The X-Tinction Agenda by Chris Claremont

I'd be irresponsibly remiss if I don't read and review other notable storylines from the Chris Claremont era of the seventies, eighties and nineties before jumping on other works found in the recent MARVEL NOW! line-up. I have made a compact schedule I'm adamant to follow through for 2015 and I want to accomplish reading most of Claremont's memorable stuff first, even though I may have to do do it sporadically with no coherent sense of chronological rhythm at times. But I already posted a disclaimer in 'About XMCG" that my readings and reviews of the X-Men comics line will be mentally challenging not just for myself but for anyone who is just as new to the series. My goal mainly is to select the stories I know have been proven to be unanimously well-praised or at least well-liked by the majority of long-time fans and critics.

To recap, I selected the classic, recognizable ones first (The Dark Phoenix, Days of Future Past and God Loves, Man Kills) and then skipped ahead to the later ones in 2009-2011 which were arguably Claremont's least impressive body of work (X-Men Forever, Excalibur III). And that's only when I decided to come back to the oldies, starting with the short-lived nineties run X-Men and then further back to The Uncanny X-Men with a standalone like issue #200, The Trial of Magneto and stories such as Legion Quest and this one called The X-Tinction Agenda. In between I touched upon House of M which is probably my very first taste of the work of current X-Men writer Brian Michael Bendis; Greg Pak's Magneto Testament and (for tomorrow's review) Fabian Nicieza's Fatal Attractions arc. For posterity, I also reviewed the very first Stan Lee debut issue X-Men #1 from the sixties and Len Wein's resurrection piece, Giant-Size X-Men #1.

AND HERE WE ARE.

"If the mutants aren't free, then maybe what you've built [in Genosha] isn't worth saving."

The X-Tinction Agenda was brought to my attention by a brief 21-minute documentary from YouTube about key storylines from the Claremont era whose events were considered vital even to this day because whatever happened in them has continued to play an important role in the subsequent stories after. This collected volume I've acquired, however, was longer than the actual one posted in Goodreads. This one has 322 pages because it also included four additional issues (#235-238) which effectively contextualized what will come to pass by the time the X-Tinction Agenda story arc hits. This arc ran for nine issues and were divided equally among three titles: Claremont's The Uncanny X-Men, and Louise Simonson's X-Factor and New Mutants run. The volume also provided a recap of what has happened to the X-Men so far which really helped me understand and position myself in the stories herein. Before we read issues #235-238, we have to first read the summary of the previous events that led up to them:

I apologize if I just copypasta-d the paragraphs instead of summarizing the summary itself because it would kind of defeat the purpose. Now, unlike with other reviews, I opted not to discuss in detail each issue's content here because, frankly, that would be an exhausting venture for me (and I've been in a tight time table lately with IRL work stuff so I'm trying to write reviews with a manageable length). I also might give away a lot of critical plot points that will irrevocably spoil you, and I think this is a collection that is worthy of a pick-up, so let me just give you some encouraging words of recommendation and commentary instead.

The Uncanny X-Men #235-238

The thing that readers who are interested in this particular storyline need to understand first is the general treatment and care that Chris Claremont has provided in his years of writing The Uncanny X-Men since the mid-seventies. Anyone who knows the history of Stan Lee's "strangest heroes of all" is familiar with the fact that the X-Men are supposed to represent the civil rights movement at the time they were created which was during the African-American liberation and civil rights. It was Claremont who decisively sealed this allegory once he started to write for the X-Men, going as far as writing a rather straightforward story about that chilling comparison in God Loves, Man Kills which I reviewed nearly two months ago.

That being said, as you read his earlier and inarguably most enduring works, you will notice a pattern in his story arcs. Everything that he has done in his Uncanny run has been building up to this socio-political atmosphere rife with anti-mutant sentiment and blatant racial hatred that often make me personally uncomfortable at times. Nevertheless, it's what makes Claremont's X-Men stories so exciting, dramatic and naturally sympathetic; by contextualizing real-life struggles that people have witnessed themselves or grew up with back in that time period, Claremont was both socially aware and smart enough to create stories from those experiences which require him to explore certain aspects about the X-Men as characters in the context of the fact that in the Marvelverse, mutants are considered a minority group, heavily discriminated against and are oppressed and exploited by human opportunists for both profit and propaganda.

These four issues (#235-238) resonate with this message, primarily focusing on the 'exploitation' side of the coin. The story opens significantly in Genosha, a fictional city where a great number of the mutant population reside as citizens alongside the humans whom they supposedly harmoniously co-exist with, as the media coverage and public relations for that place would have you believed. In reality, every mutant there is hunted down, processed and assigned with different manual labor positions to the tune of a very modernized style of capitalist slavery. Treated more as cattle or machines than actual dignified people with indispensible rights, the mutants are reduced into the functionality and purpose of their powers or abilities. A bonafide brilliant genetic engineer (or 'genegineer') would tamper and manipulate their DNA for multiple purposes, most notably for breeding and modification where certain cluster of mutants are allowed to have children depending on the type of mutant Genoshans require for whatever field they want.

