302: UXM # 520 - 522, XM Legacy # 234, New Mutants V3 # 9-10, Cable V2 # 16 - 25 (Prelude to Second Coming)

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What’s Covered?

UXM # 520 - 522, XM Legacy # 234, New Mutants V3 # 9-10, Cable V2 # 16 - 25, X-23 Vol. 2 #1: X-23, Pixie Strikes Back # 1 - 4.

Roster Watch

Synopsis

New Mutants V3 # 9 - 10: Sauron, Sam as Leader, Doug and Warlock

Writer - Zeb Wells

Pencils - Paul Davidson, David Lopez

In New Mutants Vol. 3 #9, a lot of the fun comes from the team just bouncing off each other. Danger awkwardly asks Warlock about how his species reproduces, only to be disappointed when the answer is asexual, while Doug throws in a joke about Madison Jeffries having sexual tension with her. Beneath the humor, though, the issue gives Illyana some huge material as she explains that the Magik standing with the team is not quite the original, but a soulless version saved after the fall of the Darkchylde. That revelation immediately gets Emma’s attention, and it adds another layer of unease to Illyana’s return. There is also some surprisingly sweet character work with Doug and Amara, especially when he says something in a language he created just for her and manages to earn her forgiveness, while Roberto’s concern for Amara hints at some interesting emotional undercurrents in the group.

In New Mutants Vol. 3 #10, the team is thrown straight into action against Sauron and a pack of Savage Land mutates attacking Japan on their way to Utopia. The issue works because it is not just about the fight, but about what the fight says about the team and who is leading it. Scott and Emma debate whether the New Mutants should even exist in their current form, but that conversation slowly reveals Scott’s real motive, which is testing Sam to see whether he could one day fill a leadership role of that size. That gives Cannonball a strong spotlight and lets him finally feel like a serious presence again instead of just another familiar face on the roster. It is a really satisfying reminder that Sam has always had the makings of a field leader, and this issue actually lets him prove it.

X-Men Legacy 234

Writer - Mike Carey

Pencils - Yanick Paquette

In X-Men: Legacy Vol. 1 #234, Rogue continues to show why she works so well as the emotional center of a book like this. She tries to help Indra sort through his powers and the guilt he carries through his faith, which gives the issue a more introspective tone than the New Mutants material. At the same time, Cyclops wants the Stepford Cuckoos searching for the missing Phoenix Force, so Rogue borrows a bit of their mental power to help push things forward. She also heads out on a mission involving Surge and Magneto, balancing mentorship with bigger mutant politics. The issue closes on a memorable note with Rogue and Magneto kissing, which gives the whole thing an extra jolt and leaves the character dynamics in a very interesting place.

UXM # 520 - 522: Fantomex, U-Men, Kitty's Return

Writer - Matt Fraction

Pencils - Greg Land

In Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #520, Cyclops sends Wolverine, Psylocke, and Colossus to New York to investigate the source of the nanites causing trouble for mutantkind. Their search leads them to Fantomex, who reveals that he has already taken down the sixth Predator X on his own, immediately establishing himself as both useful and impossible to control. Fantomex refuses to join the X-Men, which fits perfectly with his whole deal and keeps the team from getting an easy win. Back on Utopia, Magneto and Namor reveal they have built a massive underwater tower to help stabilize Nation X, though Scott is clearly irritated that Magneto made a move that big without looping him in. It is a good issue for showing that even with Magneto trying to help, old habits and power struggles are still very much alive.

In Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #521, the truth behind the chaos starts coming into focus as the U-Men, carrying on John Sublime’s twisted anti-mutant legacy, are revealed to be behind the release of Predator X on Utopia. Worse, they have enhanced themselves with abilities based on some of the X-Men’s heaviest hitters, making the situation feel dire in a hurry. Fantomex reenters the story at exactly the right time, with EVA disrupting the U-Men’s systems and helping swing momentum back toward the mutants. Even then, the danger escalates when the villains unleash a new bio-weapon specifically designed to neutralize mutants, so the win is never easy. The issue also introduces Crosta, a mutant Atlantean tied to Namor, while Scott and Emma discover Magneto has been catatonic for a full day while mentally searching for something that may actually be Kitty Pryde.

In Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #522, the Magneto subplot pays off in a way that gives the arc a real emotional hook. It turns out that while working with the High Evolutionary, Magneto detected a signal that may have been Kitty, and his determination to bring her home is tied not just to hope, but to guilt and his desire to make things right with the X-Men. Psylocke brings Cecilia Reyes back to Utopia to help treat Magneto, which is a very welcome appearance and a nice reminder of the wider mutant community. The biggest moment, though, is Kitty’s return, which should feel like a miracle but immediately comes with a catch when it becomes clear she still cannot stop phasing. That bittersweet ending gives the storyline some real weight, because getting Kitty back is not the same as truly saving her. It is a strong close that mixes superhero payoff with just enough uncertainty to keep things compelling.

X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #1 - 4

Writer - Kathryn Immonen

Pencils - Sara Pichelli

In X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back, Megan Gwynn finds herself caught in a strange lucid dream where she is back in high school alongside Mercury, Loa, Armor, and Blindfold. The setup plays with familiar school story beats, but there is an eerie edge to it from the start, since things feel too neat and too artificial to be trusted. The cast choice is a lot of fun because it brings together several younger X-characters who all have their own strong personalities and insecurities. Rather than feeling like a simple side adventure, the issue quickly makes it clear that this is going to dig into Megan’s identity in a deeper way. It has that classic fairy tale nightmare energy where everything is bright on the surface and unsettling underneath.

As Pixie Strikes Back unfolds, Megan’s fairy mother appears and completely upends her understanding of who she is. She claims that Megan is actually the daughter of Mastermind, which would make her the half-sister of Regan and Martinique Wyngarde and tie her directly into one of the X-Men’s messier family trees. That revelation gives the mini a much bigger sense of consequence, because it reframes Pixie as more than just the cheerful magical kid on the sidelines. The book leans into fantasy and identity horror at the same time, forcing Megan to confront a version of herself and her lineage that she never asked for. The result is a story that feels whimsical, creepy, and surprisingly important for Pixie as a character.

By the later issues, the mini becomes less about the immediate weirdness of the dream world and more about Megan taking control of her own story. The supporting cast helps sell that journey, with the other girls grounding the story through their reactions and giving the book a nice ensemble feel. There is a good balance here between magical weirdness and coming-of-age tension, which makes the mini stand out from the more militaristic books of the era. Megan has to sort through what is real, what is manipulation, and what parts of her identity she is willing to accept. By the end, the story leaves her feeling more textured and complicated, which is exactly what a character-focused mini like this should do.

Cable V2 # 16 - 25

Writer - Duane Swierczynski, Humberto Ramos, Lan Medina, Paul Gulacy, Gabriel Guzman, Giancarlo Caracuzzo, Alejandro Garza, Denys Cowan, Paco Medina

Pencils - Paul Gulacy, Gabriel Guzman, Humberto Ramos, Lan Medina, Giancarlo Caracuzzo, Alejandro Garza, Denys Cowan, Paco Medina

Too Late For Tears

In Cable Vol. 2 #16, Cable and Hope’s already fragile relationship takes another hit when the two get into a fight during one of their time slides, causing Hope to be dropped two years earlier into the past. That split leaves Cable stranded on his own, forced to wait for her while his body continues to break down. Without his telekinesis to keep the techno-organic virus in check, the disease starts taking over in a much more serious way. The issue does a great job of showing how brutal Cable’s mission has become, because even when he is technically succeeding, it is still destroying him. It also adds more tension to Hope’s coming-of-age, since she is now being shaped by long stretches of time without him.

In Cable Vol. 2 #17, Hope finds protection in a young boy named Emil, whose compassion gives the story some much-needed heart. At the same time, Bishop embeds himself among Emil’s people by posing as a priest, which is a creepy but effective way to show how relentless and manipulative he has become. He eventually claims to be Stryfe, escalating the situation in a way that feels perfectly twisted for this era of X-books. Bishop and his followers take Hope aboard a spaceship, pushing the chase into even stranger territory. The issue keeps building the sense that Hope’s entire childhood is being consumed by war, lies, and survival.

Brood

In Cable Vol. 2 #18, years pass with Hope still carrying anger toward Cable while the two remain stuck on a spaceship, and that emotional distance becomes just as important as the external danger. Swierczynski really leans into the tragedy of Hope growing up in constant motion, never allowed to have a stable life or even a stable bond with her protector. Just as things are already spiraling, Bishop shows up on another ship after tracking them down yet again. He is fully prepared to destroy the whole vessel, even if it means killing himself and Hope in the process. Then the Brood arrive, which somehow makes an already desperate situation even worse.

