Ultimate X-Men #62 discussion and spoilers

[DIrishB]

Few months? :sure:

It was said he's co-writer. Never was it said "temporary" co-writer.... :?

Oh I thought I read he was only staying on for the first arc or so. Well thats even better news then, maybe he'll even stay on after Singer's run is up. Oh man, Vaughn NEEDS to stay on Ultimate X-men.

 

[E]

Very good issue. Great story progression.

Loved the electromagnetic device - much better than the earlier speculation that Magneto was controlling Polaris's powers. Perfect appearance by Forge, and the Mystique appearance was well done too.

Is this the first we've seen of Cannonball? I don't remember.

I wonder if this little team Havoc has put together will do anything in the future. He certainly doens't seem loyal to Emma's school.

Also (and I think someone pointed this out when the preview came out) Emma's outburst was very interesting in light of the complaints about her being too dissimilar to her 616 counterpart.

Good, solid writing...very mediocre art.

 

[Ice]

Loved the electromagnetic device - much better than the earlier speculation that Magneto was controlling Polaris's powers. Perfect appearance by Forge, and the Mystique appearance was well done too.

Yes. Once again, Vaughan tricked us with his awesome writing. Though the Magneto controlling still sounds cool.

Is this the first we've seen of Cannonball? I don't remember.

*Slaps self*
Cant believe I forgot about him. This is the first time. Never seen/heard him being mentioned before.

 

[DIrishB]

yeah this is the first time Ultimate Cannonball has shown up, also the first time Ultimate Doug Ramsey has shown up. We've seen Northstar and Sunspot before though, both in the Tempest arc.

 

[Shihad]

I think that they only THINK he's a human. I mean, they really wouldn't think that his power is a mutant one, and probably that he's just an uber smart guy. Same for Doug.

Think about it. Would anyone really think that would be a mutant power just like that?

Well look at forges "mutant power" he has the ability to make anything, ok i wouldn't consider that a "mutant power" just him being real smart

 

[DIrishB]

Well look at forges "mutant power" he has the ability to make anything, ok i wouldn't consider that a "mutant power" just him being real smart

gotta disagree, I WOULD consider it a mutant power...its just their mutant gene unlocked the ability to construct highly advanced machinery/technology extremely quickly (something it would take even the most intelligent human engineers/scientists much longer to do). Maybe their mutant power IS being real smart, especially in a mechanical sense as it is with Forge. Instead of producing optic blasts from their eyes or an advanced healing factor, that portion of their brain which controls mechanical stuff is highly advanced. After all, Beast was a mutant and what was his mutant power? Being really smart...ok he was also more agile, faster, and stronger than your average human, but what he's mainly known for is his intelligence.

 

[Lynx]

Overall, damn fine issue. For some reason, this has been my least favorite of the Ultimate line after Ultimates, Crossover in UFF and now Warriors in USM (I just wasn't very impressed with the Shock and Awe arc), but I REALLY like where this is going now. The only problem I have is the MASSIVE amount of characters we have now. I mean, we have the X-men, the Hellions, the Brotherhood AND the Ultimates all in one book!? Vaughan is the man to do it, but still. . .To be honest, I'd love to see an Ultimate Hellions comic, but who knows in what state the team will be in at the end of this arc. Art isn't bad, but I'm not an Immonen fan. It'll be nice once McNiven is on board. Nice to finally have Mystique there too! Overall, 4/5.

PS Anyone catch the part where Iceman calls Havok Scott's "kid brother"? In this universe, isn't Alex OLDER then Scott? :?

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I just realized that Longshot has the old mullet. It made me happy.

I wouldn't describe it as a mullet, more like just unkept. I don't see any business upfront, only party.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

This issue was everything I could have hoped it to be. I think that Vaughan should give a mandatory seminar on how to write great comic book characters and how not to delay your book every other f***ing issue.

Every character seemed to get better in this issue, except perhaps Alex. How is it that a group of kids taught by a pacifist have the initial thought to break Lorna out? Instead of trying to find a peaceful means of obtaining her freedom? Also, Alex is awfully confident that his rag tag group will succeed, considering none of these kids are trained in combat. They don't even have that many heavy hitters. They've got Havok, Cannonball, and Sunspot. All of them are pretty much limited to a making a frontal assault on the triskellion. However powerful they may be the triskellion is designed to secure the most powerful beings on the planet and that includes securing them against prison breaks. They're definitely in the running for dumbest characters in the Ultimate Universe.