It's a dystopic nightmare come to life as portrayed in a superhero genre story, and Claremont as a writer truly excels in rendering such haunting pieces that aim to expose human beings' capacity for cruelty, lunacy, and brutality all for the sake of their ridiculous sense of entitlement in the context of how they respond and treat the mutants as a separate species from them. I enjoyed these issues because this is the first time I encountered the horrors and crimes of Genosha towards its mutant citizens, and the spectrum of hatred and apathy that it's steeped in. This story also placed Wolverine and Rogue as the central characters we follow in this adventure as they learn of the terrible ways their fellow mutant brothers and sisters are being held captive and abused by the humans.

Of course, racial hate crimes wouldn't be complete without having a designated discriminatory word for the race/species you wish to subjugate and make suffer. There has been an ongoing hate word for mutants which is "mutie", much like the N-word of their time. But Claremont surpassed that moniker with the grueling "genejoke". This term now attacks the genetic distinction of mutants, an inflammatory mockery of both their individual and racial identity as a "joke", deeming it an unnatural phenomenon. And here I thought that the Harry Potter series' "Mudblood" term for non-magic borned witches and wizards was the most offensive hate word I've ever come across in fiction. "Genejoke" is so much worse, especially when it's used by armed men and women who would shout it at your face as they either torture or murder you.

In the other collected edition, these four issues were not included and I recommend that you buy the one that does have them instead because, although they are not a part of the actual X-Tinction Agenda arc, these ones give you a clearer and more vivid idea of how anti-mutant sentiments affect, destroy and advocate certain human beings' disgusting oppressive propaganda in Genosha--and why they must be stopped once and for all.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10 

The Uncanny X-Men #270-272, New Mutants #95-97, X-Factor issues #60-62

Personally, I enjoyed reading Claremont's contribution to this story arc the most, but Louise Simonson's issues from X-Factor and New Mutants are just as important but not as great as Claremont's. In addition, Jim Lee is once again illustrating Claremont's stories and I would maintain that he draws female X-Men characters the best of them all. The X-Tinction Agenda picks up many issues after #235-238, and here is the latest summary for that, once again industriously copypasta-d by me:  

This is, I believe, the height of all the criminal negligence and overall terrible assholery committed by the Genoshan humans that the X-Men, together with the X-Factor and New Mutants, will no longer put up with, and rightfully so--especially when this goddamn villain Cameron Hodge was discovered to be behind all of this, and then he also abducts and experiments on Ororo Munroe, my beloved Storm. Fuck that guy. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing him get obliterated into pieces once the last chapter closes. But before any of us would get to that heavenly readers, we had to endure the painful process of the continuing race war between the Genoshans and mutants as aided by the X-Men, and it's as depressing and enraging as one would expect. In spite of the shite our heroes are thrown head-first against, it also allowed for some of them to shine their brightest (like Cable, Beast, Angel, Havok, Wolfsbane and even Gambit).

I also quite liked Storm's role in all of this even though it's rather insensitive to put an African superheroine in yet another degrading position where she is enslaved and brainwashed by a perceived powerful white man. It's...just gross, okay? But this does serve a purpose in the story and she does come out digfinied and stronger than ever in the end. Still, I was cringing in the scenes where she was programmed to attack her own friends and comrades while she is being pupetteered by Cameron Hodge WHO WILL NEVER STOP MAKING ME ANGRY. Ororo Munroe has always been a very important favorite; my love for her is only rivaled by Rogue and Jean Grey (my first and second faves respectively). I've always wanted to read more Storm-centric stories and I think the X-Tinction Agenda was about her in a manner of speaking. It explored her vulnerability but also invalidated that said vulnerability is a source of weakness. Villains and your average cunts and dickheads will take advantage of Storm, I suppose, but this self-fashioned weather goddess is a lot more powerful and deserving of our respect and fortitude than we actually give her. This story made a lot of use of her character--even if it's in the most unflattering way possible--but my love for Ororo Munroe has always been unfaltering anyway.

Another commendable aspect of this story arc is the fact that we get to see the various X-teams work together and support one another in this brutal cavalry. Everyone feels important even if a select number of heroes do stand up more than others. As for the ending itself--well, the battle may have been won but a war is still imminent. The slavery and oppression in Genosha are just the tip of the iceberg in the ongoing fight among mutants and the humans who want them extinguished for good. We ended this story on that less than optimistic note, but as soon as the dust cleared, our heroes can at least claim their small, personal victories for themselves, knowing they have put the terrible crimes committed in Genosha in the spotlight so the rest of the world now knows what is truly going on there, and now everyone needs to make a decision of what they are fighting for or against.

My only criticism for this story arc is that it does tend to get dull and redundant in some scenes and that some of the characterizations, and the flow of the narrative tend to contradict each other along the way but this can be overlooked and will not affect one's overall enjoyment of the story whatsoever as long as one is more emotionally invested on the characters themselves and their journey throughout all of this.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

With thirteen exciting issues collected, the X-Tinction Agenda is a memorable piece that belongs to the strongest run of the Chris Claremont era. You should pick this one up and see for yourself if this type is the of X-Men story that will appeal to your sensibilities.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10

The Uncanny X-Men issue #200 "The Trial of Magneto"

At this point in Chris Claremont's era--the late eighties, to be exact--things have been more complex than the usual for The Uncanny X-Men. Two iconic events have just come to pass (The Dark Phoenix Saga, issues #101-108, and Days of Future Past, issues #141-142), while certain relationships have been tested, abandoned or newly-formed among our heroes. With Jean Grey dead and gone, Scott Summers leaving the team to try and have a normal life with his now-pregnant wife Madelyne Pryor, as well as with the inclusion of the youngest member Kitty Pryde and Jean and Scott's alternate-universe-daughter Rachel Summers--something's gotta give, that's just a fact.

