Lucifer Gets Demoted

Dominus turns out to be both a machine and a disappointment. The X-Men fly to Lucifer’s new secret lair to discover that his race has spent a decade plotting to enslave mankind. Just so we know they’re serious this time, they have a huge machine and many giant robots. Issue 21 is basically a retelling of the Sentinels story with a villain that already sort of looks like Magneto.

Have a seat, Charles.

This is it. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. We’re finally going to hear the story of how Professor Charles Xavier was paralyzed. One of the most powerful, most respected, and most beloved characters in the Marvel universe was robbed of his ability to walk before we ever met him. We know from Issue 9 that Lucifer was responsible. Now we get to see how…

Untouched and Unmoved

Issue 20 bring the return of three X-Men villains. First, Unus and the Blob, dressed as X-Men, are robbing a bank. I really enjoyed Unus in this issue, far more than I did in his first appearance. He ditched the lame outfit, and he and the Blob make an interesting duo. They have a plan to discredit the X-Men by committing crimes in their name. They’re even sure to smoke while doing so, which makes the X-Men look really unhealthy. It may be a simple plan, but this will probably hurt the X-Men a lot more than Magneto did trashing their home in the last two issues. After the nightmare of Bolivar Trask and the Sentinels, the X-Men have a chance to gain some of the public trust. Will the opportunity slip through their fingers?

Xavier is out for Revenge/Meet the Avengers

Two really big things happen in issue #9. First, the X-Men are going to meet (and fight) The Avengers for the very first time. The teenagers get to play with the big boys. Meanwhile, Professor X is going to have a showdown with Lucifer. Who is Lucifer? I have no idea. I only know that he is the person who broke Professor Charles Xavier’s back. That alone is enough to make him a legend in the Marvel universe, and he should appreciate that because he really doesn’t have much else going for him.