Well, one gets the sense that Nightcrawler's foot got pulverized, so quite different... If it hadn't, I expect Nightcrawler might be able to teleport himself free...

Kitty using her power in unexpected ways with the Sentinel kinda reminds of that time Sue Storm used her powers to make the invisible visible (I'm pretty sure that was during John's FF run), which I thought was rather clever...

Gyrich!  How I love to hate that indoor-sunglasses-wearing, redhead-crew-cutted, suit-filling jerk.  Always felt Gyrich was being set up as a more substantial antagonist in the Avengers and X-Men than what he actually became once John left those titles.  (I did jettison the X-Men around the time Paul Smith took over and the Avengers shortly into Colan's run so if Gyrich was utilized after, I wouldn't know.)  I guess he became more tied to the Sentinels so when that threat went away for a while Gyrich also departed?

Just googled Gyrich and read Peter David claims that Jim Shooter based the character on himself.  That's news to me (and not going to touch it with a ten foot pole) but was wondering if that sounds right to you John since you were there for his first appearance and obviously had a hand in his creation.

Must concur with the comments regarding the disturbing but wholly plausible crowd prejudice displayed at the end of issue #2; it's the kind of jarring but layered "defeat from the jaws of victory" vibe Marvel used to sprinkle on its put-upon heroes when I was a reader in the 70s and 80s (a lot more often than it seemed to happen at DC anyway.)  I seem to recall you wanted to give the X-Men an occasional outright victory and Claremont tended to undermine that, but it can work in isolated instances (very effective in this case anyway.)  Great second issue... it's building beautifully and I'm stoked to see what's next. 

Tiny typo on the final page, second panel, btw: I THOUGHT SENTINELS DIDN'T ATTACK HUMNS

The truck design is interesting and that interior shot with Shaw's feet up is great -- nice contrast in body language.

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No criticism intended in telling you it's there; merely a notification, just in case you hadn't already spotted it yourself, the utility of which is that it gives you the option to correct it or not, as you see fit. As you say, this isn't a Marvel lettercol, where the option to go back and tweak it wouldn't be there.

Great ending, can't wait for Issue #3!!!

X-Men #16 was the first X-back issue I purchased.  I don't know if that final panel was an explicit callback to that cover (I mean, it's Master Mold), but I love seeing it.