The Super Powered Fancast

X-Men Blue #16

Marvel Comics

Written by Cullen Bunn

Art by Thony Silas

Colors by Rain Beredo

Letters by VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cross Time Capers Part 1

At the X-Mansion in Madripoor, Magneto sits in his office reading a book when he is suddenly overcome with something that causes him great pain. At the same time, Cyclops and Bloodstorm have a moment to reflect on being linked to others psychically and not feeling like you have a moment of privacy in your own head. Bobby is watching the coverage from the Mojo network and trying to determine what to do about Mojo’s presence on Earth when a news report about the anniversary of the first confrontation between the Brotherhood and the X-Men. The results of which are vastly different than the established timeline.

In the Danger Room, Polaris is pushing Wolverine’s son, Jimmy Hudson to his limits to try and train him to not hold back when she suddenly vanishes, causing Jimmy and Angel to go looking for Jean. For her part, Jean is having a tough talk with Hank about her relationships to the team when Jean has a sudden attack that sends her searching for Magneto. As she and Hank reach the office, Magneto tells her that he wished he had more time to prepare them, but he needs her to read his mind. When she does, she discovers that Magneto has been communicating with someone and that the X-Men’s presence in this timeline has a price.

As the team discovers one of Magneto’s secrets hidden beneath their feet, they discover that they need to go back in time and stop whoever is altering time and reality itself. As the team makes their way through time, they see events that shaped the people they will become and they end up in a place that is both familiar and completely foreign to these time displaced heroes.

This issue served as an interesting beginning to a new story arc and a trip to the past for fans of the characters. I liked the fact that Bunn is addressing the repercussions of the original X-Men being in the present and what their presence might mean for reality itself. The story is effective in adding to the connective tissue that is the X-Men timeline and I would love to see what happens next for these characters. Silas’s artwork is great. I particularly liked the camera angles used in many of the panels as they gave some dramatic weight to the narrative.