Now they're about to go on their first mission to help a fellow mutant who is wandering around aimlessly and scared in the city. The issue opens with said mutant being harassed by the anti-mutant fanatics known collectively as the Purifiers whom everyone knows are the descendants of Reverend Stryker whose legacy of hatred and ignorance continues to spread even to this day. The OCF with Kitty and Magik arrived just in time to prevent yet another senseless hate crime, and we are treated to fabulous pages of fight scenes. The artist for this issue is Brandon Peterson, and his illustrations were compelling enough during the action scenes even though the coloring itself is a shade darker that I'm used to. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon enough.
In any case, I've enjoyed the confrontation between the OCF and the Purifiers. This is the first time the OCF have encountered them after all and I don't think they realize the gravity of this moment. After all, the OCF belong in the sixties, in an idyllic time where mutant discrimination isn't very rampant or blown out of disgusting proportions. Luckily enough, the goddamn Purifiers were more than enthralled to get the kids up to speed. These motherfuckers keep shouting out biblical scriptures as they murder in the name of God, hence also simultaneously making every Christian in the vicinity who is not a hatemonger feel like puking because now his or her own faith is associated with such stupid fanatics. The one thing so unforgivable about these Purifiers is how they twist the word of God to suit their inclusive views about race intolerance and self-entitlement, all the while considering themselves faithful servants of the Lord who, according to their delusions, hate the mutant race because they are unnatural abominations. "God did not create mutant" is the main idea to take away here. Yeah, that's very Christian. Please stop disguising your hatemongering with anything else but just that.
First of all, Purifiers, pick up a science book or a dictionary and see the definition for "mutant". Understand that the human evolution's key to success is mutation. Hominids evolved into homo habilis to erectus to sapiens and finally Homo sapiens sapiens which you imbeciles are classified in. YOU are also a mutant. You just happened to be in the previous stage of the evolution and the X-Men are considered the more advanced species. You need to get over it. The X-Men are the future generation. As Magneto puts it, "What parent fears or hates his progeny?" But then again, these Purifiers seem to operate in a barbaric sense of morality where they are not enlightened by scientific progress and still believe they are in the Middle Ages or something, proudly stomping their feet to the tune of a holy crusade. Wake the fuck up, Purifiers. The Crusade was a war primarily functioning as business venture while masquerading as a religious pursuit, and it proved to be unprofitable in the end. Yours is the same old shit. You're as disgusting and insignificant as the Nazis were with their fascism.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the point of Christianity is tolerance, charity and overall goodness towards mankind and creation in general, isn't it? And mutants are a part of mankind or at least the creation itself. I don't understand--I would never understand--the mindset of a collective like these assholes who contradict the very foundation of their faith and religion by committing heinous acts to impose it on others. Atheists and non-religious people would claim that is the very essence of Christianity and other religions. After all, I'm a Catholic from a third-world country whose historical relationship with said religion is characterized by means of oppression and subversion. My ancestors became believers of a Christian god because they were conquered and converted into it. And now the Purifiers are doing the same.
This issue brought about my bitterness against religious fanatics in real life because such a discussion still matters especially when you consider the context of the X-Men as an allegory for civil rights and the small-minded groups of hatemongers who try to strike them down, which in the current socio-political climate is still frighteningly in place. We have the LGBTQ community fighting for their equal rights for marriage and these so-called "Christians" who spew out vile and ignorant bullshit about how granting the LGBTQ the same rights as they are would ruin the institution of their family and religion, that homosexual intercourse is "unnatural" or a "sin against nature" (never mind that we are not the only species in the natural world that engage in homosexuality).
But the OCF don't know about this historical significance. Scott himself even tried reasoning out to the police after the confrontation, hoping they would listen to him and not at all try to shoot him dead just because he's a dangerous mutant. And of course, they did try to shoot them all dead but Magik transported them out of there just in time. Magik scolded them, explaining to the teens that the world they live in now will certainly find a way to kill them just because they are who they are. The teens dismiss this a bit by citing their experiences in the past about people who hate them but then Jean (who had the misfortune of viewing the thoughts of a Purifier earlier) had her own two cents to add:
"People not liking us because we are different is not the same as religious zealots committed to sacrificing their own lives to destroy ours." Yes, yes indeed. That is a very haunting insight, Ms. Grey. I agree a hundred percent.
The issue ends with Kitty getting separated from the rest of the OCF and ended up confronting the scared mutant herself who ran away during the fight scenes earlier. Kitty recognized her as Laura Kinney, otherwise known as Wolverine's genetic clone named X-23. Yeah, there was a time when they tried mass-producing Wolverines, if you can believe it. The 'Weapon X experiment' will be discussed in the next issue.
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
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