Big moves and confrontations are the game’s name in X-Men #26, but many will be reading to see how this plays into the wedding of Emma Frost and Tony Stark. It may not be what it seems, but what is in the Fall of X era. From Kate Pryde going full killer ninja to Emma Frost pretending to be Tony Stark’s assistant as a cover, nothing is as it seems. That is until you read X-Men #26, filled with plot-progressing moments.
This issue does some heavy lifting to establish what is going on in New York as power shifts quite clearly. It starts with Kingpin, who is not happy his love Typhoid Mary has been sent away, and it’s through his power that mutants may stand a chance. Finding out how he gains power plays out in the opening, which leads directly into Tony Stark’s next move to protect Firestar. Most mutants assume she is a betrayer of mutants, but as we saw in Hellfire Gala, that was a ruse by Jean Grey to give mutants an inside source.
Tell that to Kate Pryde, who spends a portion of this issue showing off she’s the most dangerous mutant alive. Gerry Duggan and artists Jim Towe & Javier Pina continue to show how invincible and gruesome Kate is. She cuts through a few more Orchis soldiers in this issue with some gory results. Frankly, her scenes beg for a solo miniseries, but I’m sure most fans will take what they can get. These scenes lead to new information for her as well as a potential return to heroics for Firestar.
Let’s go!
Credit: Marvel
Meanwhile, the nuptials are in order as Emma Frost forces Tony to propose. I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers, but Duggan cleverly puts Tony in a situation where it’s the only thing that makes sense. It’s also a good scene as it shows Emma is willing to take action and not hide anymore as her patience has worn thin.
Aside from these scenes, Ms. Marvel gets a moment in a short scene. This scene helps remind us mutants are shunned and hated in regular society. It also highlights Ms. Marvel’s heroics and how her hands are tied. This scene highlights a gripe I have with this issue involving plotting and pace. The book is kind of all over the place, setting up Kingpin only to abandon that for a brief scene with Tony, then Kate, then Ms. Marvel. It’s popping around without a singular A-Plot in sight. It makes a chunk of this issue feel like a lot of table setting.
Kate Pryde steals the show in X-Men #26 as she continues to show she’s the most dangerous mutant alive. With nothing that can stop her and Firestar in her sights, it’s going to be exciting to see who her next target is going forward.
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