If you’ve been following the X-Termination event that was spawned in the pages of Uncanny X-Force and has spanned across the pages of ‘Astonishing X-men’, ‘Age of Apocalypse’, and ‘X-Treme X-Men’ you’ve been waiting for this issue to come out. It all comes together here ladies and gentlemen. The build up that has been coming since Wolverine brought a Nightcrawler to our world from the Age of Apocalypse Universe.

With the ending of the series happening you may wonder if such an ambitious crossover event could have properly ended. Well my answer for that is going to be both yes and no. We’ll get to that though.

First let’s cover what actually happens in this issue shall we?

Once again we’re teased about a goodbye between Wolverine and Jean and once again are denied seeing it happen. Jean has taken the Apocalypse power and is successfully fighting off the invading hordes. She’s strong enough to be able to keep her humanity through and knows it’s only a matter of time before they are able to wear her down.

Prophet knows this too and is forcing all of the Astonishing X-Men and X-Treme X-Men to take part. His world is over and as they say the captain is going to go down with the ship. Only that’s not the case. Jean knocks him out and insists that they take him with them.

As Nightcrawler brings them through the portal one at a time Dark Beasts jumps into one of the bamfs and forces himself to the 616 world.

The portal between 616 and AOA is still open though. It looks as if the anchors keeping it open are stuck in our side and Nightcrawler makes the ultimate sacrifice pulling them through with him. Giving his life so that the 616 Universe and the rest of reality can live. After being one of the main causes of this event he predictably sacrifices himself to save everyone. He dies a hero and Wolverine is once more without his elf.

Jean is left behind in a world where all of the enemies are now trapped in. While the world is still flush with mutants the Age of Apocalypse is now fully cut off from the 616 continuity (until they find a way to retcon this and bring it back in a few years and explain that she either won or they weaponized her power and were able to beat back the invasion.)

After the event we don’t get too much of the shake down of what is going to happen now. Dark Beast is captured. Wolverine offers Dazzler a spot at his school that she says she’ll consider. Prophet is now on our world giving us a new William Stryker. This Stryker has never been anti-mutant though and I’m curious as to what role he may end up taking in the 616 Universe.

Overall the series brought a good end to the X-Treme X-Men book and a lackluster end to the Age of Apocalypse book. While the X-Treme X-Men will filter back into their normal roles we only have a few surviving members from the worn-torn alternate reality. We also don’t know how they fit into the Marvel Universe and I’m not overly sure how much I truly care with how they ended this one.

From such a collection of great books I feel that this ending was a bit of a let down, lacked the quality art that each series had, and felt far too rushed.

Writer: David Lapham
Artist: David Lopez Lopez