The Quiet Council is divided beyond repair, and the gentle giant Colossus is scheming at the heart of it all. In a largely political issue focusing on the new state of the Quiet Council, Kieron Gillen and Lucas Werneck take Immortal X-Men and the Krakoan government beyond the point of no return. All it takes is some political grandstanding and a clever act of betrayal.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Immortal X-Men #12!
Colossus has been under Mikhail Rasputin’s control since X-Force #24, and the consequences are finally coming to a head. Colossus has wormed his way onto the Quiet Council, and his careful maneuvering has scored him two proxy votes. Now, with Shaw on his side, he manages a perfect play that appears to have earned Selene a seat on the Council.
The rest of the Council does their best to fight back. Destiny calls out Shaw as an agent of Orchis, but she’s quickly rebuffed by a mental scan from Rasputin-IV. Kate Pryde plays to Colossus’ morals, only to find that she’s talking to a steel wall. Even Storm arrives, only to lose her chance to stop Colossus when he calls an end to the meeting.
Away from the Council, the Sinister-possessed mutants desperately try to get into the meeting. Unfortunately for them, Rasputin is there to stop them. She’s dedicated to her mission, even if she still hasn’t gotten much one-on-one focus.
Things might have gone better, of course, if Mother Righteous wasn’t playing them all like fiddles. Ever since the Sins of Sinister event, she has had the power to manipulate the Council. She uses it to turn them against each other. When Mystique confronts Destiny, she even manages to turn a lovely and emotional scene into a horror show.
Marvel Comics
Destiny and Mystique discover that their love is not what they once thought, but that isn’t the end of their relationship. They reconcile with each other with ease. It’s a genuinely touching moment that provides new depth to their relationship. It might have ended that way too, except that Mother Righteous forces Mystique to butcher her own lover. The page is completely wordless, giving Mystique the space necessary to process the abject horror.
A horrified Mystique immediately moves to resurrect Destiny, only to find that her love has lost her vote, thanks to her potentially implanted Sinister gene. It’s a tragic scene, made better by Werneck’s careful touches. Destiny’s blood is still covering Mystique’s dress — a sign that marks Mystique’s shock and the progression of time brilliantly. Werneck’s improvement throughout Immortal X-Men has been apparent, but here, he absolutely shines.
Colossus’ play is completed as the issue comes to a close. Krakoa intends to reveal everything from Sins of Sinister to the world. For anyone wondering how the Fall of X happens, Immortal X-Men #12 explains it. The world is going to have no reason to trust Krakoa after this.
Going into this issue, there was some reason for concern. Many Immortal X-Men readers may not be aware of Colossus’ pre-existing plot in X-Force. Trying to culminate Colossus’ arc in a completely different book with a new audience was a risk. Luckily, it pays off.
The data pages were a highlight in this one. The first data page does a great job of explaining Colossus’ situation — even if the identity of the narrator is somewhat confusing. The second one, however, is a masterpiece. It answers all of Colossus’ inner monologues and paints a horrifically tragic tone for the entire issue.
Everyone’s emotions are well depicted in Immortal X-Men #12. Kate Pryde, Colossus, Storm, Mystique, and Destiny all have interesting arcs that lay their development bare to the world. The Quiet Council is at its lowest point, and that can be felt in every page.
Marvel Comics
The only element of Immortal X-Men #12 that feels somewhat forced is the fight between Rasputin and Hope. Even then, Mother Righteous is the one causing it. Between the presence of Colossus’ Chronicler, Sinister’s genes, and Mother Righteous’ scheming, the overarching theme of the issue seems to be control. Everyone on the Council has been fighting with outside forces for control, and it’s a good method of exploration.
It should be noted, however, that Colossus’ possession has been somewhat inconsistent. At times, when he breaks free, he remembers nothing. Here, he is manipulating the situation and seems to understand exactly what’s happening to him. It’s confusing, even if it does read well here.
Additionally, it’s worth questioning if this theme is necessary here. The Quiet Council has enough pieces to take it down from the inside. The entire point of Immortal X-Men is that half of the Council is constantly scheming. They don’t really need the help of outsiders to fall apart. Does Mother Righteous really need to push things as she has and does the Chronicler even need to bother?
The Quiet Council has been flawed from the beginning of Immortal X-Men. It doesn’t need all of these contradicting outside maneuvers to take it down. It might be more satisfying to have seen Shaw and Destiny fighting without Mother Righteous pointlessly playing on Rasputin.
Either way, Immortal X-Men #12 is a high point for the run. The issue has betrayal, romance, scheming, and attention to an arc that has been building for over a year. The art pops and adds emotion to every scene, though Werneck still has a few absent background issues. All the same, the panels are expertly lain out, and the story excels at every point.
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