X-MEN LEGENDS - June 2000 (Part Three)

The Worst Prison of All

Written by C. J. Henderson

Summary:  While attending the Moslem festival of Achoura in Morocco, Xavier is attacked by the thralls of Gol-shentu, the Forgotten One.  Xavier enters the Astral Plane to face Gol-shentu and discovers that he’s a psychic vampire that lives in-between dimensions.  After focusing his powers, Xavier is able to pull Gol-shentu into the real world.  Unprepared for life in three-dimensions, Gol-shentu evaporates.  Xavier reflects on the being that retreated to shadow dimensions in order to avoid death and remains more determined to enjoy his life while there’s still time.

Continuity Notes:  This story is set in-between Uncanny X-Men #110 (April 1978) and #111 (June 1978).

Review:  Nothing particularly exciting here.  One major problem is the villain, Gol-shentu, the Forgotten One.  His name is hard to pronounce, he’s far too reminiscent of the Shadow King, and his motivation comes across as an excuse for the narrator to spell out the moral of the fable.  There’s nothing wrong with a story about Xavier embracing life after the loss of his legs and realizing that every living thing must face his mortality, but there’s little to this story outside of the very obvious point it’s making.  Also, if Xavier is going to star in a story about the importance of living life, I think his standard personality of the stoic, serious professor should probably be addressed in some way.  If Xavier is someone with an incredible passion for life, it would seem to be buried deep under the surface, and the story would be well-served if the reader discovers why.

Chasing Hairy

Written by Glenn Hauman

Summary:  Carol Danvers interviews the Beast for NOW Magazine.  He deflects any serious question with a joke.

Continuity Notes:  Set during Beast’s stint with the Avengers, this story occurs right before Avengers #181 (March 1979).

I Love the ‘90s:  The cover of NOW Magazine is dated September 1999.

Review:  “Chasing Hairy” is very short, but it’s also a very accurate interpretation of how an interview with the Beast of the late ‘70s would read.  Beast’s light-hearted, occasionally goofy personality from his Avengers days had largely disappeared by this point in continuity, even though Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern tried their best to revive it during his appearances in Avengers-related titles around this time.  Perhaps that was Hauman’s inspiration (along with the internet campaign to have Beast rejoin the Avengers) to remind readers of the less serious, but no less intelligent interpretation of the character.  I’m not going to say that the Beast evolved into a totally different character over the years, but the zany, manic sense of humor rarely appeared after Beast returned to the X-titles, and this story is a decent nostalgia piece for the people who remember those days.

One Night Only

Written by Scholly Fisch

Summary:  Kitty Pryde takes Nightcrawler to the circus for his birthday.  Nightcrawler discovers that one of the performers is his former high-rope partner Johanna.  He spontaneously joins her performance, to the crowd’s delight.  Later, the circus’ creative director offers Nightcrawler a job.  To Kitty’s shock, he doesn’t decline.  Meanwhile, the Blob and Unus the Untouchable invade the big top, after robbing the circus’ account manager.  Kitty uses her powers to protect a frightened child, then penetrates Unus’ forcefield and knocks him unconscious.  Nightcrawler tries to teleport the Blob far away from the crowd, but his massive build leaves Nightcrawler stranded in the Hudson River.  Johanna arrives to rescue him.  Nightcrawler expresses his appreciation, but tells Johanna that he now realizes he can’t reunite their act.

Continuity Notes:  “One Night Only” is set shortly after Uncanny X-Men #153 (January 1982).  Kitty’s codename is Sprite during this era.

Review:  This is the kind of story that used to run in Marvel annuals in the ‘80s before they went crossover crazy.  There’s nothing truly wrong with the plot of “One Night Only,” it’s just doomed as obvious “illusion of change.”  Nightcrawler is tempted to rejoin the circus.  Nightcrawler stops two evil mutants.  Nightcrawler realizes he can’t go back to the circus.  Scholly Fisch is able to make the cast likeable enough throughout the piece, so that alleviates some of the tedium.  (And credit to Fisch for acknowledging Amanda Sefton’s part in Nightcrawler’s past and assuring the reader that Johanna isn’t supplanting her in continuity.)  There’s a nice idea in here that the appeal of the circus is not only nostalgia for Nightcrawler, but it’s also a place where he can openly be himself and receive true recognition for his talents.  The Blob and Unus are also well chosen as foes, given their own pasts with the circus.  Ultimately, though, it’s a story that hinges on a conflict that you know is going nowhere, and the resolution is even more pat than I expected going in.

