The X Marathon

Thoughts

I originally got into the X-men in the late eighties, and by that point some of the features of the main characters felt definitive. None moreso than the fact that Rogue was tormented by having Carol Danver’s personality built into her psyche – a price from when she stole her powers.

This means that there is a richness in going into the back issues and finding out the issues where these ideas became such a central part of the character. Of course, Rogue’s problems have been mentioned before, and indeed drove her to seek Xavier’s help. But this is an issue where the whole story is defining this tragedy. It’s a story that is going to set up the struggle that Rogue will have going forward.

Which is striking because Rogue’s powerset – unable to touch others – seems tragic enough. Plenty of scope for a story, albeit one that might steer the character into become the cliche of a tortured, introverted lady. A Gothic Sulky Dream Girl. But Claremont adds a whole new layer for the character – and what’s more its a dynamic new layer. It fits the title that the female heroes are going to be broken or withdraw due to having terrible powers.

It’s also a Rogue issue, the comic focusing on her solo adventure. After big Kaiju Tokyo Team Fun last week, its switched to an espionage solo story. We’re entering into perhaps Claremont’s Creative Peak here, where every issue seems to be playing with what a Team Book could do. Fabulous stuff.

Fun Panel

Rogue just sitting on the clouds is such a lovely, whimsical image.

It was a Product of its Time

Paul Smith gets a lot of credit for the way he redesigns the characters to make them proper Eighties icons, but John Romita Jr really takes those looks and, in his own style, makes them work far more dynamically. Rogue, in her awesome eighties outfit, flying around and waving at pilots or breaking into SHIELD bases has a beautiful eighties vibe about her.

Thoughts

We’re back on the main title and back to Claremont’s writing. And things are instantly on the up for the team. For a start, they manage to be vaguely competant in the fight, one that ends with success. Albeit a success caused by Lockheed (but he counts as an X-man, right?)

After a twelve issue miniseries that never really felt set in an actual place – just a bland mish-mash of oddly conveyed ideas – what’s immediately striking in this issue is that Claremont creates an immediate sense of place. The X-men land in Japan. Even though this is clearly Comic-book Japan, it at least feels like an interest fun world. And the characters’ interactions with it seem to be taking place in a consistent reality.

Even better, the fact we’re back in Japan means we get MORE SUNFIRE. And that, for me, is only a good thing. I love the idea of an arrogant character, and whenever he appears in this run I wish he’d stick around. There seems so much scope to see how he might and interact with the X-men and from that develop.

Still nice to see him for this cameo.

Claremont does a great job in this issue in bringing the X-men back and making them feel like the book’s team are back. It doesn’t pretend Secret Wars doesn’t happen and it has fun with the idea that the characters are being zapped back to their reality.

It also acknowledges that for Colossus things have happened off-world. He’s still talking in the same trite nonsense he did on Battleworld, but here at least it succintly signifies the storyline won’t be dropped, even if it won’t hold up the action here.

Fun Panel

OF COURSE ITS THE BIG DRAGON PICTURE!

That Don’t Make A Lick of Sense

The X-men teleporting back to Earth in this issue raises so many questions as to how any of this happens.

Why do the X-men turn up in Japan? Colossus is returned to Maddie where he, apparently, was taken from. So why aren’t the X-men sent back to Central Park.

Also why does the Dragon change size so drastically. It was the same size as Lockheed on Battleworld, and the Secret Wars mini took place in our universe. One where a galaxy was destroyed to create the setting. So why, when relocated to another part of the universe does the Dragon change in size so much.

It’s best not to dwell too much on any of this. It works because of weird alien magic handwave voodoo.

Although I did get intrigued whether this Dragon, that conveniently vanishes at the end for – again – unexplained reasons ever returned. It might make for a fun story

None More Claremont

As ever Claremont does a good job making Scott and Maddie seem like a credible, young couple. Not tortured romantics, not some yearn great story of love for the ages. Just a couple who really like each other. Even on the reread it’s so hard not to want bad things to happen to these two. And I know where this is all going and I still want that for them.

Mutant Mailbag Mayhem

Wolverine answers the letters this issue, and its a nice handled letter page if you’re someone who can get your head round the sheer twee nature of this gimmick. I do sometimes struggle with this, but when they’re written convincingly in character while simultaneously not taking themselves too seriously it is pretty charming.

The gang at CHUCKs are not happy about Ancorage airport though. I wonder whether they were appeased by the reply?

(is it wrong that I googled this address to see if it was a bar and still existed? Sadly if it ever was, its just a residential address now. I hope I’m not going to develop a habit of googling all these addresses. That might just get weird…)

Thoughts

Well, Secret Wars finally comes to an end, and with it our longest excursion away from comics written by Claremont. I originally included this as I really want to be as completist as possibe for this era. The X-men disappearing is referenced in the main title, had repurcussions in the New Mutants and, perhaps, crucially, is a key step in the final split of Colossus and Kitty.

