#peter corbeau

Seeing him dressing down real life world leaders to their faces makes the scope of his actions real. 'Reagan, go back to acting. Thatcher, you're the worst. Khrushchev, don't fuck with me comrade. Generic leaders of other countries, Marvel didn't want to offend you but I don't care. Stop nuking shit and make me king of the world FAFO.' Balls of steel and, as always, dramatic AF.

He's gotten over his grudge against the X-Men by this point, but Scott Summers and Lee Forrester got shipwrecked on his Lovecraftian island base purely by chance. Scott has doubts about the plan, but aside from the whole 'authoritarian ruler' thing, his goal is admirable. Nuclear brinkmanship and MAD hasn't destroyed the world yet, but it's hard to imagine the balancing act maintaining indefinitely.

Mags is also shocked that Scott isn't with Jean, and is sad to hear of her death.

Scott doesn't believe him, though, and calls him a hypocrite. Mags goes off about grief, giving us the first hint of his Holocaust survivor status. Their back and forth is cut short by news that the USSR has decided to FAFO. It has been less than a day since his ultimatum, so they got to the Bermuda Triangle quickly! They launch nukes but Magneto disarms them and they fall into the sea.

He doesn't take that attempted nuking kindly, and immediately sinks the Leningrad with all hands then calls the Kremlin to show he's not bluffing.

Behold! He opens up a fissure beneath Varykino and destroys the city, though he allows the people to evacuate. These two acts are not forgotten - even after the fall of the Soviet Union Russia repeatedly attempts to kill him as revenge. Let's just say that it's not surprising Russia didn't want to accept Krakoa.