X-MEN LEGENDS - June 2000 (Part Two)

Welcome to the X-Men, Madrox

Written by Steve Lyons

Summary:  After arriving at Xavier’s school, Madrox reluctantly leaves his room and meets the X-Men.  Unsure of how to interact with others, Madrox creates duplicates to spend time with the team while he returns to the safety of his room.  While in town with Havok and Polaris, one duplicate is attacked by anti-mutant bigots.  Inside the Danger Room, another duplicate learns that the X-Men spend most of their time fighting other mutants.  A third duplicate explores the grounds and meets a non-descript man.  The mystery man soon reveals himself as the Super-Adaptoid and attacks the team.  Madrox leaves his room and personally witnesses the bravery of his duplicates when facing the Super-Adaptoid.  He develops a plan to give the Super-Adaptoid his abilities, knowing that eventually the Super-Adaptoid will over-tax its system and burn out its powers.  Later, after returning to his room, Madrox decides that life as an X-Man would be even lonelier than his current solitary existence.  

Continuity Notes:  “Welcome to the X-Men, Madrox” takes place in-between Giant Size Fantastic Four #4 (February 1975) and Giant Size X-Men #1 (October 1975).  In the story, the Danger Room uses realistic holographic images, but it’s my understanding that the Danger Room’s holograms (created with Shi’ar technology) didn’t debut until New Mutants #1 (March 1983).

Review:  The “about the authors” piece in the back of the novel indicates that Steve Lyons had wanted to write a Madrox story for a while, and it’s obvious over the course of this piece that he’s a fan of the character.  Madrox’s isolation, and the sense of futility that comes with having every option available, are a part of what makes Madrox unique, and Lyons has clearly put a decent amount of thought behind the concept.  Madrox stories really can go anywhere, and I like Lyons’ portrayal of Madrox as a recluse, using his duplicates to explore the outside world while he hides in the safety of his bedroom.  The story hinges on Madrox’s initial appearance, which had him living alone in a farmhouse after the loss of his parents.  Madrox, at this point, has had very limited exposure to the outside world and is literally his own best friend.  While the scenes that get inside Madrox’s head are great, I do question why the bulk of the story is concerned with Madrox learning (via his duplicates) that he possesses the makings of a hero.  I’ve never thought of Madrox as being un-heroic, but he’s never been portrayed as a traditional, straight-forward hero figure either, so heroism alone isn’t really a defining trait for the character.  By the end of the story, Madrox decides (after being exposed to human intolerance and learning that even mutants can’t get along with each other) that he isn’t ready for this life, so he goes back into hiding.  As a continuity implant, it works as an explanation for why Madrox didn’t join the “All-New” X-Men team, but it makes for an odd story.  Madrox doesn’t think he can be a hero, proves he can be a hero, then decides he isn’t ready to be a hero, the end.  I realize that the story has to end with Madrox going back into hiding, but I don’t quite understand the route Lyons takes to get there.

Peace Offering

Written by Michael Stewart

Summary:  Following the X-Men’s fight with Iron Fist at Jean Grey and Misty Knight’s apartment, Wolverine secretly enters with a dove as a peace offering.  After initially mistaking Wolverine for an intruder, Misty questions Wolverine on why he doesn’t act on his feelings for Jean.  Hand ninjas suddenly enter, seeking to kill Misty for her investigation into a Japanese crimelord.  Wolverine and Misty stop the first group of attackers, but another emerges shortly after Jean returns home.  Jean is cut by a drugged shuriken and Wolverine leaves to find the ninja who threw it.  After Misty defeats the final ninja, Jean’s powers burn out the poison.  Wolverine returns after failing to locate Jean’s attacker, but can’t bring himself to enter the apartment.

Continuity Notes:  This story is set during the time Jean Grey and Misty Knight were roommates.  It takes place between Uncanny X-Men #108 and #109, and shortly after Iron Fist #15.

