X-Men from the Beginning

[limerick]

*limerick approaches the edge of the internet taking care not to fall off*

"David R.........David R.........David R.........David R............

Where are you?...........Where are you?.........Where are you?..........Where are you?"

*limerick braves the harsh conditions waiting patiently for a response.......*

[Anodyne]

I still miss the old Madelyne Pryor. She deserved better. I feel as I'm watching a tragedy about to happen, knowing I can't prevent it.

Limerick, the Carol-in-Rogue's-body-touching Betsy scene was never followed up on, unless it's mentioned in recent issues of X-Men Legacy. I believe it was indeed supposed to raise questions about the reasons for Rogue's lack of control.

I don't know where David is, but you're doing a pretty good job. :smile:

I think Maddie and Alex might have been developing some genuine feelings for each other until the demons intervened. I also think the X-Men may have seen what was going on, but didn't judge them because they understood what they'd been through.

[limerick]

I still miss the old Madelyne Pryor. She deserved better. I feel as I'm watching a tragedy about to happen, knowing I can't prevent it.

Limerick, the Carol-in-Rogue's-body-touching Betsy scene was never followed up on, unless it's mentioned in recent issues of X-Men Legacy. I believe it was indeed supposed to raise questions about the reasons for Rogue's lack of control.

I don't know where David is, but you're doing a pretty good job. :smile:

I think Maddie and Alex might have been developing some genuine feelings for each other until the demons intervened. I also think the X-Men may have seen what was going on, but didn't judge them because they understood what they'd been through.
Yes,there was a definite spark between them before Madelyne was 'transformed by S'ym and the X-men did not pass judgement on their blossoming feelings,although Alex's behaviour sucks.The 'love of his life ' is taken over by a psychic entity,he knows practically nothing of what happened to her but he doesn't seem that bothered.

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 239:

--Psylocke seems to have lost any trace of a personality since she joined The X-men.Claremont's handling of her is disappointing after her great appearances in The X-men/New Mutant Annuals from a couple of years before.

--I forgot to mention Alex's speedos when he's sunbathing.First his 'safari' outfit then this.The guy needs a makeover!

[Imraith Nimphais]

I absolutely loveLuvLuuuurved this "prologue"...re-reading now (for the umpteenth time) I still get an intensity in the build-up...everything is just now coming to a boil, the pressure is increasing and is about to blow the lid right off the cooker. I particularly liked Storm's reaction to seeing Jean alive, it felt emotinally charged and quite "real". My one (and only) grouse in this issue...no one...and I mean NO ONE (I do not care how fantastic a singer they are) could ever, EVER put the "Goddess of Rock" to "shame" ESPecially with one of her own songs?!...Claremont was obviously on some sort of narcotic when he wrote that Dazzler panel...(it still irks me even now, after all these years) and her ruby-red strapless cocktail dress was horrid...well, the frou-frou frilly parts at least (that was the height of 80's fashion, was it not?)...but her shoes were w'ked fierce!
Bloody Hell!!!...that Benes Goblin Queen pic is the frakkin! HAWTNESS!!!...Limerick, thanx for posting.(btw).

[Anodyne]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 239:
--I forgot to mention Alex's speedos when he's sunbathing.First his 'safari' outfit then this.The guy needs a makeover!
As a blond, he's lucky he doesn't get lobster-broiled by the hot Australian summer sun. :tongue: Not to mention sunstroke and skin cancer. :eek:

[limerick]

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/25701/937122-mxm_ch_013_psylocke_super.jpg

http://www.marveldirectory.com/pictures/individuals/p_1d/psylocke2.gif

Betsy's new armour.Sadly ,she's getting very little storylines in the run up to Inferno---too many X-men??

[Valjean999]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 239:

--Psylocke seems to have lost any trace of a personality since she joined The X-men.Claremont's handling of her is disappointing after her great appearances in The X-men/New Mutant Annuals from a couple of years before.


You mean she once had a personality?

[limerick]

You mean she once had a personality?
Okay,you got me!Seriously,I'm not her biggest fan or anything but in the X-men/New Mutant Annuals she featured in a while ago she was practically the central character.Now,nothing!

[Valjean999]

Okay,you got me!Seriously,I'm not her biggest fan or anything but in the X-men/New Mutant Annuals she featured in a while ago she was practically the central character.Now,nothing!

I know, I was just being a smarta$$. I've never been a fan of her, in any of her many incarnations. I know she has her fans... I just dont see the appeal, personally.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.240.GIF

Uncanny X-Men #240 ..............January 1989

"Strike The Match"

Claremont/Silvestri

The RCA Building,New York:Madelyne and Alex have the normally packed Rainbow Room restaurant at the top of the building to themselves.They dance to the house band and them head out to the balcony where they flirt in the abnormal heat.Madelyne's conversation has slightly sinister undertones.

They are suddenly disturbed by a commotion from the dining room where three Ghostbuster-like scientists agrue over the fact that the Empire State Building is increasing in size!When Alex approaches them they rebuke him rudely calling him a 'kibbitzing playboy dilettante'.The Maitre 'D quickly steps in telling the scientists to leave.....immediately.Alex does not notice that his face distorts demonically when ordering them to leave.They step into the elevator and notice that the interior has changed,As the doors close they start to scream unheard cries for help........

As the Maitre D' apologises to Alex Madelyne looks through the scientists' equipment at the Empire State Building,noticing the spire has transformed to something organic and un-natural.Not telling Alex ,they leave via the elevator.Alex is surprised to find one of the scientists has dropped her glasses but Maddie distracts him by puckering up.They are suddenly transported back to Austrailia by Gateway.Alex hopes the date isn't over but Maddie tells him she needs some time alone and Gateway transports her elsewhere.

St Stephen's Cemetary,Bard College:Madelyne(in glorious Goblyn Queen minimalistic clothing) visits Jean's 'grave',replaying the events of her own wedding cermony by projecting the images from her head.She is furious at Scott for making what she sees as false vows and ,blaming Jean,she obliterates her headstone.Bizarrely,at that moment Jean's parents choose to visit the grave and at first they think that Madelyne may be their daughter.Madelyne transforms them into horrific demons,stripping away all that is good in them.N'astirh arrives,a little taken aback by Madelyne's power.She orders him to take her to her son or suffer the cosequences.He tells her he has a lead and teleports them away in a puff of purple smoke....

The X-men's Base,Austrailia:Rogue and Longshot are rollerblading with Rogue flirting outrageously with her team-mate.They are both sent flying by a Dazzler laser beam--she's furious at Rogue for wearing her clothes AND making eyes at her boyfriend.They have verbals and Dazz takes another couple of shots at a laughing Rogue.She is hit again and the impact sends her flying into Psylocke's bedroom where Peter is painting a picture of her.The impact totals Psylocke's bed!Longshot is annoyed at Ali's behaviour and tells her she has no right to claim him exclusively as her own(they like their swinging in MojoWorld!).

In the Computer Room,Havok is interrupted by Storm and Wolverine,who are slightly suspicious of what he's up to.He tells them he's managed to locate The Marauders using a program he designed with Maddie---they're in the Morlock tunnels under New York!Storm says it's time to get even...

The X-Men's Base,Austrailia:Rogue and Longshot are rollerblading and Rogue is flirting outrageously with him.Suddenly,they are hit by a laser beam from........Dazzler!She is furious at Rogue for wearing one of her Disco Stage outfits AND for flirting with her boyfriend.There are verbals between the two female X-men and when Rogue is unrepentive Dazzler again fires at her eventually sending her flying through the walls of Psylocke's bedroom.The impact destroys Psylocke's bed,just missing her in the process.Longshot is annoyed at Dazz's behaviour and tells her she has no right to claim her exclusively as her own.

In the Computer Room Havok is quizzed by a slightly suspicious Storm and Wolverine.He tells them with the help of a computer programme written with Maddie's help they have finally located The Marauders---they are in The Morlock tunnels beneath New York!Storm says it's time for revenge.....

An Underground Complex,Nebraska:N'astirh shows Madelyne into a huge labratory containg cocoon-like appuratus.She remembers the similar pods in the creche in Genosha and then has a flashback of both Nathan and herself in those pods.When she looks at the label on the pod....it reads her name!

The Morlock Tunnels,New York:The Marauders(Sabertooth,Scrambler,Arclight,Polaris/Malice,Prism,Blockbuster,Riptide,Scalphunter, and Vertigo)are in the process of relocating to The Morlock tunnels under Mr. Sinister's orders when The X-men spring a surprise attack on them.A titanic battle ensues which eventually starts to go The X-men's way.During the battle Blockbuster is knocked unconcious and as he recovers demonic hands grab him and pull him into the 'living' wall.Alex is again confronted by his ex-lover Polaris,who is under the influence of Malice.He resists firing on her and she manages to use her powers to create an escape route for her team.As they emerge onto the surface both The X-men and The Marauders are taken a back by a staggering change to the city around them......

Nebraska:Madelyne turns to N'astirh giving hhim one last chance to tell her where she is.He tells her to look behind her and ask the man ("more-than-human-being")who created this place.She turns to face Mr Sinister who tells her she can call him ........father!


FIN

[worstblogever]

On #239?

-Oh yeah. Havok totally hit that.
-And... all the Empire State Elevator fatalities during Inferno... I almost wonder if Claremont has a fear of them, or something. A lot of blood keeps running out of them, it seems.
-Dangling plot thread: Who created the Reavers? Maybe it's anti-climactic, but there it dangles.
-More Rogue/Carol business for the like, third time it's been an issue?
- Addressing Logan smelling Jean during the Mutant Massacre, good callback. Long overdue. Almost THIRTY ISSUES LATER, Logan getting a whiff of Ol' Red comes to roost.
- Mr. Sinister/Malice stuff is meh. Kinda stagnating, so far. It'll all make sense soon enough, I suppose.

[Alfred the Sartan]

-And... all the Empire State Elevator fatalities during Inferno... I almost wonder if Claremont has a fear of them, or something. A lot of blood keeps running out of them, it seems.He's not the only one. another, very quick, but very impressive, variation on that theme comes from David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, from Amazing Spider-Man 311, "Mysteries of the dead", which is an "Inferno" tie-in that was released that same month. At the end of the story there are two little pics of a man being chomped by an elevator, and McFarlane is very good at portraying the splatter-ish feeling of that... much more than Silvestri here, I think.

Does anybody have a pic of that page?

[kk1]

I liked Inferno when it happened, they were my first X-men books I bought as they came out. Now , however, as I learn the backstory of Sinister and the whole Madyline Pryor/ Jean Grey thing ugh I've really soured on it all.

[worstblogever]

He's not the only one. another, very quick, but very impressive, variation on that theme comes from David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, from Amazing Spider-Man 311, "Mysteries of the dead", which is an "Inferno" tie-in that was released that same month. At the end of the story there are two little pics of a man being chomped by an elevator, and McFarlane is very good at portraying the splatter-ish feeling of that... much more than Silvestri here, I think.

Does anybody have a pic of that page?

Someone should just start an Evil Elevators Thread.

I dunno... maybe the Marvel bullpen had a rickety elevator making staffers nervous about this time? It just seems like there should be some kind of story behind all this.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 240:

--INFERNO really gets going at last.Claremont is at his best ,packing so much into a standard issue.When comparing his script with Louise Simonsons on X-Factor he does give more storyline to the dollar!

--More elevator deaths--but not in The Empire State.It looks like a city-wide event not just concentrating on a certain area.

--Madelyne has truely changed now with Claremont and Silvestri managing to convey a real undercurrent of menace from her.There's no way back for her now.As she learns more about her past she seems more likely to fly off the handle.

--Is it just me or is Madelyne's dress in a constant state of flux in the Rainbow Room at the start?It looks different in each panel going from knee length to full length and back again and there is an array of sleeves with her even wearing gloves in one panel .........one minute it's strapless with a plunging neckline,the next there is a very high neckline.At one point she's even wearing her Goblin Queen outfit.She seems to have the ability to alter her clothing as Phoenix did before---is she Phoenix returned???Alex doesn't spot these changes.........I'm not sure why.

--Professor Grey and his wife showing up when they do at Jean's grave is just too much of a coincidence for me--Did Maddie summon them there sub-conciously with her newly awakened telepathic powers??

--Dazzler gets well and truely dumped with Longshot letting her down in the cruelest way--telling her they are and always were just friends and nothing more.Basically, he didn't see them as having anything special.I don't think Ali's gonna take that too well as she seems well and truely smitten.I did feel Rogue was a little off character here and she has been slightly so since Genosha.She seems to be acting a little nastily to Dazz.I thought they had put their past woes behind them.Has her experience in Genosha affected her majorly or am I reading too much into it.

--Storm and Wolvie seem VERY mistrusting of Alex in the Computer Room.Do they think his affair with Maddie is out of order or have they lost trust in Maddie and Alex a little.I would have thought Wolverine's senses should have detected something 'off' about her since her change.

--Hate Arclight's new hairdo--she looks a little butch now.I always had a soft spot for her old look.Her shades are over the top too.

--Prism and Riptide--how are they still alive.I thought their deaths were pretty conclusive in the Mutant Massacre.Two retcons in one issue!:rolleyes:

--Finally,it would appear Madelyne is a clone and that Mr. Sinister did the cloning.When,where,why????All questions I hope will be answered in the next few issues.

[Anodyne]

The X-men's Base,Austrailia:Rogue and Longshot are rollerblading with Rogue flirting outrageously with her team-mate.They are both sent flying by a Dazzler laser beam--she's furious at Rogue for wearing her clothes AND making eyes at her boyfriend.They have verbals and Dazz takes another couple of shots at a laughing Rogue.She is hit again and the impact sends her flying into Psylocke's bedroom where Peter is painting a picture of her.The impact totals Psylocke's bed!Longshot is annoyed at Ali's behaviour and tells her she has no right to claim him exclusively as her own(they like their swinging in MojoWorld!).
My take on that was that Longshot, having two hearts, can't understand why he should have just one lover. Is this the scene where Carol Danvers takes over Rogue's body again and touches Betsy skin-to-skin without absorbing her powers and memory?
In the Computer Room,Havok is interrupted by Storm and Wolverine,who are slightly suspicious of what he's up to.He tells them he's managed to locate The Marauders using a program he designed with Maddie---they're in the Morlock tunnels under New York!Storm says it's time to get even...
Alex reminds Storm and Logan that they've been computer-searching for the Marauders "ever since we settled here." To me that proves that Maddie hasn't been neglecting her vow to get her son back:she's been looking for his kidnappers all along.


[B]An Underground Complex,Alaska:N'astirh shows Madelyne into a huge labratory containg cocoon-like appuratus.She remembers the similar pods in the creche in Genosha and then has a flashback of both Nathan and herself in those pods.When she looks at the label on the pod....it reads her name!

Alaska:Madelyne turns to N'astirh giving hhim one last chance to tell her where she is.He tells her to look behind her and ask the man ("more-than-human-being")who created this place.She turns to face Mr Sinister who tells her she can call him ........father!


FIN
One minor point: I thought Sinister's underground complex was in Nebraska, not Alaska, below the orphanage where young Scott Summers was kept.

[limerick]

You're right!(of course!)--I'll edit it now.I always thought Scott was from Alaska for some reason and I'm sure I've written it as that in the X-Factor thread as well--so I'll have a few corrections to do.Thanks again,Anodyne.Any corrections gladly accepted.:smile:

EDIT:Okay,done!

[limerick]

He's not the only one. another, very quick, but very impressive, variation on that theme comes from David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, from Amazing Spider-Man 311, "Mysteries of the dead", which is an "Inferno" tie-in that was released that same month. At the end of the story there are two little pics of a man being chomped by an elevator, and McFarlane is very good at portraying the splatter-ish feeling of that... much more than Silvestri here, I think.

Does anybody have a pic of that page?
Sorry,Alfred,I don't.Maybe someone else will post it.

[limerick]

My take on that was that Longshot, having two hearts, can't understand why he should have just one lover. Is this the scene where Carol Danvers takes over Rogue's body again and touches Betsy skin-to-skin without absorbing her powers and memory?

Alex reminds Storm and Logan that they've been computer-searching for the Marauders "ever since we settled here." To me that proves that Maddie hasn't been neglecting her vow to get her son back:she's been looking for his kidnappers all along.


One minor point: I thought Sinister's underground complex was in Nebraska, not Alaska, below the orphanage where young Scott Summers was kept.

No,that was in last issue.Silvestri was definitely making a point of highlighting it as the 'touch' was the very centre point of the picture---it wasn't an error.I can't remember it being developed further.As I said before maybe the Carol Danvers persona can control her mutant power without complications?

[Anodyne]

You're right!(of course!)--I'll edit it now.I always thought Scott was from Alaska for some reason and I'm sure I've written it as that in the X-Factor thread as well--so I'll have a few corrections to do.Thanks again,Anodyne.Any corrections gladly accepted.:smile:

EDIT:Okay,done!
You're right: Scott's grandparents live in Alaska, so I assume his father grew up there. Scott was brought to the Nebraska orphanage after he and Alex fell from their parents' plane with a burning parachute.

[limerick]

I'm curious as to where Alex sees himself right now,romantically.Does he see his affair with Madelyne as a passing thing and that he will get back with Polaris once he finds/frees her.Or does he see Madelyne as 'the one' for him.It certainly seems that way.

I was always a fan of his but he's gone down in my estimation.Don't forget just after INFERNO he's acting the playboy again in HAVOK & WOLVERINE:MELTDOWN-the limited series.He just can't keep it in the pants!

[limerick]

BTW,although Claremonts telling great stories with great Silvestri art,I don't think the current team is geling too well together.They seem very divided with quite bit of division in the team--not like most X-teams,I remember.Okay,there's always been a bit of minor conflict but there's not too many friends on this current bunch.Will they stay together much longer??

[Imraith Nimphais]

...Don't hate him too much, Limerick, he is a bit of the victim in all this...keep in mind, it was Lorna (under the influence of Malice) who dumped him...not the other way round...wot would you have the poor sod do...wait around hoping that she would come to her (right) senses?...and if/when she does, how do they begin to repair the hurt she caused? As for his little shag-fest with Maddie, the Goblin Queen played him like a bag-pipe...I am more inclined to believe she used her "powers of persuasion", taking advantage of his broken heart and burgeoning loins.

[limerick]

Hi Imraith!It would take a stronger man than me to turn Maddie down!But he never mentions Lorna.I don't think he should accept her dumping him as what she wants, when he knows Malice is pulling the strings..........surely his line of action should be:
1.find Lorna
2.kick Malice out of her head
3.ask her if she still wants him
(4.if she says no ,immediately return to afore-mentioned shag-fest with Maddie.)

[Anodyne]

...Don't hate him too much, Limerick, he is a bit of the victim in all this...keep in mind, it was Lorna (under the influence of Malice) who dumped him...not the other way round...wot would you have the poor sod do...wait around hoping that she would come to her (right) senses?...and if/when she does, how do they begin to repair the hurt she caused? As for his little shag-fest with Maddie, the Goblin Queen played him like a bag-pipe...I am more inclined to believe she used her "powers of persuasion", taking advantage of his broken heart and burgeoning loins.
Well, Maddie and Alex were both on the rebound. But I don't believe Madelyne would have acted on her feelings before the Goblin Queen persona arose. She too was being played.

[Cub]

I always enjoyed Alex and Ali's friendship during this period. Prob my favorite thing about the outback, other than Rogue/Carol.

[limerick]

Can't say I've been particularly aware of too much interaction between them since they got to the Outback---a little from the F.F./X-men crossover mini where they had a little power-envy going on which seemed to bond them a little.In fact I think Dazz has been a little unhealthily obsessed with Longshot--a little bit psycho!

[limerick]

http://www.bicworks.com/graphics/conv/jlee2.jpg

Havok----The most complicated love life in the X-men(bar his brother,of course--must be in the genes)but always........THE coolest costume in The Marvel Universe.....BY JIM LEE

[Imraith Nimphais]

1.find Lorna...going by issue 240, with the aid of the computer, I think he did just that (eventually) when he found the Maruaders (w/Malaris) in the morlock tunnels.
2.kick Malice out of her head...from wot Sinister said in the previous issue, separating the two would prove to be nigh impossible...certainly more so for Alex to accomplish.
3.ask her if she still wants him...surely not! (if Malice has any say in the matter).
(4.if she says no ,immediately return to afore-mentioned shag-fest with Maddie.)
I would go with option "D", Regis...and that's my final answer...(Major shagging ensues, with a demonic passion)...LOL
__________________
btw...I absolutely luved the opening sequence, particularly Maddie's dress changing with every panel scene...it is almost "4th wall" in it's execution...we the readers see it occuring and understand wot is happening and why, but Alex is seemingly totally oblivious...only we are privy to her "transfomation".

[Yogaflame]

As a blond, he's lucky he doesn't get lobster-broiled by the hot Australian summer sun. :tongue: Not to mention sunstroke and skin cancer. :eek:

Considering his mutant power is the ability to absorb COSMIC radiation and fire it out of his body as PLASMA, this is one blonde who can probably skip the sunscreen. :wink:

[limerick]

Considering his mutant power is the ability to absorb COSMIC radiation and fire it out of his body as PLASMA, this is one blonde who can probably skip the sunscreen. :wink:
Ha,ha!Someone's awake!

[Nikolievitch]

For me, #240 has one of THE best cliffhangers of the whole series so far. Mr. Sinister, despite the somewhat hokey name, has instinctively intrigued me ever since he was first mentioned. He's so mysterious. And all of this drama and mystery surrounding Madelyne Pryor that has been going on forEVER in both this book AND X-Factor...the last page here promises that we'll FINALLY get an explanation! Not to mention that on the previous page we see the shock and horror expressed at the sight of NYC, but we're left wondering about what's actually being seen. I, for one, am on pins and needles.

Limerick, I totally agree that Claremont has packed this issue with story, even more than his usually dense issues. And I love it.

[limerick]

For me, #240 has one of THE best cliffhangers of the whole series so far. Mr. Sinister, despite the somewhat hokey name, has instinctively intrigued me ever since he was first mentioned. He's so mysterious. And all of this drama and mystery surrounding Madelyne Pryor that has been going on forEVER in both this book AND X-Factor...the last page here promises that we'll FINALLY get an explanation! Not to mention that on the previous page we see the shock and horror expressed at the sight of NYC, but we're left wondering about what's actually being seen. I, for one, am on pins and needles.

Limerick, I totally agree that Claremont has packed this issue with story, even more than his usually dense issues. And I love it.
What the X-men and The Marauders saw must be pretty impressive if they stopped scrapping because of it----am looking foward to the next issue

[Anodyne]

Considering his mutant power is the ability to absorb COSMIC radiation and fire it out of his body as PLASMA, this is one blonde who can probably skip the sunscreen. :wink:
Oh. In that case he's lucky he doesn't get a power overload. :tongue:

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.241.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 241 ..............February 1989

"Fan The Flames"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Secret High-tech Catacombs of An Orphanage,Nebraska:Madelyne Pryor/The Goblin Queen reacts angrily to Mr.Sinister's claim to have created her.She fires a high power blast at him blowing him across the room.N'astirh is astounded by her power and is beginning to wonder if he has overstepped himself releasing her power.But Sinister is far from beaten and when she sends her two new demons(Really Professor Grey and his wife)to finish him he easily brushes them aside and them secures Madelyne as his prisoner by capturing her in a device which turns her own power back on her.She cries to N'astirh for help but he has deserted her.......

Manhattan,New York:The X-men face off against The Marauders in a demonically altered Manhattan.As bizarre events occur around them they more than hold their own against Mr Sinister's mutant rabble.Colossus is shocked to find Riptide is still alive and Havok must once again face Polaris/Malice in battle.

Nebraska:Sinister taunts the captive Madelyne,telling her she was always a rebel.When she says she's had nothing to do with him and had a normal life,he challenges her to tell him about it.She starts to tell him a memory of when she was 10-years-old....she witnessed her best friend,Anne Richardson,being killed in an accident.But Sinister is able to finish the memory for her,telling how she felt Anne's dying moments in her mind.....he tells her they were actually Jean Grey's memories,not hers.She had been cloned but some memories are so primal they are embedded in the genetic matrix.N'astirh watches from a hiding place certain this blow to Madelyne will present him with a way to control her....he only needs to introduce one more element.........

Manhattan:Wolverine and Havok take out a mailbox which has startes swallowing people.Amazingly,the man they were trying to rescue has become part of a stamp on a letter!Colossus wonders to Storm how N.Y. has come to this madness...

Nebraska:Sinister explains to Madelyne how he became aware of Jean Grey when she was young.He had intended killing her parents and bringing her to his orphanage but Prof. Xavier had recruited her first.However,he gained a sample of her D.N.A. and created a clone....but Madelyne's mutant abilities did not manifest themselves at puberty and she became a wasted effort left in her cloning pod.Then one night the Phoenix effect enflammed her and she cried out:"SCOTT!!!!Fire!Life!...Incarnate......now.....forev er.....Phoenix..".The pod around her burst open in a display of force and she collapsed into Sinister's arms.....

Manhattan:The X-men are attacked by three members of The Right who are loyal to S'ym.Havok and Storm blow two of them away.Dazzler wings the third,so they can question him.Colossus recognises them from his visit to Limbo(#231)and when The Right soldier mentions S'ym rules Limbo,Colossus asks him about Illyana.The soldier tells him that S'ym and N'astirh have planned to transform Earth to a place like Limbo and that thay will do this at the Empire State Building.When the soldier tries attacking him,Colossus punches him.But the impact causes him to explode into fiery pieces.Colossus knows he must go to the Empire State Building to try and stop them.But he notices The X-men have become changed by the demonic forces in the air.Knowing he cannot trust them completely in this state,he proceeds alone.....

Nebraska:Sinister continues explaining her pasr to Madelyne.......after she manifested the Phoenix effect,he learned soon after that Phoenix had died at that exact moment on the moon.Convinced that shwe could be of some use to him he proceeded to try and bring about a union between Scott Summers and Madelyne.He placed her in employment with his grandparents providing a suitable backstory and a charcter sure to attract him.Once Scott met her the inevitable happened leading to their marraige and the birth of baby,Nathan.But when Jean Grey re-emerged there was a problem and he needed to get rid of Madelyne to protect his organization from being discovered.He managed to get baby Nathan and covered his tracks so he would not be discovered by Scott.But the plan went awry when Madelyne escaped from the Marauders..........

