All-New X-Men #5, pg. 4

ISSUE SUMMARY: The past Jean Grey finds her telepathic powers active, and speaks with the present Beast inside his mind. They discuss their present situations, before the past Beast appears, explaining that the Beast’s genetic experiments on his own body is what is killing him. The past Beast continues to work on his future self’s body, while Jean Grey and the rest of the past X-Men, and several present X-Men - Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Iceman and Storm - are on hand. In the present Beast‘s mind, he starts to work through equations with his past self. Despite being ordered out of the lab, along with everyone else, Kitty Pryde returns to talk to the past Beast, who has a big attitude. Inside the present Beast’s mind, Jean tells him that he shouldn’t have brought them to the future, before wanting to know everything that has happened to her. The Beast lets her further into his mind, and Jean practically lives her life, experiencing many significant events, but she panics, and “falls” out of the Beast’s mind, where Kitty then looks after her. Outside, many students gather around the past Cyclops, while Wolverine confronts him, suggesting that he kill the past Cyclops right now - until the present Beast, alive and well, but his form changed yet again, appears, and puts a stop to Wolverine’s spectacle. Storm and Kitty are relieved that their friend is alive, but before the Beast can send the past X-Men back to their own time, Jean announces that they are not going, as she is seen what becomes of their lives, and will not stand for it. The past X-Men put it to a vote, but only Angel wants to return to their true time. The present Beast is concerned that the past X-Men cannot just go around doing what they want in the future, so Kitty Pryde promises to look after them. The past Angel is worried as to why no one is talking about what has happened to him, and when the past Cyclops tries to talk to Jean, she tells him to leave her alone. Meanwhile, at the University of Texas, new mutant Benjamin has been kicked out of school, and as he leaves, he finds Cyclops waiting for him outside. Cyclops tries to talk to Benjamin, and is curious as to his mutation power. Cyclops offers Benjamin training, and he somewhat reluctantly agrees, before being teleported to the New Charles Xavier School for the Gifted.

COMMENT: So many great pages in this issue, but this one really stood out to me. Immonen did an amazing job capturing two great likenesses of the Beast. Especially in the final panel. That is the Hank that I know and love, the one I grew up with. And the changing expressions on Jean Grey's face are just a joy to behold. The scroll work around the panels must have been a true labor of love for Wade von Grawbadger.