X-Men from the Beginning [Archive] - Page 12 - Comic Book Resources Forums

limerick

09-04-2009, 05:35 PM

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
That's # 249 completed......Thoughts to follow tomorrow

adamthered

09-04-2009, 08:25 PM

CJ Lentze

09-05-2009, 10:33 AM

Heh, for a while there, I thought I was one of few who really disliked issue 248, because I'm not wild about the Outback era to begin with, and thought that # 248 highlighted the reasons I'm not: characterisation taking a backseat to the action. Hadn't expected it was such an unpopular issue.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.

(...)

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).I read in an X-Men comics FAQ that Claremont had conceived Inferno as an over-the-top, convoluted "mother of all crossovers" with a smidge of parody, because after the success of Mutant Massacre and Fall Of The Mutants, Marvel wanted to continue the annual mutant crossover event and pressed Claremont to go along with it. However, Inferno was more popular than Claremont had expected and it only increased the pressure on his shoulders afterwards.

From the FAQ (it's old, and hasn't been updated since 2004):http://users.rcn.com/kateshort/faqs/racmxFAQ/faq2.html#1980

The Mutant Massacre crossover was so popular that the editor of the X- Men, Ann Nocenti, decided to hold another one to help keep sales up during the competitive summer months. Claremont agreed, and presented the Fall of the Mutants--unique in that while it was a "crossover," none of the characters of one book met the characters of the other two books. (...) Around this time, Claremont planned to do one last crossover that would clear up a bunch of loose ends, finalize some old plot threads, get rid of some old characters, and answer some old questions. It was called Inferno, and was distinctive for how non-mutant titles worked themselves into the story without being required reading (like Spider-Man's appearances in Inferno).(...) Claremont hoped that Inferno would be so unwieldly that no one would want another crossover. It didn't work. Inferno just made people want more "X-overs". This meant more writers had to be called in, and it increased the chance that artists and writers would mess up continuity and otherwise have their quality of work suffer. Despite the fact that crossovers end up producing lower quality work from all involved in the stories, poorly-planned and ill-plotted crossovers continued for years. (...)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
Later, it will be revealed that Nanny used a Life Model Decoy of Storm. I believe those are easier to synthesize than clones, if you have the required technology and a scan of the subject.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 issuesAlex is, in a sense, the X-Man who was pulled from the late 60s to the late 80s... The superhero game has gotten dirtier and the rules have changed since last he was on the team. Here in issue 249, it all finally seems to catch up with him, and he's visibly falling apart. He burns a living being into cinder and bones, and threatens to dismember another person (he did say a number of issues earlier, that 'the killing gets easier every time he does it'); of course, he has Lorna on his mind, so he may just want to rescue her by any means necessary.

Madelyne continues to be remembered for her evil, not for the good she did. While Alex does mention that it was Maddy who made the X-Men's new 8-point-star sigil, he also complains about what she did in Inferno but doesn't bother to mention her as one of the X-Men's fallen alongside the faces he had crossed out on that table. As Madelyne was a civilian who joined their cause voluntarily without having any fancy powers, she deserves a nod, at the very least. The X-Men didn't curse Jean's name after the Dark Phoenix Saga either, after all.
Similarly, it's peculiar that Alex (and the others) dismiss Madelyne as evil though she had been tainted by daemonic influence, and yet he's very quick to respond to Lorna's call even though she had been possessed by an evil entity herself and it might as well have been a trap set up by Malice, as Psylocke suggests.

In my opinion, "The Dane Curse" is a step up from the previous issue, well-paced and featuring a good fight sequence with the Mutates (I appreciated the humour of Psylocke having to be brought down from the pole Amphibius had hung her from). A very nice touch was the little authority squabble that was interwoven into the conversation between Havok and Psylocke when they're tracing Lorna''s call. Both consider themselves candidates for leadership now that Storm is gone. And I liked Jubilee's off-panel 'appearances', helping Alex out after his little accident.

The violence in this issue is at a high, though, and there are an awful lot of civilian casualties in the presence of our heroes (or rather, Lorna).

limerick

09-05-2009, 10:48 AM

limerick

09-05-2009, 10:50 AM

Ha, 247 and 248, my first two issues of Uncanny that I decided to start collecting with. This was after getting three of the four Genosha issues for Christmas.

My main reasons for reading, Rogue and Lonshot:biggrin:

I don't know how I stayed on for the next 13 years.
HI adamthered,hope you'll post your views and memories on a few issues that stand out for you as we go on....The more the merrier!

CJ Lentze

09-05-2009, 11:35 AM

Schuimend,that's a great quote about the Crossover events which ,I agree,definitely affect the quality of writing during and before the Crossover events.....The Fall of The Mutants was a bit of a bow to the writers by not forcing them to interact and allowing similarly themed but seperate stories to be told.

Just one thing....the living being Alex burns to bones and cinders is a dinosaur so I don't think it's in the same league as when he killed the Brood......But his threat to the Barbarian is very real and violent---certainly a change in tone for him.....There is a real sense that Alex is on a journey here and that it will be revealed over a period of time(This did not happen,of course!)....He seems to have stepped into his brothers shoes as the natural central character of the X-men.

I have quite a few things I' ve noticed about this issue and I'll post in a couple of hours to go through them.....Thanks again for that great quote from the FAQ thread.....very informative!I think Alex' actions are a striking departure from the X-Men's past, when Iceman could dispose of a jaguar without harming it in the '60s, and in the '70s, Storm even swept a swarm of bees (which had been created by Proteus out of inanimate matter) to safety in a combat situation although the bees were a threat to people.

Looking forward to your thoughts on this issue, limerick.

Also, though I like the content of the issue, I can't say I like the cover. Gaza and Amphibius are not looking pretty (for as much as those two CAN look pretty), and I was never a fan of the damsel-in-distress clutching onto the male hero's leg/arm/side pictures.

limerick

09-05-2009, 05:13 PM

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 249:

--That cover reminded me of something and I was thinking about it for a while before I finally twigged what it was .....I'll post the 'original' later and you can see if you agree with me......I thought Havok's body shape was a bit weird on the cover.....His thighs look really short or something??:confused: .....If you look at the last page,Colossus looks very strange as well in the middle panel----His head is tiny and again his legs are very squat.

--The X-men table---I always assumed Madelyne wasone of the eight points on the X-star logo.....I miscounted.....Was Madelyne an X-man??....

--I said when commenting on the last issue that Alex was coping well but that's not the case now.....He's starting to unravel and he's becoming a bit of a misogynist as well.....During his drunken rant he has a go at Roma and Madelyne......Then the next morning he's really nasty to Psylocke.....She didn't deserve that.

--I like the look of the new Reavers.....Wolverine better watch his back because most of them are mainly gunning for him.....Pierce surprised me a little by moving in for a lip-lock with Deathstrike.....Are they lovers now of was it just a spur-of- the-moment psycho thingy??

--Looking back through this issue,this is really not Silvestri's best work---Check out Betsy's legs on the 3rd last panel of page 14....That detail is piss-poor(TM-Imraith).....But this is a much better issue than # 248 with Claremont returning to form overall.......He does f**k up a couple of times though:
------On the last page Psylocke explains to the other X-men:"I identified Zaladane from Havok's memories as The High Evolutionary's assistant,Zala".......But in the very next panel Havok thinks to himself:"I'd heard of Zaladane ,but never met her(!)".....But as Psylocke just said,he met her in The Savage Land(in Uncanny annual # 12)
------Peter suggests that the computer left the note(and flowers!) for Alex!....What??

--Peter is in a bad place(as well as Alex)at the mom,ent.....His art is of tortured,twisted faces.....But he's really become a powerhouse since he was powered up during the Mutant Massacre.....I love on page 27 where he dusts offhis hands after kicking some ass!

--Schuimend spoke of the violence which features greatly in this issue---It seems to be the new way for the X-men.....Not something I greatly agree with.....I never thought I'd see Havok acting so bloodthirstily:frown:

--I forgot to mention that Zaladane claims to be Lorna's sister(ZalaDANE-geddit??:biggrin: )in the summary....I'll have to go back and EDIT that!

--EDIT:Is it out of order to mention Lorna's amazing bullet nipples on page 29?:redface:

Daniel Mengsk

09-05-2009, 05:21 PM

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??!!

Ah yes...the Fall of the Outback Era...

I don't know if CC is to be blamed entirely though, wasn't it around this time that Lee started to exercise more and more influence over the book?

limerick

09-05-2009, 05:28 PM

Daniel Mengsk

09-05-2009, 05:33 PM

Actually,Lee hasn't come on board as the regular penciller yet....that's still a little way aways.....but he did guest pencil the last issue.....But these current issues are all mostly Marc Silvesti pencilled.

Good to have you posting on this thread Giles---Have you read much of the X-men's ancient history?!

From about the time that Rogue joined - I've found a few copies from that period - but I started to follow the X-Men more intensly during the Mutant Massacre.

The Outback team was pure gold, although I loved the Blue team - all the 8-9 issues that it lasted.

The Australian team felt more like a family and the Blue team felt more like a team, and they were light-years better than what we have now. That's why I prefer to read this older issues over the new stuff.

limerick

09-05-2009, 05:43 PM

I must say I'm not a huge fan of the Outback Era....They were at an all-time low having lost their talisman Xavier,the X-mansion,Kitty,Nightcrawler.....They were being introduced to a violent new world featuring amongst others,Genosha,Sinister and The Reavers.......Don't get me wrong,there are some great stories featuring amazing Silvestri art but the team never really gels properly and Longshot and Betsy,in particular,are very under developed as characters(simply because there was so much happening,Claremont didn't have space to.).....The funny thing is just as he's starting to really explore Alex's character,Claremont dumps him and the other new X-men

limerick

09-05-2009, 07:17 PM

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

Am I the only one who sees a similarity between the cover above and the movie poster below?-----I know it's not an in-your-face comparison but I just feel there's an overlap in layout

http://www.starbase79.com/images/StarWarsPoster.jpg

It's a bit of a stretch,I know!

Category1Games

09-05-2009, 10:15 PM

limerick

09-06-2009, 06:24 AM

This is about the time that the X-Books lose all the greatness that they held.

248-250 are decent but to me the story just is off in them and I remember it left me really confused here in there because things would happen or people would get places without any explanation.

251-255 I think are great and then we hit the After Silvestri period.

256-around 270 are just bad. The art is horrible, none of the original team is really involved, it isn't till Jim Less comes on full time that it gets fun again with X-Tinction and off to Shiar land.

X-Factor is bad from right after Art Adams does his two issues till around #67 for me when Apocalypse shows up again with the Dark Riders.

New Mutants is dead at this point until #87.

Excalibur just dies for me with the Cross Time Caper and I don't pick it up again till issue #42 (though I've gotten them all now) and then it dies again till issue 71 - that sucked - then when Ellis was on it.

Wolverine to me never took off till Silvestri got on it with Hama.

For some reason the X-Office losses all their good artists around the same time and the writing just really goes bye bye. The casts are either in far off places (X-Factor, New Mutants, Excalibur) or they have C/D list characters playing main spots like in Uncanny.

Why the art died and then didn't come back till the Image guys show is beyond me, especially for the X Office being the top sellers and big names, how did they not keep the art strong in this period?
An interesting post and you make some good points about the forth-coming art(especially on Uncanny).....Theses were some of Marvels top-selling books and they should be drawing the top names......Of,course that did happen soon

But I wouldn't agree with you about Excalibur which IMO was probably the strongest X-book of this period(Although I do think THE CROSS TIME CAPER is an all-or-nothing story---you either love it or hate it.

Wolverine was a mixed bag at that time....although the last two issues I posted on were actually really good(#9--Peter David's first X-book and # 10-The Sabertooth/Silver Fox flashback issue).

New Mutants is not in agood place right now and X-factor is going through a 6 -issue slump.....So things have deteriorated for sure......I was falling out of love with the X-books at this time(1989-1990).

CJ Lentze

09-06-2009, 10:53 AM

--The X-men table---I always assumed Madelyne wasone of the eight points on the X-star logo.....I miscounted.....Was Madelyne an X-man??....Eight points for Storm, Havok, Colossus, Wolverine, Rogue, Psylocke, Dazzler, and Longshot. I think the face-box in the top left of the covers are always a good indication as to who is on the team, and as Madelyne and Gateway never had their faces featured, I don't count them as X-Men.--I said when commenting on the last issue that Alex was coping well but that's not the case now.....He's starting to unravel and he's becoming a bit of a misogynist as well.....During his drunken rant he has a go at Roma and Madelyne......Then the next morning he's really nasty to Psylocke.....She didn't deserve that.Hmmm, I wouldn't go that far... He was complaining about Wolverine's absence from the team, too.Pierce surprised me a little by moving in for a lip-lock with Deathstrike.....Are they lovers now of was it just a spur-of- the-moment psycho thingy??I'm not sure if this has been expressed yet in the comic, but as Pierce is fascinated with cybernetics and is convinced of the superiority of bionic people over organics, he considers Yuriko among the most beautiful beings on the planet. But this issue's kiss was half intimidation as well; he as much as tells Deathstrike that if she has second thoughts about the Reavers' mission, he may just have to eliminate her.------On the last page Psylocke explains to the other X-men:"I identified Zaladane from Havok's memories as The High Evolutionary's assistant,Zala".......But in the very next panel Havok thinks to himself:"I'd heard of Zaladane ,but never met her(!)".....But as Psylocke just said,he met her in The Savage Land(in Uncanny annual # 12)I look at Alex' voice bubble this way: he did indeed meet Zaladane while she was posing as 'Zala', but before that encounter he had never faced Zaladane as a villainess, to the best of my knowledge. Chances are that he forgot her name when the other X-Men might have told him about their adventure in Uncanny X-Men 116 if it ever came up at all, or if he read the files on their enemies. Not to mention Zaladane changed her look since her first appearance, so any descriptions wouldn't have matched. He simply didn't make the connection between 'Zala' and 'Zaladane' in that annual.

One more thing I'd like to mention before the current line-up of X-Men is completely re-arranged again... There was a letter on the letters page around this time by someone who felt the women of the team had a disproportionate amount of power when compared to the men... which is something I would disagree with. Only Storm and Rogue are in the top-tier of mutant power. As for the men, Havok has a deadly power which he has to consciously keep a lid on, Colossus is as strong as Rogue, if not stronger, and Wolverine's healing factor had been upgraded at this point to make him nearly invincible. The only one who somewhat lacked punch was Longshot; Psylocke and Dazzler were far from invincible, as was shown in several battles. It's discussed from time to time among readers whether or not Claremont favoured the ladies when it came to dealing out power, but I think the Outback line-up of X-Men was in perfect balance.

limerick

09-06-2009, 11:12 AM

CJ Lentze

09-06-2009, 11:29 AM

Hello Shuimend.....About Zaladane.....She's so striking in appearance it seems strange he would forget her in such a short time (Annual # 12 being relatively recent).....Also she's wearing the same costume---again very unique so if he has forgotten her,that is forgetful!.....I don't think I could ever forget her if I saw her:biggrin: .Ooh, you're right... I must have been thinking of her earlier costume.

When I said 'forget', I meant forget her from reading the files on her, or hearing the stories from the others, before he met her in Annual 12. But yes, he should have recognised her this time around.
Another thing I forgot to mention was the return of the regenerating computer which does to Alex what it did to Madelyne not long ago..will we ever find out the secrets behind this computer room and the associated technology...NO!!!
Major dangling plotline. I did always think that it was a nice substitute for Cerebro, though it didn't have the exact same function, in the X-Men's inventory of the Outback days. That's what I appreciated about those issues: Claremont got rid of the equipment you immediately associate with the name 'X-Men', Danger Room, Cerebro, and Blackbird, and replaced it in this new setting with the decor of the Reavers' computer, Gateway's bullroarer, and outdoors training in the old ghosttown and the caves.
Wasn't it said Madelyne had an unusual affinity with the Reavers' computers, or was this simply her talent? I agree it's a pity that the origin of the Reavers' technology was never explained.

Anodyne

09-06-2009, 08:32 PM

Category1Games

09-07-2009, 12:14 AM

Interesting thing on the Computer and how it was 'User Friendly' is that it must have had one heck of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for a computer back then when most computers around this time were still running off of DOS type of Operating Systems if I'm not mistaken as Windows 1995 was not out. Just pointing this out because I teach Computer Tech and Business to Middle School kids so we just covered this in class.

As far as X-Men go, the Reavers show up without the 3 funky type of Reavers that were not the Hellfire club members (No Bonecrusher, Prettyboy and can't remember the other name). I find this interesting because they made an appearance in two Punisher issues around this time, not sure of the exact timing and how close they are but that would make sense as to why those three aren't here.

Also from what I remember aren't there a whole bunch of Reavers that Pierce created but never really show besides the 3 Hellfire Club and the 3 I mentioned above. Pierce really is one of my favorite X-Men villains of this time and the Reavers were just cool because many of them were not effected by the X-Men's power.

But lets be honest, those guys had guns and were ruthless killers. Out of the X-Men only Colossus and Wolverine could take a bullet. Everyone else would have been gunned down right away by these guys.

limerick

09-08-2009, 03:45 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.250.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 250 ..............Late October 1989

"The Shattered Star"

Claremont/Silvestri

The Vostok 3 Research Station,Antartica:The Russian scientists manning the station relax as they are off duty.....But there is a sudden message from a nearby Russian base and an American base that unknown aircraft are approaching......From The Savage Land!

Suddenly,most of the scientists and their base are obliterated by a huge gleaming metal building which arises from the ground beneath them......A few survive and are kept from the freezing Antartic conditions by an energy field radiating from the new building.....Then three ships land bringing Zaldane and her Savage Land troops(including a disguised Havok,who is shocked at the scale of destruction)......Before he can react,Zaladane's troops kill any injuerd survivours ,putting the rest on the transports to work back in the Savage Land.

Zaladane leads her followers to The Transmutator,a device designed by the High Evolutionary and built by Brainchild......Zaladane wants to use it straight away despite Brainchild's warnings that he may not have built it completely accurately......As an unconcious Lorna Dane is placed on the transmutator,Alex decides to act and reveals himself.....But Zaladane and the Mutates were aware of his presence the whole time and are ready for him....Before he can fire his plasma blasts he is taken down by Gaza and Lupo......Amphibius
uses the Black Orchid on him to knock him out......On the Transmutator,Zaladane holds onto Lorna as the machine starts to work ......As Lorna starts to emit huge energy bursts her body starts to lose cohesiveness and the only sounds that can be heard are Alex screaming followed by Zaladane's laughter..

The Savage Land:Zaladane returns with her followers to the Citadel formally used by the High Evolutionary.......She brings with her an unconcioss Lorna(who has survived her traumatic experience) and Alex as well as the scientist survivours from the research base.....She orders her newest Mutate,Worm to use his powers on the survivours......He starts to coat them with a mucoid film which gives him complete control over their bodies....

Outside the Citadel,Psylocke,Colossus and Dazzler are monitioring the situationvia Betsy's telepathic powers....But she suddenly starts acting strange,telling the others she wants to be alone......Much to the shock of the other two she takes her protective armour off and goes for a swim!.....But she almost immediately gets into difficulty and Colossus goes to try and save her......But he is now unable to act freely and his body,moving of it's own accord,grabs Betsy and starts holding her underwater,trying to drown her.......Dazzler tries firing on him but to little avail.....As she considers increasing her output to levels that could really hurt him,she is suddenly pounced upon by Worm who covers her in the controlling mucus......She finds her arm aiming at Colossus again,out of her control......Betsy is unable to help as she slips out of conciousness,close to drowning....

Psylocke finds herself awake and back in the X-men's Australian Base where she encounters dead versions of herself,Colossus,Dazzler and Alex......She wonders if she's in hell but then realises she's dreaming......She goes to Gateway and finds him chained and gagged.......She realises he is trying to communicate with her through his 'Dreamtime'.......He hands her the Siege Perilous......She assumes he thinks they should use it to escape.

The Citadel,The Savage Land:Alex and Lorna wake to find themselves chained in a dungeon deep underneath the Citadel......They are surrounded by The Mutates and Brainchild starts making sleazy overtures to Lorna......Lupo eggs him on to do what he wants with her now that she has no powers.....But Zaladanes wrath holds Brainchild back......Lorna is shocked to hear that her powers have been taken but there is one positive result-----Her ties to Malice have been broken.....

Upstairs,The X-men ,under Worm's control have captured Ka-zar,Shanna(and their baby son),Nereel and her son Peter(Colossus' son).....Zaladane coldly says she will use her magnetic control to make Colossus kill the two children.....Peter is anguished but powerless to act!

Back in the Dungeon,Amphibius,Brainchild and Lupo are about to attack Lorna when she suddenly demonstrates new found strength......She rips the chains holding her from the wall and uses them to take Lupo and Amphibius out......Brainchild tries shooting her but his weapon has no effect and she easily K.O.'s him......She reaises she's taller than before......She frees a strangely worked up Alex and they kiss passionately.......As they walk free from the dungeon they recieve a telepathic cry for help from Psylocke(who survived drowning earlier) ,who has sensed their esape.......Havok cuts loose with a plasma blast up into the chamber above them and blows Colossus off his feet before he can kill the children......Lorna joins the fight and before long Ka-zar and the others are free too,evening things up.......Young Peter picks a gun up and under Psylocke's telepathic prompting he knocks Worm out.....Now the rest of the X-men are free........Alex and Zaladane face off and her inexperience using her powers means she comes off the worst......Damaged by their energies the Citadel starts to come apart at the seams.......Colossus finds himself free from Zaladane's influence and joins Lorna in finishing off the Mutates with a few well-aimed punches ......As the Citadel seems to be finished,they exit quickly using one of Zaladane's troops transports.....Havok,to the shock of Dazzler,tries to blow up the Citadel and the Mutates remaining inside......But Zaladane must still be alive and concious as she manages to erect a protective field to stop him......As they decide on their next step Psylocke thinks that if they stay in the Savage Land,at least they'll be safe from the fate she foresaw......But suddenly the four X-men are transported by Gateway back to their base!!!

FIN

limerick

09-09-2009, 03:53 PM

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 250:

--So many thoughts on this one---I may have to divide it into two posts!

--Firstly,there's very little fanfare over this being issue 250 which is a bit of a milestone.....There was double-sazed issues for 150,175 and 200 so you would think this would warrant one as well.....Perhaps the fact that it fell during a twice-a-month publishing schedule may have influenced the standard sized issue.

--The Beginning confused me because I couldn't understand why the chrome tower appeared.....How did it appear??....We know the High Evolutionary designed it and that Brainchild was involved to some extent but otherwise it's very unclear.....Was Polaris made to raise it up while under the influence of the Black Orchid?......Was it lying under the surface for decades?.....I'm confused...

