a0040pc

Issue Information

Title- New Mutants (Volume 1) #46

Release Date-December 1986

Writer- Chris Claremont

Artist- Jackson Guice

Major Notes

Features the X-Men, Mutant Massacre tie-in

Brief Summary

Bloody Sunday

At the X-Mansion it is the dead of night but everyone inside is suddenly awoken by a load roaring sound. The New Mutants quickly rush to where they heard the sound and they know that Lockheed is the one responsible. They eventually reach the doors to the Danger Room and they see that Lockheed has burned a hole through it. Cannonball rockets his way inside and tells the others to follow him. Mirage goes outside so that she can try and capture Lockheed when he goes outside. It is then that she sees the gigantic figure of Death above the mansion.

Three thousand miles away on Muir Island it is dawn and Doctor Moira MacTaggart is waking up. She takes a shower and suddenly sees a flash of light. She pulls the curtain to one side and sees Illyana. She tells her that she has left Banshee a note as she grabs Moira and teleports away. The two women end up in Limbo and Moira demands an explanation. Illyana says how they are stuck for the moment since she has accidentally shifted through time as well and she explains what is happening. She even asks Moira if she is afraid of her and even gives her some clothes even though it is not Moira’s normal style. Illyana even shows her an image at what is taking is taking place at the mansion.

At that moment in the hangar of the X-Mansion there is seemingly an explosion as the wall crumbles down. It is the injured X-Men with several Morlocks. Sunder collapses due to his injured leg and at that moment Moira and Illyana arrive. It is only then that Illyana discovers the extents of Kitty Pryde’s injuries. In her state Kitty can’t speak and Storm begins to explain to everyone what happened in the Morlock tunnels. She fears that there will be more bloodshed to come but she tells the New Mutants that they are under the charge of Moira while the remaining X-Men keep watch for if the Marauders decide to visit.

Hours slip by and the wounded are being treated. The X-Men and the New Mutants work together to make the hangar into a decent place to treat the wounded. They want to see the Marauders pay for what has happened but for now they must concentrate on the casualties. At one point Sunspot is carrying a large pod but his strength begins to fade but thankfully Colossus is there to grab it. Magneto scolds Sunspot for this and this causes he young mutant to storm off.

Elsewhere in the hangar Sunder is lashing out because he is refusing to allow his leg to be amputated. Magneto tries to restrain him but fails, Karma even tries to possess him but he is in too much of a hysterical state. It is up to Psylocke to use her telepathy to knock him out. For Karma the whole situation reminds her of the war in Vietnam which causes her some discomfort. Mirage is sitting by herself and through her Valkyrie abilities she keeps seeing the image of Death. She feels that there is nothing that she can do and when Cannonball arrives she breaks down and states that there is no hope for anyone.

Upstairs Sunspot storms into the kitchen where Wolfsbane is making sandwiches for the Morlocks. He is still angry and he tries to take a sandwich. Wolfsbane tells him that they are not for him and in anger he transforms and kicks the table over. Wolfsbane retaliates by transforming as well. This is heard by Cannonball and Mirage who quickly make their way to the kitchen and break up the fight. Mirage scolds them both and compares them to children. Both Wolfsbane and Sunspot revert to normal and try to apologise while the co-leaders of the team tell them how helping is important rather than fighting.

Warlock is sitting outside when Cypher goes to check on him. He is looking up into the sky but tells Cypher he is not looking at anything. Cypher knows that there is more to that while inside the study Karma tries to call her brother and sister with no luck. It is then that Illyana teleports into the room. She is upset since she tried to take Kitty to Limbo so that she could cure her there. Unfortunately since Kitty is stuck in her intangible form Illyana can’t even grab a hold of her take her to Limbo. Karma tells her how she is worried about her brother and sister so Illyana decides to teleport the both of them to Karma’s apartment to check out what is happening. Cypher witnesses them teleporting away.

Cypher is able to find the other New Mutants and tells them about what Illyana and Karma are doing. Mirage quickly thinks that the images that she has been are for them while the two women do teleport into Karma’s apartment. It is dark and Karma goes to switch on a light, suddenly there is an explosion.

Back at the X-Mansion the New Mutants become worried when Illyana and Karma have not returned. They want to go and find them but they have been told by the X-Men to remain at the mansion. Sunspot even insults Cypher which causes him to become angry but it is ultimately decided that they have to find their missing teammates.

A short time later the New Mutants make their way through the tunnel. They have burrowed deep enough to not be heard by the X-Men. To speed things up Warlock transforms into the Night Rider car and Cypher believes that travelling underground is dangerous. They also do notice that Warlock has been acting strange but they still get into the car and drive away. Sunspot thinks that Warlock’s strange behaviour is because of what is happening. They don’t realise that they are being watched by Warlock’s father Magus who still plans to destroy him.

A little later the team leave the sewers right next to the apartment block. They have seen the horrors that took place in the tunnels and Sunspot wants the hearts of the Marauders. They are all horrified by what they saw but when they look at the apartment they see that it has been destroyed. They believe that Illyana and Karma have been killed but they then see the girls standing a short distance away. Illyana was able to teleport them out just before the explosion and they believe that the Marauders are responsible. They have suffered a little from the explosion but suddenly Warlock panics and grabs the entire team before fleeing underground. He then transforms into a tank before becoming discorporated. The team have no idea what is going on.

Suddenly Magus attacks them from behind and is able to grab them. He plans to kill them all and in a desperate effort to escape Illyana teleports them away. Magus is angered by this and the fact that he didn’t have time to infect them. He plans to track them down no matter where they are and destroy them.

My Thoughts

Now we come to the New Mutants in an issue which is directly linked to the Mutant Massacre storyline along with the other X-Titles (besides Classic X-Men of course). This issue felt more like an aftermath issue from what had happened in the Uncanny X-Men. It also featured all but one of the current X-Men team since Wolverine remained behind in the tunnels.

The issue was an interesting issue to read as we saw how the New Mutants tried to help those that were injured during the massacre. Their efforts weren’t heroic in the superhero way but more in the general heroic way that almost anyone can do. There was much frustration over what had happened and in some cases how they were treated by their peers but they were still able to help nonetheless.

Also returning in this issue is Warlock’s father Magus who last appeared in the Uncanny X-Men just over two years ago. I didn’t really get why he had faced the X-Men first and was only now going after the New Mutants. I believe that he should have faced the New Mutants first and then maybe move onto the X-Men. That’s just my opinion on the matter but it looks like he is still fixated on killing his son. I’m can’t quite remember why he wanted to kill Warlock but maybe it is because in their culture the parent kills the offspring. Not really an effective way to reproduce though.

One other thing that I question which was brought up is why the New Mutants travelled through the tunnels when they knew that there was a team of superpowered murderers down there that killed anyone who moved. I’m surprised that they didn’t run into the Marauders at all and they should count themselves lucky. In reality I think most of them would probably not have survived but because they’re main characters I doubt they would have died.

There is another question which was raised in this issue and that was where is Karma’s brother and sister gone and who was behind the explosion? Although everyone believes that the Marauders are involved something tells me that they are not the ones responsible. It doesn’t really fit their M.O and they have their hands full in the Morlock Tunnels without having to worry about two Vietnamese twins and their older sister. I feel that this is something that runs deeper and will be explained at some point in one of the future issues. I would like to see if my theory is correct.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue an 8 out of 10. A good issue but it couldn’t top the previous issue.

Next Issue

Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #212

Issue Information

Title- The Mighty Thor (Volume 1) #373

Release Date- November 1986

Writer- Walter Simonson

Artist- Sal Buscema

Major Notes

Mutant Massacre tie-in issue

Brief Summary

The Gift Of Death

Thor is making the long journey back to Earth after an extended period in his home realm of Asgard. Suddenly he feels something strike him which makes him feel weak, he looks around and sees no one and he also feels his strength returning to him. He begins to wonder if he just imagined it. He knows the cosmic storms which have been taking place since the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge have been fierce. He is still able to navigate his way through and soon he finds himself back in the skies of New York,

Mjolnir has led him near his apartment where Thor lives under his human guise of Sigurd Jarlson. He lands on the roof of his apartment and with no one around he wishes to go to Surtur’s realm where his father Odin could possibly be. He knows that there is danger but he attempts to anyway and with a swing he disappears into a vortex. Thor reappears moments later at the exact same spot and he is amazed to find that the path he seeked is closed to him. It saddens him and he fears that he will never learn the fate of Odin.

