279: Messiah Complex
- Matt Campbell
- Aug 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 8
What’s Covered?
X-Men Messiah Complex # 1, Uncanny X-Men #492 -493, X-Factor Vol. 3 #25 - 27, New X-Men Vol. 2 #44 -46, X-Men Vol. 2 #205 - 207
Roster Watch
Synopsis
X‑Men: Messiah Complex #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Marc Silvestri
Xavier has sensed the birth of the first mutant baby since M-Day. Their investigation leads to the aftermath of a brutal battle between the Purifiers and the Marauders—where in gruesome fashion all the young children were massacred, except one. Mister Sinister now possesses the newborn. Meanwhile, Predator X is introduced, stalking mutantkind.This issue sets the tone: the stakes are existential, with Celestial-level mutants, shameful betrayal, and urgent command struggles. Xavier’s leadership versus Cyclops’s tactical priority emerges immediately.
Uncanny X‑Men #492
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Billy Tan
Cyclops and Xavier argue over leadership with Cyclops saying he is going to continue leading and doesn't want Xavier to get in his way. Meanwhile a strike team composed of Angel, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus clashes with the Acolytes.
Scott brings in Jamie Madrox and Rictor, with Layla joining to support the plan. Scott suggests taht they put their squabbling behind them. Rictor is sent undercover to infiltrate the Purifiers, while Jamie and Layla are going to see Forge.
X‑Factor (vol. 3) #25
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Rictor fakes shooting Wolfsbane to gain favor with the Purifiers, while X‑Factor tracks down Amelia Voght to find other Acolyte leads. The New Mutants (Academy X) push to help, but Cyclops isn't ready to deploy them.
Jamie and Layla visit Forge and find out that the plan is to send two of Jamie's dupes into the future...the only two alternative future's where mutants still exist. The plan is to learn what's happened and then die so that Jamie Prime can learn what happens. Jamie sends the dupes into the future ...but Layla hops into one too!
New X‑Men (vol. 2) #44
Writer: Christopher Yost
Pencils: Craig Kyle, Humberto Ramos
Nori lashes out at Professor X, blaming his absence for their friends’ deaths. The New X‑Men squad (Surge, Anole, Rockslide, Pixie, Dust, Elixir, X‑23, Armor, etc.) learn of Purifier involvement and sneak out against Professor X’s wishes. Elixir, Dust, and David think it's a bad idea, so they stay home. A confrontation ignites between the team and the Purifiers; Julian gets wounded by Lady Deathstrike and the Reavers.
Dupe Jamie and Layla’s future witness mutants locked in camps, all while Predator X continues its lethal rampage.
X‑Men (vol. 2) #205
Writer: Mike Carey
Pencils: Chris Bachalo
Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, and Angel assault Sinister’s forces. Storm defeats Scrambler and Vertigo; NC teleports Exodus out; Pixie almost teleports New Mutants out with Rictor’s help. Wolverine confronts Gambit—and stabs him; then Karima detonates him, nearly killing him.
Meanwhile, Sinister doesn’t have the Messiah child—the baby is with Cable. Sentinels activate and attack Cyclops.
Uncanny X‑Men #493
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Billy Tan
The strike team limps home; Nightcrawler's hurt the worst.
Back at the Mansion, Cyclops, Beast, Bishop, Emma, Iceman, and others battle Sentinels piloted by techno‑organic slaves.
Laura (X‑23) leaps from the jet to assist.
Telepaths are incapacitated. Cyclops suspects Cable’s involvement and orders Wolverine to gather a new X‑Force.There’s a sense of desperation and betryal—team fractures, rides undetermined trust, and ominous orders to escalate.
X‑Factor (vol. 3) #26
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Jamie and Layla learn mutant camps were created due to actions by mutants themselves. Cyclops and Xavier clash again, and Xavier is ordered to stand down. Lady Deathstrike corners Cable and they fight.
Wolverine’s X‑Force operates in a hospital chasing clues—and internal distrust emerges, particularly between Wolverine and Warpath.
New X‑Men (vol. 2) #45
Writer: Christopher Yost
Pencils: Craig Kyle, Humberto Ramos
X‑Force rescues Cable from Lady Deathstrike and the Reavers. Wolverine steps aside so Laura can engage Deathstrike on his behalf. Emma admits that she assigned Surge as team leader because she’ll protect her squad fiercely—even against Emma herself.
Beast helps heal Julian.
A new strike team is created, consisting of Cyke, Storm, Guido, Siryn, Monet, Colossus, Iceman, Cannonball, and Angel. Meanwhile, Caliban sacrifices himself to save Warpath and is killed by a Reaver.
X‑Men (vol. 2) #206
Writer: Mike Carey
Pencils: Chris Bachalo
Caliban’s death confirmed. In the future, Madrox and Layla are imprisoned and tortured. Cable locates Forge, but Bishop confronts both, pointing a gun at the newborn.
