Comics: X-Terminators #4

X-TERMINATORS #4
January 1989
"Finale!"
Writer: Louise Simonson
Penciler: Jon Bogdanove
Inker: Al Milgrom
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Preposterous magickal computer aside, this climax is executed pretty well. The book's light-hearted side brings us some slapstick of Artie and Leech trying to, literally, unplug the magickal computer and also has Taki creating a huge gestalt of six flying planes for the X-Terminators to use in their assault on the demons and their mission to rescue to captured infants. It's all a lot of fun and, when put in context with the rest of the series, justified. The stakes are actually so high that I really felt that some characters were in jeopardy even though I knew no one was going to die. Skids' selfless declaration that she was going to save the infants was well-played and had the gravitas of a last act, as did Taki's last minute near self-sacrifice to stop N'astirh. And considering what Taki would go on to do (you know, nothing) he probably should have died in this issue.

This is also the first time that the New Mutants and X-Terminators meet, thus chaning all of their lives forever. With this team-up, the seeds of X-Force have been planted as all the characters invovled (except Warlock, Wolfsbane and, ugh, Gosamyr) would go on to be involved in the book as either members of the MLF or X-Force. It's a big moment, in a good way for us X-Force fans. Fans of the older New Mutants status quo probably felt that the intrusion of those other X-Teens was a jump the shark moment. But really, why are there two teams of teen X-Men running around? Maybe it's because I grew up considering Rusty, Skids, Boom Boom and Rictor all New Mutants, but I had to keep telling myself through this issue that the X-Terminators weren't New Mutants. The cover of this issue just looks like a New Mutants team photo.

I also have to note that Rictor still doesn't have much of a personality, but his new punk look is a step in the right direction. It seems that in most issues of X-Factor he was merely the other guy, with no personality. I don't know whose decision it was to have Ric dress himself in a leather vest and studded gloves, but that bad boy image would soon become his main character trait. I'm excited to watch his character grow into what I know him as, and I am curious as to which writer first started writing him that way.

Good issue, and a nice end to a fun mini-series.

MY SCORE: 8.1/10