Ultimate X-Men #87 - Review & Spoilers!!

[Beast]

Well now, what do we have here. Kirkman's run on Ultimate X-Men has been on an upswing since the return of Beast. And I have to say that this is probably the best issue of the book since he came on board. That in it's self is somewhat sad, but when Kirkman delivers he really delivers. There's a lot of questioned answered this issue, along with one major bomb dropped. I'm just going to cover the major points, as I don't feel like writing a major synopsis. Though I pretty much cover all the major points and events. :)

Beast finally reveals that he's alive. First by saving Pyro from a group of Sentinels. Back at Fenris Laboratories, the Fenris twins are still threatening to kill Psylocke, who we've just found out is Bishop's future wife. Bishop gets pissed off, and by using his powers appears to implode both of the Twin's heads. While they're discussing things, Stryfe ports in with Zero. Who promptly ports away leaving the man there to face the X-Men.

After a small fight, Psylocke invades Stryfe's mind and finds out what's going on. Stryfe's powers is basically that... he causes unrest in people. The Fenris Twins paid him to whip mutants up into a frenzy, in order to sell Sentinels to the government. A new more streamlined, compact, and cost effective model of the mutant hunters created by Trask. The asassination of Xavier caused such mutant paranoia that they moved up their timetable.

Stryfe slugs Psylocke to get her out of his head, and then turns his powers on the X-Men. They start squabbling, all except Storm who remains in control. Since he only intensifies already present emotions. Stryfe runs to the control panel, and though Trask tries to stop him... initiates the Sentinel Failsafes before Storm can lightning bolt him. Now the Sentinels are fully automated, and can't be shut down by the console.

The entire fleet of Sentinels come online and head to join the others. Wolverine threatens Trask into finding a way to stop them, while they go and try to keep casulties to a minimum. Angel remains behind to ensure Trask doesn't try to double-cross them. They also drop the unconscious but alive Stryfe off at SHIELD before continuing on to the battle. So at least we've seen the last of him for a while.

By the time they arrive, the battle is raging. The X-Men help turn the tide, but sadly Wolfsbane is killed when she won't leap away from one of the Sentinels when Dazzler's trying to save her. She gets blasted by the Sentinel, and all that's left is fur. Dazzler drops to her knees and once again causes a major supernova that blows the head off one of the Sentinels. But she's barely able to stand afterwards, it's such a huge effort.

Back at the labs, Trask has decided the only way to stop the Sentinels is to overload the generators. He's going to blow up the entire complex. Angel tries to fly him to safety, but Trask slugs him.... causing Angel to let go and he falls back into the complex. Trask begs forgiveness as Angel just barely escapes being consumed in the explosion. This does indeed cause the Sentinels to shut down, but Storm and Dazzler are almost crushed by a falling Sentinel. Until Beast bounds in and saves them both from being crushed. Storm can't believe her eyes.

After the battle, Bishop slips away from the group and contacts Cable. That's right, he's been working with Cable the whole time. He reports that Beast has returned to the team ahead of schedule. Dazzler has went Supernova twice. And the team is actually working well together. Everything is progressing nicely. You know, I'm starting to think Cable isn't the bad guy. He just faked Xavier's death so the X-Men would take things more seriously for the future. Which makes sense, given we have Apocalypse coming up in Ultimate X-Men #90.

[bbmakdaddycomics]

it starts off with pyro being attack by a sentinel and yelling help, then beast jumps in and saves him from a blast. then back to the fenris labs bishop tells the twins to let psylocke go. the twins fire a blast but wolverine moves bishop out of the way. then adreas seays that they are going to kill psylocke, then a flash back shows psylocke dead and bishop saying "no"
he then uses his powers to kill the fenris twins. then some diaolog the stryfe and zero arrive but zero on sight of the x-men runs away trask tries to tell the x-men he and stryfe surrender but stryfe kicks bishop. then psylocke enters stryfes mind after stopping his psy-defences and learns that fenris offered him a job to help wih the sentinel attacks. stryfe gets fed up and strikes psylocke and make the x-men argue with each other which is his mutant ability, then he tries to get away but storm strikes him with lightning. the sentinels inside all are activated and goes to hunt. the x-men follow and are lead to where pyro beast and the mlf are and battles sentinels. and one sentinel just blows feral to smitherines and dazzler starts to feel guilty for not being there so she does a "supernova" and destroys the sentinel. she then passes out and storm helps her. back at the sentinel base trask deactivates the sentinels and sets the detonation and tells angel he should leave but angel grabs him to try to save him but he punches angel allowing himself to fall and the place explodes but angel made it out alive. a sentinel is just about to fire at storm but it shuts down and is about to crush storm and dazzler but beast grabs them both. storm thanks him and looks at his face, she is shocked and beats says hi did you miss me. bishop goes out of the reach of the x-men and starts talking to a radio saying "i need to make tquick. i don't know how long they'll be distracted and i don't know when i'll get another chance to call without being noticed. everything is working out. beast returned--whichs is ahead of schedule. dazzler went supernova twice now. the main thing--they're really working as a team now, helping each other in battle. everything is progressing nicely." then the panel shows who's on the radio it's cable and he says "excellent". the end it was a pretty good issue for me i enjoyed it.

