The Quiet Council Embraces Its Destiny In Inferno #2

The Reign Of X comes to a close as the Quiet Council expands. Enemies, allies, they are all the same in this dangerous game. Jonathan Hickman, Stefano Caselli, David Curiel and Joe Sabino bring us Inferno #2.

Chris Eddleman: Well friends, it’s time again for a dive into the fire as we continue our coverage on Inferno with this, our second issue. Before we dive into it, this one definitely was a slow burner, with schemes upon schemes. That being said, sometimes a superhero comic with absolutely no punching is a blessing, and apparently only the few (i.e one Jonathan Hickman) are allowed to provide it for us. This is a big one, packed with characters with *Gasp* complex motivations and personal agendas. I’m excited to look in a bit.

Nola Pfau: I have to say, I was expecting a lot more thematic alignment with the original Inferno, even if the context is much different. I’m not disappointed by the lack of it, but it’s perhaps the thing that’s most surprising? Either way, this issue has so much scheming. Hickman is truly delivering the drama that X-Men deserves as a franchise, and I can’t thank him enough for that. Shall we?

A Certain Mystique

Chris: If we didn’t outright call it, I think we heavily implied that we were fairly certain all of the Cerebro and DNA gathering was performed by Mystique (emphasis on performed). And that’s what we’re shown at the start of this issue. Mystique did, in fact, engineer Destiny to be brought back. This is no trick or imposter, this is the genuine article. I kind of appreciate storytelling that can be slightly predicted but still have a bit of a twist to it. I think two things stuck out to me—Hope can apparently just use telekinesis (or at least Cerebro) even if there isn’t a telepath in the same room, and also that this plan seemed like such a no-brainer that I’m shocked that Charles and Erik didn’t think it was possible. The former is likely just a storytelling conceit, and the latter I think requires a little more thought.

Charles and Erik have been portrayed in this era as often quite full of themselves. “Just look at what we’ve done” can be self-congratulatory but it can also be a phrase wrought with hubris (or both, most likely). I think that they simply could not conceive of Mystique disobeying them in such a way. They seemed concerned more about what to keep telling her to keep her placated rather than what she’d do. And that’s even referenced later when Mystique tells Destiny that she truly has no idea how many times she’s attempted to attack the Forge and wonders what they’ve done to her memory. Clearly not enough to prevent her from doing the VERY OBVIOUS.

Nola: What’s fascinating here too is that Destiny was apparently back for weeks without a single telepath picking up on her presence despite her very apparent mental distress? That’s the sort of thing that usually causes a spike in their awareness, and to have it coming from a brain pattern they hadn’t been able to sense in a while would be doubly so. I wonder if this has to do with her precognitive powers, and if they grant her some level of skill or immunity with telepathy?

Honestly, this level of behavior is exactly what I expect from Charles and Erik, both the arrogance of their presumption and the level of blindness they have regarding what those they consider beneath them are capable of. I love that they were outplayed here, although…is it just me or is the actual depiction of Mystique’s process here kind of tedious? It’s not that I don’t enjoy seeing it, it’s just that it feels a little long, a little over-indulgent, considering that we see her negotiating for votes, what, four separate times? I don’t think each negotiation needed to be a full page in length, especially with the way this issue is leaning into 9-panel grids here and there. They’re a really effective way to convey a lot of info, and it’s weird they weren’t used to do that here!

Chris: Hickman tends to love these kinds of scenes. Repeats of things we’ve already seen at different angles or with more context (such as the beginning with Mystique’s machinations) as well as these sorts of wheeling-and-dealing conversations. I think you’re right in that they’re slightly overindulgent here, and the 9-panel grid of the Council is used for some scenes of Mystique’s negotiations but not for others. That being said, I think Caselli is bringing his A-game here for in-panel action even if the layouts are a little strange.

I think Exodus’s scene was my favorite. He’s like a dude really into high fantasy writing. Just a real sucker for a prophecy, even moreso for a prophet [Ed. note: would you believe Chris watched Dune this weekend?]. Charles kicking himself later for going “Of course Exodus would love some kind of prophetic crap how could I be so stupid?” was pretty amazing.

What did you think of Kurt? He doesn’t get a ton of screen time but, I found it interesting that he just wanted to make Mystique happy, especially considering how awful she is to him all the time. How about that boy who just wanted to make his mom(s) happy?

