The Comic Grab Bag Part 3: Soldier-X Issue #2

Soldier X #2 (2002)


Background:


Soldier X is moniker for one of the more powerful mutants from the X-men, Cable. Also known as Nathan Summers, Cable is the child of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Oh wait, but there's still more. Jean Grey wasn't actually Jean Grey.

See, one of the main villains in the X-Men, Mr.Sinister, was at war with Apocalypse, another X-men villain, and need some weapon to stop him. He knew that the genetics of Scott and Jean would produce an offspring with tremendous power--Enough power to stop Apocalypse.

But Jean Grey ended up being possessed by Phoenix Force around this time. The Phoenix Force is like a very dangerous trance Jean falls into due her "true power" manifesting. This gives her amazing powers at the loss of her ability to reason. The saga ends with Jean supposedly dying and leaving Scott in heartbreak. With all that happening, Mr. Sinister moves on to plan B and decides to clone Jean and create Madelyne Pryor. Madelyne has all the powers of Jean with none of the Phoenix Force. Scott Summers ends up marrying her on the rebound (I mean she looks like Jean). Madelyne doesn't even know she was a clone of Jean Grey, either. Scott is a terrible husband because he married someone who is a constant reminder of his true love. Madelyne lives a tortured existence because she doesn't know who she is and is not really loved by Scott. Maybe that's why she goes crazy...

Cable grows up, hones his powers, and defeats Apocalypse with some help from his mentors Blaquesmith and Stryfe. After his mission is complete, Cable still feels like he still needs a purpose and dons the name, Soldier X. Aided by his mentor, Blaquesmith, Cable travels through Russia trying to do good and help his fellow mutants.

Plot:


Issue starts off with a recap of the first issue: a lady (identity unknown) tells us that she's got the diary of Cable and knows what he's up to. She tells us that he is meeting up with Blaquesmith, his powers are out of control,, and he's lacking purpose in life. She also mentions that S.H.I.E.L.D is also after the diary of Cable, so they can make sure he doesn't lose control of his powers.

Lady's giving me grief and it's only the first page!


Scene changes to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters where agents are searching for info on Cable. They come up with the Soldier X moniker and that is how the issue is introduced.

Dragonfly looks like he will eat my face. 


Cable (*ahem*) Soldier X is tasked to find a kidnapped girl from Blaquesmith. All while they are eating caviar at an expensive restaurant. X's search leads him the girl's father. The father tells the story of how the girl had mutant healing powers and she was kidnapped by the mafia. The mafia comes to the apartment to finish the job and some how misses the father's apartment with a bazooka. X and the father escape and find out that the kidnapped girl is in the village of Krasnaya Polyana.

The best mentors love prostitution. 

Review:


Cable is a multi-dimensional mutant. He is the son of two major X-men characters and has mind-boggling powers to boot. His powers are so immense that his body is literally disintegrating trying to contain his energy. Yet, in this issue particularly, none of that is shown. Cable is a lifeless and almost soulless agent of Blaquesmith. The whole comic has an odd humor about it and feels like it was been written by teenagers. The first page gives you an odd recap of the first issue by a woman who seems to already be angry with you for staring at her. Then the comic wastes a few pages explaining the name of the comic book series. Then the comic wastes more pages explaining the mission. And then the mission only last a few pages and the comic is over.

The new mutant they introduce is pretty neat. It sounds like the story would become great. Sadly, it just doesn't start off great. Between the bumbling mafia, an aloof Cable, the idiots at S.H.I.E.L.D, and the womanizer Blaquesmith, I just don't see anything that really makes this comic stand out.

Even the art is ho hum. If you didn't know the character from before, you would barely even know that Cable was the main character of this series.

I wouldn't recommend this series to anyone. It just doesn't seem worth anyone's time.

 Unique Thing:


Cable eating caviar and his Donkey Kong face.



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