Guest Post on "How Would You Fix...?"

I’ve been asked to pen a guest post on the “How Would Fix…?” blog, which is dedicated to the various dangling threads and missed connections within the Marvel Universe.  I’ve chosen the opening continuity issues raised by X-Men Forever as the subject of my essay, which probably isn’t a surprise given the content of my latest posts.  Check out the site and pursue the archives while you’re at it.  There’s tons of info there and some of the resolutions to these old mysteries are genuinely intriguing.  And if you want to hypothesize on how to explain away the continuity quagmires in the series that show up later (Tween Nathan), you can speculate away in the comments.

http://fanfix.wordpress.com/

X-MEN FOREVER: ALPHA - August 2009

New Dawn, New Day!

Credits:  Chris Claremont (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils), Cory Hamscher (inks), Tom Orzechowski (letters), Wilfredo Quintana (colors)

Summary:  Following Magneto’s death, the X-Men are joined by members of Excalibur and other former students.  In his study, Xavier talks to Nick Fury, who warns him that the X-Men’s days of independence could be over.  Meanwhile, in the mountains of Peru, a disembodied Master Mold head comes to life.

Continuity Notes:  

• Let the real names commence!  Nick Fury refers to Magneto as “Eric Lensherr,” a name that wasn’t invented until the Scott Lobdell run.  (And “Eric” should be spelled “Erik.”)  A narrative caption lists Rogue’s name as Anna Marie Raven, a name Claremont adopted for her following the release of the X-Men films, and Gambit’s name is given as “Remy Picard.”  Gambit was given the real name “Remy Lebeau” by Scott Lobdell following Claremont’s departure, a name he allegedly chose by looking at a map of Louisiana and picking the names of two cities.
• Archangel appears in his pre-blue state.  A wandering thought Jean picks up has someone wondering why he’s covering his true identity amongst his friends.
• Professor Xavier is back in a normal wheelchair.  Claremont’s comments online indicated that he might reveal someday that the hovercraft from X-Men #1-3 was some form of Shi’ar healing pod.
• The art isn’t very clear, but in the background Cannonball, Boomer, and Sunspot appear to be at the gathering.  This is hard to reconcile with X-Force continuity of the time, which had the team as outlaws (and Sunspot as a former member, after being taken in as Gideon’s protégé).
• Colossus is also in the background, which apparently Claremont didn’t notice, because his comments online indicated that he thought Colossus had already left the team by X-Men #1.
• Rachel Summers doesn’t appear in this issue, or in any issue of X-Men Forever, as I recall.  Claremont has a belief that the Phoenix Force only exists in the mainstream Marvel Universe and doesn’t have duplicates in other realities, which would preclude Rachel from appearing in an alternate universe title, at least as Phoenix.   What’s odd is that no one else at Marvel ever  followed this rule; just look at the late ‘80s incarnation of What If…? as an example.  This does explain a dangling plotline from early Excalibur issues, though, as Rachel used to wonder why she never met an alternate version of herself when traveling through other realities.  (Then again, the very first issue of X-Men Forever teases the possible return of the Phoenix Force, so perhaps I've misunderstood Claremont's self-imposed rule. )

Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  It’s 2009!  There is no Comics Code Authority!

Production Notes:  This is a triple-sized one-shot, cover priced at $4.99, reprinting X-Men #1-3.  “New Dawn, New Day!” is a six-page back-up story picking up shortly after the events of X-Men #3.  Two extra pages preview X-Men Forever #1.  The format is the same as a standard Marvel comic of the time, although the cover seems to be of a slightly sturdier stock.  The book is staple-bound, however, which isn’t good on the spine of such a thick comic. 

Gimmicks:  Three versions of this cover exist.

