The Dead X-Men’s mission parameters have drastically changed – again – in Dead X-Men #3. As the revived crew of iconic X-Men heroes hunt for the deranged Moira MacTaggert who escaped her reality in the first issue, they come face-to-face with an exciting new X-Men team. A very lore-heavy installment, Dead X-Men’s creative team of Steve Foxe, Bernard Chang, Javier Pina, Lynne Yoshii, David Baldeón, and Frank Martin manages to introduce some truly enjoyable exploits for the beleaguered heroes as they enter their final confrontation. Diverging dangerously from their Rise of the Powers of X mission, Dead X-Men #3 finds our heroes finally start gaining their footing as a team… right as the series is about to end.
Dead X-Men #3 sees Prodigy, Frenzy, Jubilee, Cannonball, and Dazzler turn their attention from seeking out information on how to defeat the Enigma Dominion to tracking down and putting a stop to cyborg Moira’s machinations before she reaches her 1st life. While still intimately connected to the plot of Rise of the Powers of X – mainly through their communication with Askani in No-Place X – this issue sees a major shift from their original mission as the Dead X-Men seek out a Moira variant themselves. Prodigy reveals that this new Moira is headed to Earth-616 Moira’s 1st life, which is where Xavier is heading, so while they are still closely tied together, their current mission has new parameters from the one set by Xavier and Rachel.
Marvel Comics
Past issues of Dead X-Men have felt more balanced between lore-heavy dialogue and incredible action, but this issue did feel like it relied too much on rehashing the “science” behind their new mission. Even Dazzler says, “Just saying all of this out loud is hurting my brain,” which is… honestly how I felt as well. I think this issue could have been served better by having a Hickman HoX/PoX style Data Page breaking down Moira’s past lives and where the Dead X-Men were traveling to, instead of having it explained in several pages of White Hot Room dialogue. That way, there could have been even more time spent in some of Moira’s more fascinating lives. That being said, Foxe is an incredible writer and captures not only the characters’ voices extremely well but also explains the complex mission they are going on as simply as anyone could.
The opening salve of Dead X-Men #3 sees the team entering Moira’s 9th life, where the villain wakes Apocalypse up early, murders Xavier and Magneto, and ascends to be ruler of Earth alongside En Sabah Nur as Mother Akkaba. The art in this opening scene was really fun, and the world is worth exploring more, especially since Apocalypse is now a changed man on Earth-616, so I wish they had stayed in this life longer. Similarly, little time is spent in Moira’s 6th life, arguably her most important life where she lived over 1,000 years and saw ascension through Dominion happen, another lifetime that would have been interesting to spend more time in.
Marvel Comics
One of the major highlights of this issue is the introduction of a new X-Men team, the defenders of Faraway, the Moon-based mutant society that Moira builds with Xavier in her 5th life. Moira’s fifth life is where the Dead X-Men’s final confrontation with Moira begins, meaning they could have this new X-Team by their side before they presumably make their way to her first life. Not only are the designs of the X-Men (particularly Cyclops) fresh and exciting, but the use of the long-dead Sway, and the reveal that Cyclops and Psylocke are married, are incredibly fun details that flesh out this unexplored world in just a short time. While it feels hard to believe that the Dead X-Men’s mission will be able to be wrapped up in the next and final issue, it will be fascinating to see how they engage with Xavier’s mission once they are all in Moira’s first life together.
I will pick up every issue of Dead X-Men, read it, and enjoy it, mainly because the diverse art throughout the series is so delightful and exciting. The decision to have the evocative Bernard Chang as the main artist for the series, with other incredibly talented artists depicting the various alternate worlds and lives was a brilliant one, that makes this series feel special and unique. Javier Pina, Lynne Yoshii, and David Baldeón’s contributions to this issue are gorgeous, and make the exploration of each of Moira’s life seem like truly new adventures each time.
Dead X-Men #3 is a beautiful and fun book that acts as a meaningful companion to Rise of the Powers of X while diverging into its own important plot to protect Xavier’s mission from behind the scenes. The series continues to feel slightly inaccessible to more casual readers – one would probably need an intimate knowledge of HoX/PoX and RoPoX to truly understand the details of their mission – but remains a powerful homage to the iconic nature of Hickman’s revolutionary reboot. An enjoyable issue overall, due to Foxe’s strong characterization, the varied art styles, and the introduction of an exciting new X-Men team, Dead X-Men #3 is worth checking out as the end of the Krakoan Age comes to a major climax.
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