--Also,The Transmutator was a little strange.....While the transference occurs Polaris screams and then transfers to a purely energy form.....On the last panel of page 8 a sole figure remains---I would have thought it was Zaladane going by the laughter but if you look closely that is Polaris' outfit with the two distinctive 'V' shapes???....And then on the next page Polaris is alive and well(although unconcious).....Can anyone explain that one to me??

--Worm's power is pretty formidible....The X-men only barely make it!(He reminds me of Glow-worm in X-Factor)

--The Arrival of the X-men brought more questions......What happens Psylocke that makes her suddenly go for a swim.....Colossus suggests that it's got to do with what she just witnessed telepathically.....But it didn't seem that bad....I found her actions strange and unexplained......Also how does Worm get outside so quickly.....A few seconds before that he was coating the Russian soldiers with his mucus and then almost simultaneously,he's outside?.

--At least Psylocke's dream sequence explains a few things......Gateway communicates with the X-men through Dreamtime.....So this explains some of the recent 'visions' they've been suffering......Like Storm's Longshot dream last issue.....(So he really left without saying goodbye---that's not nice!).....Dazzler had a Siege Perilous related vision a few issues back ,as well---He was probably involved with that as well......He seems to be suggesting The Siege Perilous as an escape route for them.

limerick

09-09-2009, 04:06 PM

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 250:

--There are some important changes to Polaris which are unexplained.....Firstly,she is taller and extremely strong(superhumanly so).....Secondly,she's free from Malice's influence completely(I missed that first time around!).....But thirdly,she seems to have a strange effect on people.....The Mutates act particularly aggressive around her in the dungeon and she comments herself that "Alex sounds wild in his own way"......So she seems to be affecting people strangely.

--Alex has gone from being a reluctant hero to a full-on violent vigilante(okay,slight exaggeration there!)....There's no stopping him now and he seems determined to take everyone out!

--What is it with Dazzler's skin colour the last few issues.....She's getting darker and darker......I mistook her for Storm on the second last page and on the X-man table last issue she was really very tanned(?).....I s there some reason for that???

--A somewhat puzzling issue and not the X-men's best Savage Land issue....normally,their adventures there are classics!But this is still quite a strong issue.

limerick

09-10-2009, 05:22 PM

adamthered

09-11-2009, 12:14 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.251.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 251 ..............Early November 1989

Wolverine's toughest battle to date??......I'll try to summarize this on Saturday....(That's a creepy cover!)

I remember that cover well. I was on a summer fieldtrip with a YMCA program. The town we were in had a comic shop so I went in and saw the new X-Men was out. Picked it up and then refused to play mini-golf with the rest of the group because I had to read this (and read it again).Great stuff.

limerick

09-11-2009, 12:19 PM

I remember that cover well. I was on a summer fieldtrip with a YMCA program. The town we were in had a comic shop so I went in and saw the new X-Men was out. Picked it up and then refused to play mini-golf with the rest of the group because I had to read this (and read it again).Great stuff.
This issue is one of my favourite Wolverine issues because ,basically,nothing fazes him......I'm looking foward to reading it again tomorrow

adamthered

09-11-2009, 12:36 PM

This issue is one of my favourite Wolverine issues because ,basically,nothing fazes him......I'm looking foward to reading it again tomorrow

I just remember Pierce threatening to slice of Wolvie's eyelids. At 12 years old, I thought that was horrifying.

limerick

09-11-2009, 12:43 PM

I just remember Pierce threatening to slice of Wolvie's eyelids. At 12 years old, I thought that was horrifying.
Yeah......IIRC,Pierce just gets more wound up by Wolvie as the issue goes on......There's a real threat of serious violence there.

jubilees_boyfriend

09-11-2009, 01:07 PM

can't wait for the new issue- one of my favorites as well :)

limerick

09-12-2009, 06:50 AM

can't wait for the new issue- one of my favorites as well :)
Okay,JB,here it comes!

limerick

09-12-2009, 07:00 AM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.251.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 251 ..............Early November 1989

"Fever Dream"

Claremont/Silvestri

The X-Base,Australia:A bleeding,prespiring Wolverine bakes under the scorching,outback sun chained to a wooden cross.....He's really suffering and is barely aware of time passing.....A sneering Donald Pierce taunts him watched by the rest of The New Reavers,all who have been cut up by Wolvie at some stage in the past.......Despite his agony,Wolverine remains defiant ,sarcastically telling Pierce that he's impressed with his cyborg handi-work.....Pierce loses his cool at the fact that he hasn't broken the X-man yet,but then walks away telling Wolverine that those will be his last words.....Wolverine whispers to himself:"Wanna Bet?

Later,inside the complex,Reese thinks he sees something and The Reavers do a rec-con to try and find what it was.....But since it doesn't register on their sophisticated scanners,they're not to surprised when they find nothing......After they leave,Jubilee(seemingly blind to the Reavers sensors),emerges from an air-conditioning duct.....She's aware of Wolverine outside and that,for once,Gateway is no-where to be seen.

Meanwhile,Wolvie suddenly sees Gateway in front of him......The Aborigine teleports the X-men to the base and for a second Wolvie thinks he's gonna be freed.....But then he sees he's one of the team in front of him and realises their not really there.....He then sees Longshot,the other Wolverine and Rogue vanish before his eyes.....Next Havok fries Storm leaving only the current 4 active members(Psylocke,Dazzler,Colossus and Havok.......Next Psylocke transforms to a cyborg and blames him for the X-men's problems for having disappeared when they needed him most.....She grows 'claws' from her fingernails and the slashes Gateway......She rips off her skin to reveal....Sabertooth!!......Sabertooth taunts him for allowing the Reavers to capture him so easily......Wolvie flashes back to himself arriving back at the X-Base to be harpoooned by the Reavers,given a severe beating and then nailed to the cross and tortured......Next Sabertooth changes to first Ogun,then Kitty Pryde who 'frees' him from his binds and carries him to Gateway's hill where he sees the X-men teleporting in......He shouts a warning to them but Kitty tells him they can't hear him.....He's having a fever dream and what's he's seen has already happened......He sees...

The Recent Past:The 4 X-men arrive back from the Savage Land.......Havok has doubts about their viability as X-men.....They're stuck in the middle of nowhere and they're not helping anyone here..........They don't know that below them The Reavers start to climb the mountain towards them.....Havok tells the others that they don't owe anyone anything anymore and that they deserve a new start.......He suggests they use the Siege Perilous to start afresh.....Passing through it will allow them to start new lives......Colossus and Dazzler have some doubts but Psylocke was prepared for this anyway because of her Gateway Dream in the Savage Land......She opens the Siege and they say their farewells---Colossus first,then Dazzler and Havok......Finally,as The Reavers arrive,Psylocke passes through,telling them they'll kill no X-men today.....The Siege shrinks back to a much smaller size and the X-men are gone....

The Present:Wolvie realises Psylocke had used her telepathy to trick the others into using the crystal......'Kitty' confirms that for him before transforming into a Brood Queen and attacking him.....He blacks out.....And then finds himself back to reality.....Back on the cross......Pierce and The Reavers have returned and ,opening a small box containing four wooden stakes,he begins to nail Wolvie to the cross......Jubilee watches from a hiding place,distraught at the suffering Wolvie must be going through.......But Wolverine doesn't utter a sound and that angers Pierce who longs to see him suffer......Bonebreaker interrupts Pierce,warning him that a huge storm is approaching.....Pierce decides to call it a night and leave Wolvie recover a little so that they can hurt him again tomorrow.....He tells Wolvie it'll be a long time before he dies.......Before he leaves to go inside,he smashes the Siege Perilous in his hand......He tells Wolverine there's no way out for him now---and no way back for The X-men!

Wolvie's close to giving up and feeling not-so-good when he starts to see visions of some of the women in his life......Storm,Jean Grey,Mariko and Carol Danvers all implore him to not give up......But he shouts at them that it's over and that he's done.

Inside the Reavers celebrate Wolverine's demise while they listen to a radio forecast telling of world-wide heavy storms.

Back outside Jubilee creeps closer to Wolverine,wondering if she should help him.......She worries about what they'll do to her if they catch her......Then she sees that Wolvies started to free himself......He pulls his arms free,taking the stakes with him.....Next he frees his legs......Falling to the ground,he looks straight at Jubilee and asks if shes gonna help him or not....

FIN

Goshin

09-12-2009, 07:35 AM

I just reread uncanny 244-261 last week lol

I think wolverine's cruvifiction on the cover jumped him up to almost religious cult-like status.

I always thought nightcrawler shoulda have spoken with him in his fever dream too.

O yea, and you can tell sabes was supposed to be his daddy in all those old claremont issues.

limerick

09-12-2009, 02:38 PM

Thoughts on Uncanny # 251:

--What a great issue......I don't normally like hallucination/dream sequence issues and this featured a lot but the protrayal of Wolverine as the heroic(Christ-like!)figure overcoming impossible odds and taking on evil and not wilting or weakening under awful conditions is the stuff Marvel heroes are made of.....It reminds me of that Steve Ditko Spiderman issue where he has to overcome being trapped under a huge weight.....He manages to dig deep enough to overcome terrible odds and triumph.....It's the most striking Wolverine appearance for a while in Uncanny.

--Pierce is a great villain here too---much more of a heavyweight than his last X-Book appearances where I never found him as threatening.....It's obvious the Reavers are a bit scared of him.....And that's saying a lot because they're not scared of much....He confirms here that he was responsible for 'cyborging' Reese,Macon and Cole as well as the Australian Reavers(Prettyboy,Bonebreaker and Skullbuster) so he's been a busy boy......I'm wondering where Lady Deathstrike linked up with them??....I was under the impression her work was done by Spiral and The Body Shoppe so I can't see quite how they connected......www.ihatewolverine.com,maybe???

--Jubilee is definitely immune to the base's scanners which is a little bit too much of a coincidence for me......I think Claremont is pushing it slightly there.....But her first reasonably substantial appearance was handled very well with her being suitably scared s**tless of the situation.....I found her much more appealing in this issue than in her first appearance.

--I was shocked at the X-men's motivations for going through the Siege Perilous when re-reading this......It just didn't seem like something Colossus or Havok would do.....It goes against the grain for their characters......And then came the reveal that Psylocke influenced them telepathically to make them think that it was a good idea.....Nasty.....Not nice at all....Certainly not in keeping with the way the X-men do things.....I know she did it with the best of intentions but I felt she was wrong.....They should have been free to decide their own fate.

--Again The Siege is confusing......What happens you when you pass through it??.....Will we see these X-men again......When Rogue disappeared I thought that she was gone for good but surely they can't be killing off 4 more X-men this way......After reading this issue it seemed there may be a way back from the Siege

--It helped me a lot in issue # 250 when I twigged about the dream sequences having come from Gateway(Dreamtime)......It resolved a lot about this issue for me and explained to me how an 'hallucination' could infrom events that actually occured while Wolverine was away.....I was a bit puzzled as to where Gateway was,though.....He wasn't on the hill like he normally is

MORE TO FOLLOW

CJ Lentze

09-12-2009, 03:02 PM

Goshin

09-12-2009, 04:16 PM

Better hope fraction doesent read this issue and decide to crucify scott or emma

limerick

09-13-2009, 02:24 AM

This is where they stretch Wolverine's healing factor to the farthest limit it's seen up till now. I just think it's nasty and a bit tasteless, the physical and psychological torture Logan is subjected to. Difficult to enjoy, for me.

I was thinking something similar about Wolverine's healing factor.......he was being stretched to the maximum in this issue......Looking back now this is relatively tame compared to some of his more recent healing episodes....That does take away from the impact this time around for me slightly as there's more of a feeling that he's definitely going to make it past this

I do think al ot of the violence is implied rather than shown.....Pierce is shown with a whip in his hand but he is not shown using it......Also at the end of page 14,it's pretty obvious the Reavers give him a serious beating,but agian it's not shown......Not showing it may actually make it worse as it allows your imagination to fill the blanks which isn't always a good thing!

I just reread uncanny 244-261 last week lol

I think wolverine's cruvifiction on the cover jumped him up to almost religious cult-like status.

I always thought nightcrawler shoulda have spoken with him in his fever dream too.

O yea, and you can tell sabes was supposed to be his daddy in all those old claremont issues.

Hope you'll keep posting your thoughts,Goshin,especially as these issues will be fresh in your mind......You make an interesting point about Nightcrawler.....He would have seemed to have been an important person in Wolvie's life so it is surprising he doesn't feature,especially as so many others do

Re:Sabertooth..I remember when reading these issues way back in the 80's(God,that was 20 years ago!),I was convinced that Sabertooth was Logan's father and it seemed to be heavily hinted that way......The flashback shown in issue # 10 only seemed to hint at that even more.....There's something kind of fatherly about the way he calls him 'boy' in this issue which again suggests it

worstblogever

09-13-2009, 03:22 AM

#251 is one of the most graphic Uncanny issues, but honestly, it's all done in a way that shows how vicious the Reavers are sans gore. It also gives a lot of background into Wolverine's past via the "fever dream". Throw in the inclusion of Jubilee, and you have one of the last great X-issues of the 80s.

limerick

09-13-2009, 04:03 AM

limerick

09-13-2009, 04:12 AM

Final Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 251:

--Wolverine has a strange dream of Storm as a child.....Also,the storm at the end of the story is reported on the Reaver's radio as being worldwide but particularly centred on Chicago......At the time I missed those references but,of course,later they would be significant,on reflection.:wink:

--One thing I found off about this issue was that Wolverine didn't sense the Reavers when he arrived back at the base.....His heightened senses should have tipped him off to their presence.

--Also,I thought Lady Deathstrike appeared calm and serene throughout this issue.....I thought of all the Reavers she would have been baying for Wolverine's blood the most.....But she seems quite passive,calmly observing things.....It just seemed a different reaction to what I would have expected.

--EDIT:BTW,what was Wolverine up to while he was away.....There wasn't anything too worthy going down in Madripoor,so it seems he did let his team-mates down while he was basically off having a bit of a good time......They really needed him ritght then but he wasn't there for him.....He hadn't quite mastered the art of being everywhere at once yet!!

--EDIT:Ignore the previous edit!Wolverine is getting up to something...it's just that his solo series is a little behind in covering it....it starts with Wolverine # 19.

limerick

09-13-2009, 04:19 AM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/1808/101013-149053-donald-pierce_large.jpg

Donald Pierce and The Reavers....(you can ignore the guy in the middle,for now!)

Goshin

09-13-2009, 06:48 AM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/1808/101013-149053-donald-pierce_large.jpg

Donald Pierce and The Reavers....(you can ignore the guy in the middle,for now!)

U mean chick.....?

The australian period was always my second fave time period.

And I don't give a rats ass what anybody says Longshot kicks ass!!!

Thank you, PAD.....

limerick

09-13-2009, 06:58 AM

No,I meant the mask-wearing blonde guy in the centre....I'm not sure exactly who that is if I'm honest(not Lady Deathstrike)

limerick

09-13-2009, 06:59 AM

U mean chick.....?

The australian period was always my second fave time period.

And I don't give a rats ass what anybody says Longshot kicks ass!!!

Thank you, PAD.....
What was your favourite time period??(if you don't mind me asking!)

Goshin

09-13-2009, 07:01 AM

The End of The Outback X-men
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/181781-106957-x-men_large.jpg
# 251 signals the end of The Outback X-men after a gradual depletion of their numbers over the last 5 issues

--# 247...Rogue is accidentally sent through the Siege Perilous,re-booting her life and giving her a fresh start.

--#248...Longshot departs 'off-screen' and Storm is 'killed' by Havok accidentally.

--#251...Psylocke telepathically influences Havok,Dazzler and Colossus to enter the Siege Perilous and then follows herself.

So the current X-men line-up is Wolverine and Jubilee(sort of).......and.......er....ah,that's about it.

So the X-men are entering their lowest period since the original team disbanded after Xavier's 'death',way back when.

While featuring some great stories(Genosha,Inferno,Return of The Brood),the format for the Outback X-men can't have made Claremont's life easy for himself.

--The X-men were offically 'dead' to the world and they decided to try and keep things that way---This limited his options,ruling out much interaction with other X-groups and, among other things,forced Wolverine to adapt his 'Patch' persona in Madripoor:rolleyes:

--Their isolated location meant there was little oppurtunity for lesser characters(the likes of Stevie Hunter and Moira MacTaggart)to interact with the X-men....So the formerly well protrayed social life of The X-men became harder to show.

--But worst of all was the immunity to technological detection the X-men had accquired from Roma.....I would think this was unworkable over time and Claremont may have wanted to get rid of that.I'm sure he would have struggled more and more as time went on to keep this going while keeping it reasonably realistic.

P.S. I KNOW THAT PICTURES A LITTLE OUT OF DATE FOR THE OUTBACK X-MEN,BUT I COULDN'T RESIST LEONARDI'S LOVELY WORK.SORRY!!

Whatever happened to leonardi? He was my fave filler artist, especially #201 when storm fought cyclops.

#251 made me start liking jubilee again after rereading it, gave me chills to see wolvie pull himself off that cross, look directly as jubes and as for help like that. Kinda the same feeling I got when gambit found lil 'ro in forever. Why can't more writers do x men as an emotional book? All they care about is fights and crossovers now. Even the nonfighting claremont and scott lobdell issues were good cuz they helped you connect. After scott And jeans wedding the xmen lost their heart. When kurt came back in 98 I wanted some real good kurt/logan moments like #165 or #140 and in ten years I've gotten nothing!!! I like x factor right now because peter david has his own wierd quirky way of making you care about them. I'm all for PAD taking over uncanny for a few years. IF he can make a group of B and C listers get emotionally aTtatched to you imagine what he could do with scott, emma, logan, etc

Goshin

09-13-2009, 07:12 AM

What was your favourite time period??(if you don't mind me asking!)

Post-phoenix saga when the new team traveled the world and were forced to fight as a team and get to know each other in order to beat sauron, moses magnum, alpha flight, etc

Moses magnum had two of my fave scenes:

Moses Magnum knocking out Wolverine for the first time ans Scott going "my god!! he decked WOLVERINE!" Nobody ever seen that done before....

And banshee's face off against moses magnum where he blew out his vocal cords since he was always up there in my top 5 mutants with the wierd yellow cape and cool powers but got royally screwed...

The byrne days had the best definitive xmen action and paul smith/john romita jr issues were the best emotion driven issues. #182 and #171 made me a big rogue fan the way claremont wrote a former villain it took me ten years to like Emma. #188 made me like rachel too. Thr best xmen period is when there are only six to eight x men for the writers to focus on instead of thirty.....

limerick

09-13-2009, 07:14 AM

Yeah,Byrne's my favourite too....Talk to you again...am heading out.Cheers!

Goshin

09-13-2009, 07:21 AM

When someone mentions the xmen the first thing that pops in my mind is that dave cockrum splash page with all six xmen with phoenix in the middle with nightcrawler, banshee etc and wolverine going "where the blazes are we?"

I also lost my damn head when cyclops got his current costume with the skullcap back on, all we need is logan in brown and rogue wearing black and green instead of yellow....

CJ Lentze

09-13-2009, 07:36 AM

No,I meant the mask-wearing blonde guy in the centre....I'm not sure exactly who that is if I'm honest(not Lady Deathstrike)
That is the second Skullbuster, called Cylla Markham, most definitely a 'she', who replaces the first Skullbuster a number of issues hence

Goshin

09-13-2009, 07:41 AM

That is the second Skullbuster, called Cylla Markham, most definitely a 'she', who replaces the first Skullbuster a number of issues hence

After forge blows the original to bits!!!!! Hahahahha my all time fave forge moment.

"Who's next...."

limerick

09-13-2009, 11:25 AM

That is the second Skullbuster, called Cylla Markham, most definitely a 'she', who replaces the first Skullbuster a number of issues hence
Thanks,Shuimend!

Goshin

09-13-2009, 12:51 PM

Yea lady skullbuster is bloodscream's favorite meal....

limerick

09-13-2009, 12:54 PM

I loved that X-men Claremont/Byrne World Tour as well.....That was when they still had Banshee on board......I don't know why they dumped him!:frown:

CJ Lentze

09-14-2009, 01:27 PM

After forge blows the original to bits!!!!! Hahahahha my all time fave forge moment.

"Who's next...."Forge can be quite the badass at times, especially because his power's a passive one... Also liked when he blasted Fitzroy with a gun he made 'over breakfast', in Lobdell's run.
I actually first saw the death of Skullbuster only last year, on this very forum (because someone had posted a scan of it), but yeah, that was a cool exit for a mid-tier villain.

Joey

09-14-2009, 02:44 PM

--I was shocked at the X-men's motivations for going through the Siege Perilous when re-reading this......It just didn't seem like something Colossus or Havok would do.....It goes against the grain for their characters......And then came the reveal that Psylocke influenced them telepathically to make them think that it was a good idea.....Nasty.....Not nice at all....Certainly not in keeping with the way the X-men do things.....I know she did it with the best of intentions but I felt she was wrong.....They should have been free to decide their own fate.

I always wondered about this as well... they had some pretty big guns left power-wise so the X-Men could have easily fought and/or at least got away. I guess CC NEEDED them to go through to get to the stories he wanted to tell

Goshin

09-14-2009, 03:02 PM

I loved that X-men Claremont/Byrne World Tour as well.....That was when they still had Banshee on board......I don't know why they dumped him!:frown:

I liked x-treme too because that team went on a world tour during the whole series and didn't come home til jean died.

I like the xmen best on the road. New setting every few issues and new supporting characters and villains mixed with old ones...

Goshin

09-14-2009, 03:06 PM

I always wondered about this as well... they had some pretty big guns left power-wise so the X-Men could have easily fought and/or at least got away. I guess CC NEEDED them to go through to get to the stories he wanted to tell

I kinda pictured polaris coming back with them with her magnetic powers intact help trash the reavers and rejoin the team :)

CJ Lentze

09-14-2009, 03:12 PM

I always wondered about this as well... they had some pretty big guns left power-wise so the X-Men could have easily fought and/or at least got away. I guess CC NEEDED them to go through to get to the stories he wanted to tell
In-story, I thought the X-Men were plenty motivated to go through the Siege, Psylocke's dream predicting the X-Men's death, communicated by Gateway, the state the team was in so soon after fighting the Mutates, and their disenchantment in general. I do think it was strange that they didn't bother to search or wait for Wolverine, even if he had been away for a while. They kind of just left him to the Reavers' ambush.

limerick

09-14-2009, 04:08 PM

I always wondered about this as well... they had some pretty big guns left power-wise so the X-Men could have easily fought and/or at least got away. I guess CC NEEDED them to go through to get to the stories he wanted to tell
In issue # 250 Pstlocke has a dream----which she realises to be amessage from Gateway......In it she sees herself,Havok,Colossus and Dazzler dead in the near future at their X-base......She resolves not to let the X-men return to Australia to avoid this future and suggests towards the end of # 250 that they remain in the Savage Land to continue the fight against Zaladane and the Mutates....

