As always, this post contains spoilers, and page numbers go by the digital edition.

NYX vol 2 #6
Writers: Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly
Penciller: Michael Shelfer
Inkers: Michael Shelfer & Elisabetta D’Amico
Colourist: Raúl Angulo
Editor: Annalise Bissa

This issue is an informal crossover with Dazzler #4, which takes place on Wednesday. However, the link seems to be just that both stories take place at Dazzler’s New York concert, so you don’t need to know anything about the plot of Dazzler for this book.

THE CORE CAST:

Kiden Nixon is the narrator for this issue, though that isn’t made clear until the end. Presumably, she joins the regular cast here. So far as I can see, she hasn’t appeared outside flasbacks since X-23 #1 (2010), but Laura did talk about her in issue #2 in order to set up her return here. Laura is delighted to be reunited with Kiden, her “first” and “best” friend.

Kiden’s narration indicates that she’s been living on the streets and using her time-stop powers to hide away from the world. She was living in a camp of homeless mutants until everyone else got lured away by Mojo; she’s come to the Dazzler concert because she’s investigating him.

The weird colouring effects on pages 3 and 10 are meant to be a version of the rainbow aura effect that appeared in the original NYX when she used her time-stop powers; the rainbow image in page 6 panel 4 is Kiden stopping time in order to walk past security.

Wolverine (Laura), Ms Marvel, Prodigy, Anole and Sophie Cuckoo go to the Dazzler concert, and Laura has lined up an all-access pass – we’re reminded that Laura and Dazzler co-starred in the X-Terminators mini, although you imagine most prominent X-Men would have been handed a pass if they’d asked. It’s a bit unclear whether everyone was expecting this: Anole objects to getting free entry, while Kamala has apparently brought tickets.

Specifically, Anole says he’s going to pay for his ticket once he gets his first paycheck from the Danger Room. That’s the club that was linked to Mr Friend/Mojo in issue #2. We saw Anole there as a customer, but I think this is the first time we’ve been told that he works there. He seems to be just a regular employee rather than a Mojo recruit, though, since he regards Mr Friend as a “creepy gangster”.

Sophie hasn’t regained her powers after last issue. She spends a lot of time chatting on an app called Summoner, which doesn’t sound ominous at all. She tries to stay with the group when they go after Local, but since the chase requires a level of agility that she doesn’t have, she gets left behind with Anole, to her frustration.

SUPPORTING CAST:

Dante accompanies David to the show and doesn’t really have a role beyond that.

VILLAINS:

We’re back to the Mojo storyline which was introduced in issue #2. Laura hasn’t told the rest of the cast that Mr Friend is Mojo, but volunteers the information in this issue (possibly because there’s an immediate crisis to be dealt with).

Mojo’s plan is to get Local to seize control of the livestream of Dazzler’s concert in order to “insert a subliminal frequency” which will allow him to divert Dazzler’s audience to himself. Mojo has always been obsessed with “ratings”, at least since he became primarily a media parody; this story regards him as literally powered by attention. That’s consistent with the way he was written in issue #2, as trying to recruit mutants in order to divert their culture to orient it around himself.

Going into this issue, Local doesn’t know that Mr Friend is Mojo, and argues that Friend is the only one actually doing practical things to help young mutants, in contrast to the empty sloganeering of Kamala and co. Local also argues that his recruitment is no different from “what you did with your little march” – i.e., the campaign against Empath’s scheme last issue. But Local was in the previous issue; he was at the march, and he used his powers to help broadcast Ms Marvel’s inspirational speech at the end. So this is all a bit awkward.

But then again… Local shifts very quickly to saying that Mr Friend will kill him if he doesn’t carry out his mission, so he may not actually believe what he’s saying. Moreover, Mojo claims in the final scene that Local and his other followers become obsessed with him. So another possibility is that Local feels compelled to defend Mojo when challenged. The previous issue, in contrast, didn’t involve Mojo and may have been a better reflection of Local’s actual personality.

According to Prodigy, Local is a technopath – his powers aren’t specifically city-based, or anything high concept like that. It’s just that there are a lot of machines in New York that he can control.

Mojo can now take over the bodies of his followers, at least temporarily. His hold over Local is broken simply by Kiden punching Local across the room. Even so, Local’s obsession drives him to return to Mojo anyway. For Local, this seems to be less a craving and more a case where it feels obvious that he should go back.

GUEST APPEARANCES:

Dazzler is playing a show in New York. Jamie Madrox and Strong Guy are both working security at the show; they’re regulars in her mini. None of them do anything significant (unless you count Dazzler’s show providing the occasion for the story to happen).

OTHER REFERENCES:

Page 8 panel 2: “Hey, Scratch.” This is the name that Laura gave to Local when they met in issue #2.