“Hey genius, the fight’s this way!”
JLX
Amalgam Comics (DC; April, 1996)
“A League Of Their Own!” WRITERS: Gerard Jones & Mark Waid PENCILER: Howard Porter INKER: John Dell COLORIST/SEPARATIONS: Gloria Vasquez & Heroic Age LETTERER: Chris Eliopoulos ASSISTANT EDITOR: Ali Morales EDITORS: Brian Augustyn & Ruben Diaz
After escaping the Judgment League Avengers, the JLX make their way to Atlantis, hoping to find the origin of mutant kind. Instead they find Will Magnus, Jocasta, and a lot of big robots. A fight breaks out but when Jocasta is damaged Magnus grabs his bots and splits. During the fight, X is forced to reveal he is a Skrull from Mars, but still asks the mutants to trust him since they’re all seeking a place to belong. Mariner, rightful king of Atlantis and first mutant, hoping to prove he wasn’t behind the Roxxan attack (he was framed by Magnus), convinces the others to continue following J’onn…for now.
What they got right: The art was good. For a 90s comic that’s saying a lot.
What they got wrong: I admit that this is all personal preference. I am not a fan of the X-titles and this is vintage X-titles. The angst, the personal issues..if you like the X-books you might like this. Or you’ll think it’s a terrible exaggeration. I didn’t get into it and to be honest there’s so little shown about these characters that the Amalgamation reviews are going to be very short.
- Mister X (Martian Manhunter, Bishop, Professor X, and a Skrull): Yes, four amalgamations. That makes it more off than Doctor Strangefate, but I guess the Martian Skrull angle (which I like) allows that to work.
- Nightcreeper (Nightcrawler/The Creeper): Easily the most annoying character in the Amalgam Universe thus far. He’s all the worst aspects of both his previous components merged into a guy you just want to shut up.
- Apollo (Cyclops/The Ray): Ray Summers’ powers match both characters. Beyond that and being tied to Firebird…he’s a character in the comic.
- Firebird (Fire/Phoenix): I have to give Beatriz Grey credit…I have less to say about her than Apollo, and I wouldn’t have called that. Actually there’s the Quicksilver/Impulse merger so uninteresting I’m not even giving him a mention beyond this, so I guess he wins. I don’t even know what is name was.
- Wraith (Obsidian/Gambit) and Runaway (Rogue/Gypsy): Runaway has Rogue’s powers. Apparently she can’t absorb Wraith’s lifeforce but she might be absorbing his dark powers turn her nasty or something. I don’t know, this couple is one of the reasons I ignore the X-books.
- Aqua-Mariner (Aquaman/Sub Mariner): The only thing more obvious is the two universe’s Captains Marvel, which was also done in this comic. Couldn’t really get a read on him.
- Will Magnus (Will Magnus/Bolivar Trask): So because he didn’t get metamutant powers he wants to wipe out all metamutants, including his brother, Magneto (his book is coming)? He goes from lame to creepy because his wife is Jocasta, who is not a human-sized Sentinel and thus even less human-like.
- Jocasta (Jocasta/Sentinel): Okay, someone needs to explain how Amalgam works to somebody here. Did they really merge two MARVEL characters together? Does that make up for Mister X being four characters or something…what was even the point?
Would you buy this series: Heck no. Everything I don’t like about the X-comics are on display here and I was given no reason to really care about these characters.
Recommendation: The only critical problem I have is a poor introduction to the characters. Otherwise, every problem I have is the problem I have with the X-books, and they were still selling around this time, so you X-fans may or may not like this.
BW Media Spotlight 