X-MEN: THE WEDDING ALBUM - 1994

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue & Gold

Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), Ian Churchill (penciler), Minor/Elliott/Candelario (inkers), Dave Sharpe & Jon Babcock (letterers), Chris Matthys (colorist)

Summary

While going through her old clothes, Jubilee tells Jean that she doesn’t understand the appeal of marriage. When Jean leaves to pick up her wedding dress, Jubilee finds her old diary and begins reading it. Jubilee reads about Jean’s early days with Xavier, and the evolution of her relationship with Cyclops. When she sees Jean again, Jubilee confesses to reading her diary and apologizes. She tells Jean that after learning about her history with Cyclops, she takes back what she said about marriage, and Jean invites her to look at the dress.

Production Note

This is a magazine-format special released at the same time as the wedding. The first half is a story about Jubilee that takes place before the wedding, and the second half is a series of pinups that take place after the wedding. As a kid, this bothered me because I didn’t know whether to file this book before or after X-Men #30.

Review

Wow, not only did the Marvel of 1994 not have a problem with two of their “grown-up” teenage characters getting married, but they also published a special edition magazine to promote the event. Imagine that. There’s not an awful lot of content here, but the Jubilee story isn’t that bad. I like the fact that Jubilee is still bratty enough to read someone else’s diary, even if she does suddenly feel remorseful later. Jubilee’s sudden guilt doesn’t really make a lot of sense given her earlier eagerness to read the diary, but I like Lobdell’s premise that Jubilee never learned about relationships from her parents so she looks to the X-Men for guidance. Most of the flashback scenes are well chosen, and help to sell the idea that Scott and Jean were “meant” to be together. For some reason, the final flashback scene is Jean meeting Wolverine for the first time, which is an odd choice for a story meant to build up her relationship to someone else. Churchill’s art is inconsistent, but he pulls off an okay cartoony look on a few pages. The rest of the issue consists of pinups of the X-Men in tuxedoes hanging out at the wedding reception. This type of stuff would have been better suited as annual filler, really.

X-MEN #30 – March 1994

The Ties That Bind

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (penciler), Matt Ryan (inks), Bill Oakley (letterer), Joe Rosas (colorist)

Summary

Scott Summers and Jean Grey prepare for their wedding. Rachel Summers reconciles with Jean shortly before the ceremony begins. Scott and Jean exchange vows, while Sabretooth watches from the hillside. When he contemplates disrupting the ceremony, a mystery figure stops him. After the ceremony, Rogue catches Jean’s bouquet and Gambit grabs Jean’s garter belt. Jean uses her powers to share a dance with Professor Xavier as the reception ends.

Gimmicks

This issue has three inbound trading cards focusing on the relationship between Scott and Jean, raising the price forty-five cents. This issue also has a wraparound cover.

Continuity Notes

Rachel Summers is Jean Grey’s daughter from an alternate future. When they first met in our reality, Rachel didn’t receive the warm welcome she expected from Jean.

The mystery figure that stops Sabretooth is heavily implied to be Wolverine.

The letters that Jean and Xavier read from Wolverine were seen in the final pages of Wolverine #75.

Xavier has a file on the Legacy Virus, with a post-it note from Moira McTaggert that says that Cable might “hold the key” to a vaccine. This is never developed. He also has brochure on “The Massachusetts Academy”, foreshadowing the upcoming Generation X series.

Creative Differences

When Jean uses her powers to dance with Xavier, a re-lettered word balloon emphasizes that most of the guests have gone, so she won’t be outed as a mutant.

“Huh?” Moment

Scott and Jean’s wedding song is “One” by U2. The lyrics of this song (which I think Bono wrote about his father) aren’t really appropriate for a wedding (“you gave me nothing, now it’s all I got”?). I remember some fans speculating that Nicieza chose this song as a joke, or as a commentary against the wedding.
Speaking of "One", does anyone remember "Lucky Clovers" from the Ben Stiller Show?

Review

It’s another quiet issue, appropriate for a wedding. The entire issue is narrated by Professor Xavier, in a very sympathetic portrayal where he spends page after page talking about how much he loves his students. It’s a little schmaltzy, but Nicieza makes it work. There’s not a lot of attention paid to the cast members of the other X-books, but they’re shown just enough to give you the “family feel” amongst the X-teams that Marvel used to promote. A lot of people dismiss this entire era as nothing but crossover-fueled nonsense, but it’s important to remember that there was still an emphasis on characterization and writing relatable characters. We’ve all been reminded lately of Marvel’s insistence that marriage is some horrible event that chases kids away from comics, but I liked this issue a lot as a thirteen year old.

Kubert does a capable job on the art, but a quiet issue dedicated entirely to a wedding isn’t really his strong suit at this point. Some of the faces look a little odd, and a couple of the female characters look like they’re dressed for a Maxim shoot and not a wedding. The story makes a big deal about how beautiful Jean looks as she enters the ceremony, but it’s actually Kubert’s weakest drawing of her in the entire issue. There’s also a coloring mistake that has a large part of her head colored blood-red.

As a testament to just how crazy these times could be, I remember getting a mail-order catalogue that hyped this issue by saying that Wolverine’s letter to Jean would have a shocking revelation. You must have a weak heart if you think Wolverine telling Jean that she should plan a future together with Scott is “shocking” at all. A friend of mine was convinced that Wolverine’s “shocking” revelation was that he’s gay.