Manhattan:Longshot ponders his relationship with Dazzler,unsure if he wants to commit to one person.So distracted is he ,that he doesn't notice N'astirh beside him who attacks him,intent on feeding on his 'noble soul'.Below ,The X-men,tinged by the demonic influence of Inferno around them,have blood -thirstily finished off The Marauders(except Polaris/Malice)Suddenly,Longshot lands on the ground beside them...out cold but seemingly otherwise unhurt.They look up to see N'astirh perched above them gloating over feeding on Longshot's soul.Havok tries taking him out but he teleports away telling them he will return for their souls and the one he wants most....Madelyne Pryor's......

Havok says they've got to catch him and save Madelyne but Wolverine tells him there's something else up....."We got trouble......."

Nebraska:The demons who were previously Professor Grey and his wife suddenly jump Sinister from behind,knocking him over....Madelyne takes the oppurtunity to turn her power up full throttle......shattering her bonds in a display of raw force which shocks even Sinister.She squares up to Sinister but then N'astirh(now infected with the Techno-virus---See The X-Terminators) reappears holding Nathan who he offers to Madelyne,much to Sinister's annoyance.She threatens to kill her own son to bring the schemes of Sinister to an end and to destroy Scott's hopes and dreams.................


FIN

[limerick]

Just been glancing back through this thread and I must admit I'm falling short of David R.'s high standards.I do notice the thread inputs have dropped off quite a bit since I took over which is probably down to a deficiency I have compared to David R.----that guy is polite!It's a shame so many great posters either post a lot less or not at all.I'll keep plugging away...I am enjoying it,although time restraints limit the way I can answer posts like David used to.

Speaking of which I am quite concerned about David R.There has been no post from him in quite a few weeks now.David,if you're still out there watching please post to let us know you're okay!!

Again,many thanks to all who read and especially post on the X--from the beginning--threads.

Cheers Limerick.....(P.S....I have not been drinking!)

[Azure]

Why was there no announcement that you'd reached INFERNO???

It's the greatest X-Men story ever! I will need to re-read and then give you my expert analysis on EVERYTHING, Limerick!

[Imraith Nimphais]

hmmm...Are you sure about that? I somewot detect a note of Absinthe between your wording....hmm.hmmm...anywhoo...yer doing a bang-up job Limerick...the time constraint is a non-issue as I see it...CBR is not going anywhere...these FTB threads are here for us to peruse and post at our leisure, when time permits...It is a daunting task to which you have set yerself...and while I may not speak for the other fans of these threads...I can say, with all surety, that I very much appreciate your time and effort.
ps...I do hope that David R. is okies.

[limerick]

Why was there no announcement that you'd reached INFERNO???

It's the greatest X-Men story ever! I will need to re-read and then give you my expert analysis on EVERYTHING, Limerick!
Looking foward to it!

[limerick]

hmmm...Are you sure about that? I somewot detect a note of Absinthe between your wording....hmm.hmmm...anywhoo...yer doing a bang-up job Limerick...the time constraint is a non-issue as I see it...CBR is not going anywhere...these FTB threads are here for us to peruse and post at our leisure, when time permits...It is a daunting task to which you have set yerself...and while I may not speak for the other fans of these threads...I can say, with all surety, that I very much appreciate your time and effort.
ps...I do hope that David R. is okies.
Thanks for that,Imraith,wise words as always!

[Anodyne]

People, take note: On the cover--and inside the issues--it's Goblin Queen, not Goblyn Queen. Goblyn was a young mutant girl who hung out with Alpha flight. It's easier to nitpick about a misspelling than to contemplate what Marvel is about to do to poor Maddie.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 241:

--Mr. Sinister......his costume is bizarre....why the purple and red ribbons??It's a bit surreal.Also,I'm not certain exactly what his powers are.Are they telekinetic,Magnetic or devised from technology----we still know very little about him at this stage.

--I have to say Silvestri's drawn a greatly improved Vertigo....she's smokin' hot on page 5.Do herself and Polaris/Malice exchange tips on hair-care for the green-haired woman?

--Scalp-hunter is so lame ---just a guy with some fancy guns.What's his mutant power exactly?Putting guns together from little pieces or has he Forge's powers but just applies it to guns.

--Tip for Prism....get out of the evil mutant business...being made of glass makes it a bad career move.

--Anyway,at the end ,all the Marauders(save Polaris) are dead.......why don't I believe that?I hate non-explained ressurections as in Riptide's case this issue.It's asking me to stretch my imagination too far.

--Cub,there's more interaction/rivalry between Dazzlar and Havok in this issue(page 13)...is that what you were referring to before?

--Speaking of Havok,he keeps talking about how his Plasma Bolts can only kill....they cannot be used in moderation.Is he really that deadly...I'm sure there are plenty of cases of him hitting someone and them walking away....I never remember him being that dangerous or was he holding back/firing warning shots?

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 241:

--Madelyne Pryor.....the great reveal.I hadn't remembered Sinister being that specific about her past...it really is explained clearly.There are some interesting details,like the memory of Anne Richardson she retains in some way from Jean.It wasn't an implanted memory...it was retained in some way from the D.N.A..I find that Anee Richardson death scene tragic...she's so happy as she's about to catch the frisbee and then ......dead.:frown:

--What struck me most about Madelyne is that she has no past.She was unconcious the whole time during her development.I assume she's about a similar age to Jean so that would mean her growth has been accelerated to some extent artificially.It would also put an end to any link between the little girl called Madelyne Pryor in Avengers Annual # 10 and our Madelyne...she was already an adult when Phoenix died before Annual # 10.

--Her character was given to her by Sinister so what aspects of her personality are hers and which are given by him...or are all aspects of her personality as a result of suggestions implanted by him...was she essentially a blank canvas for him to program or is there a basic persona/personality underneath?

--At the end she has seemingly 'crossed over to the dark side' completely,suggesting killing Nathan to ruin Sinisters plans and Scott's hopes and dreams.There is no way back for her now,surely?

--Oh and finally...she is fit!She manages to out-Jean Jean and that's saying something.(And how does her cleavage stay in that outfit...she appears to be defying gravity...did Sinister incorporate implants as standard in his clones?!)

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/2/25807/773315-goblin_queen_by_dinei_large.jpg

Some interesting Demons there....that's the only reason I posted this......honest....:redface:

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/2/29754/771735-goblinqueen_dl_large.jpg

Damn...I thought there were some more interesting demons in that one....sorry about that.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9490/385426-194997-madelyne-pryor_large.jpg

Madelyne models a look Psylocke later took credit for...I think she just about pulls it off!

[limerick]

I think I can safely say from the evidence above...Madelyne Pryor as The Goblin Queen is THE hottest Marvel character of all time!

[Imraith Nimphais]

I must say...not just Sivestri, but the entire art team (Green, Orzechowski and Oliver included) really upped the ante in this X-over...the colours are applied with more care, the inking is more controlled and precise...that "Fan the Flames" splash-page is wicked beauty-full...(and Colossus is so very "sultry" throughout the story...sigh...lol)
@Prism: I do not think there ever was an appearance where he was not shattered...the poor sod...I would not be surprised if he was the X-office's "Inside" joke...
BH:"Hey, let's put this guy on the Marauders, but where everyone else gets to be bad-ass and kill people, he gets blown to bits everytime...
CC: " I like it...he can be the running gag"
TDeF: "I love it...go with it"
All: "LOLOLOLOLOLOL"
One of my Favourite panels this issue has to be the "Manhattan" panel on pg. 16...The artists captured the scary, demonic mood that pervades the entire city so very well.
As for Maddie's costume..or lack there-of...to quote Yanapryde: "Yowza!"...she can corruupt me anytime...I vaguely remember there being some remarks (after the fact) that her "outfit" was not entirely appropriate for an all ages comic book.

Limerick...as the last page said...you have to read X-factor #37 next...cannot wait!
(As you can probably tell...or maybe not...I am thouroughly and immensely excited by this cross-over...:-))

Edit:
OH! MY! GODDESS!!!...THOSE PICS!!!...those demons are HAWT!!!!...lololol

[limerick]

People, take note: On the cover--and inside the issues--it's Goblin Queen, not Goblyn Queen. Goblyn was a young mutant girl who hung out with Alpha flight. It's easier to nitpick about a misspelling than to contemplate what Marvel is about to do to poor Maddie.
Poor Anodyne....I can sense this a difficult time for you!

[limerick]

I must say...not just Sivestri, but the entire art team (Green, Orzechowski and Oliver included) really upped the ante in this X-over...the colours are applied with more care, the inking is more controlled and precise...that "Fan the Flames" splash-page is wicked beauty-full...(and Colossus is so very "sultry" throughout the story...sigh...lol)
@Prism: I do not think there ever was an appearance where he was not shattered...the poor sod...I would not be surprised if he was the X-office's "Inside" joke...
BH:"Hey, let's put this guy on the Marauders, but where everyone else gets to be bad-ass and kill people, he gets blown to bits everytime...
CC: " I like it...he can be the running gag"
TDeF: "I love it...go with it"
All: "LOLOLOLOLOLOL"
One of my Favourite panels this issue has to be the "Manhattan" panel on pg. 16...The artists captured the scary, demonic mood that pervades the entire city so very well.
As for Maddie's costume..or lack there-of...to quote Yanapryde: "Yowza!"...she can corruupt me anytime...I vaguely remember there being some remarks (after the fact) that her "outfit" was not entirely appropriate for an all ages comic book.

Limerick...as the last page said...you have to read X-factor #37 next...cannot wait!
(As you can probably tell...or maybe not...I am thouroughly and immensely excited by this cross-over...:-))

Edit:
OH! MY! GODDESS!!!...THOSE PICS!!!...those demons are HAWT!!!!...lololol
Agree about the art,Imraith.This is definitely Silvestri's best work on Uncanny so far.Only one gripe.....Havok's legs on Page 4...they just don't look right!

[Imraith Nimphais]

I see wot you mean..they do look a bit wonky. (Yes...I have the comic in front of me...:-))...I brought the entire X-F/UXM cross-over with me to work...I did not want to be lagging).

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/229/90143-91106-prism_large.jpg

"I Gotta Go Pee"........Prism realises Mr.Sinster's cloning technology hasn't quite been perfected yet........

[limerick]

I see wot you mean..they do look a bit wonky. (Yes...I have the comic in front of me...:-))...I brought the entire X-F/UXM cross-over with me to work...I did not want to be lagging).
Wow!Cool!X-Factor 37 tomorrow then--gotta stay with it!

[Imraith Nimphais]

LOL...poor Prism...he really did get the cracked edge of the petri dish, didn't he?

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/2/29735/688074-longshot13_large.jpg

N'astirh devours poor Longshot's soul in Uncanny # 241.....

[WWWD]

Ok, let me just say that I started doing this a few months ago, but I won't post along, because I am not nearly where you guys are, lol. But it's been fun reading along with the little reviews of what I've been reading... and seeing the reactions. I'm almost around the end of the 60's era, before the reprints though.

[worstblogever]

LOL...poor Prism...he really did get the cracked edge of the petri dish, didn't he?

He should get a tattoo that says, "Fragile: This Side Up" on his arse.

[limerick]

Ok, let me just say that I started doing this a few months ago, but I won't post along, because I am not nearly where you guys are, lol. But it's been fun reading along with the little reviews of what I've been reading... and seeing the reactions. I'm almost around the end of the 60's era, before the reprints though.
WWWD,hope you catch up soon!

[WWWD]

WWWD,hope you catch up soon!

I don't see that happening anytime soon. I'm on O5 #65.... so yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah. Somedays I fly through em... other days, I'd rather do something else :P

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.242.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 242 ..............March 1989

"BURN!"

Claremont/Silvestri

Central Park,Manhattan:Wolverine,(somewhat influenced by the slightly demonic change all the X-men are suffering from--that's his excuse!),grabs Jean and kisses her passionately...she's caught up in the moment for a few seconds before she telekinetically forces him away....X-factor go after Madelyne again trying to get Natahan off her.....Havok defends her blasting Iceman's ice-track sending him and Beast flying away from her.....Wolverine tells Jean she loved the kiss and she wants more...Death angrily reacts to Canadian runt's outburst and the two begin to fight:adamantium claws versus poison-tipped wingblades!.....Death does take Wolvie out ,only for Rogue to grab him and try and possess him...she is startled to find another conciousness blurred with his(Apocalypse's)and more so that Warren manages to push her away before she can complete the transfer...distracted,Cyclops takes her out with an optic blast....Iceman tries to freeze the X-men until they can sort things out but Havok vapourizes his ice creating a flashflood...Dazzler and Longshot are particularly affected by the demonic influence and they collapse into the water getting amourous....Scott tries to help Madelyne and Nathan out of the water but she taunts him asking him where he was when she really needed him(when The Marauders tried to kill her)...Havok approaches his brother telling him to back off,getting ready to fire his plasma blast at his own flesh and blood.....but before he can act N'astirh materialises behind Madelyne and sends both brothers flying with a swipe of his wings......he then sends the demons (who were formally her parents) to attack
Jean.....Dazzler and Longshot see the demons attacking her but they are so changed by the demonic effect that they ignore her to look for some 'real action'....Next N'astirh comes charging for Madelyne in a demonic stage-coach pulled by two fire breathing black unicorns....Madelyne says to Scott he has a choice-----to save her from N'astirh or save Jean from the two demons....she goads him with the words:"Who's the one you really love?"....faced with a difficult choice he saves Jean blowing her demonic parents away from her witha force blast......Na'astirh grabs Madelyne and hauls her onto his speeding stage-coach....Havok,at the last second grabs on to the stage-coach,determined not to see Madelyne suffer anymore......Scott is furious at him as he felt he could have saved Madelyne as well as Jean but Havok blocked the free shot he had....Jean angrily says she wants a piece of Madelyne but they need to deal with The X-men(they think they may not be the real X-men but magically conjured replicas)first...

As the speeding coach races through N.Y. towards the Empire State Building,the windsheers some of Havok's costume away but he feels as if part of him is also being stripped from him.When the coach stops Madelyne once more emerges dressed as the Goblin Queen.Havok realises Scott and Jean are right about her.....but he vows he will honour his promises and stick by her.She is happy and addresses him as her...Goblin Prince.....they enter the totally demonically altered Empire State Building.......just behind them Colossus shouts not to enter as they will ally themselves with demons...but the Building shuts the exit with N'astirh's voice telling him their hearts are black enough to embrace the oppurtunity his sister refused.Amazingly Colossus refuses to give up and startsclimbing the exterior of the building to try and save his friends....

Central Park:It's X-Factor versus the X-men!The fight rattles on with The O5 stunned at the ferocity of the X-Men's attack----what is wrong with them wonders Scott?

Above them Storm notices the ever increasing peak of the Empire State Building is blurring into an image of the butte she stood with Forge on in the other-dimensional Earth prior to their battle with The Adversary .....she cannot understand why she sees this image?

Top of the Empire State Building:N'astirh tells Madelyne that her power combined with that of the human lives absorbed into the very substance of the building will allow her to cast a spell to create an eternal bridge between Earth and Limbo...but the timing of the sacriface to cast the spell is vital--it must be carried out at dawn......Madelyyne makes it clear she'll take orders from no-one and will do things her way...with a snap of her fingers she creates a sacrificial alter and beckons her demonically altered servants,Prof. Grey and his wife ,to bring her son to her.Nathan sends a telepathic message to Jean to tell her he's in danger.This infuriate's Madelyne...that he would choose Jean over her.....she tells N'astirh that before the spell is cast she must have :Jean Grey's heart...I want her head!...I want her SOUL!

Central Park:Jean,fighting Rogue,is suddenly whisked into the air by a powerful gust of wind ....rising upwards she is confronted by Storm who warmly embraces her friend(showing less demonic influence than some of her team-mates).Suddenly they are attacked by N'astirh who is trying to kill Jean but despite his best efforts Rogue and Death save her and Storm from his attempts to kill them...He grabs Rogue and tries to throttle her but she has immunity to the Techno-Virus following her previous encounter with Magus and she starts to absorb his powers.....

Empire State Building:After climbing to the top of the Building Colossus confronts Madelyne and Havok, calling their actions murder.On Madelyne's order Aleex lets him have a full plasma blast which sends him flying into the Manhattan sky...fortunately Iceman sees him and creates an iceslide which cushions him and then using his momentum sends him flying into N'astirh....Colossus metal form and purity of spirit causes N'astirh great pain and he teleports away...Colossus crashes into Central Park beside his team-mates...

Central Park:The X-men and X-Factor realise they need to stop scrapping and start going after N'astirh who they blame for Madelyne's behaviour.Psylocke telepathically gives them the low-down on the Techno-Virus and it's capabilities...Beast comes up with a plan....

Empire State Building:Minutes later with a combination of Jean's,Storm's and Scott's powers Colossus is sent accelerating towards the sacrificial altar at the top of the building......He bursts through the structure but is quickly overcome by the 'living' wall of the Building,several arms grabbing him and holding him solid......But Wolverine follows up via a 'FastBall Special' from Death and strikes N'astirh with his claws.Dazzler,held by Death uses her laser to cut Colossus free.....Iceman,held by Storm,cuts loose with his power and freezes N'astirh and keeps going encasing the whole building in ice.....this actually increases N'astirh's power temporarily but then Dazzler and Collossus shatter the ice and Storm surrounds N'astirrh with equatorial heat which blocks his synapses causing him pain.Finally.Storm fires lightening bolts at him....this overloads his already struggling circuits and he explodes dramatically,his threat eliminated.

Beast is worried that the city does not return to normal....by destroying the primary progenitor of INFERNO should have caused N.Y. to revert to normal....Scott criticises Storm for utterly destroying N'astirh rather than capturing him---how will they find Nathan without him....but Storm informs him she leads The X-men---she has the right to choose their course of action.As they argue their opinions,Jean is suddenly seized by some force.....they turn to face Madelyne,Alex and the Grey demons.........who have Jean and Nathan at their mercy!!!!:eek:

FIN

*limerick grimaces in pain at another giant-sized finger-wearing stonker*

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/3848/118625-87748-x-factor_large.jpg

UNCANNY # 242:The X-men vs. The Original X-men---X-Factor!!(Scott and Jean's costumes are a bit out of date there!)

[Push You Down]

"What the devil" gets replaced by "Brood mare" in Claremont's phrase book if only for this storyline.

[Anodyne]

Uncanny X-Men # 242 ..............March 1989

Iceman tries to freeze the X-men until they can sort things out but Havok vapourizes his ice creating a flashflood...
IMO Bobby deserves credit for at least attempting to deescalate the situation. IIRC the others on both teams didn't even bother to try to calm things down.
Scott tries to help Madelyne and Nathan out of the water but she taunts him asking him where he was when she really needed him(when The Marauders tried to kill her)...Havok approaches his brother telling him to back off,getting ready to fire his plasma blast at his own flesh and blood....
"Taunting" is not the word I'd use to describe what Maddie said to Scott; I'd call it a well-deserved chastising. And don't make too much of Havok's willingness to blast Cyclops; I'm pretty sure both brothers knew their powers couldn't harm each other.

[limerick]

IMO Bobby deserves credit for at least attempting to deescalate the situation. IIRC the others on both teams didn't even bother to try to calm things down.

"Taunting" is not the word I'd use to describe what Maddie said to Scott; I'd call it a well-deserved chastising. And don't make too much of Havok's willingness to blast Cyclops; I'm pretty sure both brothers knew their powers couldn't harm each other.
The reason I called it 'taunting' is because she's completely manipulating the situation by playing the meek,deserted housewife card for the benefit of The X-men,especially Havok.You're probably right though---it doesn't quite convey the exchange properly.....but I'm not sure if chastise is the right word either.....she says what she says to rile Havok and it works.It's hard to feel any sympathy for Scott...he did behave like a real scumbag to her....this was definitely his worst period as a character in X-history....(oh,and his new uniform sucks!)

[Anodyne]

The reason I called it 'taunting' is because she's completely manipulating the situation by playing the meek,deserted housewife card for the benefit of The X-men,especially Havok.You're probably right though---it doesn't quite convey the exchange properly.....but I'm not sure if chastise is the right word either.....she says what she says to rile Havok and it works.It's hard to feel any sympathy for Scott...he did behave like a real scumbag to her....this was definitely his worst period as a character in X-history....(oh,and his new uniform sucks!)
If this were Simonson writing X-Factor, I might agree that Madelyne was simply being manipulative; but Claremont, it's been pointed out before, shows more sympathy for Maddie than that. I think we're seeing, however briefly, the blunt-speaking, straightforward woman I remember. Perhaps the expression "talk turkey" best describes it.

[limerick]

Anodyne,I sense you're hurting!Sorry for making you relive the pain----Madelyne's final moments are sitting with you badly.....very understandable but at least she goes out in a blaze of glory!!!!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 242:

--A little bit of a letdown for me,this one.It has it all---the reunion of the Original and the New X-men,the death of N'astirh,Havok goes bad but somehow the end product doesnt quite live up to the sum of the parts.The quaility of Uncanny has been so good recently it was going to be tough to top it.....certainly the book seems overpopulated at times with twice the heroes on show.....Also I don't think this is Silvestri's finest moment....he's just a bit off this issue...I found his renditions of Warren and Scott poor by his standard,although he draws a great Jean......one of the highlights for me is Nathan's face on page 25 as he stares up lovingly at his demonic grandparents..funny!

--Great opening shot ,though.Has Wolverine's hair ever looked better(probably in Meltdown,actually)?The slight demon edge seems to improve his hair for some reason...?

--Warren is referred to as 'Angel' in this issue but does he refer to himself as that or does he still see himself as 'Death'?

--Again Rogue's absorbing powers let her down(versus Warren).....it's a tired plot device that has almost every second person she tries to absorb immune/resistant to her power in some way.:rolleyes:

--And what's up with Rogue's costume.It's been at least 2 issues since it disintegrated in a way that .....'exposes lots of her flesh but covers the essential bits'...TM.....:biggrin:

--Poor Dazzler and Longshot....they really are out of sorts here...Longshot is actually kinda scary....unknown of before this...

--Page 13...the last panel...somethings wrong with Havok's eyes there...his costume shouldn't cover them like that..

--Colossus is protrayed as impossibly heroic again,so much so that he seems above the rest of the team morally.It's funny when he tries to climb the Empire State Building...and suceeds!Poor guy..he spends ages getting to the top only for Havok to blow him straight off...all that work for nothing.

--I didn't quite understand Storm's flashback to the other-dimensional Earth.It was touched on but not expanded or explained.....anyone any ideas how it ties in?

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 242:

--Page 29--Storm's and Jean's reunion.Don't forget that Storm was only a friend of Jean's for a relatively short time before she ended up at the bottom of the Hudson...so Storm's warm greeting should have seemed a bit over-the-top to Jean....Are Storm's feelings purely platonic...her expressions seem to convey possibly more complex feelings.

--Iceman shows his awesome potential by effortlessly icing the complete Empire State Building..the guy is powerful!

[Imraith Nimphais]

When I read this issue eons ago, I too was at a loss as to the meaning behind Ororo's vision...up until this morning...the connection is on the following page, 24.
The Goblin Queen is atop the ESB, getting ready to cast a spell which will open a gateway/bridge to Limbo...nothing too meaningful or ominous...only a juxtaposition of events, if you will...superfluous re-telling, but that CC is quite the drama queen.
Personally, I love how they worked together to defeat N'astirh...the plan was ingenious and those sequences of panels were really quite interesting...(Storm was/looked MAGNIFICENT!) though, I have to agree, the pencils, inks and colours were not as clean overall, as last issue.
I thought the reunion of Storm and Jean was very well done. The friendship between the two was always a close one...as I believe Jean was the very first person Ororo bonded with when she arrived in America...she always referred to and treated Jean as a sister and embraced her as such...certainly nothing "untoward"...(after all, it isn't Yukio we are talking about, yeah? ;-))
And Havok looked like a male stripper in his Goblin Prince get-up...a very delectable male stripper...SCRUMMY!

[limerick]

I'm on holiday next week so I probably won't be posting for the next week or so....if anyone wants to pick up an issue or two when I'm away,feel free....either way,I'll be back the week after next....see you then!

[Imraith Nimphais]

You've earned a well deserved rest, Limerick. I do hope you have a great time ( no diving off of sheer, 100 foot cliffs, no in depth exploration of active volcanoes and certainly no camping out by woodland lakes where there is sure to be a murdering psycho or two lurking in the bushes)...that said, I will not speak for anyone else, but I can patiently wait for your return to finish up the Infero x-over...because I am virtuous like that...;-))

[DarthCyclopsRLZ]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 242:

--Page 29--Storm's and Jean's reunion.Don't forget that Storm was only a friend of Jean's for a relatively short time before she ended up at the bottom of the Hudson...so Storm's warm greeting should have seemed a bit over-the-top to Jean....Are Storm's feelings purely platonic...her expressions seem to convey possibly more complex feelings.

You don't actually think the Cyke/Storm feud solely has to do with leadership, do you? :tongue:

Seriously, though, Storm is everyone's BFF. It just... is.

[Imraith Nimphais]

You don't actually think the Cyke/Storm feud solely has to do with leadership, do you? :tongue:

Seriously, though, Storm is everyone's BFF. It just... is.

LOL...touche, DC...lol:biggrin:

[worstblogever]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 242:

--Again Rogue's absorbing powers let her down(versus Warren).....it's a tired plot device that has almost every second person she tries to absorb immune/resistant to her power in some way.:rolleyes:

--And what's up with Rogue's costume.It's been at least 2 issues since it disintegrated in a way that .....'exposes lots of her flesh but covers the essential bits'...TM.....:biggrin:


After her trip to Genosha, and the mystery of what level of "rough" the Magistrates got with her, really begins an odd era for Rogue, as written by Claremont. Every second or third attempt to actually use her power, something terrible happens to her. She's also inexplicably left battling with her costume in tatters, or completely naked except for strategically placed objects an inordinate amount of time, until Claremont departs in 1991.

Of course, the strategic nudity could be part of what made people dig her so much.

[limerick]

Greetings from The Canary Islands---suffering in sweltering heat!!!Just in a local internet cafe and came across this great John Byrne image of Storm sarcastically calling Ms. Marvel out on her costume copyright infringement!!!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3605208942_0c8d9c406d_o.png

Please note impossible female dimensions----Storm´s head is considerably bigger than her waist......takes years of Atkin´s diet to look that good!!

[limerick]

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/File:Zaladane_001.jpg

Doh....going back a little....I had forgotten completely about Zaladane´s appearance in the great Claremont scripted Marvel Fanfare X-men/Spiderman/Ka-zar story( # 1-4).....that explains her presence in the Savage Land in the last Annual(High Evolutionary story).

