Thursday 14 March 2013

X-Factor #41-#42: Don't Feed The Trolls

X-Factor #41-#42 features the long-awaited Mutant Registration Act competition winner: Alchemy, aka Thomas Jones, a young boy who has the power of transmuting elements, natch. This attracts the attention of a passing troll, who abducts him.

Back in New York, X-Factor are wondering what to do with the kids. It's that age-old question, do you treat them as children and teach them lessons and try and provide a nurturing environment and stuff, or do you train them to be a paramilitary squad ready for combat actions? This is interrupted by news of the above. The adults go troll-hunting, with babe-in-arms, which is beautiful. There is fighting! X-Factor vs. a lot of trolls. The trolls have a crazy plan involving sabotaging the British economy by dumping large quantities of gold on it, forcing British people to emigrate leaving the country for various endangered magical creatures. Goldbug trolls. What. They'll be telling me they support Ron Paul supports gay rights next. Mind, comics are not known for their grasp of economics, and dispensing with the snark, it's nice to see a different supervillain scheme for a change.

There is fighting! The resolution is peril monkey stopping being a peril monkey, by turning the trolls into solid metal. Tommy declines an offer to join X-Factor, instead deciding to go to university to study chemistry.

BritWatch

Simonson's Britain really does make one appreciate the attempts Claremont is making, at least. Young Tommy Jones lives with his mother, Ophelia Jones, at a "boarding house" which is straight out of the 1930s.

It's sort of implied to be within eyeshot of the Palace of Westminster. Other tourist attractions that are part of the comic include the White Tower in the Tower of London (which is good! you should visit!), and Buckingham Palace (which seems awfully dreary and overpriced), and Hyde Park (which is just a park, innit). Those are all justified by the plot, at least.

The most ridiculous part of the portrayal of London is the idea that they would be building an underground railway during Thatcher's premiership. Of course, with the sliding timeline, where you end up with Korea becoming Vietnam and Vietnam becoming Afghanistan, it's presumably Jubilee Line Extension, or possibly HS1.

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