Thor requires time to think so he goes to his apartment, it is exactly like he left it which is an empty room with a mattress. To him it is not a home and he can’t remain there, instead he flies away and does consider going to the Avengers Mansion. Right now he doesn’t need companionship and instead sits on a nearby building overlooking Central Park. He is lost in his thoughts but he does notice a man being mugged in the park. At first the mugger seems to be happy with the money he stole but he still wants to cause his victim some pain. Before he has a chance Thor arrives and the mugger gives up in sheer fear. It is not long before the mugger is arrested by the police who thank Thor for helping them. This causes him to think about how death is the answer to every question to a mortal. Death is not the answer for a god and he will not rest until he has the answer.

Meanwhile in Asgard Heimdall is overlooking the construction of something called the Great Sheath. It is designed to sheath the Great Sword of Surtur which is said to mean the end when its master comes to reclaim it while in a great hall some distance away two brothers named Mick and Kev wake up. They see a fat man sitting across from them and at first they think that it is Santa but he reveals himself to be Volstagg, friend of Thor. They remember Thor when he was visiting their mother but this makes Volstagg break the news to them. He regrets to tell them that their mother was killed by an assassin. Although Thor was able to kill the Assassin he was not able to save their mother. Volstagg states that he will look after them until they have come of age but the boys are heartbroken and refuse to believe that their mother is dead.

Back on Earth Thor in his human guise has decided to try and renew his ties on Earth. He returns to the construction site where he used to work and goes into the foreman’s office where he sees his old boss Jerry. Jerry is very happy to see him who immediately offers his job back. Since the site has been destroyed by a dragon it knocked them back to square one. He even jokes about it a little but he notices that Thor doesn’t look himself. When he asks him what is wrong Thor tells him how his father has passed recently and that he doesn’t have any other family or friends. Thor apologises for bringing his troubles but Jerry invites him for dinner.

The pair walk away and eventually end up at Jerry’s front door. Jerry opens the door and Thor sees Jerry’s wife Tina and their six children. Jerry goes to introduce Thor to his children who are happy to see him but Tina isn’t impressed with Jerry bringing a guest without telling her first. Jerry explains Thor’s situation and she seems to be happy to have him there. He is sat down in another room until dinner is ready. She even introduces him to her youngest son Ernesto, he is a little nervous but then asks Thor whether his mother forces him to eat his vegetables.

A short time later Tina is in the kitchen cooking when she hears Ernesto screaming. Quickly she rushes to the other room where she sees Thor playing with Ernesto, his screams are those of joy. It is not long before they are all sat down for dinner. Ernesto is the one who says grace before they all start eating. It doesn’t take long for them to devour everything and Thor congratulates Tina on a good meal. There are still dishes to be cleaned and Thor is more than happy to help clean them as a token of his appreciation. Jerry even invites him to stay for the night since they have a spare room. At first Thor is reluctant to stay but the children like him and he decides to stay. The kids want him to tell them a bedtime story but Thor is too tired but he does want them to go on a trip with him to Central Park the next day.

In Asgard the crow named Muninn brings Balder a black feather. The warrior knows what it means. He immediately summons Heimdall and commands him to watch over Asgard since he must go on a task of great importance.

The next day Thor is taking the kids to Central Park. Ernesto asks Thor if he is still sad about his father. Thor responds that he is sad but he hopes to find him. He then sits the children down so that he can tell them a story. It begins with Thor on Asgard after he has finished battling many Frost Giants and is on his way home. He comes across a river and he sees a ferryman in the river. He calls the Ferryman and offers him gold to take him across. The Ferryman refuses since he doesn’t think that Thor deserves it. Thor tells him who he is and his titles and the Ferryman responds with his own name Harbard and he even insults Thor. Thor is angered by this and Harband even mentions some of the things that he has been able to do and asks Thor what he has done. Thor states his own accomplishments and demands to be taken across. Harband still refuses and states that he isn’t worthy. As the story ends Thor reveals that Harband had been Odin in disguise and when they ask why Odin would do such a think he responds that it was to teach him a lesson.

Suddenly two frogs leap out from the nearby pond as the children want to hear another story. Thor recognises the frogs as those he met when he was transformed into a frog. One frog leaps onto his hand and begins to speak with him. Thor picks up the message that something terrible is happening. He tells the children that he’ll have to send them home and this is when they reveal that they know that he is Thor. They explained that they saw Mjolnir in his bag. They tell him that his secret is safe with them and even ask him if anyone besides him can lift his hammer. He tells them that he will send them back home through magic. They tell him that he isn’t alone and they want to see him again. Using Mjolnir Thor transports the children back home before transforming into Thor.

With that Thor begins to make his way to the sewers where the frogs have told him that the alligators are beginning to die and terrible screaming can be heard. He knows that they are normally under the command of the Piper who is a Morlock. He doesn’t realise that as he enters the sewers he is being watched by Hela who is the one responsible for the disturbance he felt while travelling to Earth. It is a spell to weaken him and soon it will take full effect.

As Thor makes his way through the tunnels he sees dead Morlocks everywhere and eventually he runs into Vertigo, Blockbuster and Harpoon who are torturing Angel who is still harpooned to the wall. They hear Thor coming and gang up on him but he is able to fend them off. The Marauders flee after he strikes them with a lightning attack. With them gone Thor turns his attentions to Angel who is barely alive. He goes to remove the harpoons but suddenly he hears someone approaching. He thinks that it is the Marauders returning and he turns to face them.

My Thoughts

Now we come to the Mighty Thor which is tied to the then Mutant Massacre storyline although it was only last few pages. This is the first time that I’ve reviewed an issue in this series. Despite the fact that it has so many issues (This is issue 373 where Uncanny X-Men is only 211) it was originally Journey Into Mystery where Thor was introduced in the 83^rd issue of the series. Eventually the series was renamed to the Mighty Thor so if you only counted it from when Thor was introduced it would be issue 290.

The story is basically Thor returning to Earth after a long stay in Asgard where much has happened. From the looks of it his father Odin has gone missing and Thor isn’t sure whether he is still alive or not. I believe it might have something to do with the demon Sutur but since I don’t read the series I’m not sure. Thor decides to try and re-establish his links to Earth starting with his former co-worker. This eventually leads him to the Morlock Tunnels where the massacre is taking place and from the X-Men comics to know what is going on with that.

I did notice what I think was a reference to the Hobbit. One of the kids asks Thor to tell them a story about a lonely mountain and for those of you familiar with Middle Earth the Lonely Mountain is the site of Erebor. It is the home of the Dwarf people and filled with so much gold that a dragon named Smaug took the mountain for himself. Killing Smaug and retrieving the gold was the main quest in the Hobbit and I wouldn’t be surprised that this was the writer’s nod to the Hobbit.

One thing I was surprised to see is what seemed to be mechanical diggers in Asgard. I can’t tell too well since the copy I’m reading is Black and White but I didn’t think Asgard had any vehicle like that. They’re still supposed to be in the swords and shields type of world so I would have thought that they wouldn’t have had such things.

I did notice that the issue was written by Walter Simonson who has just become the artist for X-Factor (which is written by his wife Louise Simonson) and Sal Buscema who not too long ago was the artist on the New Mutants. I am surprised when I’m writing this blog how a few people pop up every now and again.

The only X-Men character to appear in this issue was Angel who is in the same position as he was when we left him in X-Factor. We saw him getting his feathers pulled out by Blockbuster which must have been extremely painful. Normally we would consider him safe now that he is under the protection of Thor but as we saw he has been afflicted by a spell which makes him weaker. This of course means that Thor will not be strong enough to properly defend Angel.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue an 8 out of 10. Despite the fact I don’t read the series I picked this up and I could see what had been happening recently.

Next Issue

New Mutants (Volume 1) #46

Issue Information

Title- X-Factor (Volume 1) #10

Release Date- November 1986

Writer- Louise Simonson

Artist- Walter Simonson

Major Notes

Mutant Massacre crossover issue. First issue drawn by Walter Simonson

Brief Summary

Fallen Angel

A group of Morlocks are cooking some food on an open flame. They hear popping noises and at first they think that it is just the food cooking. A couple of them start to think that it is gunshots and eventually they hear what seems to be screaming. The sound is coming closer and before they know it they are attacked by the Marauders and many of the Motlocks in the Central Shaft are killed.

In the tunnels some miles away Angel and Jean Grey are transporting the injured Rusty back to X-Factor headquarters. Skids is following close behind while the other members of X-Factor remain behind to discover what is happening. Angel comments to Jean how Cyclops blames himself what has happened to Rusty. It was his verbal blast which sent Rusty running and Artie followed him. They can hear the screams and they know that they have to find Artie as soon as they can. Angel and Jean quickly make their way to the headquarters since Rusty’s condition is deteriorating,

The remaining members of X-Factor make their way into the tunnels to find Artie. They see a trio of fleeing Morlocks, one is suddenly shot in the back by an energy harpoon and falls down dead much to the distress of X-Factor. They are being chanced by Arclight and Harpoon who plan to kill the other Morlocks. Before they get the chance X-Factor intervenes and together they are able to keep the two Marauders at bay. Arclight responds by collapsing the ceiling onto them but Cyclops is able to use an optic blast to stop it from crushing them. The two Marauders have escaped and one of the Morlocks explains that all of the Morlocks are being killed.