Note her name Zaladane......now(adopting Columbo demeanour)looking more closely.....zala....DANE------hmmmm?¿?¿?¿......SPOILERS!!!!!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.243.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 243 ..............April 1989

"Ashes"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Empire State Building,Manhattan:tOn top of the Empire State Building The X-men and X-factor recover after their ordeal with Madelyne and Inferno....Professor and Mrs. Grey and Nathan have survived intact..just!...Colossus comments on how the X-men have not reverted to their normal pre-INFERNO appearance unlike everyone and everything else in N.Y.....As Scott and Alex try to absorb their grief suddenly Jean screams out in pain and erects a telekinetic bubble around herself....

Psylocke uses the recently established mindlink with Jean to Psi-shift the astral essences of herself,Storm,Wolverine and Cyclops into Jean's mind....where they find themselves on the moon surface reliving the moment Phoenix killed herself years ago.....As they watch the Phoenix energy heading for Earth after she dies and wonder how she has these memories suddenly the dreamscape is smashed by a huge figure they don't recognise(actually,Mr. Sinister)....Psylocke tells them he is destroyingmemories within her mind and if he continues her mind will be destroyed....

They travel within Jean's mind from the moon to Earth....They surmise that Jean has defended herself as much as possible against the psychic attack but they can see some of Madelyne's memories mixed in with her own and deduce that is how Sinister gained access to her mind...The mindlink she established with Madelyne as they fought allowed him access to her psyche....

They approach an area of her mind made up exclusively of shards of Jean's memories including Xavier's school for Gifted Youngsters....as they approach the school they see Madelyne(in her Goblin Queen guise)waiting for them....she blasts them withba force bolt leaving them wondering if she has taken over Jean's mind....but suddenly she changes to Jean(in her Original X-men garb)who explains that in trying to integrate Madelyne's memories her mind is experiencing a battle between the two psyches with Jean in control one minute,Madelyne the next......Storm suggests trying to get Rogue to help her as she experiences a similar scenario when uses her power....but Psylocke suddenly realises she cannot broadcast or withdraw from Jean's mind....Something is blocking her and they are trapped!!

Sinister looms large over them telling them he won't let them leave and he starts smashing some of the Madelyne memory shards....Storm tries to stop him but her powers have no effect on him in the Astral plane....he grabs her but Psylocke manages to mindblast him sending him away for the moment...Madelyne's psyche has gained control of Jean's mind and when the X-men ask her for help she does explain who Sinister is but says she'll enjoy them dying like she did....Wolverine and Storm try talking her around but she says she was terrified what the Phoenix Force offered and that it may be best for all if things end now....Psylocke has been trying to hold off Sinister but without her physical reserves of her own body to draw on she loses out....Sinister addresses Madelyne offering to strip her of her identity and everything that has hurt her....But Jean regains control and in an awesome display forces Sinister out of her mind....

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters,The Real World:Sinister recovers after Jean's psychic assault....He tells the watching Polaris/Malice to tell the Marauders to get ready....The X-men are coming!

The X-men(minus Longshot) and X-factor(minus Beast) arrive at the mansion guided by Jean's knowledge she sensed from Sinister as she confronted him....They find no sign of life or a trap and Psylocke can sense nothing.....Inside the mansion Jean tells the others she knows Sinister from the memories of Madelyne in her head......and he must be killed!!

Psylocke and Rogue head into the tunnels under the mansion---unaware they are being watched by a shadowed figure!

X-factor's Base,Ship,The Atlantic Ocean:Beast and Longshot deliver the Greys and Nathan to the safety of Ship....They prepare to join the others but Longshot has doubts after INFERNO..will his evil persona re-emerge....can his friends trust him???

The Morlock Tunnels:Colossus,Iceman,Dazzler and Havok journey on foot to the mansion via the tunnels....they have almost completed the journey when they are attacked by Blockbusterwho, like the X-men,is still transformed to a more demonic version of his normal self despite INFERNO wearing off....Iceman and Dazz try to take him out but are unsuccessful and when he grabs Dazz,Havok unleashes a lethal blast....unlike before Inferno,he now uses his blast to kill if needs be....

The Hanger Bay:Sabertooth tries to take Betsy out but she reacts quicker frazing his mind with a psyche-blast....once again she's got the better of him...

The Mansion:Wolverine,Storm,Cyclops,Marvel Girl and Archangel discover their rooms have been trashed as if someone has gone through their belongings and personal effects....Sinister collecting information on his enemies...Suddenly Polaris/Malice arrives and tries taking them on but outnumbered she is quickly defeated....convinced the X-men will not harm her because she was a former team-mate she begins to have her doubts when Storm says they'll find a way to seperate the two of then or else.....

Later the two teams are fully gathered in the mansion....they have found no-one other than the three Marauders they have already captured.....Storm orders Psylocke to probe Polaris/Malice's mind and to seperate them if she can.....She begs them not to,saying they are no longer seperate entities and to try and seperate them would kill her.....her pleas,even to her former partner Alex,fall on deaf ears....Suddenly there is an explosion which leaves the mansion in ruins.....amongst the rubble when the dust settles lie the unconcious X-men and Polaris/Malice who recovers to find Sinister present.....He finds Jean alive amongst the rubble and is delighted he has a replacement for Madelyne that he can experiment on.....When Polaris tells him the X-men/X-factor won't be too happy he tells her to kill them while they're out cold......Not if Longshot has anything to do with it.....he stands before them telling them they'll have to kill him before they destroy the X-men....

FIN

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #243:

--An awesome opening page with a great picture of dead Madelyne being watched over by a pensive Jean....one of my favourite Silvestri images

--The first half of this issue is a bit surreal with the bulk of it being set in Jean's mind....Claremont borrows a little from his classic Muir Isle New Mutants story by representing Jean's and Maddie's fractured memories as 'broken glass'---no-one will ever match Bill Sienk.'s art on that run....ah...the memories!!!

--The X-men are not aware yet that Maadelyne was a clone of Jean(?!)....Jean knows but the X-men didn't seem to pick that up from their Empire State Building battle...although they are beginning to suspect...see pg. 6....EDIT..Madelyne's 'psyche' tells them on page 11.:redface:

--On page 14 Jean demonstrates awesome power....has she regained the Phoenix power??....the imagery on this page seems to suggest that a little.?

--Wolverine looks very John-Byrne-like in the first panel on page 11.....it remindsme of a specific Wolverine image from John Byrne's run but I just can't think of it right now.

--The X-men are really out for blood here....they've never been so ruthless.....Are they the original Dark X-men?....Storm,Havok and especially Jean are not pulling any punches....Wolverine is beginning to look the most tame member of the team...they've caught him up and passed him out!!Maybe it's still the demon influence which seems to affecting them all(X-men only).Speaking of which Blockbuster is very much still demonically effected....what has caused this prolonged transformation of the X-men and The Marauders?

--The Marauders were a very poor match for the X-men this time...they were easily outnumbered and outclassed....we need another Wolverine/Sabertooth match-up and soon!

--Geez,Havok's cold towards Lorna...Inferno has really messed him up..

--Great finale...can Longshot live against Sinister and Polaris....he would seem not to be a match for them but he seems destined for glory here...nice for him to finally get a good moment...there hasn't been many for him since joining the X-men.

[worstblogever]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #243:

--An awesome opening page with a great picture of dead Madelyne being watched over by a pensive Jean....one of my favourite Silvestri images

--The first half of this issue is a bit surreal with the bulk of it being set in Jean's mind....Claremont borrows a little from his classic Muir Isle New Mutants story by representing Jean's and Maddie's fractured memories as 'broken glass'---no-one will ever match Bill Sienk.'s art on that run....ah...the memories!!!

--The X-men are not aware yet that Maadelyne was a clone of Jean(?!)....Jean knows but the X-men didn't seem to pick that up from their Empire State Building battle...although they are beginning to suspect...see pg. 6....EDIT..Madelyne's 'psyche' tells them on page 11.:redface:

--On page 14 Jean demonstrates awesome power....has she regained the Phoenix power??....the imagery on this page seems to suggest that a little.?

--Wolverine looks very John-Byrne-like in the first panel on page 11.....it remindsme of a specific Wolverine image from John Byrne's run but I just can't think of it right now.

--The X-men are really out for blood here....they've never been so ruthless.....Are they the original Dark X-men?....Storm,Havok and especially Jean are not pulling any punches....Wolverine is beginning to look the most tame member of the team...they've caught him up and passed him out!!Maybe it's still the demon influence which seems to affecting them all(X-men only).Speaking of which Blockbuster is very much still demonically effected....what has caused this prolonged transformation of the X-men and The Marauders?

--The Marauders were a very poor match for the X-men this time...they were easily outnumbered and outclassed....we need another Wolverine/Sabertooth match-up and soon!

--Geez,Havok's cold towards Lorna...Inferno has really messed him up..

--Great finale...can Longshot live against Sinister and Polaris....he would seem not to be a match for them but he seems destined for glory here...nice for him to finally get a good moment...there hasn't been many for him since joining the X-men.

Seems like As the Marauders are often clones of the originals, when they're taken out of the oven too soon, they're not anywhere near as formidable. Maybe Sinister was in a hurry, and this batch of Marauder clones needed to stay in the incubator a bit longer...down the line, in X-Men (vol. 2) #34, they fight a really "undercooked" Riptide and Sabretooth. I believe Rogue punches the Sabes-clone, and her one punch pretty much causes him to explode and die. Good times!

[Yogaflame]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3605208942_0c8d9c406d_o.png


That is so cute! It's all good though, Storm get's even when she rips off Ms. Marvel's rip off for her Outback outfit(and X-Treme for that matter). And it does look better with the cape!

[Anodyne]

I tried to copy Storm's pose, but that's not the way my wrist wants to bend.

...Madelyne's psyche has gained control of Jean's mind and when the X-men ask her for help she does explain who Sinister is but says she'll enjoy them dying like she did....Wolverine and Storm try talking her around but she says she was terrified what the Phoenix Force offered and that it may be best for all if things end now....
To clarify, it's Jean who claims she was terrified of the Phoenix Force and "rejected it with every fiber of my being." She's evidently already forgotten that just a few moments ago (in X-Factor #38) she told the PF, "I accept you--willingly." This is the second time she's accepted the PF's offer to save her life (shown in Fantastic Four #286 (?)) and then later denied having done so (X-Factor #2, when she dreamed that it had taken her against her will.)

[limerick]

I tried to copy Storm's pose, but that's not the way my wrist wants to bend.


To clarify, it's Jean who claims she was terrified of the Phoenix Force and "rejected it with every fiber of my being." She's evidently already forgotten that just a few moments ago (in X-Factor #38) she told the PF, "I accept you--willingly." This is the second time she's accepted the PF's offer to save her life (shown in Fantastic Four #286 (?)) and then later denied having done so (X-Factor #2, when she dreamed that it had taken her against her will.)
Anodyne,I understood that on page 13 although it is 'Jean' in apearance,it is 'Madelyne's' psyche holding the conversation....I understood from the second panel on page 11 through to the third panel on page 14 is 'Madelyne'....Jean reasserts control on the third panel of page 14,saying softly:"no."(a la Keanu Reeves at the end of 'The Matrix').....on page 11 Wolverine grabs Jean but is clearly addrssing Madelyne..."And what about your son?!He'll be an orphan Madelyne"......immediately after Storm is again addressing the Madelyne 'psyche'.....to which 'Madelyne' replies :"I was so terrified of what the Phoenix offered--I denied it with every fibre of my being!"......So I'm pretty sure that's Madelyne talking.....(I think!):confused:

[Imraith Nimphais]

Yup...You are correct Limerick, it is Maddie talking...I think wot may be a tad confusing are the "Jean" images on the following page (14) when it is definitely the Madelyne part of Jean's psyche really sticking it to Sinister...or is it Jean?..now I'm confused...lol.
btw...yesyesyes...that first page shot of Jean and Madelyne (note how the Goblin Queen's cape form a "Black Phoenix" image) is a masterpiece of artwork.

[limerick]

Yup...You are correct Limerick, it is Maddie talking...I think wot may be a tad confusing are the "Jean" images on the following page (14) when it is definitely the Madelyne part of Jean's psyche really sticking it to Sinister...or is it Jean?..now I'm confused...lol.
btw...yesyesyes...that first page shot of Jean and Madelyne (note how the Goblin Queen's cape form a "Black Phoenix" image) is a masterpiece of artwork.
I hadn't noticed the Black Phoenix effect.....cool....also has Madelyne ever looked better?......The similarity between the two of them is very visible there

[limerick]

I understood that Jean's Pysche regains control in the third panel of page 14(the Dark Phoenix image has sinister(no pun intended) undertones).....'Madelyne' is about to accept Sinister's offer and then 'Jean' kicks back in and kicks his clown-faced ass!

Silvestri confused matters on pages 11 and 12 by having Jean's image although 'Madelyne' was in control

[Imraith Nimphais]

I hadn't noticed the Black Phoenix effect.....cool....also has Madelyne ever looked better?......The similarity between the two of them is very visible there

I know, right?...too bad she is a corpse...but an uber HAWT! corpse, nonetheless...lol.
...and yer right about Jean switching in to kick some Sinister arse.

[blinkinrogue]

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...


wow just read, really intriguing stuff!

[limerick]

wow just read, really intriguing stuff!
Intriguing,but unfortunately still a little unexplained!

[Anodyne]

Anodyne,I understood that on page 13 although it is 'Jean' in apearance,it is 'Madelyne's' psyche holding the conversation....I understood from the second panel on page 11 through to the third panel on page 14 is 'Madelyne'....Jean reasserts control on the third panel of page 14,saying softly:"no."(a la Keanu Reeves at the end of 'The Matrix').....on page 11 Wolverine grabs Jean but is clearly addrssing Madelyne..."And what about your son?!He'll be an orphan Madelyne"......immediately after Storm is again addressing the Madelyne 'psyche'.....to which 'Madelyne' replies :"I was so terrified of what the Phoenix offered--I denied it with every fibre of my being!"......So I'm pretty sure that's Madelyne talking.....(I think!):confused:
My problem with this theory is that Madelyne was never given a chance to accept or reject the Phoenix's offer; it was thrust upon her in her very moment of waking, whether she wanted it or not, when she had no knowledge on which to base a choice. Storm and Wolverine may have been addressing Madelyne, but it was an aspect of Jean that answered. It was Jean who willingly accepted the Phoenix force and then claimed that she'd rejected it.

[widdershins]

btw...yesyesyes...that first page shot of Jean and Madelyne (note how the Goblin Queen's cape form a "Black Phoenix" image) is a masterpiece of artwork.
I never noticed.Good catch!

[limerick]

My problem with this theory is that Madelyne was never given a chance to accept or reject the Phoenix's offer; it was thrust upon her in her very moment of waking, whether she wanted it or not, when she had no knowledge on which to base a choice. Storm and Wolverine may have been addressing Madelyne, but it was an aspect of Jean that answered. It was Jean who willingly accepted the Phoenix force and then claimed that she'd rejected it.
I felt there was some suggestion that 'The Goblin Queen' was Madelyne's version of Dark Phoenix....and that she may have accepted the Phoenix force in the lab in Genosha when she slaughters a roomful of Magistrate Medics....It was in her before this but she was unaware of it....from then on she's aware of it(Theorizing!).....I found it interesting that at the start of Excalibur # 7 Crotus(very much down the demon pecking order) was aware of the Phoenix entity existing within Madelyne....this would suggest that she was targeted by S'ym and N'astirh because they had prior knowledge of her Phoenix Force....how they came to know this is so far(April 1989) unexplained

[Anodyne]

I felt there was some suggestion that 'The Goblin Queen' was Madelyne's version of Dark Phoenix....and that she may have accepted the Phoenix force in the lab in Genosha when she slaughters a roomful of Magistrate Medics....It was in her before this but she was unaware of it....from then on she's aware of it(Theorizing!).....I found it interesting that at the start of Excalibur # 7 Crotus(very much down the demon pecking order) was aware of the Phoenix entity existing within Madelyne....this would suggest that she was targeted by S'ym and N'astirh because they had prior knowledge of her Phoenix Force....how they came to know this is so far(April 1989) unexplained
It wouldn't be the first time a private noticed what a general overlooked. If N'Astirh was aware of the Phoenix Force in Madelyne, he seriously underestimated it--or overestimated his own ability to control it. At one point he thought to himself that he'd grabbed a "tigress by the tail" or some such remark. And remember his astonishment when the Goblin Queen created a sacrificial altar with a wave of the hand? N'astirh sought a pawn; he got a demonic version of Dark Phoenix.

[limerick]

It wouldn't be the first time a private noticed what a general overlooked. If N'Astirh was aware of the Phoenix Force in Madelyne, he seriously underestimated it--or overestimated his own ability to control it. At one point he thought to himself that he'd grabbed a "tigress by the tail" or some such remark. And remember his astonishment when the Goblin Queen created a sacrificial altar with a wave of the hand? N'astirh sought a pawn; he got a demonic version of Dark Phoenix.
You're right,there are several instances in INFERNO where N'astirh realises he's,maybe,bitten off something more than he can handle.....The Crotus speech(upon seeing Rachel grey)is:"High-and-mighty former master N'astirh.....sacrificing everything....to possess the power of The Goblin Queen.Because...tee-hee...of Madelyne Pryor's link.....teentsy-tiny though it is ...to the Phoenix----one of the primal forces of all creation"

So there is definitely some comprehension of the Phoenix force in the demon realm(Limbo)....it is the first suggestion that the Phoenix power may not be solely cosmic in nature....does the Phoenix Force exist in Limbo history or is knowledge of Earth which has thought them this??....is it a universal force transcending all life??

Also,since Rachel recieved the Phoenix Force in #199,how was that possible if it existed within Madelyne???

[limerick]

Poor Anodyne,I feel for you losing your favourite character and in a way which undoes the reasons you may have grown to like her in the first place...I would feel very cheated.You invest your interest/love/time in a character and then possibly a few editorial decisions just turns them bad.I,personally,don't think that Claremont had this course planned for Madelyne until possibly 10-15 issues before the ones we're currently reading....maybe an editorial meeting on INFERNO threw up the idea of turning Madelyne into the Goblin Queen..which is fine and dandy,unless you're a Madelyne Pryor fan:frown:

[limerick]

I've concluded the final INFERNO issue with X-factor # 39-----Havok's love-life has been tough ....first Polaris goes bad....then Dark Maddie uses him....what's a guy to do......Go to Mexico with your enforced best friend,that's what!!....HAVOK/WOLVERINE-MELTDOWN comes next....I've already summarised the first issue in the 'X-men mini-series from the beginning' thread but now that we've caught up chronologically,I'm going to return to that.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/4/26155-4055-29050-1-havok-amp-wolverin_large.jpg

If you're not familiar with this groundbreaking mini do yourself a favour and get it now---I can't reccommend it highly enough.It's got quite a good story but the art was cutting edge at the time showing how comic art would be 20 years later...Awesome!

[Anodyne]

Poor Anodyne,I feel for you losing your favourite character and in a way which undoes the reasons you may have grown to like her in the first place...I would feel very cheated.You invest your interest/love/time in a character and then possibly a few editorial decisions just turns them bad.I,personally,don't think that Claremont had this course planned for Madelyne until possibly 10-15 issues before the ones we're currently reading....maybe an editorial meeting on INFERNO threw up the idea of turning Madelyne into the Goblin Queen..which is fine and dandy,unless you're a Madelyne Pryor fan:frown:
Limerick, it's not just about Madelyne or any other character for me; it's about justice and injustice. Vilifying one person's good name to excuse another person's wrongdoing is unjust. Fanboys keep harping on Maddie's "don't bother coming back" outburst as proof that Scott's departure was her fault--another version of the "she asked for it" mentality. I say a new mother coping with sleepless nights, post-partum hormonal turbulence, and an emotionally distant husband who apparently thinks the way to "work things out" is to walk out--is entitled to lose her temper.

BTW, I saw the slaughter of the Genoshan psychics as Maddie's resistance to the Darkness growing within her--Dark Phoenix or Goblin Queen--finally breaking under the trauma of torture and attempted mind-rape.

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/40/538386-inferno_large.jpg


INFERNO---AN OVERVIEW

INFERNO was a successful crossover event following on from THE MUTANT MASSACRE.Somewhat handicapped by the X-men's secretive existence which limited Excalibur and New Mutant interaction with the other teams it never-the-less brought many developing storylines to a head as well as revealing further information on the origins of central characters.Significant events revealed during Inferno were:

--The relevation of Madelyne being a clone of Jean who was manipulated by Sinister and encouraged subconciously to develop a relationship with Scott Summers.

--That she possessed a portion of the Phoenix Force which gave her her Goblin Queen powers

--That Jean at the end of Inferno has come to possess Madelyne's memories as well as the memories of Phoenix original time on Earth posing as Jean.She has also accquired part of the Phoenix Force herself(Does this mean Rachel is less powerful now??)

--Archangel has been renamed and buried his differences with the rest of the O5

--Illyana has been de-aged and de-powered to her original agwe when she first appeared in Uncanny.Louise S.'s decision to get rid of one of the best characters in the New Mutants is something I find strange but I'm just a reader---she's the writer.She must have her reasons?!I know at the time the editorial staff were trying to aim NM at a younger audience.Perhaps they felt she was bringing too dark a theme to the book.

--The X-mansion has been well and truely destroyed,opening the way for a change in direction for the New Mutants.They've more or less severed contact with Magneto and need a new home.

--Magneto has increased his ties with the Hellfire Club,particularly allyng himself with The White Queen,Emma Frost(Drool!)--lucky guy!

--Scott was manipulated by Sinister from an early age from the time he was 'orphaned'.The time he spent in Nebraska was all under the guidance of Sinister who saw him as a pawn for his use.Sinister tried to reverse brain damage caused by the accident which affected his ability to control his optic blasts but was unsuccessful.He discovered that ruby quartz would block Scott's optic blasts and provided him with glasses made of that material.

--Oh,and Storm looks hot in rags!!

--EDIT:Of course, I forgot the formation of a new x-team---The X-terminators!!

[Filthy Mutie]

I've concluded the final INFERNO issue with X-factor # 39-----Havok's love-life has been tough ....first Polaris goes bad....then Dark Maddie uses him....what's a guy to do......Go to Mexico with your enforced best friend,that's what!!....HAVOK/WOLVERINE-MELTDOWN comes next....I've already summarised the first issue in the 'X-men mini-series from the beginning' thread but now that we've caught up chronologically,I'm going to return to that.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/4/26155-4055-29050-1-havok-amp-wolverin_large.jpg

If you're not familiar with this groundbreaking mini do yourself a favour and get it now---I can't reccommend it highly enough.It's got quite a good story but the art was cutting edge at the time showing how comic art would be 20 years later...Awesome!


YEEESSS!

Awesome.

[Armadillo]

Hey
Is there any Softcover trade which collect Giant X-men #1 and the stories afterward in full color and not too expensive?
and also, why the DP saga is so expensive?>

[Category1Games]

Limerick you have done a fantastic job of covering these books and even if people don't respond a lot to what you are doing I am reading them all and have read through all the From the Beginning threads.

I started Uncanny with issue 280 when I was around 8 and started going back and getting the mid/early 200 issues and the Outback/Inferno/Silvestri runs have always been my favorite of the series.

I feel bad because after the 250's things really slow down in the 260's for you.

As far as Inferno goes, This was a lame kill of Sinister or at least it felt like it at the time and they never really gave a good explanation how he lived besides he teleported out of there or it was just a clone, really week. Also we don't see Poloris for a while and it is never explained how she wasn't possessed in her next appearance was it?


One of the things I wish you had time to cover was all the tie in issues to Inferno that hardly anyone talks about. I just found and read Cloak and Dagger 4 which is an Inferno tie in, Daredevil and Fantastic Four have tie ins as well, not sure if Avengers do. I know Captain America tied into Mutant Massecure though.

While they don't tie into the main story, C&D had the NM in it and was decent while the FF really didn't have much to do with Inferno besides the town being evil.

Keep up the good work and I'll try to post more as I've read everything that we are going over and it is bringing back really good memories.

[Imraith Nimphais]

As you mentioned the DD inferno tie-in...I absolutely loved it...written by Ann Nocenti and drawn by J. Romita jr...bloody fantastic.

[limerick]

Thanks for that,I appreciate it....great to have you posting as the more the merrier!:biggrin:

As for the other tie-ins....it's simple...I don't have them!......I've always been very selective in my comic book purchases---they have to be X-books!So I'll always get a DD book ,for example if it's an X-men/Daredevil crossover but I wouldn't buy a DD book because it ties into an X-related event e.g. INFERNO,Mutant Massacre.

I am the proud owner of an almost complete X-book collection with the odd exception.....At times over the years I have drifted away from the X-men and have either kept up buying the books without reading them or have caught up on the back issues when something caught my eye and dragged me back in----most recently Greg Land's Jean(Green Phoenix) cover for the End-Song mini.(How could someone who grew up threw the Dark Phoenix sage not be bowled over by that!)

In fact after being an X-fan from approx 1980 through to circa 1991,I will soon be reaching the point in these threads where I first stopped collecting X-books.I remember vividly reading a particular issue(I'll mention it when I get there)and thinking 'The Magic's gone',and I didn't pick up another book for a couple of years until the cover for Uncanny #300 caught my eye.

[blinkinrogue]

I never noticed.Good catch!

my gosh i never noticed that too. i quickly went to get my tpb. and there it was! lols, cc and company were so brilliant they were on another level that time (thus, the humongous sales of uncanny).

i hated the art on xfactor, and i turn away when the new mutants are there. can somebody explain to me again, how colossus managed to be with the NM while he was in uncanny? :confused:

[limerick]

my gosh i never noticed that too. i quickly went to get my tpb. and there it was! lols, cc and company were so brilliant they were on another level that time (thus, the humongous sales of uncanny).

i hated the art on xfactor, and i turn away when the new mutants are there. can somebody explain to me again, how colossus managed to be with the NM while he was in uncanny? :confused:
Hi,blinkinrogue,what you're looking for is on page 19 of Uncanny # 241.The other X-men have been transformed demonically(slightly!).Colossus is unaffected by this change.While fighting the Marauders,The X-men are suddenly attacked by three of the 'Right' robo-troopers whohad ended up in Limbo in the NM issue Doug died in.....Colossus catches one of them and he gives the lowdown on what's happening with Illyana...He feels he cannottrust the X-men,transformed as they are,and heads alone to the Empire State Building where The Right soldier told him she was....Simple as that!!

[blinkinrogue]

thansk, i was looking for it when i flipped through the tpb, it was sooo thick i gave up looking haha. thanks.

[limerick]

thansk, i was looking for it when i flipped through the tpb, it was sooo thick i gave up looking haha. thanks.
You're very welcome!

