Mentor barely has time to settle into the reader's attention before Cyclops hits him. Oracle identifies him as the Guardsman brought down by Scott's opening energy blast, and th…

Mentor barely has time to settle into the reader's attention before Cyclops hits him. Oracle identifies him as the Guardsman brought down by Scott's opening energy blast, and the confrontation becomes a full battle. It is an abrupt introduction, especially for a figure whose green skin, bald head and forehead marking make the connection to the Legion's Brainiac 5 easy to see. The design suggests a different kind of presence from Fang's animal ferocity or Titan's size. The action gives him no chance to explain it. There is something useful about that brevity. The Imperial Guard has arrived as a complete-looking team, but Claremont and Cockrum don't stop the fight to give every member a turn at a demonstration. Some people take the first hit. Some get the extended exchange. Others remain part of the pressure surrounding the X-Men. Mentor belongs firmly to that first category in this encounter. His fall helps establish Cyclops's response as a real attack with an immediate consequence. It also gives Oracle something urgent to report and Gladiator something to answer. The launch lets a distinctive design suggest a larger character while keeping the actual event very simple. Mentor is present, Scott strikes and his teammates react. That is his part in the opening move.