Astonishing X-Men Vol. 4: Unstoppable
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday
A powerful conclusion to an Astonishing series, delivering both the gains, as well as the losses...
Ranking: 5 stars
There is a saying that all good stories are ones that end on a high note. This is why developing the ending to a story can be the most difficult aspect of the writing process for some authors. If an author has succeeded in grabbing the attention of the reader and has given them a reason to invest in the story and characters, then it is their duty to create an ending that not only leaves a final memorable impression in the reader's mind, but also ties up all lose ends and is a respectful farewell to the characters. If an author is unable to accomplish this task, then it makes the time that the reader spent investing in the story wasted and anticlimactic. This is an especially difficult task in comics, particularly for runs by individual writers. Because comics are ongoing stories without set endings, writers need to make the final arc of their run something that makes the reader want to continue investing in future stories involving characters that they love. This is another major problem that I have with SPIDER-MAN: ONE MORE DAY, as it makes the development that JMS put into the character during his run feel wasted (as well as the past twenty years of Spidey and MJ being married). UNSTOPPABLE however, the final entry to Joss Whedon's run on ASTONISHING X-MEN, is a perfect example of an ending that not only brings a great series to an epic conclusion, but also makes the time the reader spent feel worthwhile. At the end of the TORN arc (my personal favorite of the series), the X-Men were assaulted by Ord and Danger just after preventing Cassandra Nova from regaining her physical body. But before the X-Men could do anything, they along with their attackers were summoned on to Agent Brad's S.W.O.R.D. (the space division of S.H.I.E.L.D) spacecraft. According to information gained in the previous volume, the mysterious X-Man who has been prophesied to destroy Ord's home planet the Breakworld, has been revealed to be none other than Colossus, who was resurrected by Ord to develop the cure. Because of Ord's failure to eliminate the mutant population with the cure, the Breakworld is now preparing to fire a missile powerful enough to destroy the entire Earth. Hoping that the X-Men can prevent the potential crisis, Brad and the team take the fight to the Breakworld, planning to overthrow the planet's violent dictator Kruun before the missile is fired. But as the X-Men are separated when attempting to land on the planet, Shadowcat and Colossus encounter a faction of Breakworlders who believe that their world is decaying as a result of a culture ruled by senseless violence and barbarianism. The leader of this resistance Aghane, believes that rather than the potential destroyer of their world, Colossus is a Messiah that will bring an end to the planet's suffering. With limited time before the missile is fired at Earth, Colossus must decide if he is to save or destroy the Breakworld and it's people. The events that transpire will change the X-Mens lives forever as at least one of their own will not return home, making the ultimate sacrifice... The two elements that have made Joss Whedon's work on ASTONISHING X-MEN a blast for me have always been his uncanny ability to evolve characters through realistic banter and dialogue, along with presenting unique themes that touch on both explored and unexplored areas of the X-Men's mythos. Having presented his talents in these fields throughout this series, Whedon brings to his run on the X-Men a close in this sensational finale. Characters that the reader has grown attached to are changed forever by the events that transpire, and more original messages are touched upon in this volume. Another strength that makes UNSTOPPABLE a great conclusion is that everything that occurs in this story arc has been heavily built up throughout Whedon's entire run. From the moment Ord had first made his appearance in GIFTED, the reader discovers that he is a member of an alien race with a grudge against mutants, and was behind the development of the cure. We later learned that the reason the cure was created was because of a prophecy that foretold the destruction of the Breakworld being destroyed by a mutant, in particular an X-Man, and S.W.O.R.D. later gains intel that Colossus is the prophesied destroyer. All of these pieces have been set up since the beginning of Whedon's run, and are now put in place for the final arc. Even in the DANGEROUS and TORN arcs that didn't focus heavily focus on the Breakworld, they were presented as subplots, continuing the flow of information that would prepare the reader for the climax. To be able to not only put so much focus into both individual story arcs as well as one major plot that they are building up to is an incredible responsibility for any writer. Whedon is able to prevail in this field however, as he has perfectly built up to everything that occurs in this final arc, making nothing feel random or superfluous to the reader. Just as in other the previous volumes, Whedon develops the characters primarily through their dialogue and interactions with others. UNSTOPPABLE however, also sees a conclusion to many of these character's individual arcs, and ties up any lose ends. Shadowcat and Colossus having consummated their romance in the previous volume, are now closer than before as a couple, and are prepared to make any sacrifice for one another. It doesn't mean that they still encounter obstacles however, as Kitty was subjected psychic illusions by Emma Frost (under Cassandra Nova's control) in TORN which caused her to temporarily distrust Peter. Despite having gotten past the illusion, Kitty is still unsure of her grasp on reality, causing a brief rift between her and Peter as she needs time to get over what she experienced. Another issue that the two face is the possibility of Colossus destroying the Breakworld, causing Kitty to worry about both Peter's safety and well being. The events of the previous volumes however, are shown to have had a lasting impact on their status as a couple, and their feelings for one another have greatly evolved, allowing the two to endure any problems that they may face while maintaining their relationship (which is perfectly conveyed through a private moment that the two share on the Breakworld). Not only does this make their relationship feel realistic and believable to the reader (as strong couples are ones that endure whatever obstacles are thrown at them), but it also respects the development that the two have undergone throughout the series. Both have shared great chemistry together, and have become stronger both as a couple and as characters through their ability to endure any