Mind Control Is Anything But X-Tinct part V: Once, But No More, Oh Green And Pleasant Land

With two more issues to go, Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson had to wrap up the late 1990 X-Tinction Agenda crossover. New Mutants # 97, penned by Simonson and drawn by Guang Yap and regular series penciller Rob Liefeld on cover art, saw most of the X-teams reunited in a final battle against Cameron Hodge...

In order to get any new readers up to speed, Simonson drove the good ol' book mobile of exposition in the opening spread.

The fight goes rather poorly at first for the X-men, but when the mutate formerly known as Storm gradually repowers her teammates, the tide begins to turn and Hodge makes a hasty, though he might argue strategic,  retreat. This allows Storm the peace and quiet she needs to give everyone else their powers back, including her on again / off again lover Forge... And, while New Mutants was still considered a kids' friendly book at the time, we get this scene...

After Hodge's handiwork left him without a leg or a hand, Forge finally catches a break when Storm returns his mutant inventive genius to him. All the restoration process needs is a mere touch, but why resort to a boring old handshake when a passionate kiss works just as well? This literally stormy peck leaves Gambit jealous, which is a little odd considering he only met Ororo after she'd been turned into a little girl.

But Storm's mutant powers had always been weather control. Just how is she able to do all this?

Surprise! 

Storm wasn't really a mindless mutate after all. The Genengineer considered her to be his secret weapon against Cameron Hodge and only changed her physical appearance. While she might appear to be a compliant accomplice, she was actually in full control and even granted an extra power that restored mutant abilities... (Storm's altered genetic makeup is never addressed after this, by the way... She just returns home, grows back her hair in between issues and that's that).

But the X-men are a bit too busy to deal with that. After all, Cameron Hodge still has to be dealt with. Not to mention rogue elements of the Genoshan Magistrates, including Cyclops' own brother Alex. Speaking of which, Cyclops finally makes a command decision regarding Alex...

"Try to reason with him... incapacitate him or go through him. Whatever it takes to get to Hodge."

Giving a team that includes a bersker rage prone adamantium clawed killer, a ruthless cyborg with big guns and a blue skinned Apocalypse approved winged Angel of death to either reason, incapacitate or go through someone... you know you just signed his death warrant, right?

Still, while all of this was going down, Alex Summers finally regained his senses and freedom somewhat...

"Finally I'm free... and fully myself" 

Who knew even the Genoshan mutant Magistrates were actually under the gun, or so to speak? Havok was still wearing a collar that kept him in check. Without it, he's truly himself once more. Which sadly enough, isn't something that can be said for Rahne Sinclaire, aka Wolfsbane, aka Mutate 490. Here's how she greets her old teammate and one time love interest Rictor...

"Number 490...cease your attack!"

Weirdly enough, the Genoshan mutate population has been confirmed to in the thousands. From healers to mineworkers, personal aides and even gardners... they're everywhere. This makes numbering Storm mutate # 20 and Rahne # 490 a little odd, to say the least.

After calling back his watchdog, the Genengineer explained to an exasperated Rictor that he wasn't able to return Rahne back to her old self. Luckily, Storm arrived with her magic touch and restored both of them anyway... Even though there was a considerable catch with Wolfsbane...

"In your human form you will always be helpless, a mutate, mindless and obedient. But as a werewolf you will be stronger... more powerful... than you ever where."

Now isn't that just sweet? Rahne Sinclaire, the 13 and a bit year old God fearing Scottish girl gets changed so she basically has a choice between living life as a docile and subservient creature or embracing her inner demon, the werewolf form she was cursed with.

Soo, here's the dilemma: either be a prim and proper person without any sense of true joy... Or become the beast and and revel in its unbridled yet ever so ungodly glory... Knowing full well that these sensations are ultimately sinful?

One way or the other, she'd be doomed to a life of misery. Hey kids, comics!

But at least Rahne had her priorities in order... Cameron Hodge still had to be dealt with. In the final pages of New Mutants # 97, Hodge strikes back and critically injuries several key players like Psylocke, Rictor and the Beast, which makes for an exciting teaser... And oh yeah, Warlock's cremated remains are there too!

"See X-Factor # 62 for the dramatic conclusion of The X-Tinction Agenda"

So, finally... it's about to come to a close. Still, isn't it a bit of an odd decision to end a major X-men crossover in X-Factor? Especially considering that book's regular artist Jon Bogdanove has been catching considerable flack for his less than exciting style. If only they'd planned the story so it would climax in the Jim Lee drawn Uncanny X-men, anything that guy pencils is sure to be an instant cash grab...

Well played, Marvel editorial... well played indeed. An actual attention grabbing Jim Lee cover on a book that only one month earlier relied on this Bogdanove production to rake in the dough.

Just guess which issue sold better.

Still, Bogdanove pulled out all his stops to give the finale his all and he didn't really diappoint. The fight between Hodge and the semi armada of X-men is more than competently portrayed. But while this is still a blog that focuses on mind control, let's revisit the mutants Hodge injured back in the penultimate chapter... Beast was forced to take care of them and while he was hurt as well, he figured that turnabout is fair play and made mind control work for him...

"All right you genejoke bums.
Get over here, I have a job for you and I expect you to put your backs in it."

Beast got the others to safety, just as Cyclops finally reunited with his freed from mind control brother Havok, just in time to finally deal with the menace that is Cameron Hodge. After a fever pitched fight, it was Wolfsbane and Rictor who got to deliver the killing blow...

Agreeing that toppling an entire skycraper on top of his already shredded head was enough to finish off Hodge, the X-men declared victory and tried to deal with the aftermath of their latest Genoshan venture as best they could...

Several (yes... se-ve-ral...) days later, chief magistrate Anderson takes to the air and resolves the international incident caused by former Genoshan president Ronald Reag... Renau... Cleverly relying on several half truths, Anderson manages to explain away all of the recent transgressions... But there are still a few loose ends to tie up...

So, after several days, Rahne and Havok are still parading around in their ripped and torn outfits... An interesting development since even Wolverine, appearance wise as big a slob as the Blob, is wearing a different outfit. And don't forget Rictor, who's had plenty of opportunity to change his mutate skinsuit for something remotely more human...

Ah Louise... the art inconsistenices one creates by even adding a single caption.

Still, the X-Tinction Agenda ends where it all began... At Xavier's school for gifted youngster with Boom-Boom and Rictor honoring Wolfsbane request as she remained on Genosha with Havok (for all but 6 months or so). The X-men returned home to lay to rest one of their quirkiest recruits, Warlock... the techno organic being that started this whole crossover, 5 parts and 22 years ago.