UNCANNY X-MEN #310 – March 1994

“…Show Me The Way To Go Home…”

Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), John Romita, Jr. (penciler), Dan Green (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Steve Buccellato (colorist)

Summary

Cyclops discovers that the Danger Room is running a hologram reenactment of the day he sent his infant son into the future. Angry that someone would be digging up these memories, he shuts off the simulation and discovers that it was being run by Cable. Cable, feeling that Cyclops sent him into the future coldly and without regret, wants to know why Cyclops invited him to the wedding. Cyclops runs another hologram reenactment that shows the anguish he felt over the decision, but Cable says that it doesn’t change anything. The X-Cutioner, using his technology to follow Cable’s teleportation system, arrives inside the mansion. He plans on killing Emma Frost for allowing her Hellion students to die. Sabretooth warns Cable and Cyclops, and the two stop the X-Cutioner. Cable tells Cyclops that he’s proud to have him as a father, and drops him off at his bachelor party. He leaves Cyclops with a note telling him that he’ll be at the wedding.

Gimmicks

This issue has three inbound X-Factor cards, adding forty-five cents to the price. I always hated these unrelated gimmicks that raised the price of a book. Who said I wanted three X-Factor cards in the first place? The main reason for putting them in the comic seems to be promoting the new Fleer line of X-Men cards, which meant we had to pay for an advertisement. Random is listed as a member of X-Factor on the cards, even though that never actually happened in the book.

Continuity Notes

Cable uses enhanced strength to drop a pile of debris on X-Cutioner. He tells Cyclops that he can be that strong “when I have to be”. I guess the implication is that he’s using telekinesis, although previous issues established that he could barely move tools around with his TK power.

Cable mentions for the first time that he was raised by a young couple in the future. This ties into the upcoming Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries, where Scott and Jean go to the future and raise Cable as a child.

At the bachelor party, Bishop says that marriage is discouraged by the XSE. Gambit tries to talk to Archangel about Sabretooth, but he doesn’t want to be dragged into their feud. Archangel seems to have forgotten about his own past with Sabretooth (or this could be a deliberate characterization point, showing that Archangel has forgiven him).

Review

It’s another issue leading up to Scott and Jean’s wedding. I liked this issue as a kid, mainly due to Romita’s art. I thought he did a great job with the fight scene towards the end, but I definitely remembered the fight as being longer than it actually is. Cable, Cyclops, and X-Cutioner spend about as much time posing before the fight as they do actually fighting. Most of this issue consists of conversation scenes (often padded with splash pages and double-page spreads), but Romita can also keep those pages visually interesting.

Even though Marvel had been hinting that Cable was Cyclops’ son for two years at this point, the two characters had barely spoken to one another. Dealing with Cable’s reaction to Cyclops’ wedding isn’t a bad start for a story, and the two characters really did need to have some interaction. Lobdell goes the obvious route and has Cable resent Cyclops for his decision to send him into the future. It is true that Cyclops wasn’t shown to be particularly upset about it at the time, so the readers can see where Cable is coming from. However, once we see in the second flashback that losing his son really did hurt, Cable’s actions don’t make a lot of sense. Even after he sees that Cyclops was devastated by his decision, Cable tells him it doesn’t change anything. Yet, a few pages later after they defeat the X-Cutioner together, Cable has a sudden change of heart and tells Cyclops that he’s proud to have him as a father. The about face comes after he sees Cyclops’ concern for Emma Frost. The idea isn’t presented very clearly, but Cable seems to think that if Cyclops cares so much about a criminal, he must care about his son as well. If that were the case, wouldn’t he have realized that when he saw the second flashback? Why would observing Cyclops’ concern for a criminal have a larger impact on Cable than actual footage of his father crying over his loss? It doesn’t make sense. X-Cutioner’s decision to murder Emma Frost, while she’s in a coma, for “failing” her children doesn’t make a lot of sense either. Following that logic, X-Cutioner should also target Xavier for allowing Thunderbird to die all of those years ago. Isn’t it X-Cutioner’s motivation to stop mutants who killed humans, not mutants who indirectly lead other mutants into danger? It would’ve been easy to retcon an actual murder into Frost’s backstory, but I guess Lobdell didn’t want to retroactively make her a killer knowing that she was about to be reformed for Generation X.

UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #18 – 1994

Trust Is a Two-Edged Sword

Credits: Glenn Herdling (writer), Ian Churchill (penciler), Hilary Barta and Bud La Rosa (inkers), Richard Starkings (letterer), Dana Moreshead and Mike Thomas (colorists)

Summary

Caliban has kidnapped Jubilee, hoping to exchange her for Sabretooth. The only X-Man he’ll agree to meet with is Kitty Pryde, who has flown in from Scotland. Professor Xavier hopes that Kitty can talk Caliban into giving Jubilee back. The X-Men need Sabretooth to find Caliban’s specific location in the sewers, so Jean Grey gives him the telepathic “glow” in exchange for going along. While in the sewers, Sabretooth tries to escape but Kitty is able to stop him. They’re soon discovered by Caliban who opens the floodgates in the sewer, hoping that Sabretooth will drown and that Kitty will phase through the wall to safety. Kitty escapes with Sabretooth, but they’re soon attacked by a giant squid. Caliban steps in to save Kitty, but he can’t stop the squid. Sabretooth surprises Kitty by killing it and saving their lives. He then tricks Kitty into accidentally short-circuiting his manacles, but he’s quickly recaptured. Caliban, ashamed of what he has turned into, disappears.

Continuity Notes

In one of his early appearances, Caliban tried to marry Kitty Pryde. He wants revenge on Sabretooth for his role in the Morlock Massacre. After Caliban was remade by Apocalypse, he had a lasting feud with Sabretooth in the earlier issues of X-Factor.

Creative Differences

On page forty-three, Kitty Pryde’s dialogue has been re-lettered to have Kitty consider the possibility that Sabretooth could be reformed.

