X-Manhunt Omega - A masterclass in mutant mess
I read it. I wept. Not because the story was good. Or because it made me emotional. I wept because the issue was comically bad. One of the worst crossovers of this decade. But I won't go into explaining what happened in the issue. Here is what I have a problem with:
1. The Mishandling of Cyclopsâ Trauma
Scott was tortured for months by Orchis and publicly put on trial to be executed because he was the face of mutantkind.
In X-Men #3, Scottâs panic attack was a deeply personal, well-written moment that reflected his trauma. In X-Manhunt: Omega, itâs just a plot device to get him stabbed by Wolverine.
This isnât character-driven storytelling. Itâs reducing trauma to a spectacle. Instead of giving Scott emotional depth, the issue treats his panic attack as just another dramatic set piece. Reducing his trauma to just "denial" is dismissive.
2. How to Gaslight 101: A Prof. X Tutorial
Xavier made Scott watch him kill the Agnew, which was later revealed in X-Men Infinity Comic to be a lie. The Agnew were never real. This raises a fundamental question:
Why did he make Scott watch him âmurderâ them in the first place?
This was never explained. And worseâXavier waited until now to tell Scott it was fake. That means he let Scott believe he had witnessed a murder for no reason.
Thereâs no logic behind this except to further manipulate Scott.
Xavier had zero reason to put Scott through that.
Instead of acknowledging that he emotionally abused Scott, Xavier just shrugs it off.
The narrative never answers the fundamental question: Why gaslight Scott like this?
The issue just sweeps it under the rug.
3. No Consequences: The Xavier Way
Xavier spends the entire issue dismissing Scottâs emotions, calling his anger âhatredâ instead of acknowledging what he did.
He never takes responsibility.
Instead, he plays the victim and then leaves for space.
The writer describes Xavier as a MacGuffin rather than a protagonist, claiming Scott was the one with the hurdles to overcome. But this framing is exactly the problem. Xavier is the cause of everything happening in this event. He manipulated, lied to, and emotionally abused Scott for years. Yet instead of facing consequences, the story reframes Scott as the one who needs to move on.
âScott is still so hurt and fixated on Charles to see it. So, I made his âenemyâ say it⊠âYo. Look around. Wake up.ââ
This is infuriating. Scott isnât âfixatedâ on Charles; heâs trying to hold him accountable. But instead of validating Scottâs justified anger, the story treats it as a personal failing.
4. Stormâs Shock-a-Palooza
Stormâs actions in this issue are wildly inconsistent. She claims she wants no part in the huntâyet she tries to kill Scott by striking him with a lightning arrow, sending him plummeting from a spaceship to Earth. Sure. Let's call that "stopping him."
Even beyond that, her characterization feels forced.
Why is she suddenly so protective of Xavier?
Why is she bothered by Sage asking for a spaceship, something that is barely a fraction of her resources? Storm has never been one to hoard wealth. My guess is that this is Eternity.
But, rather than making her actions feel organic, the issue seems more focused on giving Storm a flashy âcool moment,â even if it comes at the cost of her characterization.
Logan had zero relevance to the plot...until he suddenly delivered a dramatic monologue about Scott fighting for everyoneâs dreams⊠and then stabbed him.
How does stabbing someone help with a panic attack? Scott was losing control of his powers due to trauma, and instead of helping in a rational way, Logan impaled him. If anything, that shouldâve made it worse. But nope. Scott instantly recovers. Logan also has the audacity to tell Scott he "poked" him. I guess what Weapon X did to him was "poking" too.
There were better options right there:
A telepath could have calmed Scott down.
Indestructible Rogue could have restrained him safely.
But Logan had to be the one to "wake Scott up," because apparently, stabbing someone is the peak of wisdom. Feels more like the writerâs self-insert moment than actual storytelling.
6. Bittersweet? Bitterfake? What difference does it make?
Xavier faces zero consequences and everyone acts like this is some tragic farewell.
Emma kissing Xavier on the cheek makes no sense.
Rogue hugging Scott at the end is hollow because she and Uncanny cast spent the entire issue dismissing him. (Not counting how they use his name as an insult in the previous issues.)
The issue treats this as a âsad but necessaryâ moment instead of what it actually is: Xavier getting away with everything.
The final insult? Instead of resolving Xavierâs crimes which would have been a good way to redeem him, the story reframes the "protagonist" Scott as unreasonable.
One good thing does come out of this. Charles finally fucks off to space to be the bird lady's sex pet. The X-Men gather, tears streaming down their faces. A sob here, a choke there. Or perhaps, they're just choking on the overwhelming aroma of bullshit.
Scott gets gaslit and forgets Magik can teleport.
Storm is out of character.
Had no idea stabbing a person suffering from a panic attack can get rid of a panic attack. (According to one writer anyway)
Wolverine is the in-character Stab-Happy Asshole Extraordinaire.
Xavier faces no real consequences. (In character for Xavier)
Unnecessary monologues all around.
Unnecessary character appearences.
Necessary characters don't appear. No Rachel. Magneto has no lines. No Juggernaut. Warren, Hank and Bobby are hardly there.
Xavier is now Hickman's problem.
If the goal was to make Scott âwake upâ from dreams, maybe they shouldnât have made this entire arc feel like a bad fever dream. Perhaps Xavier or someone else is still manipulating all of their minds. I wanted to give this issue more grace, but the way Scott's trauma was handled....ugh.