[blinkinrogue]

do you know why marvel didnt hire a better artist for xfactor? i mean an xtitle with the 05 in the late 80's should at least have a decent artist. when compiled, its hard on the eyes when compared to the uncanny art.

[limerick]

Actually,Simonson was one of the hot artists of the time and would have been a leading artist on a big title....generally his work is well recieved although I have met people who share your opinion....Personally I like his style but everyone will have different thoughts on things like this and that's part of makes these threads interesting!

[Imraith Nimphais]

Actually,Simonson was one of the hot artists of the time and would have been a leading artist on a big title....generally his work is well recieved although I have met people who share your opinion....Personally I like his style but everyone will have different thoughts on things like this and that's part of makes these threads interesting!

ahem-ahem...(that's all I'm saying)...tee-hee:biggrin:

[limerick]

ahem-ahem...(that's all I'm saying)...tee-hee:biggrin:
Oh,you!!!!!

[Imraith Nimphais]

Lololololololololololololololololololololololololo l!!!

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/170/76642-167676-colossus_large.jpg

Colossus had a difficult time in INFERNO with him proving ineffectual in his appearances in Uncanny and New Mutants.After being pivotal to events in Fall of the Mutants in Dallas I would have expected his immunity to magic in his metal form to have stood him better against S'ym,N'astirh and The Goblin Queen....alas,not to be and he had to watch his sister being de-aged,something which realistically is not a bad outcome.Surprisingly he does not ensue Illyana's safe return to her parents and leaves her to her own devices with the New Mutants....instead he takes a holiday....in bible belt U.S.A.....read about it in the mini-series thread and let's hope the big guy gets back on track!

[Imraith Nimphais]

...and personally, I do not like the way his shorts bunch up...obviously way too much fabric...(but that's expected, if he went shopping in the bible belt...lol).
note to Colossus: "Booty-shorts are meant to fit and *ahem* "enhance". Da?

[limerick]

...and personally, I do not like the way his shorts bunch up...obviously way too much fabric...(but that's expected, if he went shopping in the bible belt...lol).
note to Colossus: "Booty-shorts are meant to fit and *ahem* "enhance". Da?
Lololol!I hadn't noticed but you're right --they are very baggy!

[Anodyne]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/170/76642-167676-colossus_large.jpg

Colossus had a difficult time in INFERNO with him proving ineffectual in his appearances in Uncanny and New Mutants.After being pivotal to events in Fall of the Mutants in Dallas I would have expected his immunity to magic in his metal form to have stood him better against S'ym,N'astirh and The Goblin Queen.... !
IIRC, the Goblin Queen TK-blasted Colossus from a distance; (EDIT) or did the building-demons grab him? Either way, he was prevented from actually touching the GQ. If only Peter had succeeded in physically getting his hands on "Her Goblin Majesty," his organic-steel touch might have driven it out of Maddie's body, or at least weakened it enough to let Madelyne's core personality regain control.

If Colossus wore snug "booty shorts," wouldn't the seams split when he morphed into his larger, organic-steel form? :redface: Unstable molecules can do only so much.

[limerick]

Even though 100% hetero.,I can't help being a little curios as to exactly what's in those shorts.....literally balls of steel,I assume:redface: ....or maybe he's a bit Action Man(G.I. JOE,to my friends across the water)down below when in armoured form as dangling metallic bits would sound like a bell ringing as he walked....Too much information there,perhaps!

[Imraith Nimphais]

IIRC, the Goblin Queen TK-blasted Colossus from a distance. If only Peter had succeeded in physically getting his hands on "Her Goblin Majesty," his organic-steel touch might have driven it out of Maddie's body, or at least weakened it enough to let Madelyne's core personality regain control.

If Colossus wore snug "booty shorts," wouldn't the seams split when he morphed to his larger, organic-steel form? :redface: Unstable molecules can do only so much.

Yes they would, Anodyne...yes they would, indeed...:wink:

[limerick]

Actually,Colossus's wrist bands look pretty pointless and also a bitnoisy if they're metal,which I think they are.

[Imraith Nimphais]

Even though 100% hetero.,I can't help being a little curios as to exactly what's in those shorts.....literally balls of steel,I assume:redface: ....or maybe he's a bit Action Man(G.I. JOE,to my friends across the water)down below when in armoured form as dangling metallic bits would sound like a bell ringing as he walked....Too much information there,perhaps!

All the more reason why his shorts should be fitted and supportive, we don't want him announcing the x-men's arrival everytime:tongue: ...and being 100% bi...it has most definitely crossed my mind wot sort of luggage he might be carrying...and suffice it to say, those thoughts are certainly not for a public forum such as this...:redface:

[Imraith Nimphais]

Actually,Colossus's wrist bands look pretty pointless and also a bitnoisy if they're metal,which I think they are.

They are mere accessories...they complete the look...without them he would be naked. :biggrin:

[limerick]

All the more reason why his shorts should be fitted and supportive, we don't want him announcing the x-men's arrival everytime:tongue: ...and being 100% bi...it has most definitely crossed my mind wot sort of luggage he might be carrying...and suffice it to say, those thoughts are certainly not for a public forum such as this...:redface:
Ha,ha...very funny!

[limerick]

IIRC, the Goblin Queen TK-blasted Colossus from a distance. If only Peter had succeeded in physically getting his hands on "Her Goblin Majesty," his organic-steel touch might have driven it out of Maddie's body, or at least weakened it enough to let Madelyne's core personality regain control.

If Colossus wore snug "booty shorts," wouldn't the seams split when he morphed to his larger, organic-steel form? :redface: Unstable molecules can do only so much.
I know you're making this first comment as a quick aside but was it your belief that she was actually corrupted by a force rather than her own persona being corrupted....If so could it,in fact,have been the Phoenix Force(part of which was contained within her)and that it manifested as the 'Goblin Queen' persona because of S'ym's influence...although as discussed before, events occuring before her dream sequence with S'ym(the recent ret-con in XFactor # 39)would seem to pinpoint a change in her before S'ym arrived on the scene.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.244.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 244 ..............May 1989

"Ladies Night"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Hollywood Mall,Los Angeles:To many ,so popular a place some would say they almost live here but to one young mutant it is her home....Jubilee creates an awesome lightshow for a watching crowd,her mutant powers enabling her to create transitionary plasmoids---basically balls of energy.Much to the annoyance of the watching crowd Mall Security have ghad enough of her and try to arrest her....But she dazzles them with an energy burst and showing considerable acrobatic skill,she manages to escape them after a long chase through the mall....The chief of Security finds a flier for The M Squad,last seen in the Empire State Building during Inferno,who promise to catch mutants for a reasonable fee....Tired of Jubilee's antics he promises to give them a call.

The Outback,Austrailia:The Xmen worry they're being attacked when objects including a bed come flying from Rogue's room but it turns out she's throwing a tantrum because the Carol Danver's persona has redecorated her room while it was controlling her body...She asks Psylocke to erase the Carol persona but Psylocke refuses,saying it's probably impossible but also wrong....Storm tells Rogue she'll have to live with it as it was her own fault it happened even if the permanant nature of the transfer was accidental....Rogue feels they're ganging up on her and that they've never really accepted her......She starts to fly outside but stops suddenly....Carol has retaken control to try and calm the situation down....Carol reveals that the recent experiences in INFERNO have re-opened the wounds of her distressing time in Genosha....She had been refusing to communicate with Carol and Carol felt there was no option but to assume control.....Dazzler says they need to all take some time off....They can't live there lives as heroes 100% of the time....She says they need to go SHOPPING!!!!

The Hollywood Mall,Los Angeles:The M Squad arrive in a tanked up,souped up car.....They resemble a nerdy-looking bunch of Ghostbusters......Not far away the X-women(Rogue/Carol,Dazzler,Storm and Psylocke)teleport in courtesy of Gateway.....but their sudden materialisation did not go unnoticed....they were observed by Jubilee,who is impressed.

Dazzler takes control taking them all to the hairdressers first and then for a new outfit.....Satisfied with their makeovers,Dazz tells them ,"Let's Party!!".....Close by the M-Squad begin their investigations by interviewing the Security staff......One of M-Squad reveals that after their experiences in New York(during INFERNO)they had decided to change fields going into Mutant hunting instead.....But their equipment seems to still be tainted somehow by the events in N.Y. and it seems alive somehow,nasty even.....

The X-Women head for the Mall nightclub where Dazz slips the Maitre D' a bribe to arrange a special favour for Storm....Outside Jubilee tries to convince the bouncer that she is not underage and that she is with the X-men.....Nearby,the M-Squad's instruments register they've found a mutant.....A topless male dancer pulls Storm on stage and dances with her....

Outside the club ,The M-Squad confirm that Jubilee is the Mutant they are lokking for and that they have detected.....They try to shoot her with some type of concusive weapon but she counteracts them with her powers.....But they then aactivate a Mutant Containment Grid which starts to pull her in with streams of energy....Suddenly the Containment Grid explodes and starts acting alive like something out of INFERNO....The X-men hear the commotion and come out to see what's happening....

Rogue/Carol saves some young kids from falling debris,Psylocke stops Jubilee from being pulled into the Containment Grid,Storm then creates awind to carry the Grid through the top of the building,once at a safe distance,Dazzler totals it with her Photon Beam.....

The X-men look on as the local cops arrest the M-Squad.....They then disappear through a portal which Gateway instinctively knows to open.....As they disappear Jubilee watches them from her hiding spot around the corner.....But for somereason the portal remains open....Throwing caution to the wind she dives through it(leaving her old life behind her!!

FIN

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/2/26098/515719-img73_large.jpg

JUBILATION LEE...A.K.A. JUBILEE...Someone who divides opinions---you'll either love her or hate her!Fitting into the 'fiesty teenage livewire' slot vacated by Kitty Pryde going to Excalibur,she makes a low key debut in this issue---The X-men will never be the same....

[Anodyne]

I know you're making this first comment as a quick aside but was it your belief that she was actually corrupted by a force rather than her own persona being corrupted....If so could it,in fact,have been the Phoenix Force(part of which was contained within her)and that it manifested as the 'Goblin Queen' persona because of S'ym's influence...although as discussed before, events occuring before her dream sequence with S'ym(the recent ret-con in XFactor # 39) would seem to pinpoint a change in her before S'ym arrived on the scene.
Which retcon do you mean? I only recall those in X-Factor #38. The retcon where the Goblin Queen said it had used telepathy to influence the duel was unnecessary except as part of the scheme to blacken Maddie's character. All she really needed to do was remind Scott of his new responsibilities. The retcon in which it claimed "I saved myself and let the baby go" was proven false by the flashback of Maddie clasping her child in her arms as the Marauders close in.

Dissociated Identity Disorder or demonic possession? It depends on which century you're living in. I think she was driven mad--as N'Astirh's thoughts told us he intended to do. And yes, I think the corruption was there before S'ym came along. The Phoenix Force that "brought Madelyne life" was already darkened when it found her.

[limerick]

Which retcon do you mean? I only recall those in X-Factor #38. The retcon where the Goblin Queen said it had used telepathy to influence the duel was unnecessary except as part of the scheme to blacken Maddie's character. The one in which it claimed "I saved myself and let the baby go" was proven false by the flashback of Maddie clasping her child in her arms as the Marauders close in.

Dissociated Identity Disorder or demonic possession? It depends on which century you're living in. I think she was driven mad--as N'Astirh's thoughts told us he intended to do. And yes, I think the corruption was there before S'ym came along When the Phoenix Force "brought Madelyne life," it brought her Dark Phoenix.
Sorry,I meant # 38 but your post gives me a clear idea where you stand...thanks for that!

[limerick]

Which retcon do you mean? I only recall those in X-Factor #38. The retcon where the Goblin Queen said it had used telepathy to influence the duel was unnecessary except as part of the scheme to blacken Maddie's character. The one in which it claimed "I saved myself and let the baby go" was proven false by the flashback of Maddie clasping her child in her arms as the Marauders close in.

Dissociated Identity Disorder or demonic possession? It depends on which century you're living in. I think she was driven mad--as N'Astirh's thoughts told us he intended to do. And yes, I think the corruption was there before S'ym came along When the Phoenix Force "brought Madelyne life," it brought her Dark Phoenix.
Oh,and just to let you know Louise Simonson carried out another ret-con character assassination (on Magneto) just a month later in New Mutants # 75.....very similar in the way she twisted previous events to make their motivation at the time unsavory....not nice!!

[Imraith Nimphais]

244 was a fun, light read but I did not particularly care for the cover...imo, a very poor attempt at immitating wot Excalbur was (succesfully) doing with their "humerous" covers...and I remember thinking that as an inker, Dan Green was getting very sloppy...either that or the issue was terribly rushed.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #244 :
--For me personally,I'll always think of this issue as the beginning of the third phase of the X-men.The first was the O5 run,The second was from Giant sized #1 through to last issue and this signalled a new beginning for Xavier's disciples.....The destruction of the X-mansion seemed to severe their links with their past and from now on anything goes....The end of the 80's and the mental Liefield/Lee years seem seconds away!

--The arrival of Jubilation Lee seems to mean a natural replacement for the departed Kitty...But what will Wolverine make of her!Is this the first new X-man since Rachel(when I say new,I mean newly created---Magneto,Dazzler,Longshot,Havok and Psylocke were all existing characters within the Marvel Universe.....So will Jubilee be the first original recruit in over 5 years?DOH!

--This is a strange issue ,with the return of The M-Squad...I'm not sure if they warranted another appearance!....Claremont hasn't quite put Inferno behind him and their equipment is tainted by the INFERNO effect....surely this is the last we'll hear of INFERNO?

--Jubilee obviously has some history...How else do you end up living in a Mall!

--Is it just me or is Psylocke constantly washing,showering or swimming??---the girl's got a cleanliness fixation!

--Rogue is having an ongoing Carol problem with her popping up to take charge regularly---somethings gotta give.....

--Dazzler asserts herself for the first time since she joined....She's been very much a follower and not a leader since she arrived but when it comes to shopping/styling she's the boss and Storm's the greenhorn.:biggrin:

--What is pre-makeover Betsy wearing!(page ---hey,no page numbers!)...she looks like she's from the 1800's

--Imraith,the art does look a bit rushed here but maybe Silvestri's style just doesn't suit a lighter toned story....Anyhow,this issue is no classic with the arrival of Jubilee being the most interesting aspect..

[Imraith Nimphais]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men #244 :
--For me personally,I'll always think of this issue as the beginning of the third phase of the X-men.The first was the O5 run,The second was from Giant sized #1 through to last issue and this signalled a new beginning for Xavier's disciples.....The destruction of the X-mansion seemed to severe their links with their past and from now on anything goes....The end of the 80's and the mental Liefield/Lee years seem seconds away!

--The arrival of Jubilation Lee seems to mean a natural replacement for the departed Kitty...But what will Wolverine make of her!Is this the first new X-man since Rachel(when I say new,I mean newly created---Magneto,Dazzler,Longshot,Havok and Psylocke were all existing characters within the Marvel Universe.....So will Jubilee be the first original recruit in over 5 years?DOH!

--This is a strange issue ,with the return of The M-Squad...I'm not sure if they warranted another appearance!....Claremont hasn't quite put Inferno behind him and their equipment is tainted by the INFERNO effect....surely this is the last we'll hear of INFERNO?

--Jubilee obviously has some history...How else do you end up living in a Mall!

--Is it just me or is Psylocke constantly washing,showering or swimming??---the girl's got a cleanliness fixation!

--Rogue is having an ongoing Carol problem with her popping up to take charge regularly---somethings gotta give.....

--Dazzler asserts herself for the first time since she joined....She's been very much a follower and not a leader since she arrived but when it comes to shopping/styling she's the boss and Storm's the greenhorn.:biggrin:

--What is pre-makeover Betsy wearing!(page ---hey,no page numbers!)...she looks like she's from the 1800's

--Imraith,the art does look a bit rushed here but maybe Silvestri's style just doesn't suit a lighter toned story....Anyhow,this issue is no classic with the arrival of Jubilee being the most interesting aspect..

My Goddess!...In truth, wot in bloody hell was that pink travesty? and she, a high fashion supermodel...girl definitely needs to get sorted...(and her tiger striped hooker-gear was not fab either, just so we are clear)...as for the bathing thing...it's the outback...hot dry weather tends to make one sweaty...doubly so if yer running around all day and night in full-body armour...note: this is the first time Storm ends up in a bath tub with another woman...but it definitely will not be the last...*deep sigh*

For an issue that's supposed to "herald" the entrance of Jubilee (who, I honestly did not find interesting at all, but...I quite liked her name Jubilation Lee :redface: )) it is lack-lustre...as it didn't really focus on her. I thought the M-squad was detestable though hilarious, the first time they showed up in Manhattan...here they are just detestable. And didn't "Billy and his sis" guest-appeared in Dallas during FoTM with a T-rex?...oh, Chris...tsk.tsk. I can see Claremont and company running around crazy trying to put together (two) filler stories, not having a clue wot to write and how to draw and ink it...and failing not-so-terribly...at least with this one. :wink:

[limerick]

CallmeGeoff,it's about time......we were worried about you!!

[CallMeGeoff]

CallmeGeoff,it's about time......we were worried about you!!

Hi guys!!! Sorry it's been so long (and thanks for the concern). I've been wrapped up in personal matters lately (nothing serious, thankfully, just time-consuming). I'm almost caught up, though. I've been reading through everything I missed (ALL of Inferno, damn it!!!), and it looks like the usual thoughtful discussion that made me join in the first place. Nice work! I'll add some of my own thoughts on Inferno shortly (better late than never), and hopefully I'll be all caught up soon.

Please don't think that I haven't posted lately due to any lack of enjoyment. I love these threads, they've been in the back of my mind for weeks. I honestly couldn't wait to come back. I can't guarantee that I'll never disappear for a while again, but I CAN guarantee that I will always eventually be back (even through the Chuck Austen years :biggrin:).

[Joe Acro]

I think my favorite thing about this issue is that the opponents are obvious Ghostbuster parodies.

[limerick]

Hi guys!!! Sorry it's been so long (and thanks for the concern). I've been wrapped up in personal matters lately (nothing serious, thankfully, just time-consuming). I'm almost caught up, though. I've been reading through everything I missed (ALL of Inferno, damn it!!!), and it looks like the usual thoughtful discussion that made me join in the first place. Nice work! I'll add some of my own thoughts on Inferno shortly (better late than never), and hopefully I'll be all caught up soon.

Please don't think that I haven't posted lately due to any lack of enjoyment. I love these threads, they've been in the back of my mind for weeks. I honestly couldn't wait to come back. I can't guarantee that I'll never disappear for a while again, but I CAN guarantee that I will always eventually be back (even through the Chuck Austen years :biggrin:).
Good to hear it was nothing serious,Geoff.....looking foward to your thoughts on INFERNO!

[limerick]

I think my favorite thing about this issue is that the opponents are obvious Ghostbuster parodies.
Very much so,right down to their transport......they were even more so in their appearance in INFERNO where their boiler suits were a duplicate for the Ghostbusters.....their mutant containment device in this issue sounds very familiar as well.

[CallMeGeoff]

I understood that Jean's Pysche regains control in the third panel of page 14(the Dark Phoenix image has sinister(no pun intended) undertones).....'Madelyne' is about to accept Sinister's offer and then 'Jean' kicks back in and kicks his clown-faced ass!

Silvestri confused matters on pages 11 and 12 by having Jean's image although 'Madelyne' was in control

I could be way off here, but I kind of took this scene to represent the fact that the line between Jean's and Maddie's psyches was blurring. When we first enter Jean's mind, we see Jean and Maddie as separate individuals. When Maddie is in control, it's Maddie's form, and when Jean is in control, it's Jean's form. But as things progress, Maddie's consciousness is absorbed into Jean's. Maddie speaks of her desire for her own identity while physically taking Jean's.

I interpret this to mean that Maddie is finally accepting who she is. She's Jean, but she's not Jean. She's almost like an alternate reality Jean. It's the same body, the same mind, but with different experiences. When one was corrupted by power, the result was Dark Phoenix. When the same happened to the other, the result was the Goblin Queen. They're two sides of the same coin, and Maddie is finally acknowledging it, perhaps because she is now fully immersed in Jean's consciousness.

I believe (and you are welcome to disagree) that when Maddie moves in to accept Sinister's offer, she no longer has any intention of betraying her friends, and instead focuses her vengeance on Sinister. A couple pages later, Jean says "Madelyne's a part of me now--I know her, every bit as well as I do myself, because in a sense, she is myself." I take this to mean that by the end of the scene in Jean's mind, the two women have already become one. If Jean knows Maddie as well as she knows herself, it stands to reason that the same goes for Maddie. In the end, Maddie knew that Sinister could not be trusted, and that she could survive in a way as part of Jean.

Now, obviously, this is just how I choose to interpret these events. You could easily make the case that Maddie had every intention of destroying Jean and accepting Sinister's offer. I just think that because it is established that Maddie is basically Jean, then she must be a hero in the end. As Dark Phoenix, Jean was capable of great evil (I realize it wasn't actually Jean, but it was a perfect facsimile, so it may as well have been). As the Goblin Queen, the same goes for Maddie. But at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga, the good in Jean prevailed, and she sacrificed herself to save the Universe. I see Inferno as Maddie's Dark Phoenix Saga. Despite the horrible things she's done, she couldn't allow evil to win.

Go Maddie.

You're right,there are several instances in INFERNO where N'astirh realises he's,maybe,bitten off something more than he can handle.....The Crotus speech(upon seeing Rachel grey)is:"High-and-mighty former master N'astirh.....sacrificing everything....to possess the power of The Goblin Queen.Because...tee-hee...of Madelyne Pryor's link.....teentsy-tiny though it is ...to the Phoenix----one of the primal forces of all creation"

So there is definitely some comprehension of the Phoenix force in the demon realm(Limbo)....it is the first suggestion that the Phoenix power may not be solely cosmic in nature....does the Phoenix Force exist in Limbo history or is knowledge of Earth which has thought them this??....is it a universal force transcending all life??

Also,since Rachel recieved the Phoenix Force in #199,how was that possible if it existed within Madelyne???

Just a thought:

Rachel continues to exhibit Phoenix-like power today, and Jean showed Phonex-like power as early as Steve Seagle's run, continuing into Claremont's second run, and culminating in Grant Morrison's run. I realize that all of these writers didn't plan all of this, but just for our own continuity purposes, could it be possible that once the Phoenix Force touches someone, there is always a part of it in that person? Or maybe it has something to do with the Grey genes having a natural attachment to the Phoenix Force? Maybe both? (Maybe neither?)

[limerick]

I could be way off here, but I kind of took this scene to represent the fact that the line between Jean's and Maddie's psyches was blurring. When we first enter Jean's mind, we see Jean and Maddie as separate individuals. When Maddie is in control, it's Maddie's form, and when Jean is in control, it's Jean's form. But as things progress, Maddie's consciousness is absorbed into Jean's. Maddie speaks of her desire for her own identity while physically taking Jean's.

I interpret this to mean that Maddie is finally accepting who she is. She's Jean, but she's not Jean. She's almost like an alternate reality Jean. It's the same body, the same mind, but with different experiences. When one was corrupted by power, the result was Dark Phoenix. When the same happened to the other, the result was the Goblin Queen. They're two sides of the same coin, and Maddie is finally acknowledging it, perhaps because she is now fully immersed in Jean's consciousness.

I believe (and you are welcome to disagree) that when Maddie moves in to accept Sinister's offer, she no longer has any intention of betraying her friends, and instead focuses her vengeance on Sinister. A couple pages later, Jean says "Madelyne's a part of me now--I know her, every bit as well as I do myself, because in a sense, she is myself." I take this to mean that by the end of the scene in Jean's mind, the two women have already become one. If Jean knows Maddie as well as she knows herself, it stands to reason that the same goes for Maddie. In the end, Maddie knew that Sinister could not be trusted, and that she could survive in a way as part of Jean.

Now, obviously, this is just how I choose to interpret these events. You could easily make the case that Maddie had every intention of destroying Jean and accepting Sinister's offer. I just think that because it is established that Maddie is basically Jean, then she must be a hero in the end. As Dark Phoenix, Jean was capable of great evil (I realize it wasn't actually Jean, but it was a perfect facsimile, so it may as well have been). As the Goblin Queen, the same goes for Maddie. But at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga, the good in Jean prevailed, and she sacrificed herself to save the Universe. I see Inferno as Maddie's Dark Phoenix Saga. Despite the horrible things she's done, she couldn't allow evil to win.

Go Maddie.



Geoff,I don't have it front of me now but when I read the issue I took it that Madelyne gives in to Sinister and was going to betray the others as a final vengence on Scott and then says:'no',actually whispers it....I thought ,when I re-read it that that moment was Jean regaining control and immediately after she assumes the Phoenix(Dark?)form and blasts Sinister....and from then on Jean is boss....I was pretty sure of that but you make a very convincing argument .....I' confused again!.....We'll have to get Anodyneto look your theory over.....I think that Anodyne will approve of that explanation,without doubt.

[CJ Lentze]

I could be way off here, but I kind of took this scene to represent the fact that the line between Jean's and Maddie's psyches was blurring. When we first enter Jean's mind, we see Jean and Maddie as separate individuals. When Maddie is in control, it's Maddie's form, and when Jean is in control, it's Jean's form. But as things progress, Maddie's consciousness is absorbed into Jean's. Maddie speaks of her desire for her own identity while physically taking Jean's.

I interpret this to mean that Maddie is finally accepting who she is. She's Jean, but she's not Jean. She's almost like an alternate reality Jean. It's the same body, the same mind, but with different experiences. When one was corrupted by power, the result was Dark Phoenix. When the same happened to the other, the result was the Goblin Queen. They're two sides of the same coin, and Maddie is finally acknowledging it, perhaps because she is now fully immersed in Jean's consciousness.

I believe (and you are welcome to disagree) that when Maddie moves in to accept Sinister's offer, she no longer has any intention of betraying her friends, and instead focuses her vengeance on Sinister. A couple pages later, Jean says "Madelyne's a part of me now--I know her, every bit as well as I do myself, because in a sense, she is myself." I take this to mean that by the end of the scene in Jean's mind, the two women have already become one. If Jean knows Maddie as well as she knows herself, it stands to reason that the same goes for Maddie. In the end, Maddie knew that Sinister could not be trusted, and that she could survive in a way as part of Jean.