In Cable Vol. 2 #19, Cable, Hope, and Emil are thrown into full survival mode as they flee the Brood and battle to stay alive. The issue works well because the threat is not just Bishop anymore, but the Brood swarm turning everything into total chaos. Hope continues to be shaped by these horrors, learning on the fly what it means to survive in impossible conditions. One of the biggest turns comes when a Brood Queen infects Bishop, which is exactly the kind of grotesque development that feels right for a story this nasty. It is a smart twist because Bishop is already monstrous in his obsession, so the infection makes him even more frightening.

In Cable Vol. 2 #20, Emil gets the kind of heroic sendoff that gives the storyline some real emotional weight. Realizing there is no easy escape, he sacrifices himself by blowing up the Brood along with himself, buying Cable and Hope a chance to flee in escape pods. It is a brutal ending for a kid who had become one of the few bright spots in Hope’s life. Of course Bishop survives, because at this stage he is basically a nightmare that refuses to die, escaping aboard a Brood ship and continuing the hunt. The issue lands because it reminds you that everyone who tries to help Hope ends up paying dearly for it.

Homecoming

In Cable Vol. 2 #21, the story shifts into Homecoming as Hope and Cable finally make it back to Earth, though the sense of relief does not last long because Bishop arrives too. Hope is now seventeen, and that jump in age makes it clear just how much life has passed in exile. When Bishop nearly kills her, Hope’s powers finally activate in a huge way, revealing just how dangerous and important she really is. Cable manages to gather the parts he needs to time travel again, but even that victory is messy since Bishop gets pulled into the jump with them. The issue has the big, overdue payoff of Hope’s power reveal while still refusing to give these characters an easy path home.

In Cable Vol. 2 #22, the chase becomes even more frantic as Cable and Hope bounce back and forth through time with Bishop always right behind them. The issue keeps the pressure high by making time itself feel unstable and unsafe rather than a convenient escape route. Every jump feels less like a solution and more like another desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of a man who has given up every piece of his humanity. It also reinforces how exhausted Cable must be, trying to protect Hope while constantly improvising across broken timelines. There is a real feeling here that the mission is nearing its end, but only after grinding both of them down to the bone.

In Cable Vol. 2 #23, the pair spend more time in a future timeline and reconnect with Sophie, giving the story a brief pause to breathe before the chase resumes. Even during that relative calm, there is never any sense that Cable and Hope can truly settle down, because Bishop’s presence always looms over everything. Hope gets another strong showcase here, proving that she is not just a survivor but a genuinely formidable fighter. What makes her compelling is that she still has a conscience despite the life she has been forced to live. The issue keeps building her into someone worthy of all the sacrifice and danger that have surrounded her since birth.

In Cable Vol. 2 #24, the conflict finally turns especially brutal when Bishop stabs Cable straight through the chest. It is the kind of moment that underlines how much punishment Cable has taken across this entire run, and how close he has been to death for what feels like forever. Even so, Cable still manages to outmaneuver Bishop by sending the hunters after him one year into the future and trapping him there. That gives Cable and Hope the opening they need to prepare for the final push back to the present. It is a satisfying tactical win, especially because Cable earns it through sheer stubbornness and ingenuity rather than power.

In Cable Vol. 2 #25, the series pauses the forward momentum for a flashback that reveals how Deadpool actually helped Cable escape with baby Hope during Messiah Complex. It is a fun change of pace after so many grim survival issues, while also filling in an important missing piece of the larger story. Deadpool’s involvement adds some chaotic energy, but it also reminds readers how many unlikely players were involved in Hope’s survival from the very beginning. As a final issue, it works less as a climax and more as a companion piece that reframes the journey. It is a clever way to close the book by circling back to the mission’s first impossible steps.

X-23 Vol. 2 #1: X-23

Writer - Marjorie Liu

Pencils - Filipe Andrade, Nuno Alves

In X-23 Vol. 2 #1, Laura breaks away and reconnects with the homeless friends who represent one of the few real human ties in her life. That alone gives the issue a very different emotional texture from the more mission-focused X-books of the period. The Gamesmaster makes contact with her, adding an immediate sense of danger and manipulation that threatens to drag her back into old patterns. What makes the issue compelling is Laura’s internal struggle over whether she will always be someone shaped and controlled by others. Even with all that pain hanging over her, there is still a clear sense that she wants freedom badly enough to believe she might one day truly claim it.

