Fired Up — Uncanny X-Men #6 Review

Dormammu forces Magik into a dramatic situation as Team Cyclops gets surrounded in Limbo.

Afraid and unsure, the new members of the team begin to falter until the Stepford Cuckoos send mental support, brainwashing the team with over-confidence. Meanwhile, Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D. seeks out a candidate to find out what Scott Summers is really up to.

It’s a cut and dry issue with a surprise appearance by S.H.I.E.L.D.’s newest agent, Dazzler, and the issue rolls with three story arcs — the first of which chronicles the birth of a new mutant whose ability to push and pull a car either stems from psychic or mechanical-manipulation powers.

Maybe both.

Readers get to see Cyclops go full blast. And apparently, Magneto fills one of his pouches with nails ready to be aimed and fired like bullets from a chaingun. The X-Men are clearly out of their element as they fight in another world, and the ability to manipulate teammates by removing fear from their minds makes the Stepford Cuckoos a powerful addition to the team.

Brian Michael Bendis’ scripts are solid and steady. Frazer Irving remains artist since the last issue, and his moody and atmospheric panels benefit from the one-two-three punch he delivers by taking over pencils, colors, and inks — his medium is electronic, but the entire effort remains his.

It’s not the best issue — it’s a bit mid-sentence as story arcs progress — and the Dazzler reveal doesn’t have that punch. Bendis could have chosen a mutant with hunting skills, a vendetta against Cyclops, or a trusted confidante whose turning could add tension because of past history or relations. Hopefully Bendis’ choice in Dazzler proves itself to be a good one.

Uncanny X-Men #6 is a bridge between issues. It introduces one new mutant who figures to be a game-changer and another mutant who returns to the fold under a new banner. There’s build up and reveals, and the creative team keeps it interesting with dramatic visuals and character development that sees the team building and growing in strength. Uncanny X-Men is Marvel’s flagship mutant book, and the events taking place within these pages should have the biggest effect. What we’re seeing is an X-Men team being forged in fire — literally — and Bendis is dangling war on the horizon.