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
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