Marauders #5 makes it abundantly clear who the best-dressed mutant on Krakoa is, even in the middle of the X of Swords crossover.
This article contains spoilers for Hellions #5 by Zeb Wells, Carmen Carnero, David Curiel, Ariana Maher, and Tom Muller.
In Hellions #5, everyone wants a piece of Mr. Sinister’s cape, and you can’t blame them. The cape completes his outfit and acts as a great conversation piece. How much everyone else wants it has been a running joke in the Krakoa era, and it only gets funnier in Hellions #5.
The shenanigans start when Mr. Sinister stands to make an impassioned speech at the meeting of the Quiet Council and his cape hits Exodus. Instead of brawling, the two powerhouse villains have a hilarious exchange. Exodus says, “Watch your tassels, buffoon,” and Sinister corrects, “Plumage, you philistine.” The two have clashed over their wardrobe in the past, with Sinister getting jealous of the size of Exodus’ epaulets in Marauders #1.
After the Quiet Council votes that Mr. Sinister should lead the Hellions into Arrako to steal the swords and prevent the tournament, Essex thaws a clone to go on the mission for him. The clone flat out refuses, and the two settle it with “the noble contest.” As they pound their fists into their palm, ready to play rock, papers, or scissors, the clone says, “Winner keeps the cape.” It’s apparently the only thing that Sinister doesn’t clone.
His clone isn’t the last one in the issue to covet that beautiful cape. When they arrive at the kingdom of the absolutely unhinged king, Jamie Braddock, the first thing he says to the Hellions is, “Oooh, that’s a right crackin’ cape you’ve got there.” It seems like the more powerful the person is, the more they want this cape. That desire makes a strong case that Mr. Sinister’s cape is the hottest costume in the MarvelUniverse.
Unlike Exodus and Mr. Sinister’s clone, King Jamie has the temerity to take the cape. He insists that in order to allow the Hellions safe passage through his kingdom, they must take the furious horse he stole, “the incomparable Princess Silkmane.” Sinister doesn’t want to reciprocate, but King Jamie insists that they “stop talking responsibilities like prats and exchange some mother-tickling gifts.” He’s got leverage because a word from him to Saturnyne would torpedo the Hellions’ mission.
In the next panel, Mr. Sinister is walking through a market capeless. It’s the same as one of us non-cape wearers being naked. The shame leads him to grab a passerby and explain, “I usually have a cape, if you’re wondering why I look like this.”
It’s near-tragic, especially with how well series artist Carmen Carnero has drawn the cape in this issue. She captures its elegance from every angle, the way it turns just so when he’s in profile, and the way it frames his head from the front, but maybe there’s another cape back in Krakoa.
Comments