It’s an all-out alien war at the Haven Parochial High School in Uncanny X-Men #32, and the Outliers have to do what they can to contain the violence. A war between the Brood and an unknown alien species is taking place; Rogue is on her way, and Nightcrawler is trying to get some intel. It’s the big climax to the “Mars Needs Mutants” storyline, which contains a fair share of surprises.
Uncanny X-Men 32 opens with Rogue flying as fast as she can back to Haven House in a pretty four-panel montage showcasing different locations. The scene adds a bit of immediacy to her rush before we dive into Nightcrawler’s situation on an alien saucer. It’s here we learn the aliens have cameras on his girlfriend, which means extreme violence is in store!
From there, writer Gail Simone continues to elevate the Outliers through their actions, like Ransom going into leader mode and Deathdream making the best of the chaotic football-field fight. The Brood dug themselves out from the field and are on the take. Meanwhile, Wolverine and Jubilee are still in the school, Gambit goes full dragon mode, and all these subplots build towards fast-acting heroes.
Some of these aliens get shot up good.
Credit: Marvel
Fans of new mutant Mutina get a good dose of her powers and plenty of her attitude, and when you pair her last-ditch aid for the X-Men with Deathdream’s monstrous power move, it’s an epic climax to say the least. The point is made that these mutants don’t need adult supervision anymore. The only weakness in the big climactic actions of these mutants is the two aliens exiting the story via a caption. A page of the saucers flying away, or Brood on the run, could have made their exit a little more fluid.
The final four pages essentially wrap up the Outliers as, well, the Outliers. It’s an emotional scene, with tears and pep talks. I won’t spoil it, but it’s nice to see a bit of an evolution for the Outliers, complete with new costumes, before shoving off on the next story arc next issue.
Art by Roge Antonio, Jim Towe, and Federica Mancin gets the job done, with exceptional designs and sequential storytelling. Matthew Wilson’s colors are super bright and pop where needed.
Ultimately, there isn’t enough room to let the action do the talking, even with a killer alien saucer turned War of the Worlds walker design. Mutina, for instance, fights multiple Brood, but that’s reduced to a small panel, or when Gambit goes dragon-mode, we see him flying at a saucer, then touching one, but not what happens next. The number of Brood seems to get lost in the shuffle as well, with many being seen early on, but in the last few pages of the battle, only a couple here and there.
Uncanny X-Men #32 closes out “Mars Needs Mutants” with heart, high stakes, and meaningful growth for the Outliers. Gail Simone ensures the team’s newest members earn their place through courage and leadership, while the emotional final pages set an exciting course for what’s next. The climactic battle doesn’t always capitalize on its biggest moments, though, with several action beats rushing past before they can fully land. Even so, this is a rewarding finale that leaves the series in a strong position heading into its next chapter.
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