S.W.O.R.D. #8

History

The S.W.O.R.D. series launched in December 2020, spun out of the X of Swords and Empyre events, and reunited writer Al Ewing with artist Valerio Schiti, who had previously collaborated on Mighty Avengers and the Empyre event. By issue #8, the series had transitioned its rotating art duties to Guiu Vilanova, with series regular Schiti stepping back; Vilanova was making his first appearance on the title with this issue. The issue arrived in late September 2021 following a month-long publication gap in August, and its story directly addressed fallout from Tarn the Uncaring's actions in the concurrent Hellions series, tying the two books together across the Reign of X publishing initiative.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published September 29, 2021 by Marvel Comics. Written by Al Ewing; art by Guiu Vilanova; colors by Dono Sanchez-Almara; letters by Ariana Maher; cover by Stefano Caselli.
• First on-panel appearance of Lodus Logos — an Omega-level Arakkii mutant, member of the Great Ring's Table of Dusk (Seat of Dreams), whose power allows him to conjure any metal by speaking or reciting poetry.
• Storm, serving as Regent of Arakko and holding the Seat of All-Around-Us at the Day Table, defeats challenger Fiery Calderak in the Circle Perilous before convening the Great Ring to confront Tarn the Uncaring over his attack on Krakoan soil.
• Tarn strips Storm of her weather-controlling powers and grotesquely mutates her body using his Omega-level DNA-editing abilities during their duel in the Circle Perilous; Storm, weaponless and powerless, drives the knife Lodus Logos conjured into Tarn's chest and forces his yield.
• The issue contains a full data-page breakdown of the nine seats of the Great Ring of Arakko — divided across the Tables of Dawn, Day, and Dusk — expanding on information first sketched in X-Men (vol. 5) #16 and Planet-Sized X-Men #1; the specific symbolic roles of each table group are new to this issue.
• The issue features a flashback implying that Storm won her Seat of All-Around-Us (the Regency) by defeating a prior holder in the Circle Perilous, though this duel is not shown in full.
• Tarn's grudging verdict that Storm is 'of Arakko — perhaps even of Amenth' is treated across multiple contemporary reviews as a pivotal character moment, establishing her cultural legitimacy among the warrior society she now rules.
• The Great Ring roster fully depicted in this issue includes Storm, Isca the Unbeaten, Tarn the Uncaring, Idyll, Lodus Logos (first appearance), Lactuca the Knower, Sobunar of the Depths, and Xilo Who-Was-Stulgid; Ora Serrata is mentioned but absent.

Cast · 17 characters

Full credits

Variants (1)