X-Men Blue #9

Written by Cullen Bunn

Penciled by Cory Smith
Cover by Arthur Adams
Published Aug 16, 2017

   In the mutant nation of New Tian, Danger distracts the new brotherhood while Jean and Jimmy try to escape a battle between Polaris and her ex-lover Havok. She orders them to leave and they heed her call. Down the hallway, they get past some armed guards and telepathically, Marvel Girl removes the dampeners from Angel, Iceman, and Beast.

CHA-CHING!

   Jimmy stabs through the cell door and they walk in, freeing most of the trapped X-Men and now desperate to save Cyclops from Emma Frost. Meanwhile, the battle between Polaris and Havok rages, they find Briar Raleigh, and Danger holds former New Mutants turned Brotherhood of Evil Mutants at bay.
   Suddenly the door bursts open and Emma and a mind controlled Cyclops and Xorn burst in. She quickly overpowers Beast's magic and the battle between them continues. Finally Jean is able to stop Scott for a minute and get through to him. She needs him back. She needs him to fight. Emma is rewriting his peronality. Jean fights back and Emma's concentration breaks. All it takes is a moment and the pacifist Xorn is able to resist. 

I H8 JEAN 4-EVA!!

   Scott blasts her and they make a break for it. With only a few brotherhood lackeys in the way, they storm through them, with Warren of course asking Firestar for a date first. Safe on the blackbird, it's revealed Magneto sent Polaris and Danger to babysit the young X-Men. Odder yet, Jean and Scott now share an even deeper psychic connection.
   The issue wraps with Captain America and Magneto having a discussion. Cap is upset that Magneto hasn't been able to reign in his X-Men. Magneto sees it a different way. Beneath Utopia, Emma and Havok walk towards a basement talking about how New Tian is on borrowed time. The next phase reveals Bastion and Miss Sinister. Things are about to get heavy but we'll have to wait, as this issue is left to be continued.

We've literally been here the whole time!

   I'm curious if the newly shared connection between Jean and Scott reveals the two of them getting closer in issues to come. It's an interesting situation. Scott has tried to kiss her before but she kind of shut him down. Nobody said their future has to necessarily go the way their past dictated. It's a subject Cullen Bunn has navigated before and I'm looking forward to see which way he takes it. This issue was pretty good. I'm ready to close the book on Secret Empire and so are the X-Men. I give this one a 9/10.

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