Elsewhere Angel and Jean have made it to the X-Factor headquarters through the sewers. Skids comments on how she saw them fighting X-Factor on the TV and she’s seen the X-Factor ads as well. On a nearby communicator Angel radios Cameron Hodge to tell him about Rusty’s condition. Skids recognises him and she realises that they are X-Factor. She goes to run since she thinks that they will harm her. Angel tries to explain X-Factor’s true intentions but she isn’t listening. He even tries to grab her but because of her powers she slips through his hands. Jean uses her telekinesis to hold Skids and tells her that it is too dangerous to go back to the Morlock tunnels and she must stay by Rusty to protect him.

In the tunnels Caliban, Leech and Artie are walking through the tunnels. They can hear screams and Caliban walks forward out of Leech’s reach so that he can use his powers. Before he can he is attacked from behind by Sabretooth who knocks him to the ground. Both Leech and Artie tried to hide in a pipe and at that moment X-Factor arrives and Cyclops blasts Sabretooth. They believe that he is down and they have no time to check exactly what is happening before they leave to deal with more trouble. Leech and Artie exit the pipe to tend to Caliban but Sabretooth lunges at them. His healing powers helped him get back onto his feet and the trio are just able to get into the pipe before he can slash them.

In Washington DC Mystique has leaked the information to reporter Trish Tilby about Angel’s connection with X-Factor. The report is on as Trish states that Angel ad his company are a financial backer of X-Factor. Word of this reaches Candy Southern who is at a meeting in Philadelphia. As soon as she hears the news she postpones the meeting and quickly makes her way to New York. Angel also hears about this when Rusty is being treated at X-Factor Headquarters. He is completely shocked that the news has gotten out.

Inside the tunnels more Morlocks are being harmed. The combined forces of Vertigo and Blockbuster are about to kill a couple of Morlocks when X-Factor intervenes. Iceman freezes Blockbuster over while Vertigo uses her powers to make Iceman disorientated. Blockbuster breaks out of his icy tomb but is struck by Cyclops. Vertigo concentrates on him but she is knocked down by Beast. The pair make their escape and the trio see that they have four wounded Morlocks. They need to get them to safety but they also have to find Artie.

Artie is still hiding in the pipe and with the coast clear he makes his way out of the pipe despite Leech’s protests. He wishes to find X-Factor or else Caliban will die. He is able to get out of Leech’s range so that he can use his powers to detect where the team are while in the infirmary at X-Factor HQ where Jean and Angel are looking after Rusty. He seems to be pulling through but Angel is depressed that the link between him and X-Factor has been discovered. He’ll know the public will soon learn about X-Factor’s true purpose. Jean tells him that they were chasing after a dream but it has turned into a nightmare. She is still glad to be alive despite the fact that Cyclops is married and for the work X-Factor do. They continue to talk and they begin to get closer together and seem to be on the verge of kissing when suddenly Candy Southern makes her presence known. She is not happy with what she is seeing and tells Jean that her real power is to make men fall in love with her and then destroys them. She throws her briefcase at Angel and tells him that she resigns from her position. Angel wants to stop her but he know he can’t and despite what’s happened Jean suggests going back to the tunnels to help. Angel decides there and then whether to go after Candy or help Jean, in the end he decides to help Jean.

In the Morlock Tunnels a mutant named Plague has been cornered by Sabretooth and Harpoon. Sabretooth goes in for the kill but she touches him and instantly he falls with a deadly disease. Harpoon goes to destroy her but he is grabbed from behind by Apocalypse and his face is smashed into the ground. He sees Plague as being worthy and even calls her Pestilence, his first Horseman. She agrees to go with him and as they teleport away Sabretooth recovers. If not for his healing fact he would have been dead.

Not too far away Jean and Angel are disgusted with how many Morlocks have died. They hear a noise as nearby the other members of X-Factor are fighting a group of Marauders. They seem to be doing well until they are blinded by the Morlock known as Prism. Cyclops tries to blast him but he responds with his own blast. This is when Jean intervenes and uses her telekinesis to smash Prism against a wall. Arclight takes the opportunity to smash the ceiling down on them and make their escape. Jean is able to stop her teammates from being crushed. Cyclops and Beast are injured while Iceman is blinded. Despite this they know that they can’t leave without Artie. Angel assures the others that he will find and return Artie while the other members leave to lick their wounds.

As soon as they are gone Angel begins his search but it is not long before he finds Artie. They are happy to see each other but before they go anywhere they find their path blocked by Vertigo, Harpoon and Blockbuster. Angel tells Artie to run back to the headquarters while he slows them down. Vertigo tries to use her powers but since he has faced her before he knocks her down. He is then grabbed by Blockbuster who then pulls at his wings and then slams him against the wall. Harpoon pins Angel to the wall through his wings which causes him great pain. The pair plan to kill Angel but not without causing him great pain first.

My Thoughts

Now we come to X-Factor again with a cover which like the last couple in this blog celebrates the twenty fifth anniversary of the main Marvel Universe. This one features a headshot of Cyclops and unfortunately masks the true scale of the events that take place in this issue.

The first thing to mention is that this issue introduces more Marauders. Two that come to mind are Blockbuster and Prism although the latter seemed to be killed in this issue. But the main one I would like to point out is Sabretooth who actually makes his first appearance in an X-Men related book. Previous he had appeared in a couple of issues of Iron Fist but this is the first time we see him in an X-book. Like the other Marauders he seems to be outright evil and just there to kill as many Morlocks as he can. A trait which will define the character for a long time.

This issue is also the first to mention the Horsemen of Apocalypse. We’ve seen Apocalypse before of course but this is the first time that we have heard him mention his Horsemen who are basically his lieutenants. One interesting thing about the Horsemen of Apocalypse is that the roster is constantly changing and many very well known characters have been Horsemen (normally against their will). Names like Wolverine, the Hulk and the yet to be introduced Gambit come to mind. Each are a powerhouse in their own rights and a force to be reckoned with.

I did take one issue with this story and that was when Cyclops blasted Sabretooth he, Iceman and Beast left Caliban where he lay. Not sure if they either thought he was dead or didn’t notice them I still think they should have checked on him. Of course there were several more Morlocks in need of help it doesn’t mean that they should ignore him. If they had stayed a little longer they would have discovered that Sabretooth was not down for the count.

We also got to see Candy Southern again although at this point it seems like her twenty year relationship with Angel is over. Some can blame Jean for this but I’m thinking that the relationship wasn’t airtight to begin with. Don’t forget in the Dazzler series when Angel was courting her since he said he and Candy were drifting apart. If you remember that it comes as no surprise that their relationship has broken down. This is now just one of the worries for Angel as his links to X-Factor have also been exposed and now he is in for a world of hurt.

In conclusion I’m giving this issue an 8 out of 10. I’ve probably enjoyed this issue more than the previous ones in the series.

Next Issue

The Mighty Thor (Volume 1) #373

Issue Information

Title- Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #211

Release Date- November 1986

Writer- Chris Claremont

Artist- John Romita Jr & Bret Blevins

Major Notes

Start of the Mutant Massacre Crossover storyline. Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde are put on the sidelines.

Brief Summary

Massacre

The Marauders who are made up of Scalphunter, Vertigo, Scramble, Arclight, Harpoon and Riptide are in the Morlock tunnels and have confronted a group of Morlocks. They state that they are there to kill mutants and although the Morlocks think that they’re joking Scalphunter fires an explosive round at them which kills most of them. Riptide uses his powers to spin himself and razor sharp stars shoot from his body and kill all but a couple of the remaining Morlock group. One of them has super strength and makes his way towards the Marauders but he is touched by Scramble who nullifies his powers allowing Scalphunter to shoot him. The only remaining Morlock in the group left is a young woman who phases through a nearby wall and tries to call for help. Arclight smashes the wall down which dazes the young woman as Harpoon finishes her off with an energy harpoon. This is seen by Callisto and many more of the Morlocks who vow to kill them for what they’ve done. Vertigo begins to use her powers to daze the Morlocks as Arclight smashes the ground to collapse the floor beneath them. No one notices Piper using his powers to gather animals to attack them.

At the X-Mansion Wolverine, Rogue, Colossus and Mirage are working at the nearby barn. Wolverine wants to help but Rogue tells him to relax since he has suffered a lot of damage recently. In response Wolverine slices a pitch fork with his claws and walks away. Both of the X-men know that something is wrong with him while inside the mansion Kitty Pryde is raiding the fridge. She is spotted by Magneto and he isn’t too impressed, she states that she has term papers due and she can’t work on an empty stomach. He allows this to go one time as Kitty phases up to her room where Illyana is waiting for her.

