Ultimate X-Men #49 (SPOILERS)

[E]

Did anyone else think this this might just have been the best Ultimate X-Men arc yet?

I love the idea of Apocolypse being a figment of Sinister's imagination and the notion that he might be powerful enough to make Sinister off himself. Kitty saving Rogue was brilliant and intelligently done, and Rogue growing wings was cool. And I liked how the "lightweights" ended up being heroes after being cast aside as insignificant.

Brilliant conclusion to a brilliant arc. I loved this and hope Vaughan stays on for a long time.

 

[Dark_Images]

Did anyone else think this this might just have been the best Ultimate X-Men arc yet?

Took the words outta my mouth. But I didn't think that Apocalypse was just a figment of Sinister's imagination. He says that he must now find another horseman (Gambit?) to do his bidding, and I'm very optimistic that, now with a proper Ultimization, he may pose the new great nemesis with Magneto still incarcerated.

 

[E]

But I didn't think that Apocalypse was just a figment of Sinister's imagination.

The way it was explained was that Sinister had many voices in his head, and the way it appeared, Apoc was one of those voices. I really think that is what was implied, but of course I could be wrong.

Someone else here called this out a while back and I didn't see it then, but whoever it was - congrats.

 

[eroz]

I agree with Dark Images. I think Apocalypse is real and all those experiments that sinister worked on himself, opened his mind to hear and be under apocalypse's influence.

 

[Dark_Images]

Someone else here called this out a while back and I didn't see it then, but whoever it was - congrats.

That was posted on the old UMB site back in May, and I remember the discussion saying that Sinister was possibly working for someone else (Apocalypse), and saying that bigger anti-mutant conspiracies maybe afoot. That's what lead me to believe 'Pocalypse will be returning soon, with another Horseman as he indicated in #49. But I admit I like the idea that if in fact he was just a hallucination, then it's frightening the impact he made on the X-men without even existing!

 

[Blacksword]

But I didn't think that Apocalypse was just a figment of Sinister's imagination.

Someone else here called this out a while back and I didn't see it then, but whoever it was - congrats.

I think it was me, back in the #48 thread. I'm leaning towards Apocalypse being real as the art had him looking pretty solid. Either way Vaughan's done a good head job on on the readers. Just a nice needle into the bubble of Apocalypse fanboys. Hopefully (if he is real) he'll get a good treatment... though the look, while a bit less silly than 616 Apocalypse still is too much mainline superhero... I think it's the boots and the cape.

So what are we to guess the link between Mr. LeBeau and Essex is now? For me it really depends on how long Exxex has been trolling around doing his sinister thing. If he's been an assassin for a while (and not just in the couple weeks since he got his tattoos) then this works with Austin's earlier Gambit story. It would be a shame to write that off as it was a nice little interlude into another mutant experience away from the world shattering plotlines (and probably the most decent thing Austin managed to write).

 

[Dark_Images]

We know that Essex worked at an Oscorp lab in New Orleans, same place where Gambit's from, and was working on experiments with urban stealth. Maybe he contacted Gambit to steal something of value for him, and now Remy could be falling for the voices in Sinister's head, which in this case is Apocalypse. Even if he is a hallucination, he's causing the X-men irreparable damage without even existing.

 

[Goodwill]

I think that Apocolypse is real... He definitely looked real and there were a few things that Sinister was yacking about that wouldn't be something an insane person would say. His transformation, for instance, was supposed to be his reward for helping Apocolypse out, however, what did Apocolypse need those souls for? Also, why were mutants being killed? If Apoco is all for evolution, why mutants? This arc brings a lot of questions, but it has certainly been the most entertaining of the series! It was the perfect summer arc.

Also, the whole thing with Gambit and Sinister seems to be shaping towards something. Also, MAYBE Silvermane will have something to do with Apoco rather than with Kingpin. Could be interesting enough, right?

Lastly, Sinister isn't dead, right? PLEASE say he isn't...

 

[Dark_Images]

Sinister even said so himself, a human being is incapable of choking one self to death.

 

[E]

Sinister even said so himself, a human being is incapable of choking one self to death.

That is true, although when he said that I thought maybe the implication was that he could still make someone do it. I could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time. :0

 

[Goodwill]

So are you saying that since Sinister was human, he couldn't choke himself? I'm confused.

Also, did you come up with an answer as to why mutants were being killed? Neither have I...

 

[E]

So are you saying that since Sinister was human, he couldn't choke himself? I'm confused.

Also, did you come up with an answer as to why mutants were being killed? Neither have I...

I'm saying that Apoc was one of the voices in Sinister's head. A voice that was tellinghim to kill mutants, kindof like how the Son of Sam believed his neighbor's dog was telling him to kill people.

And I think the insinuation was that while according to Sinister it is said that a human can't choke himself to death, his hypnotic powers were great enough to overcome that and force people to choke themselves - including himself.

 

[Blacksword]

Or that Sinister was unable to distinguish between Apocalypse and the other voices in his head. In that last scene it was pretty clear than Sinister was having a really difficult time discerning what was real.

As to the chokingthing, I think the fact that you would have to continue choking yourself after you went unconsious is the limiting factor on being able to choke yourself to death. And then you'd be weakening as you lose consciousness so your ability to choke yourself would be increasingly limted as you move closer to death. Though I suppose a powerful hypnotic suggestion would allow your muscles to keep in operation after the higher functions of your brain go out... Either way too much analysis on this one. We'll see if it's possible for Sinister if he's ever mentioned again.

 

[Dark_Images]

But lets consider for a moment that Apoc is real. We don't exactly know what his Ultimate powers are, but in the 616 he is a very powerful telepath with the ability to increase and decrease his body mass. We're not sure what the mutants being murdered were hunted for, but the scene with Apoc at the end could just be a form of telepathy he's using to get into Sinister's head. He may not physically be in the room, but maybe he needed the mutants sacrificed to bring him into existance in the regular(?) universe. And I don't think Sinister is dead either. Despite how powerful Apoc may turn out to be, I think he'll need all horseman for the upcoming battle. And maybe Gambit's involvement may turn out to be another form of getting Apoc closer to the X-men.

 

[Goodwill]

Well, first of all, Sinister was explaining to Angel that he wasn't finished with evolving yet... And that, possibly, if he killed innocent mutants, Apocolypse would help him do that. We'll see, though.

Also, it is unclear to me that Apocolypse is real because they didn't explain his involvement about Sinister and Apocolypse meeting. Also, Apocolypse wouldn't say he was leaving Sinister if he was a voice inside of the head. Not that I know anything about it, but I think that the mental capacity of the person with the voices determines that of the voices itself. The voices couldn't turn themselves on and off...

We'll have to see.

 

[E]

Also, Apocolypse wouldn't say he was leaving Sinister if he was a voice inside of the head

You underestimate the crazy people

 

[Goodwill]

Why would they tell themselves goodbye?

 

[E]

Why would they tell themselves goodbye?

If Sinister is crazy he can't rationalize that he is telling himself goodbye. A voice he hears in his head is going to seem like a separate person

 

[Dark_Images]

I really wish this story arc lasted longer than four issues. It would have been nice to figure out why they (mutants) were being targeted in the first place and how this ties into a bigger anti-mutant conspiracy.

 

[E]

I really wish this story arc lasted longer than four issues. It would have been nice to figure out why they (mutants) were being targeted in the first place and how this ties into a bigger anti-mutant conspiracy.

See, I really don't think it's anything that big. I really think it's just a crazy guy with voices in his head, on of which told him to kill mutants. Of course, I say this without having read #50 (please - nobody spoil that issue in this thread)...