“Huh?” Moment

Kitty is able to walk through the sewers without a flashlight. She implies that she can see in the dark because her name is “Shadowcat”.

Commercial Break

There’s an ad for “Universal Collectibles Club”, some sort of discount comics service. Buried in the tiny print of their ad is this: “Harlan Ellison, Neil Young, Peter David, God Street Wine and Eddie Vedder call for your complimentary membership and special prize! Ask for Cary!” God Street Wine was apparently a ‘90s jam band I’ve never heard of. Were they as cool as Peter David and Eddie Vedder? Do you think Vedder ever called Cary? Why was Eddie Vedder asked to join but not Kurt Cobain? Maybe Billy Corgan wanted free comics! If you joined the club, you could also get ‘90s classics like Ravage 2009 #1 and Deathmate Prologue for free, and there was no limit on the number of copies of Punisher 2099 #1 and Shadowhawk II #1 you could buy.

Review

This issue didn’t seem so bad to me until the giant squid showed up. It makes sense that people with a grudge against Sabretooth would now be going after the X-Men, and Caliban’s hatred of Sabretooth was the center of a few X-Factor stories, so I don’t have a problem with the premise of the story. Caliban’s given some odd speech patterns for the first half of the issue, but he seems to be more in character by the story’s end. The idea that only Sabretooth can find Caliban doesn’t work when you consider the fact that this story features two telepaths. I’m not sure why the story goes in that direction since Sabretooth was Calbian’s ransom demand in the first place, so he already had a reason to go into the sewers. I understand why Herdling introduced a separate menace for Caliban and Sabretooth to fight towards the end of the story…but an inexplicable giant squid hiding in the sewers? Really? This is a Marvel comic, there could have at least been an explanation that it was the result of an abandoned AIM project or something.

This is the first issue during this era to have someone seriously consider the idea that Sabretooth might reform. The dialogue comes in a re-lettered balloon, so I don’t know if Herdling intended for this idea to be raised or if it was added by editorial. It’s possible that Marvel was still considering having him actually join the team at this point, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the idea were put out in there in the comics to see how people responded. Or maybe Herdling intended for that scene to be red herring before Sabretooth’s final escape attempt. Throwing in that last escape attempt with only three pages left doesn’t work because there’s not enough room to go anywhere with it. Even Jubilee points out how implausible it was for Kitty to be able to repair Sabretooth’s manacles so quickly. I didn’t notice a lot of these flaws as a kid and seem to remember liking this story. I will say that Herdling handles Kitty, Jubilee, and Sabretooth’s characterizations pretty well, even if the plot doesn’t entirely work.

NEW WARRIORS #46 – April 1994

Child’s Play Part Four

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Darick Robertson (penciler), Mahlstedt, Bulanadi, Akin (inkers), Steve Dutro (letterer), Joe Rosas (colorist)

Summary

X-Force and the New Warriors unite to stop Gamemaster in Switzerland. Gamesmaster uses his mental powers to turn the two teams against one another. When Cable faces Cannonball, Cable uses his telepathic powers for apparently the first time to stop him. Cable soon collapses, along with the rest of his teammates. Paige Guthrie, hiding from the battle, calls out to Gamesmaster. In exchange for sparing her brother’s life, she offers him the next generation of mutants. Intrigued at the idea of guiding a new generation of mutants, Gamesmaster agrees to the deal. Cable thinks that it’s a hollow victory if Gamesmaster gains control over the next generation of mutants, but the New Warriors see it as a challenge to find new mutants before the wrong side does.

Continuity Notes

Cable uses telepathy for the first time to stop Cannonball during their fight. Both Cable and Domino imply that they didn’t know he could do that. In the concurrent storyline going on in Cable’s solo book, he also uses telepathy against Colossus.

The Gamesmaster claims it’s easy for him to read Cable’s mind, but he can’t read Speedball’s due to his kinetic energy field.

At the end of the story, the “real” identity of the Gamesmaster is hinted at. He’s living in a house on an island, has a photo of his family near him, and doesn’t resemble the Gamesmaster at all (different hairline, different body type, wears glasses).

Review

This is better than the previous New Warriors installment, at least. Having Gamesmaster take over the minds of the people facing him is a very obvious move, but the way Nicieza describes his point of view in the narration makes it work. The ending is a little strange, with Paige offering herself to Gamesmaster in rather vague terms. At first, it seems as if she’s promising to serve him if he spares her brother. A few pages later, it’s implied that she’s only dared him to mold the next generation before Xavier does. So, he spared her brother’s life because she just gave him a good idea for killing time?

As the conclusion of a four-part story, this isn’t so bad, but as the ending to a long-running subplot and the introduction of a new one, it’s a flop. I’m assuming that this story was done to end the Upstarts storyline, with Fitzroy apparently dead, the other Upstarts turning on Gamesmaster, and Gamesmaster moving on to a new goal. As a conclusion, this doesn’t work at all because there are just too many unanswered questions. What was the ultimate prize Gamesmaster hinted at? What exactly was Selene getting out of this? Gamesmaster’s replacement for the Upstarts game, finding the next generation of mutants, never amounted to anything, either (was it ever even brought up again?). So, one story that was never properly developed gives way to another one that never really starts.

The ending of this issue leads me to believe that this crossover was originally intended to be a more direct lead-in to Generation X. The New Mutants and Hellions characters were the last “new generation” of mutants, so reintroducing them is one way to revive the idea of discovering new mutants. Gamesmaster is set up as the dark force looking to corrupt young mutants, so Xavier must find them first. I like this idea, because Gamesmaster could serve as a dark alternate to Xavier, which would give the character more of an identity and make him more of a legitimate challenge. He already has a connection to the Upstarts, who claimed to be the next generation of mutants, so it’s not as if this idea comes out of nowhere. Instead, the upcoming Phalanx crossover is used to set up Generation X. The Phalanx are bland villains who disappear once they’re defeated, and don’t offer the dramatic possibilities that Gamesmaster, tempting the young students to the dark side, could provide. He could’ve been an ongoing antagonist for the team, serving as more than just a physical threat to the X-teams. This idea was already introduced, so I’m not sure why they didn’t follow up on it.

