Thoughts

And so we come to the end of the Claremont/Byrne era. It’s a great little finale, the story of Kitty Pryde alone defeating ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶A̶l̶i̶e̶n̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶A̶l̶i̶e̶…a Demon from the Cairn we previously saw in issue 96.

It also serves as a great summary of the era. Firstly Byrne’s visual story telling has always been dynamic and incedibly cinematic. And in this story he really captures the tension of the chase. I compared Kitty Pryde to Sarah Conner last time, but here she’s gets to be teenage Ripley.

He also gets one of action-packed dynamic single page panels, opening the title with Storm at war with demons.

It’s not just Byrne’s strengths on display here. We get Claremont delivering on what he does well. There’s a few pages as everyone prepares to leave for Christmas, and it’s a study in how he can deliver character stuff in just a panel or two. The dynamics between all the characters is succinctly caught here, a snapshot as to how they’ve all developed and where they’re going.

There’s even time for Claremont to continue adding yet more women to the supporting cast with ship captain Alettys Forrester. Little by little the time of the book is changing.

And finally it’s a story about Kitty Pryde. Still an unsure awkward team trying to find a place in the team. Combined Byrne and Claremont capture that awkwardness – in the way her action scenes are drawn alongside the inner monologue she’s given. It’s a neat little encapsulation of how they work well together.

And, alas, the issue comes to an end. An era comes to an end. Re-reading their run again just shows how brilliantly they knew how to deliver a team book.

Both Claremont and Byrne separately are going to go on to many interesting things. As the nature of this blogs suggests, I prefer what Claremont gets up to. The route Claremont takes with the X-men is going to deliver so many more fascinating and unique takes on characters in a comic book. But – as with Byrne’s later stuff – it never quite capture what this era does: a cinematic team book – a general standard for mainstream success, repurposing existing ideas brilliant well while also adding a truckload of their own creativity. Anyone who wants to write a superhero team book would do well to read this run. Cheers raconteurs!

Fun Panel

The closest a comic can get to a great cinematic jump cut. Fabulous.

None More Claremont

Another death of innocent bystanders. But even more this death sees the victims consumed “body and soul”. It’s really not quite clear what’s meant by that, but it’s a concept Claremont is going to keep coming back to. Poor Douglas and Ellie Moore are pioneers of Claremont’s interest in Clive-Barker-lite death/possession.

Mutant Mailbag Mayhem

A pre-fame Kurt Busiek gets quite angry over a good comic. Fingers crossed nobody ever gets him to maybe undo what’s powerful about this story…

Thoughts

Although Kitty Pryde joined and Angel rejoined the team in the same issue – its pretty clear which character Claremont and Byrne are interested in. Just a few issues in, and we’re being told the tale of Kate Pryde – her future self – a warrior who has spent a lifetime fighting for mutants when the world has gone to Hell.

Just as readers were getting to know this young teenager, it’s a brave choice to introduce her much-older self. It runs the risk of alienating the audience from seeing her as an identification figure. She’s the newest X-man, from seemingly a normal life, suddently discovering the world of being a superhero. So far, so conventional.

But now we’ve got this whole new angle. She’s a hardened warrior. She’s a proven hero from a strange future in the far off year of (ahem) 2013. She’s the Sarah Conner of Terminator 2, just a few issues after introducing her as a quirky teen Sarah Conner of Terminator.

But Claremont makes it work by focusing the story on the friendships. It’s less a convoluted time jump story, as a sudden window into a future Kate who misses all her friends and has a chance to see them alive again. Not only is that relatable, but I think it adds an element of wish fulfilment to the story. We learn that Kitty Pryde, despite her current awkwardness, is going to be great friends with all these heroes. Which is exactly what many readers want when they like heroes.

This means that despite the bleakness, this story doesn’t really belong within the eighties trend of comics becoming grim and girtty. The underlying story of a dark future is there – but the heart of the story is friendship.

Fun Panel

Wolverine actually dying! There’s a thrill in any What If story it getting to see the final fate of an icon.

Any Googling

Mystique’s appearance in these two issues sets up where she first appeared. Designed as a character by Cockrum, Claremont saw the drawing and dubbed the character Mystique and she appeared in Ms Marvel. After a few appearances of Ms Marvel villainy, she’s reinvented into the new leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Where even at this early stage, Claremont mines the fact she looks like Nightcrawler.

It’d be interesting to find out what Claremont’s plans were at this point. Later Claremont was to imply that Mystique was Nightcrawler’s father, with Destiny the mother. One of the worst things of the post-Claremont era was the way that this was wiped over with a much less interesting origin for Nightcrawler. Honestly, if I had the money to buy Marvel Comics, and write whatever title I could, not only would it be the X-men but I’d very quickly retcon Nightcrawler’s origins and bring it back to Claremont’s plan.

Obviously I don’t have that kind of money, but I’d happily buy Marvel a slap up dinner somewhere fancy if they promised to do it anyway. Come on Marvel! You can name the restaurant!

Thoughts

At the end of the last issue, we left Nightcrawler under attack and a month on the comic delivers with another fun slugfest as the German mutant, aided by Wolverine, Snowbird, Vindicator and Shamen take on the Savage Wendigo.

Last issue was all character-based build-up, with Wolverine returning to Canada, Nightcrawler joining him in a budding bromance, and them interacting and resolving his outstanding issues with Alpha Flight. All that while building up the story of a terrible threat – a savage, cursed beast that feasts on human flesh.

This issue, by contrast, is all action. The Wendigo arrives and the heroes have to take it down. Its a fun fight, and yet again Nightcrawler is playing a major part. Having pointed out how surprised I was by how little actual screentime (paneltime?) he was getting in the comic as I did this blog, I’m being more than compensated now.

