X-FACTOR Annual #6 - August 1991

King of Pain

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Terry Shoemaker (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Brad Vancata (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  X-Factor investigates the energy release in Edinburgh and is soon attacked by the Proteus/Piecemeal hybrid.  The team is sent to a white void, where they meet the rest of the heroes.  Marvel Girl explains Proteus/Piecemeal’s plan to recreate the world to represent mathematical structure and order, inspired by the peace Proteus found during his “death” as he witnessed the patterns created by his energy signature.  Cyclops declares that since Proteus/Piecemeal cannot be defeated, the best option is to convince him to commit suicide.  Soon, Moira makes this case to Proteus, as Harness continues to verbally abuse Piecemeal.  Repulsed by human emotions, Proteus/Piecemeal commits suicide.  Later, Harness is placed in custody while Gideon and Toad finish their chess match.

Continuity Notes:  

• This story marks the first time X-Factor meets the New Warriors.  Cyclops, oddly enough, seems to already know the new members of X-Force.
• Yes, Toad was the mystery chess player throughout the storyline.  According to Gideon, AIM and Genetech were manipulated into recreating Proteus.  Gideon wanted to weaponize Proteus’ powers, while Toad desired Proteus to join the Brotherhood.
• Cable refers to Jean Grey merely as “Grey,” which actually fits with continuity, since he didn’t figure out his parentage until after the Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries.  It is worth noting, however, that Marvel Girl, Legion, nor the Shadow King recognize Cable’s limitless telepathic powers this issue…
• Moira identifies Harness as “an AIM assassin,” although I’m not sure how she would know that.  At the story’s end, we do discover from faceless AIM higher-ups that Harness has a second mutant child, a seven-year-old girl that they’ll use as leverage if she speaks out against them.

Review:  So, that’s “Kings of Pain.”  And it turns out they were crazy enough to revive Proteus.  In all honesty, I can’t say this arc has been terrible; Nicieza has some themes of abuse and neglect to explore, and he’s developed a few ways to use Proteus as more than just a magic prop.  And even if there’s no way to really use each member of the massive cast, Nicieza still picks a few characters out and gives them little moments.  Cable is humanized for perhaps the first time, as he sides with Marvel Girl against Cyclops’ “Trick the Kids into Suicide” plan.  Beast points out that this seems out-of-character, leading Cable to snap that Beast has no idea who he truly is.  These brief exchanges are what make Cable tolerable in his early years, and it’s too bad the ongoing X-Force series drops them in favor of shoot-you-in-the-back Cable.  The closing, which shows that Moira pushed Proteus away because she knew that the Shadow King would never allow her to truly love him (and, presumably, to prevent Shadow King from possessing someone as powerful as Proteus), is also a smart use of the current status quo.  Previously, the ongoing Shadow King plot has been a nuisance that Nicieza had to ignore, but he finds a way to use it quite well this issue.  

It’s always grating to read a sequel that doesn’t match up to the original, however, and in comparison to the initial Proteus storyline, this simply lacks the heart, innovation, and sheer creepiness of the original.  The plot’s needlessly complex, there are characters everywhere and almost none of them contribute to the actual story, and Proteus and Piecemeal are never as sympathetic as I think Nicieza wanted them to be.  There’s also the suicide plan, hatched by Cyclops of all people, which could’ve lead to a serious ethical dilemma for the teams, but the debate turns out to be pretty tepid.  Plus, the ending hints that there’s a sequel coming…a sequel to a sequel that didn’t need to be told.  Please, no.

The Killing Stroke Part Three - Sacrificial Lambs

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Steven Butler (penciler), Joe Rubenstein (inker), Mike Thomas (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  Pyro and Blob fight back against Desert Sword, while Avalanche rescues Crimson Commando and accompanies him on their helicopter.  When Avalanche discovers Pyro killed Dr. Kurtzmann, he orders the helicopter to leave so that Commando can receive medical attention.  Realizing they have no options, Pyro and Blob surrender to the remaining members of Desert Sword.

