Tag: Cerebra

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #9 (1994)

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #9 (1994)

carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, fans of the 2099 universe of Marvel Comics, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the X-Men 2099 comic book series by focusing on its ninth issue. Since issue , the connection between the mutants of 2099 with the original team founded by Charles Xavier was vague. Sure, Xi’an made verbal references to Charles Xavier and Magneto but there was nothing concrete with regards to his team adapting the team name of the classic X-Men.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men 2099 (1994), published by Marvel Comics in 1993 with a story written by John Francis Moore and drawn by Ron Lim.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins shortly after the X-Men left the town. Without Eddie/Metalhead (who chose to be left behind), Xi’an and his team arrive at a facility in the middle of nowhere. It turns out, they have been following the coordinates in relation to Krystalin’s assignment to investigate and Xi’an determined there was something odd about her voice during their last communication.

Krystalin suddenly appears to her teammates with Victor Ten Eagles right behind her. Victor was a companion of Xi’an’s during their days together with the group referred to as the Lawless. While the two former Lawless members talk, Skullfire, Shakti and Meanstreak notice there is something very odd with Krystalin. Xi’an notices something is definitely wrong and he remembers that when the Lawless disbanded, he and Ten Eagle never parted on friendly terms.

Suddenly, a very old Asian man appears in front of them floating in the air. He reveals his name as Zhao and he refers to them as his X-Men…

Quality

X-Men 2099’s leader Xi’an in trouble. This page reveals some threads from his past and the concept that Saigon in Vietnam hosted the 2016 Olympics.

Starting with the storytelling, the script was clearly written with a lot of confidence on the part of John Francis Moore as he expands further the lore of America of 2099 through the team of mutants. For one thing, it uses its own version of Marvel Comics universe history (note: one possible history since 2099 was one possible future of the Marvel universe) to establish the link between Charles Xavier’s original X-Men with the mutants of 2099 complete with what happened in between. While I won’t spoil what exactly happened, I can assure all of you reading this that something very intriguing happened and Zhao is not just a mere 2099 character. I also liked the concept about the sad state of mutants in the far future and why extremists emerge claiming to be their hope and tell them to join the movement without hesitation. The pacing of the story was smooth and there was sufficient build-up with the X-Men history that led to a nice payoff when the big revelation was made.

As the art on the cover symbolizes, there is something really wrong with the X-Men 2099 leader. In the previous issues, there were signs of Xi’an getting haunted by his past with the Lawless and this comic book marks a significant change in his portrayal. He also tried to be strong as team leader even though he kept some really undesirable secrets away from them. All of that build-up paid off well here. Clearly, this was one of John Francis Moore’s strongest scripts on the X-Men of 2099.

When it comes to spectacle, there is some superhero action here visualized in both the present-day story and the historical flashbacks. Artist Ron Lim paced the flow of the images properly and was creative with the way he framed what happened.

Conclusion

The X-Men and Zhao.

X-Men 2099 (1994) has a great story concept which successfully and clearly establishes the connection between the original X-Men of Xavier with Xi’an’s X-Men. At the same time, this comic book starts a new chapter in the life of the 2099 mutants’ leader whose dark and painful past keeps disturbing him deeply. At the time of its release, the X-Men of far future were portrayed to be nomadic trying to survive and search for other mutants. This makes them distinct from the mainstream X-Men of the time and ironically they become similar with Freex of the Ultraverse.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men 2099 (1994), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $30 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $90.

Overall, X-Men 2099 (1994) is highly recommended!

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #7 (1994)

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #7 (1994)

carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, fans of the 2099 universe of Marvel Comics, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the X-Men 2099 comic book series by focusing on the seventh issue. If there is anything that makes the series of Marvel’s futuristic mutants distinct from other Marvel 2099 monthly series, it is the fact that it shows more of wasteland of America which easily reminds me of the Mad Max movies.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men 2099 , published by Marvel Comics in 1994 with a story written by John Francis Moore and drawn by Ron Lim.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins in the middle of an abandoned town with the X-Men in battle with the Freakshow. Xi’an fights their leader Breakdown while his teammates struggle with the other members of the Freakshow. Already infected by one of the Freakshow members, Eddie is suffering severe pain even in his metallic form.

The fight suddenly ends when an old lady fires a blast with her rifle. It turns out she is Breakdown’s superior and she is precisely whom the X-Men have been searching for…

Quality

In the heat of battle.

As one of the early stories showing the X-Men of 2099 exploring the American wasteland, this is a well-written piece of work by John Francis Moore which is expected. While it has the usual superhero elements of spectacle and special moves, discovery and exposition are easily the most obvious elements of the story. What I like most about this comic book is that it reveals more of the history about the mutants’ struggle to survive not only with the harshness of the wilderness but also with dealing with rejection from the people who are not mutants (which symbolizes prejudice). This also reveals that the mutants are still searching for a fabled place called Avalon which could be a better destination for all mutants to live in.

As the narrative about the past gets emphasized, the creative team added some elements of emotion and concern on the X-Men visually. This makes a lot of sense since the mutants are clearly searching for purpose and trying to make the most out of their current situation in the hope of having a brighter future. This is similar to the original X-Men and yet X-Men 2099 has its distinct style and concept about mutant survival.

Conclusion

At an abandoned old town that has government secret facilities.

X-Men 2099 (1994) is indeed a good comic book to read. As the X-Men of the far future encounter more people in the wasteland, the discoveries they get impacts them and their efforts to survive. As discovery and exposition are strong elements in the story, the comic book is definitely not your typical good-versus-evil superhero story. The strong writing by John Francis Moore and his approach on expanding the world of 2099 America to the readers really made this comic book a solid read.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men 2099 (1994), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $30 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $90.

Overall, X-Men 2099 (1994) is recommended!

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com