CABLE #11 – May 1994

The Killing Field Part 3 – Divide & Conquer

Credits: Glenn Herdling (writer), M. C. Wyman (penciler), Farmer/Barta/Lowe/Conrad/LaRosa/Hanna/Rodier (inkers), Richard Starkings (letterer), Marie Javins (colorist)

Summary

Cable escapes from the Acolytes by turning off the lights in Magneto’s former base. He learns that only he can control the alien headquarters because it is techno-organic, like half of his body. The Acolytes planned on recruiting him, hoping that he would be able to use Magneto’s arctic base to their advantage. The Acolytes try to escape Earth before Omega Red’s death spores are released, but Cable uses his control over the base to stop them. Amelia Voght teleports Cable away, explaining to him that the Acolytes have gone behind her back by forcing Omega Red to stay on Earth and poison the planet. In her original plan, he really was supposed to reach space. She tries to stop Omega Red while Cable fights Colossus. Cable uses his telepathic and telekinetic powers to force Colossus back to human form and saves Voght from Omega Red. The Acolyte Katu uses his power on Omega Red and the two implode.

Continuity Note

Magneto’s arctic base is revealed to be some form of techno-organic alien. How he ended up with it isn’t explained.

Review

The Omega Red/Acolytes arc finally ends, losing Fabian Nicieza along the way. Glenn Herdling is given the unenviable job of finishing up another writer’s storyline that wasn’t very good in the first place. He does a decent job of going through the motions until the very end, when one of the Acolytes (not even introduced in this issue), uses his vaguely defined powers to end the story in a couple of panels. This isn’t an especially plot-heavy issue, so there should have been more than enough room for a better conclusion. M. C. Wyman has seven inkers in this issue, giving the entire issue an inconsistent, rushed look. Eleven issues in and Cable is still a disappointment. I was deep into completism at this point.

X-FORCE #33 – April 1994

Child’s Play Third Move – Rules Were Made to be Broken

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Tony Daniel (penciler), Jon Holdredge (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Marie Javins (colorist)

Summary

Cable tricks Fitzroy into draining life energy from his techno-organic arm, causing Fitzroy to drain his own energy and create a teleportation portal. X-Force use Fitzroy’s guide Bantam to go back to his previous location. Cannonball’s sister Paige follows them. The New Warriors confront Graydon Creed and learn where the captured New Mutants and Hellions are being held. Justice turns Firestar over to the Gamesmaster and learns that all of his captured targets are hooked up to his mind. Justice can’t fight Gamesmaster without harming them. Later, Karma reveals that she took over Siena Blaze’s mind hours ago, and releases the other abductees. Blaze appears, under the control of the Gamesmaster. He tells Karma that he knew what she was doing all along and will now use their powers against X-Force and the New Warriors.

Review

The Child’s Play crossover continues, basically just moving the characters to where they need to be for the finale. Nicieza pokes some fun at the rather lame Fitzroy and Bantam, but that’s really the only highlight of the issue. Paige Guthrie is given another brief scene when she follows X-Force without their permission. I really have no idea why she’s in this story, especially since Generation X is still months away and Marvel hasn’t figured out what her powers are supposed to be yet. The upcoming summer crossover will pave the way for Generation X, while Paige’s role in this story is essentially forgotten. Tony Daniel’s art is starting to develop a looser, less restrained style that doesn’t really work. There’s a lot of energy on some of the pages, but at times, it looks like he’s just forgotten how to draw human faces and anatomy.

EXCALIBUR #74 – February 1994

In the Name of Love

Credits: Richard Ashford (writer), Ian Churchill (penciler), Candelario/Smith/Elliott (inkers), Pat Brosseau (letterer), Garrahy/Matthys (colorists)

Summary

Captain Britain, lost in the timestream, contacts Phoenix for help. She pulls away from him, because he’s pulling her into the future as he’s going back into the past. Meggan continues to devolve into a bestial state, apparently due to her separation from Captain Britain. Phoenix knows that she could probably bring Captain Britain back to this timeline by trading places with him, but doesn’t want to give up everything she’s gained in this era. Rory Campbell senses her grief, and the two talk and become closer. Meggan transforms again, becoming stronger and more out of control. When she grabs Phoenix’s throat, Rory sedates her. Phoenix doesn’t believe that Meggan would have harmed her and snaps at Rory. Meanwhile, Mr. Sinister prepares to punish Siena Blaze for failing to capture Proteus’ DNA, but once he learns that she scratched Phoenix, he’s content to take a sample of her DNA from Blaze’s fingernails.

Continuity Notes

Rachel Summers’ power, as defined in her very first appearance, is the ability to send her consciousness through time. She gained telepathic and telekinetic skills later on, and then became the second Phoenix. Captain Britain is using her ability to send her consciousness through the timestream to contact her.

It’s implied that Rory Campbell will become Ahab in the future, a storyline that sticks around for a few years.

“Huh?” Moments

Excalibur’s version of the Danger Room, a “gift” from Moira McTaggert, is called the “Proteus Room”. Proteus is the name her deranged son took before he went on a killing spree and had to be killed by the X-Men. You’d think that Moira would never want to hear the word “Proteus” again.

