The Sentinels Wreak Havok

Getting back to the X-Men and their impending doom, issues 58 and 59 are going to up the ante. There are more villains, more heroes, more danger, and more action than anything we’ve seen up to this point. It’s an epic story with high stakes, resulting in both triumph and tragedy. There will be secrets revealed and plots set in motion, as the events of these issues will shape a large part of the X-Men universe in the decades that follow. Get ready for the mutant genocide, finally put into motion by a revengeful, grieving son. Trask Industries is back online.

The Mutant Brawl

At long last, Factor Three is coming to an end. The saga that began way back in issue 28 now reaches its epic conclusion in issue 39. This group has kidnapped Charles Xavier, enslaved Banshee, invaded the X-Mansion, fought Spiderman, put the X-Men on trial, and even toyed with the Juggernaut. Now it’s do or die, as two teams of powerful mutants will collide on one battlefield. All the while, the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. Cyclops and Iceman are under attack from the US military, trying to stop a nuclear launch. Beast, Marvel Girl, and Angel are imprisoned in Moscow, accused of a failed assassination attempt on several communist leaders. The Blob is in the cell with them, unconscious. The Mutant Master watches calmly, convinced of his success.

X-Men on Trial

At last, the X-Men have a solid lead on Factor Three. This secret organization, its members and its plan, will be unmasked. With so many villains that could be holding a grudge against the X-Men, who will we see? We’re certain to see some new faces as well. Whoever they are, they’re planning on holding the X-Men on trial for crimes against the mutant race. Issue 37 is one of the most exciting I’ve read in a while.

A Stranger Walks Among Us

The first appearances just keep on rolling. Issue 11 brings us the Stranger. He’s some old man who can walk on air and through walls and do who knows what else. And this time they don’t find him by watching TV. So far the villains we’ve seen have been a mixed bag, and I didn’t expect much out of this guy. I was pleasantly surprised.

So Long, Bros!

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants meets its end (for the first time) in issue 11. It’s a pretty pivotal issue for this time period. The Brotherhood is, of course, reformed and defeated again and again over the years, but this was their first disillusion. So, the next time someone asks you how they met their first defeat, you can tell them that:

1. First of all, Mastermind gets turned into a block of solid ‘matter’, whatever that means.

Magneto gets his own club.

He didn’t want to be in your silly little club of do-gooders anyway. Seriously. And just to show you Professor X, he’s going to start his own club. They’re called the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Only they’re not so much a brotherhood as much as they are a bunch of bickering brats and they’re not as much evil as they are either enslaved or just desperate to be friends with the angry eyed guy in the cool helmet.