Now, obviously, this is just how I choose to interpret these events. You could easily make the case that Maddie had every intention of destroying Jean and accepting Sinister's offer. I just think that because it is established that Maddie is basically Jean, then she must be a hero in the end. As Dark Phoenix, Jean was capable of great evil (I realize it wasn't actually Jean, but it was a perfect facsimile, so it may as well have been). As the Goblin Queen, the same goes for Maddie. But at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga, the good in Jean prevailed, and she sacrificed herself to save the Universe. I see Inferno as Maddie's Dark Phoenix Saga. Despite the horrible things she's done, she couldn't allow evil to win.

Go Maddie.Geoff,I don't have it front of me now but when I read the issue I took it that Madelyne gives in to Sinister and was going to betray the others as a final vengence on Scott and then says:'no',actually whispers it....I thought ,when I re-read it that that moment was Jean regaining control and immediately after she assumes the Phoenix(Dark?)form and blasts Sinister....and from then on Jean is boss....I was pretty sure of that but you make a very convincing argument .....I' confused again!.....We'll have to get Anodyneto look your theory over.....I think that Anodyne will approve of that explanation,without doubt.
I would agree that the breaking of Sinister's hold was Madelyne's doing. I'd even prefer if the decision was all Madelyne, and not Jean. Throughout most of that sequence, it's Madelyne speaking, but appearing in Jean's clothes. I really prefer to think that Claremont wanted to give her the final victory of breaking loose from Sinister and thwarting him, but because it's so unclear who is talking in those final couple of panels, and the "my mind, my soul, my life" line could refer to Jean as well, maybe Maddy was robbed of even that final honour.

It doesn't help that, in retrospect, Claremont was responsible for having Madelyne commit some of her most vile acts, without ever having her express remorse about it (only self-pity in her final pages). That's not the character she was when she was introduced, and it's not a good note on which to send her off.

But yeah, we'll have to wait for Anodyne.

[Anodyne]

I could be way off here, but I kind of took this scene to represent the fact that the line between Jean's and Maddie's psyches was blurring. When we first enter Jean's mind, we see Jean and Maddie as separate individuals. When Maddie is in control, it's Maddie's form, and when Jean is in control, it's Jean's form. But as things progress, Maddie's consciousness is absorbed into Jean's. Maddie speaks of her desire for her own identity while physically taking Jean's.

I interpret this to mean that Maddie is finally accepting who she is. She's Jean, but she's not Jean. She's almost like an alternate reality Jean. It's the same body, the same mind, but with different experiences. When one was corrupted by power, the result was Dark Phoenix. When the same happened to the other, the result was the Goblin Queen. They're two sides of the same coin, and Maddie is finally acknowledging it, perhaps because she is now fully immersed in Jean's consciousness.

I believe (and you are welcome to disagree) that when Maddie moves in to accept Sinister's offer, she no longer has any intention of betraying her friends, and instead focuses her vengeance on Sinister. A couple pages later, Jean says "Madelyne's a part of me now--I know her, every bit as well as I do myself, because in a sense, she is myself." I take this to mean that by the end of the scene in Jean's mind, the two women have already become one. If Jean knows Maddie as well as she knows herself, it stands to reason that the same goes for Maddie. In the end, Maddie knew that Sinister could not be trusted, and that she could survive in a way as part of Jean.

Now, obviously, this is just how I choose to interpret these events. You could easily make the case that Maddie had every intention of destroying Jean and accepting Sinister's offer. I just think that because it is established that Maddie is basically Jean, then she must be a hero in the end. As Dark Phoenix, Jean was capable of great evil (I realize it wasn't actually Jean, but it was a perfect facsimile, so it may as well have been). As the Goblin Queen, the same goes for Maddie. But at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga, the good in Jean prevailed, and she sacrificed herself to save the Universe. I see Inferno as Maddie's Dark Phoenix Saga. Despite the horrible things she's done, she couldn't allow evil to win.

Go Maddie.]
Hear! Hear!
Geoff,I don't have it front of me now but when I read the issue I took it that Madelyne gives in to Sinister and was going to betray the others as a final vengence on Scott and then says:'no',actually whispers it....I thought ,when I re-read it that that moment was Jean regaining control and immediately after she assumes the Phoenix(Dark?)form and blasts Sinister....and from then on Jean is boss....I was pretty sure of that but you make a very convincing argument .....I' confused again!.....We'll have to get Anodyneto look your theory over.....I think that Anodyne will approve of that explanation,without doubt.

I would agree that the breaking of Sinister's hold was Madelyne's doing. I'd even prefer if the decision was all Madelyne, and not Jean. Throughout most of that sequence, it's Madelyne speaking, but appearing in Jean's clothes. I really prefer to think that Claremont wanted to give her the final victory of breaking loose from Sinister and thwarting him, but because it's so unclear who is talking in those final couple of panels, and the "my mind, my soul, my life" line could refer to Jean as well, maybe Maddy was robbed of even that final honour.

It doesn't help that, in retrospect, Claremont was responsible for having Madelyne commit some of her most vile acts, without ever having her express remorse about it (only self-pity in her final pages). That's not the character she was when she was introduced, and it's not a good note on which to send her off.

But yeah, we'll have to wait for Anodyne.
And here I thought you'd all be getting tired of my obsession with Madelyne Pryor by now. :smile: When I originally read the issue, I thought Jean was kicking Maddie out along with Sinister; subsequent events in X-Factor have proven me wrong on that count. I have no more insight than you guys into Claremont's thinking at the time; for his current take, see page 10 of the X-Men Forever thread at Comixfan (at least until he gets himself registered here at CBR). I do think he and Silvestri were intentionally blurring the lines between Jean and Maddie. I choose to believe that it was Madelyne who said "No" to Sinister. I also choose to believe that Maddie had become enough of an individual in her own right that Jean could not completely absorb her, either here or in X-Men the End, without her willing consent. I'm still hoping to see Maddie showing horror and remorse for what she almost did to her own son in Inferno. XMtE sort of ignored that.

Come Uncanny #245, I'll get one more chance for a dig at the breaker-up of Scott and Maddie's marriage. :evilsmile:

Edit: I'd prefer Madelyne as a person in her own right, but I'll accept a merger with Jean IF Maddie does it freely and willingly.

[limerick]

Thanks,Schuimend and Anodyne for those great posts and to Geoff for getting the ball rolling again because I think what is now clear is that each of us has a different interpretation of who's in control and when control changes(if it changes)....Claremont is the only person who can definitively clear it up.....But I suppose in a way it's to the story's strength that there are different interpretations of what's happening because anything artistically challenging should be that way.....Saying that ,I had a very fixed idea in my head of what happened and I no longer do....that doesn't mean i'm not closer to the truth!

[Nevets F]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.244.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 244 ..............May 1989

"Ladies Night"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Hollywood Mall,Los Angeles:To many ,so popular a place some would say they almost live here but to one young mutant it is her home....Jubilee creates an awesome lightshow for a watching crowd,her mutant powers enabling her to create transitionary plasmoids---basically balls of energy.Much to the annoyance of the watching crowd Mall Security have ghad enough of her and try to arrest her....But she dazzles them with an energy burst and showing considerable acrobatic skill,she manages to escape them after a long chase through the mall....The chief of Security finds a flier for The M Squad,last seen in the Empire State Building during Inferno,who promise to catch mutants for a reasonable fee....Tired of Jubilee's antics he promises to give them a call.

The Outback,Austrailia:The Xmen worry they're being attacked when objects including a bed come flying from Rogue's room but it turns out she's throwing a tantrum because the Carol Danver's persona has redecorated her room while it was controlling her body...She asks Psylocke to erase the Carol persona but Psylocke refuses,saying it's probably impossible but also wrong....Storm tells Rogue she'll have to live with it as it was her own fault it happened even if the permanant nature of the transfer was accidental....Rogue feels they're ganging up on her and that they've never really accepted her......She starts to fly outside but stops suddenly....Carol has retaken control to try and calm the situation down....Carol reveals that the recent experiences in INFERNO have re-opened the wounds of her distressing time in Genosha....She had been refusing to communicate with Carol and Carol felt there was no option but to assume control.....Dazzler says they need to all take some time off....They can't live there lives as heroes 100% of the time....She says they need to go SHOPPING!!!!

The Hollywood Mall,Los Angeles:The M Squad arrive in a tanked up,souped up car.....They resemble a nerdy-looking bunch of Ghostbusters......Not far away the X-women(Rogue/Carol,Dazzler,Storm and Psylocke)teleport in courtesy of Gateway.....but their sudden materialisation did not go unnoticed....they were observed by Jubilee,who is impressed.

Dazzler takes control taking them all to the hairdressers first and then for a new outfit.....Satisfied with their makeovers,Dazz tells them ,"Let's Party!!".....Close by the M-Squad begin their investigations by interviewing the Security staff......One of M-Squad reveals that after their experiences in New York(during INFERNO)they had decided to change fields going into Mutant hunting instead.....But their equipment seems to still be tainted somehow by the events in N.Y. and it seems alive somehow,nasty even.....

The X-Women head for the Mall nightclub where Dazz slips the Maitre D' a bribe to arrange a special favour for Storm....Outside Jubilee tries to convince the bouncer that she is not underage and that she is with the X-men.....Nearby,the M-Squad's instruments register they've found a mutant.....A topless male dancer pulls Storm on stage and dances with her....

Outside the club ,The M-Squad confirm that Jubilee is the Mutant they are lokking for and that they have detected.....They try to shoot her with some type of concusive weapon but she counteracts them with her powers.....But they then aactivate a Mutant Containment Grid which starts to pull her in with streams of energy....Suddenly the Containment Grid explodes and starts acting alive like something out of INFERNO....The X-men hear the commotion and come out to see what's happening....

Rogue/Carol saves some young kids from falling debris,Psylocke stops Jubilee from being pulled into the Containment Grid,Storm then creates awind to carry the Grid through the top of the building,once at a safe distance,Dazzler totals it with her Photon Beam.....

The X-men look on as the local cops arrest the M-Squad.....They then disappear through a portal which Gateway instinctively knows to open.....As they disappear Jubilee watches them from her hiding spot around the corner.....But for somereason the portal remains open....Throwing caution to the wind she dives through it(leaving her old life behind her!!

FIN

I freaking love Jubilee, and I am so happy this thread has made it to her appearance.

[CallMeGeoff]

I like this issue. It's a nice break from the heaviness of Inferno. I also enjoy stories that spotlight our heroes as normal people. It's difficult to relate to a character who does nothing but fight super-villains and demons. You need issues like this so you actually care whether these people live or die when they do eventually fight the aforementioned super-villains and demons.

Also, the Chippendales dancer has a sweet mullet. Just saying.

[Henry T.]

Some Inferno (and kinda related) scans (I'm going to cross post them to the X-Factor from the Beginning post too)...

X-Factor #38

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0008-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0009-3.jpg

Uncanny X-Men #243

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0010-3.jpg

X-Men Comics Presents #15 (Jean manifests a Phoenix raptor while fighting a Morlock that is mimicking the Phoenix)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0069-1.jpg

[limerick]

Some Inferno (and kinda related) scans (I'm going to cross post them to the X-Factor from the Beginning post too)...

X-Factor #38

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0008-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0009-3.jpg

Uncanny X-Men #243

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0010-3.jpg

X-Men Comics Presents #15 (Jean manifests a Phoenix raptor while fighting a Morlock that is mimicking the Phoenix)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/newmsgt/scan0069-1.jpg
Nice to directly compare Silvestri vs. Simonson in those scans,Henry T.,thanks for those.....I still think that's Jean winning through at the end of that Uncanny #243 scan,from when the words 'no' are uttered.....I'm not familiar with that last story although I have seen that scan before.....Is it Marvel Comics Presents # 15(you had X-men Comics Presents written)?....Is it worth reading?....thanks in advance.

[limerick]

One thing Ive been wondering about is the 'Demon effect' which remained with the X-men afterthe INFERNO effect wore off for everyody/everything else....Why did their changes persist when everyone elses disappeared?......There was no mention of it in #244 although in a little peek I had this morning at #245 Rogue and Storm did seem to still have their Demon hair....or that may just have been Liefields pencils.....Is there any further reference to it or does it just fade away....if that's the case ,Claremont,shame on you!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.245.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 245 ..............June 1989

"Men!"

Claremont/Liefeld

Liefeld guests on the X-men in issue # 245----Have your say tomorrow!

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.245.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 245 ..............June 1989

"Men!"

Claremont/Liefeld

A Fleet of Spacecraft in Orbit around Earth:A motley crew of Alien species(incuding Jabba the Hut,Darth Vader and Boba Fett,to name a few) gather to be told by the green Alien Fearless Leader that there is a new planet to conquer....EARTH!!...As he tell them the invasion will centre on Austrailia a lowly worker in the bowels of the ship inputs data about Earth to learn it's history....When he sees that many Alien races including the Kree and The Skrull have attacked the planet and been defeated,that Galactus,himself,has been repulsed many times and that the planet is rumoured to be the home of The Phoenix.....in a word...he panics!.....He must tell his Fearless Leader but for a lowly acrhivist like him to bother the Leader....that would mean death....but to not tell him could mean countless deaths......

The X-mens Base,The Outback,Austrailia:Havok watches his various team-mates on their super-computer but he cannot see Wolverine......The runt's disabled his scanners .....again!Suddenly, there's a hand on his shoulder----Wolvies sneaked up on him....Wolverine asks if he's been spying on his friends but Havok claims he's just trying to learn how to use the computer...somebody has to now Madelyne's gone.....But something about the computer room spooks Wolvie......How does Alex know he won't be subverted like Madelyne was?....As their argument deteriorates,a mental projection of Storm's appears before them courtesy of Psylocke who telepathically 'overheard ' their conversation.....She backs up Wolverine's worries about the equipment reminding Alex who owned it before them....He storms(no pun intended)off in a huff.....After he leaves Storm reminds Wolvie what he's been through and says his frequent abscences(See Wolverine ongoing title)aren't helping......Wolvie says he's there when they need him but Storm retorts what happens when he's not....Wolvie suggests a male equivilent to the field trip the girls just had(issue # 244).

Later,Dazzler uses cosmetics to cover Colossus's metallic face,allowing him more freedom on their night out....Job done the four male X-men are transported to Sydney by Gateway....

The Invader Flagship,Earth Orbit:The Fearless Leader reviews his secret weapon---The Jean Bomb(crap joke,Chris!)...it possesses the power to fatally disrupt any and all relationships..."personal,professional,inorganic,organic,macro-.micro-...etc.....her mere presence will....prompt brother to slay brother"(WTF is this junk!)......Suddenly the archivist enters the chamber and tries to warn the Fearless Leader....He is executed before he can say his piece!

Munden'z Bar,Sydney:They arrive at one of Wolverine's haunts and settle in for the night(not before Alex suggests an alternative venue he's heard of---Madripoor!)....Before long Alex and Wolvie are chugging back the suds,Colossus is drawing something or other and Longshot is surrounded by a bevy of attractive,lovestruck ladies....They hear a huge rumbling noise from outside and when they go to investigate they see a fleet of invading spaceships flying overhead...!!

The Spaceships land strategically all over the city and troops begin to disembark in huge tanks.....But the aliens are amazed to find they are met with complete indifference from the locals.....Unsure if this is some sort of ploy fr a counter-attack the Aliens proceed with caution....

Not long after some of the huge alien soldiers enter the bar currently housing the X-men.....They have detected powerful beings within and intend to catch them to get the credit from their superiors.....needless tosay it all kicks off with Colossus sending the first one flying through the window....

Downtown,the Fearless Leader vacates the grateful(he wanted to retire anyway)mayor of his office.....He then orders one of his men to blow away the Sydney Opera House.....

Back in the bar the brawl is in full swing when The Cosmic Cutie Commandos(sexy flying aliens) arrive and try to take on Longshot.....But within minutes he has charmed them,convincing them that the fact that they use false wings is not important(!)

A world away,a huge television station refuses to take the Australian alien invasion seriously.....After all,the Bush/Quayle inuguration is about to take place so invading aliens,especially in Australia,are not of paramount importance....

The Fearless Leader is frustrated at Australia's persistant refusal to accept they are being invaded and decides to drop the Jean Bomb.....despite the fact his troops currently deployed on the plant will perish......Meanwhile ,the Strike Force commander finally locates some of his missing troops---unconcious outside the bar the X-men are boozing in.....He enters and is astounded to find the men-hating Cosmic Cutie Commandos flirting with a rampant Longshot.....Alex challenges the Strike Force Commander to a fight outside to settle their differences......While they move outside Wolverine takes on another senior member of the invasion force at a game of poker....And wins easily by betting his life!

Outside Alex prepares to square off against The Strike Force Commander but suddenly the Conquest mothership appears and the Strike Force Commander knows they are about to drop the Jean Bomb......Furious at being betrayed by their commanders the alien troops begin to open fire on the mothership....But Havok beats them to it,disabling the Mothership with a plasma blast....The invasion is over....

The X-Base,The Outback,Australia:The female X-men greet their male counterparts as they arrive home.....When Storm asks how they get on,Wolverine just grabs her and kisses her......He then suggests to Alex that they continue their party at a cantina in Mexico.....

A Shaw Industries Installation,Kentucky:Tessa and some hanchmen arrive at the installation to find it on fire with the staff slaughtered....Donald Pierce,who had been a prisoner there has escaped......One of the henchmen asks sshould they inform the Hellfire Club bot Tessa says no-----this base belongs to Shaw Industries and Sebastian Shaw has been expelled from the Hellfire Club....

FIN

[Imraith Nimphais]

Can I have my say now?
I felt as though I was first put into the iron maiden, then placed on the rack for a spell, had my feet encased in lead boots that were slowly heated to 500 degrees, my fingernails ripped off with hot pincers, my spleen and other select internal organs punctured with foot-long, heated (Liefeld sure loves his fire) needles...and now I'm being drawn and quartered.

[limerick]

For you,does that mean you enjoyed it?:biggrin: !

[limerick]

Ah crap ,have I been spelling Australia wrong for 20 issues?!!

[Imraith Nimphais]

For you,does that mean you enjoyed it?:biggrin: !

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL...you would think so, yeah?...(if only Liefeld was a raven-haired amazon in black leather corset, panties and thigh-high stilletos, sure)...unfortunately...:tongue:

[limerick]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL...you would think so, yeah?...(if only Liefeld was a raven-haired amazon in black leather corset, panties and thigh-high stilletos, sure)...unfortunately...:tongue:
Ha,Ha,very good!!....I had forgotten about these few guest appearances by Liefeld(this issue,X-factor # 40,X-factor annual #4)......That's how he got himself the gig with the NM ,I assume......Anyway,Internet's very slow tonight so I'm gonna have to finish # 245 tomorrow....see ya then....g'night,have a safe one!

[Imraith Nimphais]

Well...they are most forgettable (and highly regrettable)...so do not feel too bad...yeah, safe one to you too, mate...your fingers do need their beauty rest...HA!

[Anodyne]

I for one loved the "Jean Bomb"; I thought it was right on target, (See, I told you I'd get one more snipe at the sabotage of Scott and Maddie's marriage. :evilsmile:) And I thoroughly enjoyed this send-up of the standard "alien invasion" stereotype.

[worstblogever]

The "macho guys" issue of Uncanny is one of the lightest-hearted issues of the series, and at the same time, one of the most ridiculous. Liking Colossus harkening back to his barfight with the Juggernaut (which he and Logan do again on their road trip with Nightcrawler, in the #490s!), as well as Longshot's involvement... but man, for this alien invasion is one of the worst attempts at taking over the Earth, ever. I mean, even some of the wankers who took a shot at it in the Defenders through the years had better plans than this.

Rule of thumb should be... if they've mastered intergalactic space travel, they should at least be able to stage a halfway decent plan for a war. Seems odd if they can't. And to bat it away in an issue? Meh.

And then there's Liefeld art. I'll just leave it on that note.

[Talisman]

I liked the issue. The only thing I didn't like was that we never got a resolution to the Hellfire Club plot. Or did we, and I missed it?

[worstblogever]

I liked the issue. The only thing I didn't like was that we never got a resolution to the Hellfire Club plot. Or did we, and I missed it?

New Mutants (vol. 1) #75 has a bit with the kids, Magneto, and the H.C. post-Inferno. That's I think what you're looking for.

[Talisman]

New Mutants (vol. 1) #75 has a bit with the kids, Magneto, and the H.C. post-Inferno. That's I think what you're looking for.
No, this issue happened after it. Tessa and some Hellfire goons were in a house that used to hold Donald Pierce(I think) and she talks about Sebastian and stuff. I don't think we ever got a resolution to this.

[worstblogever]

No, this issue happened after it. Tessa and some Hellfire goons were in a house that used to hold Donald Pierce(I think) and she talks about Sebastian and stuff. I don't think we ever got a resolution to this.

Oh, that? A teaser that Pierce is on the loose, is all it is. I think it's the buildup to Pierce and the Reavers returning in a big way, on Muir Island, and their attack on Logan in the Outback. The rest of the Hellfire Club don't do much about it.

But that's Tessa, being a great spy and source of information for Xavier, again. :rolleyes:

[Talisman]

Oh, that? A teaser that Pierce is on the loose, is all it is. I think it's the buildup to Pierce and the Reavers returning in a big way, on Muir Island, and their attack on Logan in the Outback. The rest of the Hellfire Club don't do much about it.

But that's Tessa, being a great spy and source of information for Xavier, again. :rolleyes:
Well, to be fair, Xavier was in space and Storm was believed to be dead at this point.

[Goshin]

Uncanny X-Men #245 is a precurser to the beginning of the horrible "liefeld era"

u almost expected colossus and longshot to rock shoulderpads and big guns that looked like supersoaker's

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 245:

--What is this this crock of s**t?....The worst X-men issue so far in this thread???...Well ,possibly eclipsed by some of the poorer pre-Neal Adams O5 issues but this is right up there or should that be right down there!

--And although Liefeld has to take some of the blame,Claremont is the chief offender here....What is he on about?......This sort of reality adjusting story would be fine as the back-up story in an Annnual but as a proper issue it just doesn't cut it....The 'Australia won't recognise the space invaders' idea just sucks like nothing has ever sucked......other moans----Peter wearing make-up to look 'human':eek: ....The Star Wars cameos.....The Jean Bomb!(Sorry,Anodyne,that joke left me cold).....Cosmic Cutie Commando's 'wings are fake' horse manure.....it gets worse as the issue goes on...A really low point for Claremont ,unfortunately, and he's pulled off stories like this before(IMPOSSIBLE MAN springs to mind)so it's not like he's not capable of this kind of humour....but this issue just doesn't work on so many levels

--Now to Liefeld.....not his worst issue but still problems.....He is restrained a little by the amount of story Claremont tells in a page so he has to stick to multiple small panels in each page generally----not his natural enviorment and that is a good thing.....the pre bull-shit twist-in-the-story art is not bad(see pages 4-9)but after the invasion it's normal service resumed.....it's a shame because I quite like his Wolverine on page 8.....random irritations.....Colossus going all hunchback from page 13....Longshot's hair.....Colossus running with his 'arms out' on page 15(what's that about?).....the crap rectangular spaceships on page 15 and 16.....Jean(Bomb)'s nippleless breasts......Wolverine's eye-devouring eyebrows on page 27...Longshot's hair....Tessa's fringe suddenly materialising on the last panel of the comic(it was absent in the two previous panels).....Child-like flame effect on the first panel of page 31.....oh,and Longshot's hair

--Page 9---an interesting throwaway remark by Dazzler which I almost missed in the comotion...her powers are(inexplicably) upshifting as is her natural luminesence and that may not be a good thing.....

--As Talisman pointed out there is a brief appearance by Tessa and the Hellfire goons at the end----Donald Pierce is on the loose

--The next X-men Annual comes next.....I'm having trouble locating my 1989 Annuals so I may be offline tomorrow looking for them....Also the MELTDOWN Havok/Wolverine mini occurs before the next issue(try it--it's a beauty!)

[Joe Acro]

The problem with that cover is that Longshot has the wrong number of fingers.

[limerick]

Colossus's chest looks very strange as well....Liefeld can't seem to master the metallic effect.......Wolverine looks like the kid from 'The Ring' with those eyebrows for eyes!......And Longshot's hair is,well,shit:biggrin: (and I don't think much of his mean expression either---it's just not him..

[Joe Acro]

Colossus's chest looks very strange as well....Liefeld can't seem to master the metallic effect.......Wolverine looks like the kid from 'The Ring' with those eyebrows for eyes!......And Longshot's hair is,well,shit:biggrin: (and I don't think much of his mean expression either---it's just not him..I'm not even sure I want to know what Colossus was doing to end up shirtless and with that expression on his face.

[limerick]

I'm not even sure I want to know what Colossus was doing to end up shirtless and with that expression on his face.
There's something in the eyes,alright!:biggrin:

[limerick]

Uncanny X-Men #245 is a precurser to the beginning of the horrible "liefeld era"

u almost expected colossus and longshot to rock shoulderpads and big guns that looked like supersoaker's
Goshin,thanks for posting on this thread.....great to hear from new(and old!)posters to get a fresh perspective...

[Anodyne]

I just noticed something: If UNX #230 takes place on Christmas Eve, and #245 takes place on the day of the Bush-Quayle inauguration, it gives us a time-frame for the Outback days. The returning of the Reavers' loot. the Brood, Genosha and Inferno all occur between December 24 and January 21. (Noon on January 20 in Washington DC = 3:00 a.m. January 21 in Sidney, Australia.) I've sometimes wondered how long Madelyne had been operating the Reavers' computer system before S'ym got to her. I have my answer: She'd barely started, which reinforces my belief that her censorship of the news began only after S'ym entrapped her.

[limerick]

I just noticed something: If UNX #230 takes place on Christmas Eve, and #245 takes place on the day of the Bush-Quayle inauguration, it gives us a time-frame for the Outback days. The returning of the Reavers' loot. the Brood, Genosha and Inferno all occur between December 24 and January 21. (Noon on January 20 in Washington DC = 3:00 a.m. January 21 in Sidney, Australia.) I've sometimes wondered how long Madelyne had been operating the Reavers' computer system before S'ym got to her. I have my answer: She'd barely started, which reinforces my belief that her censorship of the news began only after S'ym entrapped her.
I wonder are there specific time-referenced instances in the other titles (Excalibur,etc)which would contradict this.....it does seem a lot to have happened in a short time....??....Good spot,though

[limerick]

http://www.antaninet.it/marvel-universe/d/dazzler.jpg

What's up with Dazzler?She's undergoing some sort of change to her power.....Is this the first mention of this occurance or has it been referred to before?