But then Gateway pulls them back to Australia ,which seems a bit strange since he had warned them to stay away via the dream message to Psylocke(maybe he was forced---That may be revealed in the next few issues)

On finding themselves teleported back to Australia,she decides to take matters into her own hands and uses her telepathic powers to influence them to enter the Siege.....What's a little strange is why she attatches so much importance to what Gateway says to her via a dream,especially since he then brings them there himself......Had she that little confidence in herself and her team-mates?

Claremont definitely decided he wanted to change things very quickly!

limerick

09-14-2009, 04:12 PM

One thing that was a little off was that Wolverine didn't sense the Reavers when he arrived at the base.....His heightened senses should have tipped him off to their presence before he entered the base

CallMeGeoff

09-16-2009, 11:17 PM

But then Gateway pulls them back to Australia ,which seems a bit strange since he had warned them to stay away via the dream message to Psylocke(maybe he was forced---That may be revealed in the next few issues)

On finding themselves teleported back to Australia,she decides to take matters into her own hands and uses her telepathic powers to influence them to enter the Siege.....What's a little strange is why she attatches so much importance to what Gateway says to her via a dream,especially since he then brings them there himself......Had she that little confidence in herself and her team-mates?

Claremont definitely decided he wanted to change things very quickly!

One thing that was a little off was that Wolverine didn't sense the Reavers when he arrived at the base.....His heightened senses should have tipped him off to their presence before he entered the base

The Siege and Gateway seem to be tied to the X-Men's destinies. The Siege judges you and gives you a new life, and if it sentences you to your new life based on its judgment, where would it send a bunch of heroes? Probably where they're needed the most. Gateway and the dream sequences act similarly in that they present the X-Men with visions of their futures, destinies, paths, etc. Maybe Gateway believed that the X-Men needed to go through the Siege so that they could fulfill their destinies.

And I'm going to say Wolverine couldn't sense the Reavers because they're more machine than people, and thus don't smell like people. Also, that organic computer system probably smells pretty similar to the Reavers, so maybe that's what he thought they were.

When can I expect my No-Prize? :smile:

limerick

09-17-2009, 12:42 PM

limerick

09-18-2009, 06:21 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.252.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 252 ..............Mid November 1989

"Where's Wolverine?!?"

Claremont/Leonardi

The X-Base,Australia:The Reavers have discovered that Wolverine has escaped.....and Pierce is not happy!......In a fit of rage he picks up the cross that Wolverine was chained to and hurls it at the other Reavers standing behind him.....Lady Deathstrike deflects the cross and says Pierces actions are unfit for a leader of men......He grabs her by the neck,both annoyed and attracted by her defiance......And he them kisses her passionately......Pierce orders the Reavers to find Wolverine or he will take them apart as easily as he put them together.......Lady Deathstrike throws him on the ground,telling him she always gives better than she gets.

Cole,Reese and Macon scour the X-base loking for Wolverine.....They miss Jubilee hiding in an air-conditioning vent and when they pass she salvages food they dumped from a fridge......Jubilee then travels back through a series of ducts and vents,returning to her hideout.......On the way,she suddenly finds herself crawling just above where Pierce is walking......She is terrified but the moment passes,as does Pierce and she continues back to her lair,and Wolvie who is out cold,still recovering from his ordeal.......Jubilee goes to check on him and he is barely concious.......Hallucinating,he sees visions of Carol Danvers and Nick Fury......But he suddenly becomes aware of Jubilee in front of him......Grabbing her,he asks where he is......She's frightened and tells him she's been helping him......But he's confused and pops his claws.l......She fights back by hitting him with a burst of energy which sends him flying into the wall......He apologises and tells her he'll do better next time---If he lives!

The Computer Room:Pierce and Bonebreaker use the computers sensors to try and locate Wolverine......The computer can register him but they find no trace of him for some reason.....They do see that Prettyboy is in Wolverine's room......And that Lady Deathstrike is heading there at pace.

Wolverine's RoomPrettyboy is trying out the Honour Blade of The Clan Yashida.....He smashes some furniture to get a feel for it......But Deathstrike enters and tries to grab the sword from him telling him he is not worthy to use it.....He responds by trying to burrow his mind-altering filaments into her brain.......But she is too quick for him and severs the filaments with her claws......She gives him a bit of a beating and then holds the sword to his throat,threatening to kill him if he uses it again.....He sees her point and agrees.

The Computer Room:Bonebreaker notices the computer networks changed----There's a whole new system in a lanuage that he doesn't speak......He is unsure of the source of it,perhaps the Xmen......He also sees the computer has undergone substantial repairs with elements that look more like living organism than technology......Realising that Bonebreaker can't locate Wolverine with the computer,Pierce prepares to set a bunch of Cyborg Dingos on Wolvie.

Dreamtime:Jubilee finds Wolverine on Gateway's hill sitting opposite him......They are staring into space,motionless,as if mediatating.....She gives Wolvie a piece of her mind for leaving without telling her but she gets no response......Looking up she notices that it's night and the stars are out......The campfire suddenly explodes into life and she sees Gateway's gone.....Frustrated by Wolvie's lack of an explanation she lets off a blast of her plasma power.....Suddenly...

The Tunnel Network Under The X-Base.....She's awake again and back in the real world......Wolvie holds his hands over her mouth to keep her quite-----The Reavers are passing nearby,looking for them........Pierce gets them to break into groups to increse the search area......He asks Deathstrike to join him so he can protect her but she refuses,saying she'll look alone.......Further up the tunnels Prettyboy,Skullbuster and Bonbreaker spot Wolvie in the shadows above them,hiding in a network of pipes......They open fire but end up bursting a hole through the bottom of the lake.....Wolverine wasn't there,just his costume to fool them......A torrent of water flows down the tunnels trapping the Reavers(and soon,Cole,Reese and Macon)in a flood,possibly to their doom(Nah...this is a Marvel,after all!).

Further down the tunnels Deathstrike smiles to herself at her colleagues ineppitude--They have underestimated Wolverine,a mistake she refuses to make.....She finds Jubilee's hideout and the bloodstains make it obvious Wolverine has been hiding here---And getting help from an unknown source.....She leaves the Yashida Blade there for safety,promising herself that she will collect it if she kills him or vice versa.......Meanwhile Pierce's Cyborg Dingos pick up a scent from Wolverine......Wolvie bursts out of the shadows and takes the cyborgs out....He is suffering but still dares Pierce to take him on......As Pierce decides what to do Jubilee comes up behind him and hits him with a powerful plasma blast......Pierce is buried under a pile of rubble......Jubilee helps a hurt Wolverine make a getaway....

FIN

Goshin

09-18-2009, 06:24 PM

I wanna know what logan was smoking when he was hallucinating and saw nick fury and carol danvers everywhere cuz I want some too.

limerick

09-19-2009, 05:50 PM

Ha,ha....nice try,Geoff....but sorry....I don't buy it!:biggrin: (about Wolverine)

But I think you're right about Gateway wanting them to go through the Siege.....I was thinking about it after my first post and that would seem to be the reason he brought them back......But where was he this issue?......Hopefully,that'll be explained next time
One other thing you may be able to 'No-Prize' from issue # 251,Geoff.....check this out!

Wolverine arrives at the X-base via a 4x4.....According to The Marvel chronology project he's just been involved in a revolution in South America......So how come he didn't get Gateway to transport him back,instead of undergoing a long trans-Pacific flight and the subsequent land travel??......."Gateway wasn't there" ,I hear you say, freeing a space on the mantlepiece for your No-Prize......But wait,put that 'Knight Rider' Box set back there!......If Gateway didn't teleport him there ,why didn't he arrive at the base just a little bit suspicious,instead of just breezing in the front door(to an ass-kicking...Explain that and I'll personally deliver the No-Prize myself!!

limerick

09-19-2009, 06:12 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.252.GIF

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 252:

--Some wonderful Leonardi art here----Possibly his best X-men issue so far.....It's inked by a different inker(Kent Williams)and his style really suits Leonardi's work.....The only gripe I have with Leonardi is that I don't think he's great when it comes to all-out action scenes.....His style seems a bit ststic for that.

--This issue starts great with it following on from the fantastic previous issue.....There is a gradual build to an inevitable confrontation between Wolvie and the Reavers.....But the last few pages are very disappointing and the story deflates like a burst balloon with a very tame confrontaion in the end.....It's a shame as it had been building so nicely.....What was Claremont's rush.....He seems really keen to put the Outback behind him.

--Deathstrike comes across as being very much motivated by honour......She has more respect for Wolverine who understands Japanese culture than her team-mates who she obviously thinks as little better than pondlife......She keeps the Yashida Blade out of Prettyboys hands and then leaves it in a place where Wolverine will find it if he defeats her......She feels he is worthy of it even though her honour code demands revenge.

--What happened to Gateway?......When did he leave to and why???....He happily(sort of!)co-existed with the Reavers before so why not again?......I've always considered Gateway as a plot device to make transport easy......Claremont tried creating an air of mystery around him but now that he doesn't need him to ferry the X-men around anymore,he's dumping him.

--Also why doesn't Wolverine register on the computer system.....The X-men should be registering on their own computer system as per their arrangement with Roma......Also,Jubilee's immunity to detection is still unexplained.....And howcome the Cyborg Dingos can register Wolverine's scent.....They're not part of the Computer system and all X-men shouldbe immune to detection by them.....Again ,Jubilee is immune to their detection.....Wolvie summarizes that's because they were programmed tohis scent but I feel Claremont is hinting there's more to it than that-----Don't forget the cyborg Dingo/dog that attacked her in the last Annual......It definitely could detect her....Confusing???:confused:

--Finally,in the letters page we're told Rogue definitely will be appearing again....After numerous letters giving out hell about her apparent death in #247,the editors keen to establish that the Siege Perilous will not change our heroes in an irreversible way.....Laike me,many thought that was the way it was explained!

worstblogever

09-19-2009, 06:16 PM

I really don't get Gateway's early motivations. He was being forced to teleport the Reavers around, like he was their prisoner.

But he's a teleporter... couldn't he have escaped them at any time?

limerick

09-19-2009, 06:19 PM

kk1

09-19-2009, 08:06 PM

Yeah,I really think he was just a teleporter for Claremont to shunt them around the world.....The 'mysterious stuff' was added to try and make it not look so obviously so.....He might as well have put a Star Trek type transporter in the Base from day one and done away with Gateway(Gateway does bug me,BTW)

Yeah, never got Gateway. Seriously, you can teleport anywhere and all you do is sit on a rock all day, why? Why help murderers, why help the X-men?

noizu

09-20-2009, 09:43 AM

I think the idea was that Gateway was bound to the place, and was forced to serve the Reavers to keep them from desecrating his sacred ground.
There's a line in issue #269 when Rogue absorbs his power that always confused me - she says 'A geas'. Never knew what that meant, or even if it was a real word or a misspelling, but years afterwards i heard it again.
A geas is 'A spell or curse put upon someone to make sure they fulfil their task and dont betray their master. For instance a Geas could be put upon a servant to make sure that they stay loyal or upon a mercenary to make sure they dont double cross their employee.' http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Geas

So it seems that was what he'd been put under

limerick

09-20-2009, 11:01 AM

Hi,noizu......Nice to have another Irish poster out there but please try to post more than once a year!!:biggrin: .....Thanks for that interesting info......That may explain why he stays where he does......But I'm still confused where he disappeared to before Wolverine arrived:confused: ......He didn't seem to be on the hill when the X-men arrived back from The Savage Land in the flashback last issue.

limerick

09-26-2009, 09:52 AM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.253.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 253 ..............Late November 1989

"Storm Warnings!"

Claremont/Silvestri/Leialoha

The Mississippi River,Cairo,Illinois:In the middle of a torrential storm,the Emergency Services are attending the banks of the ever rising Mississippi,trying to stop it's banks from overflowing......There is a huge flash of lightning and a young girl is suddenly visible in the maelstrom.....An ambulance takes her to the local hospital......As soon as it departs,the weather starts to break......At the hospital the doctors examine the newly arrived patient who does not appear to be seriously injured......But they are startled by her appearance.....She's black but has blue eyes and white hair!!!

The Reaver's Base,Australia:Cole,Reese and Macon are cleaning up some of the mess in the tunnel complex caused by the flooding the Reaver's caused trying to catch Wolverine......Cole bitches about doing the dirty work but backs off when Reese suggests bitching to Donald Pierce about it......Afraid of their psychopathic leader,he shuts up.

In his lab,Pierce tries to repair Bonebreaker while Prettyboy and Skullcrusher wait their turn ,having sustained considerable damage to their cybernetics during the battle......When Prettyboy calls Pierce out for losing to Wolverine,Pierce threatens him and the Reaver quickly apologies,knowing Pierce controls his future through any repairs he carries out......Pierce is interrupted by a videocall from Lady Deathstrike,who reports from outside......She has carriedout a perimeter sweep but can find no trace of Wolverine.....Deducing that he must have had more help or,even possibly,be still in the Reaver's complex she says she can do no more and is returning to base.....After signing off she uses her gunsight to train her weapon on....Wolverine and Jubilee!!!......Although she wants revenge on Wolvie,she wants to kill him in the Samurai tradition,not when he's fleeing the battlefield,seriously injured.

Cairo Hospital,Illinois:The morning after the storm,the doctor attending the child recovered from the storm speaks to his colleague,Dr. Shen about her......He shows her a video display of the patient and Doctor Shen is shocked to see that she doesn't register at all on the screen.....He also tells her that all attempts to carry out any scans including MRI scans and X-Rays have been fruitless......Even when the police tried to fingerprint her and run it through the Fax,the image wouldn't transmit......They deduce that the youngster,(Storm),is a mutant.

Muir Isle:In her office,Moira MacTaggart argues with Magneto over the future of mutantkind......Moira feels Magneto has betrayed Xavier's dream of equality by deserting the New Mutants and becoming a member of the Hellfire Club Inner Circle.......But he counters that he is all mutantkind have left.....The X-men are dead,X-Factor have disappeared and the New Mutants are also missing......He wants mutants to join together to stand against oppression and says that Storm agreed that joining the Hellfire Club was a protective step......As their arguements become more heated,Callisto--Moira's bodyguard,bursts into the room to protect Moira.......But Magneto easily deflects her and storms out.......Outside he meets Banshee who has been obseving things.......He offers Magneto a hand of friendship but Magneto refuses,saying some roads must be walked alone......He leaves the island.......Banshee goes to talk to Moira......She wants the underground complex in the X-mansion sealed off A.S.A.P. so Magneto and others won't have access to it's technology.......She also wants the NMs found and brought to Muir Isle and the island itself secured against attack.......She's stressed by recent events and Banshee holds her close,telling her they'll be okay,having come through worse before.......But Moira fears Magneto may be right...

The Reaver's Base,Australia:Prettyboy joins the other Reavers on the target range after Pierce has completed his 'repairs'.......He has been radically re-designed with his head the only remaining organic portion of his body.......The others make fun of his new look and he laughs it off......But he is unhappy with his new appearance and promises himself he'll get his old body back somehow and make Pierce and the others pay.

Elsewhere in thecomplex Lady Deathstrike dives into one of the subterranean lakes in the complex.......Pierce joins her,admiring her beauty......He asks her where she thinks Wolverine has gone to......What would she do in his shoes?

Muir Isle:Banshee recieves an S.O.S. call over the short-wave radio from a nearby ship in trouble......But he is a little suspicious whe he hears the voice of Lorna Dane who has recently been in cahoots with The Marauders......However,she explains she has lost her powers but is no longer under the influence of Malice......She needs help as the ship she's on is out of control and the crew have gone mad slaughtering each other......Banshee prepares to leave,telling Moira he's going to use his powers to try and save her,despite Moira's reservations.

The Freighter,'Alhambra',The Atlantic Ocean: Lorna watches as two crew men fight over her,obsessed with possessing her......One of them,the captain,produces a gun and shoots the other crewman.....He then turns to face Lorna,gun in hand,and tells her they're going to party.....But he goes ape when sees she has grown in size again,like in the Savage Land......He shoots her but the bullets bounce off her and she falls through the rooms steel walls like paper......Outside the rest of the crew see her and try taking her down......But she powerfully brushes them aside......A huge wave sweeps much of the crew away and the ship breaks in half......Lorna manages to hold on.....But as the ship goes down ,she falls towards the water......safely into the hands of Banshee who catches her as he flies by.......As he flies her back to Muir Isle,she can't help but think she was in some way responsible for her madness.

Excalibur's Lighthouse Base:Amanda Sefton arrives hoping to find her old boyfriend,Nightcrawler,and bury the hatchet with him....But the base is deserted.....Until Amanda finds herself facing a female soldier pointing a gun at her.....It turns out to be Brigadier Alysande Stuart,head of Weird Happenings Organization,a British Secret Service division......Amanda quickly disarms Alysande and after they put their initial bad meeting behind them they decide to do what they can to locate Excalibur.

Yellowstone National Park,U.S.Forge sits around a campfire as his spiritform leaves his body......He finds himself entering a saloon located in a wilderness part Wild West,part Australian.......Inside he meets the Egyptian,Amahl Farouk,who tells him he is master here......A silent Western man sits beside him and Storm is caged behind them......In front of Forge's eyes she changes from an adult to a child.....Farouk challenges him to an arm wrestle but it becomes clear it is not a standard one as Farouk's arm starts to meld with Forge's......He just manages to break free and punches Farouk in the face with his bionic arm,breaking the psychic matrix and Forge finds himself lying on the floor of his cottage with his bionic arm completely destroyed......But most importantly,he knows Storm is alive...and in danger!!

Cairo Hospital,Illinois:During the graveyard shift,Dr. Shen wrestles with a moral dilemma over what she should do about the mutant child that has been brought to the hospital......She decides to ring the F.B.I. agent who sent her there in the first place.

Inspector Reisz's Residence,Illinois:Reisz lies in his armchair,clutching his chest,seemingly dead after a heart attack......But then the phone rins and he returns tolife,with a demonic red glow in his eyes......He tells Dr.Shen that he'll deal with the matter personally and will collect Storm in the morning......

Cairo Hospital:Storm lies awake in her bed,listening to Dr Shen's telephone conversation...

FIN

limerick

09-26-2009, 10:45 AM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/80296-198799-pretty-boy_super.jpg

Prettyboy after Pierce's radical cybernetic repairs this issue--He's now struggling to live up to his codename.....Pretty,he ain't!

limerick

09-26-2009, 05:40 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.253.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 253 ..............Late November 1989

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 253:

--Oh,boy,how I loved this issue when it came out first and I still do now......There seemed to be a world of possibilities for this book after the X-men had disbanded.....Anything could happen and this issue threw up plenty of possibilities of what could......I know the cover is very soap operish but it draws you in with so much on offer,including the apparent return of Storm already.....How could any fan even remotely interested in the X-men have not read this issue upon seeing that cover.

--First of all,the return of Banshee and with his powers seemingly intact!A dream come true for any Irish fan......I've always liked Banshee from his first (criminally racially stereo-typed!)appearance way back when......I never understood why they dropped him in the Claremont/Byrne years......But how long will his latest return last??!!

MORE TOMORROW!!

Goshin

09-26-2009, 07:14 PM

I've always been a big fan of Banshee. And recently I found out that I have irish blood in me. Kinda explains why I guess it was embedded in my blood.

Does that make me jamaican-irish-afro american......?

Too bad he only wore my favorite green costume for three panels....

limerick

09-27-2009, 03:34 AM

limerick

09-27-2009, 07:17 AM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.253.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 253 ..............Late November 1989

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 253:

--The reappearance of Storm was pretty surprising first time around......I had missed the heavy hint at the end of last issue that she may be returning(The weather conditions)......But she's a child again??.....Does she have control over her powers yet or have they de-manifested as she regressed with age??......I'm assuming that her age regression is something got to do with nanny and that the re-appearance in Cairo,Illinois is related to her past history there(The African Cairo).....It's interesting that her features are described as an amalgamation of the rarest features of all races......I had never thought of her as in any way Asian before but the doctors suggest she has features of all three races mentioned.

--Lady Deathstrike goes above and beyond the call of duty to let Woverine off the hook.....I can't understand her sudden obsession with taking him out in a way loyal to the Samurai thinking.....She had no such convictions when she tackled him with the Cybernetic ex-Hellfire Club soldiers in # 205......I find it strange that Pierce sent her alone to try and locate Wolvie while Macon,Reese and Cole are left to tidy the place up......Surely tracking Wolvie takes importance over clearing up the mess.

--Magneto returns now safely back in Claremont's hands after a personality transplant under Louise Simonson.....But his leadership of the Hellfire Club seems to have been pushed to the background and he seems more a solo operator again......But he certainly seems on the road back to his old self(pre- #150).

--How old is Moira??.....She seems very young(and looks amazing by Silvestri).....How old was her son Proteus supposed to be???.....I know he was taking host bodies but was his own age ever revealed......She certainly looks younger than when she first appeared in the X-men.

--More on the mysterious Lorna Dane transformation......As well as losing her magnetic powers and her new found strengthshe once again seems to be negatively influencing the people around her---She seems to have caused the ships crew to go mental.

--More surprise returns for Amanda Sefton,Forge and Alysande Stuart,in particular......Claremont is creating an interesting team!.....And the villianous Amahl Farouk is also back,recovering somehow after his last appearance in New Mutants.....That will spell trouble for the X-men.

--Finally,another example of a problem I've consistently had with Silvestri's art sincehecame on board......In the second last page,the FBI inspector,Reisz,has died and then recovers ,possessed by some force......But I don't think it's clearly conveyed in the art that he has actually died or that Reisz was the person Forge say in his vision just before that......I often found myself confused by events occuring in an issue only for them to become clear 6-7 issues later when the whole story has emerged.....I really believe the story should be clear to the reader as you progress......I don't mind secrets being held back for a later reveal but sometimes in the last 20 issues or so ,things have occured which I found confusing when reading that particular issue.

worstblogever

09-27-2009, 07:29 AM

Uncanny X-Men # 253 ..............Late November 1989

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 253:

--The reappearance of Storm was pretty surprising first time around......I had missed the heavy hint at the end of last issue that she may be returning(The weather conditions)......But she's a child again??

