{"id":6726,"date":"2021-05-27T23:09:02","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T22:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=6726"},"modified":"2021-05-27T23:09:02","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T22:09:02","slug":"new-mutants-18-annotations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=6726","title":{"rendered":"New Mutants #18 annotations"},"content":{"rendered":"

As always, this post contains spoilers, and page numbers go by the digital edition.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NEW MUTANTS vol 4 #18
\n“Homecoming”
\nby Vita Ayala & Rod Reis
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

COVER \/ PAGE 1:\u00a0<\/strong>Karma, apparently readying herself to fight in the Crucible. Behind her, a symbolic representation of her brother Tran, via the white rabbit that he manifested as in Otherworld via Mirage’s powers.<\/p>\n

PAGES 2-4.<\/strong> Dani calls up Tran so that Xi’an can speak to her.<\/em><\/p>\n

Basically, Karma explains the plot. The best telepaths on Krakoa can’t get Tran’s mind out of her body, so they’re going to have to kill her and resurrect her instead. Since Krakoa frowns on outright suicide, this means the Crucible. We’re seeing an increasing undercurrent of scepticism about Krakoan rituals in books like\u00a0Way of X<\/em>, but this story plays the Crucible pretty much straight – it’s a second chance, it’s liberation, it’s paying a symbolic price.<\/p>\n

The flashbacks show Marvel Girl and Emma Frost attempting to separate Xi’an and Tran without success, as further explained in the next data page. That summary describes it as a “psychic rescue”, which refers back to the silent issue from\u00a0New X-Men<\/em> #121. Jean and Emma were the two psychics in that story as well, as indeed they were in its homage,\u00a0Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost<\/em> #1.<\/p>\n

PAGE 5.<\/strong> Data page. Pretty straightforward exposition, as far as it goes.<\/p>\n

“Initial psychic bonding occurred during a conflict, in which Karma absorbed Tran’s ‘life essence’ in total.”<\/strong> This is the ending of\u00a0Marvel Team-Up<\/em> vol 1 #100, Karma’s debut. The idea of the original story was that Tran was the “bad” sibling who enjoyed using his powers, and she was the “good” one. She wears a costume with the white parts of a yin-yang symbol, and he wears one with the black parts. As she absorbs him, the complete symbol appears on her costume. It’s not exactly subtle. Nonetheless, Tran has been almost completely ignored in subsequent stories, rather than treating him as a component part of a merged personality.<\/p>\n

“Tran gained influence over Karma for a time, and succeeded in releasing his ‘soul’ from her through magical interference.”<\/strong> This is the plot of the miniseries\u00a0New Mutants: Dead Souls<\/em>, as is Magik using the Soulsword to get Tran back into Karma’s body.<\/p>\n

PAGE 6.<\/strong> Recap and credits.<\/p>\n

PAGES 7-13.<\/strong>\u00a0The battle in the Crucible begins.<\/em><\/p>\n

The logic of this battle is all a bit weird. Up to now, Crucible has generally been presented as more of a ritual battle, where there’s no serious competition going on; after all, the whole point of the exercise is for the pre-ordained mutant to die. Dani and Karma appear to be having a genuinely competitive fight, which is weird. What happens if Karma wins?<\/p>\n

The decision not to use powers is presented as a symbolic deference to Tran, but might also reflect the fact that they both have rather invasive psychic powers that they don’t particularly want to use against one another in public.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Scout asks Warpath for advice on how to deal with the kids who have fallen under the influence of the Shadow King. She explains that Laura is not really available to talk to because she’s getting over the events of\u00a0X-Men<\/em> #18-19 (even though she doesn’t remember it).<\/p>\n

Also recognisable in the crowd are…<\/p>\n