You can tell from reading the letters page that, of all the new X-men, Wolverine has built up quite a fan base by 1980. Elements of his character seem to have really struck a chord – whether its his recklessness, his dislike of being told what to do or his outsider nature (or a combination of all three).
The Eighties was to see the character continually grow in popularity, becoming one of Marvel’s big hitters. And I don’t think any of that was guaranteed. I think it follows on directly from the clever way the character was written and presented over the decade. Claremont knew what made the character work, and just kept building on it.
Those three concepts mentioned in the first paragraphs were, let’s be honest, always going to find an audience with those teenage at heart who resent being told what to do, feel they don’t quite fit in and feel the urge to sometimes go a bit wild. But in the next few years, Claremont builds on those, adding elements that just make what seems cool about him even cooler. (awesome friend to have, steeped in Japanese warrior culture)
This issue feels like part of all that. Wolverine the cinematic adventure hero, sneaking into a building to rescue his friends. Taking out villains when required, moving gracefully in the shadows at others. And all against incredible odds and seemingly unstoppable.
That Don’t Make A Lick of Sense
Remember that lovely moment last issue when Cyclops and Phoenix were alone on that rock in the desert together? Yes indeed.
And the moment where Phoenix used her powers to hold back Cyclops’ blasts and allow them to be together without him having to wear his glasses? What a beautiful moment, of course I remember.
And then that bit where Phoenix proposed they create an eternal psychic bond based on total intimacy and total trust? Ye… hey! hang on!
The X-men go on the offensive against the Hellfire Club, and walk straight into a trap.
As ever Claremont scripts inventive fights – and in this case not only does he have another team of supervillains and their powers to play with – in this case Shaw, Leland and Pierce of the Hellfire Club – but he also gets to show the X-men getting absolutely walloped. The cover in this instance is no hyperbole, its basically the plot of the issue.
More crucially when it comes to the bigger Dark Phoenix story arc this is the moment where Jean Grey embraces her Black Queen alter ego and sides with the villains. It’s a fun twist in this issue, and Byrne gives the Black Queen a nice gallery of “evil faces” as she sides with the villains.
Does Jean Grey’s turn to the Dark Side make sense? This is a cruel and wicked Jean, clearly enjoying being a villain. The basis of this is not mind control, but something she has embraced, the end result of two key emotional drivers. The first is her increasingly coming to terms with the scale of her powers – this has been cleverly teased over a number of issues now. Jean “fixes” Kitty’s parents opposition to her joining the Xavier Academy, while telekinetically showing off her ability to transform her look. She’s enjoying this power.
This doesn’t amount to wickedness, though. The other key driver on that score is her passionate desire for Wyngarde. From the outset, their timeslip encounters have been about as clearly a sexual relationship that the Comics Code could allow. Jean is indulging a fantasy life, free from the rules of society, where she can indulge her power and sexual desire free from the confines of morality.
This raises a question as to whether there’s been anything in the portrayal of Jean in the comics thus far that would indicate that she would have such a secret fantasy. And on a storytelling level I think its fair to say that there hasn’t been. There’s not been a single hint that I can see in the earlier issues – Jean’s a pretty two-dimensional well-behaved token female on the team for far too many issues.
But I don’t think this is a fatal flaw. Its not a huge leap to suggest that just because we never saw anything that remotely hinted at it when following her adventures as the token female on a team of boy scouts that it wasn’t there. Indeed, I think you can make the narrative justification that, of course, she wouldn’t reveal that side of herself. Socially it just wasn’t acceptable.
The sequence where Wyngarde points out that he had been all the friendly strangers Jean encountered while travelling after believing Scott to be dead suddenly makes a lot more sense. From the friendly vicars, to the young lovers – its credible that he would have learnt more about her than she had revealed to her friends (or on-panel in their adventures) and discovered that she had exactly this fantasy around power and corruption.
So, on balance, I do buy the embrace of the wicked side. And it makes for quite a cliffhanger.
Fun Panel
The defeat of the X-men in this issue does have a final caveat. A thrilling final panel.
That Don’t Make A Lick of Sense
The revelation that Wyngarde has been Mastermind all along is an odd moment. Why does he suddenly show his true face when he never has had before? I guess its a spot of super villain gloating, but there’s something about the fact that we’ve seen Wyngarde as Wyngarde many times now, removed from the context of affecting Jean’s fantasies. His whole appearance seems to be a permanent illusion he’s sustaining even when there are no minds to warp into seeing him in his handsome form. Unless, of course, he’s also warping the minds of the Reader. Uh-oh.