Review:  X-Men Forever, for anyone who doesn’t know, began life around 2008 as one of several proposals Chris Claremont sent to Marvel for a new X-title.  It shouldn’t be confused with the original X-Men Forever limited series from 2001, which was inspired by the 1999 Avengers Forever mini.  Like Avengers Forever, Fabian Nicieza intended his X-Men Forever as a means of tying up loose ends and smoothing out areas of X-continuity.  That plan was scrapped after Bob Harras was fired from Marvel, and the new editiorial regime apparently decided to use the mini as a means of integrating the 2000 X-Men movie’s continuity into the comics, which explains why very few dangling plotlines are resolved, yet Toad and Mystique finish the miniseries resembling their movie counterparts.  

The premise of the 2009 ongoing series is “What if Chris Claremont never left the X-Men back in 1991?”  That simple question opens a flood of questions, and not all of them relating to the content of the comics.  For years, a segment of fandom was adamant that the “real” X-Men died when Claremont left.  Considering the sales of the book in the early ‘90s, and the mini-cultural phenomenon that began after the cartoon debuted, it’s understandable if Marvel ignored these fans.  And it’s an opinion that did seem to die out over the years; people either accepted that the X-Men weren’t for them anymore, or just adjusted to other creators’ takes on the characters.  Maybe that’s why this series wasn’t particularly controversial at the time of its release.  By 2009, Marvel publishing a book with this premise wasn’t viewed as a slight towards the creators or editors responsible for the post-Claremont era.  Instead, it just seemed like a fun exercise.

“Fun” gets sucked out of the enterprise very quickly if you’re obsessive about continuity, or interpret marketing hype very literally.  This series, as becomes obvious in a few issues, is not what Claremont originally intended to do in 1991.  I remember some people being upset that the book wouldn’t be set in 1991/1992 after reading some early publicity interviews for the book.  If that bothered them, just wait until they see pre-teen Nathan Summers.  X-Men Forever quickly becomes Chris Claremont’s bi-weekly What If…?, starring the X-Men.  Whether or not Claremont should’ve taken the series’ edict more literally is a question I’ll address in the coming months, but I’ll try to judge the series on its own merits and not on what I assumed it was going to be.

“New Dawn, New Day!” snuck under the radar at the time of its release.  X-Men Forever: Alpha was commonly known as the reprint of X-Men #1-3, but no one seemed to know about this backup story.  This created two issues:  1) Anyone interested in X-Men Forever surely owns X-Men #1-3 by now and probably doesn’t want to pay $5 for six pages of new material.  2) Apparently, the solicitation for X-Men Forever: Alpha didn’t mention the backup, so even people inclined to buy it didn’t know about it.  (I say wait for the cheap lots on eBay. That’s how I picked up this entire series.)  And as it turns out, “New Dawn, New Day!” does impact the continuity of the ongoing series.  If you’re wondering why Shadowcat and Nightcrawler are riding with the X-Men in the Blackbird in X-Men Forever #1, that’s because they’re already in town this issue…and have just received invites to rejoin the team.  Other events occurring in the series are foreshadowed, such as the United States government taking an interest in the X-Men, and Wolverine’s death, which is set up very obviously if you know what’s happening next.

Although this is a brief prologue for the ongoing series, the backup does manage to evoke a sense of the classic Claremont era.  Xavier and Nick Fury have a perfectly reasonable, adult discussion about where mutants stand following Magneto’s recent actions.  Jean Grey re-adjusts to her telepathy and tries to find her way through a crowd of mutants who’ve returned to the school (apparently for some sort of funeral for Magneto, even if it looks more like a picnic.)  Gambit wonders if he should just go back to his old life, and why Storm isn’t as much fun anymore.  Kitty and Nightcrawler have nice little moments with old friends they haven’t seen in a while.  Ominous clues for the future are dropped, and uh-oh, it looks like Jean and Logan are flirting again.  It all feels like a genuine Claremont comic from the era, if you’re willing to overlook the way he’s casually dropped in all of the mystery characters’ real names.  Assuming you even knew this story existed, it should give the target audience enough to look forward to in the ongoing series.

X-MEN #3 - December 1991

Fallout!

