X-Men from the Beginning

[limerick]

By the way,Cub.Excalibur from the beginning is definitely happening ----very soon

[david r]

Uncanny X-Men #224:

Thoughts on Uncanny #224:
--Naze really does dupe Storm.It's a bit disappointing she has so little faith in Forge.

Sorry I'm late, but the kissing scene between Ororo & Naze is quite disconcerting. Is Naze taking advantage of Storm? Or does the "Trickster" genuinely respect her?

Plus, when Storm confronts Forge here, *WHY* is Forge wearing a diaper? :eek:

--Someone asked recently why Longshot wasn't keen to get back to MOJOworld to rescue his people and Richochet Rita.But from his statement on pg.10 he obviously still has no memory as he does not recognize Rita's name.

Good spot check. It seems Longshot's mind has been wiped. But do we ever learn what happened?

--The poster for "Raiders of The Lost Temple" seems to be a homage to one of the Longshot covers.Oh!I've just twigged this was the movie Longshot and Rita worked on in the Longshot mini.

This was based on the Indiana Jones films of the 1980s. Which were HUGELY popular at the time.

As for #224, notice Storm and Naze venture into the Colorado Rocky mountains. Right in the area where Danielle Moonstar and her parents once lived. And where the "Demon Bear" struck. A fascinating coincidence this is where Forge's Aerie resides. A connection between this "Adversary" and the Demon Bear entity grows ever closer.

[Anodyne]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-Men #226:


--Standout 2:Havok's rant to the camera.Nice one,cub!I love the way Silvestri draws Havok's uniform.I know there was a recent interview where he said he hated it.It looks better than ever.That headpiece is a design classic!
Is this where Neal Conan makes his speech about how this is the X-Men's chance to counter all their bad publicity by letting people see them in action as they really are ... at their best, at their worst ... or they can go back into the shadows? Or is that next issue? I'm wondering because Havok responds that Neal's idea sounds good to him, which sounds to me like the opposite of a rant.
Uncanny X-Men #224:
Plus, when Storm confronts Forge here, *WHY* is Forge wearing a diaper? :eek:

It's probably supposed to be a loincloth.

[CJ Lentze]

Is it in this issue or the next that Neal Conan makes his speech about how this is the X-Men's chance to counter all their bad publicity by letting people see them in action as they really are ... at their best, at their worst ... or would they rather go back into the shadows?It's in the next issue.

I read that Neal Conan and Chris Claremont are friends. Does anyone have details on their friendship, when/how they met, etc? I must admit that when I first read these 'Fall Of The Mutants' issues, I thought Neal Conan's presence was a little annoying, even though he was rooting for the X-Men. I didn't know he was a real person at the time, and I didn't know he and Chris Claremont were friends, either-- I've adjusted my opinion since learning this.

I'll still say that this does explain why Neal feels kind of like an 'inserted' 'character'-- he is.

[Imraith Nimphais]

YAY!...Storm got her powers back...HOW FRAKKIN! FABULOUS WAS THAT!!!!?
I was deliriously happy...for months prior, I was speculating when and how this would take place...I was hoping for maximum drama, pomp and circumstance...and while there was circumstance and a certain amount of pomp...it sort of fell flat in the drama department...(I allowed my speculation to get the better of me) oh well...it did not take away from the fact that Storm was once more the Wind Rider!...Bright Lady be Praised!...the artwork did appear "rushed" in parts and the colouring was somewot "off" as well...but, all in all, FotM is turning into quite the Classic UXM story...as for the hows and wherefores of such things as her journey across the Atlantic, personally, getting bogged down by the details ruin a perfectly good comic book story...how she got to Africa is pretty much irrelevant to the story as a whole, the fact remains she got there and discovered the true nature of the Adversary's lil "gift"...as I've just finished re-reading this arc...I cannot help thinking how very "cinematic" it feels visually and thematically...As an aside, CC's title "Go tell the Spartans" did inspire me to go search and read about the Spartans...yes, he was that good a writer.

[CallMeGeoff]

It's also fun to watch Wolverine as the mutant equivalent to Mr. Bill. I like the look on his face as he watches the Blob falling towards him! Just imagine how that must have felt, as the Blob's "bountiful backside" landed on him!

Haha, "OH NOOOOOOOO!"

Anyway, this issue is loads of fun. The X-Men/Freedom Force team-up is done well. I like the interaction between the former rivals.

The racist cowboys were a bit much, though. It would make more sense if they were cowboys from the 19th century. But they were in trucks, so they couldn't be. Maybe Claremont intended them to be, but Silvestri drew them in a truck without thinking? It just seems a little extreme to me. Plus, nobody does anything about it! Why didn't Commando beat the crap out of them???

Otherwise, high marks for this one.

[Anodyne]

I'll still say that this does explain why Neal feels kind of like an 'inserted' 'character'-- he is.
True, but a necessary insertion. Someone was needed to bear witness.

[limerick]

I'm still wondering about what Spiral reacts to on Pg.8---it doesn't seem to make sense.There is no further explanation regarding it.Any ideas anyone---this one is really bugging me(PLEASE!)

[limerick]

Haha, "OH NOOOOOOOO!"

Anyway, this issue is loads of fun. The X-Men/Freedom Force team-up is done well. I like the interaction between the former rivals.

The racist cowboys were a bit much, though. It would make more sense if they were cowboys from the 19th century. But they were in trucks, so they couldn't be. Maybe Claremont intended them to be, but Silvestri drew them in a truck without thinking? It just seems a little extreme to me. Plus, nobody does anything about it! Why didn't Commando beat the crap out of them???

Otherwise, high marks for this one.
Geoff,the cowboy who starts the shooting is definitely The Trickster(as later revealed),who has a vested interest in slaying the Cheyenne since they have arrived specifically to thwart him.I guess the others are just weak-willed copycats who roll in behind him.Does that change things from your perspective?However,FF should definitely have done something about it.

[CallMeGeoff]

Geoff,the cowboy who starts the shooting is definitely The Trickster(as later revealed),who has a vested interest in slaying the Cheyenne since they have arrived specifically to thwart him.I guess the others are just weak-willed copycats who roll in behind him.Does that change things from your perspective?However,FF should definitely have done something about it.

I still think it feels a bit forced. Are Texans that trigger-happy? Maybe they are, actually. :biggrin:

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.226.GIF

Uncanny X-men #226 Great review, Limerick. I like how you pinpoint parts of the story by the locations/city. Here are my thoughts:

-I liked that first page that shows Wolverine lying on the ground, in agony. But his courage and sense of responsibility is undeterred. There really is no one like him.
--Curious how Spiral and Dazzler already hate one another. You'd almost think they had an attraction in common! :wink:
--So do Storm and Forge have sexual relations on the other Earth? This issue is coy on it. I would like to think they DID. It's refreshing to see such passionate attraction between two comic book characters portrayed in an adult way. I also wonder if Ororo is still a virgin by the events in this story. I can see no place in her life revealed to us, where she's had sex.

--The Adversary's Earth is fascinating. An alternate Earth, but still a complete wilderness devoid of all humans and technology. Was Marvel planning to start up multiple, alternate Earths? Like what DC Comics had done?
--Wished Marvel had explained *HOW* Storm travelled to the Africa of this other Earth....without the use of a ship or airplane. The way from the Americas to East Africa is a LONG trip, and she couldn't cross the Atlantic on foot! :smile:
--Was #226, Page 22, implying that Ororo Munroe is a descendant of the very first human beings? AS in, the human race began in east Africa, and the "Bright Lady" is possibly a direct lineage with the first tribes of humans in existence. And thus, making Ororo far more special indeed.

---The shooting down of the Native American Indians on Page 24 made me VERY ANGRY!
--I wonder if the (then) release of the movie Platoon and it's success/popularity played a role in the use of Vietnam in this story? A cultural look back in the United States, at Vietnam, was in full swing in 1987.
--Naze wears several pendants, medallions on his chest, which remind me somewhat of the necklace Kulan Gath wore in UXM #190-191. Coincidence??
---This issue is fabulously good. Another classic with a spellbinding climax!! I LIKE! :smile:

[david r]

--One thing which has me completely confused is the last frame of pg.8.Spiral is suddenly startled by something---but what."SOARING SPITFIRES??!!"What is she reacting to....unexplained.No-Prize to the best explanation!

I think Spiral simply saw the dinosaurs/savage warriors that were starting to attack Dallas, Texas. It would have been nice to see what Spiral was looking at. But the next time we see Dallas, it's being overrun by dinosaurs. So my No Prize answer is she saw a T-rex and was shocked!

[Cub]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.226.GIF


--So do Storm and Forge have sexual relations on the other Earth? This issue is coy on it. I would like to think they DID. It's refreshing to see such passionate attraction between two comic book characters portrayed in an adult way. I also wonder if Ororo is still a virgin by the events in this story. I can see no place in her life revealed to us, where she's had sex.



They TOTALLY had sex. As for her virginity, there was the potential molester whose throat she slit, I assume before he got anywhere. Also, yukio... I am of the opinion they did do a little exploring, but nothing major. She had also had a relationship with Black Panther by this time, right? Unfortunately, I don't know, or more accurately, care enough about that relationship to have any knowledge on it. I like to think that her time with Forge was her first.

[MartinRedmond]

Dazzler looks electrifying on that cover.

[Valjean999]

By the way,Cub.Excalibur from the beginning is definitely happening ----very soon

The first Wolverine ongoing started around the same time as Excalibur...can we expect a "from the beginning" thread for Logan?

[limerick]

David,I agree the story in many ways resembled the Kulan Gath story which I must say,I greatly enjoyed.What do you think of my theory of the alternate earth allowing the full story Claremont had envisaged for Storm/Naze to take place on the same time scale while still allowing Storm to be present for the end of the next issue?

[limerick]

The first Wolverine ongoing started around the same time as Excalibur...can we expect a "from the beginning" thread for Logan?
Definitely--will be starting with the Story from Marvel comics presents(i think) which set up the Wolverine/Madripoor storyline.It would seem incomplete to leave him out!I think I'll be settling in at around 5 reviews a week so I'll still be catching Marvel up!

[CallMeGeoff]

Definitely--will be starting with the Story from Marvel comics presents(i think) which set up the Wolverine/Madripoor storyline.It would seem incomplete to leave him out!I think I'll be settling in at around 5 reviews a week so I'll still be catching Marvel up!

Wow, you are my hero (and David too, of course)! I've never read any of the Claremont Wolvie ongoing, only the later stuff. I look forward to reading your reviews!

Incidentally, if you ever need a hand with a review now and then, I volunteer my services. I can't guarantee that I'd be able to do one very often (or do it as well as you and David), but if the need should arise, feel free to ask. With Excalibur and Wolverine coming up, you'll have a lot on your plate, and I don't want you to get too bogged down. If you don't need me, even better. But don't hesitate to draft me if you get too stressed. That is, if David doesn't mind. This is still his house, after all! :smile:

[limerick]

Thanks for that Geoff!I think it's a great idea that we would eventually do some sort of rota as the titles get out of control.Once we stick to David's basic review format,I don't think it's too important who's doing the reviews.So,I may well take you up on that over the next little while.But for the moment I am full of enthusiasm for the task so i'll run with it for now.Fatigue will be inevitable and when I'm running out of steam I will be in touch.

Thanking you----your,friend,Limerick!

[limerick]

I must say the reviews are allowing me to read the issues very thoroughly and I'm seeing things I've never noticed before.Which is great!

However,I do know my feedback to other posters comments is not as good as Davids.I think his positive,plentiful feedback was a great motivator for reading the threads so I'm going to try and improve that.

[CallMeGeoff]

Thanks for that Geoff!I think it's a great idea that we would eventually do some sort of rota as the titles get out of control.Once we stick to David's basic review format,I don't think it's too important who's doing the reviews.So,I may well take you up on that over the next little while.But for the moment I am full of enthusiasm for the task so i'll run with it for now.Fatigue will be inevitable and when I'm running out of steam I will be in touch.

Thanking you----your,friend,Limerick!

You are most welcome! I have a closet full of long boxes (and some clothes...but mostly comics :biggrin:), so I am ready whenever.

[CallMeGeoff]

This is going to show everyone just how big of a dork I am, but I'm amongst friends, so here goes.

Reading these latest issues with Freedom Force has reminded me of a thematic element in X-Men that has always fascinated me. Namely, Spiral and her similarities to the Hindu god Shiva. Ancient mythology and iconography are a passing interest of mine, and I can't help but wonder if Ann Nocenti had Shiva in mind when she created Spiral.

First, let's look at the spiral symbol.

http://images.exoticindiaart.com/jcjewelry/fine_cut_citrine_spiral_jhn61.jpg

The spiral is an ancient symbol found on every habitable continent on Earth. It represents the cycle of death and rebirth, always ending up where it started, but on a higher plane of existence. Some cultures, like the ancient Chinese, use the spiral as a symbol for the sun, as the sun "dies" each evening to be "reborn" the next morning. It has also been used as a symbol for the sea, both for its resemblance to waves and whirlpools, as well as to symbolize the cyclical coming and going of the tides.

Now Shiva:

http://library.spokanefalls.edu/Namesake/_images/Shiva.jpg

Shiva is one of the most prominent deities in Hindu mythology. He is the four-armed god of destruction and rebirth, and he is often referred to as the Lord of the Dance (not Michael Flatley). Common depictions, like the one above, show him dancing his dance of destruction, ending the universe so that it can be reborn again, better than before (the spiral).

Along those lines, Shiva is associated with the notion of duality. In short, destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin. Destruction is violent and terrible, but it is necessary to make way for the creation of what is new and better. Shiva is also often depicted as being both male and female, since destruction is commonly associated with masculinity, while creation (birth) is associated with femininity (these are ancient pagan beliefs, folks; don't shoot the messenger).

Which brings me to Spiral:

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/76920-46354-spiral_large.jpg

Spiral dances her way through dimensions, which immediately links her to Shiva, the Lord of the Dance. She also has multiple arms (although two more than is commonly associated with Shiva).

Spiral's story also parallels Shiva. SPOILER WARNING. Spiral is revealed to be Ricochet Rita, twisted and deformed by Mojo to be his servant. She is then sent back in time to capture Rita, which sets in motion the events that would eventually lead to her own terrible fate, creating a cycle of existence that never ends. Rita will always be corrupted by Mojo to become Spiral, who will always journey to the past to capture Rita, who will always then become Spiral, and so on, and so on. We see here the cycle of destruction and rebirth, although here the rebirth is a tragic fate rather than a higher plane of existence. Spiral is more powerful than Rita, but certainly not better.

Thus, there are always two sides to Spiral (duality). There is the Spiral side, which is destructive and terrible, and the Rita side, which is loving and compassionate. Sort of like the masculine/feminine duality of Shiva.

Okay, I'll stop there. I think I'm running out of room anyway. I just think the parallels are interesting. If I'm the only one, forgive me. :redface:

[david r]

What do you think of my theory of the alternate earth allowing the full story Claremont had envisaged for Storm/Naze to take place on the same time scale while still allowing Storm to be present for the end of the next issue?

I think it's an intriguing theory. I'm not sure if Chris Claremont envisioned having Storm away from Uncanny X-Men for a full year though. Having an entire year pass on the alternate Earth was clever (also allowing Storm's hair to regrow) but I doubt he wanted to keep her away from her leadership role for so long. I almost wish it had happened, because I would have been interested to see this other, non-technology, Earth explored more.

It was fascinating how Ororo and Forge are portrayed like an Adam and Eve.

---Notice Super Sabre mentions he had a son. Who was in Vietnam. It's the first panel, on Page 33. I wonder if there was a deeper meaning meant by this?
---I also liked when Rogue and Mystique think "Daughter" and "Mom" about each other, on Page 36, was a bit heart-breaking. I wonder now if Mystique TRULY IS Rogue's maternal parent!
---The moment where Wolverine says "Remember us" really sticks in the memory. Just a fabulous issue all around.

[david r]

Thanks for that Geoff!I think it's a great idea that we would eventually do some sort of rota as the titles get out of control.Once we stick to David's basic review format,I don't think it's too important who's doing the reviews.So,I may well take you up on that over the next little while.But for the moment I am full of enthusiasm for the task so i'll run with it for now.Fatigue will be inevitable and when I'm running out of steam I will be in touch.

Thanking you----your,friend,Limerick!

Let me chime in here. Fatigue will eventually set in. It may be months away, but if a day comes and you simply DON'T feel like posting that day, believe me, don't FORCE yourself to read an issue and post the review. It's better to take some time off. Especially seeing as how these upcoming issues get more compressed with action/dialogue as we go along. Just my thoughts, but if you need some help, hey man, don't hesitate to ask! :smile:

Geoff, That would be great if you can help out. I did 400 of these reviews/summaries and know how fun it can be. But in the long haul, it can also become grueling. I felt the need to slow down and take my time with the issues. You go too fast and it becomes a blur. But I'm glad people want to keep these threads going.

Whoa, that is damn fascinating about Shiva. I think you're on to something there, Geoff. I have noticed mythology used in these X-Men books to create characters and stories. Like the Norse Gods or witchcraft. I think you have stumbled upon Ann Nocenti's motivation for Spiral. It definitely adds up and I like the pictures you posted, which really hammer home the inspiration for Spiral. I wonder though if there are MORE than two people residing within Spiral!?

[Cub]

Thanks for the info, Geoff. And that Shiva figure is really beautiful. I never knew that about Spiral. I think I knew she was Rita, but not the how and why part. Very cool character, though she hangs out with a bunch of losers (we all know my feelings towards Longshot). Please add Shatterstar and Mojo to that list as well. And I don't buy the idea that she would ever cast her lot in with Freedom Force. Still, if you're an imaginary 6 armed woman wearing a headpiece borrowed from Shredder, and you're still turning me, a gay guy, on (this should probably worry me), you're doing something right.

Oh, I'd also be down for doing a review or two if David, Limerick, and Geoff are all trapped under something heavy or whatnot. I'd have to stick to Uncanny and Excalibur (and X-Force and X-Men if/when we get that far), but i'm putting it out there.

[Nevets F]

Thanks for that Geoff!I think it's a great idea that we would eventually do some sort of rota as the titles get out of control.Once we stick to David's basic review format,I don't think it's too important who's doing the reviews.So,I may well take you up on that over the next little while.But for the moment I am full of enthusiasm for the task so i'll run with it for now.Fatigue will be inevitable and when I'm running out of steam I will be in touch.

Thanking you----your,friend,Limerick!

You know, I originally said no when David asked me about the Alpha Thread a couple months ago...but if you ever need help, I would take a shot at it this time. I don't know that I would be any good, haha, but if you ever need a break, let me know. :D

[Imraith Nimphais]

Thank you Geoff for the tidbits of info...the Shiva Nataraja is indeed a beauty-full icon...and being a dancer...one that is very close to my heart as well...As David said, it is very interesting how the old school writers would incorporate bits and pieces of classic literature and mythologies into their stories and caharacters...in this instance equating the UXM to the Spartans...this not only added depth and meaning to the stories being told but also added a very interesting "frame of reference"...interesting to me, anyways...from a literary standpoint, I learned a few things well from reading Claremont's UXM...and Byrne as well, as they both came from the same "school" as it were...my mind was made aware of something much more than wot was presented on the printed page of the comic books they wrote...this is one of the reasons why I tend to gravitate towards the more "mythological" books such as IIF and Thor...unfortunately, for those young/new readers that "style" of storytelling is no longer prevalent in today's comic industry...a modern age, modern sensibilities and all that.

[limerick]

This is going to show everyone just how big of a dork I am, but I'm amongst friends, so here goes.

Reading these latest issues with Freedom Force has reminded me of a thematic element in X-Men that has always fascinated me. Namely, Spiral and her similarities to the Hindu god Shiva. Ancient mythology and iconography are a passing interest of mine, and I can't help but wonder if Ann Nocenti had Shiva in mind when she created Spiral.

First, let's look at the spiral symbol.

http://images.exoticindiaart.com/jcjewelry/fine_cut_citrine_spiral_jhn61.jpg

The spiral is an ancient symbol found on every habitable continent on Earth. It represents the cycle of death and rebirth, always ending up where it started, but on a higher plane of existence. Some cultures, like the ancient Chinese, use the spiral as a symbol for the sun, as the sun "dies" each evening to be "reborn" the next morning. It has also been used as a symbol for the sea, both for its resemblance to waves and whirlpools, as well as to symbolize the cyclical coming and going of the tides.

Now Shiva:

http://library.spokanefalls.edu/Namesake/_images/Shiva.jpg

Shiva is one of the most prominent deities in Hindu mythology. He is the four-armed god of destruction and rebirth, and he is often referred to as the Lord of the Dance (not Michael Flatley). Common depictions, like the one above, show him dancing his dance of destruction, ending the universe so that it can be reborn again, better than before (the spiral).

Along those lines, Shiva is associated with the notion of duality. In short, destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin. Destruction is violent and terrible, but it is necessary to make way for the creation of what is new and better. Shiva is also often depicted as being both male and female, since destruction is commonly associated with masculinity, while creation (birth) is associated with femininity (these are ancient pagan beliefs, folks; don't shoot the messenger).

Which brings me to Spiral:

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/76920-46354-spiral_large.jpg

Spiral dances her way through dimensions, which immediately links her to Shiva, the Lord of the Dance. She also has multiple arms (although two more than is commonly associated with Shiva).

Spiral's story also parallels Shiva. SPOILER WARNING. Spiral is revealed to be Ricochet Rita, twisted and deformed by Mojo to be his servant. She is then sent back in time to capture Rita, which sets in motion the events that would eventually lead to her own terrible fate, creating a cycle of existence that never ends. Rita will always be corrupted by Mojo to become Spiral, who will always journey to the past to capture Rita, who will always then become Spiral, and so on, and so on. We see here the cycle of destruction and rebirth, although here the rebirth is a tragic fate rather than a higher plane of existence. Spiral is more powerful than Rita, but certainly not better.

Thus, there are always two sides to Spiral (duality). There is the Spiral side, which is destructive and terrible, and the Rita side, which is loving and compassionate. Sort of like the masculine/feminine duality of Shiva.

Okay, I'll stop there. I think I'm running out of room anyway. I just think the parallels are interesting. If I'm the only one, forgive me. :redface:
Thanks for this great post,Geoff--very informative.I had been aware of a vague similarity ti Shiva but this is really explaining it well.

[limerick]

Let me chime in here. Fatigue will eventually set in. It may be months away, but if a day comes and you simply DON'T feel like posting that day, believe me, don't FORCE yourself to read an issue and post the review. It's better to take some time off. Especially seeing as how these upcoming issues get more compressed with action/dialogue as we go along. Just my thoughts, but if you need some help, hey man, don't hesitate to ask! :smile:

Geoff, That would be great if you can help out. I did 400 of these reviews/summaries and know how fun it can be. But in the long haul, it can also become grueling. I felt the need to slow down and take my time with the issues. You go too fast and it becomes a blur. But I'm glad people want to keep these threads going.

Whoa, that is damn fascinating about Shiva. I think you're on to something there, Geoff. I have noticed mythology used in these X-Men books to create characters and stories. Like the Norse Gods or witchcraft. I think you have stumbled upon Ann Nocenti's motivation for Spiral. It definitely adds up and I like the pictures you posted, which really hammer home the inspiration for Spiral. I wonder though if there are MORE than two people residing within Spiral!?
Just a note on the summaries/reviews so far:

--Uncanny--The reviews take so much time as there is so much happening!But the stories are very enjoyable.My fave title for this period.
--New Mutants--Shorter review time but not my favourite period for the NM.Although the last 2 issues were better.
--X-Factor--Am just not enjoying this title.Can't quite understand why but the last 7-8 issues are a real drag for me.
--Alpha Flight--Am loving it right now-a bit of a guilty pleasure!Also reviews are very easy/quick to write which is nice!

[limerick]

You know, I originally said no when David asked me about the Alpha Thread a couple months ago...but if you ever need help, I would take a shot at it this time. I don't know that I would be any good, haha, but if you ever need a break, let me know. :D
Thanks for the offer,Steven.I'm sure I'll be looking to you and Geoff for some help before too long!

[limerick]

I think Spiral simply saw the dinosaurs/savage warriors that were starting to attack Dallas, Texas. It would have been nice to see what Spiral was looking at. But the next time we see Dallas, it's being overrun by dinosaurs. So my No Prize answer is she saw a T-rex and was shocked!
This could well be it--either that or there's a page of art missing!:wink: :biggrin:

[limerick]

[/B]http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.227.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #227 ..............March 1988

"The Belly of The Beast"

Claremont/Silvestri

Dallas,Texas:Manoli Wetherall and Freedom Force watch the Eagle Plaza tower in flames and assume Neal Conan and The X-Men are dead.But they notice that Conan's camera is transmitting from inside the building.The X-Men are still alive and kicking!Literally!

Within the tower The X--Men are faced with an apparent Vietnamese war scene,but the Vietnamese army are fighting Demons!Neal Conan relays the action.The X-men quickly start working on the Demons ,all of them playing their part with their various abilities.

Madelyne Pryor feels helpless and afraid ,wondering if she has done the right thing joining the X-Men.She has no powers and cannot help them.In the "Vietnamese" scape she stumbles across Forge surrounded by his dead comrades from the war.He is in uniform and she is obviously witnessing something that happened in the past although the experience is happening for real in the time warped enviormant of Eagle's Plaza.She witnesses Forge magically using the souls of his recently killed fellow soldiers to open a demonic gate.Demons pour through and slaughter the Vietnamese soldiers who killed his comrades.Realising his actions are dreadfully wrong he orders an airstrike via radio and the demons are wiped off the face of earth with complete devastation of the area by a B-52 strike.

Roma's Starlight Citadel:The Trickster stands on a balcony surveying the Vietnamese scene far below.He has Roma,Storm and Forge held prisoner.By rejecting his 'new earth' Storm and Forge have returned here but The Trickster says they have condemned themselves and the world to death!Storm tries to blast him with lightning but he deflects her powers and uses them to create a 'wall of winds' encircling the Citadel.

Dallas:Freedom Force watch Neal Conan's transmission of the devastated Vietnamese scene.Neal Conan reveals Forge's involvement in the destructionWolverine is becoming annoyed with the journalists constant presence but Conan says this is their chance to be judged on their deeds, not their negative reputation.Havok agrees.

Psylocke senses Storm and Forge in the Citadel as well as 2 other powerful presences.Rogue attempts to enter the Citadel but is violently deflected by the wind barrier(shredding her costume,AS USUAL!:biggrin: ).She crashes back to earth but is okay.The X-men come up with another plan--they will launch Longshot into the hurricane and attatch themselves to him via a rope.They'll then rely on his hollow bones and luck to ride the maelstrom and carry them through.It's a risky strategy but it's their only chance.

Longshot and Maddie make profound statements to Conan's camera on why they are doing what they are about to attempt.The X-Men are transmitted as being truely heroic!Rogue launches Longshot into the hurricane and the rest are pulled after.Colossus forces himself with difficulty back to human form so he is light enough to be carried.Neal Conan decides to follow them at the last minute and grabs onto the rope,launching after them.

Lonshot enters the Citadel and launches 3 blades at The Trickster who is shocked when the metal blades injure him.He is susceptible to the metal iron!Next Rogue tries to absorb him but only slows him.Wolverine then attacks but is deflected powerfully by The Trickster.Next Peter is hurled into the Citadel.Seeing how Longshot's blades have injured The Trickster,he transforms to metal and allows his momentum to carry him itno The Trickster.The Tricksters Naze-like body disintegrtes on impact and his true Shadow-like form is revealed.Rogue has absorbed Naze's personality and abilities and she opens a portal into which The Trickster begins to be drawn.Storm and Forge are now free from The Trickster's captivity.Storm,Havok,Dazzler and Rogue combine their abilities to try and force their enemy into the portal but he is too strong.

The Trickster reveals Forge has the solution.He needs to repeat the spell he cast years ago using freely given souls ,unlike those taken before,to close the portal opened years ago.The X-Men volunteer themselves and Storm and Forge say their goodbyes.Wolverine tells Forge not to use Maddie but he says 9 souls are needed to reverse the 9 of the spell years ago.She freely accepts her fate,saying her goodbyes to Scott via Neal Conan's camera.Forge casts the spell,the X-Men are transmuted into their pure souls,the power of which is used to seal the portal and trap The Trickster for all eternity!

Muir Isle,Scotland:Kitty Pryde watches the X-Mens last moments broadcast over the television.Her grief is disturbed by Moira Mctaggert who has good news---Nightcrawler has recovered!She races to his sick bed divided by the excitement of Kurt's recovery and the devestation of losing her teammates.

Dallas,Texas:Forge and Neal Conan materialise in front of the ruins of Eagle Plaza.Forge explains when questioned that he could not sacrafice himself because he cast the spell.Mystique sreams that he is a murderer as he walks away,casting a lonely figure.

Roma's Starlight Citadel:Roma removes the X-Mens souls from the closed portal and using her powers rematerialises them.The X-Men are surprised but Roma explains that to keep the order of things The Trickster must not be locked away for ever.He is part of life.His chaos brings about change which brings about growth.He is required for life to continue.Roma offers to return them to earth.Wolverine sees this as the oppurtunity to get the annonimity they were looking for.Although it will mean decieving friends and family they will be free to pursue their enemies.Roma tells them:"You have become Legends!"