Review:  It’s another retcon story about the legendary, forbidden love between Wolverine and Jean Grey.  I’m not a huge fan of the concept, but I have to acknowledge that Michael Stewart does have an excellent grasp on Wolverine’s character.  Too often Wolverine is given his current personality in the flashback stories, but it’s important to remember that he really was a different character when he first joined the X-Men.  Stewart sets the story just as Wolverine was evolving, actually opening himself up to other people and recognizing that he can no longer hide behind the façade that he’s more animal than man.  Stewart does a nice job having Wolverine voice his insecurities over whether or not Jean could ever accept him while staying true to the character and not turning Wolverine into a wuss.  It’s a thin line to walk, but Stewart writes a well-rounded Wolverine that evokes a classic Claremontian feel.  

I do have to gripe about the anthology’s first negative instance of prequel-itis, however.  Stewart heavily implies that the mystery ninja who strikes Jean is none other than Yukio (“Gotcha!”).  I don’t recall it ever being established that Yukio worked with the Hand, and even if the idea can work within continuity, the sheer coincidence of Wolverine’s future lover nearly killing his unrequited love is too hard to swallow.  Also, wouldn’t Wolverine have recognized her scent when they met for the first time in the Wolverine limited series?

X-MEN LEGENDS - June 2000 (Part One)

Every Time a Bell Rings

Written by Brian K. Vaughan

Summary:  Fifteen-year-old Warren Worthington III secretly attempts to fly.  After a disastrous training session, Warren learns from his roommate and best friend Benny Yorkes that a classmate has died.  Later, after hearing screams in the night, Warren discovers a monster has killed the groundskeeper, Hallahan.  He successfully flies for the first time escaping the beast.  Warren seeks counsel from young teacher Father Tim, who’s sympathetic towards mutants, unlike the headmaster, Father White.  Later, after Warren hears the screams of the school’s bully Chadwick in the night, he discovers that Benny is the monster.  Benny grabs on to Warren as he flies away, but as his true personality returns, Benny realizes he can’t live as a monster.  He slashes Warren’s wing and willingly drops to his death.  The night before Benny’s funeral, Warren appears as the Avenging Angel to Father White and convinces him that mutants are also God’s children.

Continuity Notes:  

• According to the Continuity Guide in the back of the novel, this story takes place “about a year prior” to the back-up story in X-Men Vol. 1 #54 (March 1969).
• For those keeping score, the name of Warren’s prep school is St. Ignatius in the story, while at some point in the comics continuity, the name was established as St. Joe’s Preparatory School.  

Review:  Before X-Men Legends was a video game, it was the title of one of the final Marvel prose novels released by Penguin Putnam.  Much like The Ultimate Spider-Man and Untold Tales of Spider-Man, the novel is an anthology collection of various stories from the X-Men’s past.  Brian K. Vaughan was still relatively unknown when this novel was released, although he was beginning to build a name for himself in comics.  Vaughan’s decision to chronicle Warren Worthington’s life in prep school as a young mutant predates the Marvel Knights’ Angel miniseries, which followed a very similar premise, by several years.

Assuming you’re willing to accept the wild coincidence that two mutants have ended up as roommates in this prep school (which is acknowledged within the story), there’s a lot to enjoy here.  The starting place of the story, Warren studying books on aviation and physics to learn how exactly to use his wings, is clever.  Since humans aren’t meant to fly, Warren has no real clue how to use his wings, assuming they even work in the first place.  After a few pages of introducing the cast, Vaughan evolves the piece into a murder mystery, with two black hat and two white hat potential suspects.  Naturally, one of the white hats turns out to be the culprit, but I have to confess I assumed Father Tim would be the killer, not Warren’s pal Benny.  While the concept of a monster on campus does initially seem ridiculous, Vaughan sells the drama fairly well, and Warren’s confrontations with the beast do work as suitable motivations for Warren to fully develop his powers.  The debut of the Avenging Angel at the end is a cute play on Warren’s identity as an “angel,” as well.  I’ll also give Vaughan credit for not giving into standard prequel-itis, with only one reference in the piece to a character Warren will meet in the future, and it’s a totally defensible one given the context of the story.