My Connections and Creators

Boring or Great?

I put this together as a hodge podge of different series as all of them tell quick little stories, getting us ready for Second Coming (one of my favorite events.) This is not filler content though as I really enjoyed each of these stories!

Let's start with New Mutants. Bro, I'm loving this series. While the original New Mutants seriously had it's ups and downs, I grew to love the kids and their dynamics with each other. They are always flirty with each other. Always a battle for leadership. Illyana is "their freak." Roberto can't keep it in his pants. Doug and Warlock are besties. It's good stuff.

What I especially like here is the focus on Cyclops training Sam to be his potential replacement. If you've been following my blog, you know that I REALLY liked when Cable left during the original X-Force and Sam became a badass leader. (To be clear, I also liked it when Cable was there.) But when Cannonball got promoted to the X-Men, instead of it being awesome, he was downgraded to this adolescent, aloof, hick. Super annoying. It's great to see Sam back in saddle again. And even here, I had to adjust my graphic so that Dani is no longer co-leader, it's just Sam.

There's also some good material here with Magik. I've been obsessed with Magik (#3 on my most recent faves list), so I always key into her storylines. I'm very eager to see where things are going with her being soulless and it's clear that she's up to a lot more than meets the eye.

We get a little romantic reunion between Rogue and Magneto. It's interesting because I don't really love their romance, however their original romance still sits as my favorite issue(s) of all time. I like Magneto better than Gambit. I like Rogue. So my excitement isn't necessarily due to my love of the romance, but because it reminds me of how good their Savage Land story was. Maybe I need to think about this...

KITTY'S BACK! Since I keep referencing my faves, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the return of my girl, Kitty. Can't wait for her to get out of that tank and start interacting with the team again. Not looking forward to her romance with Colossus. I mean, it's ok, but all the sudden they are in love again? Regardless, it's also super cool how Magneto brought her back. He might still be evil in there somewhere, but what a way to show that are at least trying! He physically hurts himself in an effort to bring back one of their missing teammates. I mean, super cool!

Pixie is cool. She's growing on me more and more. Her solo series wasn't great, but any Pixie content is good in my book.

Last thought. My work makes me change my password every 8 weeks. Since it's impossible to come up with new ideas, I just use the name of the super hero who has been making the biggest impression on me at the time. My last few were Laura Kinney (from her stint with the Academy X crew,) and Layla Miller (from the best arc ever.) Right now, it's Hope Summers. I hear that people don't like her, but for now, I'm digging her.

Thoughts on Art

Paul Davidson’s work on the New Mutants issues fits the tone of the team really well because he can sell both the weird comedy and the monster action without either one feeling out of place. Yanick Paquette, on the other hand, gives X-Men: Legacy a slicker and more expressive look that really helps Rogue’s more emotional and character-driven material land. Across all three issues, the art does a nice job making these books feel distinct while still keeping them part of the same era.

Greg Land’s pages on Uncanny X-Men fit the slick, high-drama tone of the Utopia era, while Whilce Portacio showing up for issue #522 gives Kitty’s return an extra burst of energy and importance. On Pixie Strikes Back, Sara Pichelli’s art is the standout for me because she captures both the dreamy fantasy elements and the emotional vulnerability of the younger cast really well. The contrast between these books works nicely, with Uncanny feeling bigger and more operatic while Pixie Strikes Back feels lighter, stranger, and more character-driven.

Paul Gulacy and Gabriel Guzman give Cable a gritty, worn-down look that really suits a story about endless pursuit, survival, and bodies being pushed past their limits. The rotating artists in the later issues could have made the arc feel scattered, but instead it adds to the unstable, time-hopping energy of the book. On X-23, Filipe Andrade brings a more expressive and emotional style that fits Laura’s quieter, more introspective character work really well.

Larger Impacts & Things to keep an eye on

Will Sam continue as a great leader?
Will Doug and Warlock stick around?
Where is the romance going between Rogue and Magneto?
Will Magik get her soul back?
Can Kitty be written competently!?
Will Roberto and Amara get together?
How will Hope interact with the present day heroes?
Will I ever like a male X-Man?