The X-Men once again release the top book with some of their top characters filling out the top performances. No, not the new mutant team book, X-Men #1. The latest issue of the tangentially-related Children of the Atom sees their youngest member, Nighty-Nightcrawler, recruit some of mutantdom’s top heroes, such as Maggot (okay, Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Nightcrawler, too), to rescue his friends. Jennifer Walters is also in need of a rescue as she gets hulk-napped by the Winter Guard in Avengers #46. However, she willingly leaves the Avengers behind in Immortal Hulk #48 to try and help her cousin.
Book the Week – Children of the Atom #5 (Review score: 74 Points; 13 Characters). The X-Men come to the aid of the Children of the Atom and both teams get a chance to shine by each taking down a group of U-Men. However, any excitement from teaming up with the X-Men is quickly dashed when Cyclops and crew realize the children are not really mutants. Well, the majority of them at least. After their team-up, Storm reveals Gimmick’s true nature as a mutant and invites her to the Hellfire Gala.
Hero of the Week – Marvel Girl (Review score: 15 Points/2 Appearances; 7.5 Pts/App). Jean continues to make her presence in 2021 known and cracks into the top 10 heroes for the year. She earns her second Hero of the Week title and helps lead the new team of X-Men in their recent relaunch. Her prominence on the new team should keep Jean in the top performances, though she is unlikely to catch the various Avenger characters ahead of her.
Antagonist of the Week – Star (Review score: 16 Points/1 Appearance; 16.0 Pts/App). The latest tie-in to the upcoming “Infinity Heist” story gives Star a chance to explore her Reality altering powers. She selfishly uses her connection to the Infinity Gem to steal dogs, but quickly escalates her crime spree to murder. Star seeks revenge on those who teased her in high school, which brings her up against Spider-Man. Peter Parker tries and fails to connect with Ripley Ryan about being an outsider in high school.
Top Characters (by review score). Star (16); Marvel Girl (15); Captain America, Cyclops, Wolverine (11); Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Spider-Man/Peter Parker (9); Carnage, Iron Man, Nightcrawler, Synch (8)
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Key: TU – Team-Up; LT – Lead Team; SC – Save Civilian; CD – Character Development; DA – Defeat Antagonist.
| Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (26) |
| Nick Fury Jr. – Intellect, Sense Nighthawk – Tech Spider-Man (PP) – Agility, Strength, Water, Webs Antagonist(s) Star – Assassin, Durability, Energy, Flight, Grow, Influence, Melee, Morph, Reality, Speed, Strength, Teleport, Thief, Weapon, Webs |
| Amazing Spider-Man #70 (41) |
| Spider-Man (PP) – Webs Antagonist(s) Beetle Black Ant Boomerang Cobra Doctor Octopus – Appendage, Ensnare, Tech, LT Electro – Melee Foreigner – Melee Hydro-Man Jack O’Lantern Kindred – Melee, LT Kraven (LS) – Melee Lady Octopus Lizard – Computer, Toxin, CD (Has his human and lizard personalities separated) Mysterio Overdrive Rhino Sandman Scorpion Shocker Speed Demon Stegron Tarantula Taskmaster Vulture – Flight White Rabbit |
| America Chavez: Made in the USA #4 (6) |
| Ms. America – Melee, Strength, Teleport, Teleport Offensive, CD (Learns the truth about her mothers’ sacrifices) |
| Avengers #46 (43) |
