Uncanny X-Men #31 Reviews and Spoilers
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Chris Bachalo
Cover by Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend
Color by Chris Bachalo and Antonio Fabela
Warning: Spoilers. Do not read if you cannot see into the future already.
The issue basically starts out where #30 left off. Matthew Malloy had killed Cyclops, Magik, and Emma, while Eva transported a younger Charles Xavier to the future to aid in the crisis against Mr. Malloy. At the beginning of the issue, the New Xavier students are dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of Eva and a young Xavier. A hologram of Scott Summers is then activated inside of the school, with one of several pre-recorded messages used in case of every possible emergency (I would have loved to see the one that played if they were all kidnapped by a gang of pirate poodles). It instructs the students to travel to the Jean Grey School for safety.
Excellent plan, Scott. As that happens, Malloy loses full control of his abilities at the Jean Grey School and seems to annihilate every X-Man present. I’m sure your students will be fine…
While everybody dies, Eva and Xavier take a jump back in time to make a very minor change. By minor change, I mean completely eradicate Malloy’s existence from history. They travel to the moment when Malloy’s parents met, as Eva convinces her companion to alter their minds. It really isn’t much for the young mutant teacher to telepathically convince Malloy, Sr. to stay away from the woman he wanted, scraping Matthew off of the timeline like an Ant-Man on a shoe. The duo then goes back to Xavier’s time, where he passive-aggressively congratulates Eva on being a monster. Just like my Ex.
With Malloy out of the picture and the X-men still alive, She-Hulk continues reading Xavier’s will, leaving Scott the old school. Cyclops agrees to sign it all over to Ororo on the condition that she take in his students, as he officially shuts down the New Xavier School.
So…
First, I just need to state something obvious from the cover. There is absolutely no sign, whisper, mention, or random cameo of Alex Summers, despite what is seen on the front of the comic. I knew the Malloy story had to be finished up, but I got a little hyped-up over seeing some post-AXIS Havok causing some post-AXIS havoc. Since we saw a permanently inverted Havok joining up with his brother at the end of the AXIS storyline, we’ll hopefully see more of it. Otherwise, I’ll just sit in a corner and cry.
As for concluding the story, Xavier had an extreme solution. Wiping someone out of existence makes a few extra Danger Room sessions seem a tad mild. Here I thought a time out would suffice. Xavier’s reaction to what he had done had clearly messed with his head, but we unfortunately don’t expand on that after he wipes it from his own memory. Sure, it may seem a little abrupt of an ending, but it opens up a whole new door of timey-wimey trouble for Eva in the future (Or past. I don’t know, time confuses me…). Bendis and his set-ups are stringing me along like my high school crush, and I love it.
The artwork stays true to Bacholo’s work throughout the series. It’s vibrant enough to add to the visual effects that a book about mutants needs. The scenes of Eva’s time-travelling are especially awesome.
This whole story line sets up the future of the series in ways I’m excited for. Not only do we have to deal with the butterfly effect to come, but we’ll also see what’s in store for Cyclops and his ex-students now the Jean Grey is the only mutant school in town. Every molecule in my body is bouncing with anticipation, even my X-gene.
I have no choice to say this is a book worth reading. Otherwise, Eva will erase me from time.