We’re also told this issue that the White Queen committed suicide after her confrontation with Phoenix in the last issue. Rather than what was implied at the time that Phoenix killed her, or at least she died in the fight when things got out of hand. I’m guessing they decided a Phoenix murder at this stage wouldn’t quite work with the trajectory they wanted the story to take, so changed her demise in the recap. There’s another in-story explanation though – Phoenix has lied to Cyclops, given what its eventually revealed did happen. But that’s another story…
None More Claremont
Being owned “body and soul” is going to become something of a Claremont staple, and this is its first really big outing. Jean Grey is owned by Mastermind “body and soul” and dresses in an iconically BDSM outfit. This is something that Claremont comes back to time and again – taking the overt use of sexual imagery in comics, especially women – and taking it to tell stories where the sexual is an intrinsic component.
I think there is definitely something hit and miss about the execution, or that it isn’t always quite as progressive as Claremont hoped, but its definitely an integral feature of his era.
Mutant Mailbag Mayhem
Another insight into plans that never materialised in this months letters page. Brian M Kane from 142 Altman Rd, Jeannette suggests that the X-men go to Russia. Claremont replies that the X-men will be going there soon. Maybe next fall.
Was this still a Claremont/Byrne planned storyline? Did they intend to explore Colossus’ apparently dead brother? Would be interesting to find out why this never happened.
The Proteus Saga comes to a suitably epic conclusion, with another inventive battle. Claremont applies his usual creativity to slugfests, and this time he’s got a monster that can shape reality to play with. Alongside finding ways to incorporate new powers with Polaris and Havok. Even the powerless Banshee still gets to play his part in the story of the fight.
I mentioned a couple of blog posts back that I felt this story had real cinematic potential. Perhaps the most of all the Claremont/Byrne collaborations. Since then, I’ve discovered that Claremont was even to write a 30 page movie treatment in 1982 that featured Proteus as the main villain.
From what little I can find out about the treatment, it seems quite different. The X-men battle Proteus on the Astral Plain, there’s no Colossus in the story and the main story is the introduction of Kitty Pryde.
I still think you could tell a Mutant Movie that runs much closer to the source. Being with Moira and Xavier, and the world of potential mutants. Seeking emerging mutants to train them because they have experience of their potential to be monsters. I love the idea of introducing Kitty Pryde as part of the story. Which brings us nicely to the next issue.
Fun Panel
A glorious cinematic finale. It would look great fine today with CGI but i still reckon. they could have done it in a visually awesome fashion back in the early eighties. Giant blue-electrical flashes filling the screen and a giant iron man tearing it to pieces.
None More Claremont
Even as a kid, I had a massive schmaltz detector on when reading comics or watching cartoons. Anything that smacked of a moral lesson or seemed overly emotion would normally elicit a roll of the eyes and a yeuch from me. Yet I still think Colossus comforting Moira at the end, telling her its fine for her to cry as he can’t rust is a lovely little moment. Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age?
After last issue’s cliffhanger, the action picks up and the level of threat is raised. We learn the nature of the threat, but things are still only building when it comes to the threat itself.
There’s something strikingly cinematic in this story that I’m surprised its been passed over in all the movies. Maybe it doesn’t have the fame of “Dark Phoenix” or “Days Of Future Past” but it seems much more suitable for the Big Screen.
In the villain, we have a Mutant that reflects the worst nightmares that humanity might have about Mutants – literally replacing every single homo inferior they encounter in their hunger to survive. Chilling scenes straight from a horror film as new victims get possessed.
He spends time stalking his victims, leading to numerous scares when the heroes encounter each other while trying to find the enemy. Proper cinematic jump scares.
And this issue escalates their powers, as they manipulate reality – full on CGI blow out.
The character is also tied Moira McTaggart-Highlander-Born-And-Bred, which links them to the family dynamic of the X-men. An early mutant – too dangerous to live. Connected to one of their own. Oh, the family and friends drama.
Seriously – X-men:Proteus. The makings of a great movie.
Fun Panel
The art in this issue is great across the board.
Firstly another one to add to the collection of absolutely fantastic team shots.
I also love how the art is beautifully simple it is
Plus it captures the perfect balance of craziness with danger. This image looks silly, but reading it feels like the stakes are serious.
I know he gets a bit of stick for being a gimmicky villain – but I absolutely, unquestionably love Arcade. I think he’s one of my favourite super villains of all time.
And by that I mean this Arcade. The bow-tied, flare-wearing spoilt kid showman who has built a giant, ridiculously silly and outlandishly complicated Murderworld. An assassin who goes to the most absurd lengths, and gives his victims a chance to escape.
