Uncanny X-Men brings two devious villains into the lives of mutants

When Marvel Comics announced that Gail Simone (Batgirl and Deadpool) would be Uncanny X-Men’s newest writer, fans rejoiced. She’s one of the greatest comic book writers ever, and in this series she's joined by all-star artist David Marquez (Justice League and Batman/Superman). This makes for an incredible creative team and the right way to promote a new Uncanny X-Men series.

We knew that the team would consist of Rogue as the leader, along with Gambit, Wolverine, Jubilee, and Nightcrawler, and we also knew that the world still hated and feared mutants. We weren’t aware who the first villains would be. That's revealed in the first issue of Uncanny X-Men.

Not only are they devious, and dangerous, but they'll remind the forgetful how amazing the X-Men are when defeated. Here's a look at what they did that makes them important and deadly.

Dr. Warden Ellis

The first important person we meet in this series is Dr. Ellis. She’s someone whose disdain for mutants runs deep. So much so that she starts her journey by going to the abandoned Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters and turning it into a prison; the rooms will be turned into cells, and anything valuable will be appraised and everything else will be liquidated. She furthers her emotional response to mutants with her approach to capturing them.

Dr. Ellis tells her captain he should get used to calling her warden. She removed the prestigious title she earned and traded it for one that spells oppression for mutants. This shows that she’s taking her job seriously and that mutants are nothing but inmates and outlaws to her. If that doesn’t convince you, Warden Ellis says mutant arrests will be shown to the public.

The words Gail Simone uses for Warden Ellis are effective because they hit on personal levels. This isn’t just a job to her. She truly hates mutants. Ellis is willing to stream (in Ellis’ own words) public hangings. That statement coming from a Black woman says a lot. It was perfectly done.

The first inmate was captured and we don’t know who it is. The best guess is it’s a telepath and likely Charles Xavier (despite being brain-dead at the end of X-Men No. 35 / Uncanny X-Men 700). Not only was their entire head covered (probably to block their telepathy), but they were brought to Cerebro. It also helps that they're being called Inmate X (check out the trailer above for that).

The Endling

As if Warden Ellis isn’t enough, there’s a mysterious villain hunting and killing mutants. The first victim is someone named Fawn. Fawn tells them that she didn’t pick a side or join Krakoa. She wants to live. Unfortunately, it said Fawn's blood betrayed her. That means it can smell mutant blood.

The end of the issue shows four mutants and a horse approaching Logan, Rogue, and Gambit. They say they need help because “she” is coming for them. They must be referring to the being that caught Fawn. This could be the Endling that Sadurang and Harvey X mentioned.  We’ll have to wait and see if this is someone familiar or a new antagonist. When her identity is revealed, Bam Smack Pow will report it.

Uncanny X-Men random notes

The Uncanny X-Men’s first battle went well. They fought a dragon that gave the Avegners trouble and came out victorious. Like any fight like this, there are always consequences. Among them is Sadurang saying something is coming for the two who cheated death.

The easy guess is Wolverine. He’s died a bunch and was dead for a while. We can assume the other is Gambit. He was Horseman Death. However, Sadurang could be talking about Nightcrawler or Jubilee as well. They may not have been in this fight, but they’re on the team. Nightcrawler was dead for years and Jubilee was a vampire (making her undead). And who knows if another member of the X-Men who died will join them. For now, we’ll have to wait.

What did Logan do that through Rogue off? She said, “He’s never…” then stopped. He’s been off since the end of Krakoa so this could be him still feeling bad. However, Rogue said it felt like when no one wanted to touch her. Pay close attention to this. Gail Simone's stories don’t have wasted moments. Something is up with Wolverine.

Did you read the first issue of Uncanny X-Men? Did you enjoy it? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Instagram and Twitter.