I'm still wondering why the "Lil' Ro" plot was rehashed in X-Men Forever. I don't think readers liked the young Storm plot when it originally happened. To try a "do over" in XMF is a head-scratcher for me.

--Lady Deathstrike goes above and beyond the call of duty to let Woverine off the hook.....I can't understand her sudden obsession with taking him out in a way loyal to the Samurai thinking.....She had no such convictions when she tackled him with the Cybernetic ex-Hellfire Club soldiers in # 205......I find it strange that Pierce sent her alone to try and locate Wolvie while Macon,Reese and Cole are left to tidy the place up......Surely tracking Wolvie takes importance over clearing up the mess.

Yeah, really! Who knew Donald Pierce was such a neat freak? Surely there were better ways to write out Macon, Reese, and Cole. (I know, don't call you Shirley.)

--Magneto returns now safely back in Claremont's hands after a personality transplant under Louise Simonson.....But his leadership of the Hellfire Club seems to have been pushed to the background and he seems more a solo operator again......But he certainly seems on the road back to his old self(pre- #150).

A return to an angry Magneto does have story potential. But he's not the only one with some tempermental moments on the horizon, to be sure.

--How old is Moira??.....She seems very young(and looks amazing by Silvestri).....How old was her son Proteus supposed to be???.....I know he was taking host bodies but was his own age ever revealed......She certainly looks younger than when she first appeared in the X-men.

Moira's appearance here, ironically, has an outside source. It's odd to convey her "out of sorts" personality, at the moment, they tried to artistically show it by having her turn into an overnight sex pot. Especially when you think that the last time someone was exposed to the same thing...It was Karma, and she just got really, really FAT.

--More on the mysterious Lorna Dane transformation......As well as losing her magnetic powers and her new found strengthshe once again seems to be negatively influencing the people around her---She seems to have caused the ships crew to go mental.

That would be quite the red herring.

--More surprise returns for Amanda Sefton,Forge and Alysande Stuart,in particular......Claremont is creating an interesting team!.....And the villianous Amahl Farouk is also back,recovering somehow after his last appearance in New Mutants.....That will spell trouble for the X-men.

The Muir team is an awesome cast of forgotten characters, genuinely.

And... for all the misdirection regarding what's going on... Out and out showing Farouk returning kind of undoes that, doesn't it?

--Finally,another example of a problem I've consistently had with Silvestri's art sincehecame on board......In the second last page,the FBI inspector,Reisz,has died and then recovers ,possessed by some force......But I don't think it's clearly conveyed in the art that he has actually died or that Reisz was the person Forge say in his vision just before that......I often found myself confused by events occuring in an issue only for them to become clear 6-7 issues later when the whole story has emerged.....I really believe the story should be clear to the reader as you progress......I don't mind secrets being held back for a later reveal but sometimes in the last 20 issues or so ,things have occured which I found confusing when reading that particular issue.

Your confusion isn't unwarranted. I remember a lot of X-Men fan sites back in the late 90s trying to explain #250-275 and having a lot of trouble trying to interpret it, or figure out why characters were being changed power-wise, or what the real motivations of the villains were.... or if the Shadow King was involved, or Zaladane, or whatever.

This is the part of the history of the X-Verse where the wheels really come off a bit. The direction is unclear, and the plot hooks are puzzling.

limerick

09-27-2009, 07:33 AM

http://sobrecomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/marc_silvestri_at_comicon_2006.jpg

A fresh-faced Marc Silvestri from Comicon 2006.His work on the X-men during the late 1980's and 1990 brought him to the attention of thousands of comic fans......His work has got bigger and better since then but he probably hasn't had as big an audience at TOP COW......Probably a bigger paycheck,though!

limerick

09-27-2009, 07:38 AM

Great post,WBE...Even though there are some flaws in this issue I did love it and overall I must say I was happy to put the Outback Era behind me.....It was just unworkable removing the X-men from an active enviorment......The day-to-day events which had made them such a hit in the Claremont/Byrne era were impossible in the sterile enviorment of the unpopulated Outback.

limerick

09-27-2009, 07:49 AM

Moira's appearance here, ironically, has an outside source. It's odd to convey her "out of sorts" personality, at the moment, they tried to artistically show it by having her turn into an overnight sex pot. Especially when you think that the last time someone was exposed to the same thing...It was Karma, and she just got really, really FAT.

Your confusion isn't unwarranted. I remember a lot of X-Men fan sites back in the late 90s trying to explain #250-275 and having a lot of trouble trying to interpret it, or figure out why characters were being changed power-wise, or what the real motivations of the villains were.... or if the Shadow King was involved, or Zaladane, or whatever.

This is the part of the history of the X-Verse where the wheels really come off a bit. The direction is unclear, and the plot hooks are puzzling.

RE:Moira......Although I know she's 'sexed-up',that doesn't really happen in earnest until next issue(Lorna hasn't arrived at Muir Isle,this issue).....But I just found her appearance to be generally younger.....before she starts wearing the dominatrix gear!

RE:Mixed up plotlines.....Theses are a shame and the Sadow King/Zaladane/Polaris storyline is probably the worst offender.....There are some great posts on the 'Claremont's unfinished Plots' Thread which I may quote here as we go on....they do clarify some of the possible directions the book was going to take.

Joey

09-28-2009, 11:37 AM

this does become a pretty confusing time in the X-Books... I think the twice monthly schedule had a bit to do with it

I wasn't a huge fan of the Lil'Ro storyline but was glad to see her back

Goshin

09-28-2009, 01:44 PM

Lol @ Joey's signature I just got thru reading Uncanny #132 two hours ago

Yea this era is confusing the only good things about this period are Psylocke transforming, Gambit and Jubilee. It was sad to see Silvestri go, and after he left they had the worst fill-in artist to ever touch an x-book during the morlock/jean story and the lil 'ro/remy story. Things didn't pick up until Jim Lee came on.

At the same time X-Factor had a shitty artist post-Simonson and the New Mutants had Liefeld, 'nuff said.

Joey

09-28-2009, 02:21 PM

the artist that took over WAS pretty dreadful

I remember going to the shop and getting Uncanny and seeing the beautiful covers and then being shocked over how bad the interior art was

limerick

10-03-2009, 04:20 PM

the artist that took over WAS pretty dreadful

I remember going to the shop and getting Uncanny and seeing the beautiful covers and then being shocked over how bad the interior art was
The art during that period was just awful---way below the standards one expexted on Uncanny at the time

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 04:29 PM

I see that you're closing in on #256 and forward. I'll love to see your thoughts of those issues.

And you're just an issue away from #255, very interersting now that Necrosha is about to start. :wink:

limerick

10-03-2009, 04:32 PM

limerick

10-03-2009, 04:45 PM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/80296-198799-pretty-boy_super.jpg

http://sobrecomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/marc_silvestri_at_comicon_2006.jpg

DOES SILVESTRI SEE A BIT OF HIMSELF IN PRETTYBOY???.......AM I THE ONLY PERSON SEEING A RESEMBLENCE THERE??

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 04:48 PM

DOES SILVESTRI SEE A BIT OF HIMSELF IN PRETTYBOY???.......AM I THE ONLY PERSON SEEING A RESEMBLENCE THERE??

LOL

Yes lim. :smile:

limerick

10-03-2009, 05:07 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.254.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 254 ..............Early December 1989

"All New,All Different---Here We Go Again!"

Claremont/Silvestri

Moira MacTaggert's Lab,Muir Isle:Moira completes a series of tests on Polaris and breaks the news to her......She's free of Malice's control completely but she's lost her magnetic powers......Zaladane has stolen the genetic portion giving her her powers......This means Zaladane is,almost certainly,Lorna's sister as she claims.....It also means the process may be reversible......As to Lorna's new powers----She hasn't a clue where they're coming from.

Ullapool,Coast of Scotland:Banshee has come ashore to collect Amanda Sefton and Brigadier Alysande Stuart......Amanda is delighted to see him,Alysande less so---They have history from her time as Weird Happenings Organisation boss......He was her first case.......They leave in Sean's speedboat for Muir Isle......But Sean is suddenly hit by a bullet which rips his side apart......As he falls into the sea,Amanda jumps after him......Alysande keeps low to avoid any more shots......Cole,Reece and Macon of The Reavers watch on a nearby hilltop......Cole tracks Alysande with his rifle and prepares to take her out as well......But just before the boat is hit by a shot which causes it to explode,Alysande is grabbed and pulled underwater..

Alysande finds herself underwater,saved by a mercreature........She realises it's Amanda transformed......As she wonders how she'll breathe underwater,Amanda casts the same spell on her and they rescue Banshee......Finally ,Amanda teleports them all to Muir Isle,transforming them back to human form in the process.

Muir Isle:Arriving in Moira's medical facility,they are soon joined by Lorna,Tom Corsi,Nurse Sharon Friedlander and Moira(who is dressing and acting more aggressively than normal)......She and Sharon immediately begin helping Sean and Moira calls for the Morlock healer to help them......Unsure who's attackedthem ,Moira tells them to assume the worst and to change into X-men battle costumes which are bullet-proof....Amanda tries to magic up the outfits but something goes wrong and,embarrassingly,they all end up in bondage gear!.......Moira's furious at the waste of time and orders them to a changing room......As they change,Lorna wonders if the spell going wrong was anything to do with her----She seems to be having a negative effect on people all the time now...

Professor Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters,Westchester,New York:Callisto has been sent by Moira to seal the underground complex and stop it's secrets from falling into the wrong hands......But she has run into trouble......She has been captured by Masque and The Morlocks,who she previously led,and brought to the Morlock home,The Alley......Tied up and helpless,he demands the access codes for the X-men's basement......When she refuses,he uses his powers to horrifically alter her face ....

Moira's Research Facility,Muir Isle:The Morlock,Sunder keeps an eye on the Warpies(Paranormal kids who were brought to Moira's by Captain Britain)and The Morlock kids playing, watched by Daniel Haller......Suddenly,The Reavers,Bonebreaker,Skullbuster and Prettyboy burst in,tearing the place up with gunfire!.......Sunder rushes to try and get the kids out and is helped by Daniel throwing up a protective telekinetic shield......But his behaviour is erratic and he purposely drops enough of the shield to allow Sunder be hit......Fortunately,Tom Corsi(armed to the teeth) and Polaris arrive and manage to beat the Reavers back,although,again,Daniel impedes them by breaking a chain Polaris was using to reel Bonebreaker in......The Reavers wonder whose side Haller's on but Tom hasn't noticed and Polaris,Tom and Daniel retreat having saved the kids.

Washington D.C.:Irene Adler(Destiny) has a precognitive dream where she envisions the world and it's inhabitants as made entirely os cryatal,except her......As a clock strikes mid-night,she turns to crystal herself and instantly shatters to pieces.......The next morining as she drinks coffoe,Mystique arrives into the kitchen.....She comments that Irene had a rough night and asks if anythings the matter......Destiny says it's just dreams......The phone rings.......Irene tells Mystique before she answers it that it's Val Cooper calling with an emergency..

Muir Isle:Cole,Reese and Macon approach the Isle using jetpacks......But they are met by Amanda,who uses her magic to try and stop them......She has some success but her powers do not effect artificial mechanisms and they are part cyborg.....But as things start to turn against her,Alysande opens fire with a macine-gun,wounding Macon.......But it's a wasted effort and her and Amanda are soon captured......The Reavers decide to keep them alive to find out what else the island has in store for them.

Freedom Force's Headquarters,Washington:Val is waiting for Mystique and Destiny when they arrive.......Along with Forge,who she wants them to work with......Mystique refuses,blaming him for the death of Rogue......But Val orders her to help him ......They are to travel to Muir Isle and help against the Reavers attack along with the rest of Freedom Force......Destiny tells Mystique to act more kindly towards Forge---She says their future destinies are intertwined??

Muir Isle:The Morlock Healer has finished healing Banshee......Moira tells the Healer to wake him and tells Sean he's needed......Sharon objects saying he needs more time to recover but Moira says they've no choice.....They may not live without him......Sean is startled at Moira's new fiercer attitude but he still loves her and kisses her passionately before joining the others.

Elsewhere in the complex,Sunder is bashing Skullbuster into the ground but he is hit by a grenade launcher fired by Prettyboy......He collapses to the ground,seemingly dead......Prettyboy,Bonebreaker and Skullcrusher do a headcount and figure they've only Daniel,Tom and Lorna left to take out....No Problem(they think!)

FIN

limerick

10-03-2009, 05:08 PM

LOL

Yes lim. :smile:
You don't see it??.....Aw crap...I'm losing it!

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 05:12 PM

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

Uncanny X-Men Annual #12

"Resurrection"

Claremont/Adams

Wow, I never even noticed this one. It's a real enjoyment reading through the Outback era; there are some issues from that period that I never even heard about until now.

coveredinbees

10-03-2009, 05:13 PM

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showpost.php?p=9740032&postcount=2836
Tracing of course?

limerick

10-03-2009, 05:25 PM

Wow, I never even noticed this one. It's a real enjoyment reading through the Outback era; there are some issues from that period that I never even heard about until now.
The art in that Annual is just amazing,Giles----really a thing of beauty......Art Adams is a genius!.....How much of the X-men have you read?

limerick

10-03-2009, 05:26 PM

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showpost.php?p=9740032&postcount=2836
Tracing of course?
lolololo.....

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 05:46 PM

http://sobrecomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/marc_silvestri_at_comicon_2006.jpg

Maybe with this one?

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/151252-18959-pretty-boy_super.jpg

I'm not sure if Silvestri drew this one, but it looks like his earlier style.

The art in that Annual is just amazing,Giles----really a thing of beauty......Art Adams is a genius!

Art Adams is one of my fav. artists, I love how he drew the Asgard Saga with the NM.

How much of the X-men have you read?

Okay, now you're getting nasty - How did you vote......

LOL :biggrin:

Much of my earlier pre-Fall of the Mutants history I know from other sources/some older issues that I've read. I followed the X-Men on and off up to Morrison's first year. I like how he revitalized the X-Men, but for some reason I got really bored with comics at that time and stopped reading all togheter, up to 2005 or something. That's why I never look into the New X-Men thread; Surge, Rockslide etc......I have no idea what people talk about when they mention those characters! :redface:

limerick

10-03-2009, 05:58 PM

I'm pretty out of touch with the modern stuff myself.....I've only got back into the X-men in the last three years.....Over the years I've kept my collection up to date in fits and starts but there's huge chunks I haven't read......And I'm talking huge.....Lets just say I haven't got past Uncanny # (approx)320......Everything from about '94-2006 is missing......I have all the comics,I've just never had the time or inclination to read them......Before long I'll be reading these issues,for real,for the first time......Obviously reading the X-Board threads has given me a huge idea of what's been going on but I prefer to read the issues in order so even the new issues I'm buying now,I only glance through perfunctionally......I really am living in the past with regards to the X-men!!

limerick

10-03-2009, 06:06 PM

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7410/cons106py.jpg

Here's a picture of Silvestri and his wife at a comic convention---now that's just showing off!!!

(Humourous comments very much appreciated):wink:

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 06:18 PM

limerick

10-03-2009, 06:23 PM

As it shoud be. :wink:

The 90's....it had its highs and lows I guess. Claremont leaving, Jim Lee on a roll, two teams...so much potential wasted...

So what do you do with all your comics, how do you store them?
I keep them in plastic boxes(About 250 per box,i think).......I have lots of cupboard space which is good because I need it......I don't have all the comics bagged and boarded,only the reasonably valuable ones.......I've been thinking recently what my favouite X-book I've read is.......I think probably Uncanny # 138.....I loved it's nostalgic feel......But the current issue I'm summarising is definitely one of my all-time favourite covers.....I loved the Muir Isle X-men!!

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 06:42 PM

Here's a picture of Silvestri and his wife at a comic convention---now that's just showing off!!!

Poor thing, she looks so frightened sitting on that scary man's leg...come to me sweetheart, I'll take care of you, there there. :wink:

I keep them in plastic boxes(About 250 per box,i think).......I have lots of cupboard space which is good because I need it......I don't have all the comics bagged and boarded,only the reasonably valuable ones.......I've been thinking recently what my favouite X-book I've read is.......I think probably Uncanny # 138.....I loved it's nostalgic feel......But the current issue I'm summarising is definitely one of my all-time favourite covers.....I loved the Muir Isle X-men!!

The Fall of the Mutant team and the Blue team are my two favorite teams.

I've thinking about getting the older issues in DVD form. I know, I know, it's not the same thing, but I don't have the same space that you do, for even more comics.

EDIT: Nostalgia! LOL I don't want this thread to get into trouble because of me lim. :wink:

limerick

10-03-2009, 06:48 PM

Poor thing, she looks so frightened sitting on that scary man's leg...come to me sweetheart, I'll take care of you, there there. :wink:

The Fall of the Mutant team and the Blue team are my two favorite teams.

I've thinking about getting the older issues in DVD form. I know, I know, it's not the same thing, but I don't have the same space that you do, for even more comics.

It is kind of nostalgic and a bit tragic to see how much CC's writing skills have fallen in the last decade.

He looks like he's had a serious job done on his teeth compared to the first picture.....You'll be competing against that gleaming smile!

Careful,the mods close threads for impure thoughts like that......Although I agree with you,Claremont-baiting is not allowed.:biggrin: .......I'm off to bed Giles.....Talk to you soon.....Thanks for posting!

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 06:54 PM

He looks like he's had a serious job done on his teeth compared to the first picture.....You'll be competing against that gleaming smile!

Careful,the mods close threads for impure thoughts like that......Although I agree with you,Claremont-baiting is not allowed.:biggrin: .......I'm off to bed Giles.....Talk to you soon.....Thanks for posting!

LOL Good night lim.

EDIT: The older issues are very good. :biggrin:

Daniel Mengsk

10-03-2009, 07:07 PM

Moira MacTaggert's Lab,Muir Isle:Moira completes a series of tests on Polaris and breaks the news to her......She's free of Malice's control completely but she's lost her magnetic powers......Zaladane has stolen the genetic portion giving her her powers......This means Zaladane is,almost certainly,Lorna's sister as she claims.....It also means the process may be reversible......As to Lorna's new powers----She hasn't a clue where they're coming from.

LOL She wasn't the only one. It was odd seeing Lorna like this; all muscled up next to Moira, now that was hilarious (in a good way). It was good to see Lorna being finally freed of Malice's control though. I liked this variation of the X-Men team.

coveredinbees

10-03-2009, 07:23 PM

Here's a picture of Silvestri and his wife at a comic convention---now that's just showing off!!!

I wonder what brought them together (http://i33.tinypic.com/2pqrymd.jpg).

limerick

10-04-2009, 12:11 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.254.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 254 ..............Early December 1989

"All New,All Different---Here We Go Again!"

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 254:

--Another brilliant cover promising great things(and delivering to an extent)......When I read this back in '89 I really thought these were the New X-men(i.e. for good)......The cover was a nod to the All New,All Different X-men debut in the '70's.....Claremont had done it before so why not again......This would make a great team,particularly the thought of having Daniel Haller on the squad......After all,Wolverine had his own book to goto,the O5 were in X-Factor,The rest had gone through the Seige Perilous(except Storm) so why couldn't these be the New X-men...It didn't turn out that way of course,but it was good while it lasted

--Those new X-uniforms were awesome.....Doug Ramsey sure could have done with one of those bulletproof numbers awhile back.

--Great to see some of the more periphary characters coming to the fore.....Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander have coped well with their physical transformations and seem well adjusted.....Amanda is awesome......I never read her debut in the X-books(was it Annual #4?),so I've not seen her using her powers before to this extent......She's very resourceful and her magic seems to have lots of applications.....She'd be an asset to any super-powered team.......The same goes for Daniel......He has huge power but he's a bit mentally imbalanced,to say the least.....Not someone you can rely on!

--When I first looked at this I mistook Amanda on the cover for Siyrn......I just assumed she would be part of a Muie Isle team.

--More problems from Lorna being around......Firstly,Moira's really changed with her adapting a much more aggressive attitude.......Amanda's costume change spell also goes wrong.....Lorna seems to be tainting things,to some degreee,although for now it is unexplained...(Tom and Sharon should be used to the bondage gear from their Empath induced sexual escapades from the New Mutants....ahem...)

--Destiny sees trouble ahead for herself....It would seem time is running out for her......There is definite conformation that herself and Mystique are a couple......Msytique says:"You had a rough night...",something she could only know if they were sharing a bed.......Mystique's embrace that follows seems to be more than just a friend comforting another---There's a lover's affection there,I think......Is this the first confirmed homosexual relationship in Uncanny??(I know Northstar beat them to the punch in Alpha Flight).....Storm has had a few relationships where it has been a possibility that the relationship has been more than friendship but has there been a definitive confirmed relationship before this?

--One aspect of Destiny's dream confused me......On page 20 she wanders in a world where heroic figures are represented by their crystal forms.....The first frame has the Fantastic Four on the left .....But whose that on the right......I'm thinking Doug Ramsey in the foreground with Illyana and Sam behind??....What does everyone think??

--Also on page 29,in Val's office,Destiny refers to Mystique and Forge's futures being intimately intertwined.....What can she mean!!:wink:

limerick

10-04-2009, 12:19 PM

NEW FEATURE:Pedantic Pat's No-Prize Corner---Uncanny X-men # 254:

--Why does Amanda allow Banshee to collect them from the mainland??----Why doesn't she just teleport herself and Alysande to Muir Isle and save him the boat trip?

--Tom Corsi blows Bonebreaker's thread off on page 17......Minutes later on page 31 the thread is magically restored.

A No-Prize to any satisfactory explanations!

limerick

10-04-2009, 12:39 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.255.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 255 ..............Mid December 1989

"Crash & Burn"

Claremont/Silvestri

Muir Isle:Banshee and Polaris take it to the Reavers---X-men style!Banshee uses his sonic frequencies to blast Bonebreaker out of his tank-like base......Polaris goes up against Skullbuster and Prettyboy and although she gets her hands on Skullbuster,Prettyboy takes her down and traps her with mtallic tendrils which burst from his 'stomach'.......He tries to rewire her brain with his fibre-optic filaments but Banshee stops him and grabs Lorna......Lorna encourages him to kill Prettyboy while he has the chance but Banshee wants to stay true to Charles Xavier's philosophies......Instead he flies away holding Lorna......But he suddenly hits an invisible wall which takes them out......The Reavers are puzzled by what happened----It was nothing to do with them?