Continuity Notes:  

• Desert Sword member Veil is killed by Pyro, and the Arabian Knight is seriously wounded by Blob.
• As far as I know, no story has explained how Pyro and Blob escaped Iraqi custody.  They soon reappear in X-Force #5.
• Crimson Commando was supposed to appear next in Erik Larsen’s Spider-Man #18, but was altered at the last moment into “Cyborg X.”  At one point, Fabian Nicieza and Erik Larsen pitched a run on X-Factor that included a cybernetic Crimson Commando as a member.  Years later, Crimson Commando will reappear as a cyborg, just not Cyborg X, in X-Factor #102.

Review:  The end of Freedom Force, paving the way of course for the X-Factor revamp, and the return of Blob and Pyro to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.  By the standards of annual back-ups, this is rather intense material, and it might even be the earliest example of a team just getting eviscerated during their final battle.  As I’ve said before, this serial seemed daring in 1991, and while not all of it holds up, there is a sense of unreality to the story that still appeals to me.  Given that most of the Freedom Force cast consisted of horrible people, maybe it’s just fun to see them meet horrible fates.  Characters getting mutilated, killed, left for dead…it’s a cheap way to close out a concept now, but I was absolutely enthralled by it at the time.

Tribute the Third

Credits:  Peter David (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Joe Rubenstein (inker), Steve Buccellato & Marie Javins (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  As Mystique prepares to spread Destiny’s ashes, she flashes back to their previous cruise on the ship.  Mystique recalls Destiny’s futile desire to hear her laugh.  In the present, Mystique releases the ashes at the precise moment Destiny asked her to, which results in the wind blowing the ashes directly in her face.  Mystique finally laughs, as she sings the lyrics to the Beatles song “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.”

Continuity Notes:  Mystique is actually believed dead at this point in continuity, which means this story must predate her “death” in Uncanny X-Men #266.

Review:  I wonder how Marvel got away with using copyrighted Beatles lyrics.  I know we were a less litigious society twenty-three years ago, but this would seem like something a lawyer would’ve caught even then.  Regardless, this is Mystique’s farewell to Destiny, running in the X-Factor annual because…why not?  The idea is to contrast Mystique’s perpetual anger over mutant oppression with Destiny’s peaceful view on life, a perspective her precognitive powers give her as she sees the world from a much larger perspective.  The major problem with the story is Mystique’s portrayal, since I seem to remember Mystique acting like a fairly well-rounded individual when around Destiny.  Destiny didn’t have to go through some elaborate plot to get Mystique to laugh; that seemed to happen naturally (even if her “laugh” might occasionally be an evil cackle).  This wouldn’t be the first inconsistent Mystique portrayal, however, and David is able to use Destiny’s powers in some creative ways over the course of just a few pages.  As a simple story about two friends (and that's still the official line at this time) saying goodbye, it’s enjoyable.

NEW MUTANTS Annual #7 - August 1991

 

Kings of Pain Part 1 - Pawns of Senescence

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Dan Panosian (inker), Brad Vancata (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  The Alliance of Evil breaks into the private school harboring Artie, Leech, and Wiz Kid.  The Alliance is joined by the mysterious Harness and Piecemeal.  Under Harness’ orders, Piecemeal absorbs the residual energy in the area.  Later, as Wiz Kid recovers, he’s visited by X-Force.  They track the Alliance to Niagara Falls, but Harness and Piecemeal teleport away before they can be captured.  Cable forces Tower to reveal that the Alliance is working for the Genetech Research Facility.  X-Force invades the facility looking for answers.  Inside, they discover the New Warriors, ready for battle.  Meanwhile, two mystery figures play chess.