Wolverine is walking on the back lawn when Nightcrawler teleports to him to try and surprise him. Unfortunately he hasn’t recovered enough and the effort causes him to almost faint. Wolverine catches him and the German mutant regrets that he hasn’t recovered enough. He does offer to take Wolverine out for a drink but suddenly the ground below them jolts up much to their surprise. They see a large mole like mutant who tells them that Morolocks are being killed before he also drops dead.

The mutant is taken to the medi-lab where Psylocke checks the body over. She comments on how it was a miracle that he even reached them and with his dying memory she saw the Morlocks being killed. Magneto sees parallels between this and the Holocaust and the X-Men decide that they must help. Magneto is instructed to stay behind by Storm so if the mansion is attacked he can protect the New Mutants. With much reluctance he accepts.

A short time later Illyana teleports the X-Men to the Morlock tunnels where they see a pile of dead and wounded Morlocks right before them. Callisto is there and she is still alive. The X-Men are disgusted with what they see and the smell reminds Kitty of when she visited her cousin’s workplace which was a slaughter house. Wolverine instantly senses trouble and they are quickly targeted by Vertigo and Riptide. Colossus and Rogue shield the X-Men from Riptide’s attack while Wolverine uses his claws to deflect the stars. Nightcrawler teleports and kicks Riptide before grabbing onto Vertigo. He then teleports her numerous times to knock her out. This severely weakens him and he is too weak to get out of the way when he is attacked by Riptide and left for dead.

Quickly Storm and Kitty tend to Nightcrawler who is barely alive. Wolverine blames himself for not getting to Nightcrawler in time but he has Riptides scent. Storm commands Illyana to teleport the wounded back to the mansion and the young Russian knows that they will need Doctor Moira MacTaggart to help them as she teleports the wounded away. The X-Men then decide to split up and stop the Marauders.

Elsewhere Scalphunter has found Annalee who is shielding her children. She begs for him to spare them but he ignores this and fires at them. The gunshots are heard by Kitty and Colossus who are close by. They move in closer and see Scalphunter talking with Arclight. They are commenting on how easy this is but neither of them notice Colossus who throws a large rock at them. Arclight is just able to destroy it and she knocks Colossus back into a wall. She uses her powers to collapse part of the tunnel on him and she thinks that it’ll be fun now that they are facing X-Men. Kitty screams for Colossus but Scalphunter has a gun to her head. When he fires she harmlessly phases through it and he tries to slash her with no effect. She is face to face with two Marauders and although she does threaten to maim them she instead phases through the rubble to try and find Colossus. She does know that if she kills them that it would be justified but she just can’t do it.

Elsewhere Wolverine, Storm and Rogue are leading the remaining Morlocks through the tunnels towards the X-Mansion. The progress is slow and at first they think the tunnel is clear but suddenly they have to duck under an optic beam that goes right over them. They realise that Cyclops along with the rest of X-Factor are also in the tunnel and at first they want to find them and team up but the tunnel before them collapses before they have the chance. Colossus is the one responsible and everyone sees that Kitty is with her along with Annalee’s children. Annalee is also there but she is wounded shielding the children from Scalphunter’s bullets. She is able to say a last few words to Callisto before she dies. Callisto swears vengeance but suddenly they are attacked by Harpoon, Riptide and Scrambler.

Harpoon attacks Wolverine and although his attack hits home Wolverine is able to endure and is able to slash the murderer. Scrambler tries to block Storm’s powers but since they are already nullified he has no effect and she punches him. Callisto then breaks some of his ribs as Riptide attacks again. Many of the Morlocks are hit and die instantly while Harpoon attacks Colossus. He endures the attack but it causes him great pain. Scrambler is able to touch Rogue and both their powers are neutralised. Harpoon takes the opportunity to throw an energy harpoon at her. Kitty sees this coming and tries to phase Rogue through the attack but she is struck by the weapon and it causes her much pain and worse.

Riptide continues his attack as Colossus walks towards him. Riptide is confident that Colossus can’t touch him and laughs at him. Horrified by what has happened to the Morlocks Colossus grabs Riptide by the neck and snaps it like a twig before shouting that Harpoon is next. Unfortunately Harpoon has fled with Scrambler and the X-Men are surprised to see that Colossus actually killed Riptide. Storm goes to aid Kitty but is horrified to discover that Kitty is stuck in her intangible form. She concentrates as much as she can but she can’t make herself solid. Rogue blames herself since Kitty got injured saving her and she wants vengeance. Storm tells her that this must wait so that they can get the Morlocks to safety. It is a difficult decision and Wolverine begins to talk with Storm as they make their exit. She commands him to stay behind and capture one of the Marauders alive. She needs information about them but she only requires one of them. The rest she leaves up to Wolverine.

My Thoughts

Now we come back to the Uncanny X-Men in an issue which I really didn’t want to review. Not because it was a bad issue (in fact it is a fantastic issue), it was because two of my favourite X-Men are severely injured in this issue and will be the last time that they take part in a mission with the X-Men until 1998. Bit of a long wait if you ask me and still one that saddens me.

Like a mentioned before the cover of this issue is a special one since it celebrates the main Marvel Universe’s twenty fifth anniversary. This time we have a snarling Wolverine with half of his mask missing. I did forget to mention that Classic X-Men has started at this point (but am skipping it in my blog although someone I know has written write ups for me for the back stories). The Classic X-Men cover for this special month is Storm and although I would have loved to have seen the headshots of either Kitty Pryde or Nightcrawler I can understand why they chose Wolverine and Storm.

There is much death in this issue as many Morlocks die. Most of the well known Morlocks such as Callisto and Caliban are still alive many of those minor ones who were introduced over the years are killed. One example is Annalee who had a minor crossover story in an X-Men/Power Pack issues along with a follow-up story in Power Pack. One death that did take me by surprise is that of Riptide but not the fact that he died but because Colossus was the one who killed him. He is one of the most kind hearted X-Men and probably the last one you’d expect to murder anyone. It just shows how far the Marauders have pushed the team and how they know that if they let them escape that they’ll just carry on killing. It is something that Kitty wrestled with but she decided to help the wounded rather than killing the Marauders.

Sadly in this issue as I mentioned earlier two of my favourite X-Men are side-lined. These are Kitty Pryde who is now trapped in her intangible state (which will lead to a particular LS with a famous foursome) and Nightcrawler who is left in a coma. These two X-Men make up the heart of the team and is also the first time that Nightcrawler has been side lined since he joined the team in the now legendary Giant Size X-Men #1. At this point readers can still see him in the X-Men Classic series but for present day stories they would have to wait two years.

Also popping up in this issue is Psylocke who decided to stay at the X-Mansion in New Mutants Annual #2. Although her appearance is only minor this will change in the near future. We also learned who the Marauders actually are and one of them is already familiar with readers. This one is Vertigo who the team faced when they last went to the Savage Land back in Marvel Fanfare issues #3 and #4. Not sure exactly how she was re-evolved and exactly why the Marauders are in the Morlock Tunnels but this is something that will be explained over the course of some years in the X-Men Franchise. There was also one famous member of the Marauders who was not present in the comic but will be seen later on with great effect.

One other hint that the Marauders have pushed the X-Men particularly far is the point that Storm commanded Wolverine to capture one of them alive. She said that the rest was left up to Wolverine which basically meant if she killed them she would turn a blind eye. She has always been pro-life in these matters but to me she now sees the Marauders as monsters who need to be put down. After what I’ve read in this issue I can’t say I blame her.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue a 9 out of 10. A really good read and is a step in a different direction for the X-Men (many of you know what I mean).

Next Issue

X-Factor (Volume 1) #10

Issue Information

Title- New Mutants (Volume 1) #45

Release Date- November 1986

Writer- Chris Claremont

Artist- Jackson Guice

Major Notes

Features Kitty Pryde

Brief Summary

We Were Only Foolin’

At the X-Mansion the New Mutants along with Kitty Pryde have been invited to a dance a local high school. The New Mutants are teleported there by Illyana. They do have to get changed before they can go in and a few minutes later they are dancing along with the students of the high school. Some of the students comment about the team since they think that they’re from a private school which is too rich for them. Magma doesn’t like the comments but Cannonball blows them off before he starts dancing with her. Kitty is annoyed since many of the boys are paying more attention to Illyana rather than her and this is seen by Cypher and a disguised Warlock. They even notice Sunspot getting very friendly with one of the girls and Warlock stretches his neck to take a closer look. Cypher stamps on his foot to remind him to revert to normal. Warlock apologises but they also notice Mirage being chatted up by another student. She is not interested in him and he doesn’t take no for an answer so Warlock makes himself look more muscular. He acts tough to make the boy go away and Mirage thanks him for doing this. Cypher even asks her to dance but she doesn’t want to dance. Instead she makes her way outside but is noticed by Magneto and the headmistress Ms Hogarth.