Siena Blaze brags about scratching Phoenix, and Mr. Sinister collects the DNA from her fingernails. Blaze is wearing gloves throughout this entire scene (it’s not just a coloring mistake either, because she’s also not drawn with any fingernails).

Creative Differences

The Bullpen Bulletins description of this issue reads, “Meet the Russian version of the Sentinels!” I wonder if this issue was returnable due to its lack of Slavic robots.

Miscellaneous Notes

According to the Statement of Ownership, average sales for this year were 123,792 with the most recent issue at 100,785. When you consider the other X-books were selling between 400,000 to 700,000 at this time, it’s not surprising that Marvel wanted to go in a different direction.

Review

The last issue of Excalibur was almost unreadable, so this one is at least an improvement. Rachel’s given an ethical dilemma that’s handled fairly well, as opposed to last issue’s extremely poor fight with Siena Blaze. A lot of time is spent on building up a relationship between Rory Campbell and Rachel, which seems strange when you consider the fact that she’s being written out of the book in the next issue. It’s not hard to see where they’re going with this; Rachel falls in love with a man who will later become her slave master in the future. It’s the type of soap opera you really only get in the X-books, but a decent writer could’ve done something with it. However, with Rachel being written out of the title in the next issue, you have to wonder why they even bothered to set this up. Without Rachel as an emotional connection to the Days of Future Past, Rory’s struggle not to become Ahab also loses a lot of its weight, so his introduction into the book is already looking pointless. I can only assume that Rory was introduced into the title with the assumption that Rachel wasn’t leaving, and that writing her out of the book was perhaps a last minute decision. The fact that the Bullpen Bulletins had a description that didn’t match the contents of this issue at all is evidence that some last minute rethinking was going on.

The title continues to build bridges to the main X-books, starting with the cover. Mr. Sinister is only in three pages of this issue, in an unrelated subplot that I don’t think was ever resolved, but he gets the cover. Rachel and Nightcrawler spend a few pages reflecting on Scott and Jean’s wedding, with Nightcrawler’s scenes also reviving the mystery about his parents (soon to be resolved in a notorious issue of X-Men Unlimited). Ian Churchill provides the fill-in art, combining the house style of the X-books with a McFarlane influence. He drew a back-up in the X-Men annual a few months before this, so this might be his first full issue of a series. His characters look rubbery and awkward here, but I do remember warming up to his stuff as a teenager when he took over Cable. He briefly penciled Uncanny X-Men in 2001 during the Grant Morrison/Joe Casey relaunch. He seemed like an odd fit for Marvel's new direction and didn't last for very long. He does a lot of work for DC these days, fitting in with their desire to mimic the mid-90s Image look.

NEW WARRIORS #45 – March 1994

Child’s Play Second Move – Sleeping With the Enemy

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Darick Robertson & Brandon McKinney (pencilers), Mahlstedt/McKenna/Stegbauer (inkers), Avon (letterer), Hondru (colorist)

Summary

Graydon Creed’s men, the Tribunal, try to kidnap Firestar from the New Warriors’ headquarters but are stopped by the team. Justice arrives, explaining to Firestar that she needs to be given to Shinobi Shaw in order to work undercover to stop Gamesmaster. She reluctantly agrees, and Justice takes her to Shaw’s apartment in Tokyo. Shaw explains to Justice his plan to overthrow Gamesmaster and the Upstarts, confident that his apartment has been properly shielded from the Gamesmaster. The Gamesmaster watches their conversation as Siena Blaze arrives with the kidnapped Moonstar, Empath, and Karma.

Continuity Note

The Tribunal are a variation of Tribune, the identity Graydon Creed assumed in the Sabretooth miniseries. Creed is listed as a member of the Upstarts in this issue, but the story never explicitly states that the Tribunal work for him.

Review

The crossover moves over to New Warriors, spending almost half of the issue reiterating the plot, with the story only slightly going forward by the end. This is one of the problems with a crossover; if you don’t take the time to explain what happened in the other title, some readers will be confused while everyone else will be bored with the recap. The rest of the issue isn’t really different from the first part of the story, either. We see different Upstarts attacking different New Mutants and Hellions, but the story’s the same. The only advancement of the plot comes in the last four pages, when Shaw announces his predictable plan to betray the Gamesmaster. It seems as if Firestar would have received more attention, considering her past with the Hellions is at the center of the crossover, but she’s mostly ignored until the end of the issue. I’m sure New Warriors fans just viewed this story as an intrusion on the book’s ongoing plotlines, and I can’t blame them after reading this issue.

X-FORCE #32 – March 1994

Child’s Play (First Move) – With A Roll of the Dice

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Tony Daniel (penciler), Jon Holdredge (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Marie Javins (colorist)

Summary

Fenris kidnap Magma, a former member of the New Mutants and Hellions, in Brazil. Their other target, Empath, turns their soldiers against them and flees. When Fenris finally reach Empath, Moonstar uses her psychic powers to stop them. In Kentucky, Cannonball’s sister Paige tells Cable how Cannonball and Boomer were kidnapped by Siena Blaze. She tried to use her budding mutant power to stop her, but could only turn into a bird. That night, Fitzroy arrives to kidnap Warpath and Rictor. Gamesmaster holds a meeting of the Upstarts, telling them that he’s invited Fenris on their hunt for former members of the New Mutants and Hellions. In New York, Shinobi Shaw tells Justice that if he doesn’t bring him Firestar, one of the Upstarts will abduct her.

Continuity Notes

The Hellions were intended to be the archrivals of the original New Mutants. Magma, Empath, Warpath, and Firestar were all Hellions. Justice is Firestar’s boyfriend and fellow member of the New Warriors.

Paige Guthrie, later to be named “Husk”, makes her first full appearance. She turns into a bird in this issue, which doesn’t reconcile with the way her shapechanging powers will later be portrayed.

