Mutant pride and mutant community is the central focus of NYX, which has focused on Ms. Marvel, Wolverine, and in NYX #3, Anole. Not quite a team yet, the series has shown how each of them kind of need one, but will they find each other? With Anole taking center stage, the creators reveal a major X-Men community that has not yet been revealed.
NYX #3 opens with Anole headed to a remembrance of a mutant recently murdered. NYX characters Ms. Marvel, Wolverine, and Sophie are already there, along with mutant hate groupies Truthseekers. Soon two classic mutants appear, which connect this story to the Morlocks.
The Morlocks are an interesting group, especially in the post-Krakoa era. We see they live underground, hidden away, but they’ve brought the Krakoan look to their location. It’s neat to see nostalgic elements like this come back in a slightly new way.
Meanwhile, Anole wants to live and go about his day simply. Why must he assign himself as an X-Men or a Morlok at all? Writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly pluck at that notion and make a strong case nobody should hide or stand behind a label if they don’t want to. In a sense, the profound statements of Anole at one point make a case for a team book like NYX to exist.
How cool would it be to be able to travel this way?
Credit: Marvel
This issue juggles the characters well, with less of a specific focus than the last two issues. Instead, the characters have a reason to be together at the start and fight together when it matters. Anole starts the issue and definitely gets the most heroic moments, but there’s a better blend of characters this go around.
A reminder of why some mutants join superhero teams occurs when the Purifiers show up with some slick-looking costumes. Francesco Mortarino crafts the fight scene well, and the colors are great by Raúl Angulo. Wolverine looks super cool in this scene, cast in darkness with glowing eyes. She’s animalistic and wants to kill these bigots.
Readers should keep their eye on Sophie, who has an interesting scene between Ms. Marvel and her family. Ms. Marvel’s brother wants her to get back to class and away from the dangers of mutants. Sophie doesn’t take well to the notion and pushes back. Ms. Marvel and Sophie are like polar opposites on some scale.
NYX keeps making a strong case for a younger mutant team to exist apart from the main teams. They aren’t sanctioned with costumes and name badges but are trying to get by while also helping others.
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