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...as revenge against the consequences of HIS OWN actions, the left behind members of the team are split in two, with Sam & Illyana left in pursuit of the captured Berto and Amara.
The two powerhouse members of the New Mutants manage to capture a hired henchman, but Sam fails...
At some point, a father won't be there for his son. Won't be able to keep his promises. Won't be able to fix everything and make it all okay.
As the personas bubble back to the top of David's consciousness, it's clear that David has been unsuccessful in restoring his son to...
...and David is finally given an opportunity to meet his father.
I suggested earlier that this story is absent a happy ending–and the issue's closing pages prove it.
Mutant gifts and psychic adventures aside, the reality of parenthood is that it always ends in tragedy.
...unsure if Jemail can be trusted, by the absorbed persona insists he's been trying to heal David whereas the others have only wanted to wreak further havoc.
Dani's communion with Jemail and Jack helps restore David to some extent and restore the team to the material world...
...nature revealed as his greatest fear is identified as a loving relationship between David and Xavier.
The Jack persona doesn't want David restored, he wants control–and thus the hatred of Jemail is revealed as caused in part by Gaby's bias and Jack's misdirection.
Dani is...
...that to some extent, Gaby's hatred of Jemail is driven by her cultural identity as much as it is the man's crimes against her family, the one repeated area of the arc that works the least well.
Dani projects Jack's fears to prevent Jemail's assault, evidence of his dark...
Even though their relationship was seemingly benign, Gaby has never fully forgiven Charles for what she has feared was her exploitation.
As Charles explores David's psyche, his bristles at the absence of himself in the boy's memories, growing furious with Gaby and insisting...
...on the power differential between she and Erik–the Master of Magnetism far her superior in terms of strength and ability, and despite Erik's promises to never do so, Lee can't help but fear the reforming villain.
The scene is part of his redemption, the parallel to Xavier...
Part of the reason Gaby withheld knowledge of David from Xavier was her fear that he had telepathically controlled or manipulated her, a theme echoed in the issue's interlude to revisit Erik and Lee.
After their kiss (and stuff) in the arc's opening, Lee has begun to ruminate...
...absent Rahne and Dani's suspicions, the adults in the room (i.e. Charles & Moira) seem unconcerned and willing to trust the "adult" Jack.
Couched within David's presumption of Charles' abandonment and Moira & Cyndi's earlier conversation about parents using their children...