CLASSIC!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-Men # 227:

--Wow!What a classic issue.Easily the best of the 'Fall of The Mutants' series and quite frankly putting X-Factor and New Mutants to shame.
--That cover!Storm is back with a bang(nice cleavage)!What exactly is happening on the cover though--it's a bit surreal.They all look like they're flying under their own power----except Wolverine who looks a bit uncomfortable?!
--Page 3---Havok looks awesome.This is one of the best depictions of his power I've seen so far in Uncanny.
--As usual Rogues costume starts to come apart at the seams!:eek: :biggrin:.There's something about Rogue on the last frame of page 22(second last page).She looks very different from rest of comic---can't quite place what it is about this frame that makes her look so different?
--Forge really has a lot to answer for.He sewed the seeds for the end of the world in a moment of impulse.Hasn't he heard:"With great power comes great responsibility"?:smile:
--I've just noticed Rogue's costume has the power to regenerate.On page 10 as she flies towards the Citadel there is an obvious tear in the fabric on the back of her left leg.By the first frame of pg. 16 it's healed.So that explains how she just manages to protect her modesty!(Or maybe a continuity error!)
--Nice touch by Claremont showing Nightcrawler recovering.The seeds for Excalibur are sewn!
--One final thing---Dazzler's mask---what was the point of that??I was sure it was going to have some significance to the story but it's just a completely random event with no consequences---weird.

[CallMeGeoff]

Great issue. The X-Men die, and thus is set up my all-time favorite era of X-Men.

[limerick]

"the Changing Location,changing Line-up,changing Artist,(claremont Scripted),mid-late 80's" Era Is Officially Over!

[david r]

Great issue. The X-Men die, and thus is set up my all-time favorite era of X-Men.

Yes, I always thought it odd that the X-Men die in the same city that a popular American President died in. Was the location of Dallas just a coincidence?

"the Changing Location,changing Line-up,changing Artist,(claremont Scripted),mid-late 80's" Era Is Officially Over!

:biggrin: I LOVE THAT!

[HarrisonJohn]

Over in X-Factor (#26) that group was going public at the same moment the X-Men "died" and went into hiding, cut off from the world and the news about X-Factor/Jean... I wonder how much what was happening in X-Factor played a part in what Chris was writing here. If it was in the plans regardless, then that was a very lucky coincidence for the x-books.

[david r]

It was supposed to be Longshot from before the mini-series.More of them time-paradoxes Claremont liked.

Poster Scavenger says that the Longshot present in these stories is from BEFORE his mini-series. This would explain why Chris Claremont did little with him. And why he didn't recognize Ricochet Rita in that movie from #224. Seems kind of strange, though.

[limerick]

No this is wrong.Longshot was clearly shown in the X-men emerging from the cinema having watched the film he acted as stuntman for in the mini-series.He has lost his memory!

--the movie poster is a direct lift of a cover from the mini-series(issue # 2??).That cover depicts a scene of Longshot and Richochet Rita carrying out a stunt for the film.
--Longshot even comments how there was a stuntman with his name on the cast-list.i.e. Him!

I'm always slow to say I'm definite about something,David!But I think Scavengers got this one wrong(unless there's been a major retcon since)

[limerick]

No this is wrong.Longshot was clearly shown in the X-men emerging from the cinema having watched the film he acted as stuntman for in the mini-series.

--the movie poster is a direct lift of a cover from the mini-series(issue # 2??).That cover depicts a scene of Longshot and Richochet Rita carrying out a stunt for the film.
--Longshot even comments how there was a stuntman with his name on the cast-list.i.e. Him!

I'm always slow to say I'm definite about something,David!But I think Scavengers got this one wrong(unless there's been a major retcon since)
Damn,David R. would find a nicer way of saying this.Why can't I have that guy's communication skills!

[limerick]

David,I am hoping to start the Excalibur thread in the next week.Could you possibly do me a favour:

1.start the thread!I'd prefer if your name was on it.It adds a little bit of continuity.You can put your usual rules(especially NO SPOILERS!).
2.Can you also possibly post covers for Excalibur-The Sword is Drawn and Excalibur #1.I can then use those for the reviews as before.

Hope thats not too much trouble.Hope to do first review maybe next Tue/Wed.

Your Friend,Limerick

[Cub]

*jumps up and down, laughs maniacally*

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nevets F]

*jumps up and down, laughs maniacally*

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is exciting isn't it??

[Cub]

Oh, did I give the impression that I was excited?

[Anodyne]

[/B]http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.227.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #227 ..............March 1988

Wolverine tells Forge not to use Maddie but he says 9 souls are needed to reverse the 9 of the spell years ago.She freely accepts her fate,saying her goodbyes to Scott via Neal Conan's camera.
I realize they had other things on their minds, but...I wish Neal Conan's journalistic instincts had kicked in and prompted him to ask Madelyne what she meant by "Find our son." She could have filled him--and thereby Scott--in on what had happened. "Our baby was kidnapped in San Francisco--by the Marauders. They shot me and left me for dead." Then Jean would have had no excuse to accuse Maddie, as she did in X-Factor, of having been "adventuring with the X-Men."

[Cub]

The whole reporter aspect confused me a bit in regards to Manoli Wetherell being Neal's tech person, or whatever. But then, not too long after, she's anchoring, like, the 6:00 evening news during the X-Tinction Agenda. That seems like quite a promotion.

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.227.GIF

My thoughts: Yes, indeed a CLASSIC! A stellar summary, Limerick. My own thoughts on the culmination of the Fall of the Mutants storyarc. It was wonderful, but perhaps a bit too pat. Last issue built up the "end of the world", or at least the destruction of Dallas, Texas. Instead, the X-men assault this Starlight Citadel and use magic to defeat their enemy. It seemed a little *too easy* for my tastes. Even though the X-Men perish in the fighting. The use of Forge's memories of the Vietnam War were well handled, showing his past and figuring into the main story. Roma's appearance probably had most X-fans of 1987 scratching their heads as to WHO she was. But overall, #227 is a nice segue from one era to the next. Clever how "Plan Omega" and the X-Men's deaths dovetail into one another. The ending leaves all sorts of possibilities open!

Any thoughts on WHO/WHAT the Adversary was? Could it have been this fellow:

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/4/47/Shadow_King_001.jpg

The SHADOW KING! Did Xavier's oldest foe possess Naze? And cause all these problems in FAll of the Mutants? Naze says he works less on the physical realm, and more on the psychic realm. Which is right up the SK's alley. However, the Shadow King has never had the ability to transport to alternate/dimensional worlds (as we saw on the beautiful Adversary Earth.) The questions remain.

I wonder could the Adversary have been this old X-Men enemy?

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.96.GIF

Kierrok the Damned! It would be just like writer Chris Claremont to resurrect an old X-villain....and NEVER let on it was actually him!! Kierrok came to me after reading Page 19 of UXM #227. When the Adversary falls through that hole in space, and these stone doors slam shut. There is archaic, unearthly writing scribbled on the doors (looking straight out of an H. P. Lovecraft yarn), and it reminded me of the cairn located in the forest near the X-Men's mansion, as glimpsed WAAAY back in 1975's Uncanny X-Men #96. The cairn had similiar writing, and unleashed Kierrok and the N'Garai . We hadn't seen Kierrok since.......but was the true identity of the Adversary actually Kierrok and his demonic hordes making a comeback??

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/thumb/9/99/Adversary_001.jpg/200px-Adversary_001.jpg

Above is Naze, possessed by the Adversary. Notice the pendants and necklaces flowing to his chest? Kind of similiar to the magickal pendant Kulan Gath wore in UXM #190-191. It was the seat of his power. Could these necklaces have also been a source of power? The use of Cheyenne heritage in this tale is intriguing. Could one of those Gods the Cheyenne Indians worshipped when they ruled north America have been real deity? And became what we call the Trickster/Adversary?

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.226.GIF

One last thing. Look closely at the evil face on this cover, grinning madly with glee as he fries the X-Men. Then recall the twisted face of Elias Bogan from X-Treme X-Men! Is this the same face?!?!

[CJ Lentze]

I thought this conclusion was a blast, the villain was difficult to beat as the X-Men couldn't have done it without Forge's ploy and their own apparent sacrifice, and it was pretty impressive to see that the combined assaults of Havok, Psylocke, and Dazzler had very little effect on the Adversary. Colossus cutting through Nazé's body was gruesome, but awesome at the same time.

I think the Adversary is his own villain, unrelated to other dark or daemonic villains the X-Men have faced. Roma mentions that he symbolises and orchestrates chaos in the universe, and that the universe needs him. That means that he's on a higher cosmic level than the Shadow King ('simply' a powerful psychic mutant) and Kierrok (a demon warlord).

[limerick]

I agree--I think the Trickster is a unique identity operating at the very highest level.He's basically Chaos to Roma's order.David ,I do think the X-Men defeated him far too easily in the end.He didn't put up much of a fight.I was expecting much more conflict,but this still is a TERRIFIC issue!

[limerick]

The whole reporter aspect confused me a bit in regards to Manoli Wetherell being Neal's tech person, or whatever. But then, not too long after, she's anchoring, like, the 6:00 evening news during the X-Tinction Agenda. That seems like quite a promotion.
My No-Prize explanation is that The Dallas news coverage was such a big story her profile was instantly increased---hence the promotion.

[worstblogever]

david r, you're a genius. Trying to wrap your head around the "necklace theory", (see also Malice) and "who did Claremont want the Adversary to be (after he was shut down on Mad Jim Jaspers)?" is likely one of your greatest endeavors. Your theories and research impress, as always.

[Cub]

My No-Prize explanation is that The Dallas news coverage was such a big story her profile was instantly increased---hence the promotion.


Yeah, ok, I guess I can buy that.

[david r]

I think the Adversary is his own villain, unrelated to other dark or daemonic villains the X-Men have faced. Roma mentions that he symbolises and orchestrates chaos in the universe, and that the universe needs him. That means that he's on a higher cosmic level than the Shadow King ('simply' a powerful psychic mutant) and Kierrok (a demon warlord).

I agree--I think the Trickster is a unique identity operating at the very highest level.He's basically Chaos to Roma's order.David

I think you are both correct. The Adversary is his own unique villain. I'm rereading the Demon Bear story now, to try to make connections with this Fall of the Mutants epic. UXM #227 states the Trickster is a God, like Roma. Of tremendous power (as glimpsed by Psylocke!) But this story leaves more questions than answers!

I do think the X-Men defeated him far too easily in the end.He didn't put up much of a fight.I was expecting much more conflict

Notice the Adversary is LAUGHING mockingly, just as Forge sends his *star* (with X-Men inside) to destroy him. Did the Trickster WANT this to happen?

david r, you're a genius. Trying to wrap your head around the "necklace theory", (see also Malice) and "who did Claremont want the Adversary to be (after he was shut down on Mad Jim Jaspers)?" is likely one of your greatest endeavors. Your theories and research impress, as always.

Thank you, WBE. That means a lot. :smile: I must admit, I've been thinking about this story a lot today. What exactly WAS the Adversary's plot here? It's not clear. The Adversary's world is another Earth, completely unpolluted. No technology, no humans. It is NOT Earth's past, as Storm figured out. It is it's own separate, alternate Earth.....which the Adversary MADE? It's not really clear.

The Adversary wanted to create chaos, by destroying the human race on our 616 Earth. And leave Forge & Storm on his own, unspoiled Earth to be an "Adam and Eve" and repopulate this untouched Earth. Even as the saga ended, I am not getting what the Adversary's scheme was!

[Cub]

I think the Adversary was laughing because he knew he wasn't defeated. Beaten, yes, but he's the God of Chaos, the yin to Roma's yang. The X-Men's sacrifice, while noble and heroic, was just a setback for him.

I think, perhaps, the Trickster's plan was to replace our Earth with the one he created. I like the Adam and Eve analogy with Storm and Forge, and we'll say the Adversary is the Snake. But what if this new Earth wasn't the Garden of Eden, but the apple? It was a world based on chaos, and evil, and he hoped Ororo would take the bait. Maybe this idea also explains how Storm was able to travel across the western hemisphere and back (including an OCEAN) in a year. Normal, ordered rules did not apply.

[limerick]

I think you are both correct. The Adversary is his own unique villain. I'm rereading the Demon Bear story now, to try to make connections with this Fall of the Mutants epic. UXM #227 states the Trickster is a God, like Roma. Of tremendous power (as glimpsed by Psylocke!) But this story leaves more questions than answers!



Notice the Adversary is LAUGHING mockingly, just as Forge sends his *star* (with X-Men inside) to destroy him. Did the Trickster WANT this to happen?



Thank you, WBE. That means a lot. :smile: I must admit, I've been thinking about this story a lot today. What exactly WAS the Adversary's plot here? It's not clear. The Adversary's world is another Earth, completely unpolluted. No technology, no humans. It is NOT Earth's past, as Storm figured out. It is it's own separate, alternate Earth.....which the Adversary MADE? It's not really clear.

The Adversary wanted to create chaos, by destroying the human race on our 616 Earth. And leave Forge & Storm on his own, unspoiled Earth to be an "Adam and Eve" and repopulate this untouched Earth. Even as the saga ended, I am not getting what the Adversary's scheme was!
As I stated before I'm convinced Claremont used the other parallel earth as a plot device to hurry Storms story along.

I'm convinced he had a story mapped out for Storm which would have involved the following:

--Storm leaves X-men temporarily to find Forge to make him restore her powers.
--While he works on this she returns to Africa to better understand herself.
--Forge finally solves the "returning her powers" dilemma and her powers are restored.
--Storm rejoins the X-men.

I would have envisaged this story being told in 3-4 page segments over approx. 8 issues.

However when the 'Fall of The Mutants ' storyline happened Storm had to be repowered much more quickly,allowing her to rejoin the X-men for this story and hence being part of the re-born team.
Claremont got around this by creating the parallel earth where the full original Storm storyline was allowed to be told at accelerated pace.
So I don't think the parallel earth was important in the Advesery's story.It was just a plot device by Claremont.

Of course ,this is just a theory with no way of proving/disproving.That's my 2 cents!

[limerick]

[/B]http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.228.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #228 ..............April 1988

"Deadly Games"

Claremont/Leonardi

A Bar,Los Angeles,California:Oz Chase is in a bar,drowning his sorrows over the "death" of his friend,Dazzler.He reads a letter on the bar table.It is from Dazzler telling him how The X-men are not criminals despite their reputation.She reminds him that he had been in a similar situation not so long ago in Florida.

CUE SCOOBY-DOO FLASHBACK EFFECT!

Flashback:

The Danger Room,Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters:Dazzler is on a solo training exercise and coping quite well when Wolverine enters the room to join her.When she says she's training solo he replies that in a scrap you have to think fast.He ends up distracting her and she is captured by a training droid.When she asks for his help he says she must learn to stand on her own first!Defeated and annoyed,she storms out.

Dazz has a shower to cool down.She discusses with Rogue and Psylocke about how Wolverine is treating her like an amateur but they reply that he treats them the same way and to him ,they are amateurs.Psylocke notices an article in the paper about a possible werewolf murderer in Florida who she thinks might be a mutant.But Dazzler recognizes the picture as Oz Chase ,her friend ,who is neither.

Dazz immediately leaves for Florida,refusing Wolverine's warnings about dangers working alone.

Pentonville,Florida:A country mother and son chat outside their isolated home when they noice someone is trying to steal their truck.When the son,Thomas, tries to stop the thief he is blasted by a powerful blast emerging from the mans hand.As the thief (and now murderer)drives off Thomas lies incinerated at his grieving mother's feet.......

Citrus Center,Florida:Dazzler arrives in town to find Wolverine already waiting for her!He has ignored her wishes to sort this out alone.She tells him that Oz has a dog,Cerebrus,who would be capable of inflicting the sort of wounds inflicted on the murder victims.But if he did was it at Chase's command?

Dazz heads for the local police station to see if she can see Chase while Wolverine says he'll check them into a motel.In fact, he confronts a local hood who he has spotted following them.Wolverine asks him why he's following them(claws drawn!),the hood pulls a gun,Wolverine knocks him out cold.

Dazzler is refused a visit by cops so she sneaks into the carpound to check Chase's van out.She finds Cerebrus,who greets her warmly.She takes him back to the motel.Wolverine has the prisoner tied up but he is not talking.He recognizes his scent as Russian and his gun is standard K.G.B. issue.Wolvie doesn't know why they're involved but he has a plan......

Wolvie dumps a bottle of booze over himself and walks drunkedly down the main street singing loudly and badly.The police chuck him in a cell ,conveniently next to Oz Chase's cell.Two Russians arrive looking for information on Chase's quarry(he's a bounty hunter)but when he gives them nothing new they pull a gun ready to kill him.Wolverine takes over,cutting himself out of his cell and wiping the floor with the goons.He busts Oz out and they head back to the motel.

Oz fills them in how he got to here.A while back a top Columbian drug-dealer was arrested and then bailed for an eight-figure sum.After he skipped bail, the D.A. gives Oz the job of tracking him down.He finds him in a heavily guarded bolthole in the Everglades.Oz and Cerebrus manage to take out the guards but when faced with Oz the bail-jumper takes him out with a massive energy blast from his hand.Oz is only saved by his bullet-proof vest.When he comes around the cops have arrived and they pin the murder of the guards who had been finished off by their boss.Oz has a photo of the criminal.Wolverine recognises him as an ex-K.G.B. mutant,Vladimir Semyanovitch Zaitsev(I'm only going to spell that once!)who he crossed paths with years ago.They guess at reasons why the K.G.B. may be after him now.

Suddenly,there is a knock at the door.They open it to Henry Peter Gyrich,attache to the National Security Council.Wolverine is familiar with him from his Canadian Special Intelligence Service days.Gyrich explains that Vladimir was a K.G.B. agent who accepted a bribe of one million dollars to defect to the west bringing information on Russian super-beings with him.He double -crossed the U.S. and The K.G.B. and skipped to Columbia,becoming a drug-dealer.Now the Russians have sent a team to wipe him out.Gyrich asks Wolverine to help bring him in to help repair the X-mens rep. with the federal government.

Wolveine accepts the offer and heads into the 'glades alone.....only to find Dazzler,Oz and Cerebrus waiting for him.(Dazz reversing the one he pulled on her earlier).They hear gunfire and come across Vlad finishing off the Russian crew with his power blasts.Wolverine and Vlad face-off and Wolvie seems in a spot of bother until Dazz steps in with a Dazzle-Strobe.Vlad flees into the everglade undergrowth.Wolverine is critical of Dazzler for not finishing him off while she had the chance.When they come across him again Dazz uses her Danger Room training to avoid a blast letting Wolverine in to land a serious strike.Bleeding badly Vlad evades them again.Running out of options he calls out to Gyrich offering to talk in exchange for the lives of his three attackers.Cerebrus emerges from the bushes to deliver a killing attack in the moonlit swamps.

Gyrich is furious at the death of his informant but the trio are not bothered by the death of a drug-dealing murderer.

END OF FLASHBACK--CUE MORE SCOOBY EFFECTS!

A Bar,Los Angeles,California:A customer offers his opinion to all present that the X-men are muties who deserved to die.Oz emeges from his booth weilding a sawn-off shotgun and an angry dog.He forces the customers to drink a toast to Dazzler and The X-men!Outside in his car he drinks a tearful farewell to his friend..........

[Cub]

The first time I read this issue, I absolutely hated it. I thought it was going to be the issue where the x-men died, judging by the cover, and not having read any of the Fall of the Mutants yet. Instead, it's a story with Wolvie (who's never been my favorite), Dazzler (who I knew very little about, and what I did know didn't interest me) and some random guy named Oz and his dog. I didn't pick it up again for another couple of years, after I had filled in a lot of my gaps with back issues and attempted something along the lines of these threads. And oh, how my opinion changed. I do like "mentor" Logan, and, even though I still think putting Dazzler into the role of inexperienced newbie doesn't quite fit, it works within the context of this particular story (certainly moreso than her "woe is me" attitude after getting buried by the Juggernaut not too long ago). Wolverine getting himself thrown in jail is hilarious, and Leonardi's artwork kicks ass as usual. Having them be at the x-mansion during this flashback gives me yet another "huh?" moment at trying to figure out the timeline of all the new members' arrivals and them skipping off to muir island, and storm's departure, etc. It makes my brain hurt.

Are we gonna go over the X-Men vs. Avengers mini? I think chronologically it's already passed, but it's a pretty key moment, especially for Magneto. I figured you'd be all about that, Limerick!

[limerick]

Cub,I probably won't revisit the VS. The Avengers series as it has passed chronologically now.I would reccommend the last issue particularly.The series as a whole ,though ,is much weaker than the recently discussed Vs. The F.F..

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-Men #228:

--When I'm doing these summaries I'm definitely noticing things I've not seen before.I'm sure David R. would say he felt the same.The first page in this issue never jumped out at me as being in a bar before.I don't know why--it's obvious.But I think previously I put his beer glass down as a coffoe cup and I had this as a table in Oz's home.But of course,it is a bar.

--Love the way Wolverine lights his cigar off the Danger room droid's laser beam on pg. 3----that's cool!

--I would echo Cub that this issue came along at a bad time and threw things out of synch a bit.I was desperately waiting to find out what The X-Men would do after 'Fall of The Mutants'--now I was going to have to wait another full month--sheesh!

--Again,like Cub,I think Wolverine is emerging as a mentor-figure,a role now-a-days he is associated with, but back then this was a new departure for him.

--Why was Oz labelled a 'Werewolf Killer' by the New York Post on pg. 5?The guards bodies were marked by power blasts--not the typical mark of a werewolf.

--When Wolverine has his flashback to fighting Vlad,I was surprised to see him in his costume.I thought that encounter from "years ago" might have predated his Wolverine costume.

--Henry Gyrich---remember him,from John Byrnes run on the Avengers?----what a pain in the ass!

--Guess Silvestri needed a break after the double-sized issue #226.But Leonardi/Austin is a great replacement.I just can't get enough of Terry Austin's work---what a genius.What's he doing now?

[david r]

When I'm doing these summaries I'm definitely noticing things I've not seen before.I'm sure David R. would say he felt the same.

You will definitely notice subtle things you hadn't catched before. I agree, and the more I read the comics, the more I notice things I missed on initial reading. And as the series has gotten more intricate and ambitious, the more I'm noticing.

[limerick]

There does seem to be a definite conflict between:

--A.The New York Post's "Werewolf Killer" headline and story,Dazzler's confirmation that Cerebrus "could have caused those kind of wounds."

AND

--B.Oz Chase's explanation that "..the guy(Vlad) had obviously fried them"

These are 2 very different causes of death being described.What's going on?

[worstblogever]

I love Henry Peter Gyrich as a character, because well... he's a total bastard government stooge. When he shows up, he's going to be a dick. Count on it. And know, that you'll get to savor those moments when he gets his.

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.228.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #228: My thoughts

Yes, a departure from the core story, as Limerick & Cub noted, but still a gripping good espionage tale. I liked the in-jokes on the first page. Look closely and names "Defalco" and "Austin" are hidden in the newspaper columns. And Mark Silvestri wasn't the ONLY one who needed a break. Tom DeFalco is listed as "Guest Plotter" for this issue in the credits. See below

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/pages/97792366288.228.P1.GIF

Chris Claremont must have been exhausted after coordinating the Fall of the Mutants epic. But UXM #228 is still a good story.

Are O.Z. Chase and Cerberus taken from Dazzler's solo series? I've never heard of them before. Or were they original characters here? I like how Cerberus took down the drug kingpin, in the end. It's too bad Marvel couldn't have tucked "Deadly Games" into the regular continuity, but as a flashback/filler issue, it's very good. I'm noticing Dazzler get more focus here than Psylocke or Longshot amongst the newer X-Men. And yeah Cub I wish they'd shown us drunken Logan's behavior singing (Frank Sinatra?) down that Florida road. Would have been memorable, I'm sure.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.228.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #228: My thoughts

Yes, a departure from the core story, as Limerick & Cub noted, but still a gripping good espionage tale. I liked the in-jokes on the first page. Look closely and names "Defalco" and "Austin" are hidden in the newspaper columns. And Mark Silvestri wasn't the ONLY one who needed a break. Tom DeFalco is listed as "Guest Plotter" for this issue in the credits. See below

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/pages/97792366288.228.P1.GIF

Chris Claremont must have been exhausted after coordinating the Fall of the Mutants epic. But UXM #228 is still a good story.

Are O.Z. Chase and Cerberus taken from Dazzler's solo series? I've never heard of them before. Or were they original characters here? I like how Cerberus took down the drug kingpin, in the end. It's too bad Marvel couldn't have tucked "Deadly Games" into the regular continuity, but as a flashback/filler issue, it's very good. I'm noticing Dazzler get more focus here than Psylocke or Longshot amongst the newer X-Men. And yeah Cub I wish they'd shown us drunken Logan's behavior singing (Frank Sinatra?) down that Florida road. Would have been memorable, I'm sure.
I'm pretty sure Oz is in her solo series.I got the full run a couple of years ago but haven't had time to read it.But I did get the last issue yaers ago(#42?)and I'm pretty positive he was in it----not 100%,though.

[limerick]

[/B]http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.229.GIF


The Outback X-men are here!:biggrin: .Review tomorrow.Please contribute if you have anything at all to say!

[david r]

I'm pretty sure Oz is in her solo series.I got the full run a couple of years ago but haven't had time to read it.But I did get the last issue yaers ago(#42?)and I'm pretty positive he was in it----not 100%,though.

Thank you for that info, Limerick. It makes sense O.Z. Chase appeared in Alison's series. This issue was such a Dazzler-centric tale. I am REALLY looking forward to what people say about moving "DOWN UNDER" starting next issue!

[CallMeGeoff]

Yeah, O.Z. is in the Dazzler series. I've never read it, but he pops up briefly in the Dazzler-centric issue of Secret Wars II.

Oh, and I LOVE OUTBACK X-MEN!!!!!!

[longshot3]

The OUTBACK era ruled. This was pretty much my prime as an X-Men fan, as it was when I started reading religiously. I came over from being a casual Avengers fan after reading the X-Men vs Avengers limited series around this time. Since then, X-Men have been #1 for me ever since.

[Valjean999]

I guess I am in the minority of the Outback era. Although I did enjoy the upcoming Brood storyline and the initial Genosha arc, things started going downhill from here, IMO, and it is many years until they get back to the quality that I had come to expect from this book.

But, thats just me.

[MartinRedmond]

Those Reavers were the best: Skullbuster, Pretty Boy and the Tank guy, they only get cooler as the outback era continues♥ Storm continues to look incredibly hot. I don't think anybody drew her hotter than Silvestri did.

[Nevets F]

Oh, and I LOVE OUTBACK X-MEN!!!!!!

Outback X-Men is one of my favorite teams and periods of the X-Men. Just fantastic.

[Imraith Nimphais]

In the local "Trini" parlance...Ah cyar wait. Bring it come.

[psycwave]

OUTBA IS THE GREATEST ERA OF X-MEN AND HAD MY ALLTIME FAVE LINEUP EVER!

The storylines were great and even though i never really liked Longshot he was tolerable in the Outback era. British Psylocke at her best, sassy Rogue, kickass Storm, Reavers, Maddie Pryor and Havok loving, Gateway, Brood, gosh the Aussie days were greatness.

[limerick]

[[/B]http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.229.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #229 ..............May 1988

"Down Under"

Claremont/Silvestri

Hoan International Bank,Singapore:Jessan Hoan niece of the President of the bank stands talking to a customer and her two young children.Suddenly,a garish portal opens in thin air ,through which psychotic heavily armed cyborgs,The Reavers pour.They open fire indiscriminately,killing several bank customers and staff.Finding the bank president,one of the cyborgs named Skullbuster threatens him with death unless he unlocks the safe.His niece,Jessan,bravely tries to intervene telling them the safe is on a time lock and he cannot help them.Skullbuster ,realising the president is of no help snaps his neck.The reavers then use a hi-tech laser to cut open the safe and grab the cash.Impressed by Jessan's ballsy attitude and financial know-how another of The Reavers,Pretty Boy, grabs her.Their job done ,the same portal that brought them reappears and they return where they came from leaving devastation behind them.

The Outback,Austrailia:Atop a mountain,an Aboriginal man(Gateway) dressed in native clothing spins a Bull Roarer over his head.This action opens a similar portal to in the bank and The reavers pour through it arriving home.They salute the old man but he does not acknowledge or speak to them.The Reavers continue on to the deserted town below ,which serves as their base, where they begin wild drunken celebrations.

Meanwhile Pretty-Boy brings Jassen to their underground treasure room which is filled with valubles of all sorts.He explains he wants to make her one of them so she can use her financial skills to best invest their money.She tries to escape but his arms extend out to catch her.Then tendrils emerge from his eyes which start to implant themselves in her head.He says they will reprogramme her mind to their way of thinking.Gradually as the process starts to take effect the fear disappears from her face........

Later,one of the senior Reavers,Bonebreaker,is summoned outside to observe a freak sand storm which is approaching their base quickly.He goes inside to rouse his drunken comrades to get up the storm shelters for the oncoming gale.Seconds later the town is hit with severe force.

Unknown to The Reavers the storm is not a natural event but being controlled by Storm who flies high above them.She orders Psylocke to pinpoint everyone in the town and transmit the information to her.Seeing there is a prisoner, Storm orders Havok to blast a way into her location asap,which he does instantly.His blast beam disturbs Pretty-Boy who is still completing the 'rewiring' of Jassen's brain.Longshot and Dazzler enter the treasure room through the entrance blasted by Havok.Together they manage to free Jassen from Pretty-Boy's grasp.

Upstairs,Rogue and Colossus enter the Reavers bar and kick some Reaver ass.During the battle Rogue is grabbed by Bonebreaker.Flesh touches flesh and Rogue absorbs his psyche,something she finds very disturbing as his memories are vile.She swears revenge on him but his comrade,Skullbuster has freed him from his damaged robotic threads and carried him away to safety.

Elsewhere,Wolverine is fired on by some escaping Reavers.Big mistake!Unleashing his adamantium claws he dispatches with them as only Wolverine(and X-23!)can.

Wolverine just fails to stop Pretty-Boy,Bonebreaker and Skull-buster escaping through a Gateway-generated portal.Angry at Gateway ,Wolverine begins to lunge for him but he is stopped by Storm,who senses Gateway is no villain.

