r/MarvelMidnight • u/Jinjoz Mutant • 10d ago
Midnight X-Men Teeth - Midnight X-Men Full Review & Summary (SPOILERS) Spoiler
Summary
In the midst of the concrete jungle called New York stands a cathedral amidst the chaos of the city. As a group of guards get into position, Cardinal Stryker steps out of his vehicle to prevent them from entering the cathedral, for it is holy ground that shall not be tainted. While Major Corvo objects, Cardinal Stryker assures him that during these dark and cursed times, he will be a lot safer inside alone than outside with him.
Stryker is there to meet with Bishop Wagner, who politely asks to speak in English, as his Latin has never seemed to stick. Stryker is a bit disappointed, hoping that the old ways would push out the new.
He presents Bishop Wagner with a letter stating that the powers he possesses will be extended so that he may act independently inside his archdiocese. Bishop Wagner is unaware of this change and asks why exactly Stryker is there.
He responds, “We are here to kill vampires.”
On an encrypted radio transmission, Citizen Trish Tilby counts the days since the first recorded occurrence of the infection that brought vampires into the world. While they are unable to track them via telepaths or cameras, the gaps they leave in surveillance data can lead to them. As she broadcasts the location of a group of vampires, a small detachment of humans responds.
Among them is Hope, a newcomer who learns that a clash between mutant vampires, Empyres, and vampires has been steadily growing over the past decade, threatening to sever the peace.
As they push deeper into the building, they come across a collection of strongholds: enhanced coffins that seem to be strengthening and preserving those inside. At first, they discover that those contained within are in some sort of cryosleep. But a quick flick of the lights, the sound of beating hearts, and rising panic reveal that they are being stalked by a monster.
Inside the House of X, Quicksilver arrives to inform Magneto and the others that a group of humans have disturbed the strongholds of the Toriac Clan.
While Magneto wishes to save these people, Lorna and Wanda remind him that the peace must hold. They cannot go against the vampire clans without risking the severing of that peace.
Magneto takes a moment before telling them to send someone who can.
As Hope watches her companions' guts being torn from their bellies, a Reaver Vampire taunts her, telling her that fear adds a flavor to the meat that he particularly enjoys.
While his eyes hunger for another meal, a kinetically charged card slips under his chin and sets him ablaze.
Gambit, Psylocke, Empath, and Glob Herman arrive on the scene. While Hope sees them as her saviors, Gambit reminds her that she is just a piece of meat caught in the middle of the coldest of wars.
Bishop Wagner walks through the garden, troubled by this hostile takeover of his archdiocese and the hunting of his mutant brothers.
Cardinal Stryker joins him, speaking of the hunting of these vampires as a holy and righteous act. He questions Bishop Wagner's motivations, as many of these killings involve his friends and his kind.
As Bishop Wagner assures him that his past is merely a shadow of what once was, Major Corvo insists they depart so they can consecrate the parish they have commandeered before nightfall.
The last of the Toriac Clan is restrained as Gambit stands over him, questioning why there are so few vampires in this bunker.
Before Psylocke decapitates him, he confesses that this was a simple test run and vows that one day these new advancements and equipment will allow them to erase the Empyres from the world.
They turn their attention to Hope, the only human survivor, and are able to smell that she is a mutant.
While Empath questions whether he should turn her and make her his own, Cyclops has something to say about that. His optic blast ricochets across the room, taking out Empath's legs.
Remy steps up for the standoff, as there is a heavy price on Cyclops's head: the last of the X-Men.
While Remy couldn't care less about the money, he just wants to know who sent him, because it's no coincidence that everyone is showing up to the same party.
As Cyclops takes Hope into his protection, Remy reminds him that he's good at saving people, as a horrific flashback shows a tortured Cyclops screaming into the void.
As Remy steps forward, Cyclops reminds him what time it is. He blasts the ceiling above them, letting the sunshine burn Empath down to the bone while he holds him in place.
As Cyclops grapples away, he tells Hope that there is no place for her here and instructs her to get out of the city.
As Bishop Wagner contemplates his position, the sun is slowly hidden away as Storm sits down next to him.