situation, yet still share their feelings for one another. The rivalry between Kitty and Emma also reaches an interesting resolution in this arc. Even though the two still are at odds (as hilariously presented in Jason Aaron's WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN series), Kitty has come to acknowledge Emma as a teammate despite the pain she unintentionally put her through in the previous volume, and Emma owes a debt to Kitty for monitoring her actions. The two have now developed more respect for one another, despite their polarizing differences. Another character that receives major development in UNSTOPPABLE is the new character Amor (Hisako Ichiki). A new student at the Xavier Institute, Hisako is an adolescent mutant with the ability to form a mystical shell of armor around her body, and has been featured as a prominent minor character in previous volumes. Now in UNSTOPPABLE, Armor is forced into the actual combat against the Breakworld when unintentionally summoned with the other X-Men. Not only does this cause her to become a semi-active member of the X-Men, but it also develops her from an innocent student, to an individual now having dangers of the real world suddenly thrust upon her (her role in this story gained her a place among my favorite X-Men). Other arcs that are brought to a close are those of Beast, Cyclops, Agent Brad, Ord, and even Danger. To carefully bring all of these character's arcs to a conclusion is a feat that acknowledges Whedon's talent for creating character driven story arcs. The final area that I feel heavily contributed to bringing Whedon's run to an epic conclusion was both the dynamic approached with the Breakworld, as well as emphasis on the themes of loss and sacrafice. Although the reader was given hints that the Breakworld was an alien warrior culture in the previous volumes, their true nature is finally revealed in UNSTOPPABLE. The Breakworld is unveiled as a savage environment with it's people living by the principles of war and hate, with concepts such as mercy and compassions being crimes under the penalty of death. While the idea of a violent alien race is not new, and has been present throughout countless Sci-Fi media, Whedon takes a different approach in presenting an idea that has been done to death. Rather than solely presenting the Breakworld as simple antagonists, Whedon gives them dimension by using their barbarianism to emphasize the decaying state of their culture. Because the Breakworld thrives on battle and bloodshed, the civilization is slowly rotting away and losing any dignity that it may have once possessed, and some of their people like Aghane, have begun to notice this. As a result, she believes that the prophecy foretelling Colossus as the destroyer of their world doesn't mean their literal destruction, but interprets it as bringing an end to the senseless violence that has robbed them of class and honor. This is an approach to an already explored concept that I have not seen before. Whereas most stories involving alien warrior cultures focus on them as villains with no dimension to them other than them being people who live for the battlefield. While the Breakworld's culture is based around this philosophy, Whedon uses it to show how it has impacted their home world, as many innocent Breakworlders are dying, and are unable to receive help as ideas of love and compassion are alien to them. It was interesting to see the Breakworld from this angle, as it made an idea that has become sterile from over-usage, feel new and innovative. This sympathetic perspective of the Breakworld also plays into the book's themes of sacrifice and loss. Because of the planet's dying civilization, many of the Breakworld's own people are suffering and dying as a result. Desiring to help her people, but forbidden to do so because of the laws of their culture, Aghane is portrayed as an individual willing to make great sacrifices to put an end to her people's suffering. The theme of sacrifice also plays a major role concerning the X-Men as well. Because of the danger that Earth is in, the X-Men now that they need to do anything they can to stop the Breakworld. But the only option presented to them is to have Colossus destroy the Breakworld, and the X-Men are against the genocide of the entire race. This causes the team to debate if the Breakworld is worth saving, as they want to save Earth but do not want to be responsible for the death of an entire race, while simultaneously questioning if the Breakworld is beyond or even deserving of being saved because of their violent culture. These themes not only help drive the plot forward and give it depth, but also shows that finding the solution to a problem is never easy, and that sometimes to preserve one thing, means to lose another. The relationship between loss and sacrifice also plays heavily into the book's climax (which I dare not spoil for those who have not read this series). If I had any nitpicks with the comic, they would be that the last chapter had some confusing elements that were difficult to understand the first time I read them. However, I feel that it was primarily due to me rushing to finish the book because of major events going down, that I was unable to pay attention to some important minor details. Aside from that, UNSTOPPABLE marks an astonishing conclusion to Joss Whedon's work on the X-Men. Not only does the finale bring an ending to the arcs of each individual character while respecting the development they underwent in previous volumes, but the climax is made epic in memorable through the dynamic taken with the Breakworld, as well as the themes of loss and sacrifice that are incorporated. To create an ending that not only ties up all lose ends, but also leaves a lasting and memorable impression for the reader is a difficult task for any writer to accomplish, but Whedon is able to effortlessly succeed in making the handwork and focus put into this series worthwhile. ASTONISHING X-MEN is a series that gave us familiar characters that X-Men fans know and love, and develops past known boundaries while also presenting themes that both pay homage to the classic stories of the team and expand their mythos into new territories. A series of this level of quality is a phenomenal feat to accomplish, and Whedon proves that it was one worth investing our time and money into. To sum up my love for both the individual volume and overall series, here's a quote from my number one favorite X-Man: Kitty Pryde!!! "Everything is so fragile. You keep waiting for the dust to settle and then you realize this is it; the dust is your life going on. If happy comes along -- that weird unbearable delight that's actually happy -- I think you have to grab it while you can. You take what you can get, 'cause it's here, and then... gone." -Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde)