Diary of a False Man

Written by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Summary:  Following the death of the Changeling, who was impersonating Charles Xavier, Jean Grey discovers his diary.  She learns that the Changeling was an orphan with no name, who developed mutant powers at puberty and left his old life behind.  After years as a thief, he was recruited into the Factor Three, where he inadvertently played a part in an alien’s plans to destroy Earth.  Months later, after being diagnosed with cancer, the Changeling sought out Xavier to make amends.  Xavier amplified the Changeling’s latent telepathic powers and asked him to assume his identity while he prepared for an invasion by the alien Z’Nox.  Jean Grey was the only X-Man to know of the deception, and now that the Changeling has died in battle, she isn’t sure if she should tell her teammates.  Ultimately, Jean realizes that the Changeling was content knowing he did the right thing, even with no recognition.

Continuity Notes:  

• This story is set concurrently with X-Men Vol. 1 #43 (April 1968).  The Continuity Guide also claims that the final portion of the story takes place after X-Men Vol. 1 #66 (March 1970), when Xavier is revealed as alive, but there is no jump to the future at the end of the published version.
• The Changeling’s diary claims that the name given to him by the nuns at his orphanage was Charles Sage.  Morph, an alternate reality version of the Changeling, has the real name of Kevin Sydney.
• The Changeling grew up in Central City, CA, which is where Fantastic Four #1 was set.  At the age of 30, he personally witnessed the Human Torch flying in the sky shortly after the FF’s famous rocket flight.
• I believe this is a retcon -- the Changeling claims that he used the Mutant Master’s advanced technology on Banshee in order to "put him under our control."  This is presumably an explanation for Banshee’s earliest appearances as a villain, which I think remain unexplained in the comics.

Review:  As I’ve said many times, the retcon that revealed an imposter Xavier died while the genuine article was in the basement preparing for an alien invasion is one of the dumbest X-Men stories ever written.  It’s also, somehow, become the entire basis of Charles Xavier’s characterization over the years.  I was dreading this story, but to my relief, Keith R.A. DeCandido doesn’t use it as another excuse to portray Xavier as a lying, scheming, deceptive creep.  Instead, the story is a character piece on the Changeling, a mutant the novel’s back cover tells us was the “forgotten X-Man.”  Thanks to the ‘90s cartoon and the Exiles series, the Changeling has new life today as Morph, even though that character is a million miles away from DeCandido’s interpretation.  The Changeling of the mainstream Marvel Universe doesn’t have a backstory that lends itself towards wacky comedic relief, so instead DeCandido pens a story focusing on alienation, boredom, and ultimately, redemption.  The Changeling grows up with no family and no identity, and upon discovering that he can adopt any identity he wants, squanders his talents for years running petty schemes.  In his final days, he wants to make amends, even though he has a difficult time accepting that when he dies he’ll remain anonymous.  

As ridiculous as the Xavier/Changeling swap premise is, DeCandido does evoke a hint of tragedy with the story.  When Jean reflects that even after the Changeling died doing the right thing, someone else’s name will be on his tombstone, I could almost forget how absurd this concept actually is.  DeCandido does try his best to work through some of the continuity issues and logic problems present in the original comics, but there’s only so much anyone could do.  The best moments of the story are the ones that transform the Changeling from a plot device into a believable character; the rest is an attempt to justify a lame comic from the late Silver Age that I would rather forget.  For anyone curious, you can read an excerpt from this story on DeCandido's old web page.

X-MEN FOREVER 2 #16 - March 2011

Shall We Rise Again?

Credits:  Chris Claremont (writer), Ramon Rosanas (art) Tom Orzechowski & Lois Buhalis (letters)

Summary:  In the aftermath of their battle, the X-Men and Avengers regroup.  Thor takes the injured Nightcrawler with Mystique and Rogue to Muir Island, while Storm and Shadowcat reconcile.  Storm announces that she’s going to take Perfect Storm’s place as queen of Wakanda, after Masque alters her face to match Perfect Storm’s scar.  Ziggy Trask arrives with SHIELD and is fooled by Storm’s masquerade.  Meanwhile, Robyn Hanover overtakes Corsair’s plane and flies Nate to Mr. Sinister’s lair.  In Genosha, Havok’s funeral is held.  Shadowcat and Callisto stay behind to aid Storm, who plans Wakanda's peaceful union with Genosha.  Perfect Storm is given to the Genoshan authorities, who hope to deprogram her.  Cyclops and Jean reflect on what they’ve lost and face the future.