In the bar the X-men comfort Jessan who is confused after her ordeal.They also debate what to do with the Reavers they have captured.Wolverine feels no normal prison can hold them.Havok suggests killing them but Colossus says that will make them executioners,something he doesn't agree with.Suddenly Roma appears and offers them the option of sending The Reavers through 'The Siege Perilous'.It is a gateway through which one passes.You are then judged on the good and evil of your life and given a chance to be born again being given a second chance.Wolverine and Psylocke feel this option is more than they deserve but Storm overrules them and The Reavers are sent through the Siege Perilous.

Roma explains that she has now repaid any debt she owes them and that she will be unable to help them much from now on.Jessan is frightened at the thought of entering the Perilous.She pleads not to be sent and Madelyne Pryor agrees she does not deserve this.Roma intervenes one last time and transports Jessan back to Singapore saying to the X-men "from her lips ,your legend will continue to grow."She explains that the Siege Perilous is theirs to use at any time if they desire.Also,they cannot be detected by any Magical,scientific or mechanical means except by the equipment of this place....their new base.The future is in their hands.........

[limerick]

I guess I am in the minority of the Outback era. Although I did enjoy the upcoming Brood storyline and the initial Genosha arc, things started going downhill from here, IMO, and it is many years until they get back to the quality that I had come to expect from this book.

But, thats just me.
V999,To be honest I agree with you.This wouldn't be my favourite X-men period ,by any manner of means.It's okay but I personally prefer the Claremont/Romita Jr. and Claremont/Jim lee periods that precede and follow it.The Smiley-face was for everyone else who enjoys it!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #229:

--This issue is so violent in the opening few pages--probably overly so in my opinion.During the bank raid this is no A-team gunfight--several people are killed including a child(pg.2) which is a little distasteful for me.How this title has changed in the last 20 issues or so.
--Claremont might dress Gateway up as some mysterious,silent,guru but he's just a teleporter to allow easy access to the base thus cutting out long transport delays in future stories.Nothing more than that and putting him a nappy and making him 'new age' won't convince me otherwise.
--I'm curious about Dazzler's eyebeams, which she uses again in this issue--how do they compare to Cyclops?
--Is the red y-fronts officially Colossus's new costume.It's minimal to say the least.Better hope he doesn't get a case of the Rogue costume disintegration syndrome or we may get more than we bargained for...
--Speaking of which,Rogue's costume takes another pasting this issue--even the Roma-provided threads are not enough to stand up to Rogues battle punishment!
--Love the Wolverine battle sequence on pg.20.He's at his best when he just lets the claws do the talking.Great art.
--On reading this issue I noticed Gateway accompanies them down to the bar at the end.I hadn't ever remembered him going down to the Reaver's town at any stage.
--Storm and Maddie look hot as ever this issue.Silvestri just draws a great Ororo.
--Finally,since the X-men are so worried about protecting their own asses,they might have given a little thought to The New Mutants back in the X-mansion ,sitting targets for any of their foes.Nice heroing,guys!

[sixhoursoflucy]

This is going to show everyone just how big of a dork I am, but I'm amongst friends, so here goes.

Reading these latest issues with Freedom Force has reminded me of a thematic element in X-Men that has always fascinated me. Namely, Spiral and her similarities to the Hindu god Shiva. Ancient mythology and iconography are a passing interest of mine, and I can't help but wonder if Ann Nocenti had Shiva in mind when she created Spiral.

First, let's look at the spiral symbol.

http://images.exoticindiaart.com/jcjewelry/fine_cut_citrine_spiral_jhn61.jpg

The spiral is an ancient symbol found on every habitable continent on Earth. It represents the cycle of death and rebirth, always ending up where it started, but on a higher plane of existence. Some cultures, like the ancient Chinese, use the spiral as a symbol for the sun, as the sun "dies" each evening to be "reborn" the next morning. It has also been used as a symbol for the sea, both for its resemblance to waves and whirlpools, as well as to symbolize the cyclical coming and going of the tides.

Now Shiva:

http://library.spokanefalls.edu/Namesake/_images/Shiva.jpg

Shiva is one of the most prominent deities in Hindu mythology. He is the four-armed god of destruction and rebirth, and he is often referred to as the Lord of the Dance (not Michael Flatley). Common depictions, like the one above, show him dancing his dance of destruction, ending the universe so that it can be reborn again, better than before (the spiral).

Along those lines, Shiva is associated with the notion of duality. In short, destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin. Destruction is violent and terrible, but it is necessary to make way for the creation of what is new and better. Shiva is also often depicted as being both male and female, since destruction is commonly associated with masculinity, while creation (birth) is associated with femininity (these are ancient pagan beliefs, folks; don't shoot the messenger).

Which brings me to Spiral:

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/76920-46354-spiral_large.jpg

Spiral dances her way through dimensions, which immediately links her to Shiva, the Lord of the Dance. She also has multiple arms (although two more than is commonly associated with Shiva).

Spiral's story also parallels Shiva. SPOILER WARNING. Spiral is revealed to be Ricochet Rita, twisted and deformed by Mojo to be his servant. She is then sent back in time to capture Rita, which sets in motion the events that would eventually lead to her own terrible fate, creating a cycle of existence that never ends. Rita will always be corrupted by Mojo to become Spiral, who will always journey to the past to capture Rita, who will always then become Spiral, and so on, and so on. We see here the cycle of destruction and rebirth, although here the rebirth is a tragic fate rather than a higher plane of existence. Spiral is more powerful than Rita, but certainly not better.

Thus, there are always two sides to Spiral (duality). There is the Spiral side, which is destructive and terrible, and the Rita side, which is loving and compassionate. Sort of like the masculine/feminine duality of Shiva.

Okay, I'll stop there. I think I'm running out of room anyway. I just think the parallels are interesting. If I'm the only one, forgive me. :redface:I realize this is an old post, but this is an excellent analysis of Spiral. This Shiva theme is especially apparent in "The Crunch" arc of Wolverine [Wolverine (2nd series) #51-53], in which Spiral literally acts to ensure the universe ends specifically so it can be reborn again. Larry Hama must have picked up on this deistic similarity.

For the sake of being on-topic, I too love the Australian Outback era, but since this is supposedly a spoiler-free thread, I won't say much more. Uncanny X-Men #229 is a kick-ass opening to a bold new direction for the X-Men. Isn't this the first appearance of Jessan Hoan?

[limerick]

I realize this is an old post, but this is an excellent analysis of Spiral. This Shiva theme is especially apparent in "The Crunch" arc of Wolverine [Wolverine (2nd series) #51-53], in which Spiral literally acts to ensure the universe ends specifically so it can be reborn again. Larry Hama must have picked up on this deistic similarity.

For the sake of being on-topic, I too love the Australian Outback era, but since this is supposedly a spoiler-free thread, I won't say much more. Uncanny X-Men #229 is a kick-ass opening to a bold new direction for the X-Men. Isn't this the first appearance of Jessan Hoan?
Yes,as far as I know this is her first appearance.

[david r]

It's interesting how the X-Men pretend to be dead from here on out. Haven't we seen this before? See below:

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.114.GIF

I realize the circumstances are different, but there is a definite thematic similarity. X-Men "die". World and friends believe they are gone. X-Men go on several adventures while dead.

[CJ Lentze]

The Outback years are not my favourite X-Men era either. I realise that the Outback era is very popular here on CBR. I don't feel the setting as much as what had been established before, the 'traditional X-Men' story. Maybe that's a bit of a conservative view, but the tone of the stories changes as well in these issues. I do think that it was a daring spin Chris Claremont took with the X-Men, and there are two multi-part stories in the Outback Era which I think are on a par with Chris Claremont's best X-Men stories.--This issue is so violent in the opening few pages--probably overly so in my opinion.During the bank raid this is no A-team gunfight--several people are killed including a child(pg.2) which is a little distasteful for me.How this title has changed in the last 20 issues or so.I agree with this.
--Claremont might dress Gateway up as some mysterious,silent,guru but he's just a teleporter to allow easy access to the base thus cutting out long transport delays in future stories.Nothing more than that and putting him a nappy and making him 'new age' won't convince me otherwise.Perhaps, but in this issue he is still a complete mystery (did he ever stop being a mystery?), and there was still the possibility of Gateway becoming the newest addition to the team (well, technically, he was part of it...). Is it mentioned yet that he is a mutant? Because he might as well have been a sorcerer.

--I'm curious about Dazzler's eyebeams, which she uses again in this issue--how do they compare to Cyclops?Difficult to tell. When she uses them on Pretty Boy (>snicker<), she must be holding back, because she's reluctant to cause permanent harm to anyone, including villains. From what we've seen of Cyclops' optic blasts, which have different properties, I would say Cyclops has more impressive feats-- mountain-shattering ones. I think it would take a lot out of Dazzler to match that, if she can.--Is the red y-fronts officially Colossus's new costume.It's minimal to say the least.Better hope he doesn't get a case of the Rogue costume disintegration syndrome or we may get more than we bargained for...More than YOU bargained for. I don't mind Peter showing some skin, and I don't think Rogue does either!

I am not sure I like the use of the Siege Perilous here. As we have seen at the beginning of the issue, the Reavers are bloodthirsty pirates who take pleasure in murder and torture. Yet, at the end of the issue, Roma says that they will be 'judged by the highest power', then given a second chance. I'm not certain how judging them has any influence on where they will be sent to 'start anew'. With knowledge of future issues, we probably can't assume that they will be regressed to infancy to start over, but rather live their new lives as adults somewhere else- not that it would make much of a difference, morally. I am against killing the Reavers (I didn't like Wolverine's slaughtering a bunch of them), but this feels like they are getting away with it. The X-Men could have arranged something to expose the Reavers to the authorities, considering they raided a bank in Singapore in broad daylight, Jessan Hoan could act as the only surviving witness. They probably pull tricks like this often, and the X-Men have Roma on their side, so why not deliver the Reavers to justice?

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.229.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #229

1st appearances: Gateway, the Siege Perilous, Australian Outback town, Jessan Hoan, the Reavers (Bonebreaker, Pretty Boy, Skullbuster)

A new era begins, as the X-Men take control of a small town out in the deserts of Australia! I agree with you Limerick, a whole lot of violence in this issue. It is disarming and startling to see how more graphic this book has become since Mutant Massacre. It has become more serious.

--Claremont might dress Gateway up as some mysterious,silent,guru but he's just a teleporter to allow easy access to the base thus cutting out long transport delays in future stories.Nothing more than that and putting him a nappy and making him 'new age' won't convince me otherwise.

I think Gateway is more than a teleporter. There are several hints to him and the Aboriginies being more. On Page 8 it says "Before, this was the province of the people we call Aborigines...who not so much lived on the land...but actually seemed ONE with it." What does this hint to/imply?

Another hint on Page 9, as it's written, "He makes no reply...this thin, wizened man as weathered as the hills...and, some joke (but never in his presence)...probably as old." Why are the Reavers afraid of him? Why is Gateway under obligation to them?

And what of this quote from Bonebreaker to Gateway, "But mark me, Gateway...any funny stuff, an' the Reavers'll trash your Holy place beyond all hope o' reconsecration--an' then your people will NEVER know peace. They'll wander the Dreamlands, slave to outsign spirits, to the end of time an' beyond!" Is this "Holy place" some specific Aborigine place? Or the town the Reavers control? And what is this "Dreamlands" that Bonebreaker speaks of? So many interesting questions.................

And what of the Siege Perilous? This object is a gift from Roma to the team. People enter this doorway, and are judged by the "HIGHEST of Powers" (is she referring to God Himself?) Roma says of it, "The good and ill of their lives are weighed in the cosmic balance, and they are born again--given a second chance ,to redeem themselves. However, should you prefer Wolverine's course...theirs will be the TRUE DEATH, their spirits irreparably shattered and cast into the ultimate void."

Roma says the X-Men are "the first so charged, so honored, in over a thousand years" to control the Siege Perilous. My first thought was King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, who controlled it 1000 years ago. Any other thoughts on who she's referring to? I like how UXM #229 introduces SO MANY new and original characters and concepts in it's 30 pages.

[kk1]

Never a big fan of the Outback era, it just wasn't the X-men.




.

[limerick]

I can't understand why the X-men left Xavier's.Okay,The Marauders gave them a pasting in the Mutant Massacre,but are they really that daunting that they feel they've got to run to a secretive bolthole.Surely,they've faced worse then them and came up smelling of roses:Sentinels,The Brood,Brotherhood of evil Mutants.Are the Marauders really that much more daunting than them?I think Storm makes a bad call with the relocation.

Also ,I feel the X-men are currently missing the presence of either Xavier or Cyclops.I always felt the X-Men were uncomplete without one of them present directing the "dream".

I'll be hoping for some more character development from the new members over the next few issues.Things have been so frantic for the last 20 issues I feel we know very little about the new recruits that we didn't know before(Dazzler's probably an exception.Shes had a fair bit of coverage).In fact we had more character progression in the last Annual than in the last few issues.That's one disadvantage of a team book----less pages for character work which is essential for a good book,otherwise a title can just become a villain-of-the-month comic book.

[xmanson]

Outback era.. yay!!!

Love everything about it... the line up, the costumes, the setting, the art... and how little by little everything just falls apart for the X-Men. We only get a full X-Men team back at the mansion in issue 273!

[david r]

I am not sure I like the use of the Siege Perilous here. As we have seen at the beginning of the issue, the Reavers are bloodthirsty pirates who take pleasure in murder and torture. Yet, at the end of the issue, Roma says that they will be 'judged by the highest power', then given a second chance. I'm not certain how judging them has any influence on where they will be sent to 'start anew'. With knowledge of future issues, we probably can't assume that they will be regressed to infancy to start over, but rather live their new lives as adults somewhere else- not that it would make much of a difference, morally. I am against killing the Reavers (I didn't like Wolverine's slaughtering a bunch of them), but this feels like they are getting away with it. The X-Men could have arranged something to expose the Reavers to the authorities, considering they raided a bank in Singapore in broad daylight, Jessan Hoan could act as the only surviving witness. They probably pull tricks like this often, and the X-Men have Roma on their side, so why not deliver the Reavers to justice?

You raise a provocative question. Do the X-Men have the right to send the Reavers into the Siege Perilous? I got the impression from the story, that apart from Bonebreaker, Skullbuster and Pretty Boy, the rest of the Reavers are regular folks that were brainwashed by Pretty Boy. Just like he attempted to do to Jessan Hoan in this ish. And thus, they are partly innocent of the crimes they committed under Pretty Boy/Bonebreaker's control.

I can't understand why the X-men left Xavier's.Okay,The Marauders gave them a pasting in the Mutant Massacre,but are they really that daunting that they feel they've got to run to a secretive bolthole.Surely,they've faced worse then them and came up smelling of roses:Sentinels,The Brood,Brotherhood of evil Mutants.Are the Marauders really that much more daunting than them?I think Storm makes a bad call with the relocation.

I think leaving the Mansion behind and relocating to a secretive Australian town gives the X-Men "breathing room" and an ability to maneuver against their enemies. Storm's desire for a "Plan Omega" and pretend the X-men team have died, thus giving themselves an opening to hide, all dovetailed with Fall of the Mutants and the mutants actually dying in Dallas. Ororo isn't going to throw away the opportunity presented by Roma for the team to try a new path. But is this Charles Xavier's Dream? How is hiding out furthering Xavier's Dream? The reader waits to see........

Also ,I feel the X-men are currently missing the presence of either Xavier or Cyclops.I always felt the X-Men were uncomplete without one of them present directing the "dream".

You make a valid point. Charles and Scott are both pillars of the Dream. But has Storm not proven her mettle and risen to the title of "Leader" as well? In your book? The world is changing now. The mutant world is becoming more dangerous and lethal, with enemies like the Marauders, the Adversary, the Reavers etc. Storm feels this is the best way to keep the X-Men safe.

I agree with you about the level of violence in this opening pages. It's quite bloody and over-the-to:.

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/pages/97792366288.229.P2.GIF

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/pages/97792366288.229.P3.GIF

[limerick]

I don't think the X-men are facing something they haven't dealt with from the Mansion before.

--The Reavers--okay,they're vicious and violent and definitely a threat to normal humans but a pretty easy takedown for the X-Men as they prove.Also,the X-Men only encounter them because Roma suggests they take them on(this is mentioned in this issue).So the X-men would actually not have encountered them at all if they had stayed at the mansion.So they've actually accquired new enemies by following Roma's/Storm's lead.
--The Marauders ,when you look at them ,are really just a bunch of averagely powered mutants who look inferior to the X-men on paper.They had surprise on their side when they fought in the Mutant Massacre and their determination to take out innocent mutants is what makes them dangerous.On a one-to-one battle with the X-men they're likely to be found wanting as eventually happened in San Francisco.

What I'd like to know is why didn't Storm ask Roma to take them directly to The Marauders base where they could have taken them on with surprise on their side this time.Victory being likely,they could have returned victorious to the mansion.

Remember The A-Teams old adage--never let a bully drive you out of your home/business!!!!

[CJ Lentze]

You raise a provocative question. Do the X-Men have the right to send the Reavers into the Siege Perilous? I got the impression from the story, that apart from Bonebreaker, Skullbuster and Pretty Boy, the rest of the Reavers are regular folks that were brainwashed by Pretty Boy. Just like he attempted to do to Jessan Hoan in this ish. And thus, they are partly innocent of the crimes they committed under Pretty Boy/Bonebreaker's control.I think it's highly probable that the Reavers have recruited people into their ranks that way... But I doubt that every Reaver beside the ones that were given names, started as an innocent before being turned into a cyborg. It's especially hard to sympathise with the ones that have swastika's tattooed on their heads. It was suggested that Pretty Boy could 're-arrange' a person's mind with his creepy link-up eyes, but I don't think he can completely re-write it.

That brainwashing trick is impressive, it makes you wonder where the Reavers got their technology. They weren't collaborating with Donald Pierce yet, were they? Or DID he have a hand in creating them? I never read how Bonebreaker's team first met Deathstrike's team.

[david r]

Limerick, The reality here is writer Chris Claremont wanted to get the X-Men out of the mansion and send them globe-trotting. Haven't you noticed this trend ever since UXM #200? Spending less and less time at the School, and more & more time out in the world. I think Uncanny X-Men was planned to showcase other parts of our world, whilst the New Mutants book would still give us the School/Mansion.

Remember, it's not just villains they need to worry about. Human/mutant relations are worsening, with the Mutants Super Power Registration Act being enacted in the United States. (I thought hilarious that shot of President Ronald Reagan signing it. In the pages of X-Factor. ) Muties are being registered, and the X-Men have died. Anyone see a parallel with the "Days of Future Past" beginning???? :eek:

It was cool to see Storm using her powers again! Wouldn't you say? Limerick, you asked a while back what was going on with this cover below!

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.227.GIF

It's showcasing Storm's newly returned weather powers!! YOU GO 'RO!!!! She is flying her teammates into battle with her winds.


That brainwashing trick is impressive, it makes you wonder where the Reavers got their technology. They weren't collaborating with Donald Pierce yet, were they? Or DID he have a hand in creating them? I never read how Bonebreaker's team first met Deathstrike's team.

As far as we know, no Donald Pierce. How did the Reavers become cyborgs? And such awful criminals. Wasn't Australia once used by Great Britain as a prison, basically, for their most heinous criminals?

[limerick]

David,You're correct about the globetrotting.Paris,San Francisco,Scotland,New Orleans,Austrailia,Florida to name but a few.The X-men are truely an international team now--international members and international locations

[david r]

---Notice how Jessan Hoan is called a "tiger" several times in this issue?
---I like the atmosphere and feel of this Australian town. It has a frontier, Old American West look to it.
---It's odd on Page 22, Gateway shows no reaction when Wolverine is ready to stab him! Almost as thought he *knows* he won't he hurt.
---This comic has now risen to cover price of $1.00. Editor in chief Tom Defalco gives an explanation as to why in the issue's Bullpen Bulletins. It's refreshing to see Marvel say they're sorry, in the actual pages of their books. 21 years later, we have reached $4.00 a comic.

[limerick]

---Notice how Jessan Hoan is called a "tiger" several times in this issue?
---I like the atmosphere and feel of this Australian town. It has a frontier, Old American West look to it.
---It's odd on Page 22, Gateway shows no reaction when Wolverine is ready to stab him! Almost as thought he *knows* he won't he hurt.
---This comic has now risen to cover price of $1.00. Editor in chief Tom Defalco gives an explanation as to why in the issue's Bullpen Bulletins. It's refreshing to see Marvel say they're sorry, in the actual pages of their books. 21 years later, we have reached $4.00 a comic.
Jessan Hoan---Tiger........David you've just clicked a lever in my head...I never knew those 2 were the same person....D'oh!!!!!!

Regarding the price being explained in the Bullpens Bulletins,the internet has led to the demise of these sort of features.Fans tend to vent their feelings on sites such as this one rather than in a letters page.Although,I do remember a letters page as recently as Uncanny 486(approx.!!)

[worstblogever]

I love how it seems as time passes, the Reavers get mangled more and more in combat with mutants, and keep getting more and more cybernetic parts to replace them.

And not for a second do they realize they were just lucky with a small bit of scars, or one limb gone. Oh no... they'll be like a toaster with eyes and a rocket launcher attached and still come after those with the X-gene.

[limerick]

Lolololol.:biggrin:

[limerick]

---Notice how Jessan Hoan is called a "tiger" several times in this issue?
---I like the atmosphere and feel of this Australian town. It has a frontier, Old American West look to it.
---It's odd on Page 22, Gateway shows no reaction when Wolverine is ready to stab him! Almost as thought he *knows* he won't he hurt.
---This comic has now risen to cover price of $1.00. Editor in chief Tom Defalco gives an explanation as to why in the issue's Bullpen Bulletins. It's refreshing to see Marvel say they're sorry, in the actual pages of their books. 21 years later, we have reached $4.00 a comic.
And of course they use the global corporation cheat of calling it $3.99.Back then it was an honest $1.00 rather than $0.99 .

[david r]

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/5/5a/Gateway_%28Earth-58163%29_0001.jpg

Gateway! Little is known about the Aborigine who befriends the X-Men. Is he just a teleporter? What ties him to the Australian town and land the X-Men call their home? In the letters page for UXM #229, it says this about Gateway:

The X-Men do have a new "member" now, Keith, but he's certainly not anything like any of the characters you mentioned! He's Gateway, an Aborigine native to their new home, the Australian outback. And the full truth won't be known about Gateway for quite some time - which just might cost the X-Men dearly!"

Cryptic hint there in that last sentence, wouldn't you say? What "full truth" is going to cost the X-Men dearly?? When we meet Gateway in #229, he is giving villains (the Reavers) use of his teleporting powers. But why? Reaver leader Bonebreaker knows something about Gateway, saying on Page 9:

"Don't mind. He can look any which way he pleases... so long as he does what he's told. But mark me, Gateway-- any funny stuff, an' the Reavers'll trash your Holy Place beyond all hope o-' reconsecration-- an' then your people will NEVER know peace. They'll wander the Dreamlands, slave to outsight spirits, to the end of time an' beyond!"

Gateway stares at Bonebreaker with barely hidden contempt. But looking at the above quote, is the "Holy Place" Bonebreaker mentions the land surrounding the Australian town? Did the Aborigines own the land? What happened to it that it needs "reconsecration"? Notice the use "Dreamlands" --- have Gateway's people been sent somewhere to this unknown place? Are they "slaves to outsign spirits" ? What does that mean? Do we ever learn the origins of this town? Who are it's original owners? I posit it is the home of Gateway's Aborigine people, and *something* has happened to them. Gateway is forced to offer his services to these villains to ensure their safety. I will be looking closely in further issues for more clues.

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/8/8b/Gateway_002.jpg

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/c/ce/Gateway_001.jpg

[limerick]

Nice post,David.You've put in some work there.Awaiting more details on the mysterious Gateway!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.230.GIF

Issue 230 already!Christmas theme to this one and a bit of a lighter tone after some tough times for the X-men.Summary tomorrow----bring those comments on!

[CallMeGeoff]

You raise a provocative question. Do the X-Men have the right to send the Reavers into the Siege Perilous? I got the impression from the story, that apart from Bonebreaker, Skullbuster and Pretty Boy, the rest of the Reavers are regular folks that were brainwashed by Pretty Boy. Just like he attempted to do to Jessan Hoan in this ish. And thus, they are partly innocent of the crimes they committed under Pretty Boy/Bonebreaker's control.

If the Siege Perilous really does judge fairly, then any brainwashed people were probably given happy new lives, much better than their lives as Reavers. So ultimately, it all works out.


You make a valid point. Charles and Scott are both pillars of the Dream. But has Storm not proven her mettle and risen to the title of "Leader" as well? In your book? The world is changing now. The mutant world is becoming more dangerous and lethal, with enemies like the Marauders, the Adversary, the Reavers etc. Storm feels this is the best way to keep the X-Men safe.

I kind of enjoy an occasional break from Professor X and Cyclops. And the Mansion. Which probably explains why I like the Outback so much.

I don't think the X-men are facing something they haven't dealt with from the Mansion before.

--The Reavers--okay,they're vicious and violent and definitely a threat to normal humans but a pretty easy takedown for the X-Men as they prove.Also,the X-Men only encounter them because Roma suggests they take them on(this is mentioned in this issue).So the X-men would actually not have encountered them at all if they had stayed at the mansion.So they've actually accquired new enemies by following Roma's/Storm's lead.


But if the X-Men hadn't made new enemies of the Reavers, then the Reavers would have hit another bank and killed a lot more people. As super-heroes, it is the X-Men's job to make enemies.

[limerick]

If the Siege Perilous really does judge fairly, then any brainwashed people were probably given happy new lives, much better than their lives as Reavers. So ultimately, it all works out.



I kind of enjoy an occasional break from Professor X and Cyclops. And the Mansion. Which probably explains why I like the Outback so much.



But if the X-Men hadn't made new enemies of the Reavers, then the Reavers would have hit another bank and killed a lot more people. As super-heroes, it is the X-Men's job to make enemies.
True most of the time Geoff but I thought the point of the X-men playing "dead" was to be anonomous for a while---not something you're going to stay for long if you start cracking cyborg skull!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.230.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #230 ..............June 1988

"Twas The Night"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Outback,Austrailia:Storm soars high over The X-men's new base savouring the night sky and her newly returned power of flight.Madelyne Pryor is moinitoring her using the highly sophisticated Reaver's computer hardware.She comments how easy it has been for her to learn how to use it properly.

Under Storm's instructions Rogue tests the bases defences by approaching at high speed and at almost ground level.She fails miserably as a combination of Havok,Psylocke,Dazzler,Colossus and finally,Wolverine take her down easily.Wolverine congratulates Madelyne for her tech work which helped track Rogue's approach.Maddie is glad to finally be of some use to the team but what shereally wants is to get her son back.......

Meanwhile,a slightly nervous Longshot has begun to hear voices and has followed them in case there are still some Reaver's prisoners somewhere on the base.He follows the sounds to the Reaver's stacked treasure room.Longshot upon entering the room sees several ghost-like images of vague figures.When Longshot touches a piece of jewelry the owner's story is told to him by Psychometry,his ability to "feel" images from inanimate objects.He sees a young man who had made the bracelet giving it to his true love but then senses pain as he feels the sorrow caused by the Reavers stealing the item.Longshot becomes overpowered by the volume of "stories" he begins to feel and collapses emotionally to the ground.

Dazzler is grossed out at the state of their living quarters following the previous occupants,The Reavers.Storm decides the only way to clean the place up is to give a "spring clean".She generates a flash flood within the building which washes all the debris out.Hacok then incinerstes it using his plasma beams.

They are watched from above by a silent Gateway.Rogue worries about him in the blistering heat and brings him some food.Although he does not talk he does at least glance in her direction.

Dazzler emerges from the shower to find that Longshot has come through after his ordeal.The rest of the X-men gather in his room and Psylocke tells them that there is no permanant damage.His mind had simply shut down temporarily due to information overload.When Storm questions him as to what happened he explains that the treasure had "called to him".He says that it wants to be returned to its rightful owners.Rogue gets a piece of jewellry from the treasure and Longshot holds it to get "it's story".Psylocke then transmits these thoughts to all the others.They see the history of the necklace which had been passed down from mother to daughter for several generations until the Reavers had stolen it.

Despite Wolverine's protests the rest of the X-men decide to try and give the stolen property back to its rightful owners.Beginning the next moring Longshot reads each piece with Psylocke shielding telepathically while transferring the information to Madelyne who then plots the owners location using the computer.Eventually they have six piles ,one for each continent.Dazzler is taken by a hi-spec motorbike which is to be returned to it's owner---she hopes he/she appreciates it!

They manage to communicate to Gateway that they need his help to send them where they need to go to return the possessions.Psylocke telepathically gives him their detinations and with a blast from his bonfire a teleportation portal appears----The X-men are off!

In scenes similar to Christmas ,The X-men leave the property back to its owners in the middle of the night,mostly going unseen.Dazzler surprises a couple of children when they stumble across her leaving something under a Christmas Tree ,telling them she is one of Santa's helpers,surrounding herself with glowing lights for effect.

Salem Centre,New York:The New Mutants are attending a multi-school carol session around a huge Christmas Tree.However, following the death of Doug and apparently,The X-men, theyarenot in the mood for carols.Unknown to them Storm is soaring above and she changes the weather from wind and driving sleet to snow creating a more peacful atmosphere for the carols.The NMs spirits are raised slightly.

The Outback,Austraila:The following morning the X-men celebrate Christmas ,their job done.Dazzler admits it was great to bring joy to so many people.Suddenly Wolverine(getting all festive) produces the motorbike from earlier for Dazzler.She is overjoyed.

Outside Rogue brings Gateway a piece of Christmas cake and a present of a tin-whistle.As usual he is silent but as she is about to leave he grabs her hand and indicates for her to sit down beside him.He then begins to play a tune on the whistle as she listens intently......

[CallMeGeoff]

True most of the time Geoff but I thought the point of the X-men playing "dead" was to be anonomous for a while---not something you're going to stay for long if you start cracking cyborg skull!

That's true. Some Reavers did escape. You'd think the X-Men would be worried that they would tell people they're still alive.

