Synopsis & Review by Specter313:
Synopsis: We open with the four-armed gorilla holding the Panther while the baboon makes to give him some more of his hypnotic stare. He tries to finish his hypnotism with the usual “count down from 5 and you’ll do exactly as I say” but can’t remember what comes after 3. Another voice informs him that it’s 2, and delivers it with a blow to the baboon’s head. As in T’Challa’s two Dora Milajae, who have arrived to help out their master, and the three take out the gorilla and other arriving simian forces. Storm arrives, hoping that she’s not too late to help, but she only finds T’Challa being pampered by the two women. He tries to explain, but she leaves in a huff.

In another part of Niganda, a jeep, with a gorilla driving and an orangutan riding shotgun, drives through the desolated streets, as the Red Ghost, who is riding in the back, spouts how this country is ripe for new rule.(It’s just that exciting) His ape followers don’t look so sure.

Back at the factory, Paine is chastising the baboon for his failure in holding on to the Panther. But the baboon says that it’s not his fault that Paine didn’t give him better numerical skills. If anyone is at fault, it’s the one who walks on two legs and shaves his face every day.

Back out in the wilderness, Panther has finally caught up with Storm, but her temper hasn’t cooled at all. After repeating that he’ll never break her heart again, she lets him know about the beasts that have been attacking the villagers, and one of them, a large lizard creature with a deformed mouth, finds them and attacks. Storm and T’Challa team up to take him on, but continue to verbally fight throughout.

At the factory, Paine has the baboon chained up with a patch over one eye, which he explains to Red and the other simians that it’s to stop him from hypnotizing anyone. As they move on, Paine wants to discuss the new payment they were talking about at the end of the last issue. Red decides that this is the time to inform him that in his new republic of Niganda, there will be no money. Basically, Paine ain’t getting diddly. Red wants to view his merchandise, and believes that he’ll conquer easily with these mutants on his side, but wants to make sure that Paine’s operations to make them loyal servants won’t affect their powers. Paine assures him that it won’t take away their powers, as he marks Polaris’ head for the incisions, just make them mindless automatons that will be too stupid to do anything but obey commands, unlike the apes currently following him. Red makes some re-education crack and leaves.

In the countryside, Storm and Panther have subdued the creature with back up forces arriving, as Emma contacts Storm. She says that she’s only getting faint readings from the others, and she wants Ororo to go to the factory to investigate. Panther objects to this, but Storm gets ready to leave. He tries to stop her, telling that they’ve got their hands full there and the X-Men can take care of themselves, cause they got themselves into this mess. She reminds him that she is in X-Man, but he doesn’t know why she wastes her time with those fools. She flies away, telling him that used to say the same thing to herself about him.

Paine is waking the other X-Men up, saying that they’re gonna help him fight the Red Ghost. However, they aren’t so willing to help, but he uses Iceman’s powers to stop them, and then Havok’s powers to drop a cage from the ceiling. Inside is Polaris, hooked up to a machine which will pump snake venom into her with the push of a button or if they try to free her. He leaves to let them ponder their decision.

Meanwhile, Red has made a decision of his own not to trust Paine, with his obsession over money, and sends his simians to check out the rest of the factory. However, they go straight to the chained baboon, who asks them to release him, even though they’re hesitant cause Red has a thing for bondage, but he tells them that he has a plan to do away with humans all together.

The X-Men are still arguing over what to do. Havok just wants to try and blow the cage apart, but Iceman thinks that’s too risky and should do what Paine says. Rogue brings up the good point of what will stop him from making them do other things against their will. Storm arrives at this time, and this pleases Paine, who has been watching them all on a security monitor with his mini-simian pal Cuddle-face.

The other simians are ruffling through an office, specifically the baboon, trying to find the virus. The gorilla and the orangutan aren’t surprised that Stalin never worked with baboons.

The Panther is trying to sneak back into the factory, but Paine is able to see him on the security cameras, and decides to unleash something bigger and stronger on him. T’Challa then sees a door creak open behind him.

Review: Any positive movement made in the last installment in Black Panther #8 just about disappeared with this issue. It was somewhat better than some of Milligan’s past stuff on this title, but still, not really up to par. He still needs to figure out what to do with all the central characters, cause especially after looking at this ish, all the main members of this title just seem to almost take a back seat to everything else. He’s starting to work in a bit more of his humor, but it’s kinda bad when the only chuckles one can get out of the book comes from a couple of monkeys.

And right now, I totally regret wanting to find out who Paine was talking to on the phone. I’m not familiar with the Red Ghost character if he’s appeared in other comics in the past, but if this was any indication of how he acts all the time, than I never want to get to know him. He’s boring and it’s like he’s supposed to be threatening and intimidating, but all that readers really feel about him is like he’s whining about needing he’s Metamucil.

The art was better than it’s been in awhile, and I think that’s because he’s finally wrapping up HOM Spidey up, but I still want to see it get back to where it was in his X-Treme days.