Continuity Notes:  

• Nightcrawler now speaks Runic, and is near death.  Moira MacTaggert says she’ll treat him on Muir Island with Dani Moonstar, who she hopes will do what’s needed to save Nightcrawler as a Valkyrie.  
• In a flashback to the day Cyclops and Havok leapt from a burning plane as children, Cyclops is incorrectly drawn with his ruby quartz glasses.  He didn’t need the glasses until after he fell and damaged the part of his brain that controls his power.

Review:  It’s the final issue of perhaps the strangest footnote in Chris Claremont’s history with the X-Men.  Ignoring the renumbering and arbitrary designation of some issues as specials or annuals, the series reached over forty issues, which actually isn’t so bad in today’s market.  Most X-spinoffs don’t survive so long, and certainly most out-of-continuity titles could never hope to reach forty issues.  From what I can gather, the ending of the series was ordered after Marvel reevaluated its cutoff sales point and gave numerous lower-level books the axe.  Marvel perhaps would’ve given the book another shot, a la Moon Knight, but I think its status as yet another X-spinoff and an alternate reality book caused internal interest to fade fairly quickly.

With one last issue to go, Claremont tries to strike a balance between emotional closure and actual plot resolutions.  He does a decent job, overall, as Polaris and Cyclops have their own moments to mourn Havok while the niggling details from the Genosha/Wakanda storyline are resolved.  Sabretooth is also given a chance to show that he’s truly a member of the team now, when he rejects Perfect Storm’s offer to jumpstart his powers and restore his hand and vision.  (Bizarrely, it turns out that “X-Tinction Agenda” perhaps had the keys to Burnout’s cure all along.  If this genetically-altered Storm can restart mutant powers, she could possibly counteract the effects of Burnout.  At the very least, she could restore Sabretooth’s healing factor, which could then potentially pave the way for a cure.)  Claremont’s joined by Ramon Rosanas, another fill-in artist I’m totally unfamiliar with.  Rosanas’ work is a peculiar mix of Euro-comics and manga, with early Stuart Immonen and John Cassaday thrown in.  Not every page is great, but overall he handles the acting very well.  His Cyclops is fantastic, and I like his interpretation of the Avengers as well.

Never one for a definitive conclusion, Claremont can’t go out with everything wrapped up in a tidy bow.  Nightcrawler is near-death, and part-Asgardian now, a plot that I see zero potential in, frankly.  Not that it will live on to annoy us, of course.  And Robyn Hanover finally makes her move, leaving Nate with a very uncertain future.  Claremont could’ve ended the series with this scene, but instead it’s tucked in the middle, leaving the final pages for a philosophical discussion between Cyclops and Jean.  I can understand why he wants to end the title with hope instead of fear, but the threat of Cyclops’ kid being taken by Sinister would’ve been a great cliffhanger to go out on.  

In retrospect, X-Men Forever is a peculiar beast.  The pre-release buzz was positive, and there is a brilliant premise behind the book.  It should’ve been able to climb past the bottom of the charts, but the title was never capable of rising above the level of any other modern-day X-spinoff.  Even though many fans were excited when the premise was announced, the book had a rough start during those early issues.  The book is clearly aimed at the type of fanbase that remembers the original Claremont days, and any fan that (yes) fanatical is sure to know which characters were actually members of the X-Men at the time.  Preview pages that casually dropped half the team and included two characters from Excalibur that “weren’t supposed to be there” caused the predictable internet outrage.  Even if you’re a more patient, composed reader, the continuity gaps between the “real” continuity and the Forever universe were never truly filled.  And by the time you get to tween Nate Summers, it’s obvious Claremont’s intentionally playing a game with the reader.  This kind of stunt might’ve worked with a more captive (and younger) audience, but readers today are much quicker to drop a title, especially one set in a “fake” reality anyway. Also not helping matters was the $3.99 cover price, a dollar more than the standard Marvel book of the time.  