Mirage walks outside and she has a ringing in her ear after the volume of the music. She thinks a little about her native Colorado. She has a weird vibe from the party and since there is no one around she summons Brightwind who soon arrives. As she strokes Brightwind she thinks about her power to sense the death of others and how she will fight for each one of them. Before she leaves she sees a bumper which supports X-Factor’s seeming mutant extermination operation. She flies off on Brightwind but she doesn’t realise that she has been seen by a teenage boy named Larry. He is amazed by what he has seen and then creates a sculpture out of light which looks just like her.

Larry thinks that Mirage was beautiful but he quickly destroys the sculpture when he sees Magneto and Ms Hogarth approaching. He acts like he wasn’t doing anything but he is introduced to Magneto. Larry has just transferred to this school and is feeling a little lonely so Magneto tells Kitty who is standing by the door to dance with Larry. She doesn’t see the harm in it as she takes him inside as Magneto talks with Ms Hogarth outside. She talks about the students and how she wishes she could focus on them all.

As Kitty and Larry go back inside they see Sunspot making out with one of the girls. Kitty is somewhat disgusted so Larry goes to get her some punch. He is afraid that he is going to screw things up with her but as he wonders to a table he sees a group of students making anti-mutant jokes. As a joke one even accuses Larry of being a mutant which he hastily denies. Kitty goes to him and takes him away while one of the students named Rick thinks about pranking Larry by threatening him with X-Factor. The other students think that it is a bad idea but Rick thinks otherwise.

As the dance winds down Kitty invites Larry to join herself and the New Mutants in an after party gathering. Larry happily agrees and he really likes her. On a chair he notices an X-Factor flyer along with a threatening message written on it. It scares him but he doesn’t tell Kitty.

Later everyone gathers at a nearby tavern. Everything seems to be going great as Kitty is having a good time with Larry. The New Mutants comment on how well things are going even though they believe that Larry is a normal human. Larry is even considering kissing her but he doesn’t want to push things too far too quickly. He even considers making her a light sculpture but he fears that it might scare her away. They eventually sit down with the New Mutants and to try and fit in Larry tries to tell the same anti-mutant jokes that the other students were saying. This causes the team to get annoyed and they begin to leave. Even Kitty goes to leave and when Larry asks her to wait she simply says goodbye. He feels terrible about what he has said but he doesn’t notice Wolfsbane turn and look at him.

A short time later Larry returns home still feels terrible and also thinks about what will happen when everyone finds out that he’s a mutant. He considers calling his parents but he doesn’t know what to say to them. Instead he goes to where his parents keep their liquor and he thinks that getting drunk will make him feel better. He takes one sip and spits it out. He feels like a loser and walks up to his room where he has already created a light sculpture of the Challenger Space Ship. He sits down and makes a light sculpture of Kitty and he thinks about her. He also thinks about X-Factor and what will happen to him if they find him. He doesn’t realise that Wolfsbane is watching him from the outside and when she sees that he is a mutant she makes her way back to the mansion to tell the others. Suddenly the phone rings and when Larry picks it up the person on the other line tell him that X-Factor are on their way and that he’s done for.

The next morning at the X-Mansion the New Mutants along with Kitty are having breakfast. Everyone seems to be in good spirits and Wolfsbane is just about to tell everyone that Larry is a mutant. Before she gets the chance Magneto enters the room and regrets to inform them that Larry has committed suicide.

Later the New Mutants are training in the Danger Room and in the control room Mirage tells Cypher that she sensed that something was wrong during the dance. She feels that she could have done something to help him. The other teammates continue with their session but they also talk about what happened to Larry. Illyana faces off against Sunspot in a friendly fight while Warlock can’t wrap his head around the concept of suicide. Magma tells him how Larry felt trapped and that suicide was his only way out.

Meanwhile across town Kitty is at the house of Larry and she feels that she is the one who is to blame for what happened. She phases up to his room and she is greatly surprised to see the light sculpture there. She thinks that it is the most beautiful thing that she has ever seen but when she goes to touch it the sculpture disappears. She feels guilty for this as well and when she goes to his chair she finds the X-Factor flyer with the writing on it. The writing is effectively Larry’s suicide note and Kitty feels extremely sorry for him but at that moment she notices Wolfsbane. They begin to talk and they are both in sorrow over what has happened. Wolfsbane howls and outside Larry’s parents hear it. They are also greatly upset about the death of their son, his mother wishes this was all a bad dream and that she can wake up from it.

Wolfsbane has followed the trail to the mall and her anger has been growing. She goes inside partially in wolf form but she wears a disguise so that she can’t be seen. She thinks about what could have happened if Larry had been as lucky as she when she was taken to the X-Mansion. She sees the students eating in the food court and they are talking about Larry’s suicide. Rick shows no remorse for what has happened and even thinks that it is a good thing since Larry was a mutant. The other students don’t agree with him and Wolfbane considers going in for the kill. Before she can she is confronted by Kitty, Mirage and Cannonball. Mirage explains how they will be paying for what happened for the rest of their lives and how killing them is the easy way out for them. Wolfsbane breaks down and Kitty ensures that Larry didn’t die for nothing.

The next day at the high school there is a memorial assembly for Larry. Kitty is to make a speech but she isn’t sure what she is going to say. She thinks that they’re as afraid as Larry since they hide the fact that they’re mutants. Kitty walks onto the stage and is even considering telling the students that she and the New Mutants are mutants. She begins the speech by saying that out of everyone there she knew Larry best but she hardly knew him at all. She goes over the things that kids use to label others and then about the harsh words that people use to discriminate certain groups such as African Americans and homosexuals. She tells them how much they hurt and how some people suffer in silence. She tells them how Larry’s powers created objects of beauty that are now lost to the world. Larry didn’t have anyone to turn to when he needed help and how he lived in terror. He tried to fit in at the cost of part of his soul and she asks the students to feel how he felt. She tells them that she is Katherine Pryde and that’s all that matters, the rest are just labels.

My Thoughts

Now we come to New Mutants again in a very moving issue which just shows how something that seems harmless can lead to something tragic. It is definitely something that many readers can probably relate to.

The first thing that I would like to mention about this issue is the cover. At this point in time Marvel are celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary (not of Marvel Comics #1 but Fantastic Four #1 where many consider the main Marvel Universe to truly begin). Every Marvel Comic which was released in November 1986 had the same theme where you had a headshot of a particular character (this issue was Illyana, for Uncanny X-Men its Wolverine and for X-Factor its Cyclops) with a banners around the cover being populated with the then main heroes of the Marvel Universe. Even comics which were not part of the main Marvel Universe had these covers such as G I Joe and the Star Wars comics.

The overall story is something that is very sad. We are introduced to the character Larry Bodine who like most of the characters in the X-Men franchise is a mutant but sadly he didn’t have time to properly shine. His mutant power was to create sculptures made of light which everyone who saw them thought that they were pure works of art. Unfortunately because he was a mutant and after a terrible prank he took his own life. His story is something that can be translated to almost all walks of life. Like a student who is a homosexual who is hiding their sexuality. It can tear them up inside and if they are being ridiculed and they think that they have no one to turn to sadly too often they do what Larry did.

The issue also heavily features Kitty Pryde who seems to be a regular guest star in the series (although after this issue she only features in three more issues). To me she was the most important character (besides Larry of course) in this issue. She was the character who was closest to him and we got to see another of her speeches. This is an issue to get for any Kitty Pryde fan and shows a great side to the character. It is also the second time that she used the N word although the context of it seemed just.

Wolfsbane to me was another important character and I can feel that she might feel some guilt as well since she found out he was a mutant but waited until the next morning before telling the others. I can understand her reasoning since even she couldn’t have predicted what would happen. Her cause for revenge was also somewhat justified but as Mirage said the people responsible will be paying for the rest of their lives. It somewhat reminds me of an incident a few years ago involving an Australian Radio show prank calling the hospital where Kate Middleton was staying after suffering from morning sickness. The nurse involved committed suicide afterwards and although the DJs involved were not prosecuted they are living with the guilt that they were responsible for that nurse committing suicide. The kids in this issue are no different.

I somewhat predicted that how X-Factor are advertising themselves might have led to something as bad as this. It has been picked up a couple of times in the X-Factor series but nothing in comparison to this. It just goes to show although X-Factor have good intentions, how they are marketing themselves is actually causing more harm than good. Kitty and the New Mutants found that out the hard way in the loss of a poor fellow mutant who in truth was very lonely.

In conclusion I’m giving this issue a 10 out of 10. A must read for any X-Men fan which shows a powerful message.

