This is the latest in a feature that spotlights unexplained comic book plot points (unexplained in the comics themselves, of course, as quite often there are outside explanations, like "the artist made a mistake," etc.).

Today we look at how the main conceit of the Astonishing X-Men arc, "Danger," really didn't make sense...

In Astonishing X-Men #7 (by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday), the now-powerless mutant known as Wing is seemingly out on the grounds surrounding the X-Men school, seemingly talking to his friend Hisako (Armor) about his situation...









When we check back in, we see that he DID, in fact, jump, only it was not outside and he was not talking to Hisako, it was all a Danger Room program!







In Astonishing X-Men #9 (by Whedon and Cassaday), we learn that the now-sentient Danger Room needed to have someone die inside the Danger Room to break free of its safety protocols...











Then, when the X-Men inadvertently freed the Danger Room's computer core, it became its own mobile being....



Okay, so that's the end of that arc, one that ended with Professor X admitting that he knew that the Danger Room was sentient and he didn't do anything about it. Danger eventually became a member of the X-Men.

However, the entire conceit of this arc is based on something that really doesn't work. Go to the next page to find out why...

The Danger Room first showed up (as referred to as the "Danger Room") in X-Men #2 (by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman)...







But we're really talking about when it was remade using Shi'ar technology, and that happened in New Mutants #1 (by Chris Claremont, Bob McLeod and Mike Gustovich)...







But BY THE END OF THE ISSUE, the FIRST appearance of the Danger Room, the safety protocols are disengaged! It couldn't go a single issue before being disengaged!



The next issue implies that Xavier did it, since this was during the time that a Brood Queen had taken over his body...



The safety protocols failed at other times over the years, like in X-Treme X-Men #23 (by Chris Claremont and Igor Kordey)...



I'm sure most of you could think of other examples of it failing between 1983 and 2003, so when the hook of your story is based on the Danger Room not being allowed to kill, well, that's just a mistake.

Feel free to make suggestion for future installments by e-mailing me at brianc@cbr.com! And feel free to be contrarians and try to explain why this makes sense!