As the series progressed, the quality became erratic.  Artists came and went.  Some issues were densely plotted, others were quick breezes.  The cast began to bloat.  New plotlines were added each issue before old ones were resolved.  And everyone got a makeover, if they needed it or not.  Dropping the early ‘90s looks was a huge mistake, I feel.  Those costumes automatically evoke the age Claremont’s allegedly returning to, yet they’re dropped as soon as the cast is given a chance to take a shower and change clothes.  It’s a telling sign; regardless of how the book was marketed, it was never going to be a direct continuation of the original Claremont run.  Perhaps Claremont felt restrained by the outline he’d always given in interviews about what could’ve been in Uncanny X-Men, but he didn’t need to throw everything out.  The best moments of the series are the ones that feel connected to what came before -- and why shouldn’t they be?  There’s a great foundation here with numerous avenues to explore.  I don’t think anyone would begrudge Claremont for exploring some new ideas, but not at the expense of the core premise of the series.  If Marvel wanted to give Claremont room to do an alternate take on the X-Men, then it should’ve released a monthly What If…? starring the X-Men.  Not taking advantage of the original premise of the Uncanny X-Men you didn’t get to see was a colossal mistake, and the book never fully recovered.

X-MEN FOREVER 2 #15 - March 2011

The Price of Life -- is Death!

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

Summary:  The X-Men face the Avengers and Perfect Storm in battle while Ghost Panther and ‘Ro secretly meet with Dr. Strange.  When Nightcrawler absorbs Thor’s powers, he’s overwhelmed and forced to unleash a massive lightning bolt that causes both sides to pause.  Cyclops uses the lull to explain to Captain America that Perfect Storm is working with the Consortium and was Wolverine’s killer.  Perfect Storm fires a lightning bolt at Cyclops, but Havok leaps to his brother’s defense.  Havok is killed by the blast.  Ghost Panther arrives, and with Polaris’ help, defeats Perfect Storm.  Ghost Panther unmasks, revealing that Dr. Strange has merged her spirit with ‘Ro, and is now Storm in her true body.

Continuity Notes:  Nightcrawler is colored with white temples after he absorbs Thor’s power and collapses.  The next issue makes clear that his hair is now supposed to be an inverse of Rogue’s.

Review:  With only one issue to go, the lengthy Storm storyline finally reaches a resolution, but not before Claremont makes one more attempt to turn this title into the new millennium’s What If…?  If Havok were the only established cast member killed off during the run of this title, I wouldn’t mind so much, but he’s easily the fifth character whose death is just thrown out there as casually as a rape reference in a Garth Ennis comic.  There’s no dramatic impact here, just a sense of “This again?” as another character bites the dust in a rushed, inert scene that ultimately adds nothing to the book.  Especially in this case; since there’s only one issue left, there’s certainly no chance that Havok’s death is going to be affecting anything in the future of a title that has none.  

Ignoring the gratuitous death, this is actually a decent resolution to the Perfect Storm arc.  The Avengers are rendered very well by Andy Smith (better than the X-Men, truthfully), and the earlier cameo by Dr. Strange finally makes sense.  It’s arguable that using Dr. Strange’s mystic powers to revert Storm to her true body is a copout, but Strange tends to get a pass when it comes to these things since he’s Dr. Strange and is well established in the Marvel Universe as the guy who can pull this kind of stunt off.  While it’s debatable if he’s really been as much of a “friend” to the X-Men as Storm claims here, it’s still fun to see Dr. Strange in an issue that also features the Avengers.  (The issue reminds me that while Claremont rarely explored the larger Marvel Universe while writing Uncanny, when he did, he made it a worthwhile effort.)  Emphasizing that the Avengers are chasing the X-Men not only to avenge Tony Stark, but also Perfect Storm’s husband the Black Panther, is also a nice way to tie together the previous events of the series so far.  I’m not naïve enough to believe that every other plotline in this title is going to have a gratifying conclusion, however, and I’m wondering now how exactly Claremont’s going to draw this erratic series to a close in just one issue.

X-MEN FOREVER 2 #14 - February 2011

Strange Days!

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

Summary:  The X-Men defeat Perfect Storm’s private guard and confiscate their aircraft.  After sneaking into Wakanda, the team invades the palace while Ghost Panther takes ‘Ro on a secret mission.  Ziggy Trask is notified of the X-Men’s activity and sends in SHIELD.  Havok gains access to Perfect Storm’s encrypted data and sends it to Nick Fury at the mansion.  Fury warns the X-Men that another superhero team has arrived in Wakanda.  Soon, the Avengers enter.  Elsewhere in a secret location, Ghost Panther introduces ‘Ro to Dr. Strange.