[Brian M.]

Alright...I enjoyed this issue. It was a fairly interesting plot and had a nice wrap up.

[Nyssane]

I'm guessing there was no Ultimate Thumbelina...

[moon knight]

It was alot better than the previous ones. I am a little upset that Wolfsbane died, but the new plot develpoment with Cable made it worth it.

[Grunty]

Well i somewhat doubt that its the last we saw of Wolfsbane.
Sure Ultimate is official less allowed to redo deaths but with Sinister comming out of his grave in nearby future and Beast said there is only fur left, it think i am allowed to doubt.
Teleporter anyone? The same way Xavier didn't died.
Also Wolfsbane is to popular to die THIS SOON after her first apearance.

And lastly who said that Ultimate Apocalyps will be as stupid as his 616 counterpart and only use four agents. Maybe Ult. Apocalyps will use several agents with the Horsemen being only the name of four individual groups of agents.

Additional with Cable being possible not so evil at all. Maybe Ultimate Apocalyps is actualy in the future where Cable is and both are manipulating the events of the past?

[Beast]

Re: Wolfsbane...

She got blasted at point blank range by both canons on the Sentinel's hands. In fact, you can even see her one arm's reduced to bone when it blasts her. Then all we see is blazing fur floating to the ground next to Dazzler.

[Grunty]

Re: Wolfsbane...

She got blasted at point blank range by both canons on the Sentinel's hands. In fact, you can even see her one arm's reduced to bone when it blasts her. Then all we see is blazing fur floating to the ground next to Dazzler.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Okay everyone forget what i just wrote up there. Stupid idea anyway. Still sad to see her go. Damm finaly Kirkman seems to do something right and than that.

[Pyro]

I enjoyed this issue more than I expected to. I still don't like Ultimate Pyro. I find him terribly dull. But everything else clicked. Well... some of the dialogue when the X-Men got riled up was terrible. "Storm, you and your adult body--why do you have to flaunt it in front of me while I'm trapped in the body of a child? It's not fair!" And suicidal Trask was kinda lame... OK what I meant to say was the overall plot was very interesting. With Stryfe being paid to destroy the mutants and their plan coming out of Xavier's death and Cable's machinations and Bishop working with him behind the scenes...

[Erik B]

This issue really made me enjoy what was going on in the series. I think since the "new x-men" took over with bishop at the helm its been pretty interesting but i never saw that plot twist with Cable and Bishop working together. Things are heating up and im glad i stayed on for this book. Lets just hope this artwork does stay and we dont get some horrible substitute to ruin the next arc.

[Weapon Ick]

Three Ultimate characters I like better than thier 616 counterparts: Bishop Psyloke and Zero.

I really hope Ultimate Zero makes another appearance some time. I think I like him because he reminds me of Killface's son Simon on Frisky Dingo.

[Greg Anderson]

Hmm... if you guys are enjoying it, then it must be good. Maybe I'll check it out.

[rajincajun689]

Three Ultimate characters I like better than thier 616 counterparts: Bishop Psyloke and Zero.

I really hope Ultimate Zero makes another appearance some time. I think I like him because he reminds me of Killface's son Simon on Frisky Dingo.

good call on Bishop, I can't stand the 616 version, but the ultimate version has become one of my favorites. I haven't been putting much hope in kirkman but as of this issue I think he may have revived Ultimate X-Men. I'm excited to see where this whole Cable/Bishop/Apocalypse thing goes.

[CmX]

I hadn't read Ultimate XMen since like Vaughn was writing and just recently picked up the series again when Psylocke joined the team.

What's Ult Cable all about? I just know it's a future version of Wolverine right?

[Toboe]

I didn't see Bishop's twist coming, but still... I just don't care anymore.
This has been dragging on forever and feels as if Kirkman is just throwing together lots of 616 old concepts from the nineties and call it a day.

Not even Yanick Paquette's nice art is doing anything for me. First Civil War: X-Men and now this, the guy needs to be on better books.

I'm beginning to doubt Kirkman will be able to pull off a good Apocalypse story... And he's bringing the Brood along with the Shadow King?
At least the cover to issue #90 looks stunning, I really like Vaughan's Sinister and I mostly enjoy Larroca, so I might give it one last try.

[myslead]

well who would have thought ... that's a twist I never even saw coming even if it was right in my face all along lol.

[Funkdmonkey]

Awesome issue!