Domino infers that she’s married. I believe this does come up later.

Review

This is the first part of the X-Force/New Warriors crossover. Both titles were written by Fabian Nicieza and both teams featured former members of the Hellions, which becomes the basis of this crossover. Nicieza introduces the idea organically, without using the old cliché of having the two superhero teams coincidentally stumble across the same villain. The pasts of the characters (in some cases, dating back ten years at this point) are used as the impetus to get the story moving. This is the type of continuity-heavy comic that Bill Jemas seemed to hate so much during his reign at Marvel. While there is a certain amount of fan service in reuniting the various Hellions and New Mutants characters, the first chapter is told clearly and offers a proper introduction for most of the characters. I had only a vague idea of who the Hellions were when I first read this story, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of it. It is true that it’s hard to get too excited about seeing characters you don’t know get reunited, but if the main story itself is interesting, the use of past continuity is just a bonus to long-time fans. Using the Upstarts as villains, rather than bringing back old foes from the New Mutants days, ties together the new continuity with the old, so the story comes across as more than just a nostalgia exercise. I don’t remember how this crossover turned out, but the first issue is a decent start.

X-MEN #29 – February 1994

Return to Hellfire!

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (penciler), Matt Ryan (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Joe Rosas (colorist)

Summary

Psylocke and Sabretooth spar in the Danger Room as the Professor examines Sabretooth’s physiological response to combat. Archangel receives an invitation to a Hellfire Club party. Psylocke’s father was a Hellfire member, and she asks to accompany Archangel. At the party, the pair is abducted by Shinobi Shaw. Shaw offers Archangel the role of White King in the Hellfire Club. Archangel refuses and a fight breaks out. Psylocke stabs Shaw with her psychic knife, releasing his memories of childhood abuse. The fight stops, and Shaw realizes that following in his father’s footsteps isn’t bringing him happiness.

Continuity Notes

Archangel and Shinobi Shaw knew each other as children. Shinobi’s father considered him to be a disappointment but always admired Archangel.

Archangel meets Dwayne Taylor, Night Thrasher, inside the Hellfire Club, in a scene that occurs simultaneously with X-Force #32.

Approved By The Comics Code Authority

Psylocke’s breasts are literally larger than her head on page eleven. There’s occasional cheesecake in these comics, but this goes a lot farther than usual (and I'd like to extend a warm welcome to everyone Googling "Psylocke breasts").

Jubilee tells Iceman it’s time to become the “master of your domain” when giving him his copy of National Geographic.

Creative Differences

After Psylocke tells Beast not to call her “Betsy”, the rest of their conversation is re-lettered. This ties into the needlessly confusing Kwannon storyline, but I’m not sure why parts of the conversation were changed.

“Huh?” Moment

When Sabretooth tells Psylocke that she’s his kind of woman, her response is “I know, Creed. And that worries me to no end.” Archangel is incensed that she’s flirting with Sabretooth. How is she flirting?

Miscellaneous Note

According to the Statement of Ownership, average sales for the year were 672,175 with the most recent issue at 579,300.

Review

I’m not sure what the point of this issue is. Ever since the X-line was revamped in 1991, Archangel didn’t receive a lot of attention, which is surprising given his prominent role in X-Factor. The conflict involving the use of his wings was dismissed early on after the revamp, and his characterization seemed to alternate between lighthearted and grim over the next two years. There’ some attempt to develop his character with this issue, as Archangel considers the fact that he’s expelled the darkness Apocalypse forced onto him, but hasn’t replaced it with anything. This is apparently resolved at the end of the issue, when he gives a speech to Shaw about having friends that helped him to determine his own destiny. I’m assuming that Shaw is supposed to represent someone who can’t get out of the shadow of someone else and be his own man, so he’s now emulating the abusive father he despises. Actually, these aren’t bad ideas, but the execution is weak. If Shaw's issues with his father are supposed to parallel Archangel's relationship with Apocalypse, the idea doesn't really come across well. Shaw doesn’t even meet up with Archangel until the story’s halfway over, and most of their scenes together are just spent fighting.

The beginnings of the Psylocke/Archangel romance start with this issue. I never understood the appeal of the relationship, but Marvel stuck with it for around seven years, even giving them a miniseries together. The justification for putting the two of them together in this story seems to be the fact that both of them come from rich families. Later on, the idea that both of them have undergone physical changes is used to bring them together. This never worked for me, when you consider how many other X-characters have gone through physical transformations. Is this really the basis of a relationship? It’s interesting that Psylocke doesn’t seem interested in Archangel at all in this issue. He implies that he’s physically attracted to her (in what seems like a meta-commentary on the tradition Jim Lee began of sexing up the female characters), but she barely says a word to him throughout the issue. Their relationship really begins when the Kwannon storyline is finally over, so I’ll take another look at it when I get to those issues.

X-FACTOR #100 – March 1994

Mahapralaya!

Credits: J. M. DeMatteis (writer), Jan Duursema (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Richard Starkings (letterer), Glynis Oliver (colorist)

Summary

Havok tries to convince Wolfsbane not to join Haven, but she refuses. Haven reveals her plan to have a satellite electromagnetically stimulate the fault lines in California, creating earthquakes that will kill most of its residents. She sends X-Factor into “oblivion”, psychologically examining each member. They return to reality, trapped in a cell that repels their powers. Haven’s brother, Monsoon, and Val Cooper arrive. They reveal that they’ve been working undercover for months to stop Haven. One of Madrox’s duplicates appears with Haven’s men and attacks. Guido and Random hold them off while Polaris stops the satellite in the sky and Havok destroys it. Madrox, succumbing to the Legacy Virus, asks Haven to cure him. Havok reluctantly agrees to let her try, but Haven is unsuccessful in saving his life. Haven says that “He” has spoken to her, and that the Legacy Virus will be a crucible for mutants, with the survivors forming the basis of the “New Humanity”. Haven flies away as the team mourns Madrox.

