Thoughts

As a big fan of eighties Marvel there is one title that I keep wanting to really dive into, but have never quite got into. And thats Power Pack. One of the strongest ideas from the period – I think its an interesting concept and a nice antidote to the decades shift towards gritty n grimdark comics. Louise Simonson is also exactly the writer I’d trust to keep faith with the central concept – its kids with alien superpowers. Treading that fine line between keeping the kid’s lives credible and indulging the fun of the fantastical.

It’s issues like this that is one of the reasons I keep meaning to get a big PowerPack omnibus or two. Claremont captures their neat dynamic – and kids having to mix a family life with being superheros is a neat twist on the spider-man set-up.

Alongside this, the issue is an effective single issue story that gives us a taste of an interesting team line-up. Would have absolutely been up for a run of adventures with these guys.

The Morlocks are back – once again playing the role of the mutant underclass, those mutants too ugly or weird to possibly play a role in society like the awesome X-men. The concept is still an interesting one, but it suffers slightly if you think about how it plays into the metaphor of the X-men and intolerance.

Because, firstly, it is a really interesting idea to play with the idea when it comes to prejudice that while there are some who are in a discriminated against minority who can find a way to operate quite successfully in a prejudiced society, there are always others that can’t. If you take the X-men to represent LGBTQ+ communities – there’ll always be a Wolverine. In this clunky analogy the successful handsome gay businessman, happily married who presents a very conventional lifestyle. But then there’s also those who can’t make that leap into mainstream acceptance, because of the very nature of who they are.

Linving in New York, I imagine Claremont was already aware in the Eighties of the way certain elements of marginalised groups were heading into the mainstream. Leaving others deemed too different behind. It’s just a shame that the Morlocks never really explore this idea – they never move beyond their very basic set-up. And then – as we’ll find oujt in a bit – they get wiped out.

Fun Panel

Cool team shot with cool powers visualisation!