Next Issue

Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #211

Issue Information

Title- X-Factor (Volume 1) #9

Release Date- October 1986

Writer- Louise Simonson

Artist- Terry Shoemaker

Major Notes

Features Freedom Force

Brief Summary

Spots!

At Central Park Freedom Force have Rusty Collins and Skids cornered while a crowd watches on. Mystique transforms into Uncle Sam and commands Blob to grab Rusty. Rusty uses his powers to try and stop Blob but they don’t harm him. Instead he and Skids run while Avalanche uses his powers to rock the ground below them. Skids is still able to keep a hold onto Rusty as they try to make their escape. Despite what Skids thinks Rusty assures her that if they find X-Factor they can help.

Not far away rush out of the park to try and catch up with Rusty. They can see where he’s been but before they get far they are swamped by reporters who are trying to get comments out of them. The team know that they don’t have time for this but one policeman does congratulate them on the work that they do. Cyclops asks him why they didn’t call the Avengers and the policeman responds that he doesn’t trust them. He sees little difference between mutants and superpowered humans. This angers the team but they ignore it and walk away.

As they walk they see the damage caused by the battles and they begin to see why humans are so distrustful of mutants. Cyclops thinks that the people who caused the damage to the park are jerks even though he doesn’t realise that it was the X-Men. They remember their goals as X-Factor but they notice Magneto not far from them walking into a building. Jean wants to confront him but is stopped and they also notice that the building is the headquarters of the Hellfire Club. They believe that he has become a villain again and they are glad that Professor Xavier isn’t there to see it. They do still need to find Rusty and they’re not sure exactly how.

Elsewhere Rusty and Skids continue to flee. Skids is leading him to grating which will lead them to the Morlock tunnels. She thinks that they’ll be safe there but they soon become trapped in Spider-Woman’s energy web. The pair soon find themselves confronted by Freedom Force, Destiny senses that there is great peril in the near future. Skids refuses to leave Rusty behind, even when Blob grabs him. Pyro tries to burn Skids but discovers that he is unable to. By now a crowd have gathered and they believe that Skids and Rusty are two humans being attacked by a group of mutants. They begin to throw projectiles at them in an attempt to rescue them.

Not far away X-Factor hear the gunshots and rush to the scene where they see the mob attacking Freedom Force. A couple of cops are even shooting at them and despite Mystique’s attempt to explain the situation to them no one is listening. Destiny even saves her from a glass bottle. Some of the crowd begin to throw eggs at them and it causes Blob to lose his temper. It takes Mystique to remind him what will happen if any of them step out of line. In the confusion Skids and Rusty sneak away unseen.

X-Factor begin move through the crowd and even though they try to stop the violence with words no one is listening. Jean Grey uses her telekinesis to create a shield around Freedom Force to protect them. Cyclops states to the crowd that they are using hi-tech equipment to shield Freedom Force. It is at that time that Mystique shows the team and the crowd her identification to show that she is indeed working for the government.

Elsewhere Skids and Rusty have escaped through a grating that will lead them down to the Morlock tunnels where they believe that they’ll be safe. Back at the battle X-Factor have no choice but to let Freedom Force walk away while Destiny predicts that Rusty has gone into the tunnels. She can also sense the strong presence of Death but despite this the team decide to go after Rusty. Before X-Factor can do anything else they are confronted by Trish Tilby who begins to ask them questions. Beast is angered and tells her that the media hype is what has caused anti-mutant hysteria to flare up. She stands her ground however as X-Factor make their way back to base.

At X-Factor’s headquarters Artie is in his room when he brings up an image of Rusty and Skids along with Freedom Force and an unimaginable horror. He quickly goes to show Cameron Hodge but he doesn’t have time for it and pushes him out of his office. Artie tries to think about what to do next and he looks at the pens that he has in his hand.

A short time later the team return and see the picture that Artie has drawn on the wall. It is of Skids and Rusty in the tunnels and they realise that he has gone there to find Rusty. They are right as Artie walks through the tunnels but he discovers that his powers have faded when he comes face to face with Leech.

Quickly the team change into their mutant uniforms so that the Morlocks don’t believe that they’re humans and gang up on them. Quickly they make their way down into the tunnels while Artie and Leech are greeting each other. Leech leads him to another chamber where Caliban is waiting. Caliban can see that he is a mutant and welcomes him but suddenly they hear a loud screech sound.

Elsewhere in the tunnel Rusty and Skids come across the dead body of Tommy. Skids assures him that it is not normally like this and that there is something very wrong. Before they can move on there are confronted by Freedom Force. Blob grabs Rusty and slams him against a wall. He only stops when an optic blast strikes his hand revealing the presence of X-Factor. He recognises them as the original X-Men and the team believe that X-Factor has become traitors to mutants.

Both teams engage in battle but Destiny still senses the strong sense of death. Under Mystique’s command Avalanche uses his powers to push X-Factor into Spider-Woman’s energy net. This causes the ceiling to cave in and Skids uses her own body to protect Rusty from the debris. Jean uses her powers to shield the rest of the team as Angel takes down Avalanche. Pyro goes to attack Angel but is blocked by Iceman who is able to freeze him over. Cyclops does free Pyro from his icy tomb but the blast damages Pyro’s flamethrowers allowing Beast to finish him off. Blob goes to attack Cyclops but is blocked by an ice pillar. When it goes to move it, it causes the ceiling above him to collapse on him.

Above the battle Spider-Woman sees Jean and goes to attack her. It is only when she is knocked out that she realises that Jean was actually Mystique in disguise. She is then tackled by Beast while Destiny tends to Mystique. She tells her that if they remain that they will all be killed. Destiny is certain of this so Mystique commands Freedom Force to retreat. They make their escape as Avalanche ensures that they’re not followed.

After Freedom Force has escaped X-Factor begins to regroup and they fear that their cover might have been blown. They also tend to Rusty who has been injured but they still can’t find Artie. Cyclops tasks Angel and Jean to take Rusty back to headquarters while they try to find Rusty. Skids wants to remain by Rusty’s side. Cyclops somewhat blames himself for what has happened since he pushed Rusty away and soon the trio go down the tunnels looking for Artie. They have no idea about the horrors that they will encounter.

At the Pentagon Valarie Cooper scolds Freedom Force for failing their mission. She tells them that if they fail again they will be off the payroll before telling them to leave the room. They do as they’re told but Mystique is unhappy with what has happened. They know that the mutants they faced were the original X-Men and that one of their members is the famous Warren Worthington III. They’re going to find out what he has been up to lately and pass the information to reporter Trish Tilby. She wants the reporter to reveal that Warren is the mutant known as Angel.

My Thoughts

Now we return to X-Factor which is a direct continuation from the story in the previous issue. Like before there are links in this issue to the Uncanny X-Men. In fact there is even one scene that is in both books (the scene that shows Magneto entering the Hellfire Club). We saw both sides of the scene and it was interesting to see that both Magneto and X-Factor consider each other to be traitors. There was also the sight of the body of Tommy who was sadly killed in the previous issue of the Uncanny X-Men.

Once again this issue features Freedom Force who have been popping up regularly in this series and the Uncanny X-Men since they have been working for the US Government. I’m somewhat surprised at this point that there hasn’t been a push to give them their own series since they’re supposed to be heroic now. I can see why they’re not so heroic since they have shown to keep some of their villainous tendencies. They didn’t seem to have much of a problem trying to hurt Skids. Ok she could protect herself but at that point they didn’t know this so bad for them.

I also began to see that Cameron Hodge might not be as good as he seems. I know what will happen to him later on but at this point I saw the first sign of him being not what he seems. He could see that Artie was in some distress but instead forced him out. He did something similar in the previous issue and it shows that he doesn’t care too much about them. This will be exploited more in the future but for now this is all we have.

This was also the first time that we’ve seen Artie and Leech together and I can tell you this, it is the start of a long friendship between the two. I can understand how they became friends, both are the same age and because of their mutant powers are not the most handsome of mutants. It is a friendship which will last some years for the pair and one which is a light note in the X-Factor series.

The whole death thing which Destiny has been sensing is the upcoming Mutant Massacre event which will take place over the next few months after this issue. It is one of the first big X-Men crossover events which will be mainly played out in the Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor but will have tie-in issues with New Mutants, The Mighty Thor, Power Pack and even Daredevil. It is the first time that an X-Men story will crossover like this and it reminds me of the fact at this point that X-Men was a sales Juggernaut and to tell you the truth from what I’ve been reading I’m not surprised.

In conclusion I’m giving this issue a 7 out of 10. It was pretty good but I felt that there was something missing.

Next Issue

New Mutants (Volume 1) #45

Issue Information

Title- New Mutants Annual (Volume 1) #2

Release Date- October 1986

Writer- Chris Claremont

Artist- Alan Davis

Major Notes

First US appearance of Psylocke. Features Captain Britain

Brief Summary

Why do we do these things we do?

