Uncanny Spider-Man #5 annotations
As always, this post contains spoilers, and page numbers go by the digital edition.
UNCANNY SPIDER-MAN #5
“Fade to Blue”
Writer: Si Spurrier
Artists: Lee Garbett & Simone Buonfantino
Colour artist: Matt Milla
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Design: Tom Muller & Jay Bowen
Editor: Sarah Brunstad
COVER / PAGE 1. Nightcrawler with techno-organic stuff rounding on him.
PAGES 2-7. Nightcrawler and Silver Sable reveal their ruse.
Okay, now on one level, this is quite clever. Issue #4 went out of its way to verify that they’d checked Nightcrawler’s DNA and it definitely wasn’t Mystique. But since then, X-Men Blue: Origins has established that Mystique does change her DNA when she copies someone, in order to rationalise the Azazel/Nightcrawler connection (as shown in flashback on page 6). So when this issue does the reveal that the scan was just wrong, it’s not just a cheap retraction of the cliffhanger.
On the other hand… what do they actually gain from having Mystique pose as Nightcrawler and Nightcrawler pose as one of Silver Sable’s men, when they could just have had Mystique in the Wild Pack uniform all along? I think the idea that the real Nightcrawler is shielded from mutant detectors (as seen in earlier issues), so he can pose as an Orchis soldier, when Mystique would have been detected. At any rate, I can’t think of any other advantage that justifies simply revealing the ruse unprompted. But if that’s the idea, it’s not very clear.
Panel 5 on page 4 shows Nightcrawler and Silver Sable with Kremer, the Wild Pack member who turned on them last issue. They’ve beaten him up and taken his uniform for Nightcrawler to wear. This must happen somewhere between pages 19 and 21 of the previous issue (page 20 isn’t a story page), with Mystique already replacing Nightcrawler from page 21 onwards, and Nightcrawler being among the Wild Pack soldiers who capture “him”.
Mystique’s ability to conceal weapons within her body was mentioned last issue.
PAGE 8. Recap and credits.
PAGE 9. Data page: a memo about the Orchis Hound Program, or “Project Garmr”
Garmr is a wolf from Norse mythology. He’s basically the Norse equivalent of Cerberus.
The part about Warlock falling into Orchis custody is a recap of Legion of X #10; the fact that Orchis have been exploiting him to create the Hounds has been apparent throughout this series.
We’re offered an explanation of why the Vulture, a Spider-Man villain, signed up for this. He’s not particularly anti-mutant, but he’s always had some degree of preoccupation with his own mortality, and we’re told that he was influenced to turn against mutants by focussing on the perceived injustice of resurrection. That’s fair enough as far as it goes, though it does leave the bigger question of since when the Vulture had any relevant skill set for this in the first place – he’s a guy who makes a flying harness, and messing about with techno-organics feels way, way above his pay grade.
PAGES 10-11. The Bamf spirit possesses an Orchis employee to free Warlock.
This is the first direct confirmation that the Bamf exists outside Nightcrawler’s mind, although it’s been fairly obvious for a while that he was shielding Nightcrawler from mutant detectors.
“That’s the one who tried to get into Raven’s mind?” That’s Travers, who tried using a gadget to communicate with Mystique telepathically and suffered a massive aneurysm. We saw him in this state last issue.
PAGES 12-14. Warlock frees the Hounds.
The idea seems to be that because the Hounds have no control over their infection, Warlock can take control of it, reabsorb it, and free them. Vulture’s TO is different (as explained on the data page), and he does have control.
PAGES 15-16. Nightcrawler defeats the Vulture.
With the Hopesword, naturally.
PAGE 17. Warlock tells Nightcrawler that he has evidence.
One of Nightcrawler’s preoccupations in earlier issues was to find evidence that exonerated him for the killings that he committed under Orchis mind control, as shown in X-Men: Before the Fall – Sons of X #1. Warlock apparently does have that data (it’s not entirely clear whether they download it, but presumably they do), but Nightcrawler seems to have decided that this was all part of him having the wrong priorities and hiding from his responsibilities to stand up to Orchis.
PAGES 18-19. Warlock releases the Rhino.
We saw the Rhino under Orchis control in issue #2. Evidently he was taken back into their custody after Nightcrawler defeated him.
PAGE 20. Spider-Man drops by.
To rationalise what this book had to do with Spider-Man, I suppose. The idea seems to be that adopting Spider-Man’s identity was all part of moving away from Nightcrawler’s normal political and philosophical preoccupations and hiding from his problems, although at least it got him in touch with reality again. It’s a bit of a stretch, if I’m being honest.
PAGES 21-22. Mystique and Warlock leave together.