| Black Panther Captain America Captain Marvel – Computer, Energy Offensive, Flight, Melee Phoenix (Echo) Ghost Rider (RR) Gorilla-Man – Agility, Computer, Melee, Teleport, CD (Betrays the Avengers) Hulk (JW) – Attorney, Durability, Melee, Rage, Strength, CD (Turns red) Iron Man – Computer, Tech Thor Antagonist(s) Crimson Dynamo – Durability, Ensnare, Flight, Melee, Suit, DA (Hulk) Darkstar – Energy Defensive, Ensnare, Flight, DA (Captain Marvel) Ursa Major – Gun, CD (Dies) Vanguard – Gun |
| Captain America #30 (22) |
| Agent 13 – Computer Captain America – Agility, Blade, Deception, Melee, Precision, Projectile, DA (Crossbones) Dr. Toni Ho – Computer Dryad Winter Soldier Antagonist(s) Crossbones – Blade Foreigner Kingpin Red Skull Superior – Telekinesis, Telekinesis Offensive |
| Children of the Atom #5 (74) |
| Cyclops – Energy, Energy Offensive, TU (Daycrawler), LT, DA (U-Men) Cyclops-Lass – Energy, Tech, TU (X-Men), LT, DA (U-Men) Cherub – Flight, Melee, TU (X-Men), DA (U-Men) Daycrawler – Crawl, Melee, Tech, Teleport, TU (X-Men), DA (U-Men) Gimmick – Energy, TU (X-Men), CD (Reveals that she is a mutant), DA (U-Men) Maggott – TU (Daycrawler), DA (U-Men) Magma – Flames, TU (Daycrawler), DA (U-Men) Marvel Girl – Telekinesis, Telekinesis Offensive, Telepathy, TU (Daycrawler), DA (U-Men) Marvel Guy – Influence, Pheromones, TU (X-Men), DA (U-Men) Nightcrawler – Blade, Melee, Teleport, Teleport Defensive, Teleport Offensive, TU (Daycrawler), DA (U-Men) Pixie – Flight, Melee, TU (Daycrawler), DA (U-Men) Storm – Business, Elements, Flight, Lightning, TU (Daycrawler), DA (U-Men) Wolverine – Claws, Claws Offensive, Durability, Melee, TU (Daycrawler), DA (U-Men) |
| Extreme Carnage Alpha #1 (18) |
| Agent Anti-Venom – Melee, Morph, Sense, TU (Iron Man), LT Iron Man – Computer, TU (Agent Anti-Venom), LT Antagonist(s) Carnage – Appendage, Appendage Offensive, Assassin, Ensnare, Influence, Possession, Telepathy |
| Hellions #13 (14) |
| Havok Psylocke Antagonist(s) Empath Greycrow Mastermind – Deception, Tech Mr. Sinister – Computer, Tech Nanny Orphan-Maker Wild Child – Sense |
| Immortal Hulk #48 (21) |
| Black Panther Blade Brainstorm Brawn Captain America Captain Marvel Ghost Rider (JB) Harpy – Morph Hulk (BB) – CD (Fixit persona vows to be a better person) Hulk (JW) – Morph Human Torch Invisible Woman Iron Man Lyja the Lazerfist Mr. Fantastic Powerhouse Thing Thor |
| Runaways #37 (13) |
| Alex Wilder Chase Stein Gert Yorkes Gib – Absorb, Morph Karolina Dean Molly Hayes Nico Minoru – Artifact, Blunt, Magic Victor Mancha |
| X-Force #21 (24) |
| Beast – Crawl, Intellect Domino – Explosive, Toxin Dr. Cecilia Reyes Forge – Toxin Kid Omega – Deception, Ensnare, Sense, Tech, Telepathy Sage – Computer, Intellect, LT Stepford Cuckoos Wolverine – Claws, Claws Offensive, Toxin |
| X-Men #1 (53) |
| Captain America Cyclops – Energy Offensive, Will Power, LT, DA (Mind reaver) Forge – Intellect Marvel Girl – Flight, Sense, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Telepathy Defensive, Will Power, LT, DA (Mind reaver) Polaris – Flight, Magnetics, Magnetics Defensive, Magnetics Offensive, Will Power, DA (Mind reaver) Rogue – Durability, Flight, Melee, Strength, Will Power, DA (Mind reaver) Spider-Man (PP) – Webs Sunfire – Flames, Flames Offensive, Flight, Will Power, DA (Mind reaver) Synch – Absorb, Computer, Intellect, Tech, Will Power, LT, DA (Mind reaver) Thing Wolverine (LK) – Claws Offensive, Will Power, DA (Mind reaver) Antagonist(s) High Evolutionary |
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