[tetragene]

What's up with Dazzler?She's undergoing some sort of change to her power.....Is this the first mention of this occurance or has it been referred to before?

allegedly this (in addition to the scene with Dazzler using her powers to look into the Siege Perilous and it depicting multiple versions of her dying--which was next issue, I think) was Claremont's way of dropping hints about Dazzler's death he was planning. Dazzler was originally meant to die in the battle with Mastermold, but Silvestri convinced Claremont to bring back the "Dazzler: The Movie" plot to spare her and just send her off to limbo instead of killing her (if you'll notice Dazzler is not seen or heard from after UXM #260 until X-Men #10--which was Jim Lee's doing).

[limerick]

allegedly this (in addition to the scene with Dazzler using her powers to look into the Siege Perilous and it depicting multiple versions of her dying--which was next issue, I think) was Claremont's way of dropping hints about Dazzler's death he was planning. Dazzler was originally meant to die in the battle with Mastermold, but Silvestri convinced Claremont to bring back the "Dazzler: The Movie" plot to spare her and just send her off to limbo instead of killing her (if you'll notice Dazzler is not seen or heard from after UXM #260 until X-Men #10--which was Jim Lee's doing).
Spoken like a true fan!

[Goshin]

http://www.antaninet.it/marvel-universe/d/dazzler.jpg

What's up with Dazzler?She's undergoing some sort of change to her power.....Is this the first mention of this occurance or has it been referred to before?

and sfter siege perlious it was never brought up ever again......:mad:

[limerick]

And was this the first issue to mention this power change.....it may have been mentioned briefly before but I don't remember....It's an unusual issue to dump this information into....I almost missed it checking what sort of job Dazz had done on Colossus's make-up!

[Goshin]

Spoken like a true fan!


a lotta characters got saved by the artist when claremont wanted to kill them off or boot them out the team. wolverine was supposed to stay in canada after their first fight with alpha flight but john byrne fought with claremont to keep the only canadian x-man around and helped develop him into a deeper character post dark phoenix era when he got his new costume

[limerick]

a lotta characters got saved by the artist when claremont wanted to kill them off or boot them out the team. wolverine was supposed to stay in canada after their first fight with alpha flight but john byrne fought with claremont to keep the only canadian x-man around and helped develop him into a deeper character post dark phoenix era when he got his new costume
Yes.I had read that.....At the time Wolverine wasn't really going anywhere.....he only really came into his own in that first Hellfire Club fight.

[CallMeGeoff]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned already, but this issue is a parody of the recently-published DC crossover event "Invasion!".

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/thumb/8/87/Invasion_1.jpg/300px-Invasion_1.jpg

In this story, a coalition of alien invaders uses a device called the Gene Bomb to cause Earth's super-heroes to lose control of their powers and ultimately die (which is of course stopped by the end of the series). The Jean Bomb joke makes a little more sense when you know where the idea came from.

"Invasion!" was also penciled in part by Todd McFarlane, who was a friend of (and frequent collaborator with) Rob Liefeld.

Fun Facts!

[Anodyne]

What's up with Dazzler?She's undergoing some sort of change to her power.....Is this the first mention of this occurance or has it been referred to before?
Are you thinking of Dazzler's experiences in Uncanny #260? Alison discovers she can use her powers to alter someone's mood.
and after siege perilous it was never brought up ever again......:mad:
I wonder if Claremont will follow up on this in X-Men Forever.
a lotta characters got saved by the artist when claremont wanted to kill them off or boot them out the team. wolverine was supposed to stay in canada after their first fight with alpha flight but john byrne fought with claremont to keep the only canadian x-man around and helped develop him into a deeper character post dark phoenix era when he got his new costume
I've read that one reason Wolverine became prominent is that Byrne liked to draw him. Solidarity with a fellow Canadian is as good a motive as any, I guess.

[limerick]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned already, but this issue is a parody of the recently-published DC crossover event "Invasion!".

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/thumb/8/87/Invasion_1.jpg/300px-Invasion_1.jpg

In this story, a coalition of alien invaders uses a device called the Gene Bomb to cause Earth's super-heroes to lose control of their powers and ultimately die (which is of course stopped by the end of the series). The Jean Bomb joke makes a little more sense when you know where the idea came from.

"Invasion!" was also penciled in part by Todd McFarlane, who was a friend of (and frequent collaborator with) Rob Liefeld.

Fun Facts!
Geoff,thanks for that little gem of info.---it really does explain a lot!The Jean Bomb as a parody of the Gene Bomb is a lot funnier and makes more sense

[limerick]

Are you thinking of Dazzler's experiences in Uncanny #260? Alison discovers she can use her powers to alter someone's mood.



Hi,Anodyne,glad you haven't left us now Madelyene's gone(for now):biggrin: ....I was referring to page 9 of this issue(# 245) where Colossus comments that she seems to be glowing more than she usually does....Dazz then thinks to herself how she seems more powered than usual with:"My laser's more powerful,the photon bolts pack more punch".....If I recall correctly,this was the first mention of a change in Dazzler's powers but I was wondering if someone else had noticed any other references before this.

[CJ Lentze]

Are you thinking of Dazzler's experiences in Uncanny #260? Alison discovers she can use her powers to alter someone's mood.
There was also the hypnotic effect she used in Uncanny X-Men 148 (the Caliban issue). I think her 'light shows' during musical performances are also often described as having an effect on the audience, usually either exciting them or soothing them... Remember how she caused the other visitors in the dance club to enter a frenzy when she was under the influence of Malice?

[limerick]

There was also the hypnotic effect she used in Uncanny X-Men 148 (the Caliban issue). I think her 'light shows' during musical performances are also often described as having an effect on the audience, usually either exciting them or soothing them... Remember how she caused the other visitors in the dance club to enter a frenzy when she was under the influence of Malice?
Hello,Schuimend.Yes,I think you're right..I do recall her lightshow and it's mood being able to influence the mood/behaviour of the crowd.....I think this may have featured heavily in the New Mutants storyline and The Beauty and The Beast mini where she influences the Gladiator audiences whipping them into a bloodthirsty frenzy----I'm going by memory there,I may not be 100% correct on that.

But I was referring specifically in my first post to the supercharging of her powers that Dazz mentions in this issue(# 245).

[Joe Acro]

In this story, a coalition of alien invaders uses a device called the Gene Bomb to cause Earth's super-heroes to lose control of their powers and ultimately die (which is of course stopped by the end of the series). The Jean Bomb joke makes a little more sense when you know where the idea came from.
Well, that helps a bit.

I'd always wondered about that bit of business. I suppose I should get around to reading Invasion at some point.

Even knowing the context, though, the Jean Bomb still seems better suited for a What The--?! issue.

[limerick]

Finally dug up the 1989 Annual which is part of the Atlantis Attacks Annual crossover.....And just realised I never read it first time around!.....So hopefully I've got atreat in store.....Around the time this Annual was published I was sitting my Leaving Cert examination which is a big exam we sit in Ireland at the end of Secondary (High)school to decide what you'll do in the future.....So I was a bit distracted.....Not long after ,I went to college and before long I lost interest in the X-books for the first time.....But due to exam pressure/Study deadlines I was probably already backing away from the Xmen at this period in time.....I remember the poor form of the New Mutants at the time was putting me off as well.....Anyway,Excalibur # 11 tomorrow and I'll start the Annual on Tuesday....cheers,limerick

[CallMeGeoff]

I don't remember liking the Atlantis Attacks Annual, but it's been a long time, so hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/229/102160-10757-107609-1-uncanny-x-men-annual_large.jpg

Uncanny X-men Annual # 13......................1989

FIRST STORY:"Double Cross"

Austin/Vosburg

Wolverine's Bedroom,X-men Base,Australia:Wolverine looks surprised as Dazzler pays him a nightime visit,coming on VERY strong......But all is not what it appears......Dazzler's psyche has been switched with that of supervillain,Diamondback....And she's not happy about it.....Arriving into Wolvie's room she goes ballistic at the thought of Wolvie having sex with Diamondback in her body......But Diamondback points out Dazzler has been spending the night with Longshot while in her body.....Longshot and Ali look a bit sheepish.....(EDIT:Just to make it clear.....Wolvie didn't have time to respond before Ali arrives into the room)

The Computer Room,X-men Base:Rogue finds Storm going over the interview tapes of Diamondback and Ali after they had their bodies switched:

Diamondback's Story:Having rejoined The Serpent Society under a new leader,Cobra, Diamondback finds herself on a job with two of her criminal team-mates.The Serpent Society have been hired by two characters called Llyra and Ghaur to collect four items of arcane power......Diamondback and her crew head for their destination----the base of a scholar of The Black Arts,Mister Jip,hoping to steal a jeweled Cro-magnon Skull from him.....After easily breaking in they are caught by a trap and hit by a blast of mystical energy.....Diamondback wakes finding herseld strapped to a table and facing.....HERSELF!!....Mr Jip has used his powers to switch her mind with Dazzler's so she is in the X-man's body!

Dazzler's story:While being transported by Gatewayto Sydney for a shopping trip Ali was intercepted by Mister Jip and ended up in a similar situation to Diamondback when she woke up,with her mind being swapped into the Srepent Society's members body.....His plan is to blakmail the X-men into stopping The Serpent Society stealing his artifact and forcing them to collect the other artifacts for him.He then released the two women who rushed to the Xa-men's base......

The following morning after another bout of Diamondback/Dazzler quarreling,Storm has had enough and orders the X-men to change into their costumes---they're going to go after Mister Jip and force him to swap the girls back......On the mountaintop outside their base Gateway starts to transport them to what they think will be Mister Jip's base.....But Gateway has other ideas and sends them where they need to go?!.....Gateway sends them in groups to where the other three artifacts are hidden where they will race against the Serpent Society to recover them...

The Savage Land,Antartica:Wolverine and Dazzler(in Diamondback's body)find themselves transported to the Savage Land,much to Dazz's disgust as she's not keen on spending time with him right now!Wolverine tries to explain that he wouldn't have done anything with Diamondback but Dazz isn't interested.....She storms off saying that she'll find the artifact on her own(They both have a mental image of the artifacts implanted in their head).....After encountering some Savage Land wildlife she sees one of the Serpent Society's saucer transports landing behind some mountains and races to the spot......It takes her hours to get there and when she does she sees the saucer beside an excavation hole in the ground.......She creeps up closer to see what's happening but is discovered by Puff Adder,one of the Serpent Society goons......She tries to blast him with a photon blast but suddenly realises she's in Diamondback's body and doesn't have her light-based powers.....She tries running away but is knocked out by a venom bolt from The Asp.

Later she wakes up,tied up in their ship but still paralyzed by The Asp's venom bolt....Thankfully,she is rescued by Wolverine not long afterwards.....As he carries her off the saucer they encounter The Asp,Puff Adder andBoomslang who fires razor-sharp boomarang-like serpent-rangs at Wolverine.....But they bounce off Wolverine's adamantium skull and he dispatches with Boomslang and then The Asp after avoiding her venom bolt......He is grabbed from behind by Puff Adder who tries squeezing the life out of him....Fortunately,Dazz is beginning to recover from the paralyzing bolt and using the her hairband as a sling she fires the artifact at Puff Adder knocking him out......A slightly dazed Wolverine picks up the idol and the 2 X-men are instantly transported elsewhere....

Lima,Ohio:Colossus,Havok and Rogue arrive in downtown Lima where they observe an obvious trail of destruction,which they assume to be the responsibility of The Serpent Society.....Like the others they have a vision of the artifact(an indian totem)in their minds......The area has been evacuated and they follow the trail of destruction to a local mall.....Inside they split up to try and find what their looking for.....Colossus finds himself attacked by Anaconda who tries to contrict him to death but he proves too powerful for her and overcoming her,throws her into a shopping display knocking her out......Rogue is attacked by the whip-wielding Coachwhip but she defeats her by grabbing her razor-sharp whip and using it to swing her opponent into a steel girder.....In the grocery section Havok is taken on by Black Mamba whose dark force takes the form of Polaris and then starts to constrict him to death.....But he manages to escape by blindly using his plasma blasts which sends food flying all over Black Mamba,distracting her enough for Alex to defeat her......Not long later a fourth member of The Serpent Society emerges from a hole dug in the middle of the mall floor.....But instead of his team-mates he finds three X-men waiting for him.....Realising he's outnumbered he surrenders the artifact and the X-men teleport out.

Iceland:Storm,Psylocke,Longshot and Diamondback(in Dazzler's body) arrive on a deserted,stoney beach in Iceland......They have a vision of a rock in their heads but they are surrounded by millions of them!......Fortunately,they have a secret weapon---Longshot's luck!.....Just then a Serpent Society saucer lands and four of their members get out .....Storm warns them to leave but predictably they refuse.....As Psylocke,Storm and Diamonback tackle the Serpent Society,Longshot has continued looking for the stone and using his luck he comes across it.....One of the Serpent Society,Rattler,manages to knock it out of his hands but using his sonic vibrations and in the resulting avalanche,Longshot is covered in rocks.....Storm tells the others to help her dig him out but as Diamondback picks up the Artifact stone they all are transported elsewhere seemingly leaving Longshot to his doom....

Mister Jip's Lair:The X-men(minus Longshot) and Diamondback materialise together in Mister Jip's base........He offers to reverse the mind-swap he carried out earlier but Dazzler is more worried about Longshot when Storm tells her what happened to him in Iceland.....Mister Jip doesn't seem too worried and swaps their minds back with a click of his fingers......Wolverine throws the last of the artifacts on the table and they start to glow radiating an energy.....Mister Jip gloats over his powerful possessions but Wolverine's not impressed and draws his claws threatening to kill Jip because of what happened to Longshot.......But Mister Jip reveals Longshot is alive and teleports him into the room from where he had been holding him in case he was needed......He offeres Longshot's life in return for his own......Wolverine decides what to do when suddenly............!!!.

The former leader of the Serpent Society,Sidewinder,teleports into the room while Diamonback grabs the artifacts......Sidewinder reveals he and Diamondback have been in cahoots all along and she only rejoined the Serpent Society to enable them to eventually steal the artifacts......She had sent him a signal telling him where she was and that the artifacts were available and ,using a surgical implant to place her location, he teleported there.....Saying their goodbyes they teleport out with their stash,leaving the X-men with an annoyed Mr. Jip.....The X-men confront him about his actions but they suddenly are transported back to Australia.....

The X-men's Base,Australia:Arriving back on Gateway's mountain,Rogue wonders what the artifacts did......Wolverine and Dazzler make thier peace as she apologises to him for her attitude before.....

Elsewhere:A disgusted,injured Serpent Society are pissed when they read a note from Sidewinder promising them a measly 10% of the proceeds of the artifacts!!

Magneto's Island,The Bermuda Triangle:Diamondback and Sidewinder deliver the goods to Ghaur and Llyra and teleport to their boat nearby with a chestful of treasure.....Ghaur and Llyra celebrate the capture of the artifacts and instruct their alchemists to begin the process to recreate the Serpent Crown,to enable the return of Set!!



FIN

[limerick]

First story = crock of shit!.....Hope the second Jubilee one is better!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men Annual # 13 (First Story):"Double Cross":

--Terry Austin scripts his first(I think) X-men tale and I think he should stick to his fantastic inking because this is so lame.....Not solely due to him but also because the 'Atlantis Attacks' contrived connection forces the story into certain directions....Maybe Claremont refused to do this story because of too much editorial interference....But whatever the editorial input ,this does suck .....I don't remember reading this before and I don't know if that's because I got the Annual in a mail delivery of several X-titles at once and put it to one side because of the opening pages poor quality.....or because I was doing exams when I recieved it and didn't bother reading it....I drifted away from the X-men for the first time not too long after this came out so maybe I just left to one side indefinitely.

--A lot remains unexplained.....Does Mr Jip have the power to control/interfere with Gateway's teleportations.....It would seem so from the opening few pages when he diverts Dazzler from her Sydney destination to his base....And when the X-men teleport to the artifact destinations later ,they had intended going to Mister Jip's base....So either he diverts them or Gateway is in league(unlikely)with him.....It does seem to protray him as very powerful.

--Another quiet issue for Betsy.....She barely gets a word in.....In fact,I must say I feel this team isn't geling too well....Everybody has their favourite X-men 'period' and I know the Outback X-men is a favourite of many but I'm not feeling it myself.....The team doesn't have enough 'downtime' to bond properly and Longshot and Psylocke ,in particular,come across as cardboard characters with little personality....So although they're taking part in great storyline(Genosha,Inferno,Brood comeback)they're not developing well as characters.....

--The three fight scenarios are very by the numbers with the X-men facing obviously inferior foes.....It really feels like just ticking the Marvel Obligatory Fight Box.

--On page 31 where Longshot finds the rock artifact initially----Why don't they 'port away as soon as he touches it like the other groups did.

--And when Mr.Jip reverses the mind-swap,why do the girls uniforms swap as well--they didn't the first time??

[limerick]

One last thing about this issue---it contains my only remembered instance of hard-core cussing in Marvel at the time!.....On page 15,the Australian Serpent Society member,Boomslang,says to Wolverine:"Pretty fair go for a bloody yank WANKER!".....yeah ,really ........in Marvel!Maybe it has a different meaning in Australia!!

[limerick]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/229/102160-10757-107609-1-uncanny-x-men-annual_large.jpg

Uncanny X-men Annual # 13......................1989

SECOND STORY:"Jubilation Day"

Pashkow/Fern

Gateway's mountain-top,X-men Base,Austrailia:The four female X-men arrive back from their visit t0 the Hollywood Shopping Mall(as depicted in X-men # 244)courtesy of Gateway's teleporting power....They head down to their base in the town below......The teleportation gate remains open for a few seconds and then Jubilation Lee arrives through,having followed the X-men......She is bewildered by her new location and Gateway's appearance and when he actually speaks to her...."Welcome,child"....she reacts by firing off a display of her mutant light powers.....The X-men notice it below but assume it is related to Gateway's bonfire.....Jubilee dashes down the hill to hide.....She stays put until she's sure no-one is coming.....Then Gateway points her towards a tunnel entrance not much bigger than a rabbit hole.....Squeezing through it,she emerges in The Reavers treasure room,shocked by the bling on display!.....She's a little scared at what's happening and tries on some clothes and jewels to distract herself...

Later,while the X-men play baseball outside,she sneaks into their kitchen to steal some food,which she puts in a bag.She watches them for a liitle while wondering if she should reveal herself to them but she's not sure about them yet.....Back in the kitchen,she finds her bag has mysteriously moved from the countertop to the door?!......She returns to her 'room',a hidden chamber in the underground complex beneath the base.....As ell as food ,she has scavanged various bits of the X-mens' costumes and she uses them to make her own costume......As she leaves her room she hears a crash and finds the photograph of her with her dead parents has fallen and smashed on the ground.....(is she alone??)

Later,she's swimming in the ungerground cavern which acts as a water supply for the base but she has a strange sense something's not right........She's proven correct when a cyborg dog emerges and attacks her.....Initially she struggles against him using a baseball bat to limited success and then she tries running away but he eventually catches her.....As he's about to kill her she uses her powers with a strength she's never tried before and completely blows him away.....She's shattered by the experience but is also exilerated at her newly enhanced powers.

FIN

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men Annual # 13:SECOND STORY:"Jubilation Day!":

--I can't believe I never read this story before....It really fills in the gaps in how Jubilee joined the X-men.....Basically,Gateway decided for some reason she should be on the team.....He even talks to her!(Well--two words!)....There's no explanation for this (and probably won't be---They like to keep Gateway 'mysterious').

--Who's the writer Sally Pashkow....I've never heard of her or the artist ,Jim Fearne,before or since....I wonder how this story came about?....The larger Annuals are throwing up some interesting little side stories ,which is nice.

--Why doesn't Psylocke detect Jubilee telepathically?.....And how come the sophisticated computer system doesn't reveal her presence.....Alex was spending a lot of time learning about the computer about that time....

--Also, what moves Jubilee's bag in the kitchen....And causes the picture of her parents to fall in her room....Is that supposed to be caused by the dog or is it something else..??.

--Is that a spare pair of Cyclop's Ruby Quartz glasses on page 53?

--Overall,this is a nice little story revealing something about the newest X-man(to be)....She's had a tough life but is pretty independent....But her powers are so similar to Dazzler's,can there be room for both of them on the team??

--EDIT:See the smiling X-women on the first panel....didn't take them long to get over the loss of their team-mate,Madelyne...

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.246.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 246 ..............July 1989

"The Day of Other Lights!"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Computer Room,The X-Base,Australia:Dazzler is staring at the Siege Perilous....In it she sees possible paths her life may have taken....Lawyer,Superhero,Singer,Ordinary mom,Bag lady....But as she watches her possible,lives they all end in death.....The images all bind into one and then emerge from the Siege......The image of herself decays horrifically in front of her eyes and tells her she cannot escape...DEATH!.....Shrinking away in terror,she realises the image is gone....Her power drained and in darkness,she quickly puts a cassette(Yes,a cassette!)into the music system....As U2 blare from the speakers she recharges and looks at the Siege....It is clear and image free.....She is initially relieved.. but then notices there is blood on her hand where the spectre of a ghostly Alison Blaire grabbed her!

Manhattan,New York:Nimrod,the futuristic Sentinel bursts into a drug den....When the drug dealers fire on him he completely obliterates them with hislasers...He also destroys the drug stash but against his programming he keeps the drug money,intending to use it to repair the ill-deeds of the drug-pushers....He leaves a unique handprint to leave a message for the drug gang---Nimrod is watching!

Australia:Logan tries out the new hair-style(gel-heavy!) he picked up in Mexico(See the classic Havok/Wolverine mini--Meltdown)....But he decides it's not for him long term.....Storm watches his hair-styling efforts....He tells her he's got private business to take care of and needs to take a break from the X-men for a while....Storm offers the help of the X-men but he says this is something he must do alone....When she asks him when he'll be back,popping his claws,he says when the job's done...

Washington D.C.:Rogue(But with the Carol Danvers persona in control) stands at The 'Wall' monument to America's fallen soldiers.....She leaves a presidential medal of honour as a souvenir to her dead brother.....She salutes the 'Wall' ,in tears,and says goodbye to her brother and then takes off.

Australia:Colossus,Longshot and Havok train together outside....Havok nearly totals Longshot with a stray Plasma Blast and thinks to himself how he must have absolute control of them so as not to pose a danger to people....Suddenly,a brilliant white light announces Dazzler has joined them....In an impressive display she shows both power and accuracy as she laser beams 5 of Longshot's blades thrown simultaneously by Colossus.....In a blaze of superiority she kisses Havok on the cheek ,wishing him better luck next time.....He promises some day he'll be better and then 'the best'.

The Hellfire Club,New York:Sharon Kelly,now the rich socialite wife of Senator Robert Kelly,catches up with some old friends ----her former work colleagues,servants of The Hellfire Club.....They admire the riches her new life has brought.....She asks them for a spare uniform so she can play a trick on her husband who is in a meeting with Sebastian Shaw......In their meeting Kelly tells Shaw there is no more support in the government for any Sentinel projects due to the failure of the previous programmes.....Shaw says he has a new idea----a self regenerating 'Hunter' Sentinel which is able to regenerate itself even if only the tiniest component remains...By learning from it's mistakes it will be virtually unbeatable.....But Kelly refuses saying the risks outweigh any benefits.....Just then he realises his waitress is actually his wife in traditional Hellfire waitress gear.....Shaw laughs at the embarrassed Kelly,telling him that in Sharon,he's married a Tigress!

The West Village,New York:Carol/Rogue pays her old home a visit and is then surprised by Psylocke who joins her,mainly to see how she's getting on....They go for coffoe where Carol discusses the problems with being trapped in Rogue's body--she wishes she could cut a deal with Rogue where she could take complete control for 1 year....Psylocke laughs at Carol's old Ms. Marvel costume which Carol as recovered from her apartment..

A Building Site,The Hudson Waterfront:Nimrod is in his human form where he holds down a job as a demolition foreman.....As he unloads some explosives he notices a piece of technology on the ground which looks familiar.....On picking it up to inspect it,it begins to invade his programming ......He turnsto his robotic form but this triggers the explosives causing a huge explosion......Seconds later, as his work-mates try to free their colleague from the debris,The Master Mold emerges....'restored to full capacity'!!

Carol/Rogue and Betsy return from some therapeutic shopping.....Betsy tells Carol/Rogue that she isnot alone and they have all suffered in different ways and can relate to her because of that......They think about going downhill skiing in the mountains but Betsy suddenly senses terror in the building site as the Master Mold goes awol.

At the building site Master Mold uses steel for the building foundations to complete putting himself back together......He has decided the since all mutants originate from humans,he must exterminate human-kind!....Just then Carol/Rogue arrives in Ms. Marvel's costume.....She is unsure who she's facing but assumes that he will not register her because of the X-men's invisibility to electronic sensors.....She finds she's wrong as he catches her with a blow from his massive fist,sending her flying into the car of...Senator Kelly and his wife who happen to be passing.....Their car is totalled and the Senator is knocked unconcious....Sharon tries to open the door to free themselves but it is jammed......Rogue(now ressuming command of her body as the Carol persona has been K.O.ed by the impact)recovers conciousness temporarily to punch the door open but lapses out of conciousness again.....Sharon drags her husband to safety but returns for Rogue.....She manages to wake Rogue but they are suddenly faced by The Master Mold who is homing in for the kill......Rogue tries to draw his fire while Sharon runs to safety but The M.M. fires lasers at the Senator's wife terminally injuring her......The Senator holds her while she breathes her last.....Rogue can barely move as she lies on the ground,powerless.....Above her the M.M. prepares to finish her off with another killer blast!!

FIN

[Imraith Nimphais]

YAY!!!!!...back to our regularly scheduled programme...once again....YAY!!!!!!
(I beg a thousand and one pardons, Limerick...but that annual review/synopsis was just too painful to read through)

[limerick]

YAY!!!!!...back to our regularly scheduled programme...once again....YAY!!!!!!
(I beg a thousand and one pardons, Limerick...but that annual review/synopsis was just too painful to read through)
Tell me about it.....*adopting Shatner-esque mannerisms*....."Must......read.....Annual......#13.......Must..... not....give......up"

[Goshin]

all i gotta say is.....


POOR ROGUE....

[limerick]

all i gotta say is.....


POOR ROGUE....
Yeah,poor Rogue.....and things get worse!!!

[Imraith Nimphais]

*Imraith, gentleman that he is, respectfully waits for Limerick to render his "thoughts on 246" before submitting his own*...;-))

[Joe Acro]

all i gotta say is.....


POOR ROGUE....And yet, she still manages to strike a hot pose on the cover.

[limerick]

*Imraith, gentleman that he is, respectfully waits for Limerick to render his "thoughts on 246" before submitting his own*...;-))
Thanks....here it comes!

