Powers of X #5 Review: One More Time for the Children

Previously on Reviews of X: There was NO TOUCHING. Now in Powers of X #5, there’s a lot of talking and some eating of elders in the distant future. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Powers of X #5: For the Children

Story: Jonathan Hickman

Art: R.B. Silva

Colors: Marte Gracia

Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Publisher: Marvel

Logistics and Governance

What’s more exciting than logistics and figuring out who’s going to govern your new mutant nation? Maybe a lot of things, but this is still a fun read.

Powers of X #5 spends a lot of time showing us how Professor X convinced Forge to help him build his resurrection machine. These might not be the most exciting pages in the series, but I love this stuff. I’m a sucker for villains explaining their evil plans. Sorry, did I say “villains”? I meant “creepy bald guys who need five separate backups of mutant minds”.

R.B. Silva draws a super creepy Professor X. He’s even more unsettling when he’s not wearing Cerebro. Brrr.

The issue continues as Professor X and Magneto recruit Emma Frost into their Quiet Council of Krakoa. This is where things get juicy. While the discussion with Forge answers some questions coming out of House of X #5, the scenes with Emma ask new questions, mainly “who else is in the twelve-person ruling council of Krakoa?”

Go away, little man.

After some talking between Professor X and Forge and then Professor X, Magneto, and Emma Frost, we get more talking between Professor X and Namor.

I was wondering when and if Namor would appear in HoX PoX. I’m glad Hickman brought the Sub-Mariner in for a scene that, short as it is, perfectly captures Namor’s character. It also explains why he usually stays away from the affairs of the crazy X-weirdos. He doesn’t have time for mutant mischief and mayhem. He’s better than everyone and he knows it.

These-Are-Our-[Phalanx]-Terms

We’re back in Year One Thousand and we’re still dealing with the Phalanx and Earth’s ascension. At least now we know that the price for ascension is total annihilation. No biggie.

It’s still not clear what this part of the HoX PoX story means to the other time periods, though. Whatever the point is, I hope it’s worth it.

IN CONCLUSION

This issue feels like the calm before the storm. We’re being shown how things were set up as well as some hints into where things might go after Hox PoX wraps up, maybe to prepare our faces for being melted by the last couple of issues. It would have been boring if it didn’t involve Creepfessor X and Namor. And sharks.

Powers of X #5 is available now wherever fine comic books are sold.