Memorial Hospital,Cairo,Illinois:Inspector Reisz arrives to collect the mutant child recovered the night before(Storm)......As Dr. Shen walks him to the girl's room,she expresses her doubts about handing her over......But Reisz reassures her that this is America and that everything will be okay.......When they get to the room Storm has gone......Reisz orders security to begin looking for her.......Shen had thought last night that Reisz had seemed like a good man but now when she catches a glance of the demonic grin on his face,she wonders what kind of man he is.

Muir Isle:The Reavers make running repairs when Macon notices something falling from above......They just manage to get out of the way before Blob hits the ground,having been dropped from an aircraft.......Avalanche was resting on his stomach,comforted from the huge impact......He turns his powers on The Reavers,covering them in waves of earth.

Above them Mystique tells the pilots of their aircraft to land as soon as possible......She's worried because they're two FF members down(Crimson Commando and Spiral are on another mission)......She's also not happy about Forge joining them.......Destiny tells her to accept her 'destiny'.

As the aircraft decends,Lady Deathstrike jumps on the nose of the plane and,smashing through the windscreen,she slaughters the pilots.......The plane crashes to the ground and explodes in a blast of flames.

A South Sea Island:Matsuo Tsurayaba,senior member of The Hand,arrives by speedboat at The Hand's secret base to investigate a report he has recieved......He is brought to a room where a woman is being kept......She was washed up on the island,with no memory or identification, a week ago......She is a telepath which has enabled her to communicate with her 'rescuers'.......Matsuo is brought to her room and instantly recognises her as Psylocke......He feels she will be of use to The Hand....

Muir Isle:Against her wishes Forge carries Mystique out of the burning wreckage......She's worried about Destiny but Stonewall follows with her......As the wreckage explodes,Pyro uses his powers to absorb the flame and re-direct it upwards,saving them all......Mystique orders Forge to take Destiny to Moira's facility and keep her safe.....Freedom Force then take the battle to The Reavers but things don't go to well for them....Pyro's flames have little effect on The Reaver's cyborg frames,Deathstrike takes Avalanche out and The Blob sinks in quicksand.

Moira's Scientific Facility:Forge and Destiny arrive at theventrance to Moira's research facility.......But Destiny convinces him to return to the battle,telling him Mystique will die if he doesn't help there.......As he leaves,Destiny cryptically tells him to love Mystique as she has......After he leaves she turns to the facility entrance......As she expected Daniel stands there in the shadows menacingly.

Not far away,Mystique sneaks up on the Hellfire Reavers by taking the form of Lady Deathstrike......She fires a few rounds at them but is suddenly grabbed by the Reaver's leader,Donald Pierce.....But before she can react,she is gripped by images transferred telepathically to her brain of Irene lying dead nearby.......Stonewall punches Pierce,freeing Mystique and Pyro has the Hellfire Reavers covered.....until Daniel extinguishes his flame,leaving him helpless.......At the same time Pierce fries Stonewall with some kind of electrical field......Pyro crues out as Stonewall is killed......Mystique and Pyro have no way out and they say their goodbyes as Skullbuster opens fire.......But they are spared as Skullbuster is blown to pieces by a high-powered weapon......Forge has finally completed the weapon he'd started on the journey over the Atlantic.....Very quickly The Reavers realise Forge has the upper hand and they teleport out before he can fry any more of them.

The battle over,Forge joins the others......At the same time,Moira,Tom and Sharon arrive with Destiny's body......Mystique takes her from them and promises Forge she'll get even some day.

Later,after Freedom Force have left,Banshee joins Forge who's sitting outside watching the sunset......Forge blames himself for what happened but Sean says they'd all be dead without him......He asks Forge to design a security net to protect the island......And then tells him that Lorna says the X-men are alive.....He needs his help to find them.......They shake hands and start making plans.....

Memorial Hospital,Cairo,Illinois:Young Storm runs through the basement of the hospital trying to stay away from those trying to catch her......She can remember nothing from the last 20 years and her most recent memories are of her as a child in Cairo.....She haers Reisz,Shen and another doctor approaching and hides in the shadows.....The doctors are no longer sure about letting Reisz continue his pursuit of the young girl---He seems obsessed......Sensing he's lost their support he uses awesome power to drain their life force......Smiling demonically,he promises Storm will soon be his...Forever!.......Little does he know she is mere feet away from him!

FIN

Daniel Mengsk

10-04-2009, 12:53 PM

NEW FEATURE:Pedantic Pat's No-Prize Corner---Uncanny X-men # 254:

--Why does Amanda allow Banshee to collect them from the mainland??----Why doesn't she just teleport herself and Alysande to Muir Isle and save him the boat trip?

She was hoping to get some action?

--Tom Corsi blows Bonebreaker's thread off on page 17......Minutes later on page 31 the thread is magically restored.

Well, it's magic - no explanation is really needed. :wink:

limerick

10-04-2009, 12:58 PM

Your close to a prize with the first one-----Banshee does give her a big bear hug....Does that count as action?....(Of course,she could have got that off him on the Island,anyway)...FAIL!!!:biggrin:

Daniel Mengsk

10-04-2009, 01:04 PM

Your close to a prize with the first one-----Banshee does give her a big bear hug....Does that count as action?....(Of course,she could have got that off him on the Island,anyway)...FAIL!!!:biggrin:

I wasn't thinking about Banshee lim. Alysande...:wink:

--Those new X-uniforms were awesome.....Doug Ramsey sure could have done with one of those bulletproof numbers awhile back.

Ouch!

limerick

10-04-2009, 02:11 PM

I wasn't thinking about Banshee lim. Alysande...:wink:

Ouch!
That's what Doug might have said if he was wearing one....As opposed to.....Blehhheurghhhh!!!!

limerick

10-06-2009, 04:00 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.255.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 255 ..............Mid December 1989

"Crash & Burn"

Claremont/Silvestri

]Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 255:

--Freedom Force to the rescue!.....But seriously,this issue does raise some questions about the X-men's current moral position.......After Fall of The Mutants they took the moral high ground and decided to attack the here-to-unheard-of bad guys,The Reavers.....The reasons are not explained but I assumed it was at Roma's prompting to clear out a bunch of scum who robbed and terrorised ordinary Joes......But by the time we get to issue # 253 the X-men(particularly Psylocke) put themselves first and(admittedy with Psylocke's prompting)pass through the Seige Perilous,leaving the Reavers to terrorise and rob whoever they like......Gone is the X-men's original reason for going into hiding----they're just out to save their asses......To make matters worse,Freedom Force go to rescue the X-men's nearest and dearest putting themselves in mortal danger.....It looks like Freedom Force are the main mutant hero group at this time!

--Claremont seems to be pushing F.F. as the good guys.....He humanizes Stonewall by having him reading James Joyce......And Pyro's final thoughts before he faces death are whether his new book will be a best seller.....(Don't forget Avalanche was previosly shown to have an interest in gardening)......These former Evil mutants are really into their Arts!

--In fact,the only bad ass left in F.F. is The Blob!

--Psylocke returns.....I didn't see that coming when I read it first time......Back then there was no internet to leak stories or for fans to exchange opinions......And where I lived there were no other X-fans (or at least none I knew)......So when they went through the Seige Perilous I thought they were gonefor good.....Mug that I am,I really believed that!.....Now Betsy mysteriously returns......But what's she doing with the Hand.....Doesn't the Seige give you the new beginning you deserve?.....Has she been a bad girl to end up with this fate.

--Interesting that Claremont decides to retain the 'invisibility to sensors' aspect following passing through the Seige......I thought he might use this oppurtunity to dump that idea as it is so unworkable.

--It's curtains for Irene and Stonewall,who both die herocially,saving Mystique.....Irene's sacrifice is particularly touching as she knows she's sacrificing herself to save her lover......Again,she mentions that Forge will love Mystique in the future,although that seems highly unlikely at the moment!

--Great to see Banshee back in action.....He settles right back into using his powers as if he's never been away.....Claremont does come up with some nice new uses for his powers.

--Finally,Storm drops some heavy hints on her persuer's identity.....Since she only has memories from her childhood,she must have encountered him in Eygpt.....And she refers to him as 'THE EVIL ONE' ......that doesn't leave too many candidates!:wink:

limerick

10-07-2009, 12:36 PM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9345/404264-176312-tom-corsi_super.jpg

Tom Corsi kicks ass as a Muir Isle X-man!

limerick

10-07-2009, 12:42 PM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/3016/144139-33053-sharon-friedlander_super.JPG

As usual,Silvestri draws beautiful female characters-----Sharon Friedlander looks gorgeous in her X-men uniform.

limerick

10-07-2009, 12:53 PM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/5586/491306-d1_large.jpg

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/197783-120438-stonewall_super.jpg

Destiny and Stonewall die in this issue,sacrificing themselves heroically to save the residents of Muir Isle and their team-mate,Mystique

Imraith Nimphais

10-07-2009, 01:30 PM

"These former Evil mutants are really into their Arts!"

As right-proper poofs should be...lol.

worstblogever

10-07-2009, 01:33 PM

Joey

10-07-2009, 02:53 PM

Destiny did meet a sad ending

limerick

10-07-2009, 03:52 PM

"These former Evil mutants are really into their Arts!"

As right-proper poofs should be...lol.
They have cultural meetings in Avalanche's garden shed once a week where they take Tea and Buiscits while discussing Shakesperian influences in 'Ullysess'

limerick

10-07-2009, 04:00 PM

Man... the deaths of Sunder, Stonewall and Destiny really bum me out. No idea why on Stonewall, really. Sunder's sad just because the poor wanker survived the Mutant Massacre only to get wasted on Muir.

And Destiny... that's gotta tear poor Mystique's heart out. Someone's gonna pay for that. Maybe a lot of someones.

And the fact that Daniel Haller is partly responsible sucks!

Destiny did meet a sad ending

Destiny is painted as such a pure person in these last 2 issues.....She doesn't have a bad bone in her body.....It makes you wonder how she could ever have been part of an organisation containing the term 'Evil'......But judging by her in this last issue she would probably do anything for Mystique.

The protrayal of F.F. in these two issues does contrast heavily with the way they were protrayed in X-Factor a few issues back.....When encountering F.F. in Washington D.C.,Cyclops meets a much meaner,dangerous,sarcastic Freedom Force who had recently failed to return kidnapped mutant children to their parents.....Louise Simonson views them much more harshly than Claremont who has had a running theme of converting bad guys to good over a period of time(Magneto,Rogue and Forge,to name a few)

Daniel Mengsk

10-07-2009, 04:04 PM

--It's curtains for Irene and Stonewall,who both die herocially,saving Mystique.....Irene's sacrifice is particularly touching as she knows she's sacrificing herself to save her lover......Again,she mentions that Forge will love Mystique in the future,although that seems highly unlikely at the moment!

Hm yeah, "at the moment."

Btw lim - where's my no prize win? I want it in cash and euros are acceptable. :wink:

limerick

10-07-2009, 04:21 PM

Hm yeah, "at the moment."

Btw lim - where's my no prize win? I want it in cash and euros are acceptable. :wink:
That wasn't a win!!....All answers must fall within Comics Code approval!.....Hang your head in shame.....(BTW,in the classic Marvel tradition,the no-prize is in the post!)

Daniel Mengsk

10-07-2009, 04:38 PM

That wasn't a win!!....All answers must fall within Comics Code approval!.....Hang your head in shame.....(BTW,in the classic Marvel tradition,the no-prize is in the post!)

Ugh, first Justin and now you lim, there's no honesty left in the world.

So what did you think of the FF vs the Reavers fight? I was a bit surprised that Freedom Force was so easily beaten - the lack of Spiral on the team really showed...

limerick

10-07-2009, 05:03 PM

Imraith Nimphais

10-07-2009, 05:15 PM

Truth to tell, Lim...I did not enjoy the last few issues...and recent re-reading has not changed my oipinion...the original "outback" group is no-more...everyone is scattershot where-ever...I strongly disliked "Hulkaris" and that particular plot-line...eventhough everything that is occurring is doing so for a reason, it just seemed to be (imo) all-over-the-place...and just a tad confusing. (Why are the Reavers there?)...Two things I liked about this last issue: Seeing Amanda Sefton use her magic turning them into mer-creatures...very, very coolies that...and the young Storm bits.

Tobias March

10-07-2009, 05:19 PM

limerick

10-07-2009, 05:30 PM

Hi,Imraith,Amanda was a revelation.....I was amazed at her powers......These issues are a bit all over the place.....(I hadn't thought about why the Reavers go to Muir Isle--Good Point,there.......Could it be to look for Wolvie?)......But I must say,overall I enjoyed them....I wasn't a fan of The Outback X-men---I thought their reasons for hiding out were flawed.....Also,there is a lot of suspense building......But best of all is having Banshee back!.....I know I'm biased being Irish but I love that guy!

limerick

10-07-2009, 05:32 PM

Hello Tobias......It's each to their own about these issues,I suppose.....I think people will probably either love them or hate them......Thanks for posting,BTW......great to have as many people giving their opinions as possible

Goshin

10-07-2009, 07:59 PM

I still think she died a stupid death. If you can see the future..... MOVE THE HELL OUTTA THE WAY!

Category1Games

10-07-2009, 11:15 PM

Was it ever revealed where Spiral and Crimson Commando were?.....There was just a casual off-hand remark that they were on another mission

F.F were taken out in the end.....But mainly because of the villainous Legion......Who needs enemies when you've got friends like that.....I know he's f***ed up in the head but he's bad to the bone......I think without him the Muir Isle X-men would have triumphed pretty easily.

BTW,any No-Prize suggestions for Bonebreaker's track recovering?

Alright send the No-Prize my way.

BoneBreaker has been taken out of his track/chair before either in X-Men or in the two Punisher books they appeared in. It was mentioned in one of them that they carry an extra set of tracks for him just for this sort of situation.

As far as why they attacked Muir Island it appeared they were either going after Wolverine or trying to draw him out.

I loved this issue and the last. The Reavers are some of my favorite villains and really am still upset that they were wiped out in issue 281. I mean they had a lot of guys there, looked like the group that first appeared that was robbing banks or Donald Pierce was just busy making new people.

This is the last good issue till Rogue re-appears and fights her other personality in my opinion. Everything between now and then is just crap, the art is mostly bad and no longer has an X-Men type of feel to it.

Goshin

10-07-2009, 11:40 PM

I like the Mandarin/Psylocke issues, ninja Betsy was actually likable until Claremont left and the two Psylockes thing happened.

But yea 259-267 sucked my black cock and gargled my balls. Jean Grey turning into an Octopus? The whole crappy Morlock story? And even Gambit's first appearance sucked the art was horrible. Worst point in X-Men history besides the gay biker leather era.

Daniel Mengsk

10-07-2009, 11:47 PM

EDIT: nevermind.

limerick

10-08-2009, 01:57 PM

Alright send the No-Prize my way.

BoneBreaker has been taken out of his track/chair before either in X-Men or in the two Punisher books they appeared in. It was mentioned in one of them that they carry an extra set of tracks for him just for this sort of situation.

As far as why they attacked Muir Island it appeared they were either going after Wolverine or trying to draw him out.

I loved this issue and the last. The Reavers are some of my favorite villains and really am still upset that they were wiped out in issue 281. I mean they had a lot of guys there, looked like the group that first appeared that was robbing banks or Donald Pierce was just busy making new people.

This is the last good issue till Rogue re-appears and fights her other personality in my opinion. Everything between now and then is just crap, the art is mostly bad and no longer has an X-Men type of feel to it.
NO-PRIZE DENIED!!!

Okay.....they bring an extra chassis for him.....But they don't bring two!

# 254...Tom Corsi blows the threads of Bonebreakers 'tank' section......Not long later the thread is mysteriously restored(What I'm looking for an explanation of)....

But in # 255 on page 2,Banshee totals Bonebreaker's tank section beyond repair.....On page 9 PrettyBoy says he'll get the spare chassis(So it hasn't been used already)......Then on page 16 Bonebreaker has his new chassis which is a non-thread version(normal wheels)and clearly distinguishable from the original chassis....(So the chassis was not replaced in # 254..Q.E.D.!):biggrin:

Not this time,my friend!

limerick

10-08-2009, 02:00 PM

EDIT: nevermind.
Giles,you're too polite to quote hard-core!

alf_to_the_rescue

10-08-2009, 02:04 PM

I'm sensing Tentacle Jean is close.

limerick

10-08-2009, 02:40 PM

I'm sensing Tentacle Jean is close.
Very Close!!!

MartinRedmond

10-08-2009, 03:10 PM

Imraith Nimphais

10-08-2009, 03:55 PM

Let's be fair about the mess up, Silvestri probably drew this within a week. It was still coming out fast. This is still one of my favorite storyarcs by far. Lots of action and uncertainty as to where everything was heading. Who'll receieve a happy end besides Destiny?

It is the uncertainty that bugged the hell out of me. This was a period in x-lore that had everything up in the air...Who? Wot? When? Where? Why? Huh?...were questions in my mind at the time. I am not saying it did not make for interesting story-telling, but I'll be damned if I was enjoying any of it...and it was not only the last couple of issues...Claremont was systematically removing, adding and shifting certain pieces off and around the board seemingly without reason or direction...and I have to admit, I really started to lose interest.

limerick

10-08-2009, 04:06 PM

It is the uncertainty that bugged the hell out of me. This was a period in x-lore that had everything up in the air...Who? Wot? When? Where? Why? Huh?...were questions in my mind at the time. I am not saying it did not make for interesting story-telling, but I'll be damned if I was enjoying any of it...and it was not only the last couple of issues...Claremont was systematically removing, adding and shifting certain pieces off and around the board seemingly without reason or direction...and I have to admit, I really started to lose interest.
Sadly,Imraith,I felt the same way.....Claremont was all over the place to an extent....I feel he regretted the X-men 'playing dead' in Australia move.....And things were inconsistent....Plot threads were appearing and not being followed through.....For every plot line being concludedanother10 were being created......He was running away with himself......

Don't get me wrong....Like Martin Redmond,I did enjoy the last 2 issues(very much so in fact)....But the X-men weren't in it!......It's not a good sign when the best issues of a super-teams comic are the ones in which they don't feature.

As I said ,when I was reading these stories for the first time I was running out of interest.....But I had subscribed to the X-men through Marvels sub. service so I was guaranteed a years more worth of issues......But the X-men had gone from being a very important thing to me from about age eight to an occasional distraction at age 18....The magic was dying for me and I wouldn't stay with the title for too much longer.

CJ Lentze

10-08-2009, 04:13 PM

Goshin

10-08-2009, 04:17 PM

Tentacle Jean, Dino-Rachel, what's next?

limerick

10-08-2009, 04:19 PM

I must say it's quite amusing to read the posts from everyone who read these post-Outback/pre-X-Tinction Agenda issues as they came out, and who still get frustrated when they read them to this day. :tongue: But I can understand how an X-Men without a real team and without a real premise, and not knowing what would happen next or when the team would finally 're-form', would be difficult to read for the long-time fans.

When I collected these issues, it wasn't in order... I actually had to fill in a gap between issues 250 and 275, and I had a lot of fun getting a new piece of the 'puzzle' every time I could buy an issue from this period of X-Men.
It's true what you say......Reading them as they were published was a real journey into the unknown......The Seige Perilous was badly explained from Day One so we didn't know if the X-men were coming back or what was gonna happen....Like I said before,I really believed that the group on the cover of # 254 were the new permanant team!.....I got suckered!

Imraith Nimphais

10-08-2009, 04:23 PM

I must say it's quite amusing to read the posts from everyone who read these post-Outback/pre-X-Tinction Agenda issues as they came out, and who still get frustrated when they read them to this day. :tongue: But I can understand how an X-Men without a real team and without a real premise, and not knowing what would happen next or when the team would finally 're-form', would be difficult to read for the long-time fans.

When I collected these issues, it wasn't in order... I actually had to fill in a gap between issues 250 and 275, and I had a lot of fun getting a new piece of the 'puzzle' every time I could buy an issue from this period of X-Men.

It is interesting that you should say this, Scuimend...this is exactly how I felt when I first started collecting Uncanny from issue 175...searching for the prior issues was definitely a task...but a most enjoyable one, indeed.

@Lim...Claremont "was running away with himself"...I quite agree. Ever since the conclusion to Inferno...the pacing just did not feel quite the same. Reading it through now, everything seems more rushed, more frenetic...a marked change from Claremont who's various plots are usually left simmering for months/years before resolution.
...and you are quite correct about the abandonment of the O-BX-men's initial MO...without so much as a "by your leave"...to use one of his classic tropes.

limerick

10-08-2009, 04:26 PM

limerick

10-08-2009, 04:27 PM

Tentacle Jean, Dino-Rachel, what's next?
Who knows....Pencil-dicked Pietro?

Goshin

10-08-2009, 04:52 PM

Lol what a coincidence! I started reading back issues again last month starting at #94 and I'm reading #173 now! Ill probably get to #175 tonite....

CJ Lentze

10-08-2009, 04:54 PM

It is interesting that you should say this, Scuimend...this is exactly how I felt when I first started collecting Uncanny from issue 175...searching for the prior issues was definitely a task...but a most enjoyable one, indeed.
I remember when my earliest issue of X-Men was about issue 150-ish, just after the debut of Kitty. And I had decided that I wanted to collect the entire series of X-Men (or rather, Uncanny), and I thought to myself "so, this series has over a hundred issues worth of history before the earliest one I have."
See, the only other series I actively collected and had bothered to look at the issue numbers of, was Transformers, and that one only spanned for 80 issues from start to finish (Transformers US, that is), and as a young teenager I already thought that was an impressive number.

Did you manage to collect all the issues before 175, including the 60s stories, or did you perhaps stop when you reached Giant-Sized and the All-New All-Different team? Collected volumes of any of those issues hadn't appeared yet, so you must have had to search exclusively in the back issue boxes.

Imraith Nimphais

10-08-2009, 05:06 PM

Initially, I managed to get everything back to 150, though randomly...then in the following years I was able to find issues all the way back to 120...everything prior to that I have on disk...courtesy a very good friend of mine...Though I must admit, even now, when I travel, I go hunting in the dark, dusty recesses of bookstores and cb shops to see if I may find an overlooked treasure or two to "complete" my collection.

limerick

10-08-2009, 05:13 PM

Lol what a coincidence! I started reading back issues again last month starting at #94 and I'm reading #173 now! Ill probably get to #175 tonite....
I love # 175.....Cyclops at his best----Takes on the rest of the X-men and wins hands down.....Magic!

Goshin

10-08-2009, 05:22 PM

CJ Lentze

10-08-2009, 05:51 PM

Reading early 80s X-Men stories and then going back and reading utopia is what drove me from uncanny and into the pages of X-Men Forever its just not the same anymore the X-Men are supposed to be a close knit family that the reader actually cared about.