Credits:  Chris Claremont (co-plot, script), Jim Lee (co-plot, pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Tom Orzechowski (letters), Joe Rosas (colors)

Summary:  The X-Men’s Blue team flies to Asteroid M in a plane invisible to Magneto’s sensors.  They’re confronted by the Gold team shortly after they enter, but as the Gold team uses their powers, their true personalities return.  During the confusion, Fabian Cortez leaves in an escape pod.  He triggers one of the nuclear warheads and the Soviet plasma cannon.  Magneto is forced to push his powers to their limits in order to give the X-Men time to escape.  Despite Xavier’s pleas, Magneto and his Acolytes stay on Asteroid M as it’s obliterated.

Continuity Notes:  

• Magneto is near-death before the plasma cannon is even fired, as Fabian Cortez’s “healing” treatments have only enhanced Magneto’s powers and covered up his physical weakness.  Moira speculates that his body can no longer contain the power held within him.
• Moira exonerates Xavier, who she says knew nothing about her genetic manipulation of Magneto as an infant.
• According to Moira (she talks a lot this issue), she failed in altering Magneto’s personality because her process is undermined as soon as someone uses his or her powers.

Creative Differences:  An added word balloon on page seventeen reminds us of Delgado’s name.  On page twenty-five, Fabian Cortez has an added word balloon that clarifies that he’s responsible for Asteroid M’s destruction, which he thinks will cause mutants to rally to his cause.

Review:  Let’s not forget that Marvel’s farewell to Chris Claremont consisted of the words “CSC - 1976-1991 - FIN” on the final page.  No letters page tribute, no guest editorial, just a cryptic message that probably left some readers wondering if a fifteen-year-old X-Men fan had died.  The “Next: OMEGA RED” blurb is much larger than Claremont’s extremely brief farewell tribute, which might give you an idea of where the priorities at the time lied.  In retrospect, the X-office doesn’t usually seem overly sentimental when creators say goodbye, since Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, and Larry Hama also seemed to just disappear in-between issues after long runs with no real acknowledgement from the editors.

None of this has any bearing on the actual quality of this story, which has many of the strengths and flaws of the previous two installments.  The issue opens with the X-Men’s Blue team combining their powers in rather clever ways in order to break into Asteroid M, serving as a nice reminder that Claremont’s very good at looking at his cast and giving every character a role to play.  After a few pages are spent recapping the story so far, the two X-Men teams have a brief fight, which is certainly not the epic brawl we see on the cover.  Finally, Magneto appears in time for the climax.  Claremont writes some of his finest Xavier dialogue ever during the Magneto/Xavier scenes, but there’s little room for philosophical debate because the story’s already eaten up around seventeen pages.  Moira pops up and delivers a massive info-dump that Tom Orzechowski probably curses to this day, explaining away numerous plot elements before everyone has to go home.  Just as soon as Magneto realizes Fabian Cortez is a traitor, he’s already left for Earth and condemned everyone onboard to death.  Magneto’s final speech, and the message he telepathically delivers to Xavier as he “dies,” are just as poetic as you would expect Claremont’s words to be, and with that, it’s over.

Like the previous two issues, this is not an airtight plot.  How is Fabian Cortez able to activate the Soviet plasma cannon?  Where did those nuclear missiles orbiting Asteroid M disappear to?  They’re acknowledged in a quick line of dialogue, but they’re not shown in any exterior shots of Asteroid M this issue.  And how did Fabian Cortez manage to detonate one of them as well?  What happened to those SHIELD agents Magneto brought onboard in the first chapter?  How did the X-Men’s Blue team learn anything about what was happening on Asteroid M in the first place?  Claremont seems to be working overtime to cover some of the plot holes, but there’s only so much he can do.  When he isn’t trying to justify the latest fight scene, Claremont also has to find some way to say goodbye in the issue.  There’s no real room, so we end up with both Forge and Xavier acting as proxies at different points in the issue, spelling out how Claremont views the concept and what he thinks an X-Men story should be about.  These are well-written speeches, but this is clearly not an issue designed for quiet reflection.  In fairness, this arc was never intended to be a goodbye for Chris Claremont; it’s supposed to be a straightforward X-Men vs. Magneto fight that introduces a casual reader to the basic concepts of the franchise.  On that level, it’s entertaining enough, so long as you’re not paying too much attention to the details.

