With a team (and I use that word very loosely here) consisting of Storm, Psylocke, Puck, Fantomex, and Cluster you’d think there would be a huge interest in what’s going on. Mix in them being on a black ops mission for Wolverine and throw in Bishop, Spiral (Psylocke’s #1 most hated enemy) and a girl who can control people’s minds and surely you’ve got a recipe for success.

The problem with this Uncanny X-force comic is that we’re four issues in and the team isn’t a team at all. You also can’t decide in a couple instances who will be good or bad and the way they are dragging it out it’s hard to stay invested in actually caring.

At any rate, Puck was looking for a drug dealer and Wolverine sent Storm and Pyslocke to help him. We find out the drug dealer is actually a mutant who can control people’s minds that are being guarded by Spiral. Bishop shows up to take the girl and we end up with Fantomex and Cluster trying to save Psylocke from an attack by their other clone. That brings us up to date.

First I’m going to just mention that while Fantomex and Cluster are on the cover and are only shown extremely briefly in the comic before their other clones shows up. There isn’t any real action here and it’s just kind of left off. I just wanted to mention it before I forgot it existed (because seriously it wasn’t in the issue long enough to really matter even though they were the ones profiled on the cover).

While in Bishop’s mind, Pyslocke learns that he is being controlled by another psychic entity. Unfortunately she’s dragged out of his mind and back into an all out fight between our heroes and Bishop.

Spiral had teleported her mind controlling friend away and realized the only way to keep her safe was to jump back into the battle. She jumps back right as Puck knocks Bishop out cold. Good for her? Not so much as the second Bishop is knocked out whatever was controlling his mind takes over Spiral’s friend and ports her away.

Psylocke demands justice for all of the past crimes committed against her by Spiral. Spiral, one of the most sadistic villains she’s gone up against falls to her knees crying and says to just end her. Without the young mutant she’s been protecting life has no meaning. As Psylocke is tempted to do that Storm stops her reminding her that she’s a better woman then that.

The issue closes on this young mutant, clearly being controlled by someone else, ordering a drink. As the bartender questions her age he and everyone int he room is suddenly under this creature’s control as it mentions it’s been dying for a drink for thousands of years. The last picture shown of her REALLY reminded me of The Shadow King. He mentions being gone for 4000 years so I suppose this is him having escaped from wherever Captain Britain locked him up far in the future (where Bishop was) and having transported back to modern times? I’m reaching here but that’s my guess as to what we may see play out next issue. It’d be kind of fitting to see him return in a team that had both Storm and Psylocke on it.

We’ve been given a ton of questions and not enough answers quite yet. Hopefully with Bishop captured we’ll finally start to see the bigger picture (and see a reason for them to actually all start working together.) Either that or we’re just going to continue wondering why we’re still picking up a book about a team that’s not even a team yet.

Writer: Samuel Ryan Humphries
Artist: Ron Garney