Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Uncanny X-Periment # 95: "War and Peace"

Black Panther # 26-29, Magneto: Dark Seduction # 1-4

Storm has been summoned to Wakanda by the Black Panther’s State Department liaison Everett K. Ross. Her main reason for being there is to shake T’Challa out of whatever funk he has gotten himself into – crashing the Wakandian stock market, etc. As she pays a visit in the aftermath of “Maximum Security,” she and T’Challa come across a bizarre-looking female that everyone assumes is an alien leftover from the occupation. However, when they discover that the female has a very human (though telepathic) toddler, it’s determined that the child is actually from the underwater civilization Deviant Lemuria.

(I’m not going to go into detail about Lemuria, save that they are located on the southern end of the same underwater continent that Atlantis is on and that every Lemurian born looks different. The toddler, since she looks human, would face execution upon returning to Lemuria)

Knowing that the child would be killed if Lemuria took it, T’Challa defies Lemuria’s leader, Lord Ghaur. Ghaur threatens war. Meanwhile, T’Challa’s rival and foster brother the White Wolf brings back the villain known as Klaw. A US aircraft carrier, moving into the area, is then destroyed by Klaw. White Wolf manages to make it look like Wakanda attacked it.

Storm takes her leave of Black Panther, but not before warning him that he is heading down a bad path. The two kiss and he finds comfort with her. She then departs.

Black Panther then has a secret meeting with various other world powers – including Magneto, Namor, Dr. Doom, Lord Kro (from Lemuria), and Ross. Black Panther suspects that Ghaur’s interest and willingness to go to war over the child is a mask for something different. He sends Ross to Ghaur and Ross deduces that the child is really Ghaur and Ghaur is afraid losing face if the child were to live and/or be tested. Shortly after, though, Klaw shows up, knocks Ghaur out and mimics his voice to launch an attack on Wakanda.

Over the sunken city Lemuria, war breaks out between Wakanda, Atlantis and Lemuria. Namor and T’Challa try to figure out a resolution as Lemurian forces approach Wakanda. An air raid follows. Ross saves Ghaur, forcing him into a workable situation. Eventually, Namor takes the child and its mother to Atlantis. To the public, it’s said that the child and mother were killed during the attack on Wakanda. Doom then provides evidence that Wakanda did not attack the aircraft carrier. Oh, and Black Panther battles it out with Klaw and defeats him.

So, then, on Genosha, Magneto’s got trouble. There’s a war still going on between his forces and those of the town of Corrion Cove. As Scarlet Witch arrives as an UN observer, people switch sides, Quicksilver arrives Corrion Cove and discovers that some decades-old technology laid there that was used in the Mutate Bonding Process (probably from the Sugar Man, but it’s not outright said).

The situation is getting out of control as Magneto’s forces close in on Corrion Cove and the Avengers show up. Magneto and Polaris take on the Avengers (Polaris having been helping Magneto out of a jam with his powers) and eventually, Magneto uses Polaris’ powers to bring down and entire mountainside of homes. He then heads off to the hidden lab, knocks out Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (ending any chance of reconciliation) and after a brief battle with Polaris, uses the machines to gets his powers back up and running. The battle at Corrion Cove ends; he kills Fabian Cortez (YAY!); and kicks the Avengers off the island along with Quicksilver and Polaris. Oh, and the entire time, he’s having a conversation with someone via telepathy. Who? I don’t know.

Okay, so “Black Panther” is the superior story, although it’s not best to compare these two. There’s a quote from “Entertainment Weekly” that describes “Black Panther” as a “swashbuckling political thriller.” That sounds about right. The story is grand. It’s complex, but not overly so. Priest does a fantastic job of bringing some serious realism to the politics of the Marvel Universe. We get a great appearance by Storm, who is written very nicely by Priest. The story as a whole is just superb and it’s a real shame that this book was cancelled (though I do have the rest of run).

“Magneto: Dark Seduction” isn’t as good, but it’s enjoyable all the same. Nicieza returns for this story and it’s one of his better X-Men works. It’s a nice layered adventure, giving depth to Magneto and his peeps. It furthers the Quicksilver/Magneto/Scarlet Witch relationship. There are certain scenes where there’s a subtle feel that Magneto wants his kids to love him. Sorry pops. Roger Cruz’s line-work isn’t too bad, but the awful inking and coloring job just ruin it.

~W~

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