[limerick]

And yet, she still manages to strike a hot pose on the cover.
You're right!She's barely concious but has that 'in your dreams' pose about her!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 246:

--Normal service resumes after 2 light issues and it's back to doom and gloom for the X-men--Whew,what a relief!

--Things are looking ominous for Dazzler...I found her experience with the Siege Perilous at the start very reminiscent of Madelyne's S'ym dream...She sees possible outcomes for her life just as Madelyne saw different lives for herself in S'yms fingernails....But no matter what her road taken her life seems to end in a tragic/violent death.....Like Madelyne she is left bleeding after her vision/dream....So it would seem things bode badly for her....She saw similar possibilities for herself while within the Alien crystal in Uncanny Annual # 11--If I remember correctly in that instance she chose the Bag Lady option as she was afraid of failure.

--There seems to be something very sinister about the basement of the X-base what with Dazzler's and Madelyne's experiences previously.....And there was the strange occurances Jubilee suffered in the Annual(# 13).

--Ha,ha....I remember being so excited when she pulled 'Rattle & Hum' out of her bag(on cassette!)....Forget 'TIME' magazine....U2 are in the X-men ,for crying out loud!....(Bono----how you have sold out...you stink!)

--Love Nimrod's drug gang bust.....that guy is a border line do-gooder!....I've always liked Nimrod but I'm not so keen on the 'mental' Master Mold.....He's just too insane for my liking...

--Wolvie gives a nod to the 'Meltdown' mini by giving his handlebar hair one more outing....But now he's taking a break from the X-men....I must say I hadn't remembered that sequence where he officially takes a leave of abscence....I thought he was just awol in Madripoor during the next issue.

--Carol goes into angst overdrive in this issue....I forget sometimes that there is another Carol out there(Binary)....it's a strange scenario.but surely her and Rogue can't go on like this---it's torture for both of them,especially since they don't have anything in common(except hating each other!).

MORE TO FOLLOW

[limerick]

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 246:

--I like the Alex/Dazzler rivalry regarding their powers....It's been building slowly for a while....From their very early appearances after the Mutant Massacre,I think.....I do recall some interaction like that in the Fantastic Four/X-men mini....Alex is so full of determination and is back in the swing of things after 2 failed relationships ,both ending in the death of his lover(Madelyne and 'Scarlett')......Is he to be admired for continuing on in the face of terrible circumstances or should we resent him for being able to move on so quickly?

--Psylocke has her most significant plot scenario since she joined the X-men---A bubble perm!....Seriously,poor Betsy.....She only gets some exposure in this issue so Rogue has someone to open up to(i.e. we hear her inner thoughts)....Her time in the X-men has been so disappointing on re-reading it.....And she started so well in the Davis Annuals and in her face-off against Sabertooth(except the Doug--paedo incident,of course!)

--Senator Kelly rejects the funding for future Sentinel projects(The Nimrod project) but then his wife is killed during a mutant related incident....Needless to say this may provoke a change of mind,the Nimrod project will be funded.....and Nimrod will go on to kill his wife!See what Claremont did there

--Nice Silvestri art....But there is one thing I've always found about his female characters---they all have the same basic bone structure and look very similar.....Rogue,Betsy and Sharon just look very similar in this issue....(and Shaw looks just like Wolverine on page 19.

--How is Rogue getting out of that last page Cliffhanger?

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.247.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 247 ..............August 1989

"The Light That Failed"

Claremont/Silvestri

A Building Site,Lower West Side Manhattan,New York:Master Mold/Nimrod stands over Rogue ready for the kill but suddenly the X-men materialise and start firing at him,saving her life.....Alerted by a PSI-shout from Psylocke(who arrives as well)Gateway has teleported them into the thick of things....Master Mold has trouble identifying the X-men properly because of their invisibility to electronic scanners and becauseNimrod is resisting assimilation into M.M. main framework....

Senator Robert Kelly begs Psylocke to help his seriously injured wife,Sharon but when Betsy says she can only ease her passing he reacts angrily and pushes her aside.

The X-men quickly take the disadvantaged Master Mold to pieces through a combination of their powers.....Very quickly he is reduced to scrap.....The X-men theorize how he was able to attack Rogue---she should have been invisible to him...But Betsy says she detected a sense of living awareness in the robot and that may explain it.....Longshot is worried he has let the team down by being of no use against The Master Mold but Dazzler reassures him that each X-men brings something to the table against different foes---his chance will come.....Wacthing Senator Kelly holding his dieing wife,,they decide it's time for them to clear out before the police arrive...

The X-Base,Australia:Jubilee's suffering from serious boredom back at base......She wanders through the small town,considering getting boozed up but dismissing it as a 'totally spazz' idea(message for the kids!).....Wandering into Dazzler's room,she comments on how old she must be to have sang in Lila Cheney's band!....Then she cops Dazzler's wardrobe and is at last impressed....But as she admires a red dress in the mirror,she notices Gateway watching her from the top of his mountain......Freaked by him,she runs back to her room...

Manhattan:As the X-men prepare to leave,Colossus suggests that the Morlock healer could help dying Sharon but Storm reminds him that his power only works on other mutants......As she is about to die,Sharon notices that The Master Mold is starting to regenerate.....She tells her husband to warn the X-men but he won't as he blames them for his wives impending death......Suddenly,The M.M. springs back to life,boosted by his complete integration with the Nimrod technology.....He is greatly improved in performance being able to 'see' the X-men now.....Havok fires at him but he is able to raise a shield to counter the blast,sending it back at the X-men....As Nimrod rebuilds himself he identifies his opponents as the X-men and corrects data in his memory banks detailing them as deceased......Storm tries blowing him out to sea with her wind powers but he anchors himself to the ground.....Colossus tears off one of his legs but it has little effect and M.M. smashes him into the ground.....Psylocke senses a living conciousness within the robot but when she tries to telepathically attack him he counters with a power blast.....Rogue absorbs a near unconcious Colossus' power to change to organic metal and then heads into orbit and returns to Earth at phenomenal speed.....Impacting the M.M. at more than the speed of sound,she hopes the force will be enough to destroy him..

As the X-men recover from the impact they are incredulous to find the M.M. is still active and beginning to regenerate......Dazzler thinks of the Siege Perilous that she has in her pocket and throws it at the M.M. hoping it will send him somewhere ELSE,just like it did with The Reavers......The Siege increases in size but M.M. places anchors down to stop him being swept in.....Rogue tries punching him through but he wraps tendril-like appendages around her trapping her against him....Rogue senses she's in trouble but puts getting rid of the M.M. a priority.....She shouts at Dazz to blast the M.M. but Dazz is reluctant and suggests trying to cut her free instead......Eventually she agrees to try blasting him.....Meanwhile, within his mechanical mind ,M.M. and the part of him that was Nimrod comes to the conclusion that since only living entities can see the X-men and he/they can see the X-men,then he/they have mutated to a living being....And since his programming dictates the destruction of all mutants,he self destructs!

In the aftermath of the self-destruction Rogue is pulled through the Siege Perilous,disappearing into an unknown future to be judged by the Siege and reborn.....The Siege shrinks back to pocket size and Rogue is gone!.....Dazz dashes to the Siege.....She,wrongly,believes her photon blast blew both of them through the crystal and is overcome with guilt....

Later,Sebastian Shaw and Tessa arrive at the destroyed construction site......The identities of the X-men have been erased from witnesses by Psylocke so that they only have a general idea that superbeings were involved......Offering Senator Kelly their condolances,he is consumed by anger and blames mutants for his wives death.....He tells Shaw he will give him the backing for his Nimrod 'Sentinel' project

Elsewhere:Donald Pierce,Lady Deathstrike and Bonebreaker of the Reavers watch Shaw and Kelly on a video-screen.....Bonebreaker wonders how Kelly would feel if he knew Shaw was a mutant....Pierce tells the others that he's certain the X-men were the super-powered beings fighting the giant robot.....He knows where they're based and plans a surprise attack!

Elsewhere:Nanny and Orphan-maker watch Pierce and his cohorts on a view-screen(!).....Nanny tells her protege that they must save the X-men....."whether they like it or not!"

FIN

[CallMeGeoff]

Well, it looks like I remembered correctly regarding the Annual. LAME!

246 and 247 are good, though. I was surprised to learn that Senator Kelly's wife was a Hellfire slut. That's the type of woman a politician usually goes to on the side, if you know what I mean. :wink: But as we see from her courage in issue 246, Sharon's a lot more than that, so I'm sorry to see her suffer such a terrible fate.

Does anybody else think it's a bit unwise for Rogue and Psylocke to be hanging out in New York? I know it's a big city and all, but who's to say they won't run into the New Mutants or the Avengers and blow their cover!

[jubilees_boyfriend]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men Annual # 13:SECOND STORY:"Jubilation Day!":

--I can't believe I never read this story before....It really fills in the gaps in how Jubilee joined the X-men.....Basically,Gateway decided for some reason she should be on the team.....He even talks to her!(Well--two words!)....There's no explanation for this (and probably won't be---They like to keep Gateway 'mysterious').

--Why doesn't Psylocke detect Jubilee telepathically?.....And how come the sophisticated computer system doesn't reveal her presence.....Alex was spending a lot of time learning about the computer about that time....

--Overall,this is a nice little story revealing something about the newest X-man(to be)....She's had a tough life but is pretty independent....But her powers are so similar to Dazzler's,can there be room for both of them on the team??


Thanks for all of the issue reviews and plots- they are awesome.
I know that this is a page or so late... but I have some extras regarding your thoughts-

1) Jubilee confronts Gateway in Generation X #2 and 3, I believe... This time angry, because he will not talk to her and answer why he introduced her to the X-Men in the first place. She gets so mad that she almost knocks his head in with a flashlight... that is... until Synch stops her from doing so.

2) Jubilee's original appearances all hinted that she had something other than her pyrokinetic powers--- several instances have either Jubilee or other characters guessing why it is that she has some type of a resistance to mental scans. It happens a couple times over the years with Psylocke, a few occasions when she is hiding from the Reavers/Donald Pierce/Lady Deathstrike, as well as when Bastion kidnaps her and tries to get info out of her regarding the X-Men. She had a power that made it hard to track or read her thoughts.

3) I think that Jubilee and Dazzler's powers are similar in appearance, and that it typically stops there. Jubes manipulates energy either around or within her and emits it in the form of blinding, concussive, burning, stunning, or exploding forms of light. Dazzler converts sound into light: beams, photons, sparkles, holographs, flash bulbs... and can use it to levitate, I believe. Similar, but not the same. Look at Jean Grey/Emma Frost/Psylocke- all of them can read thoughts but have variances in their powers.

[limerick]

Thanks for all of the issue reviews and plots- they are awesome.
I know that this is a page or so late... but I have some extras regarding your thoughts-

1) Jubilee confronts Gateway in Generation X #2 and 3, I believe... This time angry, because he will not talk to her and answer why he introduced her to the X-Men in the first place. She gets so mad that she almost knocks his head in with a flashlight... that is... until Synch stops her from doing so.

2) Jubilee's original appearances all hinted that she had something other than her pyrokinetic powers--- several instances have either Jubilee or other characters guessing why it is that she has some type of a resistance to mental scans. It happens a couple times over the years with Psylocke, a few occasions when she is hiding from the Reavers/Donald Pierce/Lady Deathstrike, as well as when Bastion kidnaps her and tries to get info out of her regarding the X-Men. She had a power that made it hard to track or read her thoughts.

3) I think that Jubilee and Dazzler's powers are similar in appearance, and that it typically stops there. Jubes manipulates energy either around or within her and emits it in the form of blinding, concussive, burning, stunning, or exploding forms of light. Dazzler converts sound into light: beams, photons, sparkles, holographs, flash bulbs... and can use it to levitate, I believe. Similar, but not the same. Look at Jean Grey/Emma Frost/Psylocke- all of them can read thoughts but have variances in their powers.
Jubilee's Boyfriend--Thanks for posting....

I think that Claremont will have to come up with some explanation for Jubilee's apparent immunity to detection over the next few issues so I'll be watching carefully for that.....While battling the cyborg dog in the Annual story her image was visible on the screens in the background so I can't understand why the X-men haven't seen her through the computer's surveillance??...As I said,hopefully Claremont will explain this,although his loose ends not being tied up are becoming more frequent....The demonic change of the Xmen at the end of INFERNO,for example,which has not been referred to since.:confused:

It has been stated in this thread or more likely in another that Claremont had intended at this stage to kill off Dazzler and some of the storylines at this stagewere building to that.....But supposedly Silvestri talked him out of it.....So it would seem Jubilee,in a way,was intended to replace her and as a result the similarity of their powers wouldn't have been a problem because Dazz would be dead!....I think Claremont seems to like having a teenage central character to hang his stories around....Like Kitty did before she left for Excalibur

[limerick]

Well, it looks like I remembered correctly regarding the Annual. LAME!

246 and 247 are good, though. I was surprised to learn that Senator Kelly's wife was a Hellfire slut. That's the type of woman a politician usually goes to on the side, if you know what I mean. :wink: But as we see from her courage in issue 246, Sharon's a lot more than that, so I'm sorry to see her suffer such a terrible fate.

Does anybody else think it's a bit unwise for Rogue and Psylocke to be hanging out in New York? I know it's a big city and all, but who's to say they won't run into the New Mutants or the Avengers and blow their cover!
Sharon does come across as a typical strong-willed female character that have populated the X-men over the last few years under Claremont---his women characters are never the shy reserved type(Except Betsy,who is not allowed have a personality!).....I wouldn't have put them together....He seems quite stuffy compared to her free spirit.

[Joe Acro]

You're right!She's barely concious but has that 'in your dreams' pose about her!It makes me remember why that's my favorite costume of hers.:biggrin:



In all seriousness, I can't say I really enjoyed this arc. It took away on of my favorite X-Men antagonists, the anti-villain Nimrod. Merging him and Master Mold is such a waste.

[limerick]

It makes me remember why that's my favorite costume of hers.:biggrin:



In all seriousness, I can't say I really enjoyed this arc. It took away on of my favorite X-Men antagonists, the anti-villain Nimrod. Merging him and Master Mold is such a waste.
Couldn't agree more .....Nimrod = The Bomb...Master Mold = boring one- dimensional villain of the month

[jubilees_boyfriend]

Jubilee's Boyfriend--Thanks for posting....

I think that Claremont will have to come up with some explanation for Jubilee's apparent immunity to detection over the next few issues so I'll be watching carefully for that.....While battling the cyborg dog in the Annual story her image was visible on the screens in the background so I can't understand why the X-men haven't seen her through the computer's surveillance??...As I said,hopefully Claremont will explain this,although his loose ends not being tied up are becoming more frequent....The demonic change of the Xmen at the end of INFERNO,for example,which has not been referred to since.:confused:

It has been stated in this thread or more likely in another that Claremont had intended at this stage to kill off Dazzler and some of the storylines at this stagewere building to that.....But supposedly Silvestri talked him out of it.....So it would seem Jubilee,in a way,was intended to replace her and as a result the similarity of their powers wouldn't have been a problem because Dazz would be dead!....I think Claremont seems to like having a teenage central character to hang his stories around....Like Kitty did before she left for Excalibur


^^^
You just gave me a great idea! I'll ask Chris Claremont this question personally over at another forum regarding Jubilee's mental invisibility powers... or whatever they were intended to be.

I'll let you know if he replies.
:)

[limerick]

^^^
You just gave me a great idea! I'll ask Chris Claremont this question personally over at another forum regarding Jubilee's mental invisibility powers... or whatever they were intended to be.

I'll let you know if he replies.
:)
Thanks,Jubilee's boyfriend,hopefully C.C. will have some answers!

[Imraith Nimphais]

My thoughts on 246...
1: A resounding sigh of relief (after slogging through two months/issues of rubbish...thank the Goddess I had the sense and good taste not to purchase that vomitous Annual)
2: As posted before? Wot's up with Rogue on that cover? She's about to be pummeled by Nimrod, yet she is posing as if she's in the centre spread of "Playboy" expecting another sort of "pummelling"...pretty h.a.w.t!!, though...so i'm really not complaining.
3: Would someone please enlighten me as to how and when fragments of Master Mold ended up on a construction site in Manhattan? The last we/I saw he was being blown to smoldering smithereens in anchorage, Alaska in X-factor 11-12, courtesy Scott Summers...there was a story I missed somewhere between then and now, was there not?
4: I really enjoyed this issue (and the next)...after Inferno, it just seemed like a nice, "homey" read...gloomy doom and all.
5: As for the art, Silvestri's women are becoming quite "stylised" with their generic "shoulders back, legs together" pose...but everything else more than makes up for it...well, everything except for Betsy's perm...tsk tsk tsk...you would think a supermodel would know better.

[worstblogever]

WBE on #246-247:

The threat that's been lying in wait now for almost three years... NIMROD! And... he gets co-opted into Master Mold? Well, Master Mold is awesome, right? Some debate comes, based off of this revelation, how does an advanced Sentinel from the future like Nimrod get assimilated into Master Mold? Well, Master Mold was the "master" prototype Sentinel. Maybe there was a data pathway in Nimrod's programming to take orders from it in the future? Tough call, here.

That having been said, the Siege Perilous stuff with Dazzler and Rogue is a big "Whoa!" moment, especially because arguably, this issue is Rogue's most heroic to date (perhaps rivaled only by her putting her life on the line for Mariko back in Japan shortly after joining the team). She snags the powers of her fallen teammates, and gives her all, ending up sacrificing herself against a extremely powerful foe. Not to mention, how she's trying to save the life of former Hellfire Club "maid" Sharon Kelly.

And, as time travel paradoxes go, Nimrod killing Sharon Kelly, in his pursuit of mutants is what polarizes Senator Kelly to further cement his alliance with Sebastian Shaw, who is funding the Sentinel Project.

The intrigue, and action in this issue is particularly masterful. Hats off to CC on this little two issue drama.

[limerick]

My thoughts on 246...
1: A resounding sigh of relief (after slogging through two months/issues of rubbish...thank the Goddess I had the sense and good taste not to purchase that vomitous Annual)
2: As posted before? Wot's up with Rogue on that cover? She's about to be pummeled by Nimrod, yet she is posing as if she's in the centre spread of "Playboy" expecting another sort of "pummelling"...pretty h.a.w.t!!, though...so i'm really not complaining.
3: Would someone please enlighten me as to how and when fragments of Master Mold ended up on a construction site in Manhattan? The last we/I saw he was being blown to smoldering smithereens in anchorage, Alaska in X-factor 11-12, courtesy Scott Summers...there was a story I missed somewhere between then and now, was there not?
4: I really enjoyed this issue (and the next)...after Inferno, it just seemed like a nice, "homey" read...gloomy doom and all.
5: As for the art, Silvestri's women are becoming quite "stylised" with their generic "shoulders back, legs together" pose...but everything else more than makes up for it...well, everything except for Betsy's perm...tsk tsk tsk...you would think a supermodel would know better.
I thought of mentioning 'Playboy' when talking about the Rogue pose.....but then I thought....No..leave the smutty stuff to Imraith!!

EDIT:I was thinking that about Master Mold too...Didn't Scott total him in Alaska while looking for Madelyne....Bit of a loose thread there

[limerick]

WBE on #246-247:

The threat that's been lying in wait now for almost three years... NIMROD! And... he gets co-opted into Master Mold? Well, Master Mold is awesome, right? Some debate comes, based off of this revelation, how does an advanced Sentinel from the future like Nimrod get assimilated into Master Mold? Well, Master Mold was the "master" prototype Sentinel. Maybe there was a data pathway in Nimrod's programming to take orders from it in the future? Tough call, here.

That having been said, the Siege Perilous stuff with Dazzler and Rogue is a big "Whoa!" moment, especially because arguably, this issue is Rogue's most heroic to date (perhaps rivaled only by her putting her life on the line for Mariko back in Japan shortly after joining the team). She snags the powers of her fallen teammates, and gives her all, ending up sacrificing herself against a extremely powerful foe. Not to mention, how she's trying to save the life of former Hellfire Club "maid" Sharon Kelly.

And, as time travel paradoxes go, Nimrod killing Sharon Kelly, in his pursuit of mutants is what polarizes Senator Kelly to further cement his alliance with Sebastian Shaw, who is funding the Sentinel Project.

The intrigue, and action in this issue is particularly masterful. Hats off to CC on this little two issue drama.
There is definite feel that Kelly will be a big player in the future of mutantkind.....He will not let this one lie....

You make a good point about Nimrod being 'absorbed' by the Master Mold....you would think his futuristic technology would render that impossible?

[Imraith Nimphais]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL...I always aim to please and never disappoint...LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.246.GIF

Final Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 246:

--That cover is very roughly sketched when I look at it closely.....looks like a rush job to be honest and the Master Mold colour scheme is beyond belief....I always find it strange how they change cover details to try and create a more standardized cover.....For example Rogue has her X-men uniform on this cover so that reader recognition will be high...of course in the story she's wearing Ms. Marvel's costume.....It's not a mistake.....it's just to give it a more generic look so readers can recognize instantly that it's Rogue and thus the X-men.

--One final little point that annoyed me here.....Why is Shaw holding a meeting in The Hellfire Club.....I understood that after his face-off with Magneto in the New Mutants,he was kicked out of the Hellfire Club or chose to leave of his own accord.....Maybe that was just from the inner circle??:confused:

[limerick]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL...I always aim to please and never disappoint...LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.
True!You never do,my friend!

[worstblogever]

You make a good point about Nimrod being 'absorbed' by the Master Mold....you would think his futuristic technology would render that impossible?

Could you see a 1980s Apple computer absorbing a Pentium of today? Hell, no.

[Anodyne]

I thought of mentioning 'Playboy' when talking about the Rogue pose.....but then I thought....No..leave the smutty stuff to Imraith!!

EDIT:I was thinking that about Master Mold too...Didn't Scott total him in Alaska while looking for Madelyne....Bit of a loose thread there
X-Factor #14. That was when Master Mold realized that ALL humans have the "X-Factor." a.k.a. the "X-Gene." It might be interesting to see someone take this up in future issues of Uncanny; what if the proponents of "Proposition X" succeed in forcing everyone to undergo genetic screening, and they can't find anyone who DOESN'T have the X-Gene"? :eek:

Or maybe Claremont will take up the question in X-Men Forever. :cool:

[longshot3]

This was a sad storyarc, as it marks the final appearnces of Longshot as an X-Man, although I'm sure most of you guys would be happy, haha

[limerick]

Could you see a 1980s Apple computer absorbing a Pentium of today? Hell, no.

I couldn't have put it better....a nice comparison!

X-Factor #14. That was when Master Mold realized that ALL humans have the "X-Factor." a.k.a. the "X-Gene." It might be interesting to see someone take this up in future issues of Uncanny; what if the proponents of "Proposition X" succeed in forcing everyone to undergo genetic screening, and they can't find anyone who DOESN'T have the X-Gene"? :eek:

Or maybe Claremont will take up the question in X-Men Forever. :cool:

Hi,Anodyne,I couldn't remember the exact issue where Scott took on the Master Mold......But I remember it was in Alaska.....I was wondering had he appeared in another comic book in the meantime that caused bits of him to end up in that building site......If not then,as Imraith points out,it's pretty strange how he does end up there.

This was a sad storyarc, as it marks the final appearnces of Longshot as an X-Man, although I'm sure most of you guys would be happy, haha

longshot3,It was a quite issue for Longshot considering he's about to move on.....I'll give my full thoughts on it after next issue....

Good to see your still reading the thread.....keep posting when you can.


Oh,and Thanks to Darknessatnoon for explaining about the multi-quote in another thread......I hadn't been exactly sure how to use it.

[worstblogever]

X-Factor #14. That was when Master Mold realized that ALL humans have the "X-Factor." a.k.a. the "X-Gene." It might be interesting to see someone take this up in future issues of Uncanny; what if the proponents of "Proposition X" succeed in forcing everyone to undergo genetic screening, and they can't find anyone who DOESN'T have the X-Gene"? :eek:

Or maybe Claremont will take up the question in X-Men Forever. :cool:

Although, Wanda Maximoff wiped out a lot of the world's mutants' X-genes on M-Day. I'd have to think the same could be true for the humans who have it, without any expressed mutation on it.

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 247:

--I loved almost everything about this issue except the Siege Perilous.....I just don't get it as a plot device....It's unclear how much the X-men are in control of it and why does Dazz bring it with her in the first place.....Also is the Siege creating the 'suction' force pulling Rogue into the Siege or is that Storm's winds trying to blow Master Mold into it.....When used before for the Reavers there was none of that vaccumn effect......I had always been under the impression(as the cover misleads one to believe)that Master Mold had gone through the Siege too but he doesn't.....He self destructs before Rogue is sucked/blown in.

--I was wondering how Claremont would explain Master Mold being able to detect the X-men.....He does it by suggesting the robot has accquired sentience and as a living thing it can see the X-men....I'm not quite buying it!......You can see he's already running into problems with the X-men being impervious to electronic detection....It's just an unworkable concept in the long run and needs to be dealt with swiftly.

--Poor Rogue---I really didn't see that coming at the time I first read it.....It's not clear exactly what happens ,of course....But isn't she supposed to be 're-born' in a new identity....Will the X-men recognise her.....will she know them.....will she be reduced to childhood again......All a mystery....The thing was ,she's never looked so good in her Ms. Marvel outfit----and finally a costume that can put up with the punishment she deals out to her outfits......That one survived(unfortunately!) a full speed collision with Master Mold....... She's never looked hotter than on page 24,kneeling on all fours looking at a recovering Nimrod(does that make me a perv..?!!)....Again,Poor Rogue!......I was slightly disappointed at the way Rogue used Colossus' power to try and total Master Mmold.....It was almost a carbon-copy of the way she used all the other X-mens powers to battle Nimrod the first time they encountered him....Claremont could have come up with something more original.

--Why does Shaw persist with the development of the Nimrod programme when he himself is a mutant.....He only barely survived his first encounter with Nimrod in Central Park.....So why go on to develop something that will go on to almost kill you and will be responsible for the dead of 2 friends/colleagues???

--Dazzler's going to be on a guilt trip for what she thins has happened to Rogue because of her....Did their past battles influence her in any way....Had she really forgiven Rogue....I think these are the questions she'll be asking herself.

--Finally,why is Nanny spying on the Reavers and Donald Pierce?????