The best stories with the original Arcade don’t mess around when it comes to this scale and silliness. And this issue is no exception. From the outrageous kidnappings to the giant pinball of death to all the individual traps for the X-men this is non-stop fun.
Fun Panel
Another entry for my file of just great, inventive team shots…
And also a lovely, dynamic little scene with Spider-man.
Any Googling
This issue reveals that Arcade previous fought Spider-man alongside Captain Britain in an issue of Marvel Team-up. Indeed Google revealed that its part of a run on the Marvel Team-up title for Claremont and Byrne. Alongside Claremont its another related title I need to explore. Plus Byrne draws an absolutely fantastic Spider-man.
It was a Product of its Time
One of the striking things about modern film restoration, especially when it comes to films of early Hollywood is the extent to which modern restoration techniques mean you see the film in a better quality than pretty much anyone who went to see it on its original release. This does, however, have the odd consequence that revealing outfits on the women – part hidden by the projection techniques and even film print quality of the time – are now restored to sometimes quite shocking effect.
The same is true with these comic books. I owned a yellowing original copy of this title. I even had a slightly ropey reprint with this in. None of them have quite the obvious nipples that this full colour restoration reveals through Storm’s tight bathroom gown. (and depressingly, of course its Storm)
Mutant Mailbag Mayhem
Brenda Robnett’s thoughtful letter from Issue 117 gets a set of intelligent responses in this edition of X-mail. Before an editorial response as to why Phoenix had to be de-powered as she’d unbalance the team if she had God-like powers. I wonder how much of this response is a deliberate red herring, misleading the audience over what was coming? Or maybe the response came before they had definitely settled on it? Either way its interesting.
Sometimes it must be easy to determine what goes on the cover of a comic. The big bad guy, the big battle – the visual showpiece of the action.
With this issue it must have been a bit of a challenge. Because its an atypical comic that instead of being An Adventure simply tracks what all the main characters are up to. We briefly see Colossus in training, Xavier in space, Phoenix in Scotland, Colleen Wing making a move on Cyclops, Wolverine seeing Mariko again and Storm under attack from junkies in Harlem. No one chapter is central to the story, but they are all about moving the story on for the individual characters.
At first glance then, a front cover trumpeting the “Trial Of Colossus” feels like overkill. While Colossus effectively passes a test set for him by Wolverine, its not really a trial (sorry – “THE TRIAL”) and the whole sequence is completed by page four.
But this is a title in transition. An issue like this one points to the direction the title will take. Storytelling stretched over many issues, focused on the characters themselves. It’s a direction that proves to be a huge success, but its not really an easy thing to make a cover out of that screams “PICK ME UP” on the newstands.
And so they had to take something from this issue and turn it into that cover. And the Colossus sequence is great, Wolverine’s unorthodox training methods a strong character moment for everyone in the scene. But its fun to imagine the potential other covers – Storm and Power Man in Harlem? Xavier in Space? Colleen making a pass at Cyclops. Ok that last one is a stretch – maybe one for the Direct Market only?
And after a great, relatively quiet downtime issue, the comic ends with a prologue for the next one. Which promises a lot, lot more craziness and action.
Fun Panel
The Harlem sequence in this issue has a great amount of grafitti detail. Easy to get lost in all the namedrops. A lot of Marvel staffers seem to be hanging out in this room! Plus “Kinky” Klaus Jansen hangs out outside.
Any Googling
Another reference to Power Man/Iron Fist and a crossover issue with the X-men in issue 57. Given the characters from that comic frequently appearing in this title I really feel like I need to give it a read one day. Any recommendations of where to start gratefully received.
It was a Product of its Time
Late Seventies Harlem is presented in quite a striking way in this issue, although living in New York Claremont and Byrne probably had a better inkling of what it was like than I do in 2023. The arrival of peak Blaxploitation era Power Man further dates the tale. Although sadly Luke Cage’s dialogue depressingly still seems relevant.
“An’ they live in a society more concerned about cagin’ 13 year olds for life than trying to give them a decent chance.”
Last issue promised a showdown between the new X-men and Alpha Flight, and this issue delivers. I’ve said before that Claremont writes great, inventive slugfests, making the most of inventively , showing and combining the X-powers. Byrne’s art has a verve that just adds to that.
Only this time he’s got another rival team to play with and the way they all interact, and spin out of control as the fight builds is tremendously entertaining.
Even after that fun, the issue has a great final twist.
Fun Panel
Alpha Flight. A great visual team. Just looking at this reveal makes me want to know so much more about these characters. And they don’t even have one of their best members “Puck” yet.
