Phoenix Saga (Part 2): The Dark Shroud
Written by Mark Edward Edens
Summary:
Shortly after the shuttle crashes into Jamaica Bay, Jean Grey emerges
from the water wearing a new costume and proclaiming herself "The
Phoenix." She collapses and is taken to the hospital. As she recovers,
the X-Men are attacked by an evil apparition of Professor Xavier. He
realizes that the alien scanning for his mind has broken down his
psychic barriers, causing his dark side to emerge. Xavier travels to
Muir Island for help, and shortly after his arrival, is greeted by the
alien Lilandra. She explains that she needs Xavier’s aid, but is
quickly interrupted by the Juggernaut.
Continuity Notes:
- This episode adapts various events from Uncanny X-Men #101 and #106.
- Xavier meets Moira MacTaggert’s new boyfriend, Banshee, when he arrives on Muir Island. Their conversation is the first indication on the show that Xavier and Moira where once an item.
- Deadpool makes another cameo as one of the images from Wolverine’s past that Dark Xavier uses to torture him. Howard the Duck also appears, surprisingly enough, on Beast’s t-shirt in one scene.
“Um, Actually…”: In Uncanny X-Men
#106, Dark Xavier is a side effect of the nightmares Xavier feels are
driving him insane, placing the story before the X-Men even leave for
space. Also, Lilandra comes to Earth in the cartoon with a stolen
M’Kraan Crystal, while in the comics the X-Men encounter the Crystal
after meeting the Shi’ar in space.
Review: For anyone who doesn’t know, Dark Xavier appears on less than three pages of Uncanny X-Men
#106, which was an inventory issue awkwardly inserted into the original
Phoenix storyline as a flashback story. Both Bill Mantlo and Chris
Claremont are credited as writers, and since the style isn’t
recognizably Claremont, I wonder if Claremont only wrote the framing
sequence for the story. The real hook of that issue is seeing the New
X-Men fight evil versions of the original team, with all of this talk of
Xavier’s dark side tossed in at the end as a quickie rationalization.
It’s not an obvious candidate to be adapted, but I guess the X-Men
needed something to do before being sent off into space again.
Admittedly, it’s the not most ridiculous element of the original
storyline that could’ve been adapted. That would have to be the Cassidy Keep Leprechauns, who showed up during the team’s vacation in Ireland.
Since Classic X-Men skipped Uncanny X-Men
#106, I had no idea as a kid that this Dark Xavier stuff actually came
from the comics. That might’ve influenced my belief that it’s kind of a
lame idea. Devoting over half of the episode to the X-Men fighting
illusions just feels like obvious filler, plus the design of Dark Xavier
is a bit silly. It’s just Xavier with a cape; an eeeviiil
cape, I guess. Since the show had the benefit of hindsight, and a
penchant for using Jim Lee designs whenever possible, I’m surprised Dark
Xavier isn’t wearing the armor Xavier wore in Uncanny X-Men #275, the most recent example of an Xavier-as-villain fake-out. That could’ve been enough to sway my opinion as a kid.
Even
if the action in the episode is largely pointless, that doesn’t mean
the chapter is a total loss. For viewers ignorant of the comics, Jean
Grey’s transformation into Phoenix is probably just as shocking as it
was for comics fans in 1976. Fans of the cartoon aren’t used to seeing
Jean do much of anything; now, she’s saving the entire team, exhibiting
new powers, changing costumes, and speaking in the third person. That’s
almost the equivalent of Cover Girl becoming the most important G. I.
Joe. It’s just not something the audience would’ve ever expected.
Edens also does an admirable job of creating tension amongst the team
without overplaying his hand. Cyclops is angry with Xavier for sending
the team into space with no clear objective in mind, which is pretty
understandable considering what’s happened to Jean. Xavier, even in an
episode that casts him as an unintentional villain, remains sympathetic
during the argument (a skill contemporary Marvel writers lost years
ago), and Beast is able to display his personality as the affable voice
of reason. Beast and Wolverine also have a nice scene together, and
Gambit (who’s expressing his concern for Jean by going to a nightclub)
gets a few one-liners in. So, there are some entertaining moments, and
the Juggernaut cliffhanger did a lot to revive my interest as a kid.
1 comment:
Since Classic X-Men skipped Uncanny X-Men #106, I had no idea as a kid that this Dark Xavier stuff actually came from the comics.
I was right there with you. When I finally got around to reading that issue, my mind boggled that the show felt the need to adapt it at all (though like you say, they may have just viewed it as an effective time killer).
That’s almost the equivalent of Cover Girl becoming the most important G. I. Joe.
Ha! Also, very apt. Re-watching these episodes recently, I was surprised to be reminded of how little Jean is used prior to these episodes. Other than a brief moment in the spotlight after her marriage to Cyclops in the opening of season two, she's pretty much been little more than a background character prior to becoming the central figure in this and the next story.
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