Mr. and Mrs. X No. 8 review: Spiral down the rabbit hole
By Alex Widen
Rogue and Gambit are at the mercy of Mojo! Yet will Spiral be friend or foe?
Mr. And Mrs. X No. 8
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Oscar Bazaldua
Colorist: Frank D’Armata
Cover Artists: Terry & Rachel Dodson
Things seem to go from bad to worse for the newest X-Men couple. Their honeymoon turned into a space adventure where Rogue’s already dangerous powers got more mixed up! And even worse, a belated engagement party brought upon an unexpected present — a trip to Mojoworld! Now, both Rogue and Gambit have been forced to “perform” for the obese cyborg Mojo, who is obsessed with intergalactic ratings! His minions Major Domo and Spiral, a six armed cybernetic witch (seriously), can only look on, as the deranged Mojo pits them in one genre tale after the next!
Image by Marvel Comics
Literally using a spinning wheel to come up with premises (which is awesome and potentially a nod at the fourth wall), their latest adventure is a romantic fantasy yarn. Rogue is a fair princess being rescued by a romantic prince. Only this time, it’s not Remy, but one of her other X-Men teammates — Longshot! He was the original “star” of Mojoworld before he escaped, joined the X-Men and tried to lead a rebellion! Now, he’s been cast as the “noble prince” against Remy’s rough and tumble “king of thieves.”
Image by Marvel Comics
Knives versus Cards; Which Wins?
As Remy admits, he and Longshot have a lot in common. Both of them are dashing, athletic men, who utilize throwing weapons and whose existence seems to symbolize a particular decade in terms of fashion. Much as Gambit will always symbolize 1990, Longshot’s tight leather outfit, “hair metal” do and glowing eye symbol may always remind some of 1985, the year of his creation. The pair have rarely served as X-Men together, probably because they’re too much alike to get along!
Image by Marvel Comics
Longshot has the ability to manipulate luck itself to his advantage, so long as his morals are true. Gambit, on the other hand, is just too cool for school. And in a situation where Longshot is every bit as much of a pawn as Gambit is, his infamous luck isn’t nearly as unbeatable. Despite “princess” Rogue’s annoyance and surprise at the entire spectacle, he manages to abduct her in about as polite a fashion as someone can be kidnapped to his own treetop headquarters.
Image by Marvel Comics
Unfortunately for Rogue, the “king of thieves” is not just after romance with her, but after the generic-yet-important necklace she is wearing. It’s at this point where things get real. Rogue shoves Gambit out of the shack and reminds him that she is nobody’s damsel in distress. Yet despite the artificial trappings of Mojo’s ridiculous set-up, the raw charisma between the pair cannot be denied for long. But the closer they get to remembering it, the sooner that Rogue’s powers go haywire, draining all of the life out of her husband!
Image by Marvel Comics
Mojo Is Only Twice as Crazy as the Typical TV Executive!
To say this irritates Mojo is an understatement! All he wants to do is create cheap entertainment for the drooling masses, and Rogue simply isn’t sticking to his Mad Libs script! Not even his attempt to create a clichéd “love triangle” has prevented her from killing Gambit in the end with her haywire powers! But like most senior level TV executives, Mojo has few options but what was done before. So he spins the “Wheel of Genre” more times, and the results repeat no matter what!
Image by Marvel Comics
Spiral, quickly realizing what the definition of insanity is, offers to go into Mojo’s next simulation for Rogue and Gambit to personally sort out where the “error” is. While Spiral often finds herself joined at the hip to Mojo, her loyalty is nowhere near as absolute as Major Domo’s. And with one more spin of the “wheel,” Rogue and Gambit shift away from Western, fantasy, or Star Wars romances and straight for a “genre” which has taken off in the 2000’s — trendy documentaries!
Image by Marvel Comics
So Remy and Rogue are caught in another false merry-go-round, talking about their passionate but complicated romance in front of cameras in separate segments. Spiral assumes her old identity of “Ricochet Rita” in order to get close enough to Remy, who is drinking at a hotel bar between “segments.” She ultimately reveals herself to him, as well as explains her role in Gambit and Rogue’s current involvement with Mojoworld. To say that Remy is irritated is an understatement!
Image by Marvel Comics
Spiral Plays “Let’s Make a Deal!”
