The latest story arc of X-Men, “Danger Room”, started off by separating the mighty mutants and placing them in literal death traps. X-Men #27 is dedicated to showcasing how this new Danger Room came to life, courtesy of the Beyond Corporation. It turns out that when you assemble four of the world’s deadliest minds, you can come up with plenty of ways to try and kill mutants. Maxine Danger, the head of Beyond, turns out to be more than willing to pick the worst of the worst when it comes to the X-Men.
The members of Danger’s, well, “Danger Room” consist of Charlene Jackson, an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with a penchant for causing mass casualties; Colton Colton, a Southerner with a taste for beer and stirring up chaos; and finally, Grigos and Marquez, a pair of soldiers who claim to be Skrulls left on Earth following the aftermath of Secret Invasion. It’s a heady mix of killers and psychopaths that show off Jed MacKay’s penchant for plumbing the depths of Marvel lore, and a new challenge to Cyclops’ team. If Scott Summers is the ultimate strategist, you need minds who are just as cunning, or even two steps ahead of him.
MacKay also approaches his script in a unique way. Each segment is split between past and present, showcasing how each member of the Danger Room got to where they are and what they bring to the table. It also highlights how scattered and vulnerable the X-Men are; Cyclops and his strike team are trapped in a living submarine full of weapons that want to kill them, while Glob Hermann clings to life after the events of the previous issue, and Psylocke goes on a solo mission. Netho Diaz also makes sure that each of the Danger Room’s operatives looks like the dangerous people they are, whether it’s the fact that Colton is trapped from head to toe in grenades or that Jackson constantly looks at everyone with a predator’s eye.
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Diaz also gives the X-Men some shining moments, using his art to convey emotion in lieu of dialogue. A key example comes when Magneto and the rest of the X-Men in Alaska discover Glob’s body. The Master of Magnetism is slumped over in his chair, his face covered by his helmet, yet conveying sorrow and rage – emotions he’s all too familiar with. Quentin Quire, on the other hand, is all rage; his body is literally crackling with psionic energy. Sean Parsons adds plenty of texture to the imagery with his inks, while Fer Sifuentes-Sijo delivers explosions of color that will sear themselves into the reader’s head.
The one issue is that the X-Men themselves take a back seat to their villains rather than sharing the spotlight. While this isn’t the first time that MacKay’s run has put the spotlight on the villains, 3K at least was set up beforehand and provides the perfect parallel to the mutant heroes. The Danger Room operatives haven’t had the same level of exposure, so it remains to be seen if they can match 3K in the department of being compelling villains.
X-Men #27 shifts the focus from its mutant heroes to a new group of villains, with mixed results. With Cyclops promising retribution, the next issue is primed to put this new Danger Room to the test.
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