[limerick]

It's interesting how the X-Men pretend to be dead from here on out. Haven't we seen this before? See below:

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.114.GIF

I realize the circumstances are different, but there is a definite thematic similarity. X-Men "die". World and friends believe they are gone. X-Men go on several adventures while dead.
I've always loved that cover,David.You said something very interesting before regarding John Byrne's love of the original X-men.I loved the way they featured so much during that classic Claremont/Byrne run,Beast here and in several other issues and Angel later on after Scott left.Would he have achieved his aim of reuniting the O5 if he'd stayed on the book?

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #230:

--Page 1--Storm celebrates her returned powers with an awesome new costume.How long does it take to put that on?!And at least a drum of talcumn powder!Sorry,Halle Berry,you're hot but not that hot!Interestingly,on page 29 she's wearing a version of the costume which has no cloak but more cleavage.Does the cloak detatch along with the 'lightning bolt' front section for more casual wear?

--I'm surprised how little development of Pyslocke's character there has been.She's very much functioning as the group 'telepath' and nothing else.Her dialogue is almost all to drive the story--this is disappointing after her prominence in the Art Adams and Alan Davis Annuals especially the NM annual where she flirts with Doug.Maybe Claremont has something in mind to shake her up a bit.:wink:

--Wolverine seems to be gravitating towards Havok a little bit now Nightcrawler is gone.I'm not saying they're best buds but they seem to be on panel a lot at the same time.(Sets things up nicely for the excellent Wolverine/Havok mini coming up soon).

--The X-men are the mullet kings.But whose is best.....Rogue(1st panel..page 18)....Storm(last panel.....page19)......or Longshot(last panel pg 9)(pages listed from original comic)?Answers on a postcard please......

--Is Longshot's psychometric power a new reveal or has he used them before?It's been ages since I read his mini,I can't remember him having these powers?

--One slight flaw with Silvestri's art is the similarity between Dazz,Rogue and Maddies faces.They're almost identical in facial structure.

--Overall,a 'quite' issue-The X-men were due one!They've had a torrid time over the last 30 issues or so and they needed to come up for air.

--Two final things---what was that Colossus found under Dazzs bed?And do the X-men have the lamest Christmas tree ever?!See the countertop on the second last page!

[Yogaflame]

I can't understand why the X-men left Xavier's.Okay,The Marauders gave them a pasting in the Mutant Massacre,but are they really that daunting that they feel they've got to run to a secretive bolthole.Surely,they've faced worse then them and came up smelling of roses:Sentinels,The Brood,Brotherhood of evil Mutants.Are the Marauders really that much more daunting than them?I think Storm makes a bad call with the relocation.

Also ,I feel the X-men are currently missing the presence of either Xavier or Cyclops.I always felt the X-Men were uncomplete without one of them present directing the "dream".

Living in a mansion in upstate New York is not exactly the most integrative approach either. And Xavier is gone in space and Scott is drumming up anti-mutant hysteria with the X-Terminators, so Storm's "strike from a distance and retreat into the blue" action team approach is the best thing to help ensure the Dream is not destroyed by violent threats.

[david r]

I've always loved that cover,David.You said something very interesting before regarding John Byrne's love of the original X-men.I loved the way they featured so much during that classic Claremont/Byrne run,Beast here and in several other issues and Angel later on after Scott left.Would he have achieved his aim of reuniting the O5 if he'd stayed on the book?

I feel returning the Original X-Men (minus Jean Grey) was John Byrne's plans. This may have been a thorny issue between he and Chris Claremont, and resulted in Byrne leaving the title in 1980. Byrne considered the new members like Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, etc. as "pretend X-Men". My feeling is he planned to bring back Beast, Angel and Iceman. And get rid of Nightcrawler and Colossus. Wolvie (Byrne's favorite newbie), Kitty Pryde and Storm could remain.

So Byrne's lineup would have been:
Cyclops
Wolverine
Storm
Shadowcat
Beast
Angel
Iceman

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.230.GIF

Another excellent review Limerick. This is an under-rated, but inspiring, issue. The Christmas theme is very "feel-good" and is a wonderful breath of fresh air after several dark, painful adventures lately. I liked this issue a lot. The New Mutants cameo in Salem Center brings a tear to the eye.

All that technology at the Australian base was curious. None of the Reavers appeared to be smart enough to build and maintain all this sophisticated hardware. How did they gain all that knowledge??

--Page 1--Storm celebrates her returned powers with an awesome new costume.How long does it take to put that on?!And at least a drum of talcumn powder!Sorry,Halle Berry,you're hot but not that hot!Interestingly,on page 29 she's wearing a version of the costume which has no cloak but more cleavage.Does the cloak detatch along with the 'lightning bolt' front section for more casual wear?

I like the new Storm costume. But the return of her powers is the real story here. It was wonderful to see Storm cut loose. (Odd we haven't seen her fellow teammates comment on her returned powers.)

--The X-men are the mullet kings.But whose is best.....Rogue(1st panel..page 18)....Storm(last panel.....page19)......or Longshot(last panel pg 9)(pages listed from original comic)?

:biggrin: It's the late 80s, hey!

--Is Longshot's psychometric power a new reveal or has he used them before?It's been ages since I read his mini,I can't remember him having these powers?

I've never seen it before. This a new power for Longshot!

--Two final things---what was that Colossus found under Dazzs bed?And do the X-men have the lamest Christmas tree ever?!See the countertop on the second last page!

I have NO IDEA what that was under Dazzler's bed. (Not sure I want to know! :wink: ) But that Christmas tree was definitely Charlie Brown's Xmas tree from the classic 1965 Peanuts Christmas TV Special. It must be a little in-joke by the creators.

[kk1]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #230:


--Is Longshot's psychometric power a new reveal or has he used them before?It's been ages since I read his mini,I can't remember him having these powers?

--One slight flaw with Silvestri's art is the similarity between Dazz,Rogue and Maddies faces.They're almost identical in facial structure.


!

Didn't he have that in the Longshot mini-series?

That's pretty common among ALOT of artists, check out Jim lee's faces (and bodies). One great thing about Alan Davis he makes every face distinct and stays consistent http://bp0.blogger.com/_cq-h1RCj4yI/SExJ4sVsmTI/AAAAAAAAA1w/2rWlRWynQG8/s1600-h/MU-X-Men-1.jpg

[sixhoursoflucy]

--I'm surprised how little development of Pyslocke's character there has been.She's very much functioning as the group 'telepath' and nothing else.Her dialogue is almost all to drive the story--this is disappointing after her prominence in the Art Adams and Alan Davis Annuals especially the NM annual where she flirts with Doug.Maybe Claremont has something in mind to shake her up a bit.:wink:Psylocke doesn't have a personality to develop. I've always contended the only interesting things about her are the interesting things that happen to her.--One slight flaw with Silvestri's art is the similarity between Dazz,Rogue and Maddies faces.They're almost identical in facial structure.I do like Silvestri's artwork for the most part, but I always found his skewed-angle profiles strange. Whenever he draws a woman's face from any angle other than head-on, the woman's eye closest to the viewer appears too high on the head, as if the face is sloping upward. Has anyone else noticed this?

[limerick]

Psylocke doesn't have a personality to develop. I've always contended the only interesting things about her are the interesting things that happen to her.I do like Silvestri's artwork for the most part, but I always found his skewed-angle profiles strange. Whenever he draws a woman's face from any angle other than head-on, the woman's eye closest to the viewer appears too high on the head, as if the face is sloping upward. Has anyone else noticed this?
Yeah,I see what you mean----The side profile of Rahne and Dani(especially Rahne) are good examples on page 25.That may be why all his female faces look so similar.Nice catch on that---I think I could have looked at his pictures for hours without being able to articulate what actually looked odd!

[limerick]

Yeah,I see what you mean----The side profile of Rahne and Dani(especially Rahne) are good examples on page 25.That may be why all his female faces look so similar.Nice catch on that---I think I could have looked at his pictures for hours without being able to articulate what actually looked odd!
Just noticed Jim Rubenstein inked this issue which may explain some differences from previous issues---especially noticable on the facial close-ups

[limerick]

I feel returning the Original X-Men (minus Jean Grey) was John Byrne's plans. This may have been a thorny issue between he and Chris Claremont, and resulted in Byrne leaving the title in 1980. Byrne considered the new members like Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, etc. as "pretend X-Men". My feeling is he planned to bring back Beast, Angel and Iceman. And get rid of Nightcrawler and Colossus. Wolvie (Byrne's favorite newbie), Kitty Pryde and Storm could remain.

So Byrne's lineup would have been:
Cyclops
Wolverine
Storm
Shadowcat
Beast
Angel
Iceman
Would have been cool to see Claremont/Byrne handling this team

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/pages/97792366288.230.P2.GIF

From Uncanny X-Men #230, Madelyne Pryor works over a mysterious computer network within the Australian town. It's odd how a seemingly abandoned, old-style town would have a highly sophisticated computer network hidden within. Wouldn't you say? The machinery is even more advanced than the technology at Charles Xavier's Mansion. More advanced than Shi'ar tech?

Who built this machinery? My first idea would be Apocalypse, who noted in X-Factor he had several bases hidden. Could this town have been one of them? Is the whole town a front for some villain? None of the Reavers showed the intelligence or skill to build or devise such electronics tech. Quite the opposite in fact, I'm surprised any of the Reavers could even have ran the stuff. So any ideas on it's origin? Any theories?

[LifeFirst]

I have to say that the Mutant Massacre was just a confusing, hot boiled mess. That was the story that started the trend of absolutely confusing crossovers in the X-Men comic....you'll see what I mean when you get to the Inferno storyline.

[Anodyne]

The Outback,Austrailia:Maddie is glad to finally be of some use to the team but what she really wants is to get her son back.......
"...no matter how long it takes or what it costs--I mean to get him back...!" "A heartfelt vow," Claremont as narrator says; how could Madelyne foresee that "what it costs" will be madness and the corruption of her very love for her son? :frown: Sy'm may later trick her into what she thinks is a harmless make-believe revenge on her husband, but it's a mother's yearning for her missing baby that will induce her to bargain with N'Astirh for reunion with her beloved child.
Claremont adds that it's too bad she's forgetting the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for"--our first foreshadowing of the tragedy to come. A painful moment for those of us who care about Madelyne and know what's in store for her.
The following morning the X-men celebrate Christmas ,their job done.Dazzler admits it was great to bring joy to so many people.Suddenly Wolverine(getting all festive) produces the motorbike from earlier for Dazzler. She is overjoyed.
Did Roma send the X-Men back a few days in time as well as thousands of miles away in distance? In X-Factor 26 or 27 it's Christmas Eve in New York as live feeds of the X-Men's deaths are being broadcast; yet they also spend Christmas Eve playing Santa. The time zone difference won't do: Australia is half a day ahead of the United States.

[limerick]

Reasons why The X-Men should have got Roma to bring them to the Marauders rather than The Reavers:

When The X-men 'die' and are resurrected in Dallas Roma,basically,gives them the option to go whereever they want at her beckoning.I still can't see why they didn't go straight to The Marauders for a surprise attack.

--The Marauders kidnapped Madelyne's baby so she would be desperate to take them on.

--Polaris in still under the control of Malice who runs with the Marauders so Havok would be chomping at the bit to have a go.

--The friends and family of all the X-men would be under threat from the Marauders.The New Mutants would seem to be particularly vunerable since they are still resident at Xaviers.It doesn't make sense that The X-men would leave Xavier's for their safety and yet the New Mutants remain behind??Th Reavers on the otherhand ,while not a nice bunch ,have not threatened the X-men or their families in any way.(up to now)By attacking them they are just accquiring a new enemy at a time when they are trying to keep a low profile.

--The X-men devised 'Plan Omega' to allow them to strike at their enemies.After the destruction they caused in The Morlock tunnels,surely vTheMarauders are top of the hit list--bring them on!!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.231.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #231 ..............July 1988

"Dressed For Dinner"

Claremont/Leonardi

A Bedroom in a Fairytale -type Tower:Illyana Rasputin,in a dazed state is dressed in traditionl Eastern European type clothes.A hand thrusts an apple into her mouth and a female voice tells her she looks perfect--"dressed for dinner".She is then cast into a large oven oblivious to her fate......

The Outback,Austrailia:Colossus takes out his frustration at his dream of Illyana by smashing giant boulders in the desert.Rogue arrives trying to console him but he tells her he would prefer to be left alone.He returns to his art,looking lovingly at a picture of his sister,Illyana.But he has got so hot under the desert sun in metal form the sketchbook catches fire and to his frustration is destroyed.He cries out in annoyance.Storm arrives,calling up a small rainstorm to cool his surface.When she asks him what's wrong he tells her he misses Ilyyana and he finds the secrecy of their new status hard to take.Storm tells him it does give them a great advantage over their foes to be anonymous.

Later that night while helping with the washing-up,Peter breaks (another!)plate due to him still adjusting to his souped-up power.The others tease him a little but then Dazzler,sensing how down he is suggests that they make an exception to their anonomity rule by allowing him to visit Illyana as his extended absence is really cutting him up.Havok agrees but Storm is set to refuse when Gateway suddenly arrives into the kitchen and indicates to Peter to follow him.Storm changes her mind and gives Peter the go-ahead to step through the portal Gateway has opened to see his sister again.

Limbo:On a mountain-top Illyana in her Darkchylde incarnation is surrounded by Sym and an army of his Techno-virus infected demons.She is casting a blck-magic spell of Necromancy--to bring Peter back from the dead.But before she says his name to invoke the spell Peter appears out of thin air.As she speaks to him it becomes obvious she believes him not to be the true Peter but a magic 'Clone'.Sym starts to taunt them and Peter charges at him.His new form is imprevios to physical and magical attacks so he is immune from the Techno-virus.Magik believes this is because he is a conjuration.After Peter takescare of Sym he decides not to reveal his true nature to her thus protecting the X-men's secret.He asks her why he was summoned--she tells him it is to save The New Mutants!

She teleports them both to another part of Limbo where a copy of Xavier's school is gradually taking place.She tells Colossus they have until it is complete to save the NMs.Illyana then tells exactly what has happened to bring them to here.

She was studying late writing a term paper on Mikhail Bulgakov's book,The Master and The Margarita.Suddenly three characters from the book appeared and easily overcame her.They brought her down to the kitchen where the rest of The NMs are strung up.An old hag,Baba Yaga gets ingredients ready and says she is going to cook them.When Illyana tries to access her soulsword and magic she is prevented by wards Baba Yaga has put around the house.However her teleporting power is not magical and she teleports herself out of the house.Unfortunately Baba Yaga has somehow prevented her from teleporting her colleagues.In Limbo she prepared the spell to conjour Peter to try and save her friends and that was when he appeared.

Illyana teleports Peter above the 'school' replica and he drops into the kitchen where Baba Yaga has the NM tied up unconcious.She sets numerous Ogre goons on him while she disappears down a corridor with her captives.Colossus quickly deals with her henchmen and follows her.But the passage narrows too much at the end and he reverts to human form to allow him squeeze into the room she is in.She tries to use her magic to trap him but by reverting to his armoured form she is destroyed by his iron-based nature which is a natural enemy of magic.

Illyana casts a spell to return her team-mates to normal.They then say their goodbyes Peter encouraging her to keep trying to be a better person despite the situation she finds herself in.Illyana thinks about casting the spell again to bring him back but she resists .She knows she is lucky not to have transformed permanantly to the Darkchylde following the Necromancer Spell.She then teleports herself and her still out-cold friends back to Xavier's.

Once she leaves,one of The Right goons tries to take control of Limbo.But Sym reappears suddenly taking control.He explains that Illyana's wild sorcery is putting a strain on the walls between Limbo and Earth.Baba Yaga had been a symptom of that --where a demon had assumed the form from Illyana's memories.Colossus had intervened saving the day but Sym insists he will win the war........

[Imraith Nimphais]

I LOVEDLURVEDLUVED everything about this issue! The Leonardo art especially. His version of the Darkchild is the HAWTNESS! The Story was well-written, very much like a children's fairytale. (I grew up on Hans Christian et al so when I bought this issue I was very well pleased). Re-reading this, I realise how much I miss those one-shot, character driven stories that fell in-between major story arcs....oh! and Colossus 3/4 nekkid in the desert...how drool-isciously scrummy is that!...not to mention the cover...SWOOOOOOOON!

[david r]

Reasons why The X-Men should have got Roma to bring them to the Marauders rather than The Reavers:

When The X-men 'die' and are resurrected in Dallas Roma,basically,gives them the option to go whereever they want at her beckoning.I still can't see why they didn't go straight to The Marauders for a surprise attack.

--The Marauders kidnapped Madelyne's baby so she would be desperate to take them on.

--Polaris in still under the control of Malice who runs with the Marauders so Havok would be chomping at the bit to have a go.

--The friends and family of all the X-men would be under threat from the Marauders.The New Mutants would seem to be particularly vunerable since they are still resident at Xaviers.It doesn't make sense that The X-men would leave Xavier's for their safety and yet the New Mutants remain behind??Th Reavers on the otherhand ,while not a nice bunch ,have not threatened the X-men or their families in any way.(up to now)By attacking them they are just accquiring a new enemy at a time when they are trying to keep a low profile.

--The X-men devised 'Plan Omega' to allow them to strike at their enemies.After the destruction they caused in The Morlock tunnels,surely vTheMarauders are top of the hit list--bring them on!!

My answer is the X-Men wanted a homebase hidden from the world. So they could strike at the Marauders and other threats facing them. Roma supplied this base for them. I agree that yes, it would have been better if Roma had just SENT them to the Marauders, but it also would probably have announced to the world the X-Men were still alive. Storm doesn't want to give up their new place as being dead to the world.

I'm curious why Roma chose Australia and this town to send the X-Men to. Was there a motive we don't know. Roma has been shown to treat the X-Men like chess pieces in a game played by Gods (see Fall of the Mutants. ) Is Roma manipulating Storm & the X-Men for her own personal games?

[david r]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.231.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #231 ..............July 1988

"Dressed For Dinner"

Claremont/Leonardi

A Bedroom in a Fairytale -type Tower:Illyana Rasputin,in a dazed state is dressed in traditionl Eastern European type clothes.A hand thrusts an apple into her mouth and a female voice tells her she looks perfect--"dressed for dinner".She is then cast into a large oven oblivious to her fate......

The Outback,Austrailia:Colossus takes out his frustration at his dream of Illyana by smashing giant boulders in the desert.Rogue arrives trying to console him but he tells her he would prefer to be left alone.He returns to his art,looking lovingly at a picture of his sister,Illyana.But he has got so hot under the desert sun in metal form the sketchbook catches fire and to his frustration is destroyed.He cries out in annoyance.Storm arrives,calling up a small rainstorm to cool his surface.When she asks him what's wrong he tells her he misses Ilyyana and he finds the secrecy of their new status hard to take.Storm tells him it does give them a great advantage over their foes to be anonymous.

Later that night while helping with the washing-up,Peter breaks (another!)plate due to him still adjusting to his souped-up power.The others tease him a little but then Dazzler,sensing how down he is suggests that they make an exception to their anonomity rule by allowing him to visit Illyana as his extended absence is really cutting him up.Havok agrees but Storm is set to refuse when Gateway suddenly arrives into the kitchen and indicates to Peter to follow him.Storm changes her mind and gives Peter the go-ahead to step through the portal Gateway has opened to see his sister again.

Limbo:On a mountain-top Illyana in her Darkchylde incarnation is surrounded by Sym and an army of his Techno-virus infected demons.She is casting a blck-magic spell of Necromancy--to bring Peter back from the dead.But before she says his name to invoke the spell Peter appears out of thin air.As she speaks to him it becomes obvious she believes him not to be the true Peter but a magic 'Clone'.Sym starts to taunt them and Peter charges at him.His new form is imprevios to physical and magical attacks so he is immune from the Techno-virus.Magik believes this is because he is a conjuration.After Peter takescare of Sym he decides not to reveal his true nature to her thus protecting the X-men's secret.He asks her why he was summoned--she tells him it is to save The New Mutants!

She teleports them both to another part of Limbo where a copy of Xavier's school is gradually taking place.She tells Colossus they have until it is complete to save the NMs.Illyana then tells exactly what has happened to bring them to here.

She was studying late writing a term paper on Mikhail Bulgakov's book,The Master and The Margarita.Suddenly three characters from the book appeared and easily overcame her.They brought her down to the kitchen where the rest of The NMs are strung up.An old hag,Baba Yaga gets ingredients ready and says she is going to cook them.When Illyana tries to access her soulsword and magic she is prevented by wards Baba Yaga has put around the house.However her teleporting power is not magical and she teleports herself out of the house.Unfortunately Baba Yaga has somehow prevented her from teleporting her colleagues.In Limbo she prepared the spell to conjour Peter to try and save her friends and that was when he appeared.

Illyana teleports Peter above the 'school' replica and he drops into the kitchen where Baba Yaga has the NM tied up unconcious.She sets numerous Ogre goons on him while she disappears down a corridor with her captives.Colossus quickly deals with her henchmen and follows her.But the passage narrows too much at the end and he reverts to human form to allow him squeeze into the room she is in.She tries to use her magic to trap him but by reverting to his armoured form she is destroyed by his iron-based nature which is a natural enemy of magic.

Illyana casts a spell to return her team-mates to normal.They then say their goodbyes Peter encouraging her to keep trying to be a better person despite the situation she finds herself in.Illyana thinks about casting the spell again to bring him back but she resists .She knows she is lucky not to have transformed permanantly to the Darkchylde following the Necromancer Spell.She then teleports herself and her still out-cold friends back to Xavier's.

Once she leaves,one of The Right goons tries to take control of Limbo.But Sym reappears suddenly taking control.He explains that Illyana's wild sorcery is putting a strain on the walls between Limbo and Earth.Baba Yaga had been a symptom of that --where a demon had assumed the form from Illyana's memories.Colossus had intervened saving the day but Sym insists he will win the war........

Very nice review. I didn't realize Magik was cast into an oven on the first page. I liked how Chris Claremont reunited Colossus with his snowflake, without revealing the X-Men are alive. The New Mutants appear unconscious in the story. As Imraith noted, the elements of fairy tale folklore are drawn from a very fertile creative spring (I especially liked the Xavier Mansion turned into a gothic house of gloom)--See Page 19.

Notice the number 1890 is carved onto that building in the Australian outback town? On Page 8. I wonder if that is when the mystery town was built. By odd happenstance, the Mikhail Bulgakov classic, The Master and Margarita, which is inspiration for this issue, was published around 1890. Coincidence, Marvel?? :confused:

The reunion with Peter and Illyana was bittersweet, as Illyana will never know it's her real sibling. I feel this issue sets up Magik/Limbo again in the minds of the readers of that time, (with so much going on, people tend to forget) and setting up for future events with Magik.

[limerick]

Doble-post hell!

[limerick]

Why do one double post when you can do two.

[limerick]

My answer is the X-Men wanted a homebase hidden from the world. So they could strike at the Marauders and other threats facing them. Roma supplied this base for them. I agree that yes, it would have been better if Roma had just SENT them to the Marauders, but it also would probably have announced to the world the X-Men were still alive. Storm doesn't want to give up their new place as being dead to the world.

I'm curious why Roma chose Australia and this town to send the X-Men to. Was there a motive we don't know. Roma has been shown to treat the X-Men like chess pieces in a game played by Gods (see Fall of the Mutants. ) Is Roma manipulating Storm & the X-Men for her own personal games?
Or even if she didn't send them there surely Roma could have just let them know where The Marauders base was so they wouldn't have to go looking for it when they felt they were "ready".I'm sure if they asked she would have told them---she seemed pretty grateful at the time.

[limerick]

I LOVEDLURVEDLUVED everything about this issue! The Leonardo art especially. His version of the Darkchild is the HAWTNESS! The Story was well-written, very much like a children's fairytale. (I grew up on Hans Christian et al so when I bought this issue I was very well pleased). Re-reading this, I realise how much I miss those one-shot, character driven stories that fell in-between major story arcs....oh! and Colossus 3/4 nekkid in the desert...how drool-isciously scrummy is that!...not to mention the cover...SWOOOOOOOON!
Great point about the Character driven one-shots.They seem a thing of the past because of nicely packaged trades where a stand-alone issue can seem a bit odd.Nowadays story seems to take priority over character development which is to the detriment of a title in the long run as it's hard to care for characters who remain cardboard cut-outs.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 231:

--This issue has always been a bit of a puzzler for me but on reading it this time,I've paid close attention and a couple of things have been cleared up for me.The first thing is exactly what's happening on page 1---it's a dream of Peter's.He says to Storm as she flies them back to the Outback Base,"I wonder if my dreams are not some form of warning she is in danger."The first page is what Peter is dreaming about Illyana and thus he is worried.

--The last panel on page 1 was also a mystery.I used to think she was flying out a window but when I read it this time I realised she is surrounded by flames and she in being thrown into a large oven which would make sense with the story as a whole.It would suggest Peter is capable of some sort of cognitive ability as his dream is very close to the truth.

--On page 3 Rogue's sunglasses vanish on the last panel---Editor sleeping again.:tongue:

--Nice Leonardi art.Silvestri seems to be struggling to keep up with his schedule as Leonardi helped him out only a couple of issues ago.

--What's with Havok and the beige desert gear--chill a little dude!He seems to be a one outfit kinda guy at the moment and cool it's not!

--Love the way Storm provides a mini rainstorm to wash the dishes .That's cool!

--Another thing which bothered me in the peast was where Baba Yaga came from.But on close inspection Baba Yaga is a demon from Limbo taking the form of Illyana's thoughts when the Limbo/Earth boundaries are becoming weak(see,simple!).So Illyana is herself responsible for some extent of the manifestation of Baba Yaga.

--Don't know why Peter doesn't tell her he's real.She's obviously not in a good place at the moment and to know he was still alive would have been a great comfort to her .After all,the X-men had given him the go-ahead.He must realise she feels as badly about him as he does about her.

[limerick]

Very nice review. I didn't realize Magik was cast into an oven on the first page. I liked how Chris Claremont reunited Colossus with his snowflake, without revealing the X-Men are alive. The New Mutants appear unconscious in the story. As Imraith noted, the elements of fairy tale folklore are drawn from a very fertile creative spring (I especially liked the Xavier Mansion turned into a gothic house of gloom)--See Page 19.

Notice the number 1890 is carved onto that building in the Australian outback town? On Page 8. I wonder if that is when the mystery town was built. By odd happenstance, the Mikhail Bulgakov classic, The Master and Margarita, which is inspiration for this issue, was published around 1890. Coincidence, Marvel?? :confused:

The reunion with Peter and Illyana was bittersweet, as Illyana will never know it's her real sibling. I feel this issue sets up Magik/Limbo again in the minds of the readers of that time, (with so much going on, people tend to forget) and setting up for future events with Magik.
Re:1890--interesting point,David.I really can't tell whether it is intended or just a coincidence.

[limerick]

Just a final note for me on this issue---Chronolgically, there is a footnote explaining this takes place after NM #66--so there!

[Imraith Nimphais]

Re:1890--interesting point,David.I really can't tell whether it is intended or just a coincidence.

Just my thought...but I think it's intended...Judging from his writing history (and his age, hehehe) I would say Claremont is a very well and widely read individual as he seems to have a penchant for incorporating actual bits and pieces of classic literature into the stories he writes...it is not entirely inconceivable that he crafted this little gem of a one-shot having been inspired by reading that russian novel, Hansel and Gretle and the Russian (of course, given the protagonists of this story) faery tale character Baba Yaga...remember, not too long ago "Go Tell The Spartans"?..it seems more like one of his own little "quirks" to cleverly put these "markers" within the stories he writes...to sort of "tie" things together.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.232.GIF

[B]Instructions for reading Uncanny # 232:


BE AFRAID--THE BROOD ARE BACK!!!!!!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.232.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #232 ..............August 1988

"Earthfall"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Opening Pages Are Set A Number Of Weeks/Months Ago

Paris,New Mexico:Polaris and Havok dance the night away at a local fiesta enjoying each others company and dreaming of their future together.

Rio Diablo Mountains,New Mexico:At the same time two couples sit around a campfire enjoying the isolation the mountains offer compared to their home in Denver.Suddenly,what appears to be a meteor comes hurtling out of the sky towards them.They expect to die in the impact but there is much less of a crash than they expect.When they investigate the crash-site they find what appears to be a huge shark.Sally Harding goes in for a closer look but the shark suddenly turns it's head and kills her with it's deadly jaws.Harry Palmer ,a paramedic,can only watch in horror as his friend,Norm Belmont is killed by a horrific looking monster(A Brood).Harry's girlfriend falls breaking her leg as they run away but Harry's fear drives him on.He leaves her screaming behind him as he runs for their truck.

The next moring Havok and Polaris are returning home when a van runs them off the road,travelling dangerously at breakneck speed.In the van a terrified Harry Palmer is only aware of a need to get home somewhere safe......

Fast-Foward To The Current Day

Denver,Colorado:A calm Harry Palmer answers an emergency call with his paramedic partner,Josey.When they arrive at the fire emergency they are shown a heart attack victim who is a mutant.The pain of the heart attack had caused him to accidently start a fire with his pyrotechnic powers.Harry asks to beleft alone with the victim to help him.Suddenly him arm turns into a Brood limb and he pierces the mutants body promising him that he will live forever.....

The Outback,Austrailia:Gateway sits on his mountaintop and remains impassive as he opens a portal through which Madelyne Pryor emerges,fresh from a Sydney shopping trip.She is dressed to the nines with a new dress and hairdo but the X-men are away on a mission so there's no-one around to tell her how great she looks!

Later ,in the computer room Maddie kills time by designing a new star-shaped X-men logo.Suddenly ,a news report features an interview with Scott and Jean in thier X-Factor gear.Maddie is shocked that Jean is still alive and that they are so obviously in love.Frustated,she smashes the computer screen which explodes knocking her unconcious.