Add the whole 'anti-mutant' sentiment becoming more steadily rampant, and a Professor X who had just been beaten up by mutantphobes and is now about to die; and Rachel Summers becoming a new Phoenix receptor--well, it's only sensible that messy clusterfucks of only the X-Men proportion are unavoidable. Seriously, y'all should pick up Claremont's 70's-80's run because these are just some of the classic and notable storylines that helped sealed his era as the most definitive run of the X-Men.

Issue #200 released on the first day of December 1985 marks a rather eventful moment in the X-Men history, given its numerical importance, and it's a double-sized issue running on forty-one pages of thrilling action, drama and a climactic conclusion. 

In the context of all the aforementioned things in my introductory paragraph, things apparently can get shittier and this happened during a Holocaust Memorial occasion where Kitty Pryde and Magneto himself were attendees. Cue Mystique and some evil mutants wreaking some ill-fated havoc, and the apprehension of human authorities over the place where Magneto (who has chosen to reform, albeit that new unfortunate ugly purple costume--who knew not being a super-villain anymore would also mean losing his fashion sense) basically surrenders himself, claiming its time to face the music and pay for his past transgressions. Hence, the momentous The Trial of Magneto began.

This issue touched upon on some finer points concerning Magneto's character that I enjoyed being examined and analyzed. Claremont is not only credited for giving Erik Lehnsherr (Magnus, Max Eisenhardt) the personal backstory of being a Holocaust survivor, he is also responsible for fleshing out this former cookie-cutter villain of the sixties into a full-pledged riveting character readers care about and often even root for, whose internal moral struggle to lead or destroy has always been the driving force both for the noble and atrocious actions he has committed throughout his years in the active role and service of being a mutant avenger to some and an uncompromising terrorist to many. Magneto is not merely some comic book villain to hate; he's somebody you can understand and sympathize with especially for this specific timeline of Claremont's run where we get to see him acknowledge the error of his ways. Before this trial in front of the International World court with five judges appointed by different governments across the world, Magneto's road to redemption began much earlier on and arguably most prominent when he had just prevented Rachel Summers from murdering Professor X's assailants in the previous issues or so. 

He argued that he had tried rage and vengeance and it only cost the lives of thousands of mutants that were rallied against and prosecuted all because his stand as Magneto actually contributed more to the humans' blatant hatred and ignorance of their kind. Erik Lehnsherr simply wanted to try another way now, and so he vowed to obey whatever the International World court's decision will be. Coming to his defense during the trial are Gabrielle Haller, Kitty Pryde and Charles Xavier. Meanwhile, the Fenris twins (mutants who have a grudge against Magneto) are blackmailing the X-Men by committing crimes against humans and crediting their acts of destruction to them. And since the human population at that time can no longer tell the difference between the X-Men and the evil mutants, they naturally called for the blood of any mutant they can string up and execute on the spot. With the X-Men preoccupied by this sour development, Scott Summers--who had been forced to come back previously even after making a promise to his wife Madelyne that his retirement from crime-fighting is permanent--faces an awkward situation, all the while suspicious about his former mentor, Professor X, who is grasping at the straws since his powers are weakening more and more each day, yet refuses help or admittance of his pending mortality. In addition, Madelyne is about to go on labor and Kitty Pryde realizes her eyesight is failing her and she might need to get prescription glasses. 

Basically, this issue is filled with personal tragedies, big and small, and in the heart of it all is Magneto:

I really love this issue. It was stirring, powerful and well-paced. There are great moments of dialogue and confrontations in the pages that kept me turning one after the next, all the while being thoroughly excited and dreadful for all the situations overlapping and connecting with each other especially once we reached the climax of the story. The altercation between the Fenris twins and the X-Men crash-lands into the court, interrupting the trial, and shit just hits the fan in the most alarming rate. The heroes and the villains battle it on as Magneto tries and succeeds in not killing the Fenris sibs himself which truly spoke to how much of a changed man he is. Sure, he made that grand speech I posted above but it was truly this single act of compassion that demonstrated the sincerity of his redemption. And his long-time friend and adversary has acknowledged this himself in a scene that utterly destroyed me. My Cherik radar is literally hyperventilating!

In the middle of an explosion underground, the only person Erik cared to save was Charles and he pulls him out to safety and into a garden of all places where the two estranged friends have an honest and moving conversation about second chances.

