Point One #1

The entire title is framed by two agents sneaking into Uatu the Watcher’s lair and finding something to steal.  One of them watches the many possible realities and futures that the Watcher can see, and he is our eyes to the many stories within this book.  The other, well, we don’t know.  They stole something and its sure to lead up to something big.  But no hint as to what that may be.  The Watcher apparently goes into a trance for 42 minutes once every 3 years and that’s how they can sneak in.  Also, the Watchers may all be one being but the human brain can only perceive him as this large alien person, of which there are many.  No idea if either of these concepts have ever been shown or discussed before, but I liked them.

Scarlet Spider does have some potential.  Its not Ben Reiley, who is still very much dead.  No this is the other clone, the deformed evil killing machine known as Kaine.  After the events of Spider Island, Kaine is trying to find his new place in the world.  He is no longer dying, and because of that he’s not sure how to proceed in life.  When he’s lived his whole life only to know at every moment that he’s dying, well, that leads to a skewed opinion and moral belief structure.  Now that he is “healed” Kaine wants to make something better of his life.  He is not Peter Parker.  That’s the best part here.  He’s not Peter, and neither Kaine nor the creative team are trying to pretend otherwise.  I’m willing to give this a try.  He’s trying to find his own identity in the Marvel Universe, which is tough with such signature spider based powers.  Marvel has learned a lesson from the clone saga.  There is no harm in having a legacy character, DC has done a great job with that over the decades.  By taking Kaine and getting him out of NYC, with a new look, he can become his own character and hopefully a loved one.

Nova

Nova tries to warn Terrax that something is about to destroy the planet that they are both on.  Nova looks very different, and I thought he was dead too.  (Yes, different worlds here so who knows.)  Terrax wont listen, Nova flees, the planet is destroyed and we see that all of this was caused by the Phoenix force.  “Its coming.”  Well, where is it coming to?  To Earth, to Nova Corps headquarters, and which of the many universes does this take place in?  Also its a blue Phoenix, like an ice form instead of fire.  Not sure what if anything it will all mean but Phoenix tearing through the universe like Galactus has great story potential.  Oh, also, a plant seems to grow out of what is left of Terrax.  Is this an alternate Phoenix that creates instead of destroys?  Or are they expanding on the, out of flames and ash comes new life, concept behind the mythological phoenix?

Doctor Strange

The Doc is forming a new Defenders group because he found some cryptic notebooks written by a crazy street person that died.  Yeah, its a far too convoluted tale that really says nothing.  I mean, yay, new Defenders title.  Maybe that will be cool and more like early Defenders, and not the later issue or the Secret Defenders.

Yin/Yang

Damn these two could be fantastic.  Twins separated all their lives.  One controls fire, one cold.  They escape, are reunited, and enter the Marvel U at only 16 years old.  I’m already sold on this one just on potential.

Ultron

The Avengers forget to pay off Ultron, and things go boom.  New York, if not the whole world is destroyed, and things only get worse in this… preview?  Coming up next year in the Avengers is another Ultron battle that might lead to this future world, but no idea yet for sure.

X-Terminators

Going back to the Age of Apocalypse.  Because some concepts just wont die.  I don’t get the idea of going back to these older X-Men tales and expanding alternate universes while trying to simplify and restart the regular X-Men line.  It was a fine story, and interesting characters.  But I don’t know why they have to exist in this 15 year old alternate world tale.