Just two weeks after Prodigy swiftly defeated Hellion, NYX #5 arrived to conclude the series’ opening arc. Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Francesco Mortarino, Elisabetta D’Amico, Rául Angulo, and VCs Joe Sabino and Annalize Bissa form the creative coalition behind this issue. Now that her castmates have been doing their part to share their own issues, it’s now Sophie’s turn to tell the story of Empath’s final phase.
Even if the last issue of NYX still feels very recent in our minds, that sentiment resonates even more with this book’s lead. The exact timeline remains vague, but it’s possible that only a day or two has passed since the Prodigy and Hellion brawl. Despite losing key members in this battle, the remaining Quiet Council, Empaths, and Stepford Cuckoos remain on the verge of a major victory. Manuel de la Rocha and the Stepford Spice Girls’ plan to take over Manhattan, after using the Hellion terrorist attack to stir up anti-mutant sentiment and funneling their fortunes to the New York City Council, is now in New York. It all depends on the city’s ghetto plan for mutants. Operating from the shadows, this silent council aims to accelerate the oppression of mutants and capitalize on the inevitable upsurge of revolution that grows in response. Riding that wave, they would build the Krakoa that their critics had feared. It is a colonialist, anti-human nation that perpetrates violence in the name of oppressed mutants, ruled by an impenetrable oligarchy of rich white people.
Considering everything that’s at stake, Sophie’s choice (sorry) about the role she plays in the final moments is crucial. Of course, victory over the ghetto proposal depends on everyone’s contribution. Anole’s call to the Morlocks, Wolverine taking over the local news media to focus on voting, Prodigy’s art, and the rallying of Ms. Marvel’s human allies, not to mention her grand speech to the nation. New York people. But none of this would happen without three important choices by Sophie. Apologize to your friends, share details of your plans for the Silent Council, and nullify the mental/emotional manipulation of city council votes by empaths and cuckoos. Although my heart is clear, members of the City Council are likely upset by Ms. Marvel’s plea, or perhaps any public pressure behind it. As in the Upside Down “Xavier’s Uprising,” Sophie saves the day not with her sisters, but in spite of them. In both cases, victory came at a price. Sophie survives, but is cut off from her sisters and appears to be completely free of her supernatural powers.
An analysis of NYX #5 would be incomplete without recognizing the elections that took place in the United States last week. As the most explicitly political book in the X-Line, it’s clear that Lansing and Kelly knew they needed to say something about this issue, regardless of the outcome of the election. Of course, it would be an insult to equate what the miracle of Krakoa has meant for so many people to the largely incompetent and downright violent Biden-Harris administration, as well as the downfall of Krakoa and the rise of a second Trump term. will certainly create a shock. Parallel feelings between a race of mutants and those alienated from real society.
Last week, many northern white liberals fantasized about deporting their Latino and Middle Eastern/North African neighbors and Southern states that have remained red through decades of gerrymandering and voter suppression. I have spent my time praying for the catastrophic destruction of the planet, but it’s all in the name of that name. This is payback for giving Trump victory. Given this, the act of empaths, hellions, and cuckoos accelerating the suffering of their own kind seems all the more plausible, and all the more repugnant.
“People say we look alike/They say we have the same hair”
Credit: Marvel Comics
With all this in mind, I completely understand that some people may find NYX #5’s resolution naive, condescending, or tone-deaf. I disagree. Yes, victory over the mutant ghettoization of New York City rests on the idea that “if we all come together, our voices will be heard!” It’s disingenuous to put a message like this next to a presidential election, but this story is about a city, not an entire country. In local or “small” politics, individual voices heard at the right time can actually lead to meaningful change. As a queer and transgender person living in the South, it is disheartening to see Trump win again. At the same time, seven states (including fellow red state Missouri) strengthened access to and protections for abortion, three states codified same-sex marriage rights, and Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib Both senators secured re-election despite their stance on abortion freedom. Palestine, but it’s their fault. These wins are significant, as was the win at NYX #5.
Mortarino and Angulo are now NYX staples, and this issue adds Elisabetta D’Amico as Mortarino’s pencil inker. From Kamala’s tears to Laura’s rage, this issue is full of people feeling strong emotions, and this team of artists captures them perfectly. In particular, Sophie, burnt out after being hit hard by telepathy, looks so messed up that it feels very real and heavy. I also continue to enjoy the repetition of Krakoan text in NYX’s art. My favorite this week is from among the protest signs that read “Krakkoa Everywhere Now” on Anole’s banner.
As for the shortcomings, your evaluation may change depending on how you feel about the victory at the end. I can only imagine how this article would read in a world where Trump was not re-elected. But if this issue just really made you uncomfortable, perhaps future arcs will resonate with you more. As teased on the last page, this drama does not take place in New York. Sync is coming for the Prodigy, Mojo is still present and somehow connected to the next Dazzler concert, and is it Kiden Nixon? Oh my goodness.
NYX #5 may be Sophie Stepford’s solo issue, but she’s certainly not alone as the cast gathers for the finale of the first arc. Superhero stories are inherently political stories, and X-Men more than any other book, and even more so than most other current X-books, NYX says it is a political book. I’m not trying to pretend it’s not. Saving a plight for the downtrodden doesn’t seem to match up with the world outside our windows these days. That makes NYX #5 an interesting balancing act. Many other hopes for change, even small victories, can turn to ashes, but just as ashes remain, so do we. It is not a call for hope or blessing, but a call to life.
Sophie Stepford takes a stand in NYX #5
New Yorks #5
NYX #5 may be Sophie Stepford’s solo issue, but she’s certainly not alone as the cast gathers for the finale of the first arc. Superhero stories are inherently political stories, and X-Men more than any other book, and even more so than most other current X-books, NYX says it is a political book. I’m not trying to pretend it’s not. Saving a plight for the downtrodden doesn’t seem to match up with the world outside our windows these days. That makes NYX #5 an interesting balancing act. Many other hopes for change, even small victories, can turn to ashes, but just as ashes remain, so do we. It is not a call for hope or blessing, but a call to life.
“Everywhere is Krakoa now.”
Kamala leans on Nadia for cross-organizing
Aamir overcomes cousin Bilal’s radicalized anti-mutant hatred
Sophie surprises her sisters with her telepathy
If only I could move this well in just 24 hours.