X-MEN #2 - November 1991

Firestorm

Credits:  Chris Claremont (co-plot, script), Jim Lee (co-plot, pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Tom Orzechowski (letters), Joe Rosas (colors)

Summary:  With the aid of the Acolytes, Magneto captures the X-Men in Genosha and takes them to Asteroid M.  There, Fabian Cortez reveals to him that a scan of his body revealed genetic manipulation.  Inside Xavier’s boathouse, Xavier tries to comfort Moira.  Suddenly, Magneto appears and launches the boathouse into orbit.  He forces Moira to admit she performed genetic experimentation on him as an infant, which she says was done to remove the mental instability caused by his powers.  Magneto threatens to kill her unless she agrees to brainwash the X-Men into joining his cause.  On Earth, the remaining X-Men prepare to battle their teammates, the Acolytes, and Magneto.  A hologram of Nick Fury appears, warning them that the Soviets have launched an energy cannon that will destroy Asteroid M.

Continuity Notes:  

• Omega Red makes his first cameo appearance, or at least a coffin carrying him does, during a quick cutaway to the Sakhalin Islands.  Following the electromagnetic pulse released over the USSR in the previous issue, General Akhronayev used the confusion to steal Omega Red’s body and sell it to Matsuo.  Matsuo then orders his Hand ninjas to kill Akhronayev.
• Fabian Cortez uses his powers for the first time on-panel, as he amplifies Psylocke’s psychic power and forces her to hear every thought in Genosha.  He also brags that he’s a better martial artist than Psylocke, an aspect of his character that was quickly forgotten.
• The flying Acolyte in the previous issue is now named Chrome.  There’s also an additional female Acolyte who shows up this issue, sans name or explanation.
• Magneto was reduced to infancy in Defenders #16 and then sent to live on Muir Island.  Convinced that Magneto’s powers caused an instability within his central nervous system, Moira attempted to “modify the genetic matrix” and spare him future brain damage.
• Forge interrupts Jean before she can explain how she knows Cyclops’ team has switched sides.  The next issue implies that she learned through the telepathic bond she’s had with Xavier since she was a child.  The next issue also establishes, however, that Magneto’s psychic inhibitors are blocking Xavier’s powers.
• Storm refers to Cyclops and Jean’s psychic rapport as a thing of the past.  I’m not sure if Claremont momentarily forgot that Jean’s telepathic powers were back, or if he was intentionally drawing attention to the fact that her telepathy is back, but she’s yet to rebuild her rapport with Cyclops.

Creative Differences:  On page twenty-seven, a caption obviously not lettered by Tom Orzechowski establishes that the scene’s shifted back to Asteroid M.  Orzechowski’s wife, Lois Buhalis, also letters two pages during the Genosha fight, although I don’t think any of these pages were rewritten.  Most likely, she stepped in to give Orzechowski some deadline relief.

I Love the '90s:  Psylocke makes a reference to those “This is your brain on drugs…” television commercials after Cortez fries her brain.

Review:  The dichotomy between Magneto’s words and actions persists this issue, as Jim Lee’s art continues to portray Magneto as a fairly generic villain while Claremont’s script is still giving him an air of nobility.  He even tells the X-Men to get to work rescuing civilians while he defends himself from the Genoshan army; an edict that’s ignored in the very next panel when Rogue charges towards him to begin the next stage of the fight scene.  This could get old fast, but thankfully by the middle of the issue the contrast between good and bad Magneto is now a genuine plot point.  Revealing that Magneto’s villainous behavior is the result of mental damage caused by his powers is a legitimate retcon when you think about it.  This allows fans of the Silver Age Magneto and fans of the more thoughtful, nuanced character developed under Claremont to both have their way.  Magneto could be this truly noble man, but his powers have warped him into someone else entirely.  For some reason, this justification was ignored as soon as the issue was published.  Magneto will certainly be portrayed as crazy in the coming months, but I don’t recall any characters acknowledging that the instability comes from his powers.  

