Issue(s): X-Force #17
Cover Date: Dec 92
Title: "Sleeping with the enemy"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Greg Capullo - Penciler
Harry Candelario - Inker
Lisa Patrick - Assistant Editor
Bob Harras - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue opens with Stryfe vs. Apocalypse. I'm in Apocalypse's corner, and i'm a little annoyed that Apocalypse is not at full strength for this battle. But that's also my consolation, since the plot requires Apocalypse to lose.

A nicely depicted battle between two titans from Greg Capullo.

Apocalpyse winds up getting stabbed with one of the artifacts that Stryfe collected in Cable #1-2 before he teleports away.

Having defeated Apocalypse, Stryfe gains the loyalty of the Dark Riders, who, after all, have bought into Apocalypse's 'survival of the fittest' philosophy.

Meanwhile, Wolverine, Bishop, and Cable are in Graymalkin, Cable's floating satellite. Wolverine is upset because the Professor AI keeps putting out Wolverine's cigarettes.

Cable shows Wolverine and Bishop the file on him and Stryfe. Cable is part of a group of freedom fighters from the future called the Clan Chosen, who fight against the New Canaanites. Stryfe has fought against both the New Canaanites and the Clan Chosen, but he later used Zero to travel back to 1983.

As it becomes more and more clear during this crossover that Stryfe or Cable is the son that Cyclops and Jean Grey sent to the future, the question of whether Stryfe or Cable is the clone keeps getting raised.

We also check in on the X-Force prisoners. One interesting bit involves Rictor and Sunspot, who only re-joined X-Force after Cable left, and therefore don't have any particular loyalty to him.

Another bit is confirmation of what we saw last issue (of this series), which is that Madrox doesn't feel any special attachment to Siryn, even though one of his duplicates had a relationship with her.

I don't know how closely the writers in this crossover were coordinating. On plot mechanics it is very tight. But this feels like it's in contradiction to what Peter David established for Madrox regarding his duplicates, which is that when he absorbs them he gets all their memories and experiences, and, i would think, feelings. I know it's a joke, but Madrox's line in X-Factor #77 seems to suggest that he really did gather feelings for the little lobster dudes, and i would think that would apply to Siryn as well. Even beyond the specifics of the Fallen Angel series, though, it seems kind of out of place for Fabian Nicieza to be establishing how Madrox's powers work, that what he absorbs is like something he watches on a movie screen. I think what Peter David does with Madrox over the years winds up being more complicated than that. What Nicieza is suggesting is simpler, since theoretically four different dupes could go away for extended periods and fall in love with four different people before getting re-merged, and then what? But the whole point of Madrox losing track of one of his dupes for an extended period is that it leads to that sort of thing.

Of course, Madrox could just be over Siryn at this point and is using this as a way to break up with her.

Cyclops and Jean Grey try to escape from Stryfe this issue.

This issue ends with Apocalypse showing up at the X-Mansion, seeking an alliance against Stryfe.

Quality Rating: B+

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - background on Cable and Stryfe

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part eight of X-Cutioner's Song. Part nine is in Uncanny X-Men #296.

References:

• Stryfe makes some cryptic complaints that, if you know what he's talking about, are a reference to Apocalypse infecting baby Nathan Summers with the technovirus in X-Factor #65-68 (and there's no footnote, because that would give it away).
  
• Some of what Cable knows about Stryfe we learned in Cable #1-2.
  
• Sunspot and Rictor left the New Mutants in New Mutants #98-100 and (re)joined X-Force in X-Force #12-15.
  
• Madrox and Siryn's relationship was seen in Fallen Angels.

Crossover: X-Cutioner's Song

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Not letting Apocalypse finish his bath is just like not letting Odin finish his nap: you just don't do that.

"I'm in Apocalypse's corner, and i'm a little annoyed that Apocalypse is not at full strength for this battle."

That's not surprising since he was originally interrupted from his bath, and then woken up again here. He obviously needed more time to regenerate from his battle with Cyclops in X-Factor. It's a valid excuse for his losing the battle.

The Apocalypse / Stryfe duel is very cool, but what's up with the dagger? Has it ever been explained what Apocalypse meant by having had used this dagger to kill Stryfe in some kind of past?

Also, what did Cable mean by having come back to the past to "control" High Lord's (Apocalypse's?) ascension? Hasn't his goal been *defeating* Apocalypse, not controlling his rise to power?

And how come that Stryfe came back to foster the "mutant rebellion" to prevent Apocalypse's ascension? Wouldn't a mutant vs. human war actually help Apocalypse?

I feel like all this "revelations" about Apocalypse, Cable and Stryfe don't actually make any sense :(

It never gets spelled out in one place, but if I recall how the pieces fit together correctly, the idea is that in each timeline one of the immortal mutant High Lords undergoes "ascension" and becomes cosmically powerful or something. In Cable's timeline, it's Apocalypse who ascends. So Cable and Strife, and also Gideon's group, are trying to determine which high lord becomes all-powerful: cable presumably wants it to be Cannonball, Gideon's group wants it to be one of them or someone under their tutelage, and Stryfe wants to mess with everyone but make sure it's not Apocalypse.

The whole thing is a ripoff from "Highlander," and considering that Harras and Nicieza dump the idea before they ever really explain it, I presume it originated with one of the Image exodus crew. Probably Liefeld.

I don't think the sword is ever explained, or even mentioned again. It confused the heck out of me at the time because I kept thinking it must have to do with how Apocalypse all but killed baby Nathan, but the sword isn't techno-organic, from what I can tell, and it doesn't really fit the infection story from X-Factor 68.

The sword was explained in Cable & Deadpool 26-27- a time traveling Cable encountered Apocalypse several times in the past.
Note that Zero is described as a "displacement unit"- this is the first clue that he's a robot.
Note that Apocalypse is shown leading the assault in 3806- this contradicts later revelations that he died in Cable's and Stryfe's future when they were teenagers.