Earth X #9

Background

The Red Skull and his armies have made their way to New York and with each new group of super heroes the Red Skull crosses, his forces grow stronger. Meanwhile Captain America is busy gathering forces of his own overseas to battle the Red Skull.

X-51 is starting to rebel against Uatu now that John Jameson is there to talk to, to help give X-51 a human perspective on the events taking place back on Earth.

Story 'Chapter Nine'

It is reveals by X-51 looking into the past that it might have been the Celestials who implanted the mutable seed within everyone on Earth but it was the Inhumans that caused the germination. Black Bolt and Maximus are brothers and because of Black Bolt being the king of the Inhumans drove Maximus mad and vowed that one day the kingdom would be his.

X-51 tells of Quicksilver and the Inhuman, Crystal, who had a baby girl who was unaffected by the Terrigan Mists until she returned to Earth, which was depicted in the beginning of the series. He also tells of the Inhumans ruling council which imposed very strict laws on reproduction fearing of the lose of the purity of their nation. Any births were considered miracles and some were even given to the council to raise, as was the case with Black Bolt's son.

On further reflection, after X-51 sees how after the royal class of Inhumans left Earth and the rest of the Inhumans scattered about, X-51 realized that the Terrigan Mists saved them all from the pollutants outside of the Hidden Lands. It was believed that these would kill any Inhuman who left their lands. X-51 reveals that the Terrigan Mists didn't, in fact, mutate the world but saved it.

X-51 decides that he is going to talk to Reed Richards and explain to him all that is happening and why. When X-51 downloaded all the information he learned of Uatu's mode of transportation which is how he plans to get back to Earth. Meanwhile John Jameson realizes that he should have changed into Man-Wolf by now and it is X-51 who thinks it is the Celestials, standing watch who have done something to the sun.

Captain America, Colossus and the rest of the army he has amassed gain entry to Captain Britain's palace where they ask him for help. He says that he can't because it would leave his homeland defenseless. Asking him for the help of Excalibur, Brian reveals that they are trapped in stone under the Gargoyle's curse. Steve tries to get Brian's help but it appears to be pointless.

Back in New York, the red Skull has barged into Norman Osborn's office and has taken control of Osborn's enforcers. Turning the Spiders Man on the president, he makes Norman see Gwen again, and face his past demons. Trying to back away from her Norman falls out the window, gets his leg caught on the flag and in the fall, snaps his neck the same way Gwen, herself, died.

The Red Skull, now the new president makes a television broadcast announcing his take-over of America and letting everyone know that Norman Osborn is now dead. As Iron Man and the Vision watch this Tony questions why it is that the Red Skull destroyed the Iron Avengers. Why did he not control them and use them in his army? This makes him think that the Skull couldn't control them at all.

Luna, the daughter of Quicksilver and Crystal is still mutating while the rest of the Inhumans try to figure out who it was who released the Terrigan Mists into the atmosphere. Medusa confronts her husband, Black Bolt, saying that it couldn't have been his brother, Maximus, because Maximus was already dead when the device that released the mists was activated. It had to be Black Bolt himself.

Somewhere on the streets below in New York, X-51 finds Reed Richards and shows him what is about to happening. After the vision Reed falls back saying that they are all germs, but X-51 tells him no, that they are all antibodies, and then goes on to tell him of the Celestials plan for mankind. X-51 finally lays down the truth to Reed. The Celestrails implanted the seed within the populace not to create new Celestrails but to create a population strong enough to protect the Celestials growing inside the planet itself.

X-51 also says that the reason for everything, every decision ever made by anyone was because of the seeds implanted within everyone to get them all exactly where they are today. The Celestials needed humanity to protect their young and everyone needed to be strong and have the exact powers they have. The Red Skull might seem like an enemy but he is a key player in the Celestials' plans. He was suppose to be able to control everyone so that there could never be a civil war among the populace. He was suppose to be able to control everyone so that no one would fight and end up dying before their true propose was fulfilled.

General Comments

It seems that all the plans of both Captain America and the Red Skull are pointless and that there isn't any good or evil. It doesn't matter that everyone is fighting each other, as long as the earth fights off any invading alien race from harming the Celestials growing inside the planet. X-51 goes and confronts Reed Richards and tells him all this, and that if the Celestials growing inside the Earth are born, it'll be the destruction of the planet.

Overall Rating

I'm so lost with this series. The reasons why Earth's population has mutated has been turned around so many times and now we find out that people are not becoming Celestials but they are like anti-bodies protecting the Celestials growing inside the Earth. Come on. And every time we find out that no matter who fights and wins between Captain America and his army and the army of the Red Skull, it really doesn't matter, makes me just want to skip all those story pages and get right to the parts about the Celestials. If that's the main story then stick to it, don't go on and on and show the fruitless struggles of the heroes we all know and love.

And what ever happened between Hulk, Bruce Banner and Thor fighting against the Sorceress Supreme? Bruce Banner has a dream and believes that the spirit of Captain Marvel will be able to tell him something important about the destruction of the planet. That's not even hinted at in this issue.

This series started off with some promise but it has since lost it all and I'm wishing it to be over as quickly as possible. It's amazing how an Alex Ross cover can sell comics even when the story inside is foolish and pointless.

Footnote

"And now you know... the rest of the story." - Paul Harvey