In the grand tradition of Marauders, Hellions, Excalibur, and X-Men Red, Dark X-Men #1 is the latest new book from Marvel’s X-Office to twist old titles and team names into something new since the dawn of Krakoa. Steve Foxe, Jonas Scharf, Nelson Dániel, Frank Martin, VC’s Clayton Cowles, and Jordan D. White comprise the creative team behind the issue, delivering the blood and pulp that this cast and particular title demand. The fate of mutantkind is uncertain, and perhaps the least likely team of outcasts are just what’s needed to save the day.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Dark X-Men #1!
Madelyne Pryor has had quite the journey in the age of mutant sovereignty. From Hellions to New Mutants and Dark Web, the Goblin Queen has risen from obscurity and destitution onto the throne of Limbo and into leading her own squad of infernal X-Men. Madelyne’s story in Dark X-Men #1 follows her formation of the team, and Havok plays co-lead in a back-up story depicting Alex Summers’ initial adjustment to life in the Limbo embassy.
Marvel promised shock and spilt blood, and if Archangel getting snikt-stabbed through the gut didn’t shake you, Havok getting his throat perforated surely will. Alex’s fatal wound seems to be the fruition of Madelyne’s dream of Death offering her the choice between her royal Soulscythe and the headpiece to Havok’s costume. If grander powers really are trying to force Maddie apart from her man or her crown, they had best be prepared for her wrath, since the Goblin Queen openly admits “I’ll wage war against anyone if I think it’s just.”
Speaking of war, Carmen Cruz, the teen mutant codenamed Gimmick, finds herself at the center of a miniature war zone in the climax of Dark X-Men #1’s A-plot. Gambit, Archangel, and Maggot’s attempt at rescuing Carmen from Orchis is unintentionally co-opted by Maddie and Alex’s fledgling squad of murderous misfits. As fun as it is to see Madelyne in the field, employing Zero, Emplate, and Azazel on this mission leads to mixed results: Gimmick is rescued and Orchis no longer has access to Albert the android Wolverine, but it comes at the cost of Warren’s captivity and a seemingly fatal strike on Havok. Greater struggles lie in wait though, as it seems Orchis has their very own doppelgänger of Madelyne Pryor.
Credits: Marvel Comics
The back half of the issue is dedicated to the B-story, which gives us insight into Alex Summers’ week immediately after the events of Dark Web. Though he ended that crossover story appearing confident in his desires to be at Madelyne’s side and lead an alt-X-Men team, reality proved things to be a bit less certain. While we as audiences can thrill at the cameos from She-Hulk, Chasm, or Belasco, Havok is left with the very real stress of diving into something that feels very out of his depth. Nice to know he has a nice stab wound in the immediate future to look forward to.
Across the board, the art of Dark X-Men #1 is a treat. Scharf brings weight and dynamism to the action. Dániel’s final panel of Havok perfectly verges on the line between adorable, comedic, and unsettling. Connecting both stories with a consistency in coloring, Martin does so handily as well as rendering Azazel’s bamfs so beautifully that you almost forget that the character is an absolute piece of garbage.
Although both of the plots are good stories, the placement of the backup leaves the primary story feeling cut short. It would have served the issue better for Havok’s hellish first week to form an extended prologue before the credits. As is, the cold open feels awkwardly split off from the rest of the following scene. It’s unfortunate, but hopefully issue #2 will flourish from the main plot having ample page space.
Dark X-Men #1 is a lovely introduction and an appreciated flashback about the goings on at the Limbo embassy. Jean Grey is dead, and now Madelyne Pryor is stepping up as the new X-Men’s heart… of darkness. Blood, demons, and drama are here because when the going gets dark, it seems the X-Men will get even darker.
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