That he’s with Wolverine when this happens is no accident. Nightcrawler is being defined as a character by contrasting him with his fellow X-man. Both heroes take on the Monster in this issue. Nightcrawler’s tussle is all internal monologue, the character struggling with doubts and strategies as he tries to evade his attacker and find a solution. Wolverine by contrast simply goes for the Wendigo, with caption box narration explaining what’s going on. The dialogue between the two also emphasises the difference. Wolverine is a Killer, Nightcrawler questions whether this can ever be justified.

His Christianity has been mentioned before in the title, but this is the first time that his morality and personality have lain at the heart of an issue. Indeed, we’re really seeing Nightcrawler in his well-known form becoming realised in these two issues.

Fun Panel

There’s loads of great action panels in this – but this is a great one.

Any Googling

It’s a cliffhanger for Alpha Flight at the end of the issue. It really feels like its setting up a spin-off as if the plans are in the works for an immediate comic. In the end Alpha Flight doesn’t get launched till 1983, with John Byrne as writer/penciller. Such a gap means they probably didn’t have any immediate plans. Or if they did they didn’t quite work out.

Mutant Mailbag Mayhem

The reprints of the letters page have now started including the Mighty Marvel Checklist. A little snapshot into where all the other titles were at the time. I used to love reading these at the back of the title, even if the issues maybe couldn’t quite live up to the blurb. I mean “Death-Duel with the Shadowqueen”? Dr Strange 44 sounds awesome.

Thoughts

One thing about reading this in Omnibus format is that it sticks this issue after Annual 4. Now this is really the only place that the annual fits in terms of continuity but it does really lessen the impact of this issue being her debut.

It’s a fantastic start for Kitty Pryde/Ariel/Sprite. Once again Claremont brings his A-Game when it comes to downtime. It’s when the X-men relax after a Danger Room session, or when Kitty and Storm check out a dance studio that the characters seem to come alive. And more importantly, make you want to follow them all the more.

There also four more debuts (of sorts). Firstly the Angel returns to the team. He’s added to the faces on the front cover too, alongside Kitty, making it feel like its long-term. I’d forgotten he gets another stint in the team at this, which probably reflects on the fact that they didn’t really find much to do with him as a character.

Secondly Wolverine gets a new costume, a visually far more striking brown and yellow number. It works instantly and pretty much remains his look for the rest of the Claremont Run.

Thirdly, and rather fantastically, there’s the debut of Nightcrawler/Wolverine working as a duo. Their friendship is one of my favourite aspects of this run and its great to see it really start here. I mentioned in the previous blog that Nightcrawler hasn’t really come into his own so far in the title. But set against Wolverine he gets the chance to really define his character. (His internal monoligue in the face of Kitty’s unease around him is another great piece of character work from Claremont)

Fourthly there’s Heather Hudson, the wife of Alpha Flight’s James Hudson aka Vindicator. As a characgter she really comes into her own in Byrne’s Alpha Flight run – but its a neat little introduction. In just a few panels – we’ve got such a strong handle on the character.

Finally there’s Stevie Hunter. Kitty’s dance teacher. As with Heather, Claremont is building a strong stable of female supporting characters on the title. There’s instantly well-drawn, and already feels like this should probably be reflected on the actual team itself. Which is maybe why bringing Angel back didn’t work so well. It’s not the sort of characgter or direction Claremont wanted to take the title.

Fun Panel

You and your best friend should always aspire to Wolverine and Nightcrawler levels of cool.

Any Googling

The issue refeneces Hulk 180/181. Aka Wolverine’s debut. Aka some of the most expensive comics an X-fan might wish to buy.

It also surprisingly referenced Hulk 162, which I’d not really heard of. A quick search revealed was the first appearance of Wendigo and his rather grisly origin.

But also it mentions that half of Alpha Flight are off in Machine Man 19 having Steve Ditko drawn adventures. Marvel Unlimited suggests that this, in fact, is Machine Man 18. The cover of which features a surprisingly blond Northstar and Auroroa.

Mutant Mailbag Mayhem

“Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

You meant so much to me

Hast though heard my Song, Jean Grey?

I shed a tear for thee”

Thoughts

This is another issue that exists to raise the stakes, but its one that takes a very different tack. It focuses almost entirely on the threat. Dark Phoenix has been born and this issue is all about illustrating what a hideous and terrifying prospect that is.

In doing so, its something of a bloodbath. The D’Bari supernova causes the death of 5 billion, instantly murdered by a Dark Phoenix we’re explicitly told does not care. Then a Shi-Ar spaceship is obliterated and then we’re told this peril is heading back to Earth.

I think its a shame that Claremont doesn’t maintain our insight into Jean’s mind with her internal monologue. The scale of destruction and corruption is so alien that having an insight into what a human who has become God could be some great writing. That said, I can understand why it is done instead using narration – getting inside the mind of an star-destroying entity isn’t going to be easy.

But I think these three panels show how narration allows the text to be incredibly clear about the scale of what is happening is huge. Claremont indulges in hyperbolic prose on the Cosmic scale but this time Byrne’s art can keep up. There is no doubt at the end of this issue that there has been a terrible disaster and – cue cliffhanger music – its not over yet.

Fun Panel

In an issue steeped in death and destruction, it’s surprising not an issue of supernova and planets crumbling that best capture things. But rather this gem.

Mutant Mailbag Mayhem

As an aside though, it’s a bit of a shame that the reprinted letters pages in this second omnibus are all so beautifully clear. I miss the fading classic comics yellowing of these pages in the first omnibus. Maybe Marvel can bring this page. And sell omnibus editions with tiny bottles of mildewing paper aroma for the full back issue experience.

Thoughts

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!

Thoughts

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.

Thoughts

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?

Thoughts

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.

Thoughts

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.