I totally see Magneto brainwashing Lorna into become his disciple. He's intelligent enough and she's impressionable enough. It's seems like the reason Magneto would want her in the cell with him, because when his men come to break him out he's going to need her help. I have waiting for forge's return for a while now. I always pictured that in his return he would be working for some black ops group or for the brotherhood. I am so glad that Mystique has made her official appearance in UXM. Now we'll wait and see what else there is to learn about her, especially her relationship with the cat Mystique. I'll be pissed if it's written off as the cat was just named after her. I personally liked the idea that Mystique was working for Xavier, but I'm sure Vaughan will do a great job with Mystique whatever her back story.

I loved seeing the more violent side of Longshot. He is infinitely cooler than his 616 counterpart. I doubt anybody noticed, but Mystique the cat was sitting on Xavier's lap while he's talking to Emma. This is probably isn't going to affect anything, but I thought considering mystique appearance in the issue that it bore pointing out. The security camera being so close to Magneto's cell seemed to unrealistic. All electronics uses metal and therefore could not be placed that close to his cell. I was kind of surprised that Jean didn't know about Scott having dated Lorna. Not that it's important, but I would have thought that it would be hard to hide things like that from a girlfriend, yet alone a psychic.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

If anyone is gonna get sucked in by Magneto it's definitely Havok. After Havok's spiel about "they're only humans in costumes" you definitely see what his attitude towards the war between mutants and humans are. As for them not being ready enough for the Trisk? Well I think the initial plan is The brotherhood attacking the Trisk first so when The Hellions get there they're going to unexpectedly be aiding The Brotherhood. I agree they are being irrational but I think Havok's a brilliant character. I know you find it odd that he's working against Emma's teachings but Vaughn's doing a great job realisticly characterizing him. Alex joined Emma for what reasons? He's not so much of a bad guy that he's willing to kill innocent lives so that leaves out the brotherhood (unless the brotherhood could help him *See this arc*), He wouldn't join Xavier because he didn't want to be near his brother, he was willing to stay with Emma because of Lorna. Then again, it could be Alex would've been willing to join the brotherhood to begin with if not for Lorna's pov. Lorna, just because she's stuck in a cell with Magneto might not be easily recruited we'll see how it all goes down. Anyway his totally unreasonable behavior and attitude to butt heads and start fights he can't win all in the name of Love and possibly a hero complex he has seems pretty damn fitting for the character. Anyway you have it, It's all deadly

I really hope now that Mystique's been shown that the cat means nothing to Mystique's character other than a tribute from Xavier. But I'm gonna find it pretty interesting when we see Emma and Mystique all in one setting with Proffesor X himself. Could get ugly.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I would have thought that Havok would be the one to join Magneto if it weren't for his Hitler comment. That and I think that Magneto would be interested in such a hot headed impulsive mutant. Magneto definitely has plans for Lorna. I think that the idea of another magneticly powered mutant would hold special appeal to Magneto. That or if Magneto knows something about Lorna's parentage that no one else knows about. Perhaps revealed by having him make comments about her mother...

 

[Fuzzy Birds]

Has anyone considered the possibility that that wasn't Mystique? I mean, we never definitively see her, and her name wasn't highlighted or capitalised at the end. Could it be a red herring? Just another shape shifter?

I know I'm pulling at strings here, it's just I really wanted Mystique to have something to do with the cat. It's pretty obvious from the diamond pattern and from her almost hidden appearence outside Kitty's house that Millar intended more for that cat than just being named after Charlie's old flame. I really loved the way that the cat could often be seen skulking around the background, and I think it would have been a fantastic reveal if there was more to her than meets the eye.

Although I am more than happy with way Vaughn is handling things, I kinda wish he could have played with the cat idea a little more.

Anyway, all that said, I thought the issue was great, and I have a feeling this arc is gonna be up there as one of the best in the series (thanks in no small part to Immonen's lovely pencils). The re-emergence of Forge is appreciated, making Ramsey a human is an interesting twist, and Emma's accidental freak out at Alex could certainly be expanded upon in the future. All this and Longshot too!

 

[E]

The security camera being so close to Magneto's cell seemed to unrealistic. All electronics uses metal and therefore could not be placed that close to his cell.