Oh, and the best Cyclops moment is when he fought Logan and the rest of the team to keep them on their toes during Proteus.

"Pathetic, Wolverine! The way you're fighting, even a cub scout could beat you to a pulp!"

What I consider a shining moment for Scott is when he speaks against the Purifiers in God Loves, Man Kills, and afterwards explains to the Professor why the X-Men must go on when Prof X says it might be a good idea to actually give up on the dream and follow Magneto's way. The pupil switching places with the teacher.

Goshin

10-08-2009, 07:42 PM

Midnightblue

10-09-2009, 09:43 AM

I

Interesting fact: Gambit was originally supposed to be Longshot post-siege perlious but editors made Claremont pull him out for a Longshot ongoing that never happened, so Gambit ended up being his own character

WTF? I've never heard of that before. I thought Gambit was supposed to be a part of Sinister. Where did you read this?

limerick

10-09-2009, 11:27 AM

I like Cyclops from astonishing on up til now. He has more balls when Jean's not around. Fraction's Cyclops is like Byrne-era Cyclops, that's one of the few things I like about Uncanny right now.

Interesting fact: Gambit was originally supposed to be Longshot post-siege perlious but editors made Claremont pull him out for a Longshot ongoing that never happened, so Gambit ended up being his own character

WTF? I've never heard of that before. I thought Gambit was supposed to be a part of Sinister. Where did you read this?

That is interesting.....There are plenty of rumours on the internet about Longshot becoming Gambit.....But I think it was similarities between their powers and appearance that may have caused this

--A 'Gambit' means a 'Longshot,if you know what I mean.
--In later appearances Gambit has the 'eye-flash',like Longshot.
--Longshot fires his knives,Gambit fires his cards
--Both are pretty acrobatic.

A general consensus is that Longshot became Gambit after going through the Seige Perilous.....But he didn't go through it.....Neither he nor Storm did......Longshot just left.

I have seen footage on 'Youtube' of Claremont talking about Sinister and I think he may have mentioned that Gambit was a projection of Sinister.....It gets complicated.....I'll look into it more when Gambit does appear in # 266.

Goshin

10-09-2009, 11:33 AM

In Uncanny #266 Gambit threw Longshoit-style blades but switched to cards the next issue

limerick

10-09-2009, 11:40 AM

In Uncanny #266 Gambit threw Longshoit-style blades but switched to cards the next issue
Hi Goshin You're right-there are a lot of similarities between them but I don't think Claremont meant it that way......I'm sure Claremont does talk about Gambit being linked to Sinister in his original plans for Sinister(which is something else I must look into!)......But I hold my hands up that I could be wrong!.....I'm not 100 % positive of it....I'll try and get that you-tube link when I get to # 266

adamthered

10-09-2009, 01:08 PM

Hi Goshin You're right-there are a lot of similarities between them but I don't think Claremont meant it that way......I'm sure Claremont does talk about Gambit being linked to Sinister in his original plans for Sinister(which is something else I must look into!)......But I hold my hands up that I could be wrong!.....I'm not 100 % positive of it....I'll try and get that you-tube link when I get to # 266

I always thought both Gambit and Mr. Sinister were originally intended to be mental projections of that young mutant kid that was at the same orphanage as Scott. They had some back ups about the Sinister part of it in Classic X-Men and would explain why Gambit, as much as I've always like him, is a bit cheesy.

limerick

10-09-2009, 01:38 PM

I always thought both Gambit and Mr. Sinister were originally intended to be mental projections of that young mutant kid that was at the same orphanage as Scott. They had some back ups about the Sinister part of it in Classic X-Men and would explain why Gambit, as much as I've always like him, is a bit cheesy.
That's what I was thinking of right there,Adamthered.....That kid at the orphanage ages 1 year for everyone elses 10....Sinister and Gambit were meant to be projections of his.....But when Claremont left it was all ret-conned

limerick

10-09-2009, 05:31 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.256.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 256 ..............Late December 1989

"The Key That Breaks The Locke"

Claremont/Lee

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 256:

--WTF!!This story to this day completely confuses me......There are parts to it which I still can't make sense of and for that reason I haven't summarized it......I feel I lack enough comprehension of what's happening to properly summarize it.

--It starts reasonably clearly with Marsuo Tsurayaba confronting The Mandarin and offering him the services of The Hand as his bodyguards/enforcers(after killing his existing ones!)......More importantly,he offers the services of a telepath....Betsy Braddock...A.K.A. Psylocke

--Cut to an isolation tank where Betsy is being mentally conditioned by The Hand and Mandarin's men......In her mind she undergoes changes.....changes which result in her changing her physical appearance,so she appears of Asian origin.....She then begins hunting down her ex-team-mates and kills them,collecting powered rings from them as she does.....In the real world she then escapes but pleads allegiance to Mandarin,giving him the rings she won in her psychic battle(?????).

--What I can't comprehend is how Betsy is changed to having an Asian appearance......Matuso,at no time mentions that he will be sending her to The Body Shoppe or that he's even aware of her physical change......The sequence with Mojo and Spiral is a dream,isn't it??.....If it only occurs in her mind why is she transformed??....Reading this issue again has once more given me a headache.......Can anyone explain what's going on and I'll return with more general obsevations tomorrow.......Claremont,you really dropped the ball on this one!Probably my least favourite issue of Uncanny to date.(Despite Jim Lee's awesome art...more on that tomorrow!)

Goshin

10-09-2009, 06:08 PM

Makes no sense to me neither. Ever notice every major event in Betsy's life involves Spiral? She gave her bionic eyes and gave her ger codename, switched her to asian, then switched her back. Now we know who the biggest Psylocke fan is of them all.

limerick

10-10-2009, 09:52 AM

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 256:

--This issue was part of the 'Acts of Vengence' crossover where Marvels finest took on supervillains they were not normally associated with......The X-men,specifically Psylocke,Wolverine and Jubilee drew Mandarin,Iron Man's nemesis......I would normally have considered him underpowered to take on the X-men but their numbers are depleted making it a fairer fight......Interestingly.in the 'Cross-Time Caper' storyline ,currently ongoing in Excalibur at the same time,there was an 'Acts of Vengence' scenario in one of the parallel worlds a few issues ago.......One of that Earth's heroes(Captain America?)refers to the ongoing sperhero/supervillain battle specifically as 'Acts of Vengence'.......It seems a bit of a coincidence that a few months later this very similar scenario emerged across the Marvel titles.......Was the idea picked up from that Davis/Claremont issue?

--Awesome art from Jim Lee here,really eclipsing the work he was doing on Alpha Flight about a year beforehand.....Then,he seemed a reasonably competent artist but this issue really marks him out as becoming a potential superstar.....His style seems very reminiscent of Art Adams(see the Brian/Betsy childhood pages 6,8,9 in particular)and at times the difference between the two is hard to ascertain......Even Mojo looks just like Adams draws him.

--One particular frame stands out-----The beautiful bottom left frame on page 19.....The contrast between Peter's awesome physical frame and Betsy's athletic perfection is wonderful......I could stare at that picture for hours......The art does make up somewhat for the embarrassingly incomplete storyline.

--Once again Claremont goes overboard on the dream/psychic plane secquences......Since about issue 220 there has been a huge amount of action in Uncanny which has been taking place outside of reality.....I don't mind the odd issue of that nature but IMO there has been too much of it,especially when the ideas are poorly realised and communicated......I wondered was there a comunication problem between Silvestri and Claremont which resulted in some incompletion of ideas but after reading this I can see Slivestri may not have been contributing to the problem.

--Interestingly,when Betsy collects the 'rings' from her team-mates we are given a glance into where they have emerged from the Seige Perilous......Where she encounters them in her psychic conflict is actually where they are.......How does she know this......Is she still in pschic contact with them??.....Interestingly,she doesn't encounter Wolverine on her psychic travels?

--Another problem is regarding Betsy's deleted memories......Last issue on the Hand island she had no memory of who she was,her memories being erased by the Seige Perilous.......But in her 'Psychic' experience she has full memories of the X-men......Are the memories still present on a subconcious level??......I would have though the Seige Perilous would have been powerful enough to eliminate them completely.

--Interesting how comic prices have fluctuated through the years.....I remember this issue becoming very valuable,very quickly......Within a couple of years it was worth ten times it's cover cost during the Jim Lee mania period......But it's availible from one of the big internet retailers for $4.00 at the moment,so it really has slipped back again over the last few years.

Imraith Nimphais

10-10-2009, 11:15 AM

And thus begins one of the X-men's (and Marvel's) most convoluted and "wtf?" character developements...ev-errr.

My own personal take on Betsy's transformation...

She emerged from the SP a virtual tabula rasa (to use Claremont speak)...found by Matsuo...who recognised her and thinks he can use her as a weapon against the Mandarin. He takes advantage of the fact that she's unconcious/amnesiac (though this is not entirely true, for obvious reasons stated by you, Limerick) to change her into something closer to his liking and enlists the aid of Spiral and Mojo. The sequences depicting the physical alterations seem only "dream-like" in Betsy's mind but actually happened in her/our reality.
and believe you me...without being spoilerific...it get much much (worse?) more complicated.
ps. I personally think CC was overdosing on some sort of medication when he plotted this particular run of the UXM...and I'm not only referring to the Ninja-Betsy story-line.

pps...but the art is delicious!

limerick

10-10-2009, 07:20 PM

Goshin

10-10-2009, 08:00 PM

Matsuo found Mojo and Spiral on Facebook

limerick

10-11-2009, 01:29 AM

More connection probs,I'm afraid!

limerick

10-11-2009, 01:33 AM

Internets playing up--Double post!

limerick

10-11-2009, 01:33 AM

Triple post---Why always on Sunday mornings!

limerick

10-11-2009, 01:38 AM

lololo!:biggrin: .....It makes more sense that the explanation in the comic(i.e. none!)

limerick

10-11-2009, 01:43 AM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/4226/212854-185806-psylocke_super.jpg

Betsy's radical new appearance(by Silvestri)---Her outfit is minimal ,to say the least and really just about maintains her dignity(Not that she looks too worried).......The random circular pieces on her legs seem ridiculously impractical(But she is hot!!!)........The Hand appear to have run out of material before finishing!

limerick

10-11-2009, 06:48 AM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9241/476849-secret_six_01_page_01_super.jpg

The youthful South Korean native,Jim Lee,blew everyone away with his hugely improved stunning art on #256

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/215995-133300-psylocke_super.jpg

Psylocke wearing armour provided by The Hand---That headgear looks dangerous!

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/229/665794-5_super.jpg

Psylocke,as drawn by Jim Lee

worstblogever

10-11-2009, 06:55 AM

More Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 256:

--This issue was part of the 'Acts of Vengence' crossover where Marvels finest took on supervillains they were not normally associated with......The X-men,specifically Psylocke,Wolverine and Jubilee drew Mandarin,Iron Man's nemesis......I would normally have considered him underpowered to take on the X-men but their numbers are depleted making it a fairer fight......Interestingly.in the 'Cross-Time Caper' storyline ,currently ongoing in Excalibur at the same time,there was an 'Acts of Vengence' scenario in one of the parallel worlds a few issues ago.......One of that Earth's heroes(Captain America?)refers to the ongoing sperhero/supervillain battle specifically as 'Acts of Vengence'.......It seems a bit of a coincidence that a few months later this very similar scenario emerged across the Marvel titles.......Was the idea picked up from that Davis/Claremont issue?

--Awesome art from Jim Lee here,really eclipsing the work he was doing on Alpha Flight about a year beforehand.....Then,he seemed a reasonably competent artist but this issue really marks him out as becoming a potential superstar.....His style seems very reminiscent of Art Adams(see the Brian/Betsy childhood pages 6,8,9 in particular)and at times the difference between the two is hard to ascertain......Even Mojo looks just like Adams draws him.

--One particular frame stands out-----The beautiful bottom left frame on page 19.....The contrast between Peter's awesome physical frame and Betsy's athletic perfection is wonderful......I could stare at that picture for hours......The art does make up somewhat for the embarrassingly incomplete storyline.

--Once again Claremont goes overboard on the dream/psychic plane secquences......Since about issue 220 there has been a huge amount of action in Uncanny which has been taking place outside of reality.....I don't mind the odd issue of that nature but IMO there has been too much of it,especially when the ideas are poorly realised and communicated......I wondered was there a comunication problem between Silvestri and Claremont which resulted in some incompletion of ideas but after reading this I can see Slivestri may not have been contributing to the problem.

--Interestingly,when Betsy collects the 'rings' from her team-mates we are given a glance into where they have emerged from the Seige Perilous......Where she encounters them in her psychic conflict is actually where they are.......How does she know this......Is she still in pschic contact with them??.....Interestingly,she doesn't encounter Wolverine on her psychic travels?

--Another problem is regarding Betsy's deleted memories......Last issue on the Hand island she had no memory of who she was,her memories being erased by the Seige Perilous.......But in her 'Psychic' experience she has full memories of the X-men......Are the memories still present on a subconcious level??......I would have though the Seige Perilous would have been powerful enough to eliminate them completely.

This story is so botched. Okay, "Acts of Vengeance" means they're to fight an opponent they normally wouldn't. It's the Mandarin. And he's out to make a suddenly Asian Psylocke his bride. He's really not "fighting" the X-Men. I mean, we don't see Wolverine blasted with any of the Ten Rings, or anything (which I disagree, the Mandarin can be quite powerful in many appearances). It's still more about Matsuo than Mandy.

And then there's the appearance of something purple that will not be soon forgotten. With all the discussion about HOW exactly this happened, and the confusion surrounding such a transformation... it pretty much takes the entire "fighting a random foe" part of the story out.

The one upside, for me, is Jim Lee is the one drawing it. That's a welcome landmark to reach in the X-Mythos.

limerick

10-11-2009, 07:22 AM

This story is so botched. Okay, "Acts of Vengeance" means they're to fight an opponent they normally wouldn't. It's the Mandarin. And he's out to make a suddenly Asian Psylocke his bride. He's really not "fighting" the X-Men. I mean, we don't see Wolverine blasted with any of the Ten Rings, or anything (which I disagree, the Mandarin can be quite powerful in many appearances). It's still more about Matsuo than Mandy.

And then there's the appearance of something purple that will not be soon forgotten. With all the discussion about HOW exactly this happened, and the confusion surrounding such a transformation... it pretty much takes the entire "fighting a random foe" part of the story out.

The one upside, for me, is Jim Lee is the one drawing it. That's a welcome landmark to reach in the X-Mythos.
I have to admit I'm not that familiar with the Mandarin----I've only read him in this Uncanny story and an old Iron Man story from years before where Iron Man gave him a much needed Ass-kicking!.....I'll definitely bow to your superior knowledge on Mandarin....Sorry for not giving him the credit due!

worstblogever

10-11-2009, 07:24 AM

I have to admit I'm not that familiar with the Mandarin----I've only read him in this Uncanny story and an old Iron Man story from years before where Iron Man gave him a much needed Ass-kicking!.....I'll definitely bow to your superior knowledge on Mandarin....Sorry for not giving him the credit due!

Oh yeah. Mandarin's Rings are seriously nothing to screw with. Check out their entry on Marvel.com

http://marvel.com/universe/Mandarin's_Rings

limerick

10-11-2009, 07:30 AM

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/77/636104-mand_super.jpg

Those Mandarin rings in full---As WBE says,not to be trifled with!

worstblogever

10-11-2009, 07:32 AM

Mandarin's outfit, though... that should be trifled with. No wonder you don't take him seriously, limerick. Makes sense.

limerick

10-11-2009, 07:38 AM

Ha,ha....very true!

limerick

10-11-2009, 02:55 PM

WELCOME TO THE 1990'S,EVERYBODY!!

I know the issue dating isn't quite correct with real time(issues dates are approx 2 months ahead of real time)but I have finally brought the ongoing X-Book 'FROM THE BEGINNING' Threads all up to December 1989......So from now on it's into the frenetic era of the 90's.....Uncanny and The New Mutants,in particular will face huge changes soon with X-Factor not too far behind.......The end of the 1980's leaves the X-Books in only average condition---It's certainly not a glory period for the books by any manner of means.......Will that change?....I'm reading on to see!

--Uncanny---Awesome art from Silvestri and Jim Lee but Claremont is taking his eye off the ball a little with confusing plots and too many plot threads.
--X-Factor---Trapped in Outer Space 'Judgement War' hell with Paul Smith's art being a little disappointing.
--New Mutants---How this book has fallen from grace.....Although I must say it doesn't read as bad as I remember,it's still pretty bad!
--Wolverine---Thankfully,finding it's feet after Claremont ran out of steam with a strict adherence to the Madripoor scenario---so much so ,that it seemed like an alternate Universe at times.Archie Goodwin and John Byrne arrive to save the day(but unfortunately,don't stay too long!)
--Excalibur---In the middle of 'The Cross-Time Caper'.....The talents of Alan Davis are so impressive but the title is lost when he skips an issue which he does occasionally----The quality he produces means his output is lower than some
--Alpha Flight---Unfortunately,I'm over a year behind...Sorry!(Not that too many are watching,anyway.....I will get back to this thread soon,I promise!)

limerick

10-11-2009, 03:04 PM

Where's my last post gone??!.....Damn Sunday internet connections!

limerick

10-11-2009, 03:05 PM

Am I the only one who can't see post # 2926??.....Help someone,I spent ages typing it!

alf_to_the_rescue

10-11-2009, 03:09 PM

Am I the only one who can't see post # 2926??.....Help someone,I spent ages typing it!

It's there, it's there, calm down. I'm here to make everything ok.

WELCOME TO THE 1990'S,EVERYBODY!!

I know the issue dating isn't quite correct with real time(issues dates are approx 2 months ahead of real time)but I have finally brought the ongoing X-Book 'FROM THE BEGINNING' Threads all up to December 1989......So from now on it's into the frenetic era of the 90's.....Uncanny and The New Mutants,in particular will face huge changes soon with X-Factor not too far behind.......The end of the 1980's leaves the X-Books in only average condition---It's certainly not a glory period for the books by any manner of means.......Will that change?....I'm reading on to see!

--Uncanny---Awesome art from Silvestri and Jim Lee but Claremont is taking his eye off the ball a little with confusing plots and too many plot threads.
--X-Factor---Trapped in Outer Space 'Judgement War' hell with Paul Smith's art being a little disappointing.
--New Mutants---How this book has fallen from grace.....Although I must say it doesn't read as bad as I remember,it's still pretty bad!
--Wolverine---Thankfully,finding it's feet after Claremont ran out of steam with a strict adherence to the Madripoor scenario---so much so ,that it seemed like an alternate Universe at times.Archie Goodwin and John Byrne arrive to save the day(but unfortunately,don't stay too long!)
--Excalibur---In the middle of 'The Cross-Time Caper'.....The talents of Alan Davis are so impressive but the title is lost when he skips an issue which he does occasionally----The quality he produces means his output is lower than some
--Alpha Flight---Unfortunately,I'm over a year behind...Sorry!(Not that too many are watching,anyway.....I will get back to this thread soon,I promise!)

coveredinbees

10-11-2009, 03:10 PM

WELCOME TO THE 1990'S,EVERYBODY!!
No! I don't want to! Take it back!!!

limerick

10-11-2009, 03:15 PM

It's there, it's there, calm down. I'm here to make everything ok.

Whew!!Thanks alf...you're always there to help me out in a fix---it's back now---that was really weird...As if the 80's didn't want to say goodbye!!Thanks again!

No! I don't want to! Take it back!!!

No...you must look---the horror cannot be avoided!

adamthered

10-12-2009, 07:45 AM

Yeah, but we have like 20 months to go before X-Force 1 and X-men 1 in all their glory! We're all still safe until then :biggrin:

limerick

10-12-2009, 01:16 PM

X-Force # 1----I sense the patter of tiny feet!

Imraith Nimphais

10-12-2009, 02:07 PM

Jim Lee is a cuteness...8-))

Joey

10-13-2009, 03:01 PM

256 IS one of the most confusing issues ever in the X series. To this day I still can't quite make out how things actually happened. The art was EXCELLENT though.

limerick

10-13-2009, 03:10 PM

256 IS one of the most confusing issues ever in the X series. To this day I still can't quite make out how things actually happened. The art was EXCELLENT though.
Hi,Joey.....My head hurt when I read it......The awesome art makes it all the more frustrating as you so want it to make sense......I think readers shouldn't have to fill the gaps for important occurances--i.e.How Betsy comes to get her new look.....it's so unclear!

Imraith Nimphais

10-13-2009, 03:35 PM

Hi,Joey.....My head hurt when I read it......The awesome art makes it all the more frustrating as you so want it to make sense......I think readers shouldn't have to fill the gaps for important occurances--i.e.How Betsy comes to get her new look.....it's so unclear!

Well...Claremont (or someone else?) does make an attempt to clarify that particular "break in transmission" somewhere down the line...but the "why and how of it all" fell way short of interesting and the entire scenario still remains unclear, even to this day...definitely not one of CC's laudable efforts :frown:

MartinRedmond

10-13-2009, 03:52 PM

limerick

10-13-2009, 04:19 PM

256 is another favorite of mine. ♥[♥♥ Betsy is being recast as an assassin for the Hand. They have her kill off and cast away everything that was important to her. I hadn't even read the Captain Britain stories then, but I understood her past life was being cleaned up. Spiral and Mojo are along for the ride because her eyes had been broadcasting a show on Mojoworld for a while now. So they'd know something exciting was happening to her.

From now on, the book's on fire up til 274, as far as I'm concerned.
But that whole passage takes place in her head doesn't it?....She certainly doesn't face the X-men for real.....If she's changed by Mojo in reality,why isn't that shown.....All we get is some dream/psychic sequence mumbo jumbo----Help me here,Martin,if it's clear to you!

limerick

10-13-2009, 04:22 PM

And actually,you raise an interesting point.....If the X-men are invisible to all technology,what exactly has Betsy been broadcasting!...Certainly not any images of the X-men or even her own reflection.....The way I see it,Mojo's ratings should be plummeting!

MartinRedmond

10-13-2009, 04:25 PM

But that whole passage takes place in her head doesn't it?....She certainly doesn't face the X-men for real.....If she's changed by Mojo in reality,why isn't that shown.....All we get is some dream/psychic sequence mumbo jumbo----Help me here,Martin,if it's clear to you!

The room is full of psychics. Spiral is a witch for hire. What more explanation do you need? ;D I haven't read it in a while, but I'm sure it's mentioned several times that she is being brainwashed by professionals.