Denver,Colorado:Harry Palmer walks to his apartment through foggy streets.He is completely unaware of his Brood persona and thinks to himself how certain shifts seem to really drain him and they always seem to involve mutants.He is very jumpy for some reason and is spooked by two people who turn out o just be a young couple making out under a streetlight.He notices as he arrives at the apartment the fog is getting thicker.When he opens the door to his apartment he is confronted by Psylocke(in a new armoured costume)and Colossus.They try relling him they are here to help him and that he is sick.But they are startled by Harry when,displaying inhuman strength he throws Colossus at Psylocke and the momentum carries them through the apartment wall.Harry easily jumps the three stories to the ground,surprising himself,and heads for his car to escape.But Havok blows the car away.He then finds the 'making-out couple' running towards him--it was Dazzler and Longshot!Throwing the door of his car at them he manages to escape them and Rogue.

Storm(the source of the fog) and Wolverine rendez-vous with the rest of The X-men.Psylocke and Longshot have doubts that Harry is a brood but Wolverine is 100% sure.Storm tells him they need Harry alive to find out how many more people have been implanted with Brood eggs.Wolverine leaves to follow Harry's scent.

Harry flees,petrified.He cannot understand what The X-men would want him for.He boards a bus when he cannot hail a cab.But the only other passenger on the bus turns out to be Rogue who tells him to give up.Harry lunges at her,one hand pinning her down while the other changes to a Brood limb to implant her.Suddenly,the bus window smashes and Wolverine grabs Harry from the bus saving Rogue.The bus-driver ,distracted,ends up smashing the bus into a bunch of parked cars.He escapes just before the bus explodes.

Harry runs down an alley but meets a dead-end.When he turns Wolverine's waiting for him,telling him to say his prayers.Rogue emerges from the bus wreck telling Wolverine to cool it.Suddenly a police-car arrives and two police officers, who Harry knows ,hold the two X-men at gunpoint.Wolverine lunges at them slashing one of them with his claws.Rogue is shocked at his bloodlust and restrains him.The rest of the X-men arrive to find the police officers are Brood along with Harry Palmer....and they are joined by plenty of their kind suddenly outnumbering the X-men!!!!

[worstblogever]

#231- Things really seem to be building up like a pressure cooker with the Ilyana/Magneto situation. Sym noticing she's losing control over Limbo could mean something in the future...

#232- Five years after their last big appearance, in the Brood Saga... the Sleazoids crash on Earth... Get ready for tentacles, and forced egg-implantations, kids! Good villain to let the X-Men tear it up against. Evil aliens, cyborgs, zombies, and Nazis... easiest foes in literature to put out there.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.233.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #233 ..............September 1988

COLOSSUS AND THE BROOD PLAY CAR-TOSS IN #233.SEE WHO WINS!!

[worstblogever]

Five bucks on the Russkie!

[limerick]

Five bucks on the Russkie!
Yeah,50 rubles--you got a bet!

[x_goalkeeper]

At least not a "hybrid" this time :biggrin:

[limerick]

Yeah,50 rubles--you got a bet!
Thoughts on Uncanny X-Men # 232:

--At last,the X-Men go on the offensive!But it's not 100% clear how they know The Brood are back.Havok and Polaris did stumble across the crashed Brood ship in New Mexico.But neither of them had seen a Brood before.Did he just happen to mention it to the other X-men.Or was that why he returned to Xavier's in the first place.If the X-men have been aware for a while of The Brood being on Earth surely they should have acted earlier as time is of the essence when it comes to them because of the way they spread so quickly.

--The Brood are trade-mark breakingly close to the Aliens from Alien/Aliens/Sigourney Weaver fame.Their appearance ,as well as the way they implant a host and take them over seems a little too close for comfort to the movie aliens.This may have been something discussed the first time they appeared but I missed that myself!The timing of the stories would also correspond as well, with The first Brood saga coming out a couple of years after the first movie.Saying that maybe the film Aliens borrowed back a little from Claremont with the 'hive'/'coloney' nature of the aliens as well as the queen aspect.Or maybe it's all coincidence.

--I think there's a slight ret-con of the Brood as I thought only the Queen could implant hosts with eggs whereas with this new batch implanation is something run-of-the-mill Brood are capable of.

--Poor Harry Palmer.I was shocked when he left his girlfriend behind to face the Brood while he headed for the hills.Later,it's sad the way he has no knowledge of The Brood within him--he just thinks his life is carrying on as normal.

--Nice to see Rogue's malfunctioning costume resuming normal service--she just about keeps her modesty intact(damn---someday they'll all come off!!!)

--Speaking of costumes ,Psylocke unvails her new armoured costume--looks heavy.But it must be pretty useful as it helps her take the brunt of Colossus knocking her through a wall.As a character ,Psylocke still seems verrry wooden and functional which is a shame.

--Wolverine's not messing in this issue--he's out for Brood blood no matter what the others think.We're starting to see Wolverine emerging more as the character we know today.His first 30 issues or so in the 'new' X-men in the seventies were pretty quiet but he's been on a slow burn since then.You really see how small he is when Rogue stands next to him in the last few pages.

--One thing--if Harry Palmer is implanted by a Brood Queen/Brood in New Mexico and the returns to Denver where the Brood gradually takes control of him---what happened to the original Brood who survived the crash-landing in New Mexco???

--Finally,hats off to Claremont for a great story.He's really in his prime here.And it was great the way he linked Polaris and Havok's previous appearance with the run-a-way Volkswagon to this issue by relaying the same incident from Harry's point of view.

[worstblogever]

--One thing--if Harry Palmer is implanted by a Brood Queen/Brood in New Mexico and the returns to Denver where the Brood gradually takes control of him---what happened to the original Brood who survived the crash-landing in New Mexco???

Roswell to Area 51, just like the first time. (no-prize for me).

[limerick]

Oh,and I forgot--how could I not mention that cover.What an awesome way to announce their return!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.233.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #233 ..............Early September 1988

"Dawn Of Blood"

Claremont/Silvestri

Denver,Colarado:The X-men are outnumbered by several Brood.Even worse,the Brood have the mutant abilities of their hosts.A power-house Brood,Brickbat kicks things off throwing Colossus into a nearby building.Storm takes for the skies to get a bearing of exactly where they stand.But another Brood,Tension,uses extending arms to pull her back to earth.Yet another powered Brood,Temptress,uses her pheromone power to try and control Storm.But Storm,ever strong-willed,resists and again takes off.She is pursued to the air by a winged Brood,Dive-Bomber.Havok,has a free shot at Dive-bomber but resists as he is afraid of killing him.

Rogue touches one of Temptress's tentacles skin-to-skin as she fights her.But rather than Rogue absorbing Temptress's psyche,Temptress's personality gains the upper hand effectively controlling Rogue's body.She immediately ganis control of Psylocke using her pheromone power and then smashes Wolverine into a trash-can using Rogue's strength.Meanwhile Colossus and Brickbat are going at it like nobdy's business with cars and buildings being flattened in their wake.

Wolverine is under the double onslaught of Rogue and Psylocke.Because they are team-mates he holds back and this leaves him vunerable to an attack from the Brood while he concentrates on them.Lock-up temporarily paralyzes him and the Harry Palmer Brood moves in to implant an egg in him.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre,West of Denver:Member's of Reverand William Conover's Glory Day Crusade carry out all the work to prepare the stage for tomorrow morning's Sunrise Service.There is a real community spirit as everyone chips in.A paramedic,Josey Thomas(Harry Palmer's partner),hears a radio report about battling superbeings but she ignores it carrying on with her own work.

On a nearby hillside Rev Conover takes in the spectacular views.His wife arrives to bring him a flask of coffoe.They discuss the mutants fighting nearby and Rev Conover describes mutants as the future.He wishes he was a mutant himself so he could cure his wife's severe arthritis.

Denver:A camera crew records Colossus's fight with Brickbat but they are startled when Colossus's image does not appear on the monitoirs.Before they can investigate further ,Colossus is thrown into the news-van smashing it completely and cutting off all pictures.

Storm has worn off the effects of Temptress's hormones but is being persistently pursued by Dive-Bomber.However ,she does manage to evade him.Dive-Bomber decides to change tact by attacking a passing aeroplane.He rips off two of the aeroplanes engines and the plane starts to fall,on fire.Storm intervenes knocking Dive-Bomber out.She then uses her wind powers to ease the planes dive and summons up a rainstorm to put out the fire.Her concentration distracted by the aeroplane Dive-Bomber then knocks her unconcious claiming she will make a great addition to the Brood.

The Outback,Austrailia:Madelyne Pryor lies unconcious in a pool of blood on the computer room floor.In her mind she dreams of a happier time mixed in with her own desires

She sees herself flying high above Alaska with angel-like wings.It has always been her dream to fly.She lands ,joining Scott and her son who complete her life.

In the real world she is watched over by Gateway who has sensed her injury and come down to see how she is.

In her dream she sees Gateway.She shouts at him to leave her and her family alone.Instead he begins twirling his Bull-Roarer and their house explodes.Scott fires his opower-beam at him and Gateway changes to a featureless mannequin figure.Scott then embraces and kisses the now female form.He then begins stealing Madelynes features from her and transplanting them to the mannequin which becomes Jean as the features are added.He also takes their son and gives him to Jean leaving Madelyne alone.The three of them depart leaving Maddie alone featureless in the middle of nowhere.She would scream but she has no mouth.

Denver:Havok is wracked by guilt.He is afraid to use his beam for fear of killing but his team-mates are taking a beating.The final straw for him is when Dive -Bomber presents Storm to Harry Palmer to have an egg implanted.Havok cuts loose with a plasma beam killing Dive-Bomber by hitting him in the centre of the chest.At the same time a giant warehouse collapses---Colossus and Brickbat were inside.Through smoke and dust a figure emerges.Colossus carrying Brickbat's body emerges.The Brood sensing a change in fortune retreat for now,Rogue and Psylocke still under their control.

Havok watches as Dive-Bomber reverts to his human form.He is wracked by guilt at killing him.But Storm says he was dead as soon as he was implanted with a Brood egg.They have no choice but to kill every last Brood or the Earth is doomed.........

[Anodyne]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-Men # 232:

--At last,the X-Men go on the offensive! But it's not 100% clear how they know The Brood are back.Havok and Polaris did stumble across the crashed Brood ship in New Mexico.But neither of them had seen a Brood before.Did he just happen to mention it to the other X-men.Or was that why he returned to Xavier's in the first place.If the X-men have been aware for a while of The Brood being on Earth surely they should have acted earlier as time is of the essence when it comes to them because of the way they spread so quickly.
Are you sure Alex and Lorna saw the Brood ship? They encountered Harry's speeding van, but did they see what he was fleeing from? At the rate he was going, Harry could have been miles away from the crash site by then.

A plausible explanation is that Madelyne saw something while she was monitoring the news, something that would alert those who'd fought the Brood before. Maddie herself needn't have realized its significance; she could simply have noticed a report involving possible mutant powers. Remember, Maddie's thoughts have hitherto been those of a friend and ally of the X-Men. Do we know how much time has elapsed since the X-Men arrived in Australia? I'm wondering how long Madelyne had been monitoring the computers before she got Scott and Jean in her face. Also, hadn't S'ym become techno-organic by then? I bet he had something to do with the happy couple's showing up on the monitor right when the X-Men were away and nobody was there to comfort Maddie.

[david r]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 231:

--Another thing which bothered me in the peast was where Baba Yaga came from.But on close inspection Baba Yaga is a demon from Limbo taking the form of Illyana's thoughts when the Limbo/Earth boundaries are becoming weak(see,simple!).So Illyana is herself responsible for some extent of the manifestation of Baba Yaga.


Thanks Limerick for explaining that. I didn't catch that Baba Yaga was a Limbo demon. It makes sense now, especially with how Colossus defeated her using his iron form. Kudos! :smile:

[kk1]

Never a fan of the Alie...I mean Brood.

[david r]

[B]http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.232.GIF


Thoughts on Uncanny X-Men #232

---This issue sees the exit of Ann Nocenti as editor, and the arrival of new X-editor Bob Harras :evilangry: .With dark consequences further down the road. :mad:

--At last,the X-Men go on the offensive!But it's not 100% clear how they know The Brood are back.Havok and Polaris did stumble across the crashed Brood ship in New Mexico.But neither of them had seen a Brood before.

It's not adequately explained in "Earthfall" how the X-Men know of the Brood's arrival. Perhaps that sophisticated new equipment in their base told them??? It looks like it has a brain hooked up on machinery on Page 13.

--The Brood are trade-mark breakingly close to the Aliens from Alien/Aliens/Sigourney Weaver fame.Their appearance ,as well as the way they implant a host and take them over seems a little too close for comfort to the movie aliens.This may have been something discussed the first time they appeared but I missed that myself!The timing of the stories would also correspond as well, with The first Brood saga coming out a couple of years after the first movie.Saying that maybe the film Aliens borrowed back a little from Claremont with the 'hive'/'coloney' nature of the aliens as well as the queen aspect.Or maybe it's all coincidence.

It does make you wonder, eh? This 2nd Brood saga came out two years after 1986's Aliens. This current story may be the closest we ever get to an "Aliens-come-to-Earth" movie.

--Wolverine's not messing in this issue--he's out for Brood blood no matter what the others think.We're starting to see Wolverine emerging more as the character we know today.His first 30 issues or so in the 'new' X-men in the seventies were pretty quiet but he's been on a slow burn since then.You really see how small he is when Rogue stands next to him in the last few pages.

I agree. Wolverine has finally evolved into the version we know nowadays. No-nonsense and savage, and Marc Silvestri draws him very well.

--One thing--if Harry Palmer is implanted by a Brood Queen/Brood in New Mexico and the returns to Denver where the Brood gradually takes control of him---what happened to the original Brood who survived the crash-landing in New Mexco???

I'll have to go back and look. I don't remember any other Broods. Just the sight of that giant Shark-ship. (Wasn't it AWESOME when the shark head eats that woman?? On Page 4? Jaws look out!!

One last question: Notice that "Reverend William Conover" and his Glory Day Ministry? There are ads for them twice in UXM #232. Do we ever see this Reverend in an actual story? Was this a hint to something more?

[Anodyne]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-Men #232
Wolverine has finally evolved into the version we know nowadays. No-nonsense and savage, and Marc Silvestri draws him very well.
No-nonsense, yes; but savage? Or simply willing to do what needs doing?

One last question: Notice that "Reverend William Conover" and his Glory Day Ministry? There are ads for them twice in UXM #232. Do we ever see this Reverend in an actual story? Was this a hint to something more?
Yes.

[limerick]

Are you sure Alex and Lorna saw the Brood ship? They encountered Harry's speeding van, but did they see what he was fleeing from? At the rate he was going, Harry could have been miles away from the crash site by then.

A plausible explanation is that Madelyne saw something while she was monitoring the news, something that would alert those who'd fought the Brood before. Maddie herself needn't have realized its significance; she could simply have noticed a report involving possible mutant powers. Remember, Maddie's thoughts have hitherto been those of a friend and ally of the X-Men. Do we know how much time has elapsed since the X-Men arrived in Australia? I'm wondering how long Madelyne had been monitoring the computers before she got Scott and Jean in her face. Also, hadn't S'ym become techno-organic by then? I bet he had something to do with the happy couple's showing up on the monitor right when the X-Men were away and nobody was there to comfort Maddie.
Actually,I'm not sure about that--I'll have to pull the issue back out tomorrow and see.I do think a giant dead shark in the New Mexico desert probably made front page news--even in the Marvel Universe!Maybe that's how the X-men coped on to the Brood presence.

[limerick]

David R.----the shark was awesome!!I think Silvestri manages to convey the speed of movement of it's head really well.(Does that make sense?)

[limerick]

Yeah,50 rubles--you got a bet!
WBE---the russkie won!I owe you 50 rubles!

[Anodyne]

Actually,I'm not sure about that--I'll have to pull the issue back out tomorrow and see.I do think a giant dead shark in the New Mexico desert probably made front page news--even in the Marvel Universe!Maybe that's how the X-men coped on to the Brood presence.
If the "shark" was alive enough to chomp down on Sally Harding, it may have been alive enough to fly away afterwards. Or maybe--as you suggested--it did make the news, and that was the story that drew the X-Men's attention. :smile:

[worstblogever]

WBE---the russkie won!I owe you 50 rubles!

50 rubles!!! Oh, by the White Wolf, how many beets I shall buy at market!

Ahem... my thoughts #232...

The symbolism on Maddie's dream, is straight f'd up. But, it will all make sense in time, I'm sure. :wink: Really well done foreshadowing by CC, here.

As for the fight, shame Colossus was occupied 1 on 1. With Rogue's attack backfiring, Psylocke falling prey to hormone control, and Storm being outnumbered 3 to 1... they could've used him elsewhere.

But yay for Havok getting lethal!

And as far as Wolverine being preggers with a Brood egg (again)... how's he going to be saved from becoming a Sleazoid this time? Hmm...

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.234.GIF

[B]THE X-MEN VS. THE BROOD:THE CONCLUSION----WILL SUMMARIZE TONIGHT.

[david r]

[QUOTE=limerick;8937897]http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.234.GIF

One of the X-Men's few forays into horror. This is a great adventure...though compared to the original 9-10 issue Brood saga....this 3 parter seems a bit short.

The Madelyne Pryor dream sequence leaves so many questions. What is that computer doing? [B] Gateway appears in her dream. Notice his bull-roarer has more power in the dreams-state. Interesting....wouldn't you say? Marvel seems intent on explaing the Madelyne/Scott/Jean relationship away. It was so sad what Cyclops does to Maddie here. Lesson here: don't EVER get married to mutants.

[CJ Lentze]

Haven't got much to say today about this Brood arc, but it's a great story, if only for the inclusion of the Reverend Conover... a positive sound from a religious character (perhaps needed after the departure of Nightcrawler).

david, I hope you're feeling better now than you did at the time you passed the baton to limerick. It's good you can still join us, but more important that you're feeling okay.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 233:

--The X-men goes Bi-Weekly.God,this title was popular back then!(EDIT!THANKS David r.)

--Is Storm going bald(pages 1 & 2 for example) or is she just waiting for the mohican to grow out fully?!

--Some great new Brood/Mutant hybrids from Claremont.Particularly like Temptress--she's awesome.Shame they probably won't come back for another appearance as Brood = bye-bye.

--As usual Storm is Claremont's teacher's pet.She manages to resist Temptresses pheromones (page 6)while Rogue is overcome by Temptresses personality when she touches her skin(page 8).Mathematical conclusion:Storm has greater force of personality than Rogue.(Debate!)

--William Conover.He seemed to play such a big part in this story I was convinced he was going to play a major role in the X-Men's lives for the next couple of years.Was I right?Wait and see!

--How are the X-men going to keep their comebacks out of the media?Okay,they can't be caught on film but there must be thousands of eyewitnesses to martyrs who had featured on every newspaper/magazine cover/television story over the previous few weeks----they were superstars, for crying out loud.How can they not be exposed as back in action.I mean how many guys like Colossus are there?

--Very extended dream sequence from Madelyne.I feel Claremont has a soft spot for her and was keen to determine how things panned out for her.That was why he 'swiped' back her character whose natural home would have been 'X-Factor'.

--I used to think Gateway stayed on the hill the whole time but, in fact,he seems to come down to the base almost every issue at the moment.

--Poor Havok.He's always been a reluctant hero.I must say he's one of my favourite X-men.(I just love his costume!Like to see one of those headgears at Comic-con!)He works through his misgivings about using his powers to do what he thinks is best for the team.Good guy!

--Page 29.That's a great image where Colossus strides out of the fire holding Brickbats body.(No Havok-like reluctance to kick ass from Peter).Silvestri's really coming into his own.I really loved his work on this Brood story.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/39034281140_1.gif

One of the X-Men's few forays into horror. This is a great adventure...though compared to the original 9-10 issue Brood saga....this 3 parter seems a bit short.

The Madelyne Pryor dream sequence leaves so many questions. What is that computer doing? [B] Gateway appears in her dream. Notice his bull-roarer has more power in the dreams-state. Interesting....wouldn't you say? Marvel seems intent on explaing the Madelyne/Scott/Jean relationship away. It was so sad what Cyclops does to Maddie here. Lesson here: don't EVER get married to mutants.
Hi,David

Re:Gateway.I found his appearance in her dream disturbing as if he forced his way into it.Is he trying to make her see reality?--i.e. that Scott is back with Jean and that she must accept this.It's strange because in reality he seems to be trying to help her after the computer explosion but in her dream he is the catalyst for everything going wrong for her.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.234.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #234 ..............Late September 1988

"Glory Day"

Claremont/Silvestri

Mile High Diner,Denver,Colarado:The customers of the packed diner see a brief flash of light through the window before Dazzler and the Mutant Brood,Spitball ,come crashing through it.The human customers initially grab Dazzler thinkng she is a mutant attacking a human.But when Spitball blasts plasma bursts from his mouth all hell breaks loose.A second Mutant Brood,Whiphand,whose arms turn into bands of energy, joins the attack as does the teleporter ,Blindside.Despite the attempts by a customer to help her Dazz is greatly outnumbered.

Suddenly,Blindside is hit by four of Longshot's knives and Colossus takes Whiphand out.......permanantly.Storm then incinerates Blindside with a lightning bolt.Spitball flees the wrecked diner knowing the tide has turned.Rogue,still under Temptresses control ,helps him flee.Leaving the others to tidy up and help the wounded,Storm heads after them.

The X-men's Base,Austrailia:The view-screens in the computer room are displaying unconcious Madelyne Pryor's dream/nightmare about herself being turned into a featureless mannequin.Gateway stands over her watching her as he does in her dream......

The Dream Continues...:Gateway stands on a mountain far above the mannequin Madelyne.She approaches a fork in the road and takes the road away from the X-men's base further into the desert.The sun's intense heat burns off her featureless face exposing Madelyne underneath.She trips and falls down a hill into a lake in the middle of the desert.Sym is waiting for her and puts a black cloak over her naked body.He takes her into an ornately decorated building.When she asks him what's happening he says he's just visiting and that dreams offer insight into your true nature and access to your heart's desire.He holds up his fingernails and four different possible 'Madelynes' are visible in each nail.He tells her to choose one to hurt Scott as he hurt her and that it's only a dream so she can indulge herself.Accepting it's only a dream she chooses the 'evil Madelyne' fingernail.But then Sym tells her she's wrong about it only being a dream and stabs her with the fingernail and tastes the blood from the wound.Madelyne drops unconcious,now wearing a provocative black outfit.Sym says she has bound herself to him.....

Red Rocks Amphitheatre,Denver:William Conover has some stagefright before his ministry but his wife reassures him he will be fine.He again wishes he could do something for her painful arthritis.He exits onto the stage.His wife Hannah is approached by the paramedic,Josey Thomas,who says she has something that will help her arthritis......:eek:

High overhead,a mind-controlled Rogue flies by holding the Mutant Brood,Temptress and a seemingly unconcious Wolverine who is showing signs of the first changes to a Brood.Suddenly he comes to and takes Temptress out with his claws.Rogue in anger throws him hundreds of feet to the ground which he hits full force.Is it a fall too far for Wolverine who lies in a silent heap?

Harry Palmer,Spitball,Tension and Lockout take a car towards Red Rocks with a pheromone-controlled Psylocke.The car suddenly crashes into Colossus who was waiting around a bend in the road.Colossus is hit by a Spitball plasma burst but Spitball is in turn hit by a Storm lighning strike.Now Temptress is dead,Psylocke starts to recover from the mind-controlling pheromones.The Mutant/Broods and Harry Palmer run away knowing they are outnumbered.Storm is suddenly grabbed by Rogue who is still brainwashed.Dazzler is worried about hitting Storm and hurting her but feels she has no choice so she successfully fires a photon blast hitting Rogue and freeing Storm.

Red Rock Amphitheatre:Rev William Conover begins him service when Wolverine appears in front of the stage disorientated and transforming slowly to a Brood.The reverand approaches him believing him to be possessed by some demon.He prays for the demon to be cast out.Wolverine transforms to Brood form for a second and then his healing factor finally kicks in killing the Brood egg and returning him to normal.The Reverand and his flock believe a miracle has taken place.

Rev Conover is suddenly grabbed by Tension's extendable arms but Havok kills him with a plasma blast.Longshot just grabs Havok before he is hit by Spitball's own plasma burst.The blast hits a wall which falls on Spitball and Lockout killing them.Harry Palmer is on the stage.He has taken Mrs. Conover prisoner and threatens her with death unless they let him go.Suddenly ,Wolverine bursts through the stage floor freeing Mrs. Conover and grabbing Harry Palmer to the area beneath the stage.As Wolverine is about to kill the Brood he switches back to human form and an oblivios real Harry Palmer is frightened for his life .But Wolverine knows he has no choice and kills him.

Rev Conover rushes to his wife worried fr her but she is fine.In fact she s better than fine--her arthritis is seemingly cured.William wonders if he has been granted healing powers by God.Bizarrely,Trish Tilby suddenly arrives and when she asks William were they attacked by mutants he in fact tells her that they were saved by a band of mutants.He makes a plea for improved human/mutant relations.Josey Thomas grins evilly in the background.....

The X-base,Austrailia:The X-men arrive home.Wolverine congratulates Havok on a job well done but Alex is sick at having to kill.Unknown to them ,Madelyne lies unconcious belw them,transfigured by a dream that's fast on the way to becoming reality.....


FIN

[david r]

david, I hope you're feeling better now than you did at the time you passed the baton to limerick. It's good you can still join us, but more important that you're feeling okay.

I'm feeling okay. But I really need to limit my computer time. Even 30 minutes sitting here will bother my pain. I'm trying to figure out someway to alleviate this problem but nothing I've tried works. But thank you Schuimend for remembering me.

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 233:

--The X-men goes Bi-monthly.God,this title was popular back then!

Limerick, it goes Bi-weekly. Not Bi-monthly. :) A book that could barely sell 6 issues a year during the 1970s is, by 1988, the most popular superhero comic book on the planet. And along with Amazing Spider-Man and GI Joe , was singled out for bi-weekly status during the summer months of 1988. UXM would go bi-weekly the next 3 summers.

I liked this Brood story a lot. UXM #234 is pretty disarming. Notice the title's here... "Dawn of Blood". "Glory Day". I wonder if the next installment would have had "Night" in the title!?

--William Conover.He seemed to play such a big part in this story I was convinced he was going to play a major role in the X-Men's lives for the next couple of years.Was I right?Wait and see!

Reverend William Conover and his Glory Day Ministries seemed to be planned for a future story. William believes he cured Wolverine and his wife's arthritic hands using the power of the Almighty God. And of course, something happened between that dark-haired nurse and Hannah ! It was pretty apparent from Page 29, UXM #234, that this was a subplot for later use.

Does Conover use his ministry to help mutants? Is his wife now impregnated with a Brood egg? Would she have burst into a Brood on stage, sending anti-mutant people into a spasm of violence ("We told you so!! Mutie-Lover!!") I think Chris Claremont had planned a future arc for them. I will add it to the Claremont's Abandoned Plots thread. HA!

Re:Gateway.I found his appearance in her dream disturbing as if he forced his way into it.Is he trying to make her see reality?--i.e. that Scott is back with Jean and that she must accept this.It's strange because in reality he seems to be trying to help her after the computer explosion but in her dream he is the catalyst for everything going wrong for her.

UXM #234 states Gateway can watch, yet cannot help Madelyne in her dream. Yet he DOES blow up her Alaskan house in UXM #233, with his Bull-roarer. So now we know Gateway can enter people's dreams. And *maybe* aid them, or hurt them. Plus, the Australian hi-tech computer is monitoring Madelyne Pryor's dream. It was the cause of Maddie hurting herself, in the first place.

Another thing: How did S'ym show up in Madelyne's dream. S'ym has never shown any powers to enter dreams! So many questions unexplained, even 20 years later.
__________________

[Anodyne]

Reverend William Conover and his Glory Day Ministries seemed to be planned for a future story. William believes he cured Wolverine and his wife's arthritic hands using the power of the Almighty God. And of course, something happened between that dark-haired nurse and Hannah ! It was pretty apparent from Page 29, UXM #234, that this was a subplot for later use.

Does Conover use his ministry to help mutants? Is his wife now impregnated with a Brood egg? Would she have burst into a Brood on stage, sending anti-mutant people into a spasm of violence ("We told you so!! Mutie-Lover!!") I think Chris Claremont had planned a future arc for them. I will add it to the Claremont's Abandoned Plots thread. HA!
The Conovers' story was indeed followed up later, in a special or mini--which also left Hannah's final fate unresolved.


UXM #234 states Gateway can watch, yet cannot help Madelyne in her dream. Yet he DOES blow up her Alaskan house in UXM #233, with his Bull-roarer. So now we know Gateway can enter people's dreams. And *maybe* aid them, or hurt them. Plus, the Australian hi-tech computer is monitoring Madelyne Pryor's dream. It was the cause of Maddie hurting herself, in the first place.

Another thing: How did S'ym show up in Madelyne's dream. S'ym has never shown any powers to enter dreams! So many questions unexplained, even 20 years later.
__________________
Didn't Claremont once say that he didn't like to have every explanation spelled out? I don't think we're supposed to know exactly how all this happened.

The narrative here gave me the impression that Gateway didn't help dream-Madelyne because that wasn't his job. I guess she was supposed to choose for herself, even though she lacked vital information, namely that this wasn't an ordinary dream.

As for S'ym, I think he orchestrated the dream. He'd recently become techno-organic, and I've always suspected he was manipulating the computers to show Scott with Jean right when the X-Men weren't there to comfort Maddie.

What I'm wondering is what Madelyne thought after she woke up. Did she realize what had happened to her? Or did she assume--as most people would--that it was all a horrific dream--including S'ym's declaration that "There are no dreams"? That might explain why she didn't talk about it; she probably figured the X-Men had more important things to do than act as her therapy group. Why didn't she tell them about seeing Scott and Jean on the monitor? Perhaps she suffered traumatic amnesia from from the electric shock that knocked her out; perhaps she repressed the memory because it was too painful to accept;or maybe she thought it was part of her dream.