Promising to come back for the big showdown, naturally.
“The attractive couple with the light-and-dark gimmick”. Cloak and Dagger, who were among the Hounds.
PAGES 23-24. The Bamf is identified as Legion.
The Bamf seems to be saying that the real Legion is hiding inside Nightcrawler himself, and that this is just one of his personalities serving as a projection.
PAGE 25. Trailers. Unusually, no Krakoan text – instead, we’re directed to X-Men #30 for the main X-Men storyline, and to Amazing Spider-Man #41. That issue doesn’t come out until the first week of January, and it’s part of the Spider-Man event “Gang War”, but it’s presumably meant to be significant because Kingpin and Typhoid are in it.
I liked this. More than Spurrier’s previous takes on Kurt, to be honest. WoX and LoX were bogged down with subplots and a multitude of characters with nothing to do and a redemption arc for Fabian Cortez for some indecipherable reason.
This was laser focused in comparison. And having read the whole thing, it makes sense that Blue Origins was a separate one-shot. As an interlude it would destroy the momentum of this story, and if it was chopped up and squeezed in between other bits throughout the whole miniseries, Uncanny Spider-Man would become…
Well.
Bogged down with subplots and a multitude of characters.
Huh.
It’s weird that Kurt knows Peter’s identity. He’s never been shown to know it before and traditionally the only X-Man who knows Peter’s identity is Logan.
I’m not liking that Kurt used Peter’s first name in front of Mystique. After everything Mystique’s done in her life, it should be Peter’s choice whether or not to trust her with his secret. Even if it was only a first name, Mystique isn’t an idiot and might be able to find out his real identity.
I’m not liking the implication that Cloak and Dagger were inviting Mystique for a threesome. Threesomes with people they just met doesn’t seem their style.
I’m also not liking that Warlock called Cloak and Dagger “the attractive couple with the light-and-dark-gimmick”. He should have said “Selfriends Cloak and Dagger”.
I don’t get where this idea that Cloak and Dagger were inviting Mystique for a threesome comes from (and I’ve seen it espoused elsewhere, not just Michael’s comment). They invited her out to get sloshed and drink their worries away; I don’t see anything sexual implied.
@Matt C- It’s a combination of Warlock pointing out how attractive Cloak and Dagger are and Kurt’s reaction: “That’s, uh–“. Kurt’s friends with Wolverine. I can’t imagine him having that reaction every time someone wants to go drinking.
And after the “free love” era of Krakoa, a threesome probably wouldn’t be that earth shattering. Did Kurt know about what went on the Summers house on Mars?
“On the other hand… what do they actually gain from having Mystique pose as Nightcrawler and Nightcrawler pose as one of Silver Sable’s men, when they could just have had Mystique in the Wild Pack uniform all along?”
Seems sound to me. There’s a clear tactical advantage to the plan as depicted. Orchis thought they had Kurt, but they didn’t, so Kurt’s reveal was a surprise that gave them some advantage. Also Mystique haven hidden two weapons within herself, something that Kurt couldn’t have done, not could he have so easily freed himself from the cuffs.
I’ve been listening to the Cerebro podcast a lot lately, and so I’m in a frame of mind to believe that any hint of possible impropriety means the characters are definitely going at it hot. And there’s Mystique’s plan for “nihilistic abandon” and I don’t see how that doesn’t include some ‘black and white and blue all over’.
Only one data page while the story pages are still no more than the standard 20. Has this happened before in the Krakoan era? The only times I can recall were instances where the number of story pages was upped, necessitating cutting out data pages.
Enjoyed this a lot, though it’s a shame a fill-in artist was needed for the last third or so.
I’m a prude, generally (anything people or fictional characters want to do that’s consensual and as adults, go for it. I don’t necessarily want to hear about it), but don’t care when characters allude to possible future sexual encounters. It doesn’t alter my opinion of the story.
I quite enjoyed Uncanny Spider-Man, and agree it was Spurrier’s best Nightcrawler story. Kurt found his path again, gained a romantic interest that makes sense, and found a way to have Mystique in his life. Nothing earth-shattering, but definitely good.
I enjoyed this. I’m just surprised they didn’t use Ahab instead of Vulture. He was on Muir island with Kurt, close to Amanda Sefton and started the hound programme in DOFP.
Did they ever get to actually confirming Rory as Ahab or did they stop at neverending teases?
Well, for any other latecomers, Marvel certainly thinks Ahab is Rory:
https://www.marvel.com/characters/ahab-earth-811
I HOPE when the Legion bamf is separated from Kurt they also get rid of that magic sword. He doesn’t need an extra power.