Continuing on from the pages of ‘X-Men’ #6 we are now into the 8th installment out of 10 for the overzealous X-Men crossover, ‘Battle of the Atom’. Last issue we ended with the mansion in ruins, the bad future X-Men having captured most of the younger All-New X-Men, and a combination of Scott’s team with the future X-Men about to break in and hopefully save the day.
This issue sees the plot rapidly moving forward in some areas though not as quickly as I would like with only 2 issues in this event being left. Even if I didn’t already have a few spoilers I would right now have a sneaky suspicion some of how this ends up is going to be an ongoing issue for our mutant friends. Not that Marvel would ever have one crossover event lead into another plot, right?
We quickly see that Psylocke from the last issue was actually Raze (Wolverine and Mystique’s shape shifting son) who knocked out Jubilee and her son. As they know an attack is imminent, Xavier goes up and, using Krakoa, takes out the X-Men! Well, kind of. He really just delays the inevitable while Future Deadpool is brutally killed by Magik and the Phoenix Powered Quentin Quire takes out the Ice Man Monster, who, in turn, almost killed herself but manages to escape at the last moment.
Knowing their time is up, Future Beast tries to send the original X-Men back in time and it fails. At first he questions the functionality of the time machine but as they are able to send someone else back in time, he wonders why can’t the original X-Men go back? What does that mean for this event? What does it mean for the timeline?
We won’t know until probably the last issue, but what we do know is that Future Jean and Beast now have a new threat to contend with: Cyclops and his two teams of mutants have shown up. It’s going to be interesting to see Scott pitted against a different Jean once again. Also, I’m curious if this Jean ended up with Beast relationship wise as they are shown together and on the same team. It could prove to be interesting to see this ex-lover’s quarrel (if this Jean in fact ever did end up with her own Scott.)
I loved all of the small hints of the future they planted in this issue. Obviously time and events in the Marvel Universe can easily be altered. None of what was said could come to pass or a year down the line we might get one of those “Oh yeah!” moments and remember this event.
I’m torn on this event now. With some of the spoilers of upcoming plots from solicitations and the New York Comic-Con we know how part of it pans out. What anyone whose read the spoilers know might make you question why this is happening in the first place. I’m honestly interested to see how this ends up.
UNCANNY X-MEN #13
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Chris Bachalo
