Powers of X #2: Hickman Bridges the Past to the Present to the Future

While House of X focuses on singular stories, such as establishing their own nation in #1 and exploring the many lives of Moira MacTaggart in #2, Powers of X treads a thousand years of the X-Men. In the first issue, we saw glimpses of each era, focusing mainly on Year 100, when Nimrod the Lesser rules all. For Powers of X #2, we spend a little more time in the other four eras, and learn a lot more about how the universe works—literally, in this case. But to streamline things, and keep some mystery, let’s focus on two specific times. Year 0 and year 10.

(20th Century Fox)

Powers of X #2, Year 0: In The Beginning, There Were Friends

(Marvel Comics)

Now that we know Moira’s secret mutant power, we start to see her plan unfolding. Her first task was getting Xavier on board. Her next one should be obvious—they need the Master of Magnetism himself, Eric Lensher, Magneto. Where else could she possibly start that bringing together the two most established leaders of homosuperior, and two men she tried following separately in her different lives? Now, this also leads to an important clue. There was one other leader she followed—one terrifying life she lived—Apocalypse. Will Xavier, Magneto, and Apocalypse be a new trinity?

This scene is familiar. We’ve seen Eric and Charles put aside their differences for the greater good of mutantkind before. It does make this part of Powers of X #2 feel a little anticlimactic, but since we don’t know Moira’s endgame, it’s hard to judge if it was worth getting a longer scene like this again.

Powers of X #2, Year 10: Days of Future Nimrod

(Marvel Comics)

The present-day story continues here, as we discover what information Mystique, Toad, and Sabretooth stole. A think tank of Hydra, AIM, and former members of S.H.E.I.L.D., H.A.M.M.E.R., and S.W.O.R.D. have built a giant base called the “Mother Mold” that makes Master Molds (which in turn makes sentinels). Now, Cyclops points out that it’s no big deal. Just a bigger sentinel-like the ones they’ve taken down a thousand times before. But that’s not all there is to it. Mother Mold is also the birthplace of the original Nimrod sentinels.

Hickman said he was going to join the past, present, and future of the X-Men in his series, and Powers of X #2 brings the current day X-Men to the nightmare futures mutants face in several timelines. It’s not time travel, it’s NOW.

Powerful Art for Powers of X #2

You know Master Mold and Mother Mold. Meet Grumpy Mold. (Marvel Comics)

Okay, so there is one thing we have discuss for year 100 and year 1000: the art. For Year 100, we find out who is leading the X-Men—Apocalypse himself. R.B. Silva gives us a great, grandiose image of the man who was once a genocidal demagogue. But he doesn’t feel like the same En Sabah Nur either. He sounds more like Xavier, or even Eric in his more peaceful moments. Again…Hickman is giving up some major changes for the character, and Silva is selling it.

(Marvel Comics)

Silva also sells the far future, as the Phalanx comes to Earth for Ascension. This image alone is haunting enough:

That helmet looks familiar… (Marvel Comics)

Grade: Ascended AF

(Featured Image: Marvel Comics)

Roman Colombo finished his MFA in 2010 and now teaches writing and graphic novel literature at various Philadelphia colleges. His first novel, Trading Saints for Sinners, was published in 2014. He's currently working on his next novel and hoping to find an agent soon.