Paradise X: Heralds #2

Background

With the Celestial embryo removed from the Earth, X-51 (aka Machine Man) has learned that there have been a multitude of alternate realities whose Earths aren't quite as fortunate. With Mephisto no longer capable of creating those alternate realities, X-51 decides to take action and remove the embryos from the alternate Earths. X-51 has assembled a group of heroes from various time periods to complete that task.

Story Details

Before the story resumes we get a nice recap from Uatu that fills in a few minor gaps, such as Spider-Man founding the Fantastic Four in the reality Spider-Girl and Wolverine went to.

Hyperion stands on a mound of corpses as X-51 pleads with him to show a little compassion to the residents of the world now run by Kulan Gath. After attempting to reason with him, X-51 allows Hyperion to melt Gath's head when he laughs in his face when he tells him of the Celestial embryo.

In the futuristic world, Deathlok and Killraven have surrendered and are taken to the one who commands the robots; the beautiful Saturnyne. She doesn't particularly care about the impending Celestial embryo as it's more than 1000 years from hatching, but she does take a fancy to Killraven.

On the vampire world, Arno and Bloodstorm are escorted by the vampires to meet Mole Man. When they learn the truth of their world, Reed Richards decides to drop a bomb to the center of the world to wipe everything out, not wishing for the plague of vampirism to spread any further than it has.

Spider-Girl and Wolverine fight the giant purple monster who is later revealed to be a creature called Brute from the Negative Zone who is masquerading as Reed Richards. They're rescued by Namor and his wife; the Invisible Woman. They're taken to Atlantis where they learn that the embryo had been dealt with some time ago.

The heroes all return to the moon to find Uatu surrounded by a group of Watchers who have apparently arrived to kill him.

General Comments

I'm really left wondering whether or not Killraven and Deathlok succeeded. That scene ended abruptly with what I'm guessing was a failure, but their reappearance back at the moon doesn't really make much sense. X-51 and Hyperion have a similar result with X-51 wondering who he can give the data regarding the Celestial to. I suppose one of the villagers took it and sold it for a cow or something.

The visits to each respective reality don't last very long and do little more than show off how a few changes can have an impact. What that impact is supposed to mean is left a bit more ambiguous.

Overall, I can't say I'm all that concerned with X-51's quest, and it apparently won't go on any further. Or at least we won't be seeing much more of it now that Uatu's impending death seems to be taking centre stage. I'm pleased that we no longer have to read something like a bad issue of Exiles (any of the Claremont ones) and this new premise seems more promising and more relevant to X series as a whole.

Overall Rating

Still rather average stuff. Colour me disappointed so far.