SHIELD has some pretty amazing tech available; I'd bet they have figured out a way to use a non-metal camera.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

Has anyone considered the possibility that that wasn't Mystique? I mean, we never definitively see her, and her name wasn't highlighted or capitalised at the end. Could it be a red herring? Just another shape shifter?

I know I'm pulling at strings here, it's just I really wanted Mystique to have something to do with the cat. It's pretty obvious from the diamond pattern and from her almost hidden appearence outside Kitty's house that Millar intended more for that cat than just being named after Charlie's old flame. I really loved the way that the cat could often be seen skulking around the background, and I think it would have been a fantastic reveal if there was more to her than meets the eye.

Although I am more than happy with way Vaughn is handling things, I kinda wish he could have played with the cat idea a little more.

You are pulling strings but you're making sense too. I don't know maybe the cat is somehow involved seeing how, as you pointed out, it was outside of Kitty's and such but even if that's so Mystique was definitely on that last page. There's no question about it. Then again what if Xavier uses the cat as his eyes and it's not that he named some random cat after his girlfriend. Maybe it was the fact that the cat had a diamond shape on it's head, which some cat's coincidently do have, that Xavier decided to name it mystique. Still now that Mystique was shown working for the brotherhood and even if it could work that she's somehow working for Xavier, I'd much rather her be one sided and working for Magneto only. Not SHIELD and Not Xavier just as one of the greater X-Villains.

 

[Hi-Fi]

You are pulling strings but you're making sense too. I don't know maybe the cat is somehow involved seeing how, as you pointed out, it was outside of Kitty's and such but even if that's so Mystique was definitely on that last page. There's no question about it. Then again what if Xavier uses the cat as his eyes and it's not that he named some random cat after his girlfriend. Maybe it was the fact that the cat had a diamond shape on it's head, which some cat's coincidently do have, that Xavier decided to name it mystique. Still now that Mystique was shown working for the brotherhood and even if it could work that she's somehow working for Xavier, I'd much rather her be one sided and working for Magneto only. Not SHIELD and Not Xavier just as one of the greater X-Villains.

Let's not forget about the strange butterfly that surrounded Xavier every time he talked with Magneto in the park, during the mind wiping. Dou you guys remember about it?

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

Let's not forget about the strange butterfly that surrounded Xavier every time he talked with Magneto in the park, during the mind wiping. Dou you guys remember about it?

I pointed that out in earlier discussions. If it was Mystique and she was working for the brotherhood. Then why not rescue him then and there?

 

[Fuzzy Birds]

I pointed that out in earlier discussions. If it was Mystique and she was working for the brotherhood. Then why not rescue him then and there?

'Cos Charlie boy would probably have brain zapped her.

 

[shadyd1224]

if she is able to turn into small animals isnt that a huge upgrade to her powers, and who knows if it ends there?

 

[Bass]

Now that issue was a lot of fun.

I love Immonen and Vaughan. They're doing a good job together on this.

I also am looking forward to seeing how Longshot's presence in the Triskelion plays out.

Mystique had a great entrance too.

Also, Havok is cool. He intimidates people into following him. Bendis wrote him as a whiney Peter Parker :sick: Vaughan writes him with balls. I can't wait to see him and Cyclops throw down.

And Colossus is mighty pissed off with Xavier isn't he? I'm really looking forward to that little conflict reaching boiling point...

Lots of things going on in this title. It's impressive how it juggles all these characters together.

One problem I had - I wish Immonen had redone the designs for a lot of these characters. Doug Ramsey, Cannonball, and Havok ALL are blue-eyed caucasian blondes. Immonen does try to give them different features, hair styles and body languages, and does it well, but I wish someone had said to someone, "Hey, there sure are a lot of Aryan mutants in this comic." "Hey, why don't we make one of them fat? Or bald? Or have glasses? Or black? Or female?" Slight, gripe.

There's your 0.1 'wrongness' MWOF.

 

[Goodwill]

You bring up a good point... Where's the diversity? I don't get why we can't change more characters races around. I like Fury as a Samuel L. kinda guy. I know that Marvel was considering making Ultimate Thing a black guy, which would have been cool, could we be more daring and have more characters changed like that? I saw a problem with Cannonball and Havok looking so similar.