesn't believe it then announces that Hope has returned to whence she came. "The word made flesh, the flesh made immortal. She is with Krakoa in exile in spirit." Nightcrawler says the Krakoan mutants are trapped in the White Hot Room, lost forever. But Exodus, returning to the fight and attacking a Sentinel, says the people of Krakoa will return, that the Krakoan age will come again. Nightcrawler asks Destiny if they can win but she still sees no victory.

The Krakoan mutants including the Five minus Hope and Jumbo Carnation are stuck in the White Hot Krakoan Room arguing around a table trying to figure out how they will function, who will do what, etc. Little Kafka gets annoyed and tells everyone to shut up. He tells the room that they have to be better than this, that they have no rulers, no leaders, no heroes. That they have to be the Quiet Council and that means they have to listen. He takes charge and starts working to assign tasks such as food supply, tutoring, teaching. It's a bittersweet last page as that little hero is determined to make Krakoa, despite being lost in the White Hot Room.

X-Men: Forever #2, 2024 (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th pics)

Rise of the Powers of X #4, 2024 (7th and 8th pics)

X-Men: Forever #4, 2024 (10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th pics)

- - - -- --------

The trapped Krakoan mutants in the White Hot Room reminds me of the ending of Drifting Classroom manga when the elementary school students in the bad future dimension cannot go home after several tries. So the trapped students decide to stay and work together in the ruined future to build a new civilization.

[vertigoartgore]

2013's Uncanny X-Men Vol.3 #1 (LGY : #565) cover by Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend.

[jojoseames]

The Uncanny X-Tober day 1: Life!

Ink & Watercolor, 6 x 9 inches JoJo Seames, 2024

[ninebaalart]

Tempus [Hourglance]

⌛⏳⌛

[thehollowprince]

Hellfire Gala Variants - Part 1 | Part 2

[idnegrosupernegro]

I realized today that while magneto can't be revived due to having no backup in cerebro, that's not the only way to bring him back

We have eva (tempus) who can manipulate time and at this point can probably see through time (as in looking back on the timeline, if not hope could probably boost her a bit) so we have her look back to the point before erik dies (alternatively they can find someone else with time powers to contribute)

Then we have kevin (proteus) use his reality warping to copy erik's body (and even his mind because kevin is telepathic) then paste erik's body in the modern day on krakoa and either he or hope can put his mind into the body

If there's something wrong with the body, josh (elixir) can likely fix it

Basically, the resurrection process is expedited instead of having to wait for an egg to turn into a person

[illyanarasputinfan]

Uncanny X-Men Annual #1 (2014) MARVEL

[spiderliliez]

Morfydd Clark (as Georgiana Darcy) She cleans a Flintlock Pistol, attends a dual wedding. Her quick appearances on the theatrical version. PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES (2016) [+] MORFYDD [GIF Collection] 🌷 [+] ..more “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies” 🎬

[tournament-of-x]

The Hole

Contestants Index

[donnatroyprincessofthemyscira]

[newx-menfan]

Hellfire Gala Looks

Overall- pretty disappointing compared to previous designs….

It’s too bad Hellion isn’t a big enough character- because Julian is one of the few X-Men with good taste! (Sorry-not sorry; almost ALL of Julian’s costumes are great!)

—————————————————————

Jean is the obvious winner- I don’t like the skirt-but the rest of it is really cool!

I didn’t bother including Emma’s from this year- it’s cute, don’t get me wrong- but it’s nowhere as iconic as her previous looks…

Vault Laura/ Talon’s is a blah letdown (kind of like the character…)

I get they’re going for more of a goth look- but it’s just boring 😐

Also the shoes and belt are HIDEOUS! 😬

Honestly all of Laura’s Hellfire looks have been pretty terrible- the minute Laura became Wolverine was the minute all her sense of taste went out the window 😐

Synch looks…better; for matching couples outfits, I guess?? Those shoes and belt are HORRIBLE though!

Synch’s previous looks haven’t been this bad…which makes me think Talon was the primary person pushing the look and Hellion might have dodged a definite fashion crisis! 😂🤣

Tempus is the only winner of the five here- the simple hair and flapper dress looks amazing!

Hope just looks like she’s stealing Nature Girl’s look…

Elixir…looks like a gold Matador? It’s not good.

Egg is too much yet also not enough. It just looks half assed.

Proteus basically looks like a genie…

Sadly Storm didn’t have one…ALSO Storm has been the biggest letdown of the Hellfire Gala for years- since she is HANDS DOWN- the most FASHIONABLE X-Men. Shame ON YOU MARVEL.

…overall I would say it’s a pretty BLAH year and we NEED Hellion’s fashion sense to SAVE US…

(Also I want to know what DJ is wearing!)

[heckcareoxytwit]

The Five had brought back many mutants from the dead and usually the resurrections involves in celebrations. However, not all resurrected mutants liked the return to the land of living. One such resurrected mutant was Jeffrey Garrett, the mutant boy who originally haunted the X-Mansion as a restless spirit. Prodigy visits The Five who told him that the resurrected Jeffrey had already teleported before anyone could visit him. Prodigy figures that Jeffrey Garrett was too bewildered and disoriented about the new changes so he goes off to look for him. Prodigy finds Jeffrey at the cliff of the waterfall to talk to him.

This short story of Prodigy and the X-Kids take place before the fateful Hellfire Gala attack.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #100, 2023