If Magneto’s powers are responsible for altering his personality, this does give Moira a defensible position in the issue.  Unfortunately, the revelation of the genetic tinkering is extremely rushed, and Claremont is left to blanket just two pages with word balloons to try to justify the plot point.  This should be a major revelation, but the execution is so hurried it comes across as a brief diversion between fight scenes.  Even worse, Moira’s genetic experimentation on Magneto is somehow used as a way to justify her suddenly knowing how to brainwash people.  Where is that coming from?  What a strange direction for the plot to veer off into.  Outside of providing the reader with a Jim Lee-penciled X-Men vs. X-Men fight, it’s hard to think of what the point is supposed to be.  Ignoring that abrupt turn, the story does have a few great moments.  The opening fight scene actually succeeds in selling Fabian Cortez as a villain, the drama between Xavier, Moira, and Magneto feels real (if rushed), the Omega Red subplot is a nice bridge between the title’s first and second arcs, and the political turmoil Magneto creates at the UN is the kind of intellectual touch you expect to find in one of Claremont’s better issues.  The art’s also sharper than it was in the previous issue, which apparently suffered from some bad reproduction.  It’s not perfect, but I would say it’s a respectable effort.

X-MEN #1 - October 1991

Rubicon

Credits:  Chris Claremont (story, script), Jim Lee (story, pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Tom Orzechowski (letters), Joe Rosas (colors)

Summary:  In orbit, SHIELD agents pursue a space shuttle stolen by a group of mutants.  They land near Asteroid M, where Magneto rescues both groups.  Inside, SHIELD member Deke apparently kills the mutant Annemarie.  With Fabian Cortez’s prompting, Magneto decides to make a statement to the human population.  He raises the Soviet submarine Leningrad and steals its remaining nuclear supply.  The X-Men arrive to stop him, after receiving word from Nick Fury.  Magneto tries to leave peacefully, but detonates one of the bombs after Rogue is hit by Soviet aircraft.  Rogue awakes in Genosha, where the mutant Acolytes are waging war.  The X-Men soon arrive to defend Genosha.  Suddenly, Magneto appears.  He didn’t condone the Acolytes’ actions, but announces that he will offer them and all mutants sanctuary on Asteroid M.  Meanwhile, a tearful Moira tells Banshee that this is all her fault.

Continuity Notes:  

• Magneto sunk the Leningrad in Uncanny X-Men #150.
• Everyone remembers that X-Men #1-3 takes place before Uncanny X-Men #281, right?
• The mansion has been rebuilt in the months following “The Muir Island Saga.”  Forge has also designed a new Blackbird since the team’s last appearance.
• Xavier uses his futuristic hover-chair for the first time.
• Jean Grey is no longer using her “Marvel Girl” code name.
• Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Rogue all debut new costumes, most of which will last the rest of the decade.  Storm's hair has grown several inches (feet?) since her last appearance.  Colossus is wearing his original costume, although it seems slightly modified.  The rest of the team goes back to the outfits they wore circa the “X-Tinction Agenda” crossover.
• Jubilee is absent, without explanation.  She won’t appear again until X-Men #4.  Forge and Banshee are now working in the mansion as technical support.  Moira MacTaggert is apparently now living at the mansion, as well.  (But where’s Stevie Hunter?)
• Rogue playfully shakes her fist at Gambit following a training session, the first hint of a potential romance between the pair.
• The division of the Blue and Gold teams is mentioned for the first time.  According to Xavier, it was Cyclops’ idea.  Cyclops’ Blue team consists of Cyclops, Gambit, Wolverine, Beast, Psylocke, and Rogue.  Storm is referenced as the leader of the Gold team, the implication being that the other members are on her team.
• The Acolytes debut.  The only ones given full names are their leader Fabian Cortez and Harry Delgado, who is apparently a sleeper agent within SHIELD.  (This was never definitively resolved.)  There is also Annemarie, no last name given, who seems able only to shoot large guns.  The final member is an unnamed male who can fly and alter the molecular density of others.  
• Annemarie is believed dead after Deke shoots her inside Asteroid M.  Fabian Cortez later tells Magneto he used his powers to heal her.
• Wolverine comments that Fabian Cortez has a familiar scent but he can’t place the face.  I believe this has never been resolved.
• The anti-human slur “flatscan” is used by the Acolytes for the first time this issue.