Continuity Notes:  

• Wiz Kid knows Boom-Boom from the X-Terminators miniseries.
• This story is set in-between New Mutants #100 and X-Force #1.  Technically, this is the first X-Force story, even if we are reading it as the final New Mutants annual.  For the record, the team never refers to itself as “X-Force” in this issue’s main story but that’s what they are called in future chapters, and in the text piece in the back.  In the main story, Boom-Boom says they’re the “New New Mutants.”
• Alliance member Timeshadow is missing during the story.  Cable remarks that he doesn’t know or care where he’s gone.
• Shatterstar tells Cable that channeling energy through his sword is a “tiring act” and advises him not to ask him to do it too often.  I believe this is the only time that’s been established, but it would help to explain why Shatterstar so rarely used his mutant power during these days.

I Love the '90s:  Boom-Boom compares Cable to Major Dad.  She later comments that the interior of Genetech is “more complicated than the insides of my VCR!”

Miscellaneous Note:  According to dictionary.com, “senescence” means aging, but it’s also a term for when a cell is “no longer capable of dividing but still alive and metabolically active.”

Review:  I can vaguely remember a time when “Kings of Pain” was considered kind of a joke amongst fans, but over the years I think it’s simply been forgotten.  I think all of the mini-crossovers of the early ‘90s Marvel annuals have faded from memory.  Theoretically, doing smaller crossovers in the annuals as opposed to the line-wide events should’ve allowed the creators more room to have fun while also giving fans the most basic thing they want in a crossover (heroes meeting and/or fighting each other).  Why exactly the three-year experiment yielded almost nothing memorable is kind of a mystery to me.  (Aside from “Days of Future Present,” have any of the mini-crossovers ever been reprinted?)

“Kings of Pain” begins with a lot of setup and a few mysteries.  Consequently, it isn’t that interesting in its own right, but as the first chapter of a crossover I think it establishes enough intrigue to justify reading the next chapter.  For fans of the oft-forgotten X-Terminators, or the Alliance of Evil, this must’ve been a nostalgia-fest, assuming anyone was nostalgic for 1987 in 1991.  The only real issue with the plot is the New Mutants’ casual arrival as soon as the Alliance hits Niagara Falls.  The story established just a few pages earlier that the team doesn’t know how to find the Alliance, and yet they suddenly do when it’s time for a fight scene.  Guang Yap’s previous work in New Mutants, a fill-in at the end of “X-Tinction Agenda,” committed the fatal sin of being dull, but in this issue he’s able to add some early ‘90s flair while maintaining the basics of silly things like anatomy and storytelling.  

Probably the most intriguing aspect of the issue is seeing how Nicieza handles the future X-Force cast without any input from Rob Liefeld.  Consequently, Cable is still a drill sergeant, but he’s not a Punisher clone, Shatterstar is taciturn but not inhuman, and Feral is…essentially a different character.  She first appears in the issue smiling, something I don’t think she ever did during a Rob Liefeld issue.  She’s playful and “catlike” as in tabby, not tiger.  The distinctive jagged word balloons given to her by Joe Rosen in her initial appearances are also gone, making me wonder if this comic actually went into production before New Mutants #99 and #100.

The Killing Stroke Part 1: The First Cut

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Kirk Jarvinin (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inker), Mike Thomas (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  In Kuwait, Freedom Force arrives to rescue nuclear physicist Reinhold Kurtzmann before the Iraqis can kidnap him.  The team discovers Kurtzmann is missing from his safehouse, and are soon attacked.  Super Sabre is killed and the remaining members are injured, with only the Blob left standing.  Suddenly, Desert Sword emerges with Dr. Kurtzmann.

Continuity Notes:  Mystique doesn’t appear in the story, as she’s believed dead at this point in continuity.

Creative Differences:  On page 41, it looks as if Pyro’s “Bloody ‘ell!” has been changed to “Bloody ‘eck!”

Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  Super Sabre is decapitated by Desert Sword, although his severed head is only shown in one faraway shot.

I Love the '90s:  The story is set during Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait in early 1991.  Desert Sword is also an obvious play on “Desert Storm.”