A lot of progression in many different ways, good art, good twists, and generally decent dialogue. Complete breath of fresh air compared to some of the recent issues.

[pariah-1972]

Very boring.
It feels like Kirkman has been instructed to drag things out as long as possible for the or dictated by the editors (for what reason i'm still not sure? anyone have any idea?)
he keeps trying to pile on shock endings instead of trying to tell a coherent story.
the art is very bland too.
i'm actually anxiously waiting for this "ultimatum" crossover just to see how they are going to change things.
i wish i knew what happened to the long promised bryan singer story
.
Marvel must have really run out of writers for this book since it seems pretty insane that they let Kirkman run this thing into the ground critically and commercially for so long.

[MaxofSteel]

I'm loving Paquette's art on this book. It's the main reason I keep buying it. The reveal at the end was surprising to me as well. I'd like to see how this bad boy turns out.

[Romus]

Is Colossus no longer in the book?

[Beast]

Is Colossus no longer in the book?
He shows up on occassion. But no, at the moment he's working Construction and shacking up with Northstar.

[Siddon]

I liked it, I saw the twists coming a mile away, it looks like they are building four seperate teams each with a dark character. I think Ultimate Apocaylpse might just be a huge fight between the Hellfire club (Emma Frost), Dark Phoenix (Scott and Jean), Wolverine (6-pack), and the Brotherhood (Magneto).

[pariah-1972]

I think its odd that everyone on here has suddenly changed there mind about this.
it was just last issue everyone online has been slamming this book:confused:

[motman96]

It is evident from the solicitations that the book has undergone some changes in this story arc. In the previous issue Cable was suppossed to reveal a dark secret to Xavier and in the next issue it says that the X-Men take on the Fenris twins, Sentinels and Stryfe who are now defeated and/or dead.

I wonder where the next issue is going to wrap up the story arc obviosly Storm is going to lose it to the Shadow King perhaps with Beasts return being the trigger.

[sgt pepper]

The dialogue and pacing in this issue are really really awful. This is one of the worst comics I read on a regular basis (irony, I know). Please make it stop.


I dig the art and character/costume designs, though.

[Toboe]

It is evident from the solicitations that the book has undergone some changes in this story arc.

Solicits for this book have been quite flawed for a while. I believe since Kirkman's first arc. I dunno if Kirkman is constantly changing his mind or something.

I read the issue again. It was a nice idea for the aftermath of Xavier's death, but badly executed, as most of Kirkman's run has been. And I still don't get what the Fenris twins were trying to accomplish. Although they were also incoherent when Vaughan first introduced them...

I think my biggest problem so far is the dialogue. Kirkman just doesn't get most of this characters, except for Jean Grey, Storm to some degree, and, surprisingly, Beast. But he's destroyed Cyclops and Nightcrawler, turned Colossus and Rogue into wallpaper, and made Dazzler a joke of herself. Everyone else is meh. And they all seem to be dragged by the bad plot rather than acting by themselves.

I still dig Paquette, though. Even though Psylocke's outfit is terrible, and so is Wolverine's face.

[MattXG]

I can't help but feel with a writer of Kirkman's caliber that the haterz will be begging him for more after the Apocalypse arc. ;)

[Kefky]

The dialogue and pacing in this issue are really really awful. This is one of the worst comics I read on a regular basis (irony, I know). Please make it stop.


I dig the art and character/costume designs, though.

Why do you pay for things you don't like?

[pariah-1972]

Why do you pay for things you don't like?Maybe hes a masochist?

[Last_Avenger]

well finally an issue of UXM I've been mildly interested in. However, a trend of Kirkman's is really starting to annoy me, and that is his pacing. He drags out the stuff that could be wrapped up quickly and the things he does quickly need to be dragged out. I haven't really felt anything for these characters so far, Stryfe was such a weak character, it's like this whole is just him throwing shit together.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it, post-cable has been nothing but "thrills" compared to what has happened previously. Let's just hope he really steps up his game for Apocalypse, that will be the defining moment of the series so far since Return of the King. Nothing monumental involving a "big baddie" has happened in a long time.

Otherwise I'm very curious as to how Storm will react to Beast, she's basically been Wolverine's lesbian buddy, so I'm concerned, cause Wolverine needs somebody.

Oh, and on a last note, I'm so excited to see a possible good Cable, I knew Wolverine couldn't be that screwed up in the future.

[Hi-Fi]

I can't help but feel with a writer of Kirkman's caliber that the haterz will be begging him for more after the Apocalypse arc. ;)
That would go against my begging him to leave and never return, though.

[Omega Alpha]

I can't help but feel with a writer of Kirkman's caliber that the haterz will be begging him for more after the Apocalypse arc. ;)

Well, we already have a writer of Kirkman's caliber on the book and we don't want him anymore.

