268: X-Men V2 # 188 - 193 (Mike Carey and the Children of the Vault)
- Matt Campbell
- Mar 16
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 10
What’s Covered?
X-Men V2 # 188 - 193
Roster Watch
Synopsis
X-Men V2 # 188 - 193: SuperNovas
Writer - Mike Carey
Pencils - Chris Bachalo
Mike Carey’s run on X-Men kicks off with a high-stakes, action-packed arc that introduces a new and terrifying breed of mutants—if they can even be called that. The Children of the Vault make their presence known in a brutal clash with the X-Men, forcing Rogue to take charge of a no-nonsense strike team while old enemies seek refuge at the mansion.
Sabretooth’s Warning & Rogue’s New Squad
The story begins with Sabretooth on the run, hunted by two incredibly powerful beings. Seeking asylum at the X-Mansion, Creed brings a dire warning: the Children of the Vault are coming. Meanwhile, Rogue steps into a leadership role after Cyclops asks her to lead a rapid-response team, separate from the school’s teaching responsibilities. We get a bad ass scene where she takes both Scott and Emma's powers to fire a blast through a crystal hand, chopping of limbs and shutting down resistance.
She recruits Cannonball, Iceman, and—controversially—Mystique, justifying the choice by saying she needs to keep an eye on her treacherous adoptive mother.
The Children of the Vault Strike
The Children of the Vault aren’t your typical mutants. They were artificially accelerated in a time-dilated environment, evolving thousands of years beyond humanity in just a few decades. Now, they’ve emerged from their hidden bunker and have one goal—domination. Their first move? Freeing Northstar and Aurora, who have been brainwashed by the Hand. The twins unleash chaos, tearing through the X-Men and even blowing up part of the mansion before Cable neutralizes Northstar.
Illusions & Revelations
As the X-Men reel from the attack, one of the Vaulters (Seraphina) uses a comatose Lady Mastermind (Regan Wyngarde) to create a false reality where she (Seraphina) and Sam Guthrie are married. Cannonball lives an entire life in just a few minutes. Wolverine sees through the illusion (by smelling a gap in where Seraphina is cloaked) and breaks up the false reality.
In addition, Sabretooth unveils the truth about the Children’s origins. They were created by scientists in a time-accelerated environment aboard a ship, evolving over 7,000 years into a species far beyond humanity or mutantkind. They were sealed in a bunker until the events of M Day opened the bunker, leading the Children to believe it was time for them to inherit the earth.
The X-Men Disobey & The War Begins
The Children of the Vault make their move, flying their massive ship over the U.S. and declaring war on the world.
Cyclops orders the X-Men to stand down, but Rogue, unwilling to wait, assembles her team and takes the fight to the enemy. The tensions between Rogue and Mystique escalate as Rogue calls out her mother for past crimes—including killing Moira MacTaggert and slashing Banshee’s throat.
As the battle rages, the Children’s brute enforcer, Perro, takes down Cannonball. However, Mystique proves her value, firing specialized bullets into Sangre, the Children’s leader, and turning the tide. The X-Men claim victory for now, but the remaining Children of the Vault retreat, preparing for their next move.
Final Thoughts
Carey and Bachalo deliver a thrilling arc that blends high-concept sci-fi with brutal action. Rogue stepping up as a leader, the reintroduction of Lady Mastermind, and the unique threat of the Children of the Vault set the stage for a new era of X-Men stories. The war may be over for now, but the Children aren’t done yet.
My Connections and Creators
Boring or Great?
Overall, this is a pretty good start to this arc. The Children of the Vault feel familiar (Neo, anyone?) but I wasn't terribly annoyed by them either.
There are so many non-typical characters here that I'm more than open to giving them a chance. I'm thrilled to see Rogue back as team leader. If you've been following my blog, you've seen me complaining for years (in publishing) about her being relegated to a second tier team-mate. I really like her as team leader and I hear that's something Mike Carey is known for. Cannonball (former fave character turn southern lame-o) and Iceman are here, who have both been terribly boring for years, but I'll give them a chance. I have no idea what to expect from Karima or Lady Mastermind, so let's go. Mystique is always a wild card and throw her in with Rogue and Sabretooth and we should have ourselves a party.
Thoughts on Art
Ugh. Chris Bachalo is beloved by X-Men fans the world over. I just can't get there. I see the art and all I think is that it looks terrible. Does it look "unique?" Yes, yes it does. Some of the art is so bad it just takes me out of the comic.
Larger Impacts
The Children of the Vault seem to have the abilities and technology to some real damage in the MCU, so I'm curious if we'll ever see them again. I do recall hearing something about then in the Krakoan age, so we likely will.
Things to keep an eye on
Cannonball was severely impacted by his false reality. He lived an entire different life in the matter of minutes. I wonder if there will be any last impacts. Honestly, there should. At the very least, he could still have feelings for Seraphina and want to find her. At the best, having a taste of being married and having kids may push to him want to slow down. We'll see if that happens with him!
Will Mystique play nice or is she not to be trusted? How will her actions impact Rogue's leadership?
Will Gambit come back during this run?
Is Sabretooth really going to roll with the X-Men for a while. Last time this happened under Lobdell got old fast.
How will Cannonball interact with Cable? Will Sam still have a chip on his shoulder?
Characters
Rogue
Yes! Back to leadership. It's about time! I like how she is being a hardass to both Cyclops and her mom (Mystique).
Cannonball
He's been lame for years, but I'm just waiting for someone to bring him back to relavence like in the Fabian Nicieza X-Force without Cable years.
Iceman
Fingers crossed that we get an interesting Iceman. If he either starts showing repressed feelings or has trouble controlling his powers I'm going to scream.
Mystique
Life is like a box of Mystique. You never know what you're going to get.
Karima
I'm interested...
Regan Wyngarde (Lady Mastermind)
This is completely random. A character with a virtual blank slate other than having a short career as a villain.
Cable
I liked him in this series, but Nicieza has really taken him off the deep end in the Cable & Deadpool series so I really don't know what to expect here.
Sabretooth
We've seen this before. Sabretooth is one of the villains who is virtually irredeemable and without Wolverine (or Jean) to keep him in line, I'm a little concerned what trouble he'll get himself into.
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