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The HiX-Men Report: Powers of X (2019) #5

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After a contentious week last week, The HiX-Men Report returns to a more harmonious state with Powers of X (2019) #5.

This episode was a lot of fun to record! We were in a more cheerful disposition in general, plus how can you go wrong with an issue centered on a few of these deliciously snarky characters. Also, I got to deliver a “Peter’s Art History Corner” about my favorite work of art in the entire world! Plus, Fangirl gave us a major history lesson.

Oh, and I found a reason to unpack my electric guitar…

Bumper Music: “Killer Queen” – Queen

  • X^0
    • 2:58: Xavier & Forge (and where can we place it)
    • 10:06: A “Very Dumb” and “Extraordinary Useful” Power
    • 12:40: Xavier Getting $#!% Done (IN SPACE)
    • 14:10: The Fashionable Forge: Cheyenne & Shaman
    • 20:20: Charts! Notes on Cerebro (back up your phones, people)
    • 22:42: Dirty Little Secrets AKA Lack of Informed Consent
    • 25:15: Rebooting Yourself AKA Xavier Legacy
    • 29:34: Moira’s Hand That Rocks the Five Cradles
  • X^1
    • 32:05: Emma & The Boys in The Louvre
    • 34:43: Emma Does It All For the Children
    • 36:30: Peter’s Art History Corner: Winged Victory of Samothrace
    • 41:18: Fariha’s World History Corner: East India Trading Company
    • 47:47: Lightning Round: Silent Negotiation, Krakoa Inferno, Silva’s Capes, & Recurring Towers
    • 51:26: Charts! (or: Why we’re NOT talking about this chart yet)
  • Present Day
    • 53:58: Xavier Brings On The Bad Guys (and Namor)
    • 56:39: Interlude: Sinister’s Murder Orgy
    • 59:20: Connections with Chip Zdarsky’s Invaders
  • X^3
    • 1:02:24: HOXers, POXers, and HOXPOXees (or: Why we love X^3)
    • 1:07:30: The All-Consuming Singularity(/ies)
    • 1:12:12: Mutants in the Galactic Idiom
    • 1:15:33: Xavier’s Recipe for a Stronghold
    • 1:19:57: Charts! Categorically Godlike Levels of Society
    • 1:22:27: Two Flavors of Abyss Final Thoughts
  • 1:25:44: Final Reactions (before SPOILERS)
  • 1:32:57: SPOILERS!!! The Quiet Council of Krakoa

The HiX-Men Report: Powers of X (2019) #4

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There is something very sinister going on with the HiX-Men Report this week, as we return to Powers of X to delve into one of the most nuanced issues yet. This episode’s discussion of colonialism is one of my favorite sequences from all of our panels to date!

Bumper Music: “Origin of Love” – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

  • X^0
    • 3:02 – WHEN is the Island of Mr. Sinister? (in continuity & in lives)
    • 10:40 – WHO is the Island of Mr. Sinister? (mutant or not?)
    • 13:07 – WHEN is the Island of Mr. Sinister? (a rebuttal & NOT Life #11)
    • 17:05 – WHY is the island of Mr. Sinister? (good works, mnemonic triggers, & Moira)
    • 26:34 – The Canonical Cloning of Mr. Sinister (comics’ best troll)
    • 30:33 – Clones at/as Liberty (the Return of Martin Buber)
  • X^1
    • 32:15 – Sassy Ramsey Takes a Field Trip
    • 36:22 – The Many Levels of Xavier’s Sartorial Selections (Krakoan Colonialism, part 1)
    • 45:33 – Krakoa’s Origin (of love)
    • 50:00 – The Limbo Connection
    • 53:09 – The First Horsemen (& Marvel Comics #1000)
    • 54:42 – Zach’s Mythology Corner & The Twilight Sword
    • 1:04:15 – Charts! Krakoan Systems
    • 1:07:23 – Krakoan Colonialism (The Sequel)
  • X^3
  • Bonus Feature: 1:21:49 – Trashy Sinister Gossip
  • 1:46:20 – Final Reactions

20 X-Men Questions with an X-Pert & a New Mutant – Part 4

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It’s the grand finale of our game of 20 X-Questions, and we’ve saved some of the hardest questions for last.

Today we tackle mutant school segregation, if the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is truly “evil” (or really a “brotherhood”!), and who would win the ultimate Omega Mutant Battle Royale!

The HiX-Men Report: House of X (2019) #4

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It’s the most action-packed issue of House of X yet, with a shocking finale. To say any more would be a spoiler, but I can reveal that Zach and I have our first big disagreement of the HiX-Men Report!

Bumper Music: “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles

  • 0:54 – Charts! Extinction! Wanda! Shade!
  • 7:58 – Ground Control to Major Jean
  • 17:59 – Major Jean to Ground Control – first casualties
  • 26:25 – Monet’s heroic moment
  • 32:18 – The “dunno” Saga (& pod people truthers)
  • 35:19 – Is this a dynamic Cyclops?
  • 39:39 – Mystique got “turned around”
  • 47:31 – The Ballad of Nightcrawler & Wolverine
  • 54:39 – “The Bad Gals”
  • 58:43 – Mothermold’s Monologue / Zach’s Philosophy Corner
  • 1:07:43 – Jean Grey vs. Marvel Girl (vs. Jonathan Hickman)
  • 1:17:15 – The great “NO MORE” debate
  • 1:31:46 – Final reactions

HiX-Men Report: Midterm Evaluation of House of X & Powers of X

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This week the HiX-Men Report has a very special midterm evaluation for Jonathan Hickman’s House of X and Powers of X.

We’ve been going through this run with a fine-toothed comb every week, but now that we’re at the halfway point are we really loving it? And, what are our most wild predictions for the second half.

(Zach has one word for you: PLANTINELS.)

  • Mid-Term Reports
  • Rebuttals / Discussion
    • 7:44 – Do the issues stand on their own?
    • 12:25 – Thematic Density AKA Do Zach & Peter actually hate it?
    • 13:56 – Deep references that still invite newer readers
  • Predictions

20 X-Men Questions with an X-Pert & a New Mutant – Part 3

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In our third session of playing X-Men 20 Questions, Fangirl and I tackle some big topics.

Do the X-Men have a moral responsibility to use their powers to better the world? Should Iceman be donating ice to charity or saving our melting ice caps? Does he really have any time for baseball games?

Plus, Fangirl tries to stump me by asking why Gambit carries around so many playing cards (and I go off about the mechanics of Gambit’s powers in response).