Gimmicks

This issue has a red foil cover with raised Havok and Madrox figures.

Continuity Notes

Random’s body turns into a shapeless blob after being sent to “oblivion” with X-Factor. Polaris asks him why his body changed when no one else’s did, but he refuses to answer.

The two duplicates of Madrox with distinct personalities are missing by the end of the story without explanation.

Review

X-Factor #100 finally accomplishes what Marvel wanted to do since the Peter David run, the death of Madrox. I have mixed feelings about this issue. Duursema’s art is fine, incorporating just enough of the ’90s look without getting ugly, while also clearly telling the story and selling the emotions. DeMatteis’ interpretation of Haven is still interesting, and the twist with Monsoon and Val Cooper isn’t too obvious so it works pretty well. DeMatteis incorporates Madrox’s illness, another subplot he inherited, into the Haven storyline, which doesn’t work as well as the conclusion of the Wolfsbane subplot. Having Haven cure Wolfsbane is a good misdirection for Madrox, giving the reader false hope that he’ll be saved too, but choosing Madrox as a sacrifice to the Legacy Virus doesn’t work. Not only does he develop two sentient clones in this storyline, but they also play a large role in this issue…until they just disappear off-panel. Killing off Madrox conclusively would have been hard enough, since anyone could just reveal that he had long-lost duplicate, but introducing two independent duplicates in this storyline and just forgetting about them makes it even more unbelievable. It’s another example of how half-hearted the Legacy Virus storyline became. Marvel decides to infect an actual member of an X-team, but they choose a character whose powers give them the easiest “out” for a resurrection. They’re trying to have it both ways – a (somewhat) major character dies, but he’s also the one X-character who can be resurrected the easiest. This lack of commitment to the idea is what leads to the Legacy Virus story becoming such a bomb. In terms of this specific issue, Madrox’s death only occurs in the final four pages, giving this issue a rushed ending as Haven suddenly declares that the Legacy Virus is all part of the master plan and just flies away. After such a long build-up, it’s a disappointment.

UNCANNY X-MEN #309 – February 1994

…When the Tigers Come At Night!

Credits: Scott Lobdell (writer), John Romita, Jr. (penciler), Dan Green & Jon Holdredge (inkers), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Steve Buccellato (colorist)

Summary

As Scott and Jean prepare to marry, Xavier reflects on his past, casting Magneto in the role of his subconscious. He recalls meeting Amelia Voght in a hospital in India after having his legs crushed. They begin a relationship and discover that they are both mutants. Voght accompanies Xavier to America where he begins laying the foundation for the X-Men. After a teenage Cyclops spends his first night in the mansion, Voght voices her objections to Xavier’s goals. She thinks that mutants should stay hidden and not draw attention to themselves. As she leaves, Xavier tries to mentally force her to see his point of view. He realizes his error, and Voght slaps him and leaves. Xavier realizes that drawing a line in how to use his powers is what separates him from Magneto.

Continuity Notes

This issue establishes how Xavier and Amelia Voght met, placing her “behind-the-scenes” shortly before the first issue of the series. In her earlier appearance, she implied that she was an early student of Xavier’s, but this issue places them as contemporaries.

Xavier recalls that it was Magneto who saved him in X-Men Unlimited #1. He also implies that Magneto’s arctic base is some sort of living alien. This reference showed up twice within a few months in the X-titles, but I don’t know if Marvel ever went anywhere with the idea.

Creative Differences

The panel where Xavier mentally tries to force Voght to stay has been re-lettered. The dialogue emphasizes that this was only a brief desire of Xavier’s, so maybe this panel was redone to make him more sympathetic.

Miscellaneous Note

According to the Statement of Ownership, sales averaged at 714,675 this year, with the most recent issue at 551,400.

Review

This is one of Lobdell’s strongest issues. After hinting at Xavier’s dark side for months, Lobdell crafts an entire story within his unconscious that ultimately vindicates him and his motives. Having Magneto voice Xavier’s subconscious is an odd choice, given his inconsistent characterization at this time, but Lobdell makes it work for the most part. After Xavier crossed a line he set for himself and erased Magneto’s mind, it makes sense that he would be represented in an issue where Xavier questions the decisions he’s made with his life. Revealing dark secrets from Xavier’s past has been done to death over the years, but this might have been the first time the idea was used. Rather than giving Xavier a horrible shame to live with, he’s shown making a very human mistake that he instantly regrets. Lobdell takes the idea just far enough to keep Xavier sympathetic and relatable. If you had the power to change someone’s mind, to keep a loved one with you, wouldn’t you be tempted to use it? The depiction of Voght’s departure, with Xavier intentionally misremembering it twice before he faces the truth, is smartly done and very memorable.

The impetus of Xavier's self-examination is the wedding of Scott and Jean. On some level, Xavier resents them for finding happiness while he’s sacrificed his own in service of his dream. Again, this is a very human, and real, emotion. It exposes a side of Xavier that isn’t very nice, but it doesn’t cross the line into making him totally heartless. By the end of the issue, he redeems himself by giving his blessings to Jean, after he realizes that he created the X-Men so that mutants could have a chance to find happiness. It’s a good example of showing a character’s flaws, but also staying true to his established characterization.

X-FORCE #31 – February 1994

Cry Uncle!