Goshin

10-13-2009, 04:28 PM

1990 was a shitty year for all the X-titles except Excalibur.

limerick

10-13-2009, 04:32 PM

But Spiral and Mojo are not physically in the room,they only feature in her 'dream'...There is no acknowledgement by Matsuo to Mandarin how she was transformed.....There is also no surprise at her new appearance so her physical change has occured 'off-screen'......I understand this sequence is,as you say,to strip her of her former values......But the physical change is completely passed over.

limerick

10-13-2009, 04:35 PM

The room is full of psychics. Spiral is a witch for hire. What more explanation do you need? ;D I haven't read it in a while, but I'm sure it's mentioned several times that she is being brainwashed by professionals.
Basically,what I'm saying is that the physical transmutation of Betsy is a huge event and I feel we should see how it comes about....It's not explained--just left dangling there......We're left to make assumptions about it which may not be true......There's too much open to interpretation....I'm all for reader participation but that's taking it a bit too far!

limerick

10-13-2009, 04:36 PM

1990 was a shitty year for all the X-titles except Excalibur.
You're not inspiring me with enthusiasm for the weeks ahead,Goshin!

Anodyne

10-13-2009, 07:57 PM

256 is another favorite of mine. ♥[♥♥ Betsy is being recast as an assassin for the Hand. They have her kill off and cast away everything that was important to her. I hadn't even read the Captain Britain stories then, but I understood her past life was being cleaned up. Spiral and Mojo are along for the ride because her eyes had been broadcasting a show on Mojoworld for a while now. So they'd know something exciting was happening to her.
:confused: I thought the show was canceled when Psylocke died in Dallas. IIRC Mojo created the X-Babies as a replacement because he was no longer getting feeds from Betsy's eyes.

O.T. Is it just me and my computer, or are others getting "Fatal Error" messages when they try to connect to Comixfan?

Midnightblue

10-14-2009, 07:01 AM

early 1990's were perfect!:smile:

limerick

10-14-2009, 12:25 PM

MartinRedmond,after your post yesterday I was trying to clear up things in my head about what's happened to Betsy since she went through the Seige...So I think it goes a little like this

--Wakes up on The Hand island devoid of memory.
--The Hand recognise her and ring her to Spiral's Body Shoppe where she is transformed into an Asian version of herself.
--Her existence is revealed to Mandarin who does a deal with The Hand.
--The Hand and Mandarin utilise Psychics and sensory deprevation techniques to strip her of her former memories.
--She emerges at the end of the process loyal to Mandarin.
I think that more or .less sums up what happens--some 'off-screen',some 'on-screen' in issue # 255 & # 256.

But the following are what I found confusing about the whole thing:

--Why has Betsy memories of her childhood,family and The X-men to erase--haven't her memories been deleted.
--How does she know the new locations of the X-men.
--She collects the rings from the X-men in her psycic conflicts....How do the rings become real(when she hands them to Mandarin)?

I think this issue looks amazing..reall,really great but the story is only slightly less frustrating than when I first read it(That's thanks to yourself and other posters clearing up a few things for me!)

limerick

10-14-2009, 12:27 PM

early 1990's were perfect!:smile:
Hi,Midnightblue.....I think everyone will have a different favourite period of the X-men for different reasons but most people will warm to the period they first read....I know that's the case for me...Is it for you?(early 1990's?)

limerick

10-14-2009, 12:30 PM

:confused: I thought the show was canceled when Psylocke died in Dallas. IIRC Mojo created the X-Babies as a replacement because he was no longer getting feeds from Betsy's eyes.

O.T. Is it just me and my computer, or are others getting "Fatal Error" messages when they try to connect to Comixfan?
I tried connecting just now and it worked fine??

limerick

10-14-2009, 12:44 PM

http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/97792366288.257.GIF

Uncanny X-Men # 257 ...............January 1990

"Lady Mandarin"

Claremont/Lee

Hong Kong:Betsy,dressed in a new Lady Mandarin guise meets the lords of the Hong Kong Underworld......She tells them they should return to their old allegiances where they were subservient to Mandarin......The Crime Lords laugh her off,berating Mandarin as a failure who couldn't deal with America's 'weakest' hero......The tell her to clear out or learn a lesson she won't ever forget......She tells them they'll bethe ones learning the lesson.

The Crime Lords henchmen move to attack her but despite being hugely outnumbered,she easily overcomes them with a combination of her telepathic powers and the Mandarin Rings......Admitting defeat,the Crime Lords swear allegiance to Mandarin.....After they leave,Psylocke laughs manically at the thrill of exerting power.

Hong Kong Bay:Jubilee and Wolverine arrive in Hong Kong via a junkboat.....They are boarded by the Water Police but Wolvie is wearing his 'Patch' 'disguise':rolleyes: ,which seems to carry some weight.....They let them about their business.......But Wolverine collapses.....He's hurt bad from his ordeal in Australia and his healing factor is struggling to get him back in shape......Also,he's delusional and is seeing visions of Carol Danvers and Nick Fury.......Jubilee is worried by the situation and can only look on helplessly as he holds a full blown conversation with fresh air.

Cairo,Illinois:A youthful Storm stands outside a television store in the pouring rain at night......She watches a news broadcast where Inspector Reisz blames her for the death of a doctor at the General Hospital......Storm is upset,knowing that Reisz himself carried out the killing......She is confused as 'Cairo' is nothing like she remembers.....Just then a patrol car passes and they chase her down a dead-end alley......But she manages to hide from them and avoid capture......She shivers in her hiding place,both from the cold and from the thought of Reisz catching her.

Hong Kong:Logan takes Jubilee to the offices of Landau,Luckman & Lake where he is greeted by an old friend,Rose.......While Logan and Rose talk tactics,Rose's grandaughter,Ruth,takes Jubilee to see the sights.....Logan tells Rose he's looking for the X-men and needs something here to help him......She tells him that the Mandarin has seized control of the Underworld and the locals aren't happy......The city's Crime Lords are ready to blow!

The Hand's South Sea Island:In a huge anti-gravity training room,Psylocke pits herself against some of The Hand's assassins.......She manages to defeat them but fails to sense Matsuo Tsurayaba who creeps up behind her and holds a knife to her throat......She apologies for her failure and finishes her training.......Later,in her quarters Matsuo orders her to head back to Hong Kong to track an emissary of Tyger Tiger called 'Patch'.

Downtown Hong Kong:Jubilee and Ruth have a few verbals with a few local homeboys......As they laugh about it they are kidnapped by unseen hands(pun intended!).

Moira MacTaggert's Research Centre,Muir Isle:Banshee,Forge and Moira talk about the defense systems which Forge is installing....They are almost ready for testing......As Moira leaves Forge comments to Banshee that he's a lucky man......Sean wonders to himself about about the changes in Moira and what is causing them.......He asks Forgwe to build a back door into the security system so that the two of them can enter no matter what happens......Outside the room,Polaris wonders how much she has caused the negative actions of people around her.......Suddenly,Daniel Haller seizes control of her mind,telling her she's gonna help him take over the island!

Hong Kong Bay:Wolvie has a smoke on the boat's deck as he waits for Jubilee to return......He's getting worried about her......He's feeling sick from the strong cigar as his immune system is unable to cope with it at the moment......He dumps the butt overboard and heads below deck.....Seconds later,the deck is swamped by Hand assassins ready to capture him......But Wolvie suddenly bursts out wearing his Madripoor costume and defies his poor health by laying into the goons......Suddenly,Lady Mandarin appears with Jubilee under her power......But Wolvie doesn't hold back and goes for Betsy,cutting the mask off her face with his claws.......When he sees her face,he hesitates in shock at the change in his former team-mate.......But the delay is his undoing and Betsy fries him with her psychic knife.......The mental connection established between them lets her know Patch's real identity--Wolverine.......As he lies comatose on the ground,she promises The Hand will have revenge over it's greatest enemy!

FIN

Joey

10-14-2009, 01:34 PM

one of my FAVE X-Men covers

also loving Jubilee during this period

Goshin

10-14-2009, 02:00 PM

Filthy Mutie

10-14-2009, 02:16 PM

Betsy shoulda kept that armor right there as an homage to her original armor.

I like that she dons this armor when she's prancing around in the Astral Plane.

Goshin

10-14-2009, 02:18 PM

I like that she dons this armor when she's prancing around in the Astral Plane.

Helping save poor Jean from the Shadow King lol:evilsmile:

limerick

10-14-2009, 04:57 PM

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 257:

--As you say,Joey,that's an awesome cover......Betsy looks menacing......Wolvie on the otherhand looks surprisingly peaceful and youthful--Definitely in better shape than in the issue where Lee is very successful at conveying how beat up he is....He looks like shit!

--In the early pages Betsy shows how powerful she s in her new Lady Mandarin persona.....Those Mandarin rings are the business.....BTW,later in the issue,Matuso says Mandarin is away in the States trying to battle American superheroes......But how can he without the rings?!......Does he have two sets?(I doubt it?)

--The letterers are listed as 'All Available',whatever that means......Was Tom O. away and everybody just chipped in?......Or maybe it's a typo because it sure does lok like Tom O's lettering to me.

--Wolvie's back in his Patch guise but I think this is the irst time he's appeared as such in Uncanny......He seems to have quite a reputation as 'Patch',even in Hong Kong......Maybe he would have been better going without the eyepatch because in the end it just drew more attention to him.

--That picture of Rose and Logan on page 16 is strange....there's a suggestion that this picture may be taken in the future.....Another dead-end teaser plot,probably!

--Betsy's ribbon leg bits on her non-armour costume are just weird...hot but weird.

--Stunning art again from Lee--The man is awesome......And Claremont was back on form again here setting up a nice Madripoor-type scenario.....This was a great issue...keep 'em coming!

limerick

10-14-2009, 05:02 PM

Pedantic Pat's Corner---Uncanny # 257

--Betsy learns Patch is Wolverine at the end when she uses her psychic knife on him......But why doesn't she learn who she really is from his memories and react to it?...

A No-Prize to any decent explanations!

---

matthewaos

10-14-2009, 05:45 PM

I think the explanation was that his memories were blocked. I might be wrong.

Imraith Nimphais

10-14-2009, 05:51 PM

Claremont was off his meds that day?...(kidding!...kinda/sorta)

Anodyne

10-14-2009, 06:25 PM

I tried connecting just now and it worked fine??
:smile: Whatever the problem was, It's fixed now. EDIT: fixed on Wednesday, back on Thursday. :frown: As long as it's not my computer that's at fault... :cool:
Betsy shoulda kept that armor right there as an homage to her original armor.
I liked the reason given for Betsy's original armor: symbolic of her inner steel. Someone has the exact wording in their sig quote.

Can anyone recall the details of, and the creative teams involved in, the conflicting accounts of Betsy's Caucasion to Asian transformation? All I recall is that one writer unknowingly tried to explain what another writer had already explained. Kwannon was either part of the solution or part of the problem; I forget which.

Joey

10-15-2009, 02:38 PM

question about the issue (I just re-read it last night)

how does Rose see Carol sitting on the couch? I never read Logan's solo book so I'm not up to speed on the Rose character.

limerick

10-15-2009, 03:29 PM

I noticed that too!.....I thought that she may have been referring to some action she had with Logan on the couch years ago....".I believe there's room...ahem...on my couch for two".....But that's a bit of a stretch.....It's kinda weird really?......I'm not sure how she could be seeing Carol?

Re:Rose....She hasn't featured in Wolverine's ongoing title up to now(issue # 20).....She's a new character I think.

limerick

10-15-2009, 03:30 PM

I think the explanation was that his memories were blocked. I might be wrong.
I think there may be some resolution in the next issue,not complete but some(i.e. I had a peek at #258!)

limerick

10-15-2009, 03:32 PM

:smile: Whatever the problem was, It's fixed now. EDIT: fixed on Wednesday, back on Thursday. :frown: As long as it's not my computer that's at fault... :cool:

I liked the reason given for Betsy's original armor: symbolic of her inner steel. Someone has the exact wording in their sig quote.

Can anyone recall the details of, and the creative teams involved in, the conflicting accounts of Betsy's Caucasion to Asian transformation? All I recall is that one writer unknowingly tried to explain what another writer had already explained. Kwannon was either part of the solution or part of the problem; I forget which.
Anodyne,sorry,I don't know those details off hand.

Goshin

10-15-2009, 03:53 PM

What if Betsy Braddock became a stereotypical ghetto black chick with purple hair (like Lil Kim)?

I woulda been pissed. I know some asians that got pissed over Psylocke

MartinRedmond

10-15-2009, 04:17 PM

Everythin she owned'd be custom made.

Pedantic Pat's Corner---Uncanny # 257

--Betsy learns Patch is Wolverine at the end when she uses her psychic knife on him......But why doesn't she learn who she really is from his memories and react to it?...

A No-Prize to any decent explanations!

---

Contact from the knife jared her memories opened. She was kind of busy carrying out her mission before that if I recall.

limerick

10-15-2009, 05:14 PM

Everythin she owned'd be custom made.

Contact from the knife jared her memories opened. She was kind of busy carrying out her mission before that if I recall.
When she makes contact with Wolverine using the psychic knife she establishes a psychic rapport with him......From this rapport she learns he is Wolverine rather than 'Patch'.....But Wolverine's last thought before she fried him was that she was his team-mate,Betsy--He had just realised that she was one of the X-men......Why didn't she pick that up from her rapport with him?.....Remember it was the thought at the forefront of his mind.

limerick

10-16-2009, 01:57 PM

My apologizes if this has been attempted before, but taking the idea from Gilda Dent, I'd like to read X-Men from the beginning. I'd like to start with the 1963 Original 5 and read from there.

Reading one issue a day (skipping the reprint issues), and posting a review here. Trying to read them like a new reader would, discovering each issue for the first time. Everyone at CBR is welcomed and encouraged to join in. I know this may be too ambitious to complete, but I want to give it a try!

The only rule I'd like to have is no mention be made of later events. As though those events haven't happened yet. Each review mentions the issue and ones published before it, and that is it.

X-Men From the Beginning!!
I'm off to read Uncanny X-Men #1 and post my review. :)

Poor Davd R.:frown: .....I worry about that guy......He hasn't posted in months now and I'm afraid something bad may have happened to him.......He had P.M.'d me ,before he stopped posting ,that he was suffering from poor health....Here's hoping he's okay.

alf_to_the_rescue

10-16-2009, 02:36 PM

Poor Davd R.:frown: .....I worry about that guy......He hasn't posted in months now and I'm afraid something bad may have happened to him.......He had P.M.'d me ,before he stopped posting ,that he was suffering from poor health....If you believe in that kinda thing say a prayer for him will you?.....Thanks.

Do not worry. X-Men Forever is keeping him healthy on Comix fan. He has been posting there.

limerick

10-16-2009, 05:39 PM

Hey,really...That's good to hear!:biggrin:

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 12:17 AM

Need some help? I've get every Uncanny and am getting "the itch" to dig in this Winter...

And what an era upcoming!

limerick

10-17-2009, 01:37 AM

Need some help? I've get every Uncanny and am getting "the itch" to dig in this Winter...

And what an era upcoming!
All help very much appreciated!......Any comments/background details etc gladly accepted.....Or if you'd like to summarize some issues that'd be great.....It would allow me more time to summarize for the other threads and just move things along quicker.....:biggrin:

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 01:46 AM

Cool! I'll give one a shot every now and then when I can.

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 02:36 AM

http://www.nexternal.com/dreamland/images/258.jpg

The Uncanny X-Men #258

"Broken Chains" - Acts of Vengeance Tie-In

by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee

Matsuo Tsurayaba forces Jubilee to watch as Wolverine's psyche is twisted inside a sensory deprivation tank, using Psylocke's telepathic abilities to reform Logan into a Hand assassin. Jubilee stages an escape and really shines, using her "fireworks" to get past the ninja assassins, only to run into The Mandarin. She is ready to fight, but Mandarin uses his Mento-Intensifier Ring to subdue her. The Hand are also quickly taken down by Mandarin, who lets Matsuo know he is most displeased to have been attacked.

On Muir Island, Banshee plays "guinea pig" to Forge's new defense systems. Sean dislikes the new blue & gold X-Men uniforms everyone is sporting and notices the strange behavior of the inhabitants. Meanwhile, the evil Jack Wayne personality of Legion keeps Polaris prisoner inside the old "Mutant X" holding area. This side of Legion's psyche has been influencing the Muir Island inhabitants.

At the Mandarin's home, he has Jubilee dressed in traditional Chinese garb and face paint. She isn't interested in becoming a member of his loyal Chinese army and sticks her tongue out at him in a cute scene.

In Wolverine's mind, Psylocke taunts him with a hybrid image of Jean Grey, Mariko Yashida, and Yukio. Psylocke reveals herself and delivers a Psychic Knife to Logan. This causes Psylocke great pain, tapping into Logan's brain, and she begins to fight with images of Carol Danvers & Nick Fury. With Psylocke's attention diverted, Wolverine comes to his sense and breaks free of the deprivation chamber. Wolverine and Psylocke have a final battle off-panel.

Psylocke brings an "unconscious" Wolverine to the Mandarin's home, where he tells her to kill him. Jubilee, emotionally distraut, cuts loose and blows up a large chunk of the home! Psylocke reveals herself free of The Hand's control and attacks the Mandarin, but he quickly overpowers her. Psylocke is able to briefly negate Mandarin's ability to use his rings, having worn them herself, and allow Wolverine to get the drop on Mandarin and bring the fight to a stalemate.

Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee take a boat home. Jubilee finds Psylocke's breaking free of the Hand's mental control to be questionable and doesn't trust her. Psylocke talks to Wolverine about both of their fragile mental states. She blames herself for the X-Men being lost to the Siege Perilous. Wolverine tells her that she can make up for it, but Psylocke isn't sure she can even trust herself.

END.

Thoughts: This was a good resolution to this story. The art was, of course, top notch and I enjoyed Claremont's writing. There were some great Jubilee moments and lots of foreshadowing to the future (Wolverine needing Professor X's help with his memories, Psylocke's shadyness, Jubilee's potential, and the corruption of Muir Island). Matsuo's use of the "Act of Vengeance" phrase came naturally, too. I always like when Mandarin specifically states which ring he is using as he fires it, which he did three times. This was the type of action-packed story with a somewhat convoluted plot resolution (Betsy's tapping into Wolverine's memories "awakening" both of them) you'd see on a good episode of Fox's X-Men series. Good stuff.

Milestones: First time Banshee and Forge wear the "Blue & Gold" X-Men Costumes

Repinted in: X-Men Visionaries: Jim Lee TPB, X-Men: Mutations TPB, and the Uncanny X-Men: Acts of Vengeance TPB. Get the Jim Lee one. It apparently will NOT be in the upcoming Acts of Vengeance Omnibus coming out in March 2010.

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 02:47 AM

Frozen triple post!

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 02:47 AM

Frozen triple post!

worstblogever

10-17-2009, 03:28 AM

Matsuo Tsurayaba forces Jubilee to watch as Wolverine's psyche is twisted inside a sensory deprivation tank, using Psylocke's telepathic abilities to reform Logan into a Hand assassin. Jubilee stages an escape and really shines, using her "fireworks" to get past the ninja assassins, only to run into The Mandarin. She is ready to fight, but Mandarin uses his Mento-Intensifier Ring to subdue her. The Hand are also quickly taken down by Mandarin, who lets Matsuo know he is most displeased to have been attacked.

At the Mandarin's home, he has Jubilee dressed in traditional Chinese garb and face paint. She isn't interested in becoming a member of his loyal Chinese army and sticks her tongue out at him in a cute scene.

Like it's not bad enough that these two are racist caricatures, they insist on making other characters ones, as well. Wonderful.

Psylocke brings an "unconscious" Wolverine to the Mandarin's home, where he tells her to kill him. Jubilee, emotionally distraut, cuts loose and blows up a large chunk of the home! Psylocke reveals herself free of The Hand's control and attacks the Mandarin, but he quickly overpowers her. Psylocke is able to briefly negate Mandarin's ability to use his rings, having worn them herself, and allow Wolverine to get the drop on Mandarin and bring the fight to a stalemate.

Two X-Men and a teen mutant just added to the team fight the Mandarin, with all 10 rings to a standstill. Hell of a showing.

limerick

10-17-2009, 04:20 AM

http://www.nexternal.com/dreamland/images/258.jpg

The Uncanny X-Men #258

"Broken Chains" - Acts of Vengeance Tie-In

by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee

Matsuo Tsurayaba forces Jubilee to watch as Wolverine's psyche is twisted inside a sensory deprivation tank, using Psylocke's telepathic abilities to reform Logan into a Hand assassin. Jubilee stages an escape and really shines, using her "fireworks" to get past the ninja assassins, only to run into The Mandarin. She is ready to fight, but Mandarin uses his Mento-Intensifier Ring to subdue her. The Hand are also quickly taken down by Mandarin, who lets Matsuo know he is most displeased to have been attacked.

On Muir Island, Banshee plays "guinea pig" to Forge's new defense systems. Sean dislikes the new blue & gold X-Men uniforms everyone is sporting and notices the strange behavior of the inhabitants. Meanwhile, the evil Jack Wayne personality of Legion keeps Polaris prisoner inside the old "Mutant X" holding area. This side of Legion's psyche has been influencing the Muir Island inhabitants.

At the Mandarin's home, he has Jubilee dressed in traditional Chinese garb and face paint. She isn't interested in becoming a member of his loyal Chinese army and sticks her tongue out at him in a cute scene.

In Wolverine's mind, Psylocke taunts him with a hybrid image of Jean Grey, Mariko Yashida, and Yukio. Psylocke reveals herself and delivers a Psychic Knife to Logan. This causes Psylocke great pain, tapping into Logan's brain, and she begins to fight with images of Carol Danvers & Nick Fury. With Psylocke's attention diverted, Wolverine comes to his sense and breaks free of the deprivation chamber. Wolverine and Psylocke have a final battle off-panel.

Psylocke brings an "unconscious" Wolverine to the Mandarin's home, where he tells her to kill him. Jubilee, emotionally distraut, cuts loose and blows up a large chunk of the home! Psylocke reveals herself free of The Hand's control and attacks the Mandarin, but he quickly overpowers her. Psylocke is able to briefly negate Mandarin's ability to use his rings, having worn them herself, and allow Wolverine to get the drop on Mandarin and bring the fight to a stalemate.

Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee take a boat home. Jubilee finds Psylocke's breaking free of the Hand's mental control to be questionable and doesn't trust her. Psylocke talks to Wolverine about both of their fragile mental states. She blames herself for the X-Men being lost to the Siege Perilous. Wolverine tells her that she can make up for it, but Psylocke isn't sure she can even trust herself.

END.

