Tomes of Costumed Adventurers: X-Men--The Jewels of Cyttorak

Tomes of Costumed Adventurers

Welcome to the land of "reality", where scientific experiments, accidents, genetic heritage, and alien influences affect the lives of ordinary mortals. Join me as I observe the superhumans of planet earth and their struggles against equally powerful foes.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: X-Men--The Jewels of Cyttorak
Author: Dean Wesley Smith
Publisher: Boulevard Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1997

The X-Men have always had trouble with Cain Marko, a.k.a. the Juggernaut. Whenever he goes on a rampage, it's a toss-up on who will come out on top. So naturally they're very cautious about getting in his way when he sets off again, plowing through anything in his path. But when they learn the truth--that he's searching for someone who has the potential to become as powerful as he--they have no choice but to step in and take action. For that other person has the Emerald of Cyttorak, the companion stone to the Ruby of Cyttorak which originally transformed Marko into the Juggernaut to begin with. Certainly the only thing worse than one Juggernaut with a twisted sense of honor is two Juggernauts with one possessing a twisted sense of honor and the other not possessing any at all! But will eight X-Men--Phoenix, Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, Gambit, Storm, and Bishop--be enough to keep these two forces apart? Because bringing them together could mean the end of the earth as an extra-dimensional entity seeks a portal into the world!

The Jewels of Cyttorak reunites the X-Men with one of their greatest adversaries, only this time their on the same side. They did it once before, back when Magneto tried to establish his Mutant Empire in Manhattan. It was an uneasy truce at best, and both sides are more comfortable in their antagonistic roles. Still, though, having a mutual cause can make for some strange bedfellows...especially if it will keep property damage to a minimum, right, X-Men?

While I'm all for supporting the idea of teamwork, I have to admit that having Gambit on his own in New Orleans was something worth including. Not only do we get to see Gambit's skills as a master thief emerge into broad daylight--okay, moonlight--we also get to see how well he can function on his own. Of course, it was nice to see him back with the rest of the X-Men and doing the team thing, but sometimes you just have to do things by yourself, right? And while I enjoyed watching Wolverine tear into the Assassin's Guild, it was even more entertaining to have Gambit's wife, Bella Donna, in practically the same room with him and not know it, especially considering that she'd sworn to kill Gambit. Talk about irony!

X-Men--The Jewels of Cyttorak reintroduces the origins of the Juggernaut in part as the Emeral of Cyttorak bestows its own gift upon its bearer, and finding out more about Cyttorak was a welcome addition to the Marvel Universe. Ultimately, though, you're definitely going to want to see how the X-Men deal with two Juggernauts: one a sometime wary ally, and the other an entirely unknown quantity. So find the book and read it!

Rating: Thumbs up! How would you rate a battle between two Juggernauts? Catastrophic should cover it!

Buy this book in paperback or visit the Cosmic Tomes Bazaar for other titles.

Looking for something that's no longer here? Check in the Archive to search for it.

Comments? Suggestions? Just click here to send me e-mail. Also, if this review prompted you to read the book, then let me know. I appreciate knowing I made a difference in somebody's life.

You are the

th visitor to this page since April 1, 2000.

Back Home Back to Starfire Reviews

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page