In this review of Uncanny X-Men #11, the “X-Manhunt” begins…in space!
UNCANNY X-MEN #11
Writer: GAIL SIMONE
Artist: JAVIER GARRÓN
Main Cover: DAVID MARQUEZ
Variant Covers: LUCIANO VECCHIO, PHIL NOTO, PEACH MOMOKO
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: March 5, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Uncanny X-Men #11 kicks off with a bloody rebellion aboard a Shi’ar starship, where insurgents capture Empress Xandra Neramani, Charles Xavier’s daughter.
Cut to Greymalkin Prison in New York, where the Warden is informed that high value prisoner (and telepath) Charles Xavier, is experiencing a mental health crisis that appears to be affecting the Greymalkin personnel as well (one guard mistakenly targets his own family as a result). The warden has Xavier sedated while the former X-Men leader is bombarded with traumatic psychic visions of the attack on Xandra’s starship.
Over at Haven House in Louisiana, the Uncanny X-Men have set up an outdoor Danger Room for their new mutants to train in. Rogue fears that their young charges aren’t taking the danger they face seriously enough, so she has Gambit up the ante by tossing a charged playing card into the ring.
The explosion knocks Jitter off her feet. Jubilee calls out Rogue and Gambit’s recklessness and cancels the training session. Gambit comforts Rogue as she gets a call from Greymalkin Prison regarding Xavier.
Back at Greymalkin, Xavier telepathically convinces fellow prisoner Sarah Gaunt to free him with her telekinesis. Xavier breaks free but his perceptions are altered so much that he sees the arriving X-Men team as distorted versions of themselves. Rogue explains to Xavier that he has a mutated tumor at the base of his skull which is affecting his self control and sense of reality. Xavier lashes out, believing they are the enemy.
Uncanny X-Men #11 ends as Xavier unleashes the full twisted fury of his psychic powers against the X-Men and escapes, while calling out to his daughter.
Analysis
Uncanny X-Men #11 kicks off this crossover event with some unexpectedly cool sci-fi action and a shocking mutiny. The question as to why/how Xavier escapes from Greymalkin in X-Manhunt is answered right away, and it comes down to one word: family. Xandra is the daughter of Charles Xavier and Lilandra Neramani, created from their combined genetic material after both parents were killed (only temporarily though).
Uncanny X-Men #11 moves with the urgency the plot requires, but that doesn’t prevent writer Gail Simone from adding in a few character-building moments for her new X-Men team. Simone’s masterful mix of suspense, pathos, dark humor, unusual personalities and conflicting loyalties creates a heady dramatic concoction that elevates the stakes for every character.
Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Jubilee and Nightcrawler receive the lion’s share of story focus in Uncanny X-Men #11, while new mutants Jitter, Ransom, Deathdream and Calico get sidelined with a clever line of dialogue here, or a character beat there, but those small elements still contribute to their overall development. The story in Uncanny X-Men #11 belongs squarely to Xavier, his veteran X-Men and their shared history.
Artist Javier Garron (Avengers) ably fills in as artist, depicting various compelling scenes from Simone’s wild script. To say that the terminally ill, out-of-control Charles Xavier mops the floor with his former students is an understatement, as Garron beautifully depicts him lashing out with the full force of his telepathic powers. Also, the scene depicting Xavier’s hallucination of the current X-Men team wearing the classic costumes of the original five X-Men makes for a brilliant sight gag.
Rogue receives the most screen time in Uncanny X-Men #11 as she struggles under the weight of leadership, the need to train and protect the young mutants against a dangerous future, and the realization that Xavier must to remain at Greymalkin for the safety of the world (well, that cat’s already out of the bag). We also get a look inside Xavier’s head, with his inner conflicts, emotional trauma and growing delusions.
Uncanny X-Men #11 doesn’t need to be part of a crossover event for the series to shine. Gail Simone, David Marquez, Javier Garron and other artists make the title a must-read for X-Men fans every month.
Final Thoughts
Uncanny X-Men #11 kicks off the X-Manhunt event in style, setting a high bar for every chapter to follow. Even if the rest of this event doesn’t measure up, It is worth picking up for the story, art and characters dynamics alone.
