I wasn’t sure what kind of banner I wanted for this story.
An eye catching one with a hostile Captain America…
…or a more subdued one focusing on Charles Xavier who has been treated in an unjust and undignified manner by Marvel since 2012.
I chose the Professor X one.
Anyhow, it took only 5 years, but Marvel Comics is seemingly trying to do some justice to the travesty that occurred at the end of Uncanny Avengers #1 (volume 1).
Not only was the murder of a beloved character unwelcome, the way it was done, the grotesque nature of how it was depicted, and the finality of it all in a medium where resurrections can occur, seemed to be an attempt to simply shock and tantalize readers.
I had been excited for Uncanny Avengers 5 years ago. I thought a unity squad with members of both the X-Men and Avengers, by Marvel’s top talent writers and artists that can move the needle, would find a strong place on shelves.
However, despite a top flight creative team, we got this gut-wrenching last page that turned many off. It wasn’t diversity that stalled Marvel’s sales over time, it has been an over-reliance on senseless shock and gimmicks that led to that.
Now, with the advent of a back-to-basics ResurrXion initiative intended to bring the X-Men franchise back its formerly glory (and elevate Inhumans to an extent too in readers’ consciousness), Marvel had to fix the Charles Xavier indignity and injustice.
Uncanny Avengers #22 is the book they try to do that with. Do they succeed?
Marvel Now 2017, ResurrXion and Secret Empire Spoilers follow for Uncanny Avengers #22.
The Beast was successful in extracting Charles Xavier’s brain from the Red Skull, But Captain America, Secret Hydra agent, wants the brain to no doubt be used as a Weapon of Mass Destruction during the upcoming Secret Empire event.
Rogue just wants to give her friend and mentor a fitting rest despite Captain America’s “national security” concerns.
Rogue escapes with Xavier’s brain…
…and asks the Human Torch, formerly of the Fantastic Four, to help end this…
…burning and destroying Charles Xavier’s brain in the skies over New York I believe.
A quiet page after the mid-air cremation / disintegration has Rogue mourn as…
…as the Red Skull confirms this is no McGuffin and that Charles Xavier’s brain has indeed been destroyed.
Red Skull is angry that Captain America, the secret Hydra agent, wasn’t able to retrieve the brain.
With that, the current grotesque storyline involving the brain of Charles Xavier is seemingly over.
I’m still angry about what was done in 2012 and I’m still angry in the modern era’s resurgence of the X-Men during ResurrXion Charles Xavier is seemingly still dead, but at least we get a mid-air burial of sorts and know that Xavier will no longer have the indignities continue despite the injustice of his death for readers to still cope with.