While Charles is more than ready to happily die in Erik's arms, knowing that he's leaving Erik in a good place, his alien cohort Lilandra appears and promises to save Xavier, much to everyone's relief. She had to take him away though which meant that he'll be gone for a while. Regardless, I'm happy that these two dorks have once again made up. There could have been a kiss in there somewhere too (observe that one panel) but they were sadly interrupted, much to my eternal dismay. Now I don't think Erik even asked Charles for forgiveness but the professor willingly gives it anyway, even a chance for Erik to absolve himself some more by accepting the responsibility of leading the X-Men in Charles' absence. What Charles and Erik have is a cycle of screw-ups and hurt feelings (NOT AN EXAGGERATION; no one fights and tries to destroy each other's love and faith in one another like Cherik) but ultimately theirs is a relationship about growth and forgiveness, of dreams and principles. It's a strong connection formed ages ago that could never be severed which is why Erik always come back to Charles like this (to the tune of Sara Bareilles' Gravity), and why Charles unquestionably gives him another fair chance because the truth is that even after all that ocean of death and violence between them, Charles still believes that Erik's inherent goodness will prevail. TRUE LOVE ALWAYS DOES.

Erik: "Suppose I fail and betray your dream."

Charles: "Our dream. And we'll never know if you don't try."

Did you hear that, Erik? Charles still includes you in his goals of the future even though you can be such a dickhead and often forget to include him in yours. Not even Shakespeare can count the ways of how much Charles Xavier loves Erik Lehnsherr. For me, the true testament of how much you love a person is when you want them to be standing next to you when all your dreams come true and no other friendship and unrequited romance exemplify this than Cherik. So we end this masterful issue with Erik swearing, Mouline-Rouge style (That Come What May line was simply asking for that comparison) that he will try to be a better man for Charles Xavier. 

I swear, one of these days, Erik will actually fulfill that promise.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

X-Men: Excalibur III by Chris Claremont issue #12-14

Are you all ready for this? BECAUSE I HONESTLY AM NOT.

The final arc for Chris Claremont's Excalibur III is called The Devil's Own and it runs for four issues (#11-14) which are also considered as preludes to the House of M storyline by Brian Michael Bendis (which is the next series I'll be reading the fuck out of, and you better believe it), particularly the last issue which was the finale; otherwise known as a twenty-eight paged massacre of all my shippy feelings for Charles and Erik, all bundled in one convenient package of Claremont-styled cheestastic narrative and dialogue exchanges. I've been reading nothing but Claremont since January of this year and it's hard to believe this is the very last X-Men of his I'll be perusing (until Age of Apocalypse, that is, which I scheduled during a midyear). Nevertheless, I am more than happy to end on this note. Excalibur III was sad and tragic and everything definitive in what I've always believed and cherished regarding the relationship between Professor X and Magneto. I maintain from here on out that Claremont is probably the only writer who can capture the beautiful subtleties of their friendship and baggage of losses, shame and guilt. The characterizations for their respective characters have almost destroyed me at times.

Now I have some heavy-duty investment on this last volume of this series, so my perfect rating is unbelievably based on that because I cannot force myself to be objective and detached from a story that spoke volumes to me. I will never apologize about the singular truth that I LOVE CHARLES XAVIER AND ERIK LEHNSHERR as characters and as a pairing so much. Hence, please be warned that this review contains some of the most dramatic insights I will ever publish online concerning the depths of love that I have for this uniquely devastating relationship.

Let me just warm up to that calvary. First, I'll glaze over the twelfth and thirteenth issues which is a separate plot concerning the supporting characters Callisto, Karima and Shola who decided to help out the new X-Men during an attack in New York City where they have to fight Viper and some of her allies. I thought that this plot thread was interesting enough, loaded with action, great character interaction and development, as well as a surprise twist concerning the nefarious aims of Courtney Ross, the new White Queen to the Hellfire Club, who apparently is eager to provide finance on Genosha, believing this will give her an opportunity to seize it under her control. That is a hell of a bad news for Charles and Erik who have just appointed themselves as the liberators of this island which is essentially what Excalibur III has been centered aorund.

Since her appearance in the second issue, Callisto has been consistently impressive for this. She may have some grit but there's a surprising warmth to her presence that makes her readable and fun. She's got style, a snarky attitude and tons of wonderful chemistry with almost everyone including Charles and especially with Karima and Shola. The three of them, accompanied reluctantly by the teenage teleporter Hub, are amazing as a unit, fighting the bad guys and helping the X-Men with everything they've got. These people have only known each other for a short time but they already have a sense of camaraderie together which actually isn't forced. I believe these three naturally gravitated towards one another because they want to do good and they know they can never do it alone. Their strengths and weaknesses in combat and leadership style balance together and I would love to read more about them in another title if there's ever going to be a spin-off.

Another noteworthy character is Archangel who is put in a more assertive position as he tries to lead the team of the X-Men who responded to the crisis in New York. It was nice that when all the commotion has been diverted, these heroes' actions were acknowledged by the general public. That's a sweet, touching wrap-up which seamlessly led to the much bigger story concerning Charles who has been trying to telepathically heal Wanda (Scarlet Witch and Magneto's daughter) for six months now since we last read his conversation with Erik in issue #11, but with no clear results. Desperate, he sought out the help of his old friend Stephen Strange, also known as Dr. Strange.

This is where we arrive to the momentous finale of this series which jump-starts the House of M storyline by Bendis later on.

First of all, my imagination has created the fantasy that the versions who are playing out this story are James McAvoy as Prof X and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, and you best leave this innocent delusion at that, okay? So let's proceed.

