Ever since Jed MacKay started writing X-Men, he’s been setting up big things for Cyclops’ team of heroes. Whether it’s the malevolent machinations of 3K, the back and forth with O*N*E or the Age of Revelation, MacKay has been planting seeds. X-Men #25 is when those seeds bear fruit. Fully in control of his body after his future self hijacked it, Scott Summers has a new mission: prevent the future he saw from coming to pass. His first test? Battling the mutant supremacists known as Fenris. Little does Scott know, there’s another enemy waiting in the wings.
Nearly everything MacKay’s set up in the past 24 issues comes into play in X-Men #25. O*N*E returns, with a leader who has a dogmatic view of mutantkind’s place in the world – and a history with the X-Men. The Age of Revelation continues to bear fruit, particularly as it might hold the key to saving Magneto from death’s door. Finally, a backup story, “Inside Joke”, brings Beast face-to-face with 3K’s Chairman. MacKay ensures these moments flow smoothly, so the reader won’t be overwhelmed by a mountain of plot if this is their first issue.
There’s also the artwork by Tony Daniel, which once again delivers some incredible fight sequences that shows just how powerful Cyclops’ team is. When the Juggernaut charges at a truck, it literally disintegrates when he hits it. Equally impressive is a full page spread of Psylocke and Magik using their respective blades to carve through Fenris’ forces, especially when Fer Sifuentes-Sijo’s colors light the page in waves of bright purple and fiery orange. In fact, nearly every member of the X-Men gets a chance to shine under Daniel’s pencils.
Marvel
X-Men #25 also features some incredible artwork from Agustin Alessio, who’s mostly done cover work for Marvel including Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers run and Thor: God of Thunder. Alessio’s attention to detail is stunning; not only does he draw every patch of fur on Beast’s body, but the muscles that are rippling underneath the brainy X-Man’s blue pelt. The same goes for newly minted X-Man Jen Starkley – her wings are a sight to behold, as are the golden hue of her eyes. I wouldn’t be opposed to Alessio doing more interiors, or even joining MacKay for a full arc.
Where X-Men #25 really succeeds is in giving the X-Men an uphill battle to fight. Fenris has drawn in new followers due to its new creed: they only want white mutants, and the rest be damned. It’s a cause that many men seem willing to sign up for, which feels all too familiar given current events. I do appreciate that Cyclops and the other X-Men call it out for the Nazi nonsense it is. Even more difficult is the fight against O*N*E, which raises the question: how do you fight an enemy who’s willing to co-opt your cause for their own ends, or claim they share the same goals that you do?
X-Men #25 brings two years’ worth of plot points to fruition, as Cyclops and his team launch a battle to save the future. Here’s to the next 25 issues, and here’s hoping MacKay and co. keep up the good work with the mighty mutants.
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