Seriously, I started this project and I'm going to finish it. There's only like 30 more issues left in the entire line, though I imagine that number's due to increase considering the success of Spider Man Shattered Dimensions, but whatever. Also, I'm mulling over whether I should do Deadpool: Pulp, since it's not technically part of the Noir line, though it's certainly in the same spirit. If anyone is reading, give me your thoughts.
X-Men Noir: Mark of Cain #3
Our cover shows the wanted posters of Xavier and his new X-Men. I think at this point, for the sake of clarity and convenience, I'm going to call them by their mainstream aliases. Anyway, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Storm are three of the most well-known members of the All-New All-Different X-Men formed in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (Wolverine was also a member of that team, but since his counterpart was introduced early what are you gonna do?), in case that hasn't been made clear.
Anyway, we open with Xavier grilling Tommy. He starts discussing his own brother problems, and lets slip that Cain Marko was his step-brother. He says that their father Kurt was a "classic sociopath" who made a show of preferring Xavier over Cain, while berating him in secret where no one else could hear. He and Cain were always fighting as a consequence of this, and back in the day it was a more even match than you'd think. That is, until one of their scrapes ended with teen Xavier taking a bad tumble down the stairs, landing him in a wheelchair for life.
Before that, when they were just boys, Cain and Xavier ran away from home upon understanding what their father was doing to them. They fled to a lighthouse not far from their home, the keeper's widow taking pity on them. There, they stayed the weekend before the widow notified their mother to take them home. Xavier claims these memories are among his fondest.
He tells Tommy that he wants to be his beacon, his sanctuary. He just needs to open up to him. How did Robert become... Robert? And how did Tommy get out of his cell?
The lights have been on Tommy the entire time, of course. The light itself isn't so bad after a while, but the heat... Tommy has nothing to say to Xavier, who is disappointed. As long as Tommy denies him answers, he'll be denied sleep in Project: Wideawake. And his years as a teacher of youth have left Xavier infinitely patient.
Tommy mumbles to himself, "Lighthouse...", and is soon joined by a guest: Wanda Magnus. She says Xavier has sent the X-Men off on some errand and kisses him on the lips. It turns out she had been the one who let Tommy out of his cell, and they'd had this arrangement figured out for quite some time. She unties him and they begin to make their proper escape. Tommy beats some guards out of anger - none of them even tried to stop Colossus from crushing him despite it being in plain view. Wanda worries that he's killing one of them, but he shouts at her to "kill the waterworks."
Reaching a radio, he calls Eugene on the Mariko. He's relieved to hear from Tommy, since they were about to give up and head back to Madripoor. Tommy says he's headed for the rendezvous point. Eugene asks about the gem, but Tommy says he'll talk all about it once they pick him up. Wanda says it's urgent that he gets on the boat as soon as possible, since at this point he's gone over a week without sleep and his behavior's beginning to worry her. Ever hostile, he says he'll knock her teeth out if she doesn't call him by his real name: Robert. And since my brief stint as an amateur boxer has taught me having your teeth knocked out is no fun, I'll start calling him that as well.
Robert asks about an aircraft hangar in the military base. He wonders what the military could possibly have that needs so much space to hold it. Wanda asks what that has to do with them, but Robert tells her not to worry about it. Aboard the Mariko, Logan and Robert have it out over Wanda coming on board and joining the crew. Robert insists that she's the key to all of this, but Logan only sees her as another share to split the take with that nobody told him about. Logan acquiesces, but says they're supposed to be partners; Robert's supposed to use his "man of mystery" routine on marks, not him. If he's got any more surprises, he'd better start talking, or else Logan's headed back to Havana to re-acquaint himself with the art of rum-running.
At Robert's prompt, Wanda says she doesn't know precisely where the gem is... but she knows where to start looking.
And wouldn't you know it, the place to start looking is the lighthouse Xavier talked about at the beginning of the issue, where Cyclops meets the cantankerous keeper's widow, Moira MacTaggart. Moira's been expecting them on account of a telegram she'd recently received from Cain. She starts going on about money promised to her, and she's not dropping the subject until her palm gets greased.
Cut to, wouldn't you know it, the old Creole Club in New York, where Cyclops tells the rest of the story. After Moira squeezed a hundred out of him (A hundred dollars in 1938), she told him Cain was sending her something on a boat flying Singapore colors that he wanted her to sit on. Evidently, he was expecting he'd be double-crossed. The boat's called The Blackbird (Which is the name of the X-Men's plane in 616 continuity), and it's headed to New York Harbor by way of the Cape of Good Hope. Now they just have to keep checking the papers until they announce, "if you'll forgive the cliche, our ship has come in."
Cyclops asks about Tommy, who isn't present. Logan and Eugene both say that whoever they picked up on Genosha, it wasn't Tommy. Cyclops adjusts his glasses, showing his disfigured/fake eye in the process, as he says that's too bad - he likes this guy a lot more.
We now see Robert seeing a plastic surgeon about removing his "M" tatoo. Well, okay, we see the surgeon working on it, with some difficulty, since Robert refused anesthetic to remind him of the pain he must pay in kind. When it's done, Robert talks about future visits to complete the process, and the surgeon, Dr. Abraham Cornelius (after one of the head scientists on the Weapon X project) says he recognizes the tattoo and can think of a few reporters who'd love to talk to a prisoner from Genosha Bay... and one doctor who'd love a little extra consideration to keep his secret. Robert tells Dr. Cornelius that he's handy with a knife, but if he keeps talking he'll find out it's not such an uncommon aptitude.
Later, he talks with Wanda. He says when the Blackbird comes into port, he'll make sure the others are distracted and they'll steal the gem for themselves. Well, Wanda will steal it. Well, one of her shady girlfriends will steal it. Robert would do it himself, "but I'll have my hands full with One-Eye, the Drunk, and the Midget."
Eventually, the day comes when they find news of the Blackbird's arrival (Another ship due to come in on that day is the Admiral Akbar). The, er, "X-Men" suit up and go to get what's theirs. Under cover of night, they sneak onto the boat and start dealing with the crew. They take a look at the shipping manifest for the location of the parcels, and upon uncovering hold number three they discover none other than the actual X-Men having beaten them to the punch.
Nightcrawler pounces on Cyclops, praying in German as he does. Eugene prepares to shoot him, saying he's got Cyclops' back, but Storm is coming up behind him, knives at the ready. Logan saves the little man, saying this is what they call "irony" as he slices Storm from behind. Eugene has his gun right to Nightcrawler's head, and Logan tells Cyclops to grab the gem while they've got them pinned down. Unfortunately, Colossus gets the drop on him, tossing him overboard and delivering a classic line. "I abhor violence. A pity I'm so good at it."
Things go downhill fast. Nightcrawler frees himself from Eugene's grib by elbowing him in the face, but gets a kick from Robert right in the kisser in return. Robert speaks to him in German, saying it's a wonder Cyclops turned out so well when this is where Xavier's treatment got him. This is their second meeting, he says, and it will be their last. After all, since the last time they tangled, Robert had reaped the benefits of Xavier's counseling as well. As he gains the upper hand, he reminds Cyclops of the gem. Colossus approaches Robert, saying that it's not often he gets to crush a man's ribcage twice in one week, but Logan plants his claws right in his spine, having climbed back on board.
Good news: Xavier's new X-Men are pretty much over with, and Cyclops has the gem. Bad news: Cyclops has undergone a Face–Heel Turn, holding his buddies at gunpoint and taking them to see Xavier.
End of Mark of Cain issue 3.
Ooh, this is really heating up.
