To date the X-Treme X-Men series has been very similar to the Exiles series. It’s a group of mutants that have been traveling between alternate realities and timelines with a common goal. Currently we have both Dazzler and Sage from the 616 Universe, an alternate version of Wolverine (who goes by James Howlett) and Hercules who are in love. Also there is an alternate and younger version of Kurt Waggoner, the disembodied head of an alternate timeline Xavier, and a very alternate version of Cyclops. Their goal? To travel the timelines and kill ‘evil’ Xaviers who will somehow form together to destroy all of space time as we know it. Yup. Evil Xaviers who range from Cthulhu brood infested versions to a Nazi Xavier.

The concept is strange though it’s been an interesting run. As the X-Treme X-Men are going to tie into the ‘X-Termination’ crossover that will also include the ‘Age of Apocalypse’ series and ‘Astonishing X-men’ that is just around the corner I know anyone wanting to follow the crossover is going to want to know all of the players.

In this issue we find our X-Treme X-Men on a world that had been dominated by a Nazi styled Xavier. He took over the world in a World War 2 era and followed that up by killing all of the ‘evil’ rulers out there and put everyone under his control. Things were going great (in his world view) until he found that Atlantis was getting ready for a play on taking over the world. He launched a preemptive attack and killed everyone but a half Japanese and half Atlantean Namor.

The art through this entire series has been good but the level of detail in this issue as the X-Treme X-Men were fighting both Xavier AND Namor was outstanding. They finally knock Namor down just long enough for Dazzler to kill this world’s Xavier (8/9 down so far.) The only problem is while they are celebrating (with a little lip locking between Dazzler and Cyclops) they realize Xavier had mentioned 9 had been killed. Dazzler realizes this and as they go to see why Xavier had made such a great mistake they find it is because the last Xavier they thought they had killed was really hiding in their Xavier’s psyche.

He had reanimated the evil Nazi Xavier they had just finished dispatching and had joined all three of the greatest psychic that had ever existed and the worst case scenario was happening right before them – on the last panel of the issue.

Next month I have a feeling we’re going to see them save the day here and start the official lead in to the ‘X-Termination’ event. So if you are looking for everything related to the event that’s going to give you a rough catch up on what’s happening opening the next issue.

I love the alternate timelines they’ve been showing of the Marvel Universe. If you can’t get enough of seeing a variety of views of how our heroes could have ended up this is a series I highly suggest picking up the collected trade of when it’s available.

Writer: Greg Pak
Cover Artist: Kalman Andrasofszky