I Love the '90s:  Asteroid M is hovering over the USSR at the issue’s opening.  George H. W. Bush is also the American President at the time, and there are two references to him being “prudent” in the story.

Creative Differences:  A re-lettered balloon on page ten emphasizes that “telepathic” and “psychic” mean the same thing, as Jean telepathically attacks Colossus during a Danger Room session.

“Huh?” Moments:  

• Speaking of which, we learn a few pages later that this “Jean” is actually a robot.  So Xavier can build robots with telepathic powers now?  
• Gambit is somehow able to grab a missile shell shot by Annemarie with his bare hands during their fight in Genosha.
• Rogue is shot down by fighter jets over Russia, and yet lands in the tiny African island of Genosha.
• Magneto appears to be speaking through a hologram at the end of the issue, but suddenly appears in the flesh at the start of the next issue.

Gimmicks:  There are five different versions of this comic, each with a different cover.  The $3.95 special edition version of the issue includes all covers as a fold-out, pin-ups, a sketchbook, and it’s printed on glossy paper with no ads.  The standard version is printed on newsprint with a $1.50 cover price, with ads.

Review:  Where to begin on this one?  X-Men #1 is the highest selling comic of all time, with orders reaching eight million copies in the summer of 1991.  The initial X-Men storyline has stayed in print for around two decades now in the “Mutant Genesis” trade paperback, receiving at least one re-coloring in its numerous reprints.  As many people are eager to point out, X-Men #1’s high sales are owed mostly to speculators; many readers purchased more than one copy of the comic, a practice encouraged by the multiple cover gimmick.  Also, numerous retailers over-ordered and were left with unsold copies of the book, leading to its continued presence today in the dollar bins.  Looking back, those ubiquitous copies in the cheapie bins could be a reason why “Mutant Genesis” has stayed in print for so long.  X-Men #1 exists as a cheap commercial for the opening arc, an arc that can easily be read in one collected edition.   Given the numerous printings of “Mutant Genesis,” you would think the market would’ve been saturated by now, but it seems to live on forever, much like “The Dark Phoenix Saga.”

Intended as a new-reader friendly introduction to the X-Men, the story takes a lot of liberties with the status quo of the era.  The X-Men and X-Factor teams have merged into one, various events have occurred in-between issues (including one member apparently leaving the team), no one seems that concerned with the loss of Cyclops’ son, and existing readers are just expected to roll with the changes.  I personally found all of the changes exciting as a kid, most likely because I wasn’t old enough to reach the status of “entitled fanboy” yet.  So much change so abruptly was rare during these days, especially when the creative team has remained virtually unchanged.  (I wonder now if Claremont didn’t even know how Nicieza was handling the end of “The Muir Island Saga” at the time.)  And as a new-reader friendly comic, of course the characters are very quick to describe each other’s powers or say their teammates' names at regular intervals.  This has never bothered me as much as it does other readers, and I still maintain that Claremont’s better at the forced exposition than most writers of this era.  As annoying as the obvious exposition and that gap between issues might’ve been to established readers, it’s hard to deny that visceral feeling an X-fan feels when he or she sees almost all the X-Men together on one team, living in the mansion, training in the Danger Room, all under the tutelage of Professor Xavier.