After Charles makes a telepathic contact with Stephen (he's still in Genosha at this point), we open issue #14 with a visit from his past, a memory lane in particular, when he used to be in the military. If this seems odd at first because we all know the professor as a pacifist, then it might make more sense if you accept his explanation that he considered himself as a shepherd rather than a soldier, whose primary aim is to find the lost flock and bring them back home to America. It was only when Stephen finally appeared when Charles realized that this was all a telepathic reminisce and that he is currently still in Genosha, tending to Wanda Maximoff's mental health. With Stephen guiding him inside the astral plane, Charles began to contemplate about the things he's been repressing for so long, and no one is as keen on repression like Charles Xavier. Check out this revealing set of panels:

In short: as Charles struggles to mend Wanda through mental contact, she herself is blocking him  through channelling scenarios from his past she knows will be able to keep him preoccupied. As the Scarlet Witch, she has the ability to bend dimensions to her will including the astral plane so it's no surprise that she can manipulate Charles to a certain extent. She's resisting his help and by exposing him to his greatest regrets via mindscape, he's rendered unable to help her recover. It's a good thing Dr. Strange was here to remind him of his current goal and not to get lost in the winding pathways of his own mistakes. Basically, Stephen wants him to recognize the crippling effect of his guilt which is what is stopping him from getting through Wanda in the first place. How can he hope to save her when he is just as lost as she is? So, aside from this free therapy session with the Sorcerer Supreme, these two also talk about Erik. A LOT. Erik, after all, is the source of most of Charles' perceived failures. Here is a rather harrowing example of that:

"I believe in him, Stephen. To the core of my being, I believe he is fundamentally a good and decent man." *sniffs* Dammit, Charles. Why do you cling so tightly on Erik's capacity to grow and change like this, to his inherent sense of goodness and light, even when you know how much darkness and chaos he has brought to the world? If our actions and choices are the things that define our lives and whether or not we are good or bad people, then Erik is definitely a complicated mixed bag of both. BUT CHARLES LOVES HIM ANYWAY. He has faith in Erik, an unshakeable one that allows him to welcome and forgive his friend so many times, no matter how rotten things get because of Magneto's unflinching dedication to his extremist ways of mutant superiority.

Why even bother, Dr. Strange inquires, loving someone so damaged who spent almost two decades of his life retaliating against his perceived tormentors, the 'inferior' homo sapiens as he, Magneto, personally deemed? And Charles' response was that all the things Erik committed later on in life was because of his experiences in the past when he only knew humanity in the darkest time of history, as a Jewish boy in a Nazi prison camp. He was tasked to haul bodies from gas chambers to the crematorium; these are people whom he may have known as neighbors, distant relatives--people who were discriminated against because they are thought to be different and therefore deserved to be oppressed. Witnessing hideous things has made him hideous but this doesn't mean he was worthy of hatred and scorn. Charles only believed someone like Erik Lehnsherr is worthy of his love because Charles is pathologically a martyr who finds relevance and joy in helping people, even to a fault. That's why these two are quite perfect for one another. Is it unhealthy in the long run? Won't they be better off without hanging onto each other since they merely go around in circles of break up, make up and break up again? Possibly. But neither of them would have made it this far if it wasn't for the fact that their friendship--even their conflicts, frustrations and disappointments--gave them purpose. Erik strives to be a better man for Charles' sake and Charles never stops believing Erik could be saved.

As much as the conversation is Erik-centric at times, this issue still delves into Charles' own psyche which was why we get these panels featuring his ex-girlfriend Gabirelle Heller whom he met around the same time as Erik back in an Israel hospital for Nazi survivors. Gaby was a catatonic patient whom Charles healed through telepathy AND THEN STARTED DATING. That is as creepy and amoral as it sounds. I'm so relieved that Charles finally owned up to that, admitting that he was guilty of taking advantage of Gaby at her weakest moment.

Being able to reconcile with that, Charles finally did something he has refused to do for so long, which is to forgive himself for being just another flawed man. See, Charles wants to believe he is always doing good because his intentions are noble most of the time but history has shown that he is just as capable of deception, secrets and detachment; inflicting indirect pain and stress on his own students which was why it makes sense that some of the X-Men have learned to trust him less lately, even Scott (Cyclops) who is more or less his surrogate son. This even soured once they found out he ran off with Magneto whom they all believed is dead. Heck, Charles even held a funeral even though they vehemently protested. It's no wonder Charles is on repression mode again, knowing he has sinned and failed his children but is far too stubborn to admit to it. He's just like Erik in that respect. Is it any wonder he wants to believe Erik can change because that means perhaps he too can repair his relationships with the ones he love? So after that reconciliation, he comes back to the present in Genosha with Erik tending to his daughter Wanda. HENCE BEGAN THE MOST HEARBREAKING 'BREAK-UP' BETWEEN THE TWO YET:

"Old patterns. Automatic responses.  This is the way it's always been between us."

NO. JUST NO. GODDAMN FUCKING NOPE, NOPE, NOPE! Also, Erik was reading The Once and Future King.

"Don't leave me, Charles!"

"I'd want to know if you're truly the man I thought you were all these years OR SIMPLY REPRESENTING THE FALSE HOPES OF MY YOUTH."