Of course, with my daily reading, I quickly discovered that this is a series that, in terms of story, is pretty poor for the X-men. You can tell Shooter didn’t really care for them.

In fact, this issue is a good illustration that the only characters Shooter cares for, or even wants to have fun with, is the villains. Doom, the Enchantress. Even the Not-really-villains such as Molecule Man, the Lizard and Volcana get more interesting character takes than the heroes.

Its hard not to get to the end and think that as a title, it probably would have been much better served as a villains only title. The Beyonder summons all the villains to a planet to determine who will triumph among them and get the power to achieve all their villainous goals. I get the impression Shooter could have filled 12 issues with this alone. Having to crowbar the X-men in this doesn’t add anything and it shows.

The Colossus and Alien Lady romance reaches a conclusion Shooter is so uninterested in it pretty much happens off-screen. Only relayed at a later date via visions. Colossus is then sad for a bit. Then agrees to go home. Poor Piotr. You deserve better than this.

Doom, however, gets a fun story. If the MCU movies are heading in the Secret War direction, I really hope they bring in Doom.

Anyway, time to celebrate, we’re back on the Claremont titles from the next blog. Back to the old format. And hopefully, the X-men will get to do more than be crap in battle, follow plans drawn up by Xavier that make no sense whatsoever, and fall in love through alien space magic type nonsense. Fingers crossed.

Thoughts

You would think that the Colossus/Kitty romance had enough dubious implications in some of its execution, that they might steer clear of adding more to their breakup.

Yet here in this issue, we’re introduced to a possible reason why Colossus instantly fell in love with an alien woman. It’s some weird alien by-product of her healing power, apparently. He just doesn’t recognise it. According to Wolverine. Who then doesn’t tell him this. For reasons.

Weird alien pheromone non-love attraction is yet another oddity thrown into the mix here. It’s hard to tell why its included- maybe to give Claremont back on the main title room to completely reverse the whole development? Colossus in his “simple farmboy with the soul of a poet” persona is a very hard character to get right, its too easy to descent into cliche. And, good lord, that’s exactly what happens here.

Still, X-problems aside, this is a fun issue full of the usual craziness. Including a whole suburb of Denver that’s been here the whole time. Which is where Doom’s new female villains – Titania and Volcana apparently came from. as well as the new Spider-woman. you have to infer all this, though. The story barely bothers to explain it.

Thoughts

Doctor Doom acquires the power of the Beyonder, and you can sense the story is heading to a conclusion.

As has been the case for the series, the developments in the main story mean the X-characters get short-changed. Still the fact they are finally working alongside the heroes, and not pursuing some nonsensical “third way” means we finally get some fun panels of X-characters fighting alongside traditional Marvel heroes. Captain America especially works well alongside Wolverine. I wonder if this will ever be built on?

Also for the larger X saga – Magneto gets a moment here. He is tempted by Doom’s offer of power. or is he? Some of the heroes think he’s turned. And its never made clear whether he has. Although, to be honest, the way he’s been written thus far in the series, there is no reason to think he wouldn’t be tempted. Shooter only has one setting for the character – which is pretty much trad comic book megalomaniac villain. This attempt to maybe draw some shade of grey falls apart because of everything the character has done so far.

Thoughts

At last, Secret Wars is finally getting a proper plot where characters are actually doing stuff that might have consequence.

Sadly none of this relates to the X-characters. This issue reflects all their appearances so far. The X-men play virtually no part in a fight, primarily adding numbers without actually achieving anything. Xavier gets thanked by Captain America for his efforts, without it ever being explained what they are and why they haven’t been working together from the outset. Oh, and Colossus mopes about his new Alien love some more in a manner that the writers of Sixties Star Trek would have found overwrought.

For the purposes of reading this mini series, I’m glad this story is moving on. But from an X-perspective, I’m counting down the days till we’re back on the main title!

Thoughts

It’s yet another X-light issue – probably the lightest yet with the team only featuring in a few panels. The issue spends nearly all its time with the Avengers and friends attacking the villains and pretty much trouncing all of them.

Plus, of course, the issue is famous for the debut of Spider-man’s new costume. And as befitting all the insane storytelling, its dropped in the last three pages. Spider-man discovers a magic alien costume makers. Tries to make a new costume. Gets covered in Alien goo. Gets new costume. It’s properly nuts.

