Avengers vs X-Men #1
Story: Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman and Matt Fraction
Script: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: John Romita Jr.
Inks: Scott Hanna
Welcome aboard Marvel’s 2012 summer event which, as the title suggests, pits the Avengers against the X-Men.
What does the new reader need to know?
This is loaded with both X- and Avengers history.
The Scarlet Witch long ago uttered the words “No more mutants!” and used magick to remove the powers of the overwhelming majority of mutants: only 198 retained their powers. The event is referred to as DeciMation. The X-Men made an island they named Utopia, off the coast of San Francisco, their home and invited all remaining mutants to join them. Magneto, the X-Men’s arch-nemesis, joined them there and recognised Cyclops as his leader. The Scarlet Witch disappeared after the events of DeciMation and was recently found in Eastern Europe by the Young Avengers.
Hope is a red-headed mutant whose powers manifested at birth, the first such mutant to do so since DeciMation. Her emergence launched the events of the Messiah CompleX storyline. The X-Man Bishop, who came to our time from the future, recognised her as one who was going to cause the deaths of millions and bring about an era of persecution for mutants. The X-Man Cable (Cyclops’ son), who also came to our time from the future, recognised her as the Mutant Messiah who will save both humans and mutants. Cable kidnapped Hope and took her into the future, where he trained her and returned her to our time as a teenager. Bishop’s views and subsequent actions drove a wedge between him and the X-Men. A question mark remains as to whether or not Hope is the Mutant Messiah. She currently resides on Utopia with Cyclops’ X-Men. Cyclops and others hope that Hope will be able to reverse the actions of the Scarlet Witch so that new mutants can start to emerge again – there is a fear that with to few mutants existing they are on the brink of extinction.
Cyclops and Wolverine recently had a prolonged argument over the direction Cyclops was taking the X-Men in, resulting in a schism. Wolverine now leads a splinter team of X-Men based in the X-Mansion in New York State, including many of the youngest mutants whom they are training in the use of their powers. Wolverine is also a member of the Avengers. Beast, one of the original X-Men, is now a member of the Avengers.
The Phoenix is a cosmic avatar of psionic power that represents passion, life and creation and can me corrupted into the Dark Phoenix, which hungers for destruction. The Phoenix is one of the most feared entities – it has the power to destroy (prune) or grow universes, to burn away that which is deemed obsolete. It is unpredictable and immensely powerful and consequently feared. The first ‘host’ of the Phoenix force was Jean Grey, Cyclops’ long-since departed and possibly deceased red-headed wife, one of the original X-Men. The Phoenix Force appears to have a penchant for redheads.
Now that we’re all caught up …
Avengers vs X-Men #1 plot summary
Nova crashlands on Earth, barely conscious. The Avengers find him and tests show he recently survived an encounter with the Phoenix Force, which is headed to Earth. Captain America & Iron Man discuss how destructive a force it is and that it latches on to a host and uses it to destroy the environment. A computer alert goes off – Iron Man had set it to alert them if an energy signature similar to the Phoenix Force “flares up anywhere on the globe.”
Cyclops is training Hope to fight without using their powers. He’s rough on her. She rears up against him and a blast of psionic power emerges, knocking him off his feet. It’s accompanied by a Phoenix-like manifestation.
Captain America visits Wolverine at the X-Mansion School. He asks if he can rely on Wolverine and the school – Wolverine notes that he founded the school to keep the young mutants away from the fighting. Cap asks if he can rely on Wolverine personally – his reply is not depicted.
Cyclops ponders if the Phoenix Force as manifested by Hope might be the game-changer they need to restore mutants. He notes that as well as death and destruction the Phoenix Force always brings rebirth. He proposes training Hope, body and mind, to deal with the Phoenix Force. Emma Frost advises that it has to be Hope’s choice.
Captain America arrives on Utopia and tells Cyclops this isn’t a mutant problem and the Avengers need to take care of this, if Hope “is the Phoenix’s vessel.” Cyclops argues that Hope is a mutant and this is a mutant problem and that she might be mankind’s last, best hope of a rebirth. Cap says he’s too close to it and that Cyclops needs to trust him. Cyclops retorts that Cap is too far away from it – “as you always have been. Where were you for us? For the mutants? Except now when you need something.” Cap says if they want to have that discussion they can, fine, another day, but right now the Phoenix Force is headed for Earth and they have to figure a way to stop it. Cyclops tells Cap to “get the hell off my island.” Cap replies that he wasn’t asking. Cyclops fires an option blast at Cap, knocking him into the sea. Cap says “Avengers Assemble” and a huge airship appears with a large contingent of Avengers on deck.
Cyclops mentally tells Emma to get Hope and protect her at all costs, as Hope’s eyes flash with the Phoenix motif.
Comments
While it doesn’t help that the story is laden with so much history, the plot does a good job of focusing the argument on a specific point: the fate of Hope. However, what Captain America would do with Hope is unclear and that makes it hard to sympathise with him here. It’s almost as if he wants to take Hope into custody. He also fails to recognise that the X-Men are the Earth’s permier authorities on dealing with the Phoenix Force – better to offer to work with them than to be so combatative.
I thought this better than I expected. I do have concerns about a book the title of which boasts that it’s purpose is to pitch two famous teams against each other but the dialogue between Captain America and Cyclops was reassuring. John Romita Jr.’s art is no longer up to the job – the panel on which Captain America tells Cyclops “You do understand I wasn’t asking.” has him look drowsy instead of focused.
There are moments when the writing is typical Bendis super-hero fare, such as Namor’s aside to Magneto that “The gauntlet has been thrown. He is going to force Rogers’ hand.” – it’s unnecessary and a trite distraction. If we lifted that panel out of the issue the plot would flow just as smoothly. It’s careless over-writing.
This summer blockbuster story has five writers covering eight issues. The jury is out as to how that will play out – will they equal more than the sum of their parts, or less?
It’s an intriguing start.
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