{"id":8287,"date":"2022-09-21T22:42:31","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T21:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=8287"},"modified":"2022-09-21T23:46:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T22:46:36","slug":"a-x-e-judgment-day-5-annotations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housetoastonish.com\/?p=8287","title":{"rendered":"A.X.E.: Judgment Day #5 annotations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>A.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY #5<\/strong>
\nWriter: Kieron Gillen<\/strong>
\nArtist: Valerio Schiti<\/strong>
\nColour artist: Marte Gracia<\/strong>
\nLetterer: Clayton Cowles<\/strong>
\nEditor: Tom Brevoort<\/strong><\/p>\n

COVER \/ PAGE<\/strong> 1.<\/strong> The Avengers, the X-Men and the Eternals in the shadow of the Progenitor.<\/p>\n

PAGES 2-3.\u00a0<\/strong>Recap and credits. To be honest, there’s not much annotation called for in this issue, since we’re deep into the story.<\/p>\n

PAGE 4.<\/strong>\u00a0The Progenitor renders its judgment.<\/em><\/p>\n

And the characters who were already at the North Pole flee.<\/p>\n

PAGE 5.<\/strong> The civilians react to the judgment.<\/em><\/p>\n

Recall that last issue, Daniela and Jada passed, Tom and Katrina failed, and the Progenitor declined to judge either Komali or Kenta. Both Tom and Katrina appear to react to the judgment by developing the self-awareness that they were previously lacking, and that caused them to fail. Kenta is more explicitly rated by the Progenitor as a blameless innocent. Komali appears to be simply waiting to die so that she can be reunited with her late husband.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

PAGES 6-7.<\/strong>\u00a0Jada speaks to Captain America.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jada apparently passed because of her genuine appreciation of the complexities of the world; she sees the world in more conflicted terms than Captain America, but she still appreciates his contribution.<\/p>\n

PAGES 8-9.\u00a0<\/strong>Nightcrawler takes Captain America to confront the Progenitor.<\/em><\/p>\n

As we see in the next scene, this is apparently a deliberate plan to get Captain America killed in front of a global audience so that his symbolic value can be harnessed to maximum effect. The Progenitor understands that the events are being broadcast but doesn’t understand why. Maybe we’re heading to a story about its inability to understand the symbolism, or indeed its failure lying in an insistence on judging humanity as individuals rather than a collective.<\/p>\n

PAGE 10.\u00a0<\/strong>Nightcrawler returns to Krakoa.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nightcrawler<\/strong>, as the most religious of the core X-Men, is naturally unimpressed by the Progenitor’s interpretation of godhood. The “spark” is his creativity-and-innovation philosophy from\u00a0Legion of X<\/em>.<\/p>\n

PAGE 11.<\/strong>\u00a0The Quiet Council and visitors discuss their plan.<\/em><\/p>\n

From left to right in the first panel, that’s Iron Man, Starfox, Sersi, Jean Grey, Phastos, Ajak, Cyclops, Magik, Professor X, Krakoa, Destiny, Psylocke, Bishop and Starbrand.<\/p>\n

War Captains.<\/strong> Currently Bishop, Cyclops, Magik and Psylocke.<\/p>\n

“There’s a node inside the Progenitor…”<\/strong> The original attempt at this plan was in issue #3.<\/p>\n

PAGE 12.<\/strong> The heroes<\/em> rally.<\/em><\/p>\n

Aside from a bunch of fighter jets, the characters on this page are (running from left to right in rough tiers):<\/p>\n