Nola: Well, if I know one thing, it’s about the desire to please one’s abusers! That said, I think this is a version of Kurt that hews closer to my understanding of him than, say, Way of X did. Regardless of the status of his relationship with Mystique, he knows that she and Destiny have been denied each other for a long time, and he also knows that Destiny is a good influence on her. I think it’s perfectly accurate to his characterization to want something that’s healthy for her, and to hope that her having it is a step in the right direction, the other politics of the Quiet Council aside. I also think it’s really impressive that Hickman manages to hit that tone with him in what, three entire panels?

I agree with you on Exodus, it’s an absolutely fabulous scene. I also love that Mystique straight up lied to Shaw about Emma’s vote in order to get her way. As those TellTale games liked to say, “Sebastian will remember that.”

Who Can’t Be Controlled

Chris: So Moira immediately has a massive freakout once Charles and Erik tell her that Destiny is suddenly back. I’m still heavily of the opinion that Moira has some amount of trauma related to her own personal Inferno, that is her fiery death many lives back. She seems to be convinced that Moira and Destiny are endlessly plotting against her, which we get a wonderful storyline rebuttal to. Destiny can’t see very far into the future (or perhaps at all). She just sees a blank void where the future is. Which means that Moira is concerned for nothing and that something is likely extremely wrong. Perhaps Destiny can’t see the future because of….well, Orchis was working on something involving their version of the Krakoan gates that uses the sun. I think they’re trying for an apocalypse and that’s why Destiny can’t see. But who knows. Mystique is definitely onto them, and we got a fun little “Mystique transforming into a bunch of people” scene to boot.

But anyway, of course the first person that Charles and Erik felt like they could trust with a morally gray secret is the White Queen. In harkening back to her meeting in Powers of X #4, she’s hanging out in the Louvre in front of the Winged Victory of Samothrace. I feel like this is Emma’s place of sanctuary, or power, and I like the callback.

One good callback deserves another though, and Moira reveals herself to Emma telepathically. And in true telepath fashion, Emma does a little fall over, because ten lives is frankly a lot to take in all at once. I’m fond of her response though. The White Queen is not simply going to go along with someone who’s been lying to her.

Nola: It’s interesting you mention that blank void of Destiny and the Orchis plans, because that really rang out to me through Hickman’s use of duality—specifically the idea of something Destiny can’t see followed by the specific words used by that Orchis scientist about “something so bright the world is blind to it.” It’s a really interesting little tidbit and I think the hint about it I love the most is the way that too much brightness can actually cause that kind of blackness over one’s vision. It’s really in line with what you were talking about before, the way Hickman loves his perspective shifts, and the way he’s accomplished that here without repeating a scene is just some really impressive storytelling.

This Emma thing, though. I had assumed, in the weeks leading up to this, that Emma was going to end up positioned more directly against Charles and Erik both (hell, the promo stuff basically spelled that out, if I remember), but I had always figured it would be through an appeal from Mystique leading to Emma assisting with Destiny’s resurrection, and not through Charles and Erik’s own blunders.

It’s absolutely hilarious to me that this too is a repeat of their blunders with Mystique, and they way they completely misunderstand the people around them. They’re both so completely focused on the concept of mutantdom from their particular perspectives, and they’re both just incredibly guilty of dismissing the very people who have fought and died for them both, multiple times. I’m really excited for this, because I’ve never known an Emma Frost, hero or villain, who didn’t lean into power plays, and while she’s had some of that with Shaw and the Hellfire stuff over in Marauders, I’m really interested to see what her big plays look like with regards to the council. Speaking of power, and playing at it…

And Who Can

Chris: Well if you can’t convince an intelligent strong woman to take your side after giving her some information that proved you’ve been lying to her for years, instead you get someone more easily manipulated, in this case its our last page reveal—Colossus is the final member of the Quiet Council. I wouldn’t say I was absolutely floored by this reveal, but I kind of respect that complete and total lack of foreshadowing regarding it. Colossus hasn’t been in Inferno at all, and in general not much a power player in the Krakoa era. He’s been hanging out in a garden in X-Force, but he hasn’t really been at a huge forefront in the way Magneto, Professor X, and Emma have been. But the choice is perfect, because Colossus is not at all a schemer. He’s not really good at “the game” as it were and I think that says so much about Erik and Charles, picking an absolute stooge as their final choice. What do you think about the reveal? Not obvious persay, but absolutely logical?