Review:  The Evil Storm storyline draws that much closer to a conclusion as the team rallies and invades Wakanda.  It’s a pretty entertaining, fast-paced issue that has the X-Men beating up bad guys, breaking off into smaller units, sneaking around, almost having a victory, and then forced to face the Avengers in a double-page spread.  Andy Smith has come a long way from his ‘90s fill-ins on the X-titles, even if his faces are still occasionally odd, and he handles the action quite well.  Cory Hamscher’s inks are a bit tighter and neater than they normally are under Tom Grummett, which I suppose fits Smith’s art, even though I miss more of the McFarlane influence.  Looking back, this is one of the better action issues of the series.  It doesn’t feel as padded as many of the earlier fight scenes, and the stakes are actually much higher this time.  My only complaint would be Ghost Panther’s decision not to reveal her true identity to the X-Men, which doesn’t make any obvious sense.  She’s already revealed her identity to ‘Ro, and it’s not as if there’s anything to be gained from keeping the truth from her friends (I’m assuming they would like to know that Storm isn’t truly evil). It comes across as an arbitrary decision made to increase drama, one that doesn’t make sense within the context of the story.  Isn’t it cruel of Storm to let her two closest friends, Jean and Kitty, still believe that she’s a ruthless, murderous villain now?

X-MEN FOREVER 2 #13 - February 2011

I of the Storm

Credits:  Chris Claremont (writer), Robert Atkins (pencils), Rick Ketcham with Sandu Florea (inks), Wilfredo Quintana (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters)

Summary:  Ghost Panther charges ‘Ro with more electricity and unlocks her memories.  ‘Ro is taken back to the day the Genoshan army invaded Salem Center and kidnapped her and the New Mutants.  ‘Ro was taken by the Genegineer to be used as a Trojan horse against Cameron Hodge.  He created a clone of ‘Ro, designed to restore mutant powers.  The clone grew to adulthood faster than the Genegineer expected, but he was forced to use her in his plan.  With Pipeline’s help, the adult clone took ‘Ro’s place and restarted the powers of the X-Men in Cameron Hodge’s custody.  Pipeline was soon killed in the collapse of the Genoshan Citadel, however, leaving the digital file he created of ‘Ro to be later discovered by the Consortium.  Shortly after the Consortium took ‘Ro to New York, she escaped and discovered the X-Men.  Tony Stark soon discovered Storm’s life energy, and later as a tribute to his slain friend, created the Ghost Panther armor for Storm.  Today, following her defeat, Perfect Storm swears revenge.

Continuity Notes:  

• All of the flashback events are set during the “X-Tinction Agenda” crossover.  Storm was a child at the beginning of that crossover, which took place after Nanny kidnapped and de-aged her.
• ‘Ro doesn’t have her memories because they were lost when the Consortium attempted to open the digital file Pipeline created of her.  (Pipeline teleports by transforming people into digital files and uploading them in a new location.)  ‘Ro returned to her physical body while the energy form of Storm was released.
• Yet another member of the Trask family, Ingrid, appears in ‘Ro’s flashback as a Consortium member.  
• Ghost Panther explains that Perfect Storm (the adult clone of Storm created by the Genegineer) became evil after her mind touched the Shadow King’s while battling him on Muir Island.  Since the Genegineer had spliced the ability to absorb other mutants’ powers in her genome, “that fleeting contact somehow grafted a measure of his malevolence onto her.”

