Last issue was a big one. Emma Frost died and a bunch of the Gen X team were set adrift in the ocean after escaping Black Tom.
This story starts with that team still drifting…
…And trying to survive with the exposure to the sun and lack of water. It’s a cool way to remind us that they may have powers but these mutants are also quite fragile–like most humans.
And as always with this (terrific) series, there’s lots of time for character work.
Back at the mansion, Banshee puts Emma’s body in the morgue and tells Penance they have work to do–to find the missing kids and get vengeance on Banshee’s cousin, Black Tom, for killing Emma.
Cut scenes go to Emma Frost “dead” at the mansion, having a conversation with Nightmare, and, of course, being alive after all.
That makes Banshee happy.
What else make Banshee happy?
With Emma’s help, he is able to figure out where the kids are and heads off to save them.
And then we get the action promised on the cover of issue #26.
Jubilee unleashed against the government anti-mutant strike force First Strike.
Apparently, they are working for Bastion–who secretly watches Jubilee as she beats them all up. She ultimately fails in her escape, but during the attempt she refused to kill the First Strike members–which impressed Bastion.
He goes to work on Jubilee, using psychological tactics to try to get her to betray the X-Men–he starts by telling her Cyclops is dead.
Then he turns up the volume on the torture.
Remember, Jubilee is just a kid. This sequence shows the level of Bastion’s sadism–and the strength of her character.
She doesn’t fall for any of it.
Issue #28 feels like filler, but it’s fun. Glorian comes upon the kids, delirious at sea, and does a little wish fulfillment for them–sending them “home” to Los Angeles.
It’s a little (lot) of a deus ex machina resolution for their time as castaways, but overall these issues have a lot to offer.
We end them with most of the team in L.A., Banshee and Emma thinking they’re on Krakatoa, and Jubilee still in Bastion’s custody.
