https://66.media.tumblr.com/405e352c923b58441541624aa998f083/tumblr_pcj7pxWTcN1rw95j3o1_540.jpg

Remember when they introduced Colossus’ brother two years ago and then killed him?  Well, in these issues Colossus (along with some fellow X-Men) goes back to Russia to visit his family and tell them what happened.

Anyway, it’s Russia so Darkstar and some of the super soldiers appear.  The tale explores the source Darkstar’s power, and her father (who is called The Presence).  It picks up some threads from a Soviet Super Soldiers one-shot published a few months ago, but I can’t find a copy of it and haven’t read it.  Anyway Omega Red gets involved and pulls the X-Men into a battle with the “Skinner of Souls.”

The Skinner has taken over Omega Red’s body.  He’s got mental powers, and so, through Omega Red, he attacks the X-Men—at the same time that the KGB kidnaps Illyana (who is a child again), brings out her Magik powers, and forces her to teleport Skinner of Souls out of our dimension.

It feels really important to have this new demon introduced, but near as I can tell we never see it again.  It’s just a device to begin reviving Magik.  And honestly, it seems like that could have been accomplished in a lot of much better (and less confusing) ways.

Yeah, there’s a LOT of stuff going on here.  In addition to all that, the rest of the X-Men are home and dealing with Rogue being blind, conflicts with the X-Force team, etc.  And a new character is introduced, in Tokyo—a powerful assassin called Kwannon who wants to kill the X-Men.

She says that she’s finally prepared to find the X-Men. She then goes to a guy that sure looks a heck of a lot like the Mandarin when he wore business clothes circa Uncanny X-Men #256-258, but he’s identified as Lord Nyoirin. We’ll learn later that her code name is Revanche.

Creators: Fabian Nicieza and Andy Kubert
Grade: C–

For the complete history of the MU, year by year, go here.