She questions whether he has finally chosen to leave his world behind and join her, but he rejects the idea and warns her that the Church is sending men to kill her and all the other Empyres.
Storm couldn't care less. Why would she trouble herself with the desires of mere humans? She fears nothing, and Kurt shouldn't either, for he is under her protection.
Kurt hopes for a cure one day, to return Storm to the way she was, and hopes that the peace will hold.
But what happens if the peace doesn't hold?
Storm responds with a smile.
Review
When you have an ensemble cast like the X-Men, I imagine it can be extremely difficult to balance individual moments with the characters while still telling a satisfying overarching story.
This issue has so much to establish about this new world, and I think it does so effectively by keeping us focused on only three locations: the Church, the House of X, and the Bunker. Even the House of X only receives a two-page spread.
We are also given the perspective of Hope, a mutant who has just joined this group of humans trying to gather information on the vampires' movements. Through these different perspectives, Hickman is able to establish a rather complicated situation in a way that feels digestible.
This is a story that is going to require us to take things one piece at a time and apply our new knowledge to our existing understanding of the X-Men universe. We have humans, mutants, vampires, and Empyres to keep track of, alongside different clans, family houses, and a plethora of recognizable X-Men characters who are all fighting for page space.
I was able to cover Midnight Spider-Man previously, and one of the strengths of that series is that it tells the story of one individual while building on a story we are already familiar with.
With Midnight X-Men, while we have seen the X-Men deal with vampires in the past, I feel that we are still entering unfamiliar territory, and I'm excited to explore it.
That places this series in a high-risk, high-reward position. It is establishing a new concept, and we need to wait for each issue to prove to us that it works.
We already know that doing a twisted Spider-Man origin story is going successfully, though perhaps it's a little overdone. We don't know if Midnight X-Men is going to deliver, but I sure hope it does. I think it has a lot more to prove than Midnight Spider-Man does.
The Moments
I mean… Do I even need to say anything?
The idea of Vampire Storm being able to best Jean while she's in her Dark Phoenix form is crazy to think about, and it adds another layer of terror to the power that a vampire version of Dark Phoenix could possess.
I absolutely love Cyclops. He's always been one of my favorites, and I think he rocks the beard.
Being one of the last X-Men really puts him in the underdog position in this war between vampires and Empyres. And he's still got that calculating combat mentality that we all know and love him for.
I don't know if there's anything more satisfying than Cyclops stepping on Empath so that he can be burned in the sun.
Insanity.
The fact that Storm can control the weather means she can go out in the daylight at any moment.
Just a simple change in the weather means that she can bring nightmares even in the daytime.
The Questions
What happened in Nova Roma, and how did Magma end up as a nun?
There is so much to establish in this issue, and the fact that Hickman and Fonte dedicated a couple of panels to leaving this trail of breadcrumbs has got my ears perked up.
We know the Body Shop is run by Spiral and is already a terrifying place.
What is it going to look like with the Midnight Universe makeover?
There's something particularly horrifying about Cyclops's visor being cut in half, leaving one eye exposed and out of control.
Who could he not protect? Who died under his watch?
My working theories are either Jean or Rogue, but we'll have to wait and see.
Conclusion
I think Midnight has a lot to prove in order for it to be a success, and I think it also has the most pressure on it due to the number of iconic characters we've already seen on the page.
I'm hopeful that it can be done, but I'll be honest: I didn't walk away from this issue with the same energy that Spider-Man gave me.
There are so many great aspects to this issue, with Storm and Nightcrawler's relationship being the one I'm most excited about. I think this story could lead to a true epic, and I have no intention of leaving this series on the shelf.
Link to my Midnight Spider-Man #1 Review
https://www.reddit.com/r/MarvelMidnight/s/YDhKazvFEp
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u/Remarkable_Heron_760 10d ago
I gave it a shot but I just don't think I will continue. X-men and Vampires just isn't for me. I'm sure plenty will like it.
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u/Shmung_lord 10d ago
I thought Curt had just been sitting at that bench until night lmao.
I thought it was just fine. It’s not really a true reinvention like Spider-Man or FF, it’s more just “what if the X-Men got turned into vampires,” which is FINE for a What If…? story but I expected a little more out of the premise for this universe.