Exiles #93

Background

With Psylocke on the team, Sabretooth and Morph head out to the other world with her to rescue their teammates. However, what they don't know is they're being brainwashed into the service of Hydra, led by Sue Storm! The Exiles have only a few hours to kill Reed Richards, leader of the freedom movement on the world, before the dimension is wiped out from existence.

CURRENT EXILES:

SABRETOOTH (Victor Creed): Enhanced senses and healing.

BLINK (Clarice Ferguson): Teleportation

MORPH (Kevin MacTaggert): Shape-shifting.

DR. HEATHER HUDSON: Scientist.

LONGSHOT: Agility and luck powers.

SPIDER-MAN 2099 (Miguel O'Hara): Spider-like powers and talons.

PSYLOCKE (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock): Telekinesis.

Story 'Shall the Past be Prologue?'

Slaymaster engages the Exiles, with the offer of join them or die. Sabretooth objects and fights back, realizing Slaymaster is a bit more skilled in fighting than he is. Sabretooth tries to make use of the fallen Hand ninjas' weapons by throwing a barrage at Slaymaster to keep him distant, but he gets in his own shot right into Sabretooth's chest, leaving him open for a death blow.

Meanwhile, Wolverine and Sue get closer to Reed as Reed asks Psylocke whose side she's on; parading around his lab while using her telekinesis to render herself invisible. She tells Reed their plan, and he tells her there's more going on than they realize. She tells him to find a better answer, and he directs her attention to a monitor showing Slaymaster's fight with Sabretooth. Psylocke collapses as she remembers when her Slaymaster ripped out her eyes, and awakens to find Reed had left her somewhere else, urging her to go help her friends and trust him.

At the Crystal Palace, Heather tries what she can at her end to prevent the destruction of that world, with the computers resisting her at every turn. Back on Earth, Elektra invades the White House, taking out the Hand guards and President Iron Man in order to reach her prize: Valera, daughter of Reed and Sue. She was encased in suspended animation to escape her mother's evil coercion, but as she attacks Elektra it seems that plan had failed.

Morph interjects and saves Sabretooth from Slaymaster, only to be taken down easily himself. Slaymaster returns his attentions on Sabretooth, using his reliance on his healing to cripple him and leave him open to be killed. But, Longshot's luck power had helped him fight his programming, and he offers up a new challenge.. They do their best, but Slaymaster still stands and catches Heather's message to them all that the world is doomed. He takes off for parts unknown, while the Exiles gather themselves to find their teammates.

Elsewhere, Reed holds his own against Sue as Wolverine closes in on them, covered in her invisibility. Reed tells her he can give her the entire omniverse in exchange for leaving his world once and for all. This offers intriguing possibilities for her, so Sue stops the attack and waits to hear more.

General Comments

An all-action issue with not much story development, but some clues dropped along the way of something bigger than what's been presented. Although, for some reason, Claremont has given everyone a new way of talking by contracting a bunch of words together. Sabretooth, you'd expect that from, but everyone else is a little bit of overkill. Also, Psylocke appears to be taking center stage unlike any new exile of issues past. Despite that, so far it's turning out to be a pretty good introductory story for Claremont.

Overall Rating

4.5 Webs. Not too much development, but the story is progressing nicely.

Footnote

In every issue, Morph takes on some familiar and unusual forms. Here, we'll try to chronicle as many as we can in a section we'll call: MORPH'S MORPHS!

Morph's morphs: Iron Fist, Sasquatch with Thing arms, giant gavel