Sadly, we don't know how long Madelyne struggled against the dark emotions that were arising in her before she snapped under the Genoshan interrogators' brutality, enabling the Goblin Queen to emerge. Then Mr. Sinister's cruel revelation finally drove her over the edge.

I hope your health improves, David.

[limerick]

David,I do hope you make a full recovery soon.I have noticed you're not posting as much which is a shame but your health is paramount.Hope you will be back to your best before too long as I always enjoy your well-thought out posts.

Regards Limerick.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 234:

--lots of good things about this issue but also lots of little flaws and story weaknesses.First,the good stuff.

--Love the kissing couple in Mile High Diner.Could you really be that into someone??!!

--Colossus snaps another neck(although a Brood one).He's thurning into quite the cold killer.

--It's weird how the computer displays Madelyne's dream?Is Sym's techno-virus combined with the breaking down of the Earth/Limbo barriers(touched on in #231)allowing him to access the computer?

--What are the other options Madelyne was given by Sym?There appears to be the possibilty of reverting to childhood and another where she is wearing a helmet--a flight helmet perhaps,as that has always been her dream.Would these other options have led her down a similar road to the one she eventually followed.i.e.did she really have a choice or would all options lead to the same end?

--Another classic cover by Silvestri.Almost as good as # 232.

--Nice touch where Claremont leaves the possibility of a future Brood story dangling--in fact not just dangling.Mrs. Conover and Joesy Thomas need to be dealt with---set Colossus on them!!

--Ilove the scene where Wolverines healing factor kicks in and Rev. Conover thinks he is working a miracle.In fact I feel Claremont may have introduced the minister just for this scene-it really works well.

--Harry Palmer's last moments are sad--Wolverine looks chilling on the last panel of page 27.

[limerick]

That was the good,now for the bad:

--The Brood tactics don't make sense.By limiting themselves to mutant hosts they are keeping their numbers small.They should be trying to expand exponentially by implanting as many people as possible, whether human or mutant.

--Also why doesn't Harry Palmer implant Rogue and Psylocke while they were willing hosts?They wanted mutants,didn't they??

--The Madelyne scenes are poorly explained.Is the computer explosion really an accident?How much control does Sym have?As Anodyne said ,Claremont wants some mystery but we deserve answers!

--Why does the Brood manifest itself in Wolverine so quickly?I thought his immune system would have meant a prolonged transformation(remember Xavier?) but his takes mere minutes.Also why doesn't Wolverine have that cool scarring he had after destroying the Brood egg last time?

--Why doesn't Psylocke sense Colossus around the corner and warn the Brood that they were about to crash into him?

--I'm always making mistakes but the editor should have picked this one up----page 25.A wall drops on Lockout and Spitball---the caption reads 'Tension and Lockout'.Bob Harras f**king up already!!

--Trish Tilby must be the world worst journalist if she doesn't figure out that was the X-men she just missed!And what was she doing there anyway.Isn't she based in N.Y.?

[limerick]

I did feel,BTW, that the Brood petered out a little in #234.After a strong menacing build-up in # 233 they just seemed to be beaten very easily in the end.The X-men(bar Wolverine!)barely broke a sweat!

[kk1]

One of my favorite Silvestri covers.

[david r]

Thank you Anodyne and Limerick on those kind words about my health. I take each day as it comes. On to more serious things....

Is Harry Palmer's name a gag?? :redface:

The narrative here gave me the impression that Gateway didn't help dream-Madelyne because that wasn't his job. I guess she was supposed to choose for herself, even though she lacked vital information, namely that this wasn't an ordinary dream.

As for S'ym, I think he orchestrated the dream. He'd recently become techno-organic, and I've always suspected he was manipulating the computers to show Scott with Jean right when the X-Men weren't there to comfort Maddie.


Interesting. Anodyne, I like how you call S'ym "Techno-organic". Looking at that Australian computer, the Silvestri artwork sometimes shows what appear to be organs running amongst the circuitry. There is even what looks like a heart hooked up to pumps/valves in either #232 or 233. Could it indeed be tied into S'ym and the Technarch Transmode Virus?

As for Gateway, his power is teleportation, but the theme of "dreams" runs through these issues. Gateway appears in her dreams, and the computer somehow is sees Madelyne's dream and shows it on the Monitor screen. Uncanny X-Men #229 mentioned the "Dreamlands". Gateway's power seems to revolve around our dreams-state. Even the X-Men delivering those "Christmas presents" in UXM #230 happened during night, and dream time. Curiouser and curiouser.


What I'm wondering is what Madelyne thought after she woke up. Did she realize what had happened to her? Or did she assume--as most people would--that it was all a horrific dream--including S'ym's declaration that "There are no dreams"? That might explain why she didn't talk about it; she probably figured the X-Men had more important things to do than act as her therapy group. Why didn't she tell them about seeing Scott and Jean on the monitor? Perhaps she suffered traumatic amnesia from from the electric shock that knocked her out; perhaps she repressed the memory because it was too painful to accept;or maybe she thought it was part of her dream.

Perhaps Madelyne blotted the memory out of her head. Or S'ym "influenced" her to forget, since he seemingly has control over her now. I'm sure if Madelyne remembered, she would tell the X-Men, so something is causing her absent memory.

[worstblogever]

Wolverine es muy macho, too macho to be knocked up by the Brood! Easy way to resolve the one character at risk.

The Madelyne stuff continues to intrigue, and be creepy as hell. Seeing Ilyana's demonic servant, S'ym, manipulating her is a bit curious. Does Limbo have a plan for Maddie? And is Magik involved?

Yeah yeah... wait and see.

[CallMeGeoff]

The Outback computer system does seem to have a mind of it's own. I never noticed the organic-looking parts before. Pretty kooky. I wonder if it is connected to Gateway somehow. He has these mysterious dream powers, and the computer system can apparently project images of people's dreams. A possible connection?

Also, Limerick using my best Vulcan logic, I calculate Annual #12 taking place next.

[limerick]

The Outback computer system does seem to have a mind of it's own. I never noticed the organic-looking parts before. Pretty kooky. I wonder if it is connected to Gateway somehow. He has these mysterious dream powers, and the computer system can apparently project images of people's dreams. A possible connection?

Also, Limerick using my best Vulcan logic, I calculate Annual #12 taking place next.
That is logical......

[Anodyne]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 234:
--It's weird how the computer displays Madelyne's dream?Is Sym's techno-virus combined with the breaking down of the Earth/Limbo barriers(touched on in #231)allowing him to access the computer?
That's what I think.
--What are the other options Madelyne was given by Sym?There appears to be the possibilty of reverting to childhood and another where she is wearing a helmet--a flight helmet perhaps,as that has always been her dream.Would these other options have led her down a similar road to the one she eventually followed.i.e.did she really have a choice or would all options lead to the same end?
If so, it makes Madelyne even more of a victim than I realized. :mad: There's a tradition, dating back at least to Bram Stoker's Dracula, that a deal with the devil or his minions must be entered into "freely and of your own will." Perhaps Maddie's sole avenue of escape would have been to refuse to play S'ym's game at all. But she had no way of knowing that. :frown:
--Harry Palmer's last moments are sad--Wolverine looks chilling on the last panel of page 27.
Imagine how chilling he must have looked to Harry! :eek: It was a brutal but necessary act on Wolverine's part.

Is Harry Palmer's name a gag??
Why do you think that? Does the name "Harry Palmer" have a significance I'm not aware of?
that Australian computer, the Silvestri artwork sometimes shows what appear to be organs running amongst the circuitry. There is even what looks like a heart hooked up to pumps/valves in either #232 or 233. Could it indeed be tied into S'ym and the Technarch Transmode Virus?

As for Gateway, his power is teleportation, but the theme of "dreams" runs through these issues. Gateway appears in her dreams, and the computer somehow is sees Madelyne's dream and shows it on the Monitor screen. Uncanny X-Men #229 mentioned the "Dreamlands". Gateway's power seems to revolve around our dreams-state. Even the X-Men delivering those "Christmas presents" in UXM #230 happened during night, and dream time. Curiouser and curiouser.
http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamtime.html
Perhaps Madelyne blotted the memory out of her head. Or S'ym "influenced" her to forget, since he seemingly has control over her now. I'm sure if Madelyne remembered, she would tell the X-Men, so something is causing her absent memory.
Or preventing her from talking about it even if she does remember.

Confession: I never noticed the organic-like elements in the computer's circuitry. :redface: I also missed the significance of Josey's actions until I read the sequel years later. I interpreted her grin as secretive, even mischievous, but not malicious. But it makes sense that the first person Harry turned would have been his partner. Since he chose to infect mutants, is it possible Josey really was a mutant healer before she was implanted with a Brood egg? Another sad case of goodness corrupted?

When are we going to see the Annual revisited? IIRC it was the only time the X-Men left the eight-pointed star "calling card" Maddie was designing when S'ym launched his sneak attack on her.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97904389460.12.GIF

Uncanny X-Men Annual #12

"Resurrection"

Claremont/Adams

PART 1 OF A 2-PART SUMMARY

The Outback,Austrailia:Storm suddenly takes off at phenomenal speed.Such is the force of the winds she is generating that when Longshot looks out the window to see what's happening ,he is sucked high into the air by the backdraft.Realising that his life is in danger Dazzler reacts quickly by using a photon blast to direct her into the air after him.When she grabs him she then uses intermittent photon blasts to slow her descent to the earth.They land with a bump but alive.

Psylocke tries to contact Storm telepathically but she will not respond.Rogue flies after her to try and catch her.Madelyne uses the computer to track her progress and the X-men see she is heading for The Savage Land.

The X-men change into warmer clothing and Gateway teleports them after Storm.

The Savage Land:The X-men(minus Madelyne) arrive at their destination but instead of the jungle enviorment they expect to find they arrive in a barren landscape void of vegetation.Wolverine confirms that they are actually in the Savage Land by recognising mountain ranges.He gives Longshot a bit of human bone from the ground and asks him to read it with his psychometric power.Longshot 'sees' a stampede of dinosaurs ,a giant metallic figure destroying all around him and finally everything being destroyed in a hail of fire.Colossus boils with rage at the thought of the death of his former lover,Nereel .Wolverine tells the others that this happened months ago and wasn't the reason for Storm's sudden departure.Psylocke tries to contact Storm and Rogue and also tries to detect if anyone is left alive.Suddenly, the ground begins to shake beneath them.......

Not So Long Ago,Not So Far Way:The High Evolutionary walks through the barren Savage Land.He comes across a plant growing in the the barren earth and concludes that the jungle landscape may regenerate.Suddenly,the giant robotic figure of Terminus rises from the ground grabbing the High Evolutionary.Suddenly the X-men arrive and they try to free the HE from Terminus's grasp.They meet with little success until Rogue arrives and rescues Longshot,Wolverine and The HE.At the same time Terminus is sent sprawling into a cliff wall by a Storm-generated hurricane.The cliff collapses on top of him ending the fight for now.

The HE thanks them and says he is trying to regenerate the Savage Land.Havok is amazed by the science behind this and takes up the HE's invitation to visit his base.While the rest of the X-men talk to him Longshot,who is suspicious of The HE, wanders of.He trips and seems to disappear into thin air.

The High Evolutionary's Base,The Savage Land:Havok and The HE arrive at the base on a flycycle.The HE explains a little of his scientific history and Alex finds him similar to Prof. Xavier in many ways and finds himself admiring his achievements.The HE introduces Alex to his assistant,Zala(wearing standard Marvel female assistant minimal clothing!).Alex feels she is looking at HIM strangely and wonders have they met before,although he's sure he would remember someone like her!The HE tells Alex he has gathered all critical elements for the Savage Lands regeneration but he needs a living being,preferrably a mutant,whose prrimal nature is in synch with the land's.Havok comments he may know such a person but he fears he is dead.

Meanwhile the X-men have just realised Longshot is missing.Wolverine and Dazzler head follow Longshot's scent while the others head for where Terminus was buried--Storm wants Psylocke to scan the robot to see if she can sense anything.As Wolverine follows Longshot's trail he suddenly disappears before Dazzler's eyes.She screams and Storm and Colossus race over to her .She explains what happened and Storm tells her she thinks she knows where Longshot and Wolverine are.She holds up a Cameo Crystal(as seen in Classic X-men)and suddenly a portal appears.Suddenly a huge animal's head appears through the portal.Colossus is about to attack it when Storm tells him the dog-like animal is actually an old friend,C'Jime .When she greets the creature it returns the greeting---he is intelligent!

FIN

PART 2 TOMORROW

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97904389460.12.GIF

Uncanny X-Men Annual #12

"Resurrection"

Claremont/Adams

PART 2 OF A 2-PART SUMMARY

The Savage Land:Storm greets her 'friend',M'rin who comes through the portal on a ship attatched to C'Jime's back along with many of the people of The Savage Land and Wolverine and Longshot.Colossus is delighted to find Nereel is alive amongst the survivours.She has a son....

Rogue and Psylocke are near Terminus when he suddenly awakes attacking them.The other X-men and M'rin's warriors as well as the airborne C'Jime join the battle.Storm comes up with a plan ,firstly summoning Havok,who arrives with The High Evolutionary.Then Rogue absorbs Longshot's power of luck by kissing him and absorbing his abilities.She then heads straight at Terminus and with the added luck strikes a direct blow to his huge robotic head,smashing it.Garrokk is revealed to be within the robot controlling it's actions.Rogue tries to absorb his psyche to render him unconcious but he resists.While this is going on Wolverine ,Havok and Dazzler combine their powers to destroy the robots repair systems and deliver the killer blow.Storm and Colossus rescue Garrokk and Rogue as they fall from the disintegrating Terminus.

Released from the Terminus robot Garrok suddenly comes through as the effects of Rogue's touch wear off.He has no memory of anything since his last encounter with the X-men and is shocked that he may have been responsible for the destruction of The Savage Land.The HE concludes that someone else is to blame.

Peter talks to Nereel and her son (who is obviously Peter's).She explains how M'Rin saved her and others of her people by bringing them through a portal to her world just before they were destroyed as were many of their kinsmen.They were well cared for in M'Rin's world(where time moves faster)but are redady to come home.The HE has a plan to restore The Savage Land.

At his Citadel,Garrokk volunteers to be used in the HE's device for restoring The Savage Land.Sacrificing his lifeforce the machine begins it's job.Wolverine is suspicious of the HE.Zaladene and some of Magneto's mutates watch from above hatching a plan that they will use the rebirth of The Savage Land to seize control of it.She swear's she will someday kill Storm(for an unspecified reason).The HE is aware of her treachary but feels he can control her.

Soon, The Savage Land is restored and M'Rin departs wishing Storm well.The X-men help the locals rebuild their village.Later Kazar and his family returns from his travels.He sees an obelisk with an eight-pointed star on it and when he asks about it ,Nereel tells him it is in honour of the 'legends' who helped them......

FIN

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men Annual # 12:

--God,it's beautiful.This is another Art Adams classic X-Annual.I could just look at his drawing all day.Bob Wiacek does a sterling job finishing,going as well to Adams pencils as Terry Austin did before him.Yum!!

--We are never really told why Storm dashed off so quickly to the Savage Land.Was it something to do with her Cameo Crystal--did it somehow tell her M'Rin was in the Savage Land.She acts very impulseively and out of character by bolting so quickly(actually endangering Longshot's life).

--Dazzler demonstrates a new use of her power ,using photon beams to project her into the air.If refined properly,She'll be able to fly!

--Madelyne is dealt with very little in this issue---obviously the happenings of the last ongoing issue are not being dealt with here.Hopefully, the next issue will explain more.

--Page 7--is that Gateway's first vocalization?"MMNN",he says.Not earth-shattering from a communication point of view!

--Terminus is pretty awesome.His size and repair speed make him a very formidible opponent.

--Again Claemont touches on Alex's scientific background here with him showing a natural interest in The High Evolutionary's experiments.Nice characterization from the master.

--Dazzler comes across as very girlish,screaming at anything that moves.I thought recent issues had moved her past that kind of behaviour.

--Is Peter so dense he couldn't spot all the clues that Nereel's kid is his son--I mean what doesthe guy need to make him see the obvious.She calls the kid 'Peter' for crying out loud.Maybe he's just avoiding child-support!:biggrin:

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men Annual # 12:

--Now the million dollar question--what exactly is the nature of M'Rin's and Storm's relationship?M'Rin calls her daughter but they seem more than that.Was there a physical relationship the first time they met.Storm's dash to the Savage Land seems it could only be motivated by VERY strong feelings.She even suggests she will one day leave the X-men to return to M'Rin.Any ideas?

--Zaladene's hot!!!Is this her Marvel debut?And she seems to be eying Alex strangely....Does she know him as he wonders himself?

--Garrokk.Claremont has always created some cheesy villains with Garrokk being high on the list and yet somehow he works.Nice to see him having something of a happy ending here(if you can call his sacrifice a happy ending)

--How did the mutates survive the Terminus destruction blitz???

--Zaladene........drool...........

[limerick]

That's what I think.

If so, it makes Madelyne even more of a victim than I realized. :mad: There's a tradition, dating back to Bram Stoker's Dracula, that a deal with the devil or his minions must be entered into "freely and of your own will." Perhaps Maddie's sole avenue of escape would have been to refuse to play S'ym's game at all. But she had no way of knowing that. :frown:

Imagine how chilling he must have looked to Harry! :eek: It was a brutal but necessary act on Wolverine's part.

Why do you think that? Does the name "Harry Palmer" have a significance I'm not aware of?

http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamtime.html

Or preventing her from talking about it even if she does remember.

Confession: I never noticed the organic-like elements in the computer's circuitry. :redface: I also missed the significance of Josey's actions until I read the sequel years later. I interpreted her grin as secretive, even mischievous, but not malicious. But it makes sense that the first person Harry turned would have been his partner. Since he chose to infect mutants, is it possible Josey really was a mutant healer before she was implanted with a Brood egg? Another sad case of goodness corrupted?

When are we going to see the Annual revisited? IIRC it was the only time the X-Men left the eight-pointed star "calling card" Maddie was designing when S'ym launched his sneak attack on her.
Anodyne,great link about 'Dreamtime'---explains a lot.Like you I didn't catch the organic-type nature of the computer tech.(Did get the Josey reference though!).

--Tough times ahead for Madelyne????

RE:Harry Palmer.Was that the name of a character played by Michael Caine??

[david r]

Limerick, You are doing a fabulous job. I couldn't have done these reviews better. Keep up the great work, and I'm very proud of you. :smile:

Anodyne, That is AWESOME that link to the Australian Dreamtime. I will really read over that because I think this really will explain Gateway more.

As for Harry Palmer, haven't you ever heard if a boy spends too much time *alone in the bathroom* with dad's girlie magazines, he will get harry palms?? I just wondered about that name "Harry Palmer" ! :redface:

[worstblogever]

I wonder if they know about Maury Povich's "You are/are not the father!" episodes in the Savage Land. Nereel's gonna have to put Colossus on one for a paternity test. Piotr is so thick, it hurts.

[Anodyne]

Glad you liked the Dreamtime link, Limerick and David R. :smile:

If anyone's wondering why the X-Babies are mentioned on the cover, IIRC they were in a backup story. Thanks to Roma, Mojo could no longer spy on the X-Men through Psylocke's bionic eyes; so he created the X-Babies to replace them in his entertainment programming.

[limerick]

Limerick, You are doing a fabulous job. I couldn't have done these reviews better. Keep up the great work, and I'm very proud of you. :smile:

Anodyne, That is AWESOME that link to the Australian Dreamtime. I will really read over that because I think this really will explain Gateway more.

As for Harry Palmer, haven't you ever heard if a boy spends too much time *alone in the bathroom* with dad's girlie magazines, he will get harry palms?? I just wondered about that name "Harry Palmer" ! :redface:
Thanks,David.I appreciate that.

[limerick]

Glad you liked the Dreamtime link, Limerick and David R. :smile:

If anyone's wondering why the X-Babies are mentioned on the cover, IIRC they were in a backup story. Thanks to Roma, Mojo could no longer spy on the X-Men through Psylocke's bionic eyes; so he created the X-Babies to replace them in his entertainment programming.
Yes there is an X-Babies story and another installment of the High Evolutionary origin story.But I'm not going to bother covering that story.As you mention the main thing of note is the Psylocke Bionic eyes situation and that Richochet Rita is freed by the X-Babies.

[limerick]

I wonder if they know about Maury Povich's "You are/are not the father!" episodes in the Savage Land. Nereel's gonna have to put Colossus on one for a paternity test. Piotr is so thick, it hurts.
LOLOL!I'd like to see that episode!

[CJ Lentze]

(...) screaming at anything that moves.I thought recent issues had moved her past that kind of behaviour.It's especially curious since she seemed pretty tough and together in her very first appearance, facing and fighting the Hellfire Club goons without even batting an eyelash. And that was written by Mr. Claremont as well.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.235.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #235 ..............Early October 1988

Back Tomorrow With The Genosha Debut Issue---# 235

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.235.GIF

[B]Uncanny X-Men #235 ..............Early October 1988

"Welcome to Genosha........"

Claremont/Leonardi

An Airport,Genosha:A man holding an infant runs towards the airport perimeter,trying to evade Magistrate helicopters who are trying to catch him.He scales the fence and places the baby in the hold of an Austrailia-bound aeroplane.Not wanting his son to be discovered before he takes off for freedom,he then runs from the plane but is spotted.The Magistrates try to capture him but it turns out he is a mutant and he demonstrates great strength throwing one of their ground vehicles at one of the helicopters ,destroying both.The Magistrates take him out with extreme force and the mutant watches his sons plane take off as he breathes his dying breathe.The Magistrates report the escaped mutant terminated.

The Outback,Austrailia:Three Genoshan agents(The Press Gang) wait by their small plane for the arrival of Jenny Ransome,a Genoshan mutant they have been sent to capture.One of them reads a newspaper article about a stowaway baby on an aeroplane found in Austrailia.Their leader tells them they will recover the baby as well after they capture Ransom.

Madelyne Pryor flies the Flying Doctors Aeroplane towards their latest call.She is filling in for the regular pilot.Accompanied by Nurse Jenny Ransome,she lands at the site to find the aforementioned Press Gang waiting for them rather than a medical emergency.They immediately capture Jenny but Madelyne makes a dash for the plane and manages to send a distress call to the X-Men.Before she finishes,Punchout picks up the plane and sends it careering towards a nearby hut destroying the plane and the building.Madelyne escapes but is dazed.On the Press Gang aeroplane Pipeline uses his abilities to transport first Jenny ,then Madelyne to Genosha by reducing them to binary code and transmitting them down the phone link he has established.

Not long after,Rogue arrives to find the burning aeroplane.She 'transmits' it's location to Psylocke telepathically and almost instantly,Gateway teleports Wolverine and Storm to her.Wolverine,using his heightened senses instantly knows what happened and that Madelyne and Jenny were captured and taken away,not killed in the plane.

The X-men's Base,The Outback:Using the information from Wolverine,Havok manages to trace the Press Gang's aeroplane on their computer system.

Sydney International Airport:The rest of the X-men teleport in to join Storm and Wolverine who are at the aeroplane which they think capturedMadelyne.But Wolverine feels something is up because Madelyne and Jenny's scents are older than the other three occupants....

Later that night Wolverine and Rogue follow the kidnapper's trail into Sydney.They arrive at a hospital and enter ,disguising themselves as a nurse(Rogue) and a patient(Wolverine).Wolverine leads them to the paediatric ward where they bump into Punchout.They tangle briefly until Rogue absorbs her powers/psych.Wolverine finds the other two Press Gang members in another adjoining room.They are trying to steal the baby.Pipeline dials up a Magistrate who blasts Wolverine and Rogue with a high-powered weapon which sends them flying unconcious through the wall of the building.Pipeline then calls up a full troop of Magistrates.

The other X-men are alerted by Psylocke losing telepathic connection with Wolverine and Rogue.There follows a long battle where the X-men discover the Magistrates care little about civilian casualties when carrying out their duty.However,they win out leaving the Magistrates tied up in a bunch of iron girders for the local authorities to find.While this is happening Hawkshaw,Punchout and Pipeline escape through the back door.They happen to stumble upon the unconcious Wolverine and Rogue and Pipeline transports them to Genosha to be added to the 'genepool'.The Press Gang themselves follow via the same transport.

The Magistrates are found by the local police along with the X-men's new calling card---an eight pointed star........

FIN

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 235:

--Silvestri takes another enforced break--not surprising considering the bi-weekly schedule.It's becoming a standard pattern.Silvestri 3-4 issues then Leonardi comes in for one.....DOUBLE TEAM!!!

--Sad story at the start about the father trying to save his son.Is the baby safe atthe end or did Pipeline manage to send him back to Genosha??Just checked.He did,the B*****d!His father died for nothing.Do we find out what happens to that kid?

--The whole Genosha affair happens because Madelyne volunteers for the Flying Doctor service.If she hadn't would the Inferno storyline never have happened?Did her charitable deed cause all the mayhem to come?

--BTW,what happened with Madelyne.At the end of #234 she was lying seriously injured in a pool of her own blood about to be discovered by the returning X-men.But no mention of this in Annual #12 or #235.I felt at this stage Claremont was being given too free a rein by the editor.Okay,he was seen as a god at the time with huge untopped sales.But stories must be explained properly.We can't be left to fill in blanks which are too vague to fill.This became more of a problem in the last couple of years of his run.

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #235:

--Are the Press Gang themselves mutants?It would seem strange they would do the Magistrates bidding against their own kind especially when the Magistrates are so racist and violent towards mutants.

--One thing I was wondering was about the way Pipeline transports Wolverine and Rogue at the end.He converts them to binary codeand then transports them via a computer modem.But would the computer recognise the X-men as they are invisible to all tecnology.So would the computer actually recognise them in binary form.Does Roma's influence extend that far????

--Havok seems to be developing quite the crush on Maddie.But what about Polaris.He never writes....he never calls.....

--Rogue totals another uniform--a nurses one this time.In fact there seems to be an error there.In the first frame of pg. 18 her nurses uniform rips as she grows in size.She is definitely not wearing her uniform underneath as flesh can be seen as it comes apart(*limerick rubs his hands in glee---at last Rogue NAKED!!!!*)HEY NO FAIR!Page 19,first panel---as the uniform falls off her X-uniform has suddenly returned.:mad:

--Is it just me or does Psylocke's new uniform look a little ridiculous----I'm not getting the armoured shawl effect.

--Finally,why is Wolverine's healing Factor so slow kicking in after he's hit by the Magistrates gun?He's taken a lot more than that and been up-and-at-'em after a few seconds!

[Disco Jess Minge]

One of the X-Men's few forays into horror. This is a great adventure...though compared to the original 9-10 issue Brood saga....this 3 parter seems a bit short.



I disagree. 9 or 10 issues too long for a story arc. I liked this arc much better as it was shorter and Marc Silvestri drew some really badass Brood. The lack of establishing how the X-Men knew about Harry Palmer at the beginning can be a little jarring, but it doesn't really distract from the story. Also the Claremont that writes this is totally a different animal than the one who wrote the first Brood story back then but still is capable. It has the feeling of the X-Men pre-DPS, but with the late 80s hyperviolent movie sensibility.

[Imraith Nimphais]

I must read this issue tonight, when I get home...sadly, I have fallen behind...one thing though, half-nekkid Colossus!...siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh...:-))

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.236.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #236 ..............Late October 1988

WOLVERINE AND ROGUE GET AWAY FOR A QUIET BREAK TOGETHER---CHECK OUT THE HOLIDAY SNAPS!!!

BACK WITH 236 TOMORROW

[limerick]

I must read this issue tonight, when I get home...sadly, I have fallen behind...one thing though, half-nekkid Colossus!...siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh...:-))
Looks about 15/16ths naked Colossus to me!

[Anodyne]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 235:
--The whole Genosha affair happens because Madelyne volunteers for the Flying Doctor service.If she hadn't would the Inferno storyline never have happened?Did her charitable deed cause all the mayhem to come?
Good question. If Maddie hadn't been subjected to the "excruciating" (as we were told much later in Cable Vol. 1, #26) Genoshan mutate bonding process, followed by mind-rape by their pet telepath, would she have held out longer against the dark influences encroaching on her mind?

--BTW,what happened with Madelyne.At the end of #234 she was lying seriously injured in a pool of her own blood about to be discovered by the returning X-men.But no mention of this in Annual #12 or #235.I felt at this stage Claremont was being given too free a rein by the editor.Okay,he was seen as a god at the time with huge untopped sales.But stories must be explained properly.We can't be left to fill in blanks which are too vague to fill.This became more of a problem in the last couple of years of his run.
The very fact that we're not shown the aftermath of Madelyne's nightmare ordeal leads me to believe she didn't consciously realize what was going on. It's like carbon monoxide poisoning or a slowly advancing disease: One doesn't realize the peril until it's too late. David R and I have already speculated on why she might not have remembered what had really happened. It seems likely to me that she regained consciousness, found herself lying on the floor still wearing that new blue dress, and thought, "Omigod :eek: what a nightmare!" All she may have known to tell the X-Men was that she'd cut her hand, or maybe suffered an electric shock from a computer short circuit.

Since we don't know how much time passed between the end of #234 and the beginning of #235, we can't know how long Maddie struggled against the insidious influences that were gradually taking over her mind.

[limerick]

Good question. If Maddie hadn't been subjected to the "excruciating" (as we were told much later in an issue of Cable Vol.?, #?) Genoshan bonding process, followed by mind-rape, would she have held out longer against the dark influences encroaching on her mind?


The very fact that we're not shown the aftermath of Madelyne's nightmare ordeal leads me to believe she didn't consciously realize what was going on. It's like carbon monoxide poisoning or a slowly advancing disease: One doesn't realize the peril until it's too late. David R and I have already speculated on why she might not have remembered what had really happened. It seems likely to me that she regained consciousness, found herself lying on the floor still wearing that new blue dress, and thought, "Omigod :eek: what a nightmare!" All she may have known to tell the X-Men was that she'd cut her hand, or maybe suffered an electric shock from a computer short circuit.