Credits: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Tony Daniel (penciler), Jon Holdredge (inker), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Marie Javins (colorist)

Summary

James Proudstar accompanies Siryn to Ireland, where he meets her childhood friend Kelvin. They discuss Black Tom Cassidy, who has grown progressively more insane and needs help. Proudstar learns the story of cousins Sean and Tom Cassidy. They both loved the same woman, and when she chose Sean over Tom, Tom felt the need to prove how unworthy he was by becoming a criminal. When Sean Cassidy, Banshee, was away on an Interpol assignment, he didn’t know that his wife gave birth and died. Tom raised Siryn as her “uncle” and kept her existence hidden from Banshee out of resentment. Proudstar also hears Siryn’s story of being sent to a boarding school after Black Tom became more heavily involved with crime. She began drinking to rebel, and later to deal with the pain of abandoning Tom after his imprisonment. Black Tom meets with Siryn at her mother’s grave, where she convinces him to turn himself in for treatment, and she decides to stop drinking. Juggernaut tells Proudstar that if Siryn starts to help herself, she might not need him anymore. Proudstar tells him that this is the price of friendship.

Continuity Notes

A large portion of this issue is dedicated to explaining the backstories of Black Tom, Banshee, and Siryn. A lot of the information about Banshee and Black Tom had already been established by Chris Claremont in a Classic X-Men back-up story. Siryn first appeared in Spider-Woman during the Claremont run, but I’m not sure how much of her backstory he established.

Black Tom is still in his half-plant appearance, after the events of the Deadpool miniseries.

Miscellaneous Note

According to the Statement of Ownership, average sales for this year were 572,892, with the most recent issue at 409,300. I wonder how many of those copies ever left a mylar bag?

Review

It’s another quiet, character-driven issue. Compare this issue to the Black Tom/Juggernaut fight issues from earlier in this series, and you can see how much better this book could be with Nicieza as the sole plotter. Not every Nicieza issue worked (the previous two were fairly weak), but he always did strong work on the low-key issues. For the first time since being re-introduced into the X-books, Siryn’s connection to Banshee and Black Tom is established. The flashbacks work into the main story seamlessly, and it’s hard to figure out how much of this is old continuity and how much is new material created for this issue.

Characters fighting alcoholism became commonplace in the ‘80s and ‘90s (with Nicieza writing more than a few of these stories), but rather than focusing on the addiction angle, the story is really about Siryn finding the strength to face her problems and not using alcohol as a crutch to deal with them. Black Tom receives a surprisingly complex characterization, emphasizing his criminal past but also his sincere feelings for Siryn. Juggernaut even receives a more sympathetic portrayal, acting as more than just a thug, but as someone who truly wants to help his friend. In one scene, he’s insulted that Proudstar would imply that he’d start a fight in a church. This does seem to be going a little far, considering the fact that he gleefully destroyed one of the World Trade Center towers in the recent past (although the creators seemed to be under the impression that this wouldn’t hurt anybody at the time). Proudstar, a character who was mainly portrayed as a revenge-driven, angry young man in this series, finally feels like a believable person in this issue. Nicieza’s able to make his concern for Siryn feel sincere and tie it into his established characterization, with Proudstar trying to force Siryn to face her own demons. There’s certainly a lot of angst in this issue, but the characters seem real and the story doesn’t give in to melodrama. I liked this issue a lot as a kid and it holds up.

X-FACTOR #99 – February 1994

The Curse

Credits: J. M. DeMatteis (writer), Jan Duursema (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Richard Starkings (letterer), Glynis Oliver (colorist)

Summary

Random offers to sell X-Factor information on the people who paid him to kill Polaris. Forge pays him for the information, and to accompany X-Factor on their mission to capture Haven. While on the plane ride, Wolfsbane threatens Havok, telling him that she needs to be free of their psychic bond at any cost. Before she hurts Havok, she reverts to wolf form and is comforted by Guido. X-Factor arrive at Haven’s headquarters and briefly face her brother, Monsoon. Val Cooper appears at Haven’s side, as Haven confesses to creating global chaos in order to bring about a “golden age”. When Wolfsbane attacks her, Haven heals her of the Mutate bonding process, allowing her to return to her human form. Now free of her psychic bond to Havok, Wolfsbane joins Haven.

Production Note

The lettering font changes back and forth throughout the issue. It looks as if Starkings is experimenting with computer lettering, as some of the lettering looks stiff and perfectly spaced, while other balloons look more organic. This could be the first comic I’ve reviewed on this blog with computer lettering.

Miscellaneous Note

According to the Statement of Ownership, average sales for this year were 423,808 with the most recent issue at 665,700. Just think, the awkward transition issues between Peter David and J. M. DeMatteis are probably the highest selling issues of this series ever, thanks to speculators. Or, maybe Random really was the next Marvel superstar after all!

Review

The Haven storyline continues, as DeMatteis uses his new character to resolve a long-running subplot. Wolfsbane’s condition goes back to the X-Tinction Agenda crossover, which was over three years old at this point. It’s hard to say where exactly Peter David was going with the story, as his issue dealing with the situation was rewritten soon before he left the title. DeMatteis played with the idea for a few issues before tying it into his ongoing Haven storyline. This is preferable to the way subplots are often just forgotten when a new writer takes over a series. It gives the series a stronger sense of continuity, which it really needed after a string of aimless issues. Introducing Val Cooper into the storyline also helps to create a feeling of stability. I'm not sure why she was written out of the series in the first place, but it's nice that DeMatteis hasn't forgotten her. This is a more serious version of X-Factor but it doesn’t feel like a totally different book. Random keeps showing up, though, not contributing anything to the story. DeMatteis is loyal to David’s original “anything for a buck” interpretation of the character, which is entertaining for a few pages, but he’s really just a distraction from the main storyline.