Credits:Writer: Warren Ellis
Pencils: Alan Davis (Part 1)
Art: Adi Granov (Part 2)
Background:Astonishing X-Men: Ghost Boxes is a two-part limited series that takes off following the discovery of the so-called Ghost Box in Astonishing X-Men #27. Simnply put, think of a Ghost Box as a gizmo that can open up portals to other dimension in the Marvel Multiverse. This limited series is a collection of stories about alternate realities involving -- directly or indirectly -- the X-Men and the Ghost Boxes -- yep, there's more than one. Think of it as a mini What If series featuring the Astonishing X-Men.
Part 1: Agent X-13's Report on the Emergency Annexation of Earth-616
In this alternate reality, Agent X-13 recounts to his council/court martial how he managed to get rid of the X-Men and successfully annexed this parallel dimension.
The key to this was taking out Scott Summers, aka Cyclops early on, whom Agent X-13 believes to be the real threat. Killing Cyclops gives him the time to properly engage the Ghost Box.
Upon completing the Ghost Box, three "Deathlok-class security units" were deployed to the scene. These are basically juiced-up Sentinels. One of these "security units" happens to be "plugged-in" to a Magneto who quickly mangled the admantium-laced skeleton of Wolverine, rendering him harmless and useless. It also made short work of the remaining team members, killing in one blow Storm and Emma Frost, leaving the young Armor alon and clueless.
After that initial exchange, the Deathlok-class units secured Indonesia, then the rest of the southern hemisphere by the end of the day. The following day, after a nuclear fallout, the annexation of the world was complete, apparently with very high death tolls -- the reason for Agent X-13 is being court martialled in the first place.
CommentsThis is an alternate ending -- a What If, if you will -- for Astonishing X-Men #26. Whereas Cyclops was taken out in this alternate reality, in the "real-world" AXM#26, Cyclops is alive and is able to prevent the Ghost Box from being activated, causing Agnet X-13 to fail and, subsequently, blow his own head off.
Part 2: Being An Journal by Miss Emma Frost of New Portsmouth Bay in the State of Albion
This features Earth-889, a pre-digital world, and centers around the thoughts of Emma Frost of the X Society. After being called upon to investigate the apparent murder of a peculiar floating, burning body, the X Society deduce from the journal left behind by the body the location of the killer.
Flying on the "steam-version" of the BlasckBird, the team flies to the aerodrome where the supposedly killer is supposed to be going. Opening the hatch, Logan jumps down earthwards. The killer, an alternate X-13, seeing Logan, grabs a briefcase, burns it, and tosses it to Logan. Logan was hit and his entire arm burst to flames. Logan unknownly rips the airship with his claws, which eventually caused to the airship to explode.
After that, the X Society are now blamed for the disaster. Emma Frost is placed under house arrest, with a bunch of clockwork mechanical guards called Sentinels with their great guns trained on her house.
CommentsThe initial crime scene -- burning floating body -- is exactly the same as the original crime scene in AXM #25, except that this is a pre-digital world, where apparently, the steam engine is the highest form of technology available.
The Hulk Gang came and threatened the old man. He played in his mind how he would have responded years ago: claws out and slash. Of course, being the pacifist that he is now, he simply took everything the Hulk Gang dished out without even raising a finger to defend himself. Rent was doubled next month or everyone dies, the Hulk Gang threatened and left.
And with that, they hop on to -- of all things -- the modified Spidermobile. Thus begins the treacherous roadtrip across the now vastly changed countryside of what was once the United States of America.