Why does this exchange remind me of this scene in X-Men: First Class otherwise known as a CRIME AGAINST THE HEART?:



LOOK AT THOSE MEN LOOKING AT EACH OTHER WITH THAT FORLORN EXPRESSION! If you're suddenly hearing the chorus to Adele's "Rolling the Deep" while reading this issue, particularly with the panels above, then don't worry, you're not alone. YOU ARE GOING INSANE AND I AM HERE TO HOLD YOUR HAND THROUGH THE MADNESS, and sing the song along with you.

I am frankly exhausted as I type this. I think I reached my Cherik quota for the day with this review. So I'm just going to leave you with this final page of issue #14 where Charles once again defends Erik by saying the cheesiest and heartwarming of justifications ever as Dr. Strange weighs in. This conversation would be even more awesome and painful if you imagine James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch having it. Go on. Try it. And yes, this volume (issues #11-14) have a perfect rating for me for very subjective reasons. I will not apologize for any of them!

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

X-Men: Excalibur III by Chris Claremont volume 2

Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) are long-time friends who only became political enemies because of ideological differences; the former seeks mutant equality and co-existence with the rest of humankind while the other unapologetically desires for mutant superiority above all else.

Professor X is an eternal optimist who is always willing to see the best in everyone while the Magneto is a child of the Holocaust who witnessed the worst imaginable case of oppressing minorities during the second World War. This makes their relationship a rather stressful one--a never-ending cycle of screw-ups and hurt feelings--where both parties try and try and try and fail and fail and fail to reach a compromise. When all is said and done, one thing  for certain remains, however: Prof X and Mags may be on opposing sides at all times but Charles and Erik can never give up on each other as friends.

If you're like me and a good quarter of the X-Men fandom, you think that they're totes and obviously head over heels in love and that's actually a very acceptable angle. Throughout the comics, their relationship has been delivered and interpreted in various ways but the most recurring theme of which is the fact that THEY KEEP COMING BACK TO EACH OTHER and that THEY HAVE IMMENSE DEPTH OF RESPECT, COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING FOR ONE ANOTHER'S FLAWS AND DREAMS.

 Xavier and Lehnsherr are simply destined to fight and make up, break each other's heart and then forgive each other in the end. AND I LOVE-HATE IT ALL THE SAME! Chris Claremont's third volume of Excalibur seems to operate with this level of crazy shippy angst and cheese. This second collection is comprised of two arcs, Food Fight (#5-7) and Saturday Night Fever (#8-10), which are baffling titles that don't fit any of their content at all.

Still, this volume was fun. I'm only reading this series because of all the amazing Cherik moments in between but the story arcs themselves are passable. There are some genuinely interesting and enjoyable issues herein. We get the introduction of Dark Beast and the tandem of Callisto and Karima the Omega Sentinel. We also get great flashbacks about Erik's questionable past and regrettable actions. The real kicker for this volume, however, is that it's a prequel to the events that are about to take place in the widely-acclaimed storyline House of M. In issues #8-10, we get to see Erik exposing himself as Magneto to the Avengers just to rescue his daughter Wanda (Scarlet Witch) when she went crazy and almost killed her comrades. At this point, the world believes Magneto is dead and Erik's decision to reveal himself to the heroes meant endangering the cause he and Charles eloped to Genosha for. So Charles is understandably really pissed about this but he had no other choice but to make the most of a terrible situation. BECAUSE THEIR LOVE CAN CONQUER ALL, DAMMIT! Don't you dare disagree!

Here be the blurbs for the second volume:

Issue #5 --> In which CHARLES IS TOPLESS AND WEARING MAGENTA PINK BOXER SHORTS and Callisto snogs him. Also the issue where Charles proclaims ERIK IS HIS SOULMATE NOW AND FOREVER AMEN

Issue #6 --> In which CHARLES IS TOPLESS AND WEARING MAGENTA PINK BOXER SHORTS and Erik disguises himself as Charles' cousin, Michael. Also the issue where Dark Beast is first introduced

Issue #7 --> In which CHARLES IS TOPLESS AND WEARING MAGENTA PINK BOXER SHORTS and no one would cover him up even while he's soaking under the rain. Also the issue where Cherik agree on the new terms of their second marriage

Issue #8 --> In which EVERYTHNG START TO FALL APART--Charles confesses that he still distrusts Erik while Erik went ahead and proved why Charles was actually right to do so

Issue #9 --> In which Charles and Erik remain separated and Erik tends to his daughter while Charles attends to his duties in Genosha

Issue #10 --> In which Charles discovers what Erik has done, risking the safety of Genosha along with it. Also the issue where Callisto and Karima kick so much ass

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

X-Men: Excalibur III by Chris Claremont issue #11

Previously in Excalibur III: After finding some solidarity among the select mutants in Genosha who are willing to lend some hand in repairing it, it looks like Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr are accomplishing their primary goal together. But after Charles leaves with Callisto to find more mutants to join their crusade, an upsetting news reaches Erik regarding the Avengers. His own daughter, the Scarlet Witch, is a member of that team, and Erik was forced to reveal himself as Magneto in order to save her especially when he discovered that she was the one responsible for almost killing her fellow Avengers.

After spiriting her away to Genosha, Erik knows he had committed a fatal mistake and a betrayal to what he promised to Charles. Magneto is considered a terrorist, and now that the other Avengers know that he lives when he was supposed to be dead, there is now no way of knowing when they'll hunt him down again and this could only mean that will be following him right into the haven he and Charles had created together only for a few days.