More from Comics
- X-Men: 6 reasons why Marvel’s mutants are the best superhero team
- Harley Quinn renewed for a fifth season on Max (and it’s well-deserved)
- Marvel Comics announces seven important X-Men comic books
- The X-Men were betrayed by Captain America in Uncanny Avengers
- Spider-Man: Miles and Peter team-up for their first ongoing series
Mojo wanted a famous “superhero couple” for his latest stab at intergalactic television. And Spiral, who has her own motives, wants something important stolen. Therefore, she convinced Mojo to abduct Gambit and his new wife, specifically so the six-armed sorceress could have an important MacGuffin stolen from under Mojo’s double chin! Unfortunately, they didn’t count on Rogue’s powers being “broken” and causing her to fatally drain the life of anyone around her the moment she realizes who she is and what she can do.
Image by Marvel Comics
While Gambit isn’t terribly eager to steal something on behalf of Spiral, he is eager to protect Rogue from whatever ill effects defying Mojo is due to incur. Spiral even sweetens the pot by offering to utilize Mojo’s resources along with her own mystical know-how to help Rogue sort through her powers. Left with little other choice, Gambit agrees to Spiral’s terms — but promises she’ll never see the bounty he is about to steal for her should Rogue be harmed at all.
Image by Marvel Comics
Rogue, meanwhile, is taken within a “neutral zone” within her own mind. Spiral has long been capable of remaking people in her “body shop.” Rogue’s own teammate and friend, Psylocke, could personally vouch for that and some of the horror it brings. But sometimes Spiral is genuinely on their side, and this may be one of those times. Regardless, Spiral reveals to Rogue that since she seems able to control her powers so long as she doesn’t remember her lack of control, the power really is within her all along! Was Captain Planet right all this time?
Image by Marvel Comics
It’s Not Insanity! It’s Network Television!
Yet the real question isn’t whether or not Rogue can master her powers after all this time. It is whether or not Spiral can be trusted, or if an assist from her would constitute the outside “help” that Rogue has rejected in the past. Previous attempts to “fix” her have been done without her deliberate involvement, such as by Professor X. On the other hand, Rogue knows what it is like to be considered a villain, as well as how to capitalize on opportunity. Bring on the six-armed therapy!
Image by Marvel Comics
Kelly Thompson continues to bring a lot of fun and fast-paced energy to one of the X-Men’s most notable couples. There is an edge to her work, as well as a willingness to be risque on occasion. The scene where Rita brags about being able to “do things it would take three women to do” is an example. She also has captured the voices of both Gambit and Rogue appropriately. While the various “genres” of Mojoworld do distract from this, Rogue’s speech about not being a damsel hits home.
Image by Marvel Comics
Although given less panel time in this issue, her take on Mojo is also hilarious. Out of all of the villains the X-Men face, Mojo often fits their themes the least. In theory, he could represent the woes of a manipulative media, but in practice, he is usually acting as a satirical supervillain with a fondness for spoofing TV and film trends. Thompson runs with the latter and clearly seems to be having a ball with the crazed producer. Her Spiral is mysterious and manipulative, as she should be.
Image by Marvel Comics
An All-Time High!
Oscar Bazaldua continues on his impressive art duties on this series, having drawn 7 out of its 8 issues so far. Between the space opera and this arc, Thompson seems to have left some of her more expansive plot for Bazaldua, and he always obliges. Whether it is a fantasy yarn or a clear Star Wars homage (a franchise Thompson has written for), he always makes it look great. Despite all of the costume designs, Remy and Rogue are always recognizable, and Spiral has rarely looked better. Terry Dodson’s cover, an homage to the poster for the 1983 James Bond flick, Octopussy, is also fitting.
Image by Marvel Comics
Next. Mojo Shatters the 4th Wall in No. 7!. dark
There is a sense that the space settings or the plots with Mojo could be a little distracting. In theory, it might have been stronger to focus more on some of their personal plots, such as with the Thieve’s Guild, or explore a cast of their own aside from the X-Men. However, the X-Men’s world has always been a wild and wacky one, with character development happening in mid-motion with no end of fantastic plots, whether in space or in Limbo. With that spirit in mind, Mr. & Mrs. X does capture what it would be like for two X-Men to be married and face those adventures together.