[Binks Drake]

One halfway decent comic does not make up for...what is it six arcs that were absolutly god awful. When I read his stuff it's like reading fan-fiction wirtten by a third grader. I have not bought any of his stuff because it's god-awful, but i've managed to read it all through friends and such. I'm just praying that the powers that be at marvel come to thier senses and throw this guy out so we can have somebody good fix the title before doing anything big like apocalypse.

When Mark Miller was writing this title, it was one of the best things i've ever read. Seriously, go back and read the old miller issues, it was amazing, they were so undeniably human back then, and now they are just super heroes, and bad ones. I admit that I was not a big fan of most of Vaghn's stuff, but boy did he pull it together in the end. The Magnetic North arc was some of the best stuff I ever read, and Kirkman basically threw it all away unceremoniously. He left that title with enough material to fill 100 comics. Emma is obviously unstable, phoenix...we all know that craziness, Rogue having gambits powers, collossus and northstar's relationship, angel going undercover. You could spend a good six issues dealing with all of those points before getting around to dealing with Apocalypse or Dark Phoenix.

Well that's my take anyway.

[Beast]

He's not going anywhere. At least until next year when Loeb destroys the X-Men.

[Joe Franklin]

He's not going anywhere. At least until next year when Loeb destroys the X-Men.

Ultimate X-Men is so subpar right now, that a good destruction shakeup is just what it needs to maybe become a little better.

[Beast]

Ultimate X-Men is so subpar right now, that a good destruction shakeup is just what it needs to maybe become a little better.
Considering the rumors include cancellation, I don't know about that. ;)

[Joe Franklin]

Considering the rumors include cancellation, I don't know about that. ;)

I bet it won't be cancelled altogether. 50K selling titles make marvel money, so I can't see them axing it altogether. Relaunching it with a #1 issue and a new creative team is a strong possibility though.

[soulkiller]

I hope it does get revamped...please for the love of puppies.

Kirkman needs to find something else to write and stay faaar away from Ultimate X-Men. Any X-Men for that matter. If his stories aren't mind-numbingly boring, then they're just annoying. Between Rogue's character assasination, Storm's idiotic play and everything else... what a waste of money. Which is sad because he's supposed to be such a good writer. I just don't understand why he's not handling this title very well.

At least Rogue's not an active member anymore...

[worstblogever]

I hope it does get revamped...please for the love of puppies.

Kirkman needs to find something else to write and stay faaar away from Ultimate X-Men. Any X-Men for that matter. If his stories aren't mind-numbingly boring, then they're just annoying. Between Rogue's character assasination, Storm's idiotic play and everything else... what a waste of money. Which is sad because he's supposed to be such a good writer. I just don't understand why he's not handling this title very well.

At least Rogue's not an active member anymore...

You forgot about Ultimate Kurt getting the presitigous position of leading the Morlocks. Which... was written well, really... but it took Nightcrawler out of the book... so it kind of sucks.

[pariah-1972]

I love it when Psylocke says "why do you have to flaunt your adult body in front of me?"
that seriously has to go down as some of the worst dialogue ever.

[CmX]

Was #88 delayed? I don't see it shipping this week or next. :confused:

[rwsmith]

Considering the rumors include cancellation, I don't know about that. ;)

The latest rumor in LITG has Ultimate X-men and Ultimate FF only shipping 6 issues per year a piece (probably in alternate months). So I'm guessing that a couple of slow yet high-profile artists take over those books. Perhaps Finch and McNiven?

[saintsaucey]

question, whatrs the deal with ultimate bishope i am reading the new mutants story line and bishop was meantioned but turned down as one of the possible members of emma frost's team. so is it the same one in kirkmans story line or no

[pariah-1972]

question, whatrs the deal with ultimate bishope i am reading the new mutants story line and bishop was meantioned but turned down as one of the possible members of emma frost's team. so is it the same one in kirkmans story line or noI don't remember the scene in question but there are two Bishops running around right now just one happens to be locked up at this moment.

[DeREk FrEEsT]

I don't remember the scene in question but there are two Bishops running around right now just one happens to be locked up at this moment.

Dude it was the past and future bishop, Bishop in prison = modern age, Bishop leading X-men = the future bishop.

[DeREk FrEEsT]

Was #88 delayed? I don't see it shipping this week or next. :confused:

It'll be in on Dec 5th I believe and will see wtf Kirkman decided to flow with instead.

[pariah-1972]

Dude it was the past and future bishop, Bishop in prison = modern age, Bishop leading X-men = the future bishop.Uh fucking duh.
"dude"

[DeREk FrEEsT]

Uh fucking duh.
"dude"

Sorry but from reading your reply to the other guy I wasn't sure if you knew they were the same bishop or not. You only said there's 2 bishops running around but didn't respond if they were the same or not. Again sorry about that.