In the last issue, Erik finally decides to face the music and sends a message to fetch for Charles so he explain himself. His long-time best friend and husband of sorts arrives to their house (which Erik surrounded with a force field), and is shocked to learn what Erik has done. This is the first installment of the final story arc entitled The Devil's Own. There is only one Cherik scene for this issue but it would be something I plan on discussing in length later on. Before that, I want to talk about the other percentage that this issue covers which was actually an exciting mix of conflict in New York and Genosha.

The opening pages were set six months ago with Courtney Ross, the new White Queen, and her henchwoman Viper talking about schemes and whatnot. Later in the issue we see the fruition of those plans somehow with the new X-Men led by Angel. Their was a vicious attack and some fight scenes to be had and I could barely keep up because I know that this story might be in direct consequence of whatever is happening in the other titles (most probably in The Uncanny X-Men). Still, it was quite fun to read.

Meanwhile, Callisto, Shola and Karima started talking about Erik expressing some understandable concerns especially now that they are pretty much hiding the Scarlet Witch even if it's as reluctant allies. And then Dark Beast, now all bandaged up and healing nicely, joins the conversation and talks about how impressive and dangerous the Scarlet Witch's powers are, much more so than Magneto's.

He also manages to give this insightful nugget:

 

Yikes, what a frightening thought indeed. Afterwards, they received news through Broadband that an attack on the X-Men is taking place in New York. Callisto volunteers herself to help out and Shola and Karima also decided that they should assist her. Callisto didn't feel lie asking Charles' permission anyway since they're adults (and she probably didn't want to get between the marital disagreement happening inside the house anyway) so the three of them left Genosha to fight alongside the X-Men, employing the help of the teleporter Hub. This means that the kids are left to watch out after their neighborhood, with the librarian Book and Dark Beast as the only adult BUT DID I NOT MENTION HE IS 'DARK' BEAST? Are they really confident enough to trust him? Also, Unus the Untouchable is still waiting for the right opportunity to be an asshole and try to assert some control again. This should be worrisome but now that I think about it, I'm sure even Wicked and Freakshow can beat him up again. Can't he just die already? He's so useless and boring and I don't care much for him appearing in the issues.

Now let's talk about Charles and Erik.

In the final page of the previous issue, Erik reveals to Charles that he just went out to carry his daughter away, all the while wearing his Magneto uniform, all damnable helmet and sassy cape. Charles, understandably, freaks out a little bit, anxious of the possibility that the Avengers might track Erik down all the way to Genosha, risking the security and exposing everything which would ruin everything they worked for in the last few days. Here is the rest of their discussion about that:

 
TRANSLATION: "Fucking god, Erik! You always do this every time I don't keep an eye on you. You big queen. You and your rash decisions. And I always have to clean up after you. Is it even surprising why my students don't approve of my relationship with you? You can be truly toxic without making much of an effort of it, do you know that? Is this how it's going to be like from now on? I never should have eloped with you! And stop distracting me by stripping off your costume like that! It's not going to work this time!"
 

TRANSLATION: "Shut your face! You're the big queen! You may have been a teacher for two decades but you've never been a father. Sure, you had bastard children roaming around somewhere. And let's not even talk about Onslaught because that shit is just too hard to explain to anybody. But the bottom line is that you don't understand how much I feel responsible for another person aside from myself. I was supposed to be there for Wanda and I don't want to make the same mistake again and abandon her when she needs me the most!"

TRANSLATION: "ME? Not understand how to feel responsible for another person? Not being there for that person before when I was needed the most? Not wishing to abandon said person again in a time of crisis? Erik, I MARRIED YOU for those reasons, goddamn you! Also because you're such a bloody fool and I'm a sucker for damaged goods. Whether we want to or not, we're stuck together."
 

I thought the gesture of destroying the helmet in front of Charles was meaningful and Charles noticeably softened after witnessing that and hearing Erik admit to his failures as a father, and about needing a better legacy. Erik also taking off his costume while arguing with Charles was symbolic too. It meant that he was no longer guarding himself from Charles like before; that he has no need to be Magneto when facing his friend and partner. This was a rather heated conversation but they managed to smooth things down readily which was just nice. That last panel of Erik imploring Charles' help was so sweet and Charles, of course, will try again for Erik. He can never deny Erik of anything, really.

One moment they're screaming their hearts out, exchanging words of frustration and grief, and the next Erik is asking Charles if he's okay because he looks tired and Charles is agreeing to lend Erik with any help he requires for his current cavalry. Some things are just consistent with these two and the one thing that never fails to amuse, move and surprise me is how much patience and love they have for each other that even when they are ready to hate each other's guts and swear each other off, something gives and they eventually make up. I think they realize that neither of them is getting any younger and it'd be wasteful to dwell on their disappointments and wishful thinking about what their relationship is supposed to be about. What matters is that what they have now is always going to be messy, always going to be tested and challenged by other people and by themselves, but it's all going to be worth it because loving someone is supposed to be hard work. And they are old enough to know that there's nothing else in the world they'd rather be doing than fight and improve one another.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men: Excalibur III by Chris Claremont issue #10

Casting Fate was a pretty cool issue because much of the action dwelled a lot on the supporting characters and their troubles, particularly that of Callisto and Karima as they joined forces to see who or what had attacked Dark Beast and the Magistrates last issue while they were exploring underground, and trying to get to some weaponry and arsenal as requested by Charles and Erik. Dark Beast (Sir D-Beastie) is barely hanging in there which got everyone worried because who knows what creatures lurk underground that can overpower him. So Calllisto and Karima decided to check it out, most especially after Wicked got injured when she tried to see below by channelling a spirit.