The previous years in the Swiss Alps Betsy Braddock is skiing down a slope like a professional and even onlookers admire her skill. She goes inside the lodge where there is a merry-go-round and she thinks about her lost youthful joy. She takes off her glasses revealing that she has no eyes. She is a mutant named Psylocke but in mere moments she senses something and she shatters like glass. Mojo and Spiral have suddenly teleported before her and Mojo reforms the glass from Psylocke’s body into a small crystal ball. It is her soul and leaves her a smiling vegetable. Mojo wants to use her but Spiral comments that Psylocke is broken but he still has some use for her.

The previous month at the X-Mansion Cypher is scribbling things on a piece of paper. He is frustrated as he screws it up and throws it to one side. This is when Mirage enters the room and asks him if he wants to talk. At first he is reluctant but he is able to tell her how he has done all these fantastic things with the New Mutants and yet he can’t tell anyone. He doesn’t feel like he fits in with the team and that he feels like an outcast. Mirage gives him some words of wisdom, she tells him how she has wanted to run away but she has responsibilities and the words seem to be getting through to him.

The previous week a new cartoon show has started which features Mojo, Spiral and Psylocke. It catches the attention of Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Karma’s brother and sister Leong and Nga along with some children who had met Longshot.

Last night in an abandoned building in New York City, Captain Britain bursts in looking for his sister Psylocke. He flies all around the building trying to find her but at first he can’t find her. He then hears someone call his name and when he turns he looks in absolute fear. He is scolded and he begins to cowardly back into a corner as he thinks that he is seeing his parents.

At the X-Mansion it is still late and Sunspot gets out of bed and walks towards a phone. He dials a number and when he is asked a question he replies yes. Instantly Mojo and Spiral teleport into the room and he willingly goes with them to places unknown.

At this moment in time Cannonball is training in the Danger Room as Mirage watches on. She gives him some instructions but he accidentally strikes a wall but he does land on a cushion. He is unharmed but annoyed that his skills have been slacking while in the kitchen Illyana is clearing up the table. She thinks it’ll be easier to teleport the table to Limbo and allow her minions to clean it. However they make it look demonic and in annoyance she teleports to Limbo so that she can have a chat with them.

In her room Magma is writing a letter to her father as she sees Sunspot, Cypher and Warlock walking the grounds. She asks them what they are doing and they respond that they’re clearing some trees. As they make it to a fallen tree but Cypher has noticed that Sunspot is acting differently today. Warlock is able to sense some minor anomalies in Sunspot and Cypher asks his friend if he is alright. Sunspot states that he is fine and they work together to pick up the tree. Cypher suddenly notices something distressing and his cries bring the other members of the New Mutants to his side. It seems that Sunspot has been crushed by the tree and Cypher is extremely upset since he blames himself.

Later the team haven’t been able to track down Magneto to tell him what has happened and Cypher still blames himself. Mirage tells him not to blame himself and he asks her why her Valkyrie powers didn’t warn them. Mirage doesn’t know the answer and this causes Cypher to run in sadness. Warlock is the one who goes after him and within moments Cypher reaches the medi-lab where Sunspot’s body is located. He cannot bring himself to look at it but suddenly Warlock rises up in front of the body. He has been scanning the body and has discovered something that he cannot explain to Cypher. The two merge on a level that they never have done before and through the scans Cypher realises that Sunspot is a fake They realise that something is very wrong but before they can say anything Cannonball and Mirage enter the room and they don’t seem to be happy to see them.

In another place Mojo is implanting Psylocke with new mechanical eyes but she still has a huge grin on her face and in a vegetated state. Spiral is not impressed and even makes a passing comment. In some anger Mojo grabs both women and begins to rot them away but when he lets go they revert to normal. He was bored with the tools at home and he wants to create some new ones. He is shown the children that he has been able to lure which are Sunspot, Wolfsbane, the Coy twins and the tree other children called the Bratpack who had once helped Longshot. Under Mojo’s instruction Psylocke fires a beam from her eyes at them. In an instant the children and teens have been aged into full grown adults. They are all loyal to him and when the process is complete he plans to take them home but first they have to have some fun.

The New Mutants teleport outside the same building which Captain Britain had visited the night before. Warlock’s senses have led them there and even the portable Cerebro that they’re carrying confirms that Sunspot is inside but he isn’t alone. They hear a voice and turn to see the adult Butch who tells them that they have come to the right place for trouble. Cannonball shoves Mirage out of the way and begins to become aggressive. It is because of Butch’s powers although now he is calling himself Snitch. It is turning the New Mutants against each other but suddenly an adult Sunspot splits the ground below them and Wolfsbane also attacks them. The team are able to subdue her but they are blinded by Darla who now call herself Jubilee. The only ones who seems to be unaffected by the brainwashing is Cypher and Warlock and as every mutant fights amongst one another they hear a voice telling them to stop. When they turn they see the adult Coy twins and while the others obey they every word Warlock grabs Cypher and flies away. The twins command the New Mutants to enter the building for class but Magma resists and as punishment the twins regress her age down to a toddler. She is effectively powerless at this point and has no choice but to follow the twins.

Not far away Warlock is still flying as he was terrified and after a few hiccups he and Cypher land on the roof. They know that they have to go back and rescue the others despite the fact that they’re afraid. They begin to make a plan and Cypher even uses some humour as Warlock stretches his eye into the building and he sees the other New Mutants. They believe that the Coy twins are their parents and once they have agreed to follow them the twins age them into fully grown adults who are also loyal to Mojo.

Warlock and Cypher begin to see that they are out of their depths and decide that they should get the X-Men but suddenly Warlock detects an intruder. He senses a person with superhuman abilities on a nearby building and when the pair reach it they find a de-aged Captain Britain who is terrified. Cypher goes to talk to him but he is punched as Captain Britain tries to fly away. He is caught by Warlock however and when things calm down Captain Britain apologies and what he tells them sounds similar to what has happened to the New Mutants. He also tells them that the others are going to another dimension that night and that they won’t ever come back. He also regrets to inform that the person responsible is his sister. Before it goes on any further Warlock informs Cypher of a change inside the building.

Inside Magma is still resisting the twin’s control and although she damages some of the buildings the twins once again turn her into a toddler thus making her powerless. She tries to persuade the others to stop but they are completely under the twin’s control. She has no choice but to run and she is seen by Cypher and Warlock. Cypher takes command and tells Captain Britain to catch Magma while they find Psylocke. At first Captain Britain is reluctant but after a few words of inspiration he agrees.

Magma continues to run but is stopped when two arrows land right next to her. She turns around and sees the adult Alfie who now calls himself Straight Arrow. She soon finds herself surrounded by those loyal to Mojo but before they can grab her Captain Britain flies in and grabs her before flying away.

In another building Cypher and Warlock make their way inside and they find themselves face to face with a Mojo looking Psylocke who looks directly at them before turning back to the TV screens. She doesn’t notice them because they are cloaked from electronic sensors, Cypher learns from Warlock’s scans that she is as much of a victim as the others. Warlock tries to tap into Psylocke’s brain wires but the feedback hurts both him and Cypher.

Meanwhile Magma and Captain Britain continue to flee on foot but before they get far they are confronted by the Bratpack and are forced to flee. The pair’s morale is low but they continue on as best as they can in the hopes of buying Cypher and Warlock time. They even attack the Bratpack from time to time.

In the other building Cypher and Warlock begin to recover from the feedback. They have seen Psylocke’s memories and see the life she has lived. He wants to free her but Warlock warns that the feedback could cause him to die but Cypher does have an idea. The only way that they can do this is if they merge on a level like never before but Cypher might be infected with the Transmode virus. It is a risk he is willing to take and as the two become one Cypher sees the world like Warlock does and he is amazed. They still have to work quickly but as they approach Psylocke she attacks and they disappear in a flash.

In mere moments they find themselves in another place entirely. As they begin to recover they see the now human looking Psylocke who tells them that they are within her mind. They see their friends as centaurs on a merry-go-round and she states that they’re waiting for them to join them. In the real world Magma and Captain Britain have been cornered and when they’re finally captured they are added to the merry-go-round as well. Psylocke then tries to transform the still merged Cypher and Warlock into a centaur, she seems to have won but they resist. She reminds them how their body is still in the real world and completely helpless. In response the pair try to infect Psylocke with the Techmode virus and although at first it works she is able to purge herself of it but not before revealing that she is in fact Spiral.

Spiral begins a dance which causes the merry-go-round to spin and the vortex that is generated will destroy Psylocke’s mind. Since she is linked with the Bratpack they too will also have their minds destroyed. It is her way of showing Mojo that she is the only one for him. Cypher and Warlock begin to work together again to ensure that every part of Psylocke’s mind is preserved and restore it back to the way it was before. Warlock begins to do this but it is pushing him to his limits.