Uncanny X‑Men #494
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Billy Tan
Gambit, Sunfire, Karima, and Vertigo thwart Bishop’s attempt to kill the baby. The Marauders reclaim her. After Cable escapes, Bishop tells the rest of the X-Men that Cable betrayed everyone, when really it was him.
X‑Factor (vol. 3) #27
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Layla and Jamie talk to a young Bishop, who reveals the Messiah’s prophecy causes mutant death and internment 80 years in the future. This is why present day (ish) Bishop thinks he needs to kill the baby.
Layla detonates a grenade, shocking Jamie and being the one to execute the plan, sending Jamie’s memories back in time. However, Layla is left in the future. After his reappearance, they search for Bishop. Cable decides on “Plan B,” which involves allying himself with Xavier.
Mystique is revealed to have impersonated Sinister and taken the baby herself. Wolverine’s team lands on Muir Island—Wolverine stabs “Regan” to avoid a trap.
Writer: Yost/Kyle (New X‑Men) & Carey (X‑Men)
Pencils: Ramos & Bachalo
Bishop (one‑armed) shoots at Cable; Xavier jumps in the way and possibly gets killed (but doubtful.) This is an attempt to show that everyone is pissed at Xavier, yet he's still willing to sacrifice himself for the cause. Will this be enough to have people forgive him?
Mystique is revealed as the orchestrator behind everything. She killed Sinister using Rogue's powers, used Gambit as an agent, and utilized Destiny’s prophecies to manipulate events. She did all of this to use the baby to heal Rogue.
I'm not sure if this is supposed to make us feel better about Mystique because this is all pretty dastardly and selfish still. Regan (who might be dead?) was also acting pretty evil again, so I'm not sure if she is redeemable. Rogue is so pissed at Mystique (even though she did all this shit to save her) and punishes her by absorbing Mystique’s powers and memories. However, she seems to have forgotten that all of the extra personalities are gone so now she's left alone with Mystique in her head.
There was one scene where Karima was shown as possesed by Malice, but by the end of this series it just showed her seeming pretty bad.
However, the battle rages on. Pixie thrusts her soul‑dagger into Karima. Scalphunter shoots through Wolverine's brain and Scrambler was trying to finish him off by inhibiting his healing factor until Laura cuts him the fuck up. Later, Wolverine takes out Predator X (who boringly shows up last minute) by letting Predator X eat him, then cutting it up from within. Professor X tells Cable that the child's fate is up to to Scott (major suck up,) but Scott ultimately lets Cable take her into the future.
Cyclops announces that the X-Men are disbanded. I know some major shit went down, but this seems like a major over reaction and doesn't feel earned at all.
My Connections and Creators
Boring or Great?
This was pretty good. Not great. Not bad. It's been quite some time since we had a pure X-Men crossover, so that was kind of nice. These teams all feel so disjointed though so it wasn't as fun seeing them come together. It seems like X-Factor is in an entirely different universe. I can barely keep straight who is on what squad from Uncanny and Adjectiveless, and then they throw in characters like Angel who haven't even been on either team leading up to this. Yea, it's all a little disjointed for me. Some good art and great action carry the series forward. I'm relieved that the whole "mutants are going extinct" story is starting to go away.
I actually enjoyed seeing the various teams stay pissed at Xavier, especially Cyclops. It gets hard to believe when characters do terrible things and everyone just forgives them. I almost feel bad for Xavier because he started all this and now he barely belongs, but he deserves this for sure. Gambit, you're on watch!
Thoughts on Art
From Silvestri’s strong, noir‑tinged panels in #1 to Bachalo’s spiraling chaos and Ramos’s emotive character expressions, the art consistently matches the mood: brutal, emotional, visionary. Key fights—like W stabbing Gambit or Predator X’s rampage—are rendered bloodily vivid and emotionally harrowing.
Larger Impacts
Caliban is dead. I know this is a major X-Men event and we haven't seen Caliban much, but I feel like his death was rather unceremonious. Plus, I don't think I've ever seen him interact with Warpath before, so the sacrifice had less meaning. Now that I think of it...where the fuck was Kitty!? She would have been perfect. Oh wait, she phased into the earth or something. Has that not been resolved yet?
Gambit...he's not a major player in this arc, but he's just acting casually evil. I don't know if "I was just pretending to try and save Rogue" is enough of an excuse to have him become a hero again. I feel like they are being pretty cavalier about this. Or maybe it's just because I've never liked Gambit (with the exception of his portrayal in X-Men '97.)
Things to keep an eye on
Is Sinister really dead?
Will the team begin to forgive Xavier?
Who are Hope's parents? What happens to her in the future?
Is Regan dead after being stabbed by Wolverine, and if she lives, will she stay evil?
I know Karima is evil during the Krakoa era, so will she continue to stay evil from here on out?
How long will the X-Men stay disbanded?
How will Rogue adjust with Mystique in her brain?
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