[worstblogever]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 247:

--I loved almost everything about this issue except the Siege Perilous.....I just don't get it as a plot device....It's unclear how much the X-men are in control of it and why does Dazz bring it with her in the first place.....Also is the Siege creating the 'suction' force pulling Rogue into the Siege or is that Storm's winds trying to blow Master Moldinto it.....When used before for the Reavers there was none of that vacumn effect......I had always been under the impression(as the cover misleads one to believe)that Master Mold had gone through the Siege too but he doesn't.....He self destructs before Rogue is sucked/blown in.

History ends up being that he does go through the Siege Perilous, as Master Mold/Nimrod End up becoming Bastion, who is revealed to be the result of the two given a second chance on "life" after going through the Siege Perilous. The rules for it/them were skewed as they didn't have a true soul.

--I was wondering how Claremont would explain Master Mold being able to detect the X-men.....He does it by suggesting the robot has accquired sentience and as a living thing it can see the X-men....I'm not quite buying it!......You can see he's already running into problems with the X-men being impervious to electronic detection....It's just an unworkable concept in the long run and needs to be dealt with swiftly.

Sadly, the effect just keeps being deemed as having "worn off". But here, one could argue that since Master Mold also contained the consciousness of Stephen Lang at one point, it's that human quality that makes him able to see the X-Men. Gimme a "No-Prize", somebody!

--Poor Rogue---I really didn't see that coming at the time I first read it.....It's not clear exactly what happens ,of course....But isn't she supposed to be 're-born' in a new identity....Will the X-men recognise her.....will she know them.....will she be reduced to childhood again......All a mystery....The thing was she's never looked so good in her Ms. Marvel outfit----and finally a costume that can put up with the punishment she deals out to her outfits......That one survived(unfortunately!) a full speed collision with Master Mold....... She's never looked hotter than on page 24,kneeling on all fours looking at a recovering Nimrod(does that make me a perv..?!!)....Again,Poor Rogue!......I was slightly disappointed at the way Rogue used Colossus' power to try and total Master Mmold.....It was almost a carbon-copy of the way she used all the other X-mens powers to battle Nimrod the first time they encountered him....Claremont could have come up with something more original.
Especially because Nimrod is supposed to be a robot you can't pull the same power on twice.

--Why does Shaw persist with the development of the Nimrod programme when he himself is a mutant.....He only barely survived his first encounter with Nimrod in Central Park.....So why go on to develop something that will go on to almost kill you and will be responsible for the dead of 2 friends/colleagues???

Or why fund Sentinels at all, considering they're what killed his fiancee, Lourdes Chantel? Shaw's motives are hard to place, but unless he's thinking his people are programming the Sentinels to "ignore" him, but still attack all other mutants, his motives really don't make a heck of a lot of sense.

--Finally,why is Nanny spying on the Reavers and Donald Pierce?????

Nanny is just on crack.

[Joe Acro]

Especially because Nimrod is supposed to be a robot you can't pull the same power on twice.
He likely lost that trait once merged with Master Mold.

[limerick]

History ends up being that he does go through the Siege Perilous, as Master Mold/Nimrod End up becoming Bastion, who is revealed to be the result of the two given a second chance on "life" after going through the Siege Perilous. The rules for it/them were skewed as they didn't have a true soul.



Sadly, the effect just keeps being deemed as having "worn off". But here, one could argue that since Master Mold also contained the consciousness of Stephen Lang at one point, it's that human quality that makes him able to see the X-Men. Gimme a "No-Prize", somebody!


Especially because Nimrod is supposed to be a robot you can't pull the same power on twice.



Or why fund Sentinels at all, considering they're what killed his fiancee, Lourdes Chantel? Shaw's motives are hard to place, but unless he's thinking his people are programming the Sentinels to "ignore" him, but still attack all other mutants, his motives really don't make a heck of a lot of sense.



Nanny is just on crack.

*limerick pops No-Prize in the post*

RE:Nanny on crack----that really does explain a lot!!

RE:Nimrod/Master Mold going through the Siege--I had thought before that they had but it's definite on the 4th panel of page 27 that he/they auto-destruct before being pulled into the Siege so your later spoiler would seem a slight ret-con...or a misinterpretation by future writers as to exactly what happened.....(Did you think the Siege was sucking them in or was Storm trying to blow them in??)

[limerick]

He likely lost that trait once merged with Master Mold.
Yeah I was thinking that....or else he hadn't fully finished incorporating the Nimrod technology into his system?

[worstblogever]

*limerick pops No-Prize in the post*

RE:Nanny on crack----that really does explain a lot!!

RE:Nimrod/Master Mold going through the Siege--I had thought before that they had but it's definite on the 4th panel of page 27 that he/they auto-destruct before being pulled into the Siege so your later spoiler would seem a slight ret-con...or a misinterpretation by future writers as to exactly what happened.....(Did you think the Siege was sucking them in or was Storm trying to blow them in??)

I'd say "The Siege Perilous sucks" a lot faster than I'd say "Storm blows".

So we'll go with that.

[limerick]

I'd say "The Siege Perilous sucks" a lot faster than I'd say "Storm blows".

So we'll go with that.
lololol....That's definitive then....The Siege Perilous sucks!

[limerick]

To Imraith whose been wondering where this thread's got to ---it's back and will feature heavily over the next few weeks as I've a bit of catching up to do!Onto # 248---Jim Lee's X-men debut---Good Times!:biggrin: ......Return of Nanny---Bad times!:mad:

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.248.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 248 ..............September 1989

"The Cradle Will Fall"

Claremont/Lee

The Reavers New Base,Somewhere:The Reavers:Bonebreaker,Skullbuster,Pretty Boy,Donald Pierce,Lady Deathstrike,Reese,Cole and Macon prepare for their upcoming assault on Wolverine by totalling a robot version of him......Pretty Boy and Deathstrike warn that the real thing won't be as easy to take out but Pierce believes as a team they can take on the X-men!!!

Australia:Longshot has a dream in which the various women in his life compete to dance with him.....As the rest of the X-men plays musical accompaniment,Longshot dances firstly with Dazzler who gets absorbed by Rogue who is then displaced by Ricochet Rita.....As each woman absorbs the other theyt gain two arms until finally Spiral faces him.....They begin to fight but she defeats him and tears out his spine......He then materialises into Mr Mojo who pins Spiral painfully to the wall with several of Longshot's blades......As Spiral begins to transform from herself to Rita to Rogue to Dazzler as she dies,she tells him he'll always kill the one he loves....Suddenly,Storm finds herself sitting on the top of Gateway's mountain----staring into his bonfire......She is aware she has been dragged into someone elses dream by Gateway and that she is still really asleep in her bed----but she doesn't know why......Then she sees Longshot----a faint transparent version of his real self,trying to piece himself together.....He embraces her,telling her he cannot be a complete person the way he is.....He has no memories and has to find out why.....He's leaving the X-men to discover himself.

Nanny's Ship:Nanny and Orphan-maker watch holographic projections of the X-men......Peter finds them scary but Nanny reassues him.....She says they are in grave danger and she will save them.....whether they want to be saved or not...

Underground Resevoir,X-men Base:Betsy is going for a swim when she suddenly hears Nanny reciting a nursery rhyme.....She had not detected her and assumes Nanny to be a robot.....Somehow Nanny catches her off guard and reduces Betsy to the age of a child.....She then scatters her with the dust she uses to control children.....Betsy is under her control!

Outside Dazzler and Havok are going for a run when they stumble across a strange craft......When they goto investigate a trap shuts down on them trapping them......Orphan-maker appears jumping up and down with glee at having caught them.

In the kitchen of the X-men's headquarters,Colossus tries to figure out why there's so much food missing......Suddenly,brain-washed Psylocke bursts in wearing a robotic exo-skeleton provided by Nanny......Showing awesome force she grabs him and throughs him through the kitchen wall sending him flying outside.......Where he faces Orphan-maker and Havok and Dazzler who are both wearing similar exoskeletons to Psylocke......Dazz hits him with a huge photon blast which sends him flying into the sky......But fortunately Storm arrives saving him from a heavy fall by catching him......But then Psylocke seizes control of Colossus' body telepathically and forces him to throttle Storm.....She has no choice but to send him flying from her by using her control over the wind.....

In the kitchen,Jubilee takes advantage of the commotion outside b stealing more food......But Nanny enters the room and tries to capture her by sprinkling her with her 'magic dust'......Jubilee reacts quickly ,thiough and uses a fan to direct the dust away from herself......She then cuts loose on Nanny with some fireworks sending her sprawling....Her backpack is damaged and she's left spinning face-up on the ground.....Orphan-maker arrives to help her but as he enters the building Colossus is propelled into him at great pace by Storm......The impact knocks Orphan-maker out...

Outside Storm manages to stun the other three brainwashed X-men putting them out of action......Orphan-maker recovers and grabs Nanny......He flies her to their craft hovering overhead......But Storm goes to intercept to stop them getting away......As she flies towards the craft Nanny deploys metallic extension grappling arms which grab Storm and trap her.....Back on the ground Colossus frees Havok from the armour,thus freeing him of Nanny's influence......Still confused from being stunned he lashes out with his plasma blast and K.O.'s Nanny's ship...with Storm still attatched!!......The craft quickly crashes to the ground behind some low hills......And EXPLODES!!!......When the X-men get there they find Storm's body in the wreckage!!!!:eek: :frown: :wink:



FIN

[worstblogever]

Ah, the issue where Havok lives up to his name, and blows up a ship with Storm on board. Sometimes I think they created Vulcan just to make Alex seem so much more comparatively responsible.

[Marvelfan278]

Ah, the issue where Havok lives up to his name, and blows up a ship with Storm on board. Sometimes I think they created Vulcan just to make Alex seem so much more comparatively responsible.

I thought that was a three-day drunken bender at a San Diego Comic Con that made Vulcan, they drank the same stuff that made the Cassandra Nova strangled-in-womb work.

[worstblogever]

I thought that was a three-day drunken bender at a San Diego Comic Con that made Vulcan, they drank the same stuff that made the Cassandra Nova strangled-in-womb work.

No one should attempt to duplicate Grant Morrison's medications. A rule to live by.

[limerick]

Sorry everyone......awful internet connection tonight.....I'll have to pick up the end of # 248 tomorrow......

EDIT....Back online and I've finished the summary for # 248.......Thoughts to follow!

[limerick]

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 248:

--For me this was where it all started to go wrong......When I first read this I was puzzled ,confused ,annoyed and ,worst of all,a little bored.....What was Claremont thinking??!!

--For starters what the hell was going on in that Longshot dream sequence ......to this day it just comes across as nonsense.....I mean it it's a dream,why is he suddenly gone when Storm wakes up.....Where did he go?How did he go....Look...that was s**t!....(And enough of the Gateway bull as well!!)

--Then ,when Nanny looks at her holo-projections of the X-men......Why aren't Longshot and Wolverine there.....She can't have known they wouldn't be there ,especially Longshot...He'd just left (in a cloud of excrement!)

--And what's the deal with Betsy being reduced to a child......She's in a full -size armour later and at the end she's an adult again....Was that just an artists interpretation of her being mentally regressed to childhood because if that's what it was-----IT WOULDN'T HURT TO TELL US!

--There's a definite vibe between Havok and Dazz....She even calls him 'hotbod'(she's not bad herself!)......Could ladykiller Summers be ready to notch another strike on his bedpost??!!

--How come Jubilee can successfully hide from the X-men and their computer for weeks but Nanny's in the house a few seconds and she's managed to stumble on her

--God,Nanny is such a lame villain.....Not in the pages of Uncanny,please!!

--At least the ending was a bit of a shock......I wasn't expecting Storm to buy it.....At the time there was no internet but the dath of such a major character would normally have been leaked beforehand......But I remember being completely surprised by this latest X-men fatality.

--Jim Lee makes a low-key bow on the Xmen,filling in for Silvestri.......Nice pencils.... But not up to his later standards that would make him such a success.

--Chris,I still haven't forgiven you for this piece of junk!!

[limerick]

HOLY CRAP.....I just remembered that's THREE X-men gone in two consectutive issues.....first Rogue......then Longshot.....then Storm.......Claremont's clearing the decks......(and don't forget Wolverine's 'on a break')

[limerick]

One final thing on # 248......Nanny steals some computer components and puts them into her own computer.....Hey Presto....her computers can 'see' the X-men

[limerick]

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.249.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 249 ..............Early October 1989

"The Dane Curse"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Computer Room,Xbase,Australia:Havok sits depressed at the X-men meeting table......He's distraught that they've lost another X-men(Storm--see last issue)and that it was his fault......He watches on a viewscreen as the rest of the team bury her outside.....He cracks open a beer and wonders how things turned out this way after Roma brought them back to life......He wonders if Madelyne has cursed them in some way.....And,most of all,he wonders where Wolverine is!.....Suddenly,for no reason the computer starts replaying the events before Storm's death.....Havok has to watch as he ,dazed and confused,tries to take Nanny's ship out but ends up killing Storm as well.....Angrily,he fires at the viewscreen replaying the events......But the computer backflashes and explodes knocking him out.......As he lies unconcious on the ground,the viewscreen repairs itself!......The telephone rings-----It's Lorna Dane!!!

Punta Arenas,Chile,Near the Antartic:In a phonebox on the local docks,Lorna tries to speak to Alex......But even though the call connects he does not reply.....She pleas with him,explaining that she's more herself these days and less under the control of Malice since Sinister was killed......But then Malice 'manifests' herself in the phonebox reflection and starts goading her,telling Lorna that she could have surrendered to the X-men before but chose not to of her own will......Lorna reacts badly totalling the phonebox with her power but at least Malice seems to go away(for now!)....Two local sailors come to help her wondering if there was a bomb.....One,Ramon,takes her to a nearby pub while the other goes to fetch the doctor......But before he reaches the doctors house he is attacked by an unseen assailant.

Australia:Colossus is out in the outback painting.....But things are not going well and becoming frustrated,he casts his work aside and returns to the base....Lady Deathstrike and the three ex-Hellfire Club Cyborgs,Cole,Reese and Macon have been watching him from a distance and retrieve his pictures after he has gone.

The Reavers New BaseLater,Lady Deathstrike shows the pictures to Pierce who senses Colossus is in a bad place....Not that he cares---he just wants the X-men dead.....Bonebreaker and Deathstrike are worried that there's no sign of Wolverine,the X-man they most want revenge on.....But Pierce reassures her that he will come and that when he does the Reavers will be waiting.....Pierce kisses Deathstrike passionately.

Australia:Alex wakes with an awful hangover.....Beside his bed are flowers and a note saying he missed a call from Lorna who sounded like she needed help A.S.A.P.......Psylocke enters the room drawn by Alex's startled thoughts......They have a little arguement about her sensing his thoughts---He wouldn't appreciate her invading his privacy......But she reassures him she isn't doing that---She could not help hearing his startled thoughts because they were so strongly projected......He tells her about smashing the computer screen the night before and about the note.....They go down to the computer room where Alex is stunned to find the computer is undamaged.....He wonders did he dream what happened but Betsy confirms it did happen.....He says they'll have to strip the systems down someday as too much about them is unknown.....He uses the computer to trace Lorna's call to Punta Arenas ,Chile.....Alex gets up straight away keen to head for Chile but Psylocke warns him it could be a trap......Later the rest of the X-men are gathered on Gateway's mountaintop waiting for Psylocke.....She finally arrives telling them she's scanned the town for intruders but can find nothing......They are unsure who left the note and guess maybe it was the computer or more probably Gateway,himself.....They pass through the Gateway created portal to Punta Arenas.

A Bar,Punta Arenas,Chile:Polaris recovers in the bar as Ramon helps clean her glass cuts.....As she tells him not to bother making a fuss the bar doors break open as dinosaur-riding Barbarians come crashing in---looking for Polaris!......The Barbarians start slaughtering the bar customers including Ramon.......Lorna is still dazed from earlier and can't concentrate enough to use her powers......As she races outside she is caught by a Barbarian weapon and falls to the ground winded.....A Barbarian races menacingly towards her on his dino-steed!

Meanwhile ,not far away,The X-men arrive at the destroyed phone-booth.......Psylocke probes the nearby area for any sign of Lorna but is taken aback by the wave of emotions that hits her from the people involved in the bar attack.......Seconds later they are attacked by a couple of the Barbarian Dino-riders......But they deal with them easily......Alex shows a new ruthless side by killing the dinosaur without a second thought and then threatening the rider with death unless he gives them information......But the X-men are far from out of the woods as they are suddenly faced by the Savage Land Mutates:Barbarus,Whiteout,Amphibius and Gaza.......A brief battle follows which the X-men eventually win......As Havok and Colossus dust themselves off afterwards ,they wonder are the Mutates trying to take control of more than the Savage Land......Psylocke tells them she has the answer...

Zaladane ,leader of the Muates addresses the people of the destroyed town of Punta Arenas......She tells them they are to be punished for the pollution of Antartic waters by a ship-wrecked vessal carrying crude oil which had originated at this port......She has Lorna prisoner,using the fragrance of a black orchid plant to subdue her......As Zaladane threatens the towns people with death,Colossus,Dazzler and Psylocke arrived with the Mutates tied up......They order Zaladane to abandon her plans for eradication of the townspeople and to swap her prisoners for theirs......She agrees and quickly departs with her army and Polaris......In disguise amongst her troops is Alex,determined to save Lorna....

FIN

[Goshin]

Polaris has a sister?!? Wow! Hope she sticks around for a very long time.


Its obvious that her plot to steal lornas powers will fail and she will return to australia, rejoin the team and help them trash the reavers!

[limerick]

:biggrin: We'll see!!

[CJ Lentze]

I must sound like a yes-man here, because this issue is by far not one of my favourites either... and I have a couple of silly favourites.

Longshot's departure was sudden and was not announced by his characterisation in previous issues. It's sad to see that he leaves for not being certain who or what he is... something that readers, and perhaps even Chris Claremont, have wondered about as well. Leaving on that note also means that Longshot goes away at the exact moment that he's starting to show more depth, which is a shame. He didn't get to say his goodbyes to the X-Men except for Storm, and neither Alex nor Ali - who supposedly loves him - seemed to miss him sincerely.

The battle between Colossus and Storm and Nanny's henchmen felt too short, started and ended too suddenly, and the villains were poorly motivated, saying that they wanted to 'save' the X-Men, but really wanted to brainwash them into serving Nanny to be used for unclear purposes. It seems the issue lacked room for the X-Men-vs-Nanny part, to dedicate a number of pages to Longshot, after which one page is used to explain Nanny and Orphan-Maker, while the battle itself also has scattered exposition on these villains. But the result is that none of the parts come out well.

Suddenly,Storm finds herself sitting on the top of Gateway's mountain----staring into his bonfire......She is aware she has been dragged into someone elses dream by Gateway and that she is still really asleep in her bed----but she doesn't know why.....
Thanks, I didn't catch that when I first read this issue.
--For starters what the hell was going on in that Longshot dream sequence ......to this day it just comes across as nonsense.....I mean it it's a dream,why is he suddenly gone when Storm wakes up.....Where did he go?How did he go....Look...that was s**t!....(And enough of the Gateway bull as well!!)I think he may have left at night. Gateway might have helped teleport him elsewhere, or maybe he left on his own strength. We don't see Storm and Longshot have a goodbye in the physical world, only a hug on the dream plain. Storm must have filled the others in the next morning.

--And what's the deal with Betsy being reduced to a child......She's in a full -size armour later and at the end she's an adult again....Was that just an artists interpretation of her being mentally regressed to childhood because if that's what it was-----IT WOULDN'T HURT TO TELL US!
They meant to make it clear in the lower two panels of that page: Nanny was emitting some kind of hypnotising beam to make it appear as though she was Betsy's old nanny from her childhood, and the part where Betsy shrinks to a child is all in her mind too.

--How come Jubilee can successfully hide from the X-men and their computer for weeks but Nanny's in the house a few seconds and she's managed to stumble on herShe figured she was all alone in the X-Men's HQ, as she saw all the X-Men fighting outside. She didn't reckon with Nanny skulking around.

--God,Nanny is such a lame villain.....Not in the pages of Uncanny,please!!

--At least the ending was a bit of a shock......I wasn't expecting Storm to buy it.....At the time there was no internet but the dath of such a major character would normally have been leaked beforehand......But I remember being completely surprised by this latest X-men fatality.I dislike Nanny and Orphan-Maker as well, though I can accept silly villains with moderation. I think these two came too soon after M-Squad and 'Men'. If it wasn't for Mastermold and the looming threat of the Reavers, it would almost seem like a change in flavour for the X-Men's rogues gallery to include 'lighter' bad guys. Nanny and Peter remind me of Power Rangers villains.

As for the death of Storm, I can only imagine that many readers were taken by surprise like you were, limerick; it came completely out of the blue. What I think is most off-putting about it, even if it's only an apparent death, is the way it happens: Alex being groggy after Storm herself had knocked out his exo-suit, impulsively shooting at Nanny's ship to save Storm. A clumsy act on Alex' part, a clumsy death, and in my opinion also clumsy storytelling, considering there was no build-up to this crescendo even in the issue itself. On a positive note, I do appreciate how Alex - like Scott - continues to worry about his powers, and how this tragedy is only going to increase those worries.

[Goshin]

Had longshot stayed would the x men have had better luck in the savage land and against the reavers?

[Joey]

I was VERY schocked when Storm was "killed" even though I never quite understood how the just happened to have a clone of her pop up that quickly

the early Jim Lee art was impressive at the time though nothing compared to what he does now

[limerick]

I must sound like a yes-man here, because this issue is by far not one of my favourites either... and I have a couple of silly favourites.

Longshot's departure was sudden and was not announced by his characterisation in previous issues. It's sad to see that he leaves for not being certain who or what he is... something that readers, and perhaps even Chris Claremont, have wondered about as well. Leaving on that note also means that Longshot goes away at the exact moment that he's starting to show more depth, which is a shame. He didn't get to say his goodbyes to the X-Men except for Storm, and neither Alex nor Ali - who supposedly loves him - seemed to miss him sincerely.

The battle between Colossus and Storm and Nanny's henchmen felt too short, started and ended too suddenly, and the villains were poorly motivated, saying that they wanted to 'save' the X-Men, but really wanted to brainwash them into serving Nanny to be used for unclear purposes. It seems the issue lacked room for the X-Men-vs-Nanny part, to dedicate a number of pages to Longshot, after which one page is used to explain Nanny and Orphan-Maker, while the battle itself also has scattered exposition on these villains. But the result is that none of the parts come out well.


Thanks, I didn't catch that when I first read this issue.
I think he may have left at night. Gateway might have helped teleport him elsewhere, or maybe he left on his own strength. We don't see Storm and Longshot have a goodbye in the physical world, only a hug on the dream plain. Storm must have filled the others in the next morning.


They meant to make it clear in the lower two panels of that page: Nanny was emitting some kind of hypnotising beam to make it appear as though she was Betsy's old nanny from her childhood, and the part where Betsy shrinks to a child is all in her mind too.

I must say Alex is having a torrid time of it since he re-joined the team....Being threatened with death by his team-mates,losing Lorna,Madelyne's death,Scarlett's death,Being forced to kill people against his nature....and now this ....And he seems to take the knocks admirably....I've always liked him since his first appearance but I've grown to like him more over the last few issues


Great post as always Schuimend---thanks for the great insights.....I must say this was the first time I realised that Storm was not actually on the mountain and that it was a dream sequence.....One of the things these issue summaries do is make me read the detail so I'm constantly seeing new things.....But I feel the Longshot sequence is poorly realised.

You make an interesting comparison with Power Rangers villains....very accurate,especially Orphan-maker who looks like he was dragged from that show..:biggrin:

[Imraith Nimphais]

My thoughts on #248.

My intial reaction after reading this (many, many moons ago) was a resounding..."Wot the bloody hell?!"...unfortunately, it still has not improved with age (as some stories often do)...oh well.

The "dream sequence" with Storm, Longshot and Gateway was indeed bollocks...I completely did not get it...surely Claremont could have written a more interesting and plausible "departure" plot...even if he just had Spiral showing up during a solo training session and zapping him back to Mojo world (as recorded by the infernal computer and discovered by the x-men some time after) would have worked.
Nanny?...seriously?...I did not like that frakkin piece of shite for a supervillain in X-Factor and then Claremont felt the need to smear the pages of Uncanny with her fecal presence...wot-the-frakk-ever.
Storm's death...and the team's reaction...can we say heavy-handed over-the-top melodrama? I did not buy it for an instant...I'm not even sure if we were meant to.

This was obviously an interim "set-up" issue to move things in another direction, but Goddess!...it was piss-poorly done. Even the art was merely serviceable. To me, it seemed as though CC was severely burnt out after the Inferno X-over as his follow-up stories seem to be lacking...even the "Nimrod/MM" two-parter as good as it was, had it's off moments...and he was just kinda-sorta going through the motions. (We would have been better served if, post Inferno, he had taken a short recess on some tropical Caribbean isle and shagged a hot, sexy local (male).

[Valjean999]

Personally, I hated the way Longshot was written out of this book, and I kept on hoping in vain that Claremont would return to the character and, at the very least, give it some kind of resolution, even if Longshot did not return to the team. It just seemed so abrupt and out out of the blue.

To me, this whole era of X-Men is when the book went downhill, the post-Inferno era. And, for me, it continues to go downhill until the 270s.

[limerick]

Imraith,I shall log the phrase 'FRAKKIN' PIECE OF SHITE' in my memory banks for future use..:biggrin:

I thought 'piss-poor' was a purely 'East of Atlantic' phrase---You learn something new everyday.

Valjean 999,I think you're basically spot-on,IIRC.....My mind is a little fuzzy on exact details of the next few issues so Im looking foward to remembering exactly how things went

[limerick]

My thoughts on #248.

My intial reaction after reading this (many, many moons ago) was a resounding..."Wot the bloody hell?!"...unfortunately, it still has not improved with age (as some stories often do)...oh well.

The "dream sequence" with Storm, Longshot and Gateway was indeed bollocks...I completely did not get it...surely Claremont could have written a more interesting and plausible "departure" plot...even if he just had Spiral showing up during a solo training session and zapping him back to Mojo world (as recorded by the infernal computer and discovered by the x-men some time after) would have worked.

The Longshot sequence is so forced and as other posters have said,came from nowhere......Why was Claremont in such a rush to clear the decks......I know he had change in mind but what was the rush??

[limerick]

I was VERY schocked when Storm was "killed" even though I never quite understood how the just happened to have a clone of her pop up that quickly

the early Jim Lee art was impressive at the time though nothing compared to what he does now
Joey.....Thanks for posting.....It's ludicrous that Nanny would have a clone ready.....I can't remember the exact happenings of Storm's return but since it's obvious that he had intended for this to be a temporary 'death' you would think he would have had a reasonable explanation ready