Since we don't know how much time passed between the end of #234 and the beginning of #235, we can't know how long Maddie struggled against the insidious influences that were gradually taking over her mind.
Anodyne,I think you're right about her not remembering the dream or at least not knowing that it has affected her in some way.But I was under the impression that her injury from the computer explosion was serious ,possibly even life-threatening.I just thought this would warrant some sort of storyline contribution--i.e. a follow up about how they found her/helped her with her injuries.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.236.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #236 ..............Late October 1988

"Busting Loose"

Claremont/Silvestri

Citadel(Headquarters of Genoshan Security),Genosha:Rogue and Wolverine teleport in (naked!!!!)from Austrailia ,having been sent by Pipeline.The sedation subroutine Pipeline incorporated into the binary code has not worked and the two immediately begin kicking Magistrate ass(or arse for readers this side of the Atlantic!).And there is plenty of ass to kick with huge numbers of the Magistrates present.Getting a royal beating the Magistrates fall back and try to seal The 2 X-men in by closing a huge metal door.But they make short work of it and burst into an area where mutants are held while waiting to be processed.Madelyne Pryor and Jenny Ransome(wearing some kind of containment uniforms) get their hopes up for escape when they see Rogue and Wolverine.Rogue rips the doors of their prison cells,her progress unaffected by two Magistrates who tryto grab her and just end up having their psychs absorbed.However,the sudden appearance of a dark clothed elderly man changes things.He calls himself Wipeout and he fires a beam from his hands at the two mutants.His power becomes immediately apparent when Rogue tries to move towards him----he has erased their superhuman abilities rendering them no more powerful then normal humans........

Elsewhere,Genosha:Philip Moreau tries to sleep but he is disturbed firstly by his alarm clock and then by the telephone.The Magistrates are calling from the Citadel looking to speak to his father,Dr. Moreau.Dr Moreau leaves his gardening to hurry to the Citadel,his airborne vehicle damaging his precious garden as he leaves.Philip orders a slave-like mutant gardener to fix the damage with his powers ,which he does.The gardener wears a similar uniform to Madelyne and Jenny and his head is completely shaven.

Dr. Moreau's office, TheCitadel:Dr Moreau recieves a debriefing on how the Press Gang had abducted two possible Austrailian superheroes(Wolverine and Rogue)as well as Ransome and the kidnapped baby.He is upset that things have not gone smoothly but is surprised when he cannot view them onscreen as they are invisible to all electronic devices.He heads down to the holding cells to view an unconcious Wolverine in one cell and an upset Rogue in another.Some of the guards 'processing' her 'had taken a few liberties'.Dr. Moreau is furious and tells his assistant,Chief Anderson,if it happens again she will pay the price for her troops misdemeanours...

Sydney,Austrailia:The Press Gang are intent on setting free the Magistrates captured by the Austrailian authorities at the end of the last issue.They approach the prison they are held in under cover of darkness.But unknown to them the X-men are at that very moment being teleported into the prison cell by Gateway.They ask the Magistrates for answers and when they refuse Storm orders Psylocke to get the information telepathically.She enters the minds of the three Magistrates and is shocked to learn the way mutants are treated in Genosha as slaves.Having accquired the information required she mind-blasts them inflicting great pain,so much so that Colossus tells her to stop for fear of killing them.The X-men depart as suddenly as they arrived, intent on finding their team-mates.Just behind them the Press Gang break into the jail ready to free their fellow countrymen.

The Outback,Austrailia:Storm ,Colossus and Psylocke arrive back at their base,relay what happened to Dazzler,Havok and Longshot and then Gateway teleports them immediately for Genosha.

In the X-men's computer room,a grainy image starts to flicker on the computer screen.Gradually the demon,N'astirh,materialises.He says S'ym has sent him regarding 'special' merchandise that Madelyne might be interested in but, as there is no-one present , he will call back again....

Genosha:Philip Moreau is out for a run when suddenly a government Magistrate strike team descends on a neighbours house arresting the family.He is shocked because it is the house of his friend ,Jenny,and her dad is a government minister.When he argues with the Magistrates about what they are doing ,one of the attack team grabs him and is about to beat him up.But a colleague recognises that he is Dr. Moreau's son and stops his violent actionsjust in time.The officer is very repentant,afraid of having to face the Genengineer's wrath.He asks Philip to try and forgive him,even offering a bribre.Philip,shocked at the brutality of the team runs away ,upset.

The Citadel:Rogue is extremely upset at her ordeal and withdraws mentally...........in her head she imagines herself surrounded by all the people whose psychs she absorbed in the past.They are out for revenge now she has lost her powers.Carol Danvers appears before her in her Ms Marvel uniform.She offers to take control of 'their' body for the moment as she is better suited to the situation.Rogue is worried Carol will not relinquish control afterwards but Carol tells her that there is no choice and she'll have to trust her..........in the prison cell Rogue/Carol Danvers' eyes snap open alertly.

Soon after,the door opens and the 2 Magistrates who Rogue absorbed during the battle earlier enter the cell looking for revenge.They tell her they have disabled the cameras so no-one can see what's about to happen.Carol/Rogue takes that oppurtunity to quickly knock the two of them out.She starts to take their uniforms off....

She heads for Wolverine's cell where she finds him in very bad shape.His body is barely coping without his healing factor.He tries to convince her to leave him behind but she won't hear it.Wearing the two Magistrate uniforms they head out for Madelyne and Jenny's cells but they are not there.

The Moreau Residence:Philip has used his father's private computer to get access to confidential Magistrate files on Jenny Ransome.She is being prepared to be altered genetically to maximise her natural mutation and to make her suitable for industrial work in one of Genosha's factories.Dr Moreau walks in telling his son the information is confidential.Philip asks how he could have done this to her--they were practically engaged.They had both both taken the mutant gene test together and had passed negative.Dr. Moreau tells him that Jenny was ,in fact,gene-positive and that her father had switched results with another girl who had taken the test.When that girl was put through the modification process she had died because she was human,not a mutant.He tells Philip than Jenny's mutation is latent and would probably only affect her children but that the modification process will make her useful to Genoshan society.Philip begs his father to not go through with it but Dr. Moreau tells him it's done.

A Genetic Lab,The Citadel:Jenny and Madelyne are strapped to beds wired up for modification.Suddenly,N'astirh appears on a viewscreen askin Madelyne if he has called at an inconvenient time.She tells him,"Later" at wich the viewscreen explodes knocking out the electricity supply to the building.

Outside in an aircraft hanger,Wolverine and Carol/Rogue overcome some Magistrates and manage to steal an aircraft.They make their escape.....


FIN

[almozayaf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_X-Men_comics
wikipedia know

[Anodyne]

Anodyne,I think you're right about her not remembering the dream or at least not knowing that it has affected her in some way.But I was under the impression that her injury from the computer explosion was serious ,possibly even life-threatening.I just thought this would warrant some sort of storyline contribution--i.e. a follow up about how they found her/helped her with her injuries.
We don't even know if the X-Men knew Madelyne had been injured; they never mentioned it. For all we know, she could have awakened alone, picked herself up and gone to join them. As for the extent of her injuries, we know only that she punched her fist through the monitor screen and fell unconscious. Keep in mind that S'ym didn't want Maddie dying just yet; if he was manipulating the computers, he could have made sure her injuries were not life-threatening. Or perhaps she was healed by the same latent genetic or Phoenix-Force powers that saved her after Scalphunter shot her. Whatever the explanation, Claremont evidently didn't consider it worth mentioning. Maybe at this time he wanted the X-Men to remain oblivious that anything was going wrong with Madelyne.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 236:

--An instant classic and possibly my favourite issue since Byrne left ages ago.There are a few that stand up with it(#200 springs to mind) and I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea but, for me,this blows 'Fall of The Mutants' out of the water.Fantastic storytelling from Claremont.How does he fit so much into so little space.He introduces Philip and Dr. Moreau effortlessly.It would take others several issues to achieve this level of characterisation.Also the society of Genosha is introduced properly like some horrific Nazi/1984 hybrid,Of course,one has to ask why Genosha hasn't been mentioned in the X-men before considering the way mutants are treated there.Would Magneto have stood by and let this happen---I doubt it.But we'll let that slight flaw slide.

--Silvestri excells here as well.It's his best work on Uncanny so far.Standouts for me include the brilliant cover(What Magistrates show their friends at the bar),Rogue managing to look strikingly different when Carol or Rogue are in the driving seat and finally Wolverine sans healing factor----boy,he looks like death warmed up!

--I finally get to see Rogue naked.....Good times!:biggrin: She is obscured by Magistrates,bits of steel and pyrotechnic effects....Bad Times!:frown: .Have towait till next time I suppose.....

[CJ Lentze]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 236:

--An instant classic and possibly my favourite issue since Byrne left ages ago.There are a few that stand up with it(#200 springs to mind) and I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea but, for me,this blows 'Fall of The Mutants' out of the water.Fantastic storytelling from Claremont.How does he fit so much into so little space.He introduces Philip and Dr. Moreau effortlessly.It would take others several issues to achieve this level of characterisation.Also the society of Genosha is introduced properly like some horrific Nazi/1984 hybrid,Of course,one has to ask why Genosha hasn't been mentioned in the X-men before considering the way mutants are treated there.Would Magneto have stood by and let this happen---I doubt it.But we'll let that slight flaw slide.

TO BE COMPLETEDNo one beyond the Genoshan authorities and magistrates seems to be aware of the circumstances in which the Genoshan mutants live. I do agree that the suits, the shaven heads, and the tattooed numbers should ring an alarm in most people upon seeing it. Was it mentioned that Genosha was a popular place for tourists to visit? It does appear to be selling itself, but I don't know how many new citizens it accepts.

Another point of interest about Genosha not having been mentioned before, would concern the amount of time that would go into establishing such a large mutant slave caste... but that's an issue to be discussed after the reviews for the next 2 issues.

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 236:

--On a more serious note,Rogue's uncomfortable experience at the hands of the guards is moving.It's easy to forget how young she is(ret-conned from her first X-men appearance,surely?).She seems very vunerable without her powers.

--Carol is awesome ,though.It would make you want to see her more.She always was a great character.Claremont did have a soft spot for her.

--I find Philip's surprise at the guard's willingness to assault him and his shock at Jenny's inevitable fate a bit hypocritical.He knows how the system works--he's lived his life through it .Why is he learning so many new lessons in one day----So Claremont can have a Genoshan character we relate to???I relate to the slave guy who fixes his lawn!Philip,me thinks you're a bit of a scumbag whose only bothered because what's happening is happening to your girlfriend.If it was a neighbour you didn't know, you wouldn't blink an eyelid....

---Like The Press Gang,is Wipeout a mutant??If so it's such a betrayal of their kind.How do they get on with their Magistrate co-workers who make no secret of the fact they hate mutants?

--Finally,the Madelyne storyline is progressing with N'astirh dropping her calls.Things are beginning to look VERY abnormal where Madelyne is concerned.How much is she aware of the S'YM/N'astirh situation??

[kk1]

Probably my favorite story during the outback era, so much going on. Seeing Rogue and Wolverine have to deal with losing their powers makes for some great characterization. For all their bluster you get to see just how vulnerable and young Rogue is for once and I think all my favorite Wolverine stories have him either without his powers or Adamantium. And the whole Genosha concept, such a shame it was never as interesting again after this story.

[Anodyne]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 236:

--On a more serious note,Rogue's uncomfortable experience at the hands of the guards is moving.It's easy to forget how young she is(ret-conned from her first X-men appearance,surely?).She seems very vunerable without her powers.

--Carol is awesome ,though.It would make you want to see her more.She always was a great character.Claremont did have a soft spot for her.

--I find Philip's surprise at the guard's willingness to assault him and his shock at Jenny's inevitable fate a bit hypocritical.He knows how the system works--he's lived his life through it .Why is he learning so many new lessons in one day----So Claremont can have a Genoshan character we relate to???I relate to the slave guy who fixes his lawn!Philip,me thinks you're a bit of a scumbag whose only bothered because what's happening is happening to your girlfriend.If it was a neighbour you didn't know, you wouldn't blink an eyelid....

---Like The Press Gang,is Wipeout a mutant??If so it's such a betrayal of their kind.How do they get on with their Magistrate co-workers who make no secret of the fact they hate mutants?

--Finally,the Madelyne storyline is progressing with N'astirh dropping her calls.Things are beginning to look VERY abnormal where Madelyne is concerned.How much is she aware of the S'YM/N'astirh situation??
About Rogue, my understanding is that Claremont intended all along for her to be a teenager; but the artist(s), being told about the white stripe in her hair, drew her as an older woman.

I think there are quite a few people like Philip, who don't question the status quo until it affects them or someone they care about. But it is strange that the people of Genosha seem to accept a way of life that they know may put their own children at risk. Why aren't there more parents like the Ransomes, who try to protect their kids? The retcon says Sugarman did it, but I still find it hard to swallow.

[limerick]

Yes,life there would seem to be a lottery with humans the winners and mutants the losers.What's interesting is that Jenny Ransome is not technically a mutant---she's just carrying the mutant gene.She probably will never develop mutant powers if left alone.It's the fact that her children will probably be mutants that gets her put away.So the society is that severe on mutants that people who may breed mutants are punished---Harsh!

[Anodyne]

Yes,life there would seem to be a lottery with humans the winners and mutants the losers.What's interesting is that Jenny Ransome is not technically a mutant---she's just carrying the mutant gene.She probably will never develop mutant powers if left alone.It's the fact that her children will probably be mutants that gets her put away.So the society is that severe on mutants that people who may breed mutants are punished---Harsh!
It's hard to believe that anyone would willingly accept a system in which anyone's child might be at risk. Do they think it's okay because no one is exempt? And why aren't there more parents in the MU's America who refuse to turn their backs on their mutant sons and daughters? Has the anti-mutant propaganda really been that effective? :frown:

Philip Moreau reminds me of the words of Pastor Martin Niemoeller. Speaking of his experiences in Nazi Germany, he said,

In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

[limerick]

Wise words indeed--thanks for that great quote.

I must say Claremont is not afraid to tackle the issue of racism and he really digs his teeth into it here.The creation of the new country ,Genosha ,is not something done too often by Marvel---they generally stick to real locations(Doctor Doom's and The Black Panther's kingdoms excluded.)but it is very well realised .As S.M. posted it's impossible for the mutant situation in Genosha to be kept secret from the rest of tthe world and would organisations such as the U.N. stand by and let this happen??Saying that, look at what they did about Zimbabwe.Adopted a policy of non-interference which would certainly not have happened if the country had assets like oil.etc.

[sbo]

great job on all of the synopses limerick, I've enjoyed reading them.

The genosha storyline is one of my favorites, great moments for both rogue and wolverine.

Uncanny #236 also has to be one of my favorite covers of any comic, I love silvestri's art.

[limerick]

great job on all of the synopses limerick, I've enjoyed reading them.

The genosha storyline is one of my favorites, great moments for both rogue and wolverine.

Uncanny #236 also has to be one of my favorite covers of any comic, I love silvestri's art.
Thanks for that.Agree very much about the cover.I love the look on the Magistrates faces and the bullets on the table beside the picture---there's a story behind this cover!

[worstblogever]

What happens to Rogue here is really more implied than anything. Wolverine says something about how they "rough her up" I believe, and she's found in a cell naked. Then guards come back looking for more "revenge".

It's pretty clear what the second visit, what they had in mind. The first, off-panel thing... I dunno, but this issue always bothered me, as a result. Barring the mental discussion Rogue has with Carol, to get out of the predicament being an interesting take on her powers... kind of gets overshadowed by what's actually happening tangibly.

[limerick]

What happens to Rogue here is really more implied than anything. Wolverine says something about how they "rough her up" I believe, and she's found in a cell naked. Then guards come back looking for more "revenge".

It's pretty clear what the second visit, what they had in mind. The first, off-panel thing... I dunno, but this issue always bothered me, as a result. Barring the mental discussion Rogue has with Carol, to get out of the predicament being an interesting take on her powers... kind of gets overshadowed by what's actually happening tangibly.
Actually,WBE,things happen slightly differently than that and Claremont makes a point of the fact there is no sexual abuse but an implication that it may happen to her and that is why she is so upset.

When Wolverine and Rogue arrive the transportation process has removed clothes so they are naked when they arrive.During the battle which occurs 2 Magistrates(one male,one female)try to grab Rogue and she absorbs their psychs.

After having her powers removed the next time we see Rogue she is in her cell,but clothed in one of the uniforms mutants wear under the Genoshan regime.She is not naked at anytime in her cell.

The Chief Magistrate(female)says,"I'm afraid some of my officers took a few...liberties when she was being processed.What they thought was fun,she evidently felt was something else".....doesn't sound good.

Claremont says,"All they did was touch her .Rude hands,ruder glances---taunting,promises of worse to come.She couldn't stop them"

Later,after Carol has taken 'control',the 2 Magistrates(one male,one female)arrive to "get even".I would assume this is to give her a beating rather than sexual abuse,because one of them is female.Anyway ,Carol sorts them out easily.

I would assume the guards she absorbed were different from the ones processing her.So he does actually explain what happened clearly rather than just implying it.He seems to be making a point of stressing there was no serious sexual assault.I must say re-reading this story has cleared it up for me because I was under the impression there was an assault of a more serious nature.(i.e.possible rape)

[worstblogever]

Actually,WBE,things happen slightly differently than that and Claremont makes a point of the fact there is no sexual abuse but an implication that it may happen to her and that is why she is so upset.

When Wolverine and Rogue arrive the transportation process has removed clothes so they are naked when they arrive.During the battle which occurs 2 Magistrates(one male,one female)try to grab Rogue and she absorbs their psychs.

After having her powers removed the next time we see Rogue she is in her cell,but clothed in one of the uniforms mutants wear under the Genoshan regime.She is not naked at anytime in her cell.

The Chief Magistrate(female)says,"I'm afraid some of my officers took a few...liberties when she was being processed.What they thought was fun,she evidently felt was something else".....doesn't sound good.

Claremont says,"All they did was touch her .Rude hands,ruder glances---taunting,promises of worse to come.She couldn't stop them"

Later,after Carol has taken 'control',the 2 Magistrates(one male,one female)arrive to "get even".I would assume this is to give her a beating rather than sexual abuse,because one of them is female.Anyway ,Carol sorts them out easily.

I would assume the guards she absorbed were different from the ones processing her.So he does actually explain what happened clearly rather than just implying it.He seems to be making a point of stressing there was no serious sexual assault.I must say re-reading this story has cleared it up for me because I was under the impression there was an assault of a more serious nature.

Left unchecked, they would have been the Genoshan equivalent of Charles Graner & Lyndie England. CC may have had to comment on this scene after the fact to clear it up... but I don't see how it could've appeared all that innocent to him, when he first turned it in to the edtior, or why editorial went ahead with it... what gets done to Rogue here, and what would've been done to Rogue is really over the top.

Then again, while editor-in-chief, Jim Shooter once wrote a story in Rampaging Hulk where he spends the night at a YMCA and two guys tried to rape him in the shower, so maybe it's not too surprising this could get through to the press.

[limerick]

We don't even know if the X-Men knew Madelyne had been injured; they never mentioned it. For all we know, she could have awakened alone, picked herself up and gone to join them. As for the extent of her injuries, we know only that she punched her fist through the monitor screen and fell unconscious. Keep in mind that S'ym didn't want Maddie dying just yet; if he was manipulating the computers, he could have made sure her injuries were not life-threatening. Or perhaps she was healed by the same latent genetic or Phoenix-Force powers that saved her after Scalphunter shot her. Whatever the explanation, Claremont evidently didn't consider it worth mentioning. Maybe at this time he wanted the X-Men to remain oblivious that anything was going wrong with Madelyne.
Anodyne,I've had a look back at issue # 234 and what led me to believe that she was seriously injured was a statement in the last panel where it is said that:

".....where Madelyne Pryor lies.....more than alive,less than dead..."

I wrongly interpreted that as saying she was more dead than alive.That along with the huge pool of blood under her led me to believe her injuries were life-threatening,but I think the quote above may be relating to her Spiritual state rather than her physical one.

[limerick]

WBE:"CC may have had to comment on this scene after the fact to clear it up..."

I think you're right.The comment seems forced somewhat as if he was made to clear up that there was no rape.I think slightly more is implied by the Chief Magistrates comment before that and hethen wrote this to possibly back-track a little.

Did 2 guys try to rape Bruce Banner?Boy, did they pick the wrong guy!!!

[worstblogever]

Did 2 guys try to rape Bruce Banner?Boy, did they pick the wrong guy!!!

A not-so-fine moment in comic book history! I love PAD's quote about it... here's the article:

http://www.lonelygods.com/h/80s.html

[limerick]

A not-so-fine moment in comic book history! I love PAD's quote about it... here's the article:

http://www.lonelygods.com/h/80s.html
Wow,what agreat link .The Northstar stuffs great as well.I'm really surprised how graphic the lanuage is.It's more than vague suggestion of what the two guys want to do to Bruce Banner.I know if I was reading that as a kid I'd be clueless and wondering waht exactly they were talking about!!

[worstblogever]

Wow,what agreat link .The Northstar stuffs great as well.I'm really surprised how graphic the lanuage is.It's more than vague suggestion of what the two guys want to do to Bruce Banner.I know if I was reading that as a kid I'd be clueless and wondering waht exactly they were talking about!!

I'm trying to find the link to more scans from the issue... but Bruce gets rid of the blonde guy to threatening to turn into the Hulk and accost him... pointing out the Hulk can even crush steel balls. Why he didn't say bend steel girders? Uh... I dunno. :redface:

EDIT: Found another link. Think this is the one.

http://www.gamespite.net/talkingtime/showthread.php?t=1269

[limerick]

I can't believe that was published in 1980--it'd be pretty shocking now!!It really is leaving nothing to the imagination.Would have preferred if he had changed into the Hulk in the shower room---more dramatic!!!

[Anodyne]

I'm trying to find the link to more scans from the issue... but Bruce gets rid of the blonde guy to threatening to turn into the Hulk and accost him... pointing out the Hulk can even crush steel balls. Why he didn't say bend steel girders? Uh... I dunno. :redface:

EDIT: Found another link. Think this is the one.

http://www.gamespite.net/talkingtime/showthread.php?t=1269
I remember that story. Marvel tried to cover their @$$es in the letter column of a later issue, by saying there were other gays present--including a policeman on the street corner. "You couldn't tell? There's a lesson there somewhere."

Limerick, I agree that the last panel of Uncanny #234 was referring to Madelyne's spiritual state.

Rogue may not have been raped, but unwanted groping is sexual assault.

[worstblogever]

Rogue may not have been raped, but unwanted groping is sexual assault.

Yeah, at least that. Poor Rogue. F'n magistrates.

[limerick]

I remember that story. Marvel tried to cover their @$$es in the letter column of a later issue, by saying there were other gays present--including a policeman on the street corner. "You couldn't tell? There's a lesson there somewhere."

Limerick, I agree that the last panel of Uncanny #234 was referring to Madelyne's spiritual state.

Rogue may not have been raped, but unwanted groping is sexual assault.
Yes,it is definitely sexual assault and to her,because of her normal inability to touch people,it would be an even greater violation.I hope I didn't belittlle what happened to her.I was just trying to determine exactly what happened to her and what may have happened to her if she didn't escape.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.237.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #237 ..............Early November 1988

"Who's Human?"

Claremont/Leonardi

Genosha:Magistrate vehicles track the moving craft stolen by Wolverine and Carol/Rogue.There are no lifesigns but since they have been immune to all scanners they send a man down on a winch to confirm.He narrowly avoids death as the craft has been rigged to explode when anyone attempted to open it---they are long gone.Back at the Citadel the Genengineer demands the Chief Magistrate have her men locate them A.S.A.P..They suspect they are spies for a foreign government trying to learn Genoshan secrets.Dr. Moreau studies medical test reults and says that Wolverine's show he is close to death....

In the city,Wolverine watches two Magistrates taunt a mutant garbage worker.He is disgusted at the Genoshan system which uses mutants as slaves to progress the economy.Carol/Rogue has changed into a revealing boob tube/miniskirt combo---her logic is people will remember her but not her face!They head for a bar frequented mostly by Magistrates off duty--they need to change their uniforms as the authorities will be lokking for their I.D. tags by now.A drunk Philip Moreau gets into a fight with some Magistrates and Wolverine takes advantage ,escalating the situation and then stealing as many I.D.'s as he can.As they leave the bar they see Philip thrown out onto the street by a bunch of Magistrates.Out of sight they watch as the Magistrates recognise him(now unconcious) as the Genengineer's son and plan to put him on the "Mutie Train" to teach him a lesson.Wolverine and Carol/Rogue follow them to a train station where Philip is put in one of the mutant skin suits and carried on board along with mutants being transported to the 'scanyard'.Wolverine and Carol/Rogue jump on board the moving train--Wolverine just makes it!

The Genengineer's Office,The Citadel:Dr Moreau has Jenny Ransome brought to his office.He tells her she has a duty to the state and that her latent mutant powers will be made active.She begs for him to release her saying it's slavery but he tells her Genosha relies on it's few mutants to keep the country going.He says mutants must be strictly controlled and what they do is a form of self defence against mutants destroying them.He orders her to be taken away for final processing saying that he is truly sorry....he had been looking foward to her becoming his daughter-in-law.

Psionics Examination Lab,The Citadel:Madelyne Pryor is undergoing a process where her mutant suit will be permanantly bonded to her body,acting as an identification marker as well as protecting her from injury and the elements.Before completing this process she is to be scanned by a telepath to gain as much information as possible--as he commences the scan she warns him,"Stay out of my mind,telepath!I'm warning you!!"........

Elsewhere,Genosha:The rest of the X-men teleport into Genosha landing in front of a convoy of Magistrates.They quickly deal with them and the plan is for Psylocke to probe their minds for information and then scramble their memories of seeing the X-men .But when she starts to use her telepathic powers she is hit by a psychic shock-wave knocking her off her feet....

The Citadel:The Genengineer rushes to the Psionics lab with some of his Magistrates alerted by an alarm.When they enter they find a scene of total destruction.The lab is in bits and the staff are slaughtered.Madelyne is stll tied to the examination bed where she was before.

The "Mutie Train":Wolverine gains access to the train through a door,using his claws to pick the lock.They find Philip Moreau but the mutants are starting to gang up on them.Fortunately,more Magistrates arrive.Wolverine explains that the Genengineer's son has been placed on board.The Magistrate Officer is keen to be free of the situatio and allows Wolverine and Carol/Rogue to take him away in a jeep when they reach the base.As they leave Wolverine promises he's,"Gonna bring this whole flammin' country down!"

FIN

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 237:

--Things are really hotting up with the arrival of the X-men and Wolverine and Carol/Rogue on the loose.This story really rocks!

--Great Leonardi art again.He really doesn't get the credit for the large part of the Outback X-men he pencilled.It's always talked of as Silvestri's run but it's a team effort really.Leonardi's drawn 3 of the last 7 issues.

--What is up with Madelyne?Is she carrying the Pheonix power as has been hinted at in the past???The devastation in the lab is the work of an extremely powerful being.

--One thing about the art was the very different renditions of the Genengineer by Silvestri and Leonardi.Leonardi's version is much stockier and he wears glasses.I prefer Silvestris .He seems more threatening somehow.More ruthless...

[limerick]

Actually,if I remember correctly,when I read this originally I was 100% convinced Madelyne would turn out to be Pheonix.The name of the upcoming crossover event--INFERNO--was the giveaway.That put it in my head--I felt so clever at figuring it all out!!(:rolleyes: )

[CallMeGeoff]

Actually,if I remember correctly,when I read this originally I was 100% convinced Madelyne would turn out to be Pheonix.The name of the upcoming crossover event--INFERNO--was the giveaway.That put it in my head--I felt so clever at figuring it all out!!(:rolleyes: )

I wouldn't feel too bad. As much as I love this era and especially Inferno, I get the feeling that even the writers and editors had barely figured it all out. Don't get me wrong, I think it's pretty impressive that they were able to come up with a solution to the continuity problems associated with Jean's return to life at all. And as far as last-minute retcons go, Inferno is probably at the top of the list in terms of quality. It's obviously not what was originally intended for these characters, but it was a darn compelling read!

[CallMeGeoff]

This arc is so good. I love Logan and Carol doing the spy thing (big fan of Carol Danvers when she's written well), I love the concept of Genosha (I even love bad Genosha stories, so this one is AWESOME), I love the little creepy moments with Maddie (it's painfully clear now that her 'dream' was anything but), and I love that rest of the X-Men basically kick ass and take names.

And Wolvie's pledge at the end is so cathartic. It feels good to know that this place is really getting under his skin and that he plans to do something about it.

X-Men is the greatest comic ever, OMG!!!!!

[Imraith Nimphais]

Ahhhh...a great time indeed to be an X-fan. All around compelling, interesting and entertaining...and Limerick was right...Rick Leonardi does not get enough credit for the fantastic art work he does in this run...henceforth, it will be known as the Silvestri/Leonardi Outback run.

[kk1]

Uncanny X-Men #237 ..............Early November 1988



Love that cover.