Nola: Absolutely logical and unabashedly foolish. I’ve been on the X-Force beat over at WWAC for most of its run now, and the thing that gets me is that almost since that run started, Mikhail has been messing with his younger brother from afar. There’s the entire thing with the Chronicler, who I believe may be a mutant, and altering Piotr’s life, Stranger than Fiction style? I’m not sure what the continuity is between that storyline and Inferno here [Ed. note: Percy has called his X-Force a lead-in to Inferno], but it’s significant to me that in that book, Colossus has literally been arrested for treason by Beast, before now being voted onto the Council.

I also think it’s interesting that they chose a character who can often be so very stubborn, as well as one who is implied to have messed with Domino’s resurrection. It seems very much like he’s a good fit for whatever Charles is planning, but I also see this really blowing up in Charles’ face. You’re right that he’s not a schemer, but I could easily see him refusing to play by Charles or Erik’s rules in the moment out of a sheer fit of pique. Lord knows he did that to Kate enough times over the years. [Ed. note: Cannot emphasize enough that he is being pseudo-controlled by the Russians]

Chris: The fact that he hasn’t said an actual word regarding the matter is very interesting. We’ve gotten two of these “no word” reveals in a row, which of course makes me think that we’re going to have a “Charles and Erik talk to Colossus” flashback scene in the next issue.

The final words of the issue are “in him, we can trust” as Colossus has a blue flash in his eye. I keep trying to find some deeper meaning in the eye flash but, it’s likely just a cool bit of art, right? The line though, definitely reads “in him, we can trust” as “in him, we can definitely manipulate” as opposed to Destiny, Mystique and Emma—women who they absolutely cannot. I tried to read a bit into the votes as well, I think Emma voting in favor is certainly interesting, but it cements her as more of a free agent in this whole mess, so I’m pretty into it.

Nola: Also very interesting to me that with Emma featured on the cover, two separate story beats in this issue are focused on securing her votes for council members. I think you’re right in that she’ll be more of a free agent going forward, because she negotiated for that position early on, with her entire table. Her, Kate, and Shaw make a formidable team despite their internecine difficulties, and with the further factionalization of introducing Destiny at a separate table from Mystique (despite the fact that they will almost assuredly act in unison), I think we’re gearing up for some really wild confrontations amongst the council. I have no idea what shape those are going to take, but I agree that Charles and Erik think they can control Colossus, and I wonder if someone will soon challenge Storm’s presence given how busy Arakko keeps her. Not that I want Storm to lose that seat, I just would find it interesting for the Quiet Council to challenge her the way that the Great Ring does. Mostly I want Storm to be all “ExCUSE me?” and then once again be the coolest mutant in the room.

Chris: Given that Nimrod is still waiting in the wings, I fear our internal mutant machinations are likely going to take a backseat to some human intervention, all in the name of “progress.” I think this issue felt a little short for 48 pages but, I absolutely loved the content. I think I probably complain about it too much, but more superhero books should have long punching breaks for other kinds of storytelling, and it’s nice to see some scheming. This is kind of what I expected from the Krakoa era at large, and it’s nice to be getting fed a little bit.

Nola: I want more scenes of Destiny and Mystique being in love but there is literally no amount of that which will satisfy me, so I’m willing to forgive there not being enough of it.

X-Traneous Thoughts

Krakoan reads “Nimrod”
Destiny is back to being absolutely smug about seeing the future, which is my (Chris’s) favorite quality of hers.
There’s a goof toward the end of the issue where Destiny is shown seated next to Charles and Erik, then shown two panels later next to Sinister and Exodus.
Unless it’s not a goof, and Mystique is just shapeshifting into her wife for no reason.
I want to know what stage of Orchis hierarchy involves “becomes ape.” Like is that a privilege as part of a promotion or a requirement for one?
Probably at the…ahem…ape-x of their career.
Ed. note: Just so people don’t @ us, yes we know it’s because they became apes in X-Men #1. We’re doing a bit.