Any Googling
The world of comic book creator cameos spills over into the world of gossip as I ended up trying to find out who Darice was to John Byrne. Found nothing. Still at least she gets herself a cameo.
Actually the Calgary setting – the home town of John Byrne generally gets a great cameo in these issues. Quite a Google rabbit hole to find out the reality of a lot of the places shown in this issue. Especially the Calgary Stampede!
The epic journey the New X-men have been on since Issue 113 takes another twist when their plane returning to the US is hijacked by the Canadian government. They’ve tried once to recover Wolverine, and now they’re trying again. And this time they’ve brought a team.
The best teams immediately awaken your curiosity. You want to know how they interact, as characters and with their powers. The new X-men, bursting out the cover of Giant Size have that quality. So do Alpha Flight.
But this issue really teases that curiousity. The team are hinted at. We see their human alter-egos, and then glimpses of their powers. It’s a brilliant way of introducing them, wanting to see the team in all their glory becomes its own cliffhanger.
Not that its the only great thing about the issue. The thriller aspect of the kidnap is brilliantly executed, the plane hijack followed by an ambush at the airport. This is the comic at its most cinematic.
Fun Panel
This is how you take out a Wolverine!
That Don’t Make A Lick of Sense
Ok this is no fault of the comic, and everything to do with me being a complete nerd. As someone who had the TSR Marvel Superhero roleplaying game it outlined the upper strengths of all the powerhouse characters. And according to those rules, this act would have been impossible for Sasquatch. He’s not that strong according to TSR. This angers my nerd gene.
Mutant Mailbag Mayhem
This is the first time the letters page is witness to these strange cryptic details. What these were was one of the first things i looked up on my first day with the brand new-fangled internet.
Also a good way to track the growing success of the comic.
Both the front cover and letters page of this trumpet the fact that the comic has won an Eagle Award. It’s odd to see such an image, famous from UK comics in this period, on the cover of a US comic.
Not that it isn’t richly deserved, and this issue is a good indicator why. It’s the story of the team breaking into the mountain fortress base of an evil genius. A man who threatens a cataclysm unless his demands are met. There’s even an X-men making a heroic play that effectively takes him permanently out the team. In other words, its a very similar plot to issue 95 when the X-men had to try and thwart the nefarious Count Nefaria.
Similar, but better. Better across the board. The art is more dynamic and the script rips along at a fantastic pace. The villain’s plan is more credible and he, and his Mandroid minions present a far more credible threat. The finale where Banshee shreds his vocal chords to save the day is a legitimately heroic act, made even moreso when future issues goes on to show us the consequences.
It’s growing success, highlighted by the shift to a monthly release schedule, also means that the storytelling can be more confident when it comes to planning for the future. It end the action sequence early, leaving Claremont with several pages free to explore the team on downtime. Banshee comes out of his coma to find the others waiting to celebrate his recovery. It’s a two page sequence written so sharply that we get an insight into where all the characters are at this moment. Before using another two pages to set up future plots for further down the line.
Yes, the comic deserves to celebrate its Eagle aware. Reading it, you can see why.
Fun Panel
Always love an unorthodox team shot. And this is one of the best.
None More Claremont
Nothing like a good death to set up a future Claremont plot. Poor Angus, you grumpy old Scot.
I’ve missed Sunfire. I’ve missed his cool, idiosyncratic costume and his absurd levels of arrogance. Modern takes to reimagine him with a more conventional costume and a toned-down attitude seem to miss the point. He’s a proper arrogant hothead. Let him be him!
So it’s great we get him here at his arrogant best (worst?). His arrogance is a clear flaw and it plays great in scenes where he can get picked up on it or knocked down over it. Both Misty Knight and Colleen Wing have great moments in this issue, a sign that this X-team could definitely do with more women.
We also get more Wolverine backstory here including a nice tease about his name. “Lo-…”. There’s a few months now where it’s conceivable the guy’s called Lorenzo or Lodovico and I’m very much up for that.
Finally there’s another great slugfest. Yet again we see these X-men developing as a team, with highs and lows across the fight. It’s not just their inventive use of powers that’s memorable, it’s also the quick, efficient way we also get an insight into each character as they fight. I feel bad for Colossus’ screw up and so cheer when he redeems himself with an awesome truck stop.
Fun Panel
Difficult to pick on from a great issue, but I do love the use of Red to create this atmospheric panel. Nice work Glynis Wein
None More Claremont
“Welcome to the good ship Jinguichi Maru…”
Chris is back with his Twilight Zone style intros. Which is great, I love this style of starting a comic.
The X Marathon 