Review:  You can’t accuse this back-up serial of being filler.  The dissolution of Freedom Force, along with the death and mutilation of many of its members, actually has a larger impact on continuity than anything that happens in the main story.  Nicieza gets a lot out of the ten pages, working in almost a full issue’s worth of material without compressing too much of the story.  Desert Sword are destined to be forgotten at best, or joke characters at worse, but they make an impressive standing in their first appearance.  I’ve always liked Freedom Force, for reasons I probably couldn’t explain, so seeing them taken out like this actually did bother me as a young reader.  By the standards of back-up stories, this is pretty daring, especially when you consider just how rare superhero bloodbaths were in these days.  

Close Encounters of the Mutant Kind

Credits:  Judy Bogdanove (writer), Jon Bogdanove (penciler), Hilary Barta (inker), Mike Thomas (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  Artie and Leech ride with Wiz Kid in his custom-built UFO.  An elderly neighbor thinks they’re actually aliens and creates a media frenzy.  The mutants join the search for the aliens, not realizing that they’re the cause of the confusion.  Eventually, the mutants meet the neighbor and make peace.  Leech immediately bonds with her because she resembles his Morlock foster-mother, Annalee.

Continuity Notes:  Cyclops and Marvel Girl make a cameo at the beginning of the story, visiting the kids during their school play.

I Love the '90s: Wiz Kid wears British Knights sneakers.

Review:  Wow, X-Terminators fever must’ve been gripping Marvel this month, I guess.  (By the way, has the St. Simon’s school for mutants in New Hampshire established in these old stories ever shown up again?)  There isn’t a lot to say about this one; it’s sappy in all of the ways you expect, but that’s okay if you’re not utterly heartless.  The idea that the kids don’t even realize that they’ve caused the alien craze strains credibility a bit, but then again, it’s a story about small children, so they probably should be a bit oblivious.  Jon Bogdanove’s cartooning suits the story well, so at the very least it looks better than your average annual back-up. 

NEW MUTANTS #97 - January 1991

WAR

Credits:  Louise Simonson (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inker), Steve Buccellato (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  Storm repowers the captured mutants, as a bomb planted by Forge forces Cameron Hodge to retreat.  Elsewhere, Rictor, Boom-Boom, and Jubilee encounter Dr. Moreau.  He takes them to his lab, where they meet Wolfsbane in her Mutate form for the first time.  Moreau reveals that Wipeout is dead, but their powers are soon restored by Storm, who arrives with Cable, Sunspot, and Cannonball.  They damage Hodge’s power source, drawing his attention.  The ensuing battle kills Moreau and injures many of the New Mutants.  Wolfsbane gives Boom-Boom an urn with Warlock’s ashes, then leaves with Cable to finish the fight.

Continuity Notes:  

• Dr. Moreau turned against Cameron Hodge in the previous chapters of “X-Tinction Agenda.”  He genetically engineered Storm to return to her true age, and gave her the ability to restore powers erased by Wipeout.
• Cable asks Forge to help him repair his metal arm following their first battle with Hodge.  Another clue (or "glaringly obvious sign" to be more precise) that no one had the techno-organic virus in mind when writing Cable’s early appearances.
• Wolfsbane appears in her half-human/half-wolf form for the first time.  According to Dr. Moreau, if she reverts to her human form, she’ll become a Mutate again.  She only has freewill in her wolf or half-wolf forms, a status quo that isn’t changed for three years.
• Wolfsbane is referred to as “Wolfgirl” twice in the issue.  Once by Cameron Hodge, and once by Wolfsbane herself.  If this was an attempt to change her codename, it didn’t stick.

