BOOK ONE: LOST

Summary

Back in issue #97 of the adjectiveless X-Men, Cyclops appeared to die as he jumped in to prevent Apocalypse from possessing X-Man's body. To the Marvel world at large, Cyclops had died. However, X-Men fans in the real world knew that Cyclops was still alive. Now, almost a year later, this four issue mini-series will reveal where Scott has been, and what he has gone through having Apocalypse within his body.

The story follows Summers, who has amnesia and doesn't realize that his body holds Apocalypse's essence. He is currently sailing on a merchant ship, destined for El Jadida, Morocco. He isn't consciously aware that he is continually fighting back Apocalypse's attempts to assert his will. Summers dreams of Apocalypse's past life in Egypt, not aware of the nightmare's significance.

Writer Joseph Harris then cleverly uses a Danger Room scenario to recap the events that led to the Cyclops/Apocalypse amalgam. Jean Grey morbidly relives the final battle between the X-Men and Apocalypse, which conveniently provides the necessary backstory.

A quick interlude introduces Cable to the storyline, who constructs a holographic image of Apocalypse and proceeds to attack it. His travelling companion and mentor, Blaquesmith, tries to remove Cable's anger and guilt over his father's apparent death.

The story jumps back to Scott, now wandering in Morocco. He happens to look in a mirror, and sees Apocalypse's facial markings in his image. He also meets a beautiful and mysterious woman named Anais, who seems to know more about Scott than he does himself. She mentions that his friends are already dead, and Scott rushes to return to his ship.

Upon his return, Summers is attacked by an armored sniper. Scott's instincts kick in, and he defeats his would-be assassin. Amid his increasing visions and his need to uncover his past, Scott leaves the ship behind to search for answers.

The epilogue reintroduces Ozymandias, Apocalypse's devoted vizier, who will channel all his energies to resurrect his fallen master from within Cyclops' body.

Opinion

I've always been a fan of Cyclops, despite his reputation of being a stiff. His character is what heroes should be: Scott Sumemrs is responsible, moral, and a natural leader. I was extremely apprehensive when rumors started circulating that Cyclops would be killed off.

Having followed Marvel Comics for over 20 years, I should have instantly known that Cyclops wasn't going away permanently. Marvel is the king of the retcon, having somehow resurrected the Green Goblin, Jean Grey, and countless others. However, I have to be fair and admit that Cyclops was never supposed to have died. That can't be said for the other characters that have died, only to be rewritten back into Marvel continuity.

The mini-series is shaping up to be a good one. So far, Harris' pacing is well executed. The start of the story mirrors Scott's amnesia, not clearly indicating that we are indeed following Summers. He's introduced the main players, and set up the general plot without giving away everything upfront.

The art is also excellent throughout most of the book. Tom Raney exhibits a real talent for illustrating the human form. The faces display more emotion than most found in comic books, and Raney's figures display a wide range of body language. The perspectives are accurate, and appropriate to telling the story.

Conclusion

Overall, the first issue shows a lot of promise for the mini-series. The story has decent pacing, and is enough of a mystery to keep the reader interested. The art is pleasant and has a unique style. The remaining issues should be worth reading as well.