Extraordinary X-Men #5 Review: To Me, My X-Men!

Extraordinary X-Men #5 brought the first arc of the series to a close and set things up for upcoming issues.

Even though mutants are facing extinction, one thing’s for sure, they aren’t going down without a fight in Extraordinary X-Men. While mutant extinction is a common plot point in X-Men, their status as the next step in human evolution has always remained strong. The threat of extinction facing the normal human race is what primarily caused hatred towards mutants. However, in the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe for the very first time the mutant race is on the verge of extinction and the Inhumans have been revealed to be the genetically better species. I liked how the tables have turned for the mutants and this makes things different for readers even though the whole premise is about extinction.

This piece of information was revealed by Mr. Sinister. The hybrid Cyclops he made went berserk and the creature’s Inhuman DNA started to take over the mutant gene. Hearing Mr. Sinister, a mad mutant scientist who had been trying to save his race, accept that their species is going to die showed how dire the predicament was. Who’s going to save the mutant race now?

Being a true X-Men, Storm didn’t give up. Not only did she and her team defeat the Cyclops hybrid, Storm also went public with the X-Men’s current agenda. She told the world that their race was going to die, but they will try and find a cure. She also warned that if anyone hurt mutants, they will definitely retaliate. I’m looking forward to seeing how Storm’s speech will change things for mutants around the world. S.H.I.E.L.D offered their help, but the same can’t be said about the general public that’s already attacking mutants for (presumably) causing the M-pox disease.

Another interesting thing that happened during Storm’s speech was her seeing Professor X again. She’s the only one who’s been seeing him and I’m not sure what it means. Is someone playing a mind trick on Storm, or is Professor X alive in the All-New, All-Different Marvel and is communicating with only her for some reason?

Two relationships were focused on in this issue. The first was between the siblings Colossus and Magik. The big brother/little sister dynamic is evident when it comes to those two and it was very sweet. Even though Magik is a very powerful magical being, Colossus just can’t help but worry about her. The other relationship was between Old Man Logan and young Jean Grey. I don’t think there’s anything romantic going on between the two. Both are trying to change their destinies and that’s what connects them. I liked Jean helping Logan enter the Xavier school even though he was hesitant because of the burden he has to carry. However, I also have a feeling that Logan’s past (the future for the current X-Men) will come to haunt them, and we’ll get to see Logan on the verge of killing them all again.

The conclusion of the first Extraordinary X-Men arc made things a lot exciting and different from the usual mutant extinction storyline, and I’m excited to see where the series leads from here.

Issue Highlights:

• Storm commanding her team in the battlefield was awesome to see. It’s tough to be a leader when you have to take care of a powerful threat, decide which team members are capable of handling it, and also not wanting any harm to come to innocent life during battle. The X-Men listened to her commands and she handled everything well. She even stopped energy beams with lightning!
• Storm’s speech was also very riveting. It had a message of hope for the mutant race. It also told the world that the X-Men were here to protect everyone may they be mutants, Inhumans, or even normal human beings. Also I more or less died of feels when Storm referred to her team and the mutants around the world as ‘my X-Men’ just like Professor X.
• While Anole’s role in the current series is that of a supporting secondary character, it’s still good to see him stepping up to work with the X-Men in any way he can. He belongs to the young generation of X-Men and I hope to see his role expand as the series continues. Not only that, he’s one of the two gay characters, along with Iceman, being featured in the series and that’s always a good thing. I can’t wait for the two of them to finally have the conversation that was hinted at.

What did you think of Extraordinary X-Men #5? Did you like the tables turning for the mutants with them now being the genetically inferior beings? Let us know!

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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