Review:  It’s the big info dump issue, which in any other title might be an annoyance, but here it’s almost a blessing.  I don’t doubt that Claremont had a plan in mind when he introduced Perfect Storm and ‘Ro in the early issues of this title, but given the history of his projects, the odds of the audience ever reading an actual explanation for this insanity was about 50/50.  It’s possible the impending cancellation of this title influenced Claremont’s decision to just put all the exposition out there at once, which isn’t his usual modus operandi, even if it is a welcome break from the title’s usual pattern of teasing ideas and then leaping on to a different plot before anyone’s really sure what just happened.  And for an issue clearly designed to please a continuity purist, it’s pretty effective.  I’m not sure why the Genegineer felt the need to create a clone of Storm in the first place, and it was never established at the time that Pipeline was killed when the Citadel fell, but these are fairly minor points.  Claremont himself didn’t use Pipeline during the rest of his stints on Uncanny X-Men or X-Men, so he’s playing fair on that account (even though I think Pipeline did appear later during Claremont’s Fantastic Four run, it isn’t canon in this reality).  And the motivation for creating a clone of Storm isn’t too hard to No-Prize out…looking back, it seems as if Claremont’s implying that the Genegineer created the clone to avoid altering Storm’s DNA, but that still doesn’t answer the fundamental question.  Regardless, the major questions regarding Perfect Storm and ‘Ro are answered this issue, the continuity lines up surprisingly well (especially considering some of the previous uses of continuity in this book), and overall it’s a treat for longtime fans.  As a kid, I never understood how exactly Storm was transformed back into adulthood during “The X-Tinction Agenda,” and now I have an overly elaborate explanation for what actually happened back in 1990.  I realize this is catering to what’s likely an extremely small faction of the readership, but it’s hard to complain about a comic you feel like is specifically made for you.

Now, if only we had an info dump issue to explain why Nathan’s a preteen now, where the rest of the X-Men went, what actually happened on the moon during X-Factor’s battle with Apocalypse, how the Muir Island Saga “really” ended…

X-MEN FOREVER 2 #12 - January 2011

Fire -- from the Sky!

Credits:  Chris Claremont (writer), Rodney Buchemi (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Wilfredo Quintana (colors), Tom Orzechowski (letters)

Summary:  The X-Men fly to Genosha, while Ghost Panther patrols the streets of Hammer Bay.  At the UN, Everett Ross warns of Wakanda’s plans to annex Genosha.  Ghost Panther’s Hammer Bay base is attacked by Perfect Storm and her royal guard, who are searching for ‘Ro.  The X-Men arrive and join the fight.  During the battle, Ghost Panther unleashes a bolt of lightning that charges ‘Ro’s powers.  Perfect Storm is forced to retreat, but she swears she’ll return. Ghost Panther unmasks to reveal to ‘Ro her true identity - a living energy representation of Storm.

Continuity Notes:  

• The living energy incarnation of Storm has her ‘80s mohawk.
• Havok and Polaris have apparently joined the X-Men now.  With the addition of Mystique and Sabretooth, that leaves the lineup at around eleven characters.
• The opening scene’s narration claims that Archangel is from Chicago, which is a ridiculous continuity error.  It’s been established for decades now that Archangel was born and raised on Long Island.  Archangel is also keeping his true appearance in disguise even at his own business; not only is his flesh white but his wings are also concealed in the office.  Given that Archangel has been an “out” mutant since the ‘70s, this is nonsensical.
• ‘Ro is stunned to see Morlocks living with Ghost Panther in Genosha, even though she encountered the same characters last issue after waking up in Genosha.

Review:  Essentially, the entire issue is a build-up to that final page reveal, which unsurprisingly means we’re in for more filler.  And bad continuity, not just with Archangel’s Handbook entry but with the details of the previous issue as well.  There are a few good ideas in here, such as Archangel funding what Claremont calls a “revolution” in Genosha because he feels partially responsible for what his former friend Cameron Hodge did there, but the inconsistent pace of this title has gotten extremely annoying.  I’m assuming the pacing of this Genosha arc is particularly odd since the next issue has to be an issue-long origin story for ‘Ro and Perfect Storm, but as I’ve said before, Claremont has more than enough plates left spinning.  There’s no real reason for the pacing of this book to suddenly screech to a halt when the issue has plenty of room to check in on any number of open subplots.  I will say that this is Rodney Buchemi’s best issue so far, as he produces a pretty impressive fight scene with the three incarnations of Storm.  I’ve never known what exactly to make of Buchemi’s art; he’s never been bad per se, but his style usually seems too subdued for superhero fare and his faces could use some work.  In addition to the Storm(s) fight, he constructs a pretty dramatic splash page of the X-Men arriving in Genosha this issue, which gives some hint of his potential as an artist.  He’s still nowhere near Tom Grummett’s league, however, and it’s frustrating that someone closer to that caliber was never hired to replace him.