Friday, February 07, 2014

Uncanny X-Periment # 171: The Apocalypse Solution



Uncanny X-Force # 1-4

Angel and Wolverine have formed a new X-Force squad, consisting of the two of them, Fantomex, Deadpool, and Psylocke.  They run it out of an almost X-Men museum called Cavern X.  The team receives word from Deadpool that’s he’s discovered a new (clone) of Ship in Egypt, containing a possibly reborn Apocalypse.  The team rushes in, fights a newly-minted War, and the other new/old Horsemen (the Final Horsemen, created in the past to take over in the event that others have failed).  They discover that Apocalypse has been reborn, his essence gathered into a newly created body.   As race to the Moon (where Ship has teleported), Angel deals with the Archangel side of himself, as well as the Horsemen.  They defeat the Horsemen and then find Apocalypse . . . and discover he’s just a kid.  A kid in bedroom, playing toys and with movie posters on his walls.   A kid who barely has a clue that’s he’s Apocalypse.  Psylocke insists they can take him in and train him; Logan agrees.  Warren doesn’t, and as Archangel, prepares to kill him.  But just at the last second, he realized he can’t.  Fantomex steps up and shoots the kid in the head.  X-Force heads home in silence.

This was pretty good.  I loved seeing Psylocke play such a large role in this story, as she has been on the back-burner for a loooong time.  I liked the decision to continue X-Force in secret.  Warren’s struggles, the insight into the working mind of Fantomex and Wolverine’s leadership are all very well done.  Deadpool, meh, isn’t at his best here.  There’s not a lot of humor to him and really just comes off as annoying.

The scene where Apocalypse killed is so well executed (no pun intended).   There was so much build-up and so much tension, and just when you thought it was going to end well . . . it doesn’t.  The reactions from all team members just speaks volumes about this event.  This whole arc was just . . . whew . . . it wasn’t the X-Men, that’s for sure.  But that’s the point.

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