Alt 9997, Part 2: Universe X (Part 1)

Grade: D+

Things get worse as the planet's ecological conditions continue to decline after the events of Earth X. Meanwhile, Mr. Fantastic sets up gigantic "human torches" around the globe to burn the Terrigen Mist that turned every human into a mutant, but the growing Church of Immortus wants to douse the flames in order to keep their powers. The mysterious Tong of Creel surfaces to reassemble the Absorbing Man, the villain responsible for destroying the Avengers. The heroes rally around a young Mar-Vell (returned from the dead) in an attempt to  prevent the approaching armageddon 

Universe X doubles down on the dystopian future by showing the devastating consequences of the heroic actions to save the planet from both the Skull and the Celestials. Despite the sacrifices and victories, things continue the downward spiral. Humans will be humans as the series reveals both our inherent greed and our base instinct to survive. It is against that dark backdrop that we can better see the nobility of those who selflessly protect and defend the people around them.

If Earth X feels like a tribute to the Silver Age, then Universe X looks back through the Bronze Age. The series doesn't attempt to reframe past stories, but it still relies on a deep understanding of the heroes and histories -- especially Mar-Vell (Captain Marvel) and Adam Warlock. As with the last series, I was often left scrambling to find cliff notes online to fill in the gaps of my limited knowledge.

Universe X feels like a pale comparison to Earth X (which was already not my favorite read). The themes were less inspiring and the writing agonizing longer. The lengthy prose-like introduction conversations remained a fixture of the series -- this time between Kyle Ricard (Nighthawk) and fellow Defender Gargoyle. 

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #0

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X: 4 (2000) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #2

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #3

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #4

[5-Stars] Universe X: Spidey (2001) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #5

[4-Stars] Universe X: Cap (2001) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #6

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #7

Collected in Universe X, Vol. 1