As the “ultimate” X-Men story, so to speak, it’s no surprise that Magneto is the villain.  This is another element that I’m sure irritated Chris Claremont to no end, although he tries his best to make it work.  Jim Lee, apparently, doesn’t share too many reservations about casting Magneto as the foil.  Just a few pages after Wolverine defends Magneto to Cyclops, adamant that a person can truly change, Lee draws him charging after Magneto “on the verge of a berserker fury” with little provocation.  Claremont has Magneto later point this out during a conversation with Fabian Cortez, using his sense of betrayal as more fuel for Cortez, who’s manipulating Magneto into playing the villain role again.  Perhaps a stricter editor would’ve removed Wolverine’s earlier defense of Magneto, or tossed in some rationalization for why Wolverine suddenly turns on him so violently, but I prefer the frayed edges.  The audience is just as bewildered as Magneto, which helps to make him more sympathetic.  (And I realize that Magneto is trying to steal nuclear missiles in this scene, but Wolverine as characterized just a few pages earlier wouldn’t assume that Magneto would actually use them against the public.  A tossed-in line about nukes going “too far” might’ve worked to justify Wolverine’s actions in the scene, though.)

The creative team’s inconsistency on Magneto turns out to be the strongest element of the storyline.  Claremont will use every word balloon and narrative caption to remind us of Magneto’s humanity, while Lee’s art either has him staring pensively or attacking the X-Men.  The art’s ambiguous enough to create some doubt over which side started the fight, which thankfully leaves the door open for Claremont’s more thoughtful interpretation of Magneto.  Bringing back the Leningrad is a great decision, regardless of which creator dreamed it up.  It serves as a reminder of Magneto’s only (on-panel) lethal action during his villainous days, while also working to humanize Magneto, who only now realizes that the people he killed were flesh and blood.

I also like the role the Acolytes play in pushing Magneto back towards the dark side, and the ambiguity over whether or not Harry Delgado is an Acolyte sleeper agent within SHIELD is a nice Claremontian touch (and I suppose it’s fitting that we never received an answer.)  The unanswered questions regarding SHIELD and the Acolytes are intriguing.  Was Deke’s “murder” of Annemarie a stunt from the beginning?  What if there’s more than one mutant mole within SHIELD?  Were the Acolytes ever sincere about seeking sanctuary with Magneto in the first place?  Is Fabian Cortez the only Acolyte with ulterior motives, or is his entire group running a scam?  Having Magneto declare at the issue’s end that he isn’t condoning the Acolytes’ violence, but he’s still offering them and all mutants sanctuary, might be the best way to split the difference between old and new Magneto.  Not necessarily villainous, but certainly not a positive force in human/mutant relations.  (Years later, Grant Morrison will have Professor Xavier be the one to make a very similar proclamation in New X-Men, leading Claremont to present the opposing point of view in the X-Treme X-Men arc “Schism.”)   

While the ping-pong Magneto portrayal is just coherent enough to be interesting, the plotting towards the end of the issue gets annoying sloppy.  How exactly does Rogue end up in Genosha?  And how is it that in the time it takes the X-Men to fly from Russia to Genosha, the Acolytes have already adopted a name, picked up uniforms, and declared war on Genosha?  And somehow left Magneto’s orbiting space station without his knowledge.  I can understand the appeal of connecting Magneto to Genosha, especially at this point in continuity since I don’t think he’s ever even been aware of its existence, but all logic has been thrown out the window to get here.  It is a decent fight scene, made all the better by the collapsed buildings and fiery, war torn backgrounds.  In retrospect, it might be the only credible fight the Acolytes ever put up.  As a kid I ate this up, but the plot mechanics are remarkably dumb for a comic that’s been fairly elegant up until this point.