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Astonishing X-Men #8
And behold, my local comic store delivered into my hands Astonishing X-Men #8. Meaning I got my new Joss Whedon fix for the month.
Any issue wherein Logan actually praises Scott in a non-sarcastic way already has a plus point with me. *g* As usual, there was a lot I enjoyed, down to the little details like Special Agent Brand's arms being tattood with "Grace" and "Anna", and the revelation that a) S.W.O.R.D has Xavier's bugged, and b) they also have a mole among the inhabitants. Speaking of Agent Brand, seems the way she made her case in front of the committee last issue convinced them to let her stay in charge and greenlight, no pun about her hair intended, her "the end justifies all means" strategy.
The robot was presumably one of these Sentinels of X-Men history I've heard about but have not seen. (Except in Emma's simulation during her openening speech in the first issue.) Methinks the main point of its showing up, aside from giving the boys an opportunity to show off their fighting skills and do some manly bonding, was to refer to its master as "she". Otherwise we'd have assumed that the Danger Room gaining consciousness (if that's what it is) was male by default, I guess.
Theholodeck Danger Room amuck: should be ridiculous, but is not. The moment when it inhabits poor dead Wing is incredibly creepy, and now that I think of it, every single simulation someone programmed the Danger Room with except for Emma's scenario at the start of Whedon's run was slightly off-kilter, and we were told so. Remember? Hank programs it to show Hawaii and gets the entire group of islands instead of an idyllic landscape. The nursery scenario in which Emma told Logan and Hank off was referred to as a malfunction as well. And presumably safety precautions should have kicked in to prevent Eddie/Wing from committing suicide.
If it's the Danger Room as a conscious entity - perhaps from having absorbed to much psionic energy from all the years of mutants training in it - then it is also the entity communicating with Emma in issue 6, and again here. I'm maintaining my conviction that Emma isn't being in villainous league with it, though she probably has (had?) some morally ambiguous plans, and feel fortified by the way it taunts her about her relationship with Scott (and incidentally makes clear that knocking her out was not part of whatever agreement made before by saying "since for once you can't actually interrupt"). One can also contrast and compare what Emma's three Anya-esque young clones (that's what they are, right?) who can read her best said about her feelings for Scott (that she's horribly in love with him, complete with inappropriate sweaty thoughts about him during class) with what the entity presumes ("wanted to cement your standing in the group"). Presumably, the next issue will bring some clarification on the Emma/Danger Room association.
(There is also the chance of the entity in question not being the Danger Room at all but something else that has taken possession of it, in which case Emma is consciously lying. We'll see.)
Another question: who's the government mole within the school? Unfortunately, my guess is that it must be Hisako, simply because she and the now dead and zombie-fied Wing are the only two new characters given "screentime", as it were, and I hardly think any of the old characters work for Brand.
Any issue wherein Logan actually praises Scott in a non-sarcastic way already has a plus point with me. *g* As usual, there was a lot I enjoyed, down to the little details like Special Agent Brand's arms being tattood with "Grace" and "Anna", and the revelation that a) S.W.O.R.D has Xavier's bugged, and b) they also have a mole among the inhabitants. Speaking of Agent Brand, seems the way she made her case in front of the committee last issue convinced them to let her stay in charge and greenlight, no pun about her hair intended, her "the end justifies all means" strategy.
The robot was presumably one of these Sentinels of X-Men history I've heard about but have not seen. (Except in Emma's simulation during her openening speech in the first issue.) Methinks the main point of its showing up, aside from giving the boys an opportunity to show off their fighting skills and do some manly bonding, was to refer to its master as "she". Otherwise we'd have assumed that the Danger Room gaining consciousness (if that's what it is) was male by default, I guess.
The
If it's the Danger Room as a conscious entity - perhaps from having absorbed to much psionic energy from all the years of mutants training in it - then it is also the entity communicating with Emma in issue 6, and again here. I'm maintaining my conviction that Emma isn't being in villainous league with it, though she probably has (had?) some morally ambiguous plans, and feel fortified by the way it taunts her about her relationship with Scott (and incidentally makes clear that knocking her out was not part of whatever agreement made before by saying "since for once you can't actually interrupt"). One can also contrast and compare what Emma's three Anya-esque young clones (that's what they are, right?) who can read her best said about her feelings for Scott (that she's horribly in love with him, complete with inappropriate sweaty thoughts about him during class) with what the entity presumes ("wanted to cement your standing in the group"). Presumably, the next issue will bring some clarification on the Emma/Danger Room association.
(There is also the chance of the entity in question not being the Danger Room at all but something else that has taken possession of it, in which case Emma is consciously lying. We'll see.)
Another question: who's the government mole within the school? Unfortunately, my guess is that it must be Hisako, simply because she and the now dead and zombie-fied Wing are the only two new characters given "screentime", as it were, and I hardly think any of the old characters work for Brand.
no subject
The three blondes are the Stepford Cuckoos, there used to be five of them but one was killed in a riot and another died during Magneto's rampage in New York. They aren't Emma's clones but they are very important to her, they're probably her favourite students.
Thanks for the info!
Do we know their names?
No problem!
Do we know their names?
The living ones are called Celeste, Mindee and Phoebe.
Esme was killed by Magneto or Xorn or whoever the hell was responsible for the rampage in New York.
The other Cuckoo was called Sophie and didn't die during the riot at Xavier's like I thought, she actually overdosed on the drug Kick and her death was 'nudged' forward by Esme.
no subject
I don't know... there's also Blindfold. And I know it's a crazy choice, but Colossus. Who knows what they did to him during all those years in captivity, plus his musing on why the word "free" bothers him...
And I just can't believe that Joss would telegraph a thing like Emma being the villain like this. Not his style. I like your assessment about her having morally dubious plans, but not actually being the bad guy of this story. The only existing characters who've appeared under JW who I think would make that kind of remark about Scott are Wolverine, Nick Fury, the Stepford Cuckoos, and maybe Agent Brand.
no subject
Your Colossus theory is intriguing. And it's a true, a lot of conditioning and brainwashing could have been going on. Presumably they could have kept him alive for other purposes than just providing a test subject, especially since the Cure was finished by the time Kitty found him.
We're in agreement about Emma. Origin of remark: Wolverine would, but has yet to display any telepathy, Nick Fury wouldn't call Emma "Lamb" - plus I think Joss is going for a feminine voice here. So, my guess is that whoever Emma is talking to is female and identical with the master of the robot (Sentinel?).