Wednesday's Finest: ‘Uncanny X-Force’ #9

By Don M. Ventura

Uncanny X-Force #9

Marvel Comics

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Month after month, Rick Remender has been telling an exciting and surprisingly thought-provoking comic book in Uncanny X-Force.  For someone who doesn’t read X-books religiously enough to be an expert (yes, I refrained from an easy pun), I grew up reading about Xavier’s kids and am gleefully surprised at how far into the history of the teams the writer has gone for inspiration.

In this issue, more than any previously, the artist is as much the story teller as Remender. The book is sparse with dialogue, allowing Billy Tan to help tell the haunting tale of men with demons.

In “High Art” Magneto has discovered the existence of X-Force, Wolverine’s covert team of mutants. This is a team that Magneto himself would have probably led a decade ago, but times have changed. Magneto stands beside Scott Summers these days and no longer seeks the blood of his enemies.

This book acts as a thematic companion piece to Paul Jenkins’ strong X-Men: Prelude to Schism, in which Scott Summers’ mentor Charles Xavier informs him that the torch has been passed from student to teacher. While Magneto has not shared a similar dialogue with Wolverine, a similar act is taking place.

Magneto sits in his chambers alone, his shoulders clearly burdened. Doctor Nemesis brings the former villain an envelope and Magneto can barely muster the strength to reveal its contents. I found this scene perhaps the strongest in the book. I interpreted this as Magneto struggling with what his heart tells him he must do. But he seeks out Logan’s help instead.

The X-Force team returns to their lair to discover Magneto waiting for them, in my favorite page—Magneto sits in the middle of the room with a helpless Deathlok (he’s made of lots of metal) struggling in mid-air behind the master of magnetism. “I attempted to eject him, but I am at a… disadvantage,” says the cyborg. While I can appreciate broad humor, I’m more a fan of deadpan.

Again, with a modicum of dialogue, Magneto requests that Logan execute the former Nazi. Logan clearly doesn’t understand his former enemy these days.

“Why can’t you do it?” asks Logan.

“Because I’m asking you to,” says Magneto.

The request begs the question: has Magneto become more humane after years of standing beside the X-Men? Well yes, sort of. But he is clearly guilty for the eventual execution that is now destined to take place. Magneto can rationalize his way out of his actions, but his hands are still as bloody as Logan’s. Just not literally.

Remender’s book has promised to face this team with the choices that Scott’s team aren’t willing to make and he continues doing so in this fantastic one-shot.

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