Still its not more insane than the continuing story of Colossus’ new romance. Mostly told, already, in flashback. And weird stilted dialogue. None of this feels real. But it gets more time than the rest of the X-team who sit around looking at Galactus. Their task, to alert the others if Galactus starts eating the planet.

This seems a slightly pointless task as planet-wide earthquakes herald that Galactus is doing something. Its says a lot about this title that eight issues in we’re getting the X-men to do the Secret Wars equivalent of guarding the corner flags.

Thoughts

Genuinely, just when you think you’ve got a handle on the level of madness and weird storytelling in this title, you get the opening of this issue. Which is where Marvel introduces its universe to a brand new Spider-woman. By having her appear and say “Hello Everybody, I’m Spider-woman”

We also learn about a suburb of Denver that has been brought to Battleworld. We’re not actually going to see it, but its apparently how she got here. and she’s somehow got powers.

Alongside this development, we see the relationship between Titania and Volcana touched upon. Friends since childhood, apparently, despite their wildly different personalities.

It makes for a curious read. In a modern crossover event, all these element would not doubt have all their backstory filled up in a related three-issue miniseries published alongside the main crossover title. And yet here, in a title that just stands alone, all these hints are dropped to stories we never get to see.

Meanwhile when it comes to the main plot, things move along nicely. Doom is seemingly thwarted by Galactus. The X-men finally fight like a cohesive unit and nearly actually win a battle. And She-Hulk meets Titania for the first time while on a bloodthirsty rampage to avenge the Wasp. It’s all fun stuff, culminating in Xavier and Cap telepathically agreeing to team up to face the bad guys. (Why didn’t you do this from the outsety, Xavier, you chump??)

The next issue promises a big battle, but given the erratic and crazy storytelling thus far, I wouldn’t be surprised if pretty much anything happens next issue.

Thoughts

After a front cover that promises all sorts of villanous mayhem, this settles down into an issue of moving the story along for all the characters quite nicely.

Nothing of any real important happens, but the wheels keep spinning and you finally get a sense that things might be going somewhere.

It’s also probably the best issue so far for the X-men. Storm and Xavier get a showdown over his taking control of the X-team. It’s an interesting illustration of just how ruthless Xavier is – he bsasically tells Storm she either follows his orders or he’ll make her – but it seems a bit too ruthless. If you were reading this the first time, it feels like a hint that this might not be Xavier. That coupled with his insistence they don’t join the Heroes – a strategy that we still have not been given any possible reason for.

Still Shooter continues to write the Mutants as basically useless in a fight. If they are not just being hammered by second-tier villains – as Wolverine and Rogue quickly are – that Cyclops is just going to stop them fighting back with the “heroes don’t kill” line. Here it does feel like a really simplistic retread of a conversation that’s been had in the main X-title a number of times. Again, on the first read this feels like it might be setting up Cyclops – as a man of principle – to take on the increasingly ruthless Xavier. Likely alongside Storm. That would seem to be where the story might be going. This is to underestimate the craziness here, I expect.

Also the issue mentions events in a Dazzler issue where she took on Galactus (!!) without bothering to mention the issues this story takes place in. Thankfully in 2024 there is Google, and I discovered it was Dazzler 10 & 11 from 1981. Which is a genuinely bizarre story from a title that seems to be struggling to know what to do. Re-reading it made me feel quite a bit kinder towards the craziness in these Secret Wars issues.

Thoughts

One aspect of Claremont’s writing on the X-title at the moment that I rate is the way he is subtly and slowly setting up Kitty to break up with Colossus. She is a bit older now, has more friends her own age and is, I think, beginning to realise that what she feels is just a crush.

My admiration for this writing goes up even further because here in this issue we get the other side of that equation. We see Colossus fall out of love with Kitty.

In basically a single panel.

After several panels were Colossus tells himself (and the reader) that he is pining for Kitty and would do anything to be with here – suddenly it all vanishes.

Because Colossus sees a pretty alien lady.

Don’t get me wrong – i’m glad that the writers are breaking this couple up. It feels right that this teenage crush is broken up. It’s also weird how subsequent writers still sometimes insist on reframing their feelings as one of the Great Romances of the title.

But to have Colossus’ feelings for Kitty end this way is just so disappointing. We don’t have him growing up. We don’t have an older teenage realisation that the relationship can’t last. We don’t have any interesting insight into Colossus.

Just “See new pretty lady. Colossus in love now”

Also the Xmen get spanked on the battlefield again, Magneto regresses even further into lazy cliche and Xavier insists on maintaining a third force in this battle for no good reason that I can see or that the issue deigns to give.

As I’ve said before – there’s some fun to be had in the freewheeling madness here, the kid plkaying with action figures making it all up as they go along. But while that works well for the title, it really is short changing the X-men and, especially, Claremont’s take on the X-men.