Exiles #40

Background

The book Exiles can best be described as that television series Sliders meets What If? in the Marvel Universe. The characters are typically alternate forms of the ones we know, giving tons of creative freedom to do with them as they wish. A team is picked by some being known as the Timekeeper and sent to some alternate world with a mission to 'set things right', meaning fixing that given reality.

The team can rotate around, sending members back to their world and replacing them with others from different realities. I should also say that so far there seems to be two distinct teams performing their missions in this title, usually alternating over to the other teams adventures with each story arc. One team is the Exiles, still adhering to their morals and principles as they try to complete their mission. The other team is Weapon X, and they will do whatever it takes to get home.

Our interest lies in the form of an alternate Spider-Man, a member of Weapon X, he is Peter Parker the Spider, joined with an alien symbiote. The differences are this Spider looks more like Carnage, not to mention he has all the murdering tendencies to boot. Yes, this Spider is a stone-cold killer. The team leader is Gambit, others include Ms. Marvel, Storm, Colossus, and Vision.

Story Details

Inside Storms city, Storm greets Gambit with nothing less than a kiss. Storm tells the others of the asteroid when Hyperion, Rogue, Iceman, and Ms. Marvel enter. His plan is to stop the asteroid with Rogues help after absorbing some of his power. Hyperion then suggests the others teleport to asteroid M, apparently Hyperion doesnt have that much confidence in his success, since I dont see the point of leaving if Hyperion can stop the asteroid.

The others take off to asteroid M, while Rogue and Hyperion get ready. Iceman fills in Quicksilver on the events that happened so far, and while he isnt happy to learn of his fathers death, he accepts it nonetheless, knowing how insane his plan was. Rogue and Hyperion are busy blasting away at the asteroid when Rogue asks for a recharge of power. Hyperion refuses as he comes to the conclusion they cannot stop the asteroid. He flies off leaving Rogue to be incinerated by the intense heat of the speeding juggernaut.

The asteroid hits.

Kitty takes Peter away, knowing that with Earth destroyed, Hyperion wont want to stay and rule a dead planet, that he will come back and kill her and the others. They end up running right into Hyperion. Colossus makes an effort to take Hyperion out, when Hyperion blows out a section of the hull, sucking both Kitty and Peter into space. Gambit watches both of them floating outside.

Spider wonders if this means he gets to kill the others now, when Hyperion makes his entrance from outside, creating another hull breach behind him. He grabs Forge and throws him out the same hole. Iceman seals the hole and Quicksilver tries his best against Hyperion, only to have his neck snapped an instant later. Gambit urges the Storm to escape with Vanisher, but where to go? Earth is no more. Spider impales Vanisher through the heart.

Gambit gets Spider to back off with a shot of his own, then Vanisher teleports away with Gambit and Storm. Two new replacements show up, as Colossus ran out of air and Vision surely went up when the asteroid hit Earth. Bruce Banner in Hulk form and Firestar. Firestar informs Hyperion that the Timebroker is not happy with him as they both attack Iceman, literally shattering him to pieces.

Gambit and the others are hiding somewhere on the asteroid ship, knowing it will all be over soon. The last strength in Vanisher fades away, and Storm begs Gambit to kill her, as she doesnt want Hyperion to touch her. Gambit fulfills her last wish just as the others arrive. As the Tallus informs Gambit they can all move on, Hyperion remarks that this was only their first opportunity to rule.

And that to Hyperion, it was all rather amusing...

General Comments

Huh. Well, this storyline did bring up an interesting point, what if they did not complete the mission they are supposed to? However we wont know since they ended up completing the mission anyway. Kind of a moot point then. I feel some things were strange or lacking in this story, most notably that Magneto was on an asteroid ship, which in turn was holding another asteroid to attack the Earth with.

I for one think it would have brought a lot more to the story if we knew how all that happened, other than simply telling the reader Magneto has an asteroid in his back pocket. It seems to me Weapon X and this title in general was an excuse to introduce a very nasty Hyperion on a killing spree and wreaking havoc in general.

Spider was portrayed as being more evil in this arc than in Iron Fist, so I am not sure if this is a true representation of the Spider character, or if the other stories never took it to that extreme. At any rate, it seems like a big difference, which does not speak well when you are trying to write stories with certain characters who already have established qualities and you either change them or take them to a whole new level.

Overall Rating

I cant say I was all that impressed with this arc once I had all the pieces in front of me. Great promise, but descended into fighting with little interest. Two webs for the finale.