It's Here! Avengers VS X-Men!

This week, "Avengers VS X-men" Unofficially kicks off!

I say unofficially because it's issue #0, the starting point but not quite where we need to be to start the actual epic event. This issue brings you behind the scenes at what is going on with two of the major characters in the brawl, the Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers.

When you pick up this issue (And you will) you'll notice you get a 2-fer. That's right, and I don't mean the free Digital Copy(What, is everything going digital!?). You get one story about the Scarlet Witch, and then a completely different story about Hope Summers. So I'll take a look at each, as well as give you a quick backstory on why these characters are back.

[SPOILER ALERT]





The first half of the book is all about the Scarlet Witch. With one sentence, the Scarlet Witch wiped out the majority of the Mutant Race, leaving them powerless. She has been missing since, until recently where she resurfaced in the Children's Crusade miniseries. She is back to her former self, but is having trouble getting back to the present and adjusting.

The story is very quick, in fact I can tell it to you in one paragraph. It starts by having the Scarlet Witch (Wanda) fending off some of MODOK's troops, as well as MODOK himself. After a bit of trouble, Ms Marvel and Spider-woman show up and help her out. Under Ms Marvel's consideration, she asks Wanda to come back to Avenger's Mansion and say hello. When they get there, the Vision answers the door, and rudely tells her she is not welcome there, with Ms Marvel flying her off as she cries. That's it. Nothing more, at least not important. We just know that there is tension between Scarlet Witch and the Avengers.

The second half of the book is all about Hope Summers, the fabled "mutant messiah" and the highly speculated host of the Phoenix force. This story takes the role of Hope having gone through all of her training with Cable and yet being held captive as a child on the mutant Utopia.

This story is also very quick, but much more intense. It starts by an argument between Hope and Cyclops, which is about Hope leaving the island for some heroics. She ends up getting to the point of borrowing Cyclops powers and blasting him, then flying off. She flies to the city, and intercepts the Serpent Society in a robbery, and stops all of them by herself. She displays a number of her skills, not just in stealth, but also that she can copy any mutant's powers within a certain range. Cyclops and Emma appear at the tail end of it, stopping Hope's bloody hand from hitting a member one more time. This half ends with Hope sitting by the beach, while the Phoenix force makes it's way towards Earth.

As I said, this issue doesn't give you anything towards the Avengers Vs X-men directly, but rather sets up what will most likely be important points for it. If you plan on reading Avengers VS X-men, start here. The series officially kicks off NEXT WEEK, so keep a look out!*

*Most comic stores are running promotional Avengers VS Xmen events, including taking a side. Find your local X-men store or Avengers Store and participate on the action.

The Geek Asylum Says: BUY IT.