Comics
Published December 11, 2019

How 'New Mutants' #3 Harnesses X-Men History

Spoiler alert! Read through a thorough analysis of today's new mag!

Warning! This article contains spoilers for today's NEW MUTANTS #3, so read on at your own risk, True Believers!

Somewhere deep in Shi’ar controlled space, the original New Mutants are hopefully telling Sunspot what a horrible, horrible idea it would be if he pursues his sudden infatuation for Deathbird. But that’s a story that’s going to need to wait for another day. Instead, writer Ed Brisson and artist Flaviano bring the action back down to Earth in NEW MUTANTS #3. And with one team off the table, a new team emerges to fill the gap.

New Mutants (2019-) #3

At the moment, NEW MUTANTS #3 seems to be the only Dawn of X book to pick up some threads from the AGE OF X-MAN. More specifically, the AGE OF X-MAN: NEXTGEN (2019) limited series that forged the bonds of friendship between Hisako Ichiki, AKA Armor, and Glob Herman. Brisson even revisits the twins, Maxime and Manon, from his EXTERMINATION (2018) series. Now that they’re no longer under Ahab’s thrall, the twins appear to be developing personalities of their own, but they’re all too willing to use their emotional manipulation and memory powers. That’s something that Armor rightfully has a problem with.

Armor’s time on Krakoa has been a transformative experience for her. For the first time in her life as a mutant, Armor is truly hopeful about their future. And she wants to make sure that all mutants can make it to Krakoa, including those who didn’t answer Professor Xavier’s invitation. That leads Armor to track down Barnell Bousk, AKA Beak, and his wife, Angel Salvadore—both of whom were fixtures of Grant Morrison’s NEW X-MEN (2001) run.

Casual readers may recall that Beak and Angel, along with most of their children, were de-powered after HOUSE OF M’s Decimation. Regardless, Beak and Angel made a go as non-powered Super Heroes in NEW WARRIORS (2007). They both regained their powers during the Mothervine crisis in X-MEN: BLUE (2017) #26. They also appeared alongside Armor and Glob in the AGE OF X-MAN: NEXTGEN.

That may be why Armor was moved to bring Angel and Beak back into the fold. Along the way, Armor caught Boom-Boom rifling through Sunspot’s room on Krakoa. It’s a small moment, but a telling detail about Sunspot’s wildly out-of-control ego. The man has two large portraits of himself in his room! These aren’t pictures of Sunspot with his friends and family. It’s literally just Sunspot. He’s really getting out of hand.

Within the primary story, Armor notices Glob’s growing attraction to Pixie, but it’s unclear if Hisako has any romantic feelings for him. Armor tells Glob to ask Pixie if she’s interested in him, but Hisako seems more annoyed by his infatuation with her than anything else. Armor’s mission may be well-intended, but it’s giving her a bit of tunnel vision. She can’t see anything except her own goals.

Thanks to Sage and even Boom-Boom, Armor was able to determine that Beak’s father suffered from a rare form of dementia. Fortunately, the mutant wonder drugs of Krakoa can cure many human diseases, including dementia. Armor’s intervention was life-changing for Beak’s father, but it may prove to be tragic for the rest of his family. A previously unknown human faction has taken Beak and Angel’s children as hostages and demanded access to Krakoa’s drugs. Unfortunately, Armor charged into battle and played right into their hands. Now, she’s temporarily de-powered, and the Bousk family is in a very precarious position. As Maxime noted, “this is why they always send Wolverine first.” 

This New Mutants team could use a Wolverine. But in the Dawn of X, these new heroes will have to step up to fill that gap.

Read NEW MUTANTS #3 for yourself at your local comic shop now!

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