This is the second issue where Charles and Erik remain separated which is already killing me so I was glad when we got to the end and Charles finally does come around their honeymoon suite house to check up on him. Anyway, back to Callisto and Karima first. Their scenes are the major focal point that this issue was about which was actually pretty cool and exciting to read about. I thought these ladies are impressive as a pair and they are more than competent when it comes to kicking ass. I was afraid for their lives, however, because for a while it looks as if they were being overpowered but both gals managed to pull through  by the eleventh hour and I have never been so relieved! I am enjoying Callisto's overall presence and participation in the story. She's daring, assertive and outspoken, if need be.

On the other hand, I want to read more about Karima's internal struggle regarding her humanity in a slippery slope because her being part-Sentinel may take over any time and there's a danger to that, considering she's working with mutants. I'm quite surprise that the others are able to trust her and it would really, really suck if he suddenly turns on them. I think that might happen for the sake of drama and character development and I'm alright with that.

Meanwhile, Shola is taking charge of facilitating order with the help of the youngsters. Hub is basically functioning as either a mode of transportation or a message courier; the latter role of which is forcibly given by Erik who is now in his Magneto costume. I'm surprised Hub didn't even recognize who he is or perhaps she's too young to know about Magneto. After she got some first aid for Wicked and Sir D-Beastie, Magneto also commanded her to pass a message to Charles the next time she sees him, and she obliged. Charles eventually does return to their neighbourhood, worried about leaving Callisto and Karima by themselves underground but he has no way of contact because his telepathy is blocked by the catacombs down there. So he opted to handle what he can which was to meet his husband in their house. Shola accompanies him, explaining that Erik pretty much surrounded the place with a  force field so none of them can come in. Charles knew that's not a good sign because when Erik shuts out outside contact, something is terribly amiss. Shola offered to try to penetrate through it but Charles simply asked him to leave so he can deal with his marital problems with Erik. Check out this panel:

 After Charles observes the fact that Erik just fixed their housing problems (some general maintenance like electricity, etc.), he can't help but wonder if whatever mess Erik got himself into would be up to Charles once more to help repair. "The man I left, I considered a friend." I do believe there's an upsetting degree of difficulty to stay friends with a man like Erik Lehnsherr so it's astounding how Charles can put up with any of his crap, particularly when you consider the atrocities he had committed in the name of mutant superiority. It's really shocking how either of them--especially Charles--can care about each other when one opposes the other's ideologies and goals. Their relationship seems to thrive on dysfunction, however. The more dire their circumstances, and the more helpless it may seem to form any discernible reconciliation, that's the moment Charles and Erik always manage to be there to offer comfort or support when it matters the most. These moments have happened throughout the comics. Now it's great that they remain this attached to one another, but it's also quite exhausting to stay friends with someone who is so much of an inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. And yet both of them allows this inconvenience--treasure it even--in the rarest of moments whenever it's in their reach because I think they're familiar enough with their history to know that there is no way of knowing when would be the next they'll lose each other again. They're doomed to repeat that cycle of screw-ups and hurt feelings.

Two issues ago, Charles expressed to Callisto that they must all be prepared in case Erik decided to switch sides and be the bad guy again and I thought that was rather depressing to think about your supposedly longest friend, but he does have a point. Erik did do something impulsive without weighing the effects this may have on Charles and their purpose in Genosha. The only difference now is I think Erik harmed their cause to save his daughter which is a noble gesture but it's still selfish and reckless. This was supposed to be their final reunion, a second honeymoon and a chance to make their marriage work. And I don't mean they're married in just the shippy sense; I also meant as partners and leaders of a brand new world--this is the very first time their politics have aligned and nothing should prevent them from becoming the ultimate power couple--except, of course, Erik's insistence to do things his way and his way alone. I think that's mainly their problem. The X-Men: First Class film did a fine job to illustrate the ways Erik tends to fail Charles. He claims to want Charles by his side but it's him who goes about things his way without even considering Charles' opinion about it. And that's not a partnership, let alone a marriage.

This is why I'm so hurt by Erik's decision for this series, even though it was for the sake of his daughter's safety. I think whatever Charles and Erik have--platonic, romantic, whatever--is fundamentally flawed because they cancel each other out. It's not just the mere fact of not wanting the same things (which I think is utter shite; time and time again we see that THEY NOT ONLY WANT THE SAME THINGS--THEY ALSO WANT THEM WITH EACH OTHER), it's the barrier of communication, their inherent stubbornness not to see things in the other person's perspective, and outside factors that are beyond their control, that make their relationship so doomed. *bites lower lip, fighting back tears*

There's always something coming between them

I'm going to be unloading more of my feels in next issue's review.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10