[Anodyne]

So Madelyne had not yet been bonded to her mutant suit? I hadn't realized that. It explains how she was still able to talk rationally while awaiting the procedure.
Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 237:
--What is up with Madelyne?Is she carrying the Pheonix power as has been hinted at in the past???The devastation in the lab is the work of an extremely powerful being.
Enter the Goblin Queen. With no information about time passing between Uncanny #234 and now, we can't know how long Maddie struggled against the dark forces rising within her soul. Could she have held out longer if she hadn't been traumatized by the Genoshans' pet telepath's attempted mind-rape? I don't know; but with her piece of the Phoenix Force already tainted when it came to her, and further corrupted by demonic magic, she was fighting against overwhelming odds. N'Astirh would have made sure that, sooner or later, the Goblin Queen would emerge
[B]
--One thing about the art was the very different renditions of the Genengineer by Silvestri and Leonardi.Leonardi's version is much stockier and he wears glasses.I prefer Silvestris .He seems more threatening somehow.More ruthless...
On the other hand, there can be something very chilling about an affable-looking little man who is capable of unspeakable deeds. He reminded me of Hannah Arendt's phrase, "the banality of evil," that ordinary people, not fanatics or psychopaths, can accept atrocities like the Holocaust--or the enslavement of mutants--as normal because their society accepts such things as normal.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.238.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #238 ..............Late November 1988

"Who's Human?"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Citadel,Genosha:Dr Moreau and his staff watch a video presentation of a psychic transcript from the mind of the examining telepath, who died while probing Madelyne PryorThe transcript shows how Madelyne percieves events during the the mental probe:

Madelyne is a young girl picking flowers when suddenly confronted by The Chief Gengineer and a group of Magistrates.They line up their weapons to shoot her,causing the 'Phoenix'-effect to flare in her eyes.As they fire on her she explodes into flames assuming the Phoenix form and destroying all of Genosha.The Chief Gengineer survives but is now wearing Mr. Sinisters outfit.He asks Madelyne,now dressed in a black revealing outfit,why she is dressed like that and what she wants.She tells him she's dressed as she likes to be and she wants him(the telepath) to warn his masters(Chief Genengineer) to be careful for when you strike a match sometimes you ignite an.....INFERNO!!She slays the dream Genengineer telepathically with worrying ease.

The Chief Genegineer is worried and angry over events.He asks Wipeout why he hadn't erased her powers but Wipeout says there was none for him to remove...

He goes to see Madelyne,back in her cell.When he asks her how and why she did what she did she says it was self defense.They argue briefly over the Genoshan Mutant policy,then the Chief Magistrate arrives to tell Moreau they have news about his son.....

Mutant Settlement Zone,The Highlands,GenoshaWolverine and Carol/Rogue(dressed in Magistrate uniforms)accompany Philip Moreau(dressed in a mutant bodysuit) in the Mutant prison.Philip is shocked at the condtions of what is effectively their home.Wolvie and Carol/Rogue comment on the fact that like the rest of Genoshans general population he has treated the mutants as machines that no-one really cares about.Suddenly, the Chief Magistrate arrives with a platoon iof Magistrates and takes them into custody.

Flying in an air-transport back to the Citadel,The Chief Magistrate tells Philip he has seen things he shouldn't have and his future is yet to be decided.Wolverine and Carol/Rogue had been discovered by the fact they were invisible on monitors,although clearly visible to the naked eye--their new powers have actually worked against them.The weather(ominously)deteriorates quickly making it difficult for them to land.

The Containment Cells,The Citadel: Madelyne tries to comfort Jenny Ransome who is about to undergo another transformation session.She is frightened at the changes which have started to occur already and when the Magistrates arrive to take her away,Madelyne threateningly says,"I'll see you all burn...."

Wolverine,Carol/Rogue and Philip are brought to the Chief Genengineer,passing the baby mutant who started all the trouble.Moreau wants answers but Wolvie and Carol/Rogue aren't talking.Philip argues with his father over the way mutants are treated but Dr. Moreau says it is necessary for a few hundred mutants to live that for the benefit of the general population.The Chief Magistrate says that like the rest of the population he has chosen to turn a blind eye to the country's mutant policies.Dr. Moreau asks his son to reconsider and for the country's future to accept the status quo.When Philip refuses his father warns him thathe will have to follow the law,despite Philip being his son.The Chief Magistrate tells Logan ,Wipeout will erase their memories and create a new one,compatible with being subservient to the state.Wolvie tells her he'll die first.....

At the Citadel's main gate Havok,Dazzler and Longshot arrive in disguise on a Magistrate transport.There is a torrential downpour caused by Storm,so intense that they do not check I.D.s at the main gate.Once inside they cut loose with Dazz blinding the Magistrates while Havok blows a hole in the wall for Storm,Psylocke and Colossus to enter through.

Inside Wolverine pops his claws and attacks while Carol/Rogue grabs a Magistrate gun and starts firing.

The X-men enter the facility having secured things outside.They will have to search for Madelyne,Wolverine and Carol/Rogue on foot as the building is PSI-shielded.At the cells Alex fins Philip who is looking for Jenny.They head off together looking for the 2 women.

Madelyne is in the creche holding the 'kidnapped' baby.She finds the artifical surroundings strangely familiar.The Genengineer appears holding a gun on her.She warns him about the possible ramifications if he shoots her,as the mental probing caused a severe reaction.As he fires Philip grabs his arm diverting the gunshot.He grabs the gun and holding it to his father demands to be brought to Jenny.

Outside the X-men,Philip and a transformed Jenny hold the Genengineer,Chief Magistrate and other Magistrates prisoner.Carol/Rogue has located Wipeout and Pyslocke mentally commands him to restore Carol/Rogue's and a dying Wolverine's powers.Wolverine immediately recovers,his Healing Factor kicking in.Wolverine wants to kill the Genengineer and his troops but Philip pleads with him to allow him to go public feeling that the public will enforce a change when they hear what has been happening.The X-men agree to this.Havok blows the Citadel to pieces but suddenly realises Madelyne may still be in there.

However,Madelyne appears seeming fine.She embraces Havok, kissing him.He asks her where the baby is but she tells him it's "all been taken care of".The X-men depart via a Gateway portal,bringing Philip and Jenny with them for their own safety.Wolverine issues them a final warning to change their ways or " there'll be blood".

FIN

[Jimmy'sFriend]

Those were the days when Storm knew what a good haircut was!

[limerick]

Those were the days when Storm knew what a good haircut was!
I like to call it a modified mullet...she's growing out the mohican!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 238:

--Great conclusion to the Genoshan story and things are winding up for INFERNO.

--Madelyne's psychic transcript reveals a lot.The Phoenix-entity features.It's looking more and more likely she has the Phoenix power or at least part of it.Her initial manifestation as a girl is strange as that was one of the options given to her on S'yms fingernails in her Dream Experience a few issues ago.Is she using this persona to hide the real darker persona underneath.

--Madelyne also seems to talk like Phoenix on page 18 when she says ,"I'll see you all burn first.".The syntax is the same as when Jean used to talk as Dark Phoenix way back in Claremont/Byrnes time.

--But hope for Madelyne is fading--what has she done with that baby at the end.Don't forget N'astirhs quest for powered baby infants at this time(more in NM,X-Factor and X-Terminators) and the fact she's in contact with him.Her hugging Havok and kissing him at the end--it feels a bit uncomfortable.She was married (and still is)to Scott, after all.

--So Philip does seem to have been ignorant of the true situation with mutants in Genosha.Like the Chief Magistrate,I have my doubts but he does seem sincere.I'll have to give him the benefit of the doubt!

--More nice Silvestri art here.Plenty of dark shading which reflects the dark nature of the tale(see pages 8-9 as Madelyne's face gradually disappears in shadow as if to reflect the darkening of her soul.At this stage her eyes are still out of shadow.But by pages 25-26 her eyes are now in shadow as well as if all hope is over.

--Another nice example is the picture of the Chief Genengineer on page 20.His featureless face reflects the dispassionate view of the state he is supporting.

--However,another function of the increased shading is to cut down on time---more shaded areas=less time.I'm sure Silvestri was under severe time pressure because of the bi-weekly publication.

--Havok is truly powerful!The way he blasts the Citadel was awesome.

--I had been wondering how Jenny Ransome was ignorant of the fact she was a latent mutant.I thought her father had sent her to Austrailia because of that and she would have had to have known.But in fact she had gone to Austrailia for other reasons---to provide nursing care as in her own country that profession had become obsolete due to the presence of mutant healers.

[worstblogever]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 238:

--Great conclusion to the Genoshan story and things are winding up for INFERNO.

--Madelyne's psychic transcript reveals a lot.The Phoenix-entity features.It's looking more and more likely she has the Phoenix power or at least part of it.Her initial manifestation as a girl is strange as that was one of the options given to her on S'yms fingernails in her Dream Experience a few issues ago.Is she using this persona to hide the real darker persona underneath.

--Madelyne also seems to talk like Phoenix on page 18 when she says ,"I'll see you all burn first.".The syntax is the same as when Jean used to talk as Dark Phoenix way back in Claremont/Byrnes time.

--But hope for Madelyne is fading--what has she done with that baby at the end.Don't forget N'astirhs quest for powered baby infants at this time(more in NM,X-Factor and X-Terminators) and the fact she's in contact with him.Her hugging Havok and kissing him at the end--it feels a bit uncomfortable.She was married (and still is)to Scott, after all.

--So Philip does seem to have been ignorant of the true situation with mutants in Genosha.Like the Chief Magistrate,I have my doubts but he does seem sincere.I'll have to give him the benefit of the doubt!

--More nice Leonardi art here.Plenty of dark shading which reflects the dark nature of the tale(see pages 8-9 as Madelyne's face gradually disappears in shadow as if to reflect the darkening of her soul.At this stage her eyes are still out of shadow.But by pages 25-26 her eyes are now in shadow as well as if all hope is over.

--Another nice example is the picture of the Chief Genengineer on page 20.His featureless face reflects the dispassionate view of the state he is supporting.

--However,another function of the increased shading is to cut down on time---more shaded areas=less time.I'm sure Silvestri was under severe time pressure because of the bi-weekly publication.

--Havok is truly powerful!The way he blasts the Citadel was awesome.

--I had been wondering how Jenny Ransome was ignorant of the fact she was a latent mutant.I thought her father had sent her to Austrailia because of that and she would have had to have known.But in fact she had gone to Austrailia for other reasons---to provide nursing care as in her own country that profession had become obsolete due to the presence of mutant healers.

Completing!!!!!

Hey Havok? Before you move in on Maddie? Remember Lorna?

Dirty, Dirty Alex.

[limerick]

Hey Havok? Before you move in on Maddie? Remember Lorna?

Dirty, Dirty Alex.
He seems to have forgotten her completely.....see also his antics in HAVOK/WOLVERINE------MELTDOWN.....it's not a one-off.

[worstblogever]

He seems to have forgotten her completely.....see also his antics in HAVOK/WOLVERINE------MELTDOWN.....it's not a one-off.

True enough. Alex has suddenly gone from having a thing for greenheads, to redheads overnight.

[Anodyne]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 238:

--Madelyne's psychic transcript reveals a lot.The Phoenix-entity features.It's looking more and more likely she has the Phoenix power or at least part of it.Her initial manifestation as a girl is strange as that was one of the options given to her on S'yms fingernails in her Dream Experience a few issues ago.Is she using this persona to hide the real darker persona underneath.
Someone watching the transcript says the child is how Madelyne perceives herself--as an innocent with little life experience--which in a very real sense she is. It's also a nod to little Maddy Pryor in Avengers Annual #10, who "was sick but now I'm better."
[B]--But hope for Madelyne is fading--what has she done with that baby at the end.Don't forget N'astirhs quest for powered baby infants at this time(more in NM,X-Factor and X-Terminators) and the fact she's in contact with him.Her hugging Havok and kissing him at the end--it feels a bit uncomfortable.She was married (and still is)to Scott, after all.
So far, N'Astirh has told Madelyne only that he can obtain a "package"--her baby--that she may be interested in. How could she ignore that, when she has vowed to get her stolen son back "no matter how long it takes or what it costs"? We're just beginning to realize what that cost will be.
Alex has suddenly gone from having a thing for greenheads, to redheads overnight.
Not overnight. In a letter column around this time, a Marvel editor suggests that Madelyne and Alex's mutual attraction has been growing since Uncanny #223, when he talked her down from the cliff's edge. And remember that moment early in Uncanny #232, when Maddie wonders why the thought of Alex seeing her naked is "so intriguing"? That said, I don't believe they would have acted as they did if not for the demonic influence--and the catalyst of her treatment by the Magistrates. An upcoming issue will show that Alex's feelings about Maddie and Lorna are more ambivalent than you seem to think.

A thought: Why, when Wipeout could not find any powers in Madelyne to "wipe out", did he and the Genengineer" not at least consider the possibility that she wasn't really a mutant?

[limerick]

Someone watching the transcript says the child is how Madelyne perceives herself--as an innocent with little life experience--which in a very real einse she is. It's also a nod to little Maddy Pryor in Avengers Annual #10, who "was sick but now I'm better."

So far, N'Astirh has told Madelyne only that he can obtain a "package"--her baby--that she may be interested in. How could she ignore that, when she has vowed to get her stolen son back "no matter how long it takes or what it costs"? We're just beginning to realize what that cost will be.

Not overnight. In a letter column around this time, a Marvel editor suggests that Madelyne and Alex's mutual attraction has been growing since Uncanny #223, when he talked her down from the cliff's edge. And remember that moment early in Uncanny #232, when Maddie wonders why the thought of Alex seeing her naked is "so intriguing"? That said, I don't believe they would have acted as they did if not for the demonic influence--and the catalyst of her treatment by the Magistrates. An upcoming issue will show that Alex's feelings about Maddie and Lorna are more ambivalent than you seem to think.

A thought: Why, when Wipeout could not find any powers in Madelyne to "wipe out", did he and the Genengineer" not at least consider the possibility that she wasn't really a mutant?
I had forgotten about Maddie appearing in Avengers Annual #10--I remember David R. mentioning it a while ago but I have never read it.

I knew that the child was merely a version of how she saw herself but perhaps this is in fact her 'real' age.She does make a reference to the creche being a familiar envirment suggesting she has spent time in somewhere like that before.

[Alfred the Sartan]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 238:

--Great conclusion to the Genoshan story and things are winding up for INFERNO.

--Madelyne's psychic transcript reveals a lot.The Phoenix-entity features.It's looking more and more likely she has the Phoenix power or at least part of it.Her initial manifestation as a girl is strange as that was one of the options given to her on S'yms fingernails in her Dream Experience a few issues ago.Is she using this persona to hide the real darker persona underneath.
Actually, and I'm a bit surprised nobody has noticed it, Madelyne's appearance as a young girl is a mystery that's still unsolved today, a mystery that started many many stories and years before in the scheming mind of Chris Claremont...

1981, Avengers Annual #10, "By friends betrayed", by Chris Claremont (the pivotal story where Rogue robs Ms. Marvel of her powers and memories, just to summarize it): in one on page three, while Sabrina Morrel enters the hospital to discuss Carol's condition with Jessica Drew, a little girl with an orange dress and a teddy bear (and brown hair, but I bet it was a misunderstanding on the colorist's part) is exiting the hospital, stating: "I'm Maddy Pryor. I was sick. But I got better".

Less than one year later, an adult named "Maddie Pryor" appears in Scott's and the X-Men's lives.

1988, UXM 238, "Who's human?", by Chris Claremont: that same adult Maddie Pryor appears in the same shape as the little child from the Annual, and says the exactly same sentence.

Who was the little girl? And how should we "read" her character, in light of what will be revealed in three numbers about Madelyne's true origins and nature? Still today, I don't know. But I think that CC had planned many more things about Maddie than he ever revealed to the reader, and not all the mysteries about her have been revealed, yet. Who knows, maybe in XMF... :)

Oh, and as an afterthought: CC is the master of long-term plotting: a single sentence in a single panel left dangling and then recalled seven years later... I know of nobody else who's such an exceptional plot-juggler :)

Edit: argh, I arrived some posts too late :D

2nd Edit: is there some way to see that picture posted here? I only have the italian version of the scene, but if someone has AV Annual 10 in english...

[limerick]

Actually, and I'm a bit surprised nobody has noticed it, Madelyne's appearance as a young girl is a mystery that's still unsolved today, a mystery that started many many stories and years before in the scheming mind of Chris Claremont...

1981, Avengers Annual #10, "By friends betrayed", by Chris Claremont (the pivotal story where Rogue robs Ms. Marvel of her powers and memories, just to summarize it): in one on page three, while Sabrina Morrel enters the hospital to discuss Carol's condition with Jessica Drew, a little girl with an orange dress and a teddy bear (and brown hair, but I bet it was a misunderstanding on the colorist's part) is exiting the hospital, stating: "I'm Maddy Pryor. I was sick. But I got better".

Less than one year later, an adult named "Maddie Pryor" appears in Scott's and the X-Men's lives.

1988, UXM 238, "Who's human?", by Chris Claremont: that same adult Maddie Pryor appears in the same shape as the little child from the Annual, and says the exactly same sentence.

Who was the little girl? And how should we "read" her character, in light of what will be revealed in three numbers about Madelyne's true origins and nature? Still today, I don't know. But I think that CC had planned many more things about Maddie than he ever revealed to the reader, and not all the mysteries about her have been revealed, yet. Who knows, maybe in XMF... :)

Oh, and as an afterthought: CC is the master of long-term plotting: a single sentence in a single panel left dangling and then recalled seven years later... I know of nobody else who's such an exceptional plot-juggler :)

Edit: argh, I arrived some posts too late :D

2nd Edit: is there some way to see that picture posted here? I only have the italian version of the scene, but if someone has AV Annual 10 in english...
Welcome to the threads Alfred.I hope you will continue to post your views.The more the merrier!

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 238:

--Dazzler is more powerful than I thought--she really ups the ante blowing away that huge metal door on page 24.

--Why does Havok keep his mask on uhder the Magistrate uniform when trying to infiltrate the Citadel---if someone looks at him he'll give the game away!!Keep your mind on the job ,Alex!!

--The true nature of Madelyne's past will be presented in the next few issues.What the real puzzle is ,is what she was doing at that hospital??(in Avengers Annual #10)

[kk1]

Actually, and I'm a bit surprised nobody has noticed it, Madelyne's appearance as a young girl is a mystery that's still unsolved today, a mystery that started many many stories and years before in the scheming mind of Chris Claremont...

...


Didn't Claremont admit it was just a lazy reuse of the same name and then after fans pointed it out it just became an inside joke?

[limerick]

That might explain why the Maddy Pryor from Avengers Annual # 10 has brown hair.

[Alfred the Sartan]

IMO, it's definitely too weird. There's a full picture dedicated to a dialogue of four people who apparently have absolutely no connection to avengers, of X-Men, or anything. I've been looking back to the other CC comics of that age (MTU, Iron Fist), and I've never seen any such long "interlude" with random insignificant cameos without a precise narrative purpose for it. An I don't think this is an exception.

[limerick]

IMO, it's definitely too weird. There's a full picture dedicated to a dialogue of four people who apparently have absolutely no connection to avengers, of X-Men, or anything. I've been looking back to the other CC comics of that age (MTU, Iron Fist), and I've never seen any such long "interlude" with random insignificant cameos without a precise narrative purpose for it. An I don't think this is an exception.
I would agree that it seems to be more than an 'in-joke'.The fact that she repeats the same phrase would seem significant especially as that phrase is not so appropriate in this issue.But it does seem very obtuse to put that clue in an Avengers Annual instead of something X-related unless he was trying to see how long it would take for someone to twig it.

[Anodyne]

I knew that the child was merely a version of how she saw herself but perhaps this is in fact her 'real' age.She does make a reference to the creche being a familiar envirment suggesting she has spent time in somewhere like that before.
In terms of how long she's lived as a self-aware person, Maddie is a child, albeit a child who's endured some very harrowing, unchildlike experiences. Would she have been less vulnerable to S'ym's and N'Astirh's blandishments if she'd grown up with loving, nurturing parental role models to teach her values?
Didn't Claremont admit it was just a lazy reuse of the same name and then after fans pointed it out it just became an inside joke?

IIRC, Avengers Annual #10 came after the Dark Phoenix Saga; so our Madelyne should have already been awake and flying planes by then. That didn't stop some of us at rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks a few years ago from concocting the notion that child Maddy represented adult Maddie's subconscious attempt to give herself the childhood she never had.

Welcome to CBR, Alfred the Sartan. :smile: I've enjoyed your posts over at comixfan; I post there as "Madelyne."

[limerick]

In terms of how long she's lived as a self-aware person, Maddie is a child, albeit a child who's endured some very harrowing, unchildlike experiences. Would she have been less vulnerable to S'ym's and N'Astirh's blandishments if she'd grown up with loving, nurturing parental role models to teach her values?


IIRC, Avengers Annual #10 came after the Dark Phoenix Saga; so our Madelyne should have already been awake and flying planes by then. That didn't stop some of us at rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks a few years ago from concocting the notion that child Maddy represented adult Maddie's subconscious attempt to give herself the childhood she never had.

Welcome to CBR, Alfred the Sartan. :smile: I've enjoyed your posts over at comixfan; I post there as "Madelyne."
There is a possible explanation for this--re:Madelyne being around at the time of the end of the Phoenix saga but I'll wait a few issues.Don't want to break The Spoiler rule!

[kk1]

Avengers Annual #10 takes place around the mid 140's

[Imraith Nimphais]

With all the other more important issues going on during this arc such as Carol's psyche taking charge, riding mutant trains, destabalising slave societies, murdering Phoenix-Maddie, the blowing up of citadels and wot have yous...apart from all that lovelly stuff, I just love seeing Storm use her powers...the torrential downpour and turbulence made me feel all nice and tingly.

[Nikolievitch]

You guys, after over a year of haunting the From the Beginning message boards, LOVING what all of you have had to say and SLOWLY reading through my own collection, I am finally caught up! You don't know how exciting this is for me.

I loved this Genosha storyline. So far, it's been my favorite Outback story. I loved seeing Carol in charge of Rogue's body. One question I've been speculating about. When Wipeout erased Rogue's powers, Carol's personality was still not only present, but able to act of its own accord within Rogue's psyche. This seems a little strange to me, because presumably, Carol's presence in Rogue's mind is only possible due to Rogue's power. So the fact that she DID stick around after Rogue had been depowered...what do you think that signifies?

I feel so bad for Madelyne. She's been so mistreated in her life. I'll speak more about this in the X-Factor thread, but with the way Jean has been trash-talking her over there...I've always loved Jean, but rereading those issues and seeing what Madelyne is going through here has really challenged Jean's status as one of my favorite X-characters.

It was so intriguing to read about the child Maddy's appearance in Avengers Annual #10! I was unaware of that, and it is seriously mysterious.

Limerick, you've done an awesome job taking over for David R., to whom we all owe so much for starting these threads. I am so excited to be able to take part from here on out.

[limerick]

Welcome,Niko. and thankyou for the kind words.I've been a little worried about David R. as he hasn't been on the forums for a while.I hope he's keeping well.
I remember you posting a few months back.Glad you've caught up as all input is very much appreciated.I felt that when Rogue absorbed Carol Danvers that the absorbtion was permanant and this is why her personality remains despite Wipeouts effect on her powers.The presence of Carol's 'psyche' is not related to her power any more.She absrbed Carol's entity into her head and she doesn't require any mutant powers to keep it there.Does that make sense?

[Nikolievitch]

It does make sense, yeah. That's really interesting to me.

There are several power dampeners, stealers, and/or scramblers that we've met. Leech, Wipeout, Scrambler, Mimic, Rogue herself...I think it's interesting to compare and contrast just how all of their different powers have worked.

Man, I hope David R. is okay too!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.239.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #239 ..............December 1988



AFTER 20 YEARS I'VE JUST SPOTTED HAVOK ON THE COVER----UNCANNY # 239 REVIEW TOMORROW!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.239.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #239 ..............December 1988

"Vanities"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Empire State Building,New York:A family of four tourists enter an elevator in The Empire State Building.Seconds later the elevator undergoes a demonic transformation and the family suffer a painful unseen death within the elevator.A trail of blood seeps out onto the floor outside.......

Mr Sinister's Base: Mr. Sinister sits in a room of video screens relaying events from all over the world.On his throne he laments the recent 'deaths' of The X-men whom he considered formidible foes.Suddenly,Malice/Polaris enters the room furious that she has become bonded permanantly to Polaris's body.She blames Sinister and tries to attack him but ,displaying immense power ,he easily deflects her.He then tells her he has done this to make her his strongest Marauder.She accepts this explanation once more becoming his loyal servant.When she leaves Sinister contemplates how coming to understand someone is the best way to know how to destroy them....

The Outback,Austrailia:Dazzler makes a dramatic entrance into the Outback Bar,dressed to the nines.She joins the resident band and starts belting out a few tunes.Her beauty,voice and light effects combine to create a crowd-pleasing performance.At the end she recieves huge applause and ,delighted with her efforts, she kisses the watching Longshot.

The X-men's Base,Austrailia:Havok is out for a run.His mind is occupied by time he recently fired at Lorna and by the two Brood hosts he killed recently in Denver.He worries that this behaviuor may become more and more the norm for him.Dazzler and Longshot race by on her bike waving at him.She leaves a trail of light behind her.Suddenly, Madelyne appears emerging from Dazzler's light effects.The effect is similar to the Phoenix-effect.Almost reading his mind she seems to know what he's thinking and holding his hand she tells him she cares about him.....

In their high-tech computer room,Storm runs through the computer's memory banks astounded how much information on the X-men it holds.She wonders who created The Reavers and outfited them with their equipment.Suddenly a recent image of Jean Grey appears on the screen ,shocking Storm as she believed her close friend was still dead.She immediately hunts Wolverine(he's already started to get around a lot...Austrailia....Madripoor....Mexico..!)down,us ing her powers to suck him up into the air where she confronts him surrounded by dark thunderclouds.Why didn't he tell her???!!She drops him and he falls towards the ground but she catches him in time,demanding answers.Wolverine tells her he first sensed her in the Morlock tunnels during The Mutant Massacre.But there was no trace of The Phoenix entity about her and he doubted himself...whether he was sensing the truth or whether he was going mad ,so he said nothing.Storm says they must confront her and find out the truth.

In the underground tunnels beneath their base Psylocke,Colssus and Rogue have a training session which quickly gets out of hand with Rogue and Psylocke facing off.When Rogue won't release Psylocke from her grip ,Betsy unleashes a full force mental blast at her knocking her out.When Rogue quickly recovers the Carol Danvers persona is in charge.Commenting on the successful test of Psylocke's new armour,Carol/Rogue makes peace with Betsy ,who apologises for losing her temper.

On a sun-facing terrace Alex takes some rays listening to the radio.He dreams of dancing with Lorna but then she suddenly turns on him.As he backs away he bumps into Madelyne whose alone as well.They start dancing together as all they have left is each other.....

He awakes from his dream to find a stunningly dressed Madelyne standing over him seductively.She flirts with him but he asks her to stop ,saying she's his brothers wife.Madelyne storms off to her room upset.He follows apologising.She tells him Scott walked out on her as did Lorna on him.She was just seeking a little solace to ease the pain.Melting to her advances ,Alex allows her to lead him to her bedroom.......(Wink,Wink,Nudge,Nudge.....SAY NO MORE!!!!)

Sinister's Base:Sinister is annoyed at the death of the X-men but as one game ends another begins.As he looks at the Containment pod sustaining Nathan Summers in his lab next door,he's determined that in the long run he will win out and that Nathan will help him do that.(He is secretly watched by a scheming N'astirh who plans to get Nathan for his own evil plans.)

Austrailia:Gazing out at the moonlight Madelyne envys the peaceful sleep of Alex.She ponders what could have been between them in another time or place but in the here and now she could save him but decides it's best if she doesn't.

Going to the computer room she contacts N'astirh.She tells him he must fulfill his part of their bargain and locate The Marauders and find her son.As she warns him of the consequences of failing her the Phoenix-effect glows in her eyes.........

FIN

[limerick]

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/5/56/Madelyne_Pryor_%28Earth-616%29_001.jpg

FROM THE OLD..........

http://mishkanyc.com/bloglin/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/424px-madelyne_pryor_goblin_queen.jpg

http://malone.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/07/madelyn_pryor2.jpg

..........TO THE NEW MADELYNE PRYOR!!!!

WELL,YOU WOULD,WOULDN'T YOU!!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 239:

--The final build-up to Inferno(although this takes place before X-Factor #35 because of the presence of Nathan Summers in Sinister's lab)and Madelyne shows her true(new)colours.

--Like I mentioned I never saw Havok on the cover until I looked at it this time.His dark uniform kinda blends in with Sinister's uniformed hand--(i.e.I was looking at Madelyne's t*ts:redface: )

--N.Y. City is under seige by a malevolent force.The opening scene(Empire State Building) is disturbing, again featuring the deaths of children--something that seems to be coming common place in Uncanny.Is the E.S.B. growing in size...The man's guide book says 102 stories but the lift goes up to 113????

--The seat Sinister sits on seems very similar in construction to the technology in the X-men's new computer room.It has that slightly organic look to it.Is he responsible for The Reavers and their technology?

--Not looking good for Polaris with Malice 'permanantly' bonded to her.Is there any way back for her from her current predicament?

--Page 23(Already mentioned by someone)--Rogue touches Psylockes bare fleshes without absorbing her persona as usually occurs.Is Rogue beginning to learn control or is her Carol personality able to control her powers?Awaiting the outcome of this new story thread.

--Psylocke in purple lingerie---NICE!!

--The last panel shows the Phoenix effect in Madelyne's eyes.Is Inferno going to confirm Madelyne as Phoenix reborn.Everything would seem to point to this:
-----------Last issue Madelyne's dream sequence showed Phoenix like powers and she spoke with the Phoenix voice effect when interrogated by the Genengineer.
-----------She survived a plane crash ,walking away the only survivour at the exact moment Jean died on the moon.The flames of the crashed flight showed the Phoenix effect.
-----------The last frame of this issue.
-----------Her awesome power demonstration in the Genoshan lab where she destroyed the lab and killed several people with some unknown power.

IF SHE'S NOT PHOENIX I'LL EAT MY HAT

*limerick places his deerstalker in a bowl of barbecue marinade to soften the inevitable hat-munching to follow*

[limerick]

Thanks to WORSTBLOGEVER for tech advice.Have mastered image upload and promise more colourful threads from now on(Not all gorgeous red-head pictures,I promise!).