Thoughts: This was a good resolution to this story. The art was, of course, top notch and I enjoyed Claremont's writing. There were some great Jubilee moments and lots of foreshadowing to the future (Wolverine needing Professor X's help with his memories, Psylocke's shadyness, Jubilee's potential, and the corruption of Muir Island). Matsuo's use of the "Act of Vengeance" phrase came naturally, too. I always like when Mandarin specifically states which ring he is using as he fires it, which he did three times. This was the type of action-packed story with a somewhat convoluted plot resolution (Betsy's tapping into Wolverine's memories "awakening" both of them) you'd see on a good episode of Fox's X-Men series. Good stuff.

Milestones: First appearance of modern Blue & Gold X-Men uniforms

Repinted in: X-Men Visionaries: Jim Lee TPB, X-Men: Mutations TPB, and the Uncanny X-Men: Acts of Vengeance TPB. Get the Jim Lee one. It apparently will NOT be in the upcoming Acts of Vengeance Omnibus coming out in March 2010.
Thanks for the brilliant summary,Astonishing!.....just post an issue anytime you like.....The same goes for anyone else.....If you want to summarize an issue in any of the threads just help yourself or P.M. me.....As I say the more people summarize the quicker things move on......Thanks again!

limerick

10-17-2009, 04:49 AM

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 258:

--My own personal copy of this was delivered from a Marvel suscription and as with all my Marvels I recieved that year it was a little ragged around the edges:mad: ,which is a shame because this comic just looks so beautiful.....The art is incredible from the first page with yogaing Logan looking serene and deadly at the same time like a cobra ready to strike......Other standout pages are page 4(where Wolverine 'cuts' through the page) and page 6 where the first panel of Wolvie shows Lee can vary his style.

--Jubilee's new costume(introduced last issue?)is copyright breakingly close to 'Robin's' of Batman fame.....I'm sure this is intended but does anyone know why?.....She shows her powers are considerable when she destroys Mandarins house with a fierce burst--This girl is not to be underestimated!

--And Psylocke looks amazing....I would gladly let her kick my ass around if she was wearing that outfit(Sounding a bit like Imraith there!!:biggrin: ).....She also produces one of her trademark 'vagina-kicks'(That's someone elses term!)for the first time on page 25!

--Wolverine also makes a playful reference to the Batman movie on page 29 where he quotes Jack Nicholson's Joker as he holds his claws to Mandarin's neck......For younger readers who may not have been old enough at the time,this movie was HUGE and ,in a way,changed the way a lot of non-fans looked at comic books.....For the first time comics were seen as something which wee reasonable for adults to have an interest in......And the success of the movie launched a series of Superhero films which continues to this day.

--On the last page Betsy tells Wolverine---'IT'S MY DOING THE X-MEN WERE CAST THROUGH THE SEIGE PERILOUS'....But how can she remember this,she's lost all her memories when she went through the Seige.....I'm confused:confused: ....Has she got her memories back and if so,how?

--Astonishing,you refer to this as the fisrt appearance of these new costumes but are they different from the ones they used when battling the Reavers on Muir Isle(were those ones black and yellow?)....But Lorna is definitely wearing this newer version when she is mentally attacked by Legion last issue.....(Sorry,I'm a nerd!:biggrin: )

--Legion(Jack Wayne's personality) mentions that he's gained control of David's body and mind due to Polaris....She definitely is causing some kind of effect on people.....But is the change we see in Moira due to Polaris or Legion?

limerick

10-17-2009, 04:56 AM

Like it's not bad enough that these two are racist caricatures, they insist on making other characters ones, as well. Wonderful.

Two X-Men and a teen mutant just added to the team fight the Mandarin, with all 10 rings to a standstill. Hell of a showing.
I think this was why I referred to thev Mandarin as kinda easy pickings before.....they overcome him so easily.....But his rings do seem really powerful and he is certainly a cool foe.....(Looks a lot better than before too!)

Goshin

10-17-2009, 05:19 AM

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 06:02 AM

--On the last page Betsy tells Wolverine---'IT'S MY DOING THE X-MEN WERE CAST THROUGH THE SEIGE PERILOUS'....But how can she remember this,she's lost all her memories when she went through the Seige.....I'm confused ....Has she got her memories back and if so,how?

Go back to #256. She mentions the Siege Perilous as her mind is being tampered with, when she's "killing" the different X-Men. I'm guessing her memory of the SP was there and restored to help with brain-washing her, maybe using her guilt?

--Astonishing,you refer to this as the fisrt appearance of these new costumes but are they different from the ones they used when battling the Reavers on Muir Isle(were those ones black and yellow?)....But Lorna is definitely wearing this newer version when she is mentally attacked by Legion last issue.....(Sorry,I'm a nerd! )

Just went through like every issue. Hoo boy...

#254 - The Muir Island Team wears the old "Black & Gold" New Mutants costumes. Polaris wears a modified version of the "Black & Gold" for her large frame, with the yellow reaching the shoulders. Step 1 in the re-design process. Oddly, in #254, Polaris is accidently drawn wearing BOTH costumes throughout the issue...sometimes in the same scene! It's like they accidently drew her in the one with the Gold reaching the shoulders, because in most of #254 and ALL of #255, she's in the old New Mutants costume. And her updated "Black & Gold" costume lacks the boots and gloves that would be designed 3 issues later with the "Blue & Gold" one.

#255 - Polaris & Banshee wear the old-school Black & Gold New Mutants costumes.

#257 - Polaris debuts the 1990 "Blue & Gold" X-Men uniform and is captured by Legion.

#258 - Forge and Banshee debut their trademark 1990 "Blue & Gold" X-Men costumes.

#261 - Banshee adds the striped yellow cape back he had with his Green & Yellow costume.

#262 - Straps and buckles appear on the boots and gloves.

#272 - The final versions debut. Straps on the neck, on the thighs, boots, and gloves. The entire X-Men team wear them at the Mansion. Forge & Banshee's costumes now have opened collars.

I think the "Blue & Gold" modern costumes, which were tight leather, originally came about because of Legion's evil side caused Moira to subconsciously tailor a provocative look for the team. Banshee alludes to this as he dislikes the designs in #258. "...they don't feel quite...dignified."

The blue & gold "Strike Team" costumes get modified a bit after #258. More straps on the neck, legs, and boots. And the "X" changes from yellow & black to red & black. The final result is in #272 when the newly reunited X-Men decide to start "dressing the part" of a team.

WOOOO! Lots of costume research, there!

So the Blue & Gold debuts in #257 with Polaris. Banshee and Forge first wear them in #258. The final, finished versions arrive in #272.

That stupid "Muir Island X-Men" cover for #254 is so mis-leading, BTW. 7 characters are shown wearing the old X-Men uniforms. Only 2 of them (Amanda Sefton, Polaris) actually do.

limerick

10-17-2009, 06:17 AM

Yes,they're definitely different from the ones they wore before....I wonder do they have the same defensive cababilities as the previous ones (or maybe Forge has souped them up even more)

It's so good for me to see Banshee back in action--Being from Ireland I'm biased but he's one of my favourite X-men.

limerick

10-17-2009, 06:40 AM

Lol @ Logan taking a shot at the Batman movie, after twenty years I don't know what the hell dancing with the devil under the moonlight means either....

Yea I was six when that Batman movie was out. That shit was EVERYWHERE!
With his comment and Jubilee's Robin outfit it's Batman references all round!

That might seem strange now but it was such a huge moviw with unbelievable hype.

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 07:49 AM

How can Acts of Vengeance be twenty years ago????

Sigh.

jubilees_boyfriend

10-17-2009, 01:24 PM

Joey

10-17-2009, 02:16 PM

I like to call this the "Sexy Logan" issue... the art is just too delicious

Jubilee is really fun and I wish she was still like that (even with her Robin-robbing uniform)

CJ Lentze

10-17-2009, 02:33 PM

Can only say that I also loved Jubes in this issue, epecially the "Did I do that?" moment after her powers blow up.

And Wolverine managed to almost make the Mandarin squeal like a little baby when he had his claws pointed at him. :biggrin:

Great first review, AstonishingXMan.

limerick

10-17-2009, 03:32 PM

Go back to #256. She mentions the Siege Perilous as her mind is being tampered with, when she's "killing" the different X-Men. I'm guessing her memory of the SP was there and restored to help with brain-washing her, maybe using her guilt?

Just went through like every issue. Hoo boy...

#254 - The Muir Island Team wears the old "Black & Gold" New Mutants costumes. Polaris wears a modified version of the "Black & Gold" for her large frame, with the yellow reaching the shoulders. Step 1 in the re-design process. Oddly, in #254, Polaris is accidently drawn wearing BOTH costumes throughout the issue...sometimes in the same scene! It's like they accidently drew her in the one with the Gold reaching the shoulders, because in most of #254 and ALL of #255, she's in the old New Mutants costume. And her updated "Black & Gold" costume lacks the boots and gloves that would be designed 3 issues later with the "Blue & Gold" one.

#255 - Polaris & Banshee wear the old-school Black & Gold New Mutants costumes.

#257 - Polaris debuts the 1990 "Blue & Gold" X-Men uniform and is captured by Legion.

#258 - Forge and Banshee debut their trademark 1990 "Blue & Gold" X-Men costumes.

#261 - Banshee adds the striped yellow cape back he had with his Green & Yellow costume.

#262 - Straps and buckles appear on the boots and gloves.

#272 - The final versions debut. Straps on the neck, on the thighs, boots, and gloves. The entire X-Men team wear them at the Mansion. Forge & Banshee's costumes now have opened collars.

I think the "Blue & Gold" modern costumes, which were tight leather, originally came about because of Legion's evil side caused Moira to subconsciously tailor a provocative look for the team. Banshee alludes to this as he dislikes the designs in #258. "...they don't feel quite...dignified."

The blue & gold "Strike Team" costumes get modified a bit after #258. More straps on the neck, legs, and boots. And the "X" changes from yellow & black to red & black. The final result is in #272 when the newly reunited X-Men decide to start "dressing the part" of a team.

WOOOO! Lots of costume research, there!

So the Blue & Gold debuts in #257 with Polaris. Banshee and Forge first wear them in #258. The final, finished versions arrive in #272.

That stupid "Muir Island X-Men" cover for #254 is so mis-leading, BTW. 7 characters are shown wearing the old X-Men uniforms. Only 2 of them (Amanda Sefton, Polaris) actually do.

--Just a point regarding Banshee's stripes on his new uniform....

--The stripes are on the cover of #254,although they don't appear in the issue---I've actually put this one back in storage but I'm 90% sure of that.

--# 256.....Banshee wears the old black and Gold uniform without the stripes.

--#258...The stripes actually debut here on the 'new' Blue and Gold costumes.

--#261....Drawn by Leonardi,the stripes are still present as you'd expect.

--#262 But then bizarrely the stripes are missing again on the cover and interior of # 262----Except(even more strangely) on one panel on page 3?!!....What's that about....Possible explanations....Kieron Dwyer,the guest artist,hadn't been fully clued in on the 'stripes' situation and/or the stripes are deployable(although this is unlikely since they are clearly visible 'at rest' in #258 and #261)and Banshee only uses them in certain situations.

limerick

10-17-2009, 03:34 PM

After that last post I officially conform(not that it was ever in doubt)--I am a nerd!

limerick

10-17-2009, 03:41 PM

great summary!
#258 is obviously one of my favorites... with Jubilee thwarting the Hand and going up against Mandarin/blowing his house up. Haha.

I also love the team of Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee... I really would love to see a flashback series starring this team. (or even a modern-timed series- although the three of them are much different now.)

They do make a great team....unexpectedly so--The last 2 issues were gold!

I like to call this the "Sexy Logan" issue... the art is just too delicious

Jubilee is really fun and I wish she was still like that (even with her Robin-robbing uniform)

Lee's art here is awesome.....Best ever on Uncanny to this point??....For me it's a toss-up between Byrne/Austin and Lee/Williams(Art Adams hasn't done an ongoing issue but his annuals were right up there too)

Can only say that I also loved Jubes in this issue, epecially the "Did I do that?" moment after her powers blow up.

And Wolverine managed to almost make the Mandarin squeal like a little baby when he had his claws pointed at him. :biggrin:

Great first review, AstonishingXMan.

I loved the ending where Logan has the two claws either side of his head and toys with popping the third.....Can anyone remember which issue revealed that Wolvie could control the claws independently....i.e. He didn't have to pop three at a time???

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 05:14 PM

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/uncanny-x-men/259-2.jpg

The Uncanny X-Men #259

"Dream A Little Dream" by Chris Claremont & Mark Silvestri

In Manhattan, Jenny Ransome & Phil Moreau are thrown into a dark apartment, where the Genoshans have finally caught up to them. Ransome's free will is negated by the Genoshan bodysuit which has been genetically bonded to her. Moreau is beaten up. Pipeline prepares to digitally teleport them back to Genosha when a naked Colossus suddenly appears in the room! Jenny & Phil use this distraction to escape, and Colossus is shot & cut by glass during the melee.

Later, as the hospital, Colossus is commended for his heroic efforts as he is treated. Jenny & Phil offer to let him stay with them. The Genoshans are arrested and compared to Nazis. Pipeline wants his phone call...

We shift to Hollywood and the closed down Beale Productions studio, where Dazzler's friend Eric Stanachek is going through his recent auction winnings, including the unreleased "Dazzler - The Movie" print.

On the beaches of Malibu, Gudio Carosella finds an unconscious & naked Dazzler. He brings her to Lila Cheney's "smart" beach house for medical attention.

Somewhere, Masque tortures Callisto by repeatedly photographing her "broken" face, which appears to be quite attractive and thus, unlike what Callisto prides herself on being.

In lower Manhattan, the landlord agrees to let Colossus (who believes his name is "Peter Nicholas") stay with Phil & Jenny on a trial basis. Peter's services as a handyman may be useful there. Colossus is amnesic and Phil can't help but think he's met Peter before...

Back in Hollywood, Eric tries to sell Baron-Fox Studios on releasing the "Dazzler - The Movie" film, and uses the 1989 "Batman" motion picture to plead his case. The studio isn't interested.

Dazzler learns of her name, history as a singer, and time served as an X-Men (and all of their recent "deaths") from Lila's "smart house." She decides to go out on the town.

On Muir Island, Legion (called "Daniel" for some reason) is connected to Cerebro in an attempt to locate the X-Men. A psychic backlash erupts, knocking Amanda Sefton, Moira MacTaggert, Banshee, and Forge unconscious as an image of Amoul Farouk appears.

Back in Manhattan, Peter Nicholas takes out the trash when a beautiful supermodel, one he saw earlier on a billboard, runs into him. Peter can't get her face out of his mind as he paints later on in the evening. Phil compliments Peter's drawings and is shocked that Peter drew a picture of Jenny as she looked BEFORE the Genoshans genetically modified her.

In Genosha, Genengineer Moreau authorizes the entire Genoshan Press Gang be deployed to apprehend Phil, Jenny, and Peter.

At a nightclub in Venice, Fred sees Dazzler and she accepts his advances. They head to another club, where Fred convinces Dazzler to sing as he plays the sax. Armed robbers enter the club, with Dazzler using her light powers to foil them.

Dazzler's return is made public with news reports of her stopping the jazz club robbery. Eric Beale, Allison's obsessed former producer, is shown watching the news of her return with evil intentions...

END.

Thoughts: I think this is a rather solid, just not terribly important, issue. It has a lot going on (as you can notice from how many "short paragraphs" I used for the different scene changes) but jumps around so much that it's hard to take too much seriously. The build to "X-Tinction Agenda" heats up as the Genoshas pretty much say "Genosha Law is the ONLY Law" and newer readers are given the basic idea that "Genoshas are Nazis who hunt mutants down and use them as slaves" from the New York police officer. We get Colossus and Dazzler returning from the Siege Perilous. Dazzler learns her history while Phil Moreau gets more & more hints at who "Peter Nicholas" truly is. I wonder what the reader reaction was in 1990 to essentially getting a two-part Dazzler story, using characters from her ongoing series & graphic novel? Also, we learn that Legion isn't the problem on Muir Island, it's who's in his head. Who's the hot supermodel Colossus is drawn to? And I always enjoy a Guido Carosella appearance! Another "BATMAN" film reference!

Milestone: Colossus and Dazzler return from the Siege Perilous

Repinted In: None

limerick

10-17-2009, 06:24 PM

Thoughts on Uncanny X-men # 259:

--Another great summary,AstonishingXman......You're a lot better at it than I am!......I'm gonna try and copy your style of extracting the important stuff and leaving out the dross.....Sometimes that's my weakness,leaving the summaries a bit of a mish-mash......Again,nice job!

--Another strange issue with another huge change of scene......I did enjoy this issue although I must say I found Silvestri's art below his usual high standards......Maybe I've been spoilt by the last 3 issues of Jim Lee gold.......(I did find myself wishing for more pics of Psylocke in her new costume!)

--As far as I can tell Colossus has been 'reborn' with an American accent!!.....He assumes during the issue that he's a native New Yorker and he wouldn't do that if he spoke in a heavy Russain accent as normal.......I must keep an eye on that accent!

--Dazzler meanwhile(even more bizarrely)has been reborn into a life as.....ahem.....Dazzler......That's right,the Seige decided to dump her back into her own life......I must say the Seige isn't turning out at all like I expected it to.....I was expecting age regressions,rebirths,the works......Peter and Betsy are already showing signs of regaining their lost memories.

--You raise a point about David Haller----He's being referred to as Daniel for some reason??.....That's quite a basic error by the editor and it's been there for 5 issues or so now......You think someone would have spotted it after 1 issue.

--Ah crap.....Banshee's lost his stripes again!(page 19).

--The Dazzler references were mainly from her ongoing series and her graphic novel......But I don't think these were essential reads to follow thw story......The characters motivations are summed up by Claremont pretty clearly.

--Why is the powerless Genengineer so scary!He's a bad man...take him away before I start crying!

AstonishingXMan

10-17-2009, 07:09 PM

limerick

10-18-2009, 03:35 AM

Your use of the term "vagina kick" was a thing of beauty.

Genengineer Moreau is basically Dean Wormer from Animal House. "I WANT THOSE PEOPLE TAKEN CARE OF, NOW! SEND EVERYONE! CAPTURE THOSE ANIMALS!"

What's up with the Callisto/Masque subplot? Did that come out of nowhere or was it in some of the issues before #258 where I've started reading again?
Moira Mctaggert was worried about the X-men's enemies getting hold of their technology in the mansion's basement.....She sent Callisto to secure the basement from entry......Unfortunately,Callisto was captured by Masque and his band of Morlocks.....That happened a few issues back

Daniel Mengsk

10-18-2009, 02:19 PM

--#262 But then bizarrely the stripes are missing again on the cover and interior of # 262----Except(even more strangely) on one panel on page 3?!!....What's that about....Possible explanations....Kieron Dwyer,the guest artist,hadn't been fully clued in on the 'stripes' situation and/or the stripes are deployable(although this is unlikely since they are clearly visible 'at rest' in #258 and #261)and Banshee only uses them in certain situations.

NERD!!

lol ;)

lim, what's your opinion about the thongkini?

limerick

10-18-2009, 02:50 PM

NERD!!

lol ;)

lim, what's your opinion about the thongkini?
Guilty as charged(of total nerdness!)

The thongkini---Is that Psylocke's outfit???---I think it's hot as drawn by Lee(but completely impractical)

NickFury90

10-18-2009, 02:56 PM

So are you guys just doing Uncanny or are you going to do Adjectiveless as well?

limerick

10-18-2009, 03:09 PM

We're currently covering Uncanny,X-Factor,New Mutants,Wolverine and Excalibur......Adjectiveless X-men will definitely follow!......Feel free to comment on any/all issues......All input is very much appreciated NickFury90!...........Adjectiveless isn't too far away now,probably a couple of months in real time.

AstonishingXMan

10-18-2009, 03:29 PM

http://www.nexternal.com/dreamland/images/260.jpg

The Uncanny X-Men #260

"Star 90" by Chris Claremont & Marc Silvestro (cover by Jim Lee)

Dazzler's psychotic ex-producer Eric Beale destroys a number of Dazzler mannequins inside a Hollywood mansion. Now it's time to kill the real thing for ruining his life.

At Lila Cheney's "smart" beach house, Fred Stanachek screens his print of Dazzler: The Movie for Dazzler and Gudio Carosella. Fred wants Allison to help him sell the film and get both of their careers booming. As Allison begins to surf, Eric Beale fires a shot at her. Allison is pounded by a wave as she defends herself, with Guido and Fred coming to the rescue. Allison decides to embrace Hollywood once again to flush out her stalker.

The amnesic Colossus can't stop thinking about the supermodel he encountered. Down the street, that very woman is attacked by a gang wearing masks of X-Men members! Peter saves the model, who disappears, and Jenny Ransome & Phil Moreau come to his aid when the gang overwhelms him. Peter destroys a "Colossus" mask.

At Baron-Fox Studios, the company decides Allison Blaire needs a new image. Eric Beale attempts to shoot Allison but is interrupted by two wardrobe attendants who dress him up like a cowboy. Dazzler's "new look" ends up being exactly how she came into the studio. Beale misses his opportunity to kill her.

Banshee and Forge are on a Greek island and headed to Egypt as they search for the missing X-Men. Forge & Banshee suspect something strange is happening to the inhabitants of Muir Island. They see Dazzler on the cover of People magazine and cancel their flight to Egypt. However, the Fenris twins, having been mysteriously tipped off about the flight, blow up the plane, killing the pilot!

The drugged-up Beale kidnaps Dazzler as she's on the way to her movie premiere. A fight ensues, with Dazzler trying to think of a way to defeat him without killing him. She uses her beautiful light to hypnotize and overwhelm Beale's senses, which calms him down and ends the struggle. Allison ponders that using her mutant light powers to help others may be her true calling.

Milestones: Last regular appearance of Dazzler.

Thoughts: What a cool cover by Jim Lee! This issue could have been better and I had three real problems with it. First, Eric Beale is a "ruined" executive whose business is closed down, yet he can afford dozens of custom-made Dazzler mannequins as well as a full arsenal of weapons, ranging from shurikens to samurai swords to machine guns? Is his life really THAT bad? Second, the whole mood of the story, with Beale being a psychotic murderer, was hurt by that RIDICULOUS scene at Baron-Fox Studios where he's put in a cowboy costume and given a makeover as he's trying to murder Allison. I didn't take the plot seriously after that. And finally, the final battle between Beale and Allison just sort of...ends abruptly. This could've been done with a much darker tone, in my opinion. I think Dazzler goes on a major hiatus after this issue, until she pops up pregnant in X-Men vol.2.

Repinted In: The cover is reprinted on page 195 of the X-Men Visionaries: Jim Lee TPB.