Polite Dissent

Continuing my look at Mike Carey’s and Scot Eaton’s X-Men – Legacy #209. (Part one can be found here.)

In this scene, Frenzy confronts Magneto and the recently revived Xavier. She plans on killing Xavier, but Magneto has other ideas — not to mention a conveniently near surgical laser.

Xavier: He’s thinking about your eyes
Frenzy: What?
Xavier: And — your optic nerve. Because for your eyes to see, the channel has to stay open all the way into your brain.

At first read, it sounds like Xavier is implying there is “channel” into the brain that is only open when a person is actively using their eyes, or maybe he’s suggesting that the optic nerve will transmit the laser like fiberoptic cables transmit light. Neither is correct.

However, after repeated reading, I think I know what Xavier’s trying to say in his own horribly wordy way. I suspect that he’s merely suggesting that Magneto will use the laser to essentially lobotomize Frantic by shooting the beam through the optic canal into the brain. The optic canal carries the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery from the eye socket to the brain pan. This will damage the optic nerve (rendering her blind — at least in one eye) and cause brain damage. But it sure is an awkward way to phrase it.

It would be a tricky shot too, as the optic canal is located off to the side of the eye socket and proceeds inward at an angle; it’s not the straight shot the art suggests. That’s also a pretty good range for a surgical laser (and note the significant change in the drawing of the laser between the panels. Initially, it’s hand held — like a thick pencil — but by the last panel it suddenly is drawn like a laser pistol).