Review:  “X-Tinction Agenda” is only one chapter away from its conclusion, so more of the X-Men and X-Factor characters are beginning to spill over into this book as everyone gets into place for the big climax.  This isn’t very satisfying as an issue; Simonson has to resort to an excessive amount of expository dialogue in order to explain what exactly has been happening in the other chapters, too many characters are clogging up the plot, and Guang Yap’s art is too subdued to make the dramatic events seem very dramatic.  (Although, in fairness, Yap is asked to cram a lot of plot into most of these pages.)  The storyline is still structured so that a New Mutants chapter has relevance for the team, as the cast meets the new Mutate-Wolfsbane for the first time, but it doesn’t feel as if there’s enough space for Simonson to do anything with the characters.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN Annual #7 - September 1991

The Machine and the Man

Credits: David Michelinie (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Aiken & LaRosa (inkers), Rick Parker (letterer), Bob Sharen (colorist)

The Plot: Roxxon develops a new synthetic vibranium on ESU’s campus, attracting the attention of the Kingpin and Ultron. Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Black Panther have also united over concerns about the synthetic vibranium’s instability. Joined by Roxxon employee Sunturion, the heroes face Ultron at ESU. When Ultron betrays Kingpin by hoarding the vibranium samples, Kingpin responds with a sonic frequency that incapacitates him. The unstable vibranium begins to melt all metal in the vicinity, but Sunturion refuses to destroy Roxxon property. Iron Man responds by creating a tunnel to the center of the Earth. As the floor collapses, the vibranium disappears.

The Subplots: None.

Web of Continuity: This is part three of “The Vibranium Vendetta,” a crossover in the 1991 Spider-Man annuals.

*See _________ For Details: Iron Man’s study of the synthetic vibranium was interrupted by Arthur Dearborn, aka Suntrion, in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #11.

Review: The annual mini-crossovers Marvel ran in the early ‘90s probably seemed like a good idea on paper, but I can’t think of too many of them that were particularly good. “The Vibranium Vendetta” does have Spider-Man teaming up with some of the Avengers and facing foes that are a little out of his league, but there doesn’t seem to be much else going for it. In fairness, I haven’t read the other chapters in years, so perhaps Michelinie hashed out some of the ideas he hints at here in the other installments. Aside from the superheroics, the story briefly touches on the influence science can have on economics (synthetic vibranium will cripple Wakanda’s economy, which doesn’t please the Black Panther), and shows the limitations a corporate-sponsored superhero faces, especially when he’s employed by the all-purpose evil corporation, Roxxon. “Briefly” is the operative word, as the plot is mainly concerned with getting the characters in place for the final showdown and finishing up the storyline. If there’s any meat to “The Vibranium Vendetta,” it’s not in the final chapter.

Fast Feud II: Speed Demon’s Revenge

Credits: Tony Isabella (writer), Paris Cullins (penciler), Dave Cooper (inker), Ken Lopez (letterer), Marie Javins (colorist)

The Plot: After Speed Demon’s lawsuit against Rocket Racer is dismissed, he targets the hero for revenge. Rocket Racer defeats him in battle, but is concerned by how close he came to killing Speed Demon. Racer declares that he’ll become a better hero.

Web of Continuity: Rocket Racer can now use his rockets to increase the speed of his fists and create a “rocket-punch.” The attack is so brutal, Racer briefly wonders if Speed Demon is still alive.

I Love the (Early) ‘90s: Rocket Racer and Sluggo, his contact with Silver Sable International, stay in contact through a beeper.

*See _________ For Details: Speed Demon filed a lawsuit against Rocket Racer in Marvel Tales #242.

Review: I remember the days of new backup stories in Marvel Tales, but they were usually Fred Hembeck’s “Petey” tales, or short Spider-Ham stories. I never read the Rocket Racer backups, but now that I know one of them involved Speed Demon filing a lawsuit against Racer, I really want to. If Isabella wrote them in the same spirit as this backup, I bet they’re a lot of fun. Aside from the levity, this story also works in a message about true heroism, and builds up Rocket Racer’s character by chronicling his turn from hero/mercenary who needs money for tuition into a more legitimate hero. I’ve mentioned earlier that much of the character work done on Rocket Racer was squandered in subsequent years, which is too bad because stories like this show that he has real potential.

Outlaw Justice! Part Three

Credits: David Michelinie (writer), Alan Kupperberg (artist), Rick Parker (letterer), Ed Lazellari (colorist)

The Plot: Desperate to prove himself, Sandman works undercover to stop political extremist, Boussard. He has to fight Silver Sable’s Outsiders when they arrive to apprehend Boussard, but Sandman breaks cover in time to prevent Boussard’s escape. Impressed, Silver Sable offers Sandman a contract.

