Kingdom Overdone

Confucius’ quote doesn’t describe what to do for the 1,000 year mark. But based on the final pages of Sins of Sinister: Dominion #1 somehow Nathaniel knew what to plant.  With the universe unraveling the uneasy alliance of Sinister and Moira arrives with no time to spare.  Usually heroes don’t go around destroying realities.  Just another reason for everyone to fear and hate the X-Men.   

Sins of Sinister: Dominion #1
Infinite Deadly Sins

Marvel Comics

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artists: Paco Medina; Lucas Werneck
Color Artists: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

X-SPOILER ALERT

Writer Kieron Gillen begins Dominion by working to seamlessly splice the ending pages of the X-gene infected X-Men titles.  Readers of this event may recall that both Moira and Nathan arrived at the WorldFarm together in Immoral X-Men #3.  This issue picks up from the point where their separate activities, featured in issue #3 of both Storm and the Brotherhood and Nightcrawlers respectively, intersect.  Each eventually arrives at Sinister’s lab with blood on their hands already.  For Sinister it is Jon Ironfire’s while Moira manages to shoot Sean for the 2nd time, in less than a year.  Despite Moira’s reservations, as well as her repulsion towards Sinister using her for his story, the two “heroes” of this issue don’t have much time to debate what to do next. 

Emma is gone but the “children” are still obeying the headmistress – a fleet of Namorauts are heading their way.  Meanwhile Xavier, having already lost his mind, leaves his think tank to take over Beast who now sits on the White Queen’s throne.  Using his last student as a conduit, Xavier shows off his ego – transforming into a worldmind.  A few pages later color artist Bryan Valenza delivers a world shattering punch courtesy of a Sinister enhanced Ironfire, psychically shielded in a way that pays homage to the Brotherhood’s founder.  Jon’s comment to Xavier, though unnecessary and possibly unheard, proves that the mutants haven’t gotten past their ideological differences after all these years.  Despite this hit The Dream endures, psychically knocking out the last line of defense.  

Which leaves Moira as the last person capable of stopping Sinister.  Though that would be a mistake since for the first time Sinister is actually on the side of the saviors (of sorts) in a story.  Without resetting the Moira engine the universe would continue but this is no longer the 616 Universe anyone would recognize..  Dominion even confirms that with the exception of a few pockets of resistance this is a world with nothing but Sinister clones/gene infected mutants.  

However, it seems that it wasn’t just the other 3 “Sinisters” with a different plan for Dominion.  Not content to rule all of existence, Sinister’s plan B was to ride out eternity outside of it.  Gillen returns Sinister to his pre-mutant mindset here, he never really wanted to join them.  With their usefulness now at an end Sinister strikes and uses a fail safe to destroy almost 9 quadrillion mutant lives in an attempt at ascension.  

An attempt that fails.  Doesn’t Sinister remember the miscalculation that began this nightmare way back in Sins of Sinister #1.  Everybody wants to rule…it all.  While it wasn’t a fellow Quiet Council member, somebody beats Sinister to the end of the story.  All that Sinister knows of this entity’s existence comes from one simple statement – Not You.  A snap sends Sinister back to his proper place in time, right beside Moira who is ready to pull the trigger – effectively ending her existence.  

And with that a timeline gets reset.  Again.  Meanwhile, Dominion goes from being the end song of Sins of Sinister to something that resembles The Age of Apocalypse X X-Man.  Perhaps it is due to the fact that it was Sinister’s scheme that started this 1000 year long odyssey this facet was’t obvious from the onslaught.  But this conclusion clearly has many moments that are quite similar to these previous X-over events. Most notable is that the stitch in time creates an almost mandela event.  With so few X-Men showing any visible repercussions – and no memories – of this event, Dominion is a comic equivalent of a tree falling in the woods.  Even with the universe engulfing scale of SoS the event is an amnestic episode, or a bad dream for the majority of the 616 Universe.  You could ask yourself if it actually accomplished anything.    

It would be easy to make that mistake, especially when midway through the issue you start to get a sense of deja vu.   Artists Paco Medina and Lucas Werneck recreate the moment Sinister seemingly stacked the deck in his favor from Immortal X-Men #10.   Except this time we see Moira’s side of the things.  And that changes…everything.  In ways, as a reader, we may never even begin to understand.  Destiny almost collapsing – courtesy of more premonitions – as the remaining Quiet Council begin hunting Sinister is the first clue things are different.  

But, it seems that if the X-Men are heading for a Fall they are going to continue revisiting some of the classics.  Readers may recognize that Dominion follows Age of Apocalypse Omega’s tradition of harboring fugitives from a destroyed reality.  Thanks in part to Moira manipulating Sinister’s experiment before destroying all the data.  And Moira’s actions in the SoS timeline have given Mother Righteous the benefit of all of her brother’s data and her deity worshippers.  So when a clone of Rasputin IV instead of the assembled X-Men capture Sinister, Mother Righteous gets the glory. As well as Nathan’s seat it seems.  

Sinister’s seat isn’t the only empty one at the conclusion of Dominion.  Since this story is technically taking place three months ago, the four original red diamonds are possibly still compromised.  But are they the only ones?  Kurt doesn’t seem to recall any encounters with Mother Righteous.  Of course readers need to remember this isn’t Nightcrawler, at least according to Sins of Sinister #1.  And if Nathan knew, does Mother know better? And what will she do with that or any of the knowledge she has gained from Moira?

Which brings up the most important knowledge to come out of Dominion, or the Krakoan Era in its entirety.  This event (HOX/POX) starts off as Moira’s story.  And yet she was forgotten and overlooked for the majority of this revolution to the X-Men mythos.  Realistically, since she gave Xavier the idea, at least in this reality, this is her dream and teams.  Maybe there is more than one reason mutants sport an M in every future? 

We may never know.  And that is ultimately the lesson in Dominion.  One that the Krakoan Era was set to resolve, but only partially it seems.  With an island full of mutants, how can you expect one story to matter more than the rest.  Even as Dominion ends new stories are already unfolding.  

We already have Mother Righteous and Rasputin IV, so when will the other refugees – Ironfire and Wagnerine – arrive? 

Notice Valenza’s Pryde blushing a little when she meets the captain of the Marauder.  Did Kate just get the best of both worlds?  And Shaw looks happy as…well it seems there is a new fire in him with Frost in the Pit.  

And how powerful was it for Storm to thank Mother on behalf of the island? The same Storm who helped introduce us to resurrections 3 years ago, the same Storm who stood against Dominion.  What weight does this offering to Mother Righteous carry?  

And where is Moira?  Does she now hold sway over Mother and how does that affect her work with Stasis? 

So many stories, you really think only one matters?  

That’s not Dominion.  That’s just Dumb.  

Score: 8.8