Review: This backup is mostly forgettable, although it does feature the oddest artwork I’ve ever seen from Alan Kupperberg. On almost every panel, Silver Sable looks like she’s a gummy version of herself. No shadows stick to her, she barely has detail lines, and her body is eerily flat. Strange. Anyway, this is the conclusion of a three-part backup series, which mainly existed to pay off a Sandman subplot from Amazing Spider-Man. Michelinie was teasing the idea that after a misunderstanding with the Avengers, Sandman would be lured back into a life of crime. In the final installment, we learn that everything’s okay and he’s firmly working with the heroes again. That is, until John Byrne informs us that Sandman was faking his reformation, even in his own thoughts, all along. Retro fever strikes again.

GHOST RIDER & CABLE - September 1992

Servants of the Dead

Credits: Howard Mackie (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inker), Janice Chiang (letters), Fernando Mendez (colors) (No credits appear in the issue. Comics.org lists the credits based on those printed in the original Marvel Comics Presents stories.)

Summary: While hunting Masque, Cable falls through a hole and lands in an underground world. There, he rescues a young girl from the Grateful Undead cult. Ghost Rider follows Cable underground when he notices the commotion. The Grateful Undead summon an ancient god to execute the heroes, but it can’t survive their attack. A new cult, the Warriors of the Dead, emerges and punishes the Grateful Undead for summoning the god. The Warriors follow Cable and Ghost Rider, demanding the girl. Soon, the Warriors are beckoned by their god. The “god” reveals himself as a human magician, who once used his necromancy to honor the dead. He’s disturbed by the direction his followers have taken. The girl is revealed as a reanimated body intended to be their god’s bride. The magician allows her to return to a natural death, and Cable and Ghost Rider return home.

Continuity Notes: After wading through an underground river, Cable is grateful he doesn’t have a “short-circuited bionic part.” This was written before Cable was retroactively revealed as the techno-organic virus infected Nathan Summers, and was considered a standard cyborg. The retcon explanation for these comments is that he added conventional bionic parts to his body to confuse people of this era.

Production Note: This is a $3.95, sixty-four page one-shot that reprints the Ghost Rider and Cable serial that ran in Marvel Comics Presents #90-#97. There’s no indicia or credit box, and the logos from the splash pages and next issue blurbs have been removed. One of the introductory narrative captions actually leads into the characters’ names, which of course aren’t there anymore because their logos have been erased.

Review: When I first discovered this comic a few weeks ago, I knew I had to buy it. How could I in good conscious run a ‘90s-themed comics blog and ignore this? As it turns out, the most ‘90s element of the comic is the cover. Guang Yap’s subdued art is about as far away from Sam Keith’s exaggerated cover as you can get, and while the story deals with death cults and angry gods, it’s quite tame. Still, it’s Cable, in what I believe is his first starring role, teaming up with the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider, and that’s certainly of an era.

Because the story originally ran in Marvel Comics Presents, each chapter has to be eight pages long, the required length of all of the MCP serials. Reading all of the chapters together could be a jerky experience, but with the exception of a few bumps, the flow works reasonably well. Due to the original eight-page format, something has to happen every few pages, which gives the book a breakneck pacing that works to the story’s advantage. The most obvious tell that this was originally a serial would be the abrupt shift in villainous cults. The majority of the story focuses on the Grateful Undead (a name someone apparently found clever enough to let slide through), before we’re suddenly introduced to a second death cult that also has an angry god and wants to kill Ghost Rider and Cable. The story still moves so fast, though, the change in villains doesn’t have a particularly negative impact. It’s an entertaining action comic, from back in the days when Cable didn’t mind shooting someone in the face (which absolutely happens here), Howard Mackie comics made a modicum of sense, and people actually cared about Ghost Rider. It’s not deep, but it certainly surpassed my expectations.