While Warlock does this Cypher goes to the merry-go-round to try and free his friends. He reaches out his hand and a hand grabs it. At first he panics as it exceeds his strength but in the blink of an eye the hand he has grabbed changes from that of a child into an adult. It is then that he realises that it is Captain Britain. Unfortunately for Spiral she cannot do anything to stop them since she is still doing the dance and one by one the others are pulled free. Each of them are their true ages and have their minds back. They can only watch as the vortex continues but at that very moment Warlock completes his task in putting Psylocke’s mind back together.

The ground begins to shake and before they know it the ground is gin and they find themselves before a gigantic energy representation of Psylocke. Spiral warns her of doing anything that she will regret and tells her that there is value in being a slave for a master who cares for her. There will be no care or danger and she will never know hunger. Cypher tries to convince her otherwise but Spiral continues on about the benefits such as eternal youth and beauty. Psylocke is give the choice and in response she blasts Spiral away. As she disappears Psylocke thanks the team for her help and promises to put everything back in place.

Cypher wakes up in what is left of the room and when he sits up he sees Psylocke lying right next to him. She reveals that she is herself again and it is then that she realises that she can see. She still retains her mechanical eyes and she wishes to destroy them so that she can truly be rid of Mojo. She wants to but she finds out that she can’t.

Moments later they are found by Mirage and at this point Psylocke realises that she is completely naked. Warlock makes his appearance and wraps himself around Psylocke to cover her up. It is at this point that Captain Britain and the New Mutants appear, he hugs his sister and thanks Cypher for his help.

Later at the X-Mansion Psylocke is talking with Captain Britain. She is staying at the mansion so that she can learn to properly control her mutant powers. He understands and they part with a hug and a few words. She notices Cypher watching from a window and at this point Mirage enters the room. He tells her that there is no trace of the Transmode virus within him. He also states how if not for their actions Mojo would have taken the kids and that children are most important. They hear the other New Mutants asking them to go outside and play a game while they are getting to know Psylocke. The pair leave to join them but not without Mirage telling him that the New Mutants are tough and go get through almost anything.

My Thoughts

Now we come to the New Mutants again in only their second annual. Before I go any further with this I would like to say that this is my four hundredth review for this blog and I’d to thank all of those who have read and enjoyed the blog so far. Still have a long way to go so here’s to another four hundred posts.

This issue is the first US appearance of Psylocke who I believe had been featured in the UK Marvel Comics for a few years before this issue was released. Like almost all the X-Men she is a mutant who has both telepathic and telekinetic abilities. She is definitely one of the characters who will have the most unique career with the X-Men for many different reasons but at this point she was a supporting character in the Captain Britain comics. I feel that she is now more recognisable than her brother and her long and eventful career with the X-Men is only just beginning.

This issue also features the art of Alan Davis who worked on the Captain Britain comics in the UK. His art is very recognisable and this will not be his only X-Men comic, in the future he will be drawing for the Excalibur series which does feature Captain Britain, his girlfriend Meggan (who briefly appeared in this issue) and three of our beloved X-Men. I look forward to seeing more of his art.

The lead character in this is Cypher as he proves that just because he is the weakest member of the team doesn’t mean he’s helpless. Ok he did have Warlock on his side and the two truly merged to make themselves Douglock for the first time. If not for him Mojo would have won although his slaves would have been damaged thanks to Spiral. It does show that she’s not entirely loyal to him. A bit of a love/hate relationship between the pair but this is something that is not shared between Cypher and Warlock. It was pretty weird seeing them completely merge but it was refreshing.

One thing I did notice was that one of the names the aged Bratpack used was Jubilee and it makes me wonder if Chris Claremont just wanted to use the name somewhat randomly for a sparkling character. Don’t forget that a couple of years after the release of this issue we have another character (and a lot more well known) named Jubilee. I think that he used the name again since he didn’t plan on using this Jubilee ever again. They do have similar powersets although the more famous Jubilee can’t fly.

There were plenty of moments that stuck out for me such as the merging of Cypher and Warlock, the moment when Psylocke refused to be a slave for Mojo and the sight of the aged Coy Twins. It does make me wonder if those kids were actually fully grown if they had those mutant powers. This is something that has yet to be explained and I fear that it never will, especially with what is happening with Marvel right now. The moment when Psylocke discovers that she is naked was somewhat humorous.

Also from reading this issue it makes me a little sad to think about the UK comics nowadays compared to back then. In the 1970s/1980s there were plenty of original and decent Marvel comics in the UK which allowed for the characters to be splashed out. Before this issue of New Mutants Psylocke had a lot of story which had not crossed the Atlantic and it gave the UK readers something different. Nowadays the only Marvel comics in the UK that are released are just re-prints of the US comics (and normally about 2 years behind). Ok you had reprint comics back then but there was original material as well. Now all we get in original material is in a couple of magazines that are aimed more for children and the stories in there are very short and substandard. More importantly they’re not part of the main Marvel Universe so they’re not worth picking up.

In conclusion I’m giving this issue another 8 out of 10. It was an interesting story and worth the read.

Next Issue

X-Factor (Volume 1) #9

Issue Information

Title- Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #210

Release Date- October 1986

Writer- Chris Claremont

Artist- John Romita Jr. and Dan Green

Major Notes

Features Dazzler, the Hellfire Club and X-Factor. First appearance of the Marauders.

Brief Summary

The Morning After

In a train yard in Los Angeles an employee of the Hellfire Club named Richard is shot in the back by an energy harpoon. The mutant that he is with is named Tommy and she is the only one who can save him but she is too afraid and flees. Richard tries to reach to a nearby gun but his hand is stepped on by one of his attackers. A few words are exchanged and as Tommy runs she hears a gunshot and she knows it means that Richard is dead. She is desperate to escape and return to the Morlock Tunnels in New York. She uses her mutant powers to slip through a crack in a door and hopefully to safety. She doesn’t realise that the attackers know exactly where she is.

In San Francisco a still disguised Dazzler is moving some equipment with her bandmates when one of them asks her to go to a party. She turns it down but the band are determined to make her come. She angrily turns them down and goes into a nearby bathroom. She looks at herself in the mirror and she doesn’t like the fact that she has dyed her hair and is in hiding because she’s a mutant. She washes her face but when she looks into the mirror again her reflection has seemingly changed into her old self. The reflection calls herself Malice and jumps out the mirror and grabs her. In her desperation Dazzler unleashes a powerful light beam and when it fades everything is back to normal. She isn’t sure whether what happened really did happen or if she hallucinated due to fatigue.

In New York City Rogue is flying through the skies looking for Rachel Summers. She has a mutant detector with her and eventually she makes her way to the X-Factor building which has been damaged. There is no sign of Rachel or Nightcrawler anywhere and she is worried about her teammates. She even feels guilty because she is partially responsible for Rachel leaving.

As she continues to fly she sees some window-washing scaffolding collapse sending the two window cleaners falling to the ground. Rogue flies and throws the scaffolding into the river before grabbing the window cleaners and bringing them safely to the ground. A crowd begins to gather and one of the window cleaners even calls her an angel. Before he can kiss her she flies away due to fear what will happen. She flies passed a building and sees the reflection of herself in the window. She is a mess and decides that she needs a new outfit.

Rogue flies to a nearby shopping mall where she buys herself a new outfit and has a member of staff apply make-up to her to make her look more presentable. Everything seems to be fine until a man in the crowd calls her a mutant. She goes to shrug it off as he threatens to call X-Factor. Before he can the window cleaner that Rogue saved steps in on her behalf and the two men argue. By the time it ends Rogue has left and as she flies away she goes past a bus with the X-Factor advertisement on the side.

At the X-Mansion Illyana Rasputin is paying her brother Colossus a visit. He is wearing his original costume since his others have been ruined and they are happy to see each other again. She sees his sketches and in particular one of fellow X-Man Kitty Pryde. Illyana has tried to comfort her after what has happened with Rachel and Nightcrawler but nothing has worked. Illyana tells him how Kitty needs him but Colossus doesn’t think that there is much that he can do.

Kitty is working on Cerebro and she is being careful to with her powers as she adds some more circuitry which will allow any of the X-Men to use Cerebro. When she is finished she sits at the desk with Lockheed on her head. Cerebro can also track down the X-Men but she feels that Rachel and Nightcrawler might not want to be found. She also thinks about the recent relations between humans and mutants which brings her down a bit. This is when Colossus and Illyana enter but Kitty tries to joke while the situation is dire. She becomes angry because she thinks Rachel deserted them and Nightcrawler might be dead. She asks what to do when someone she loves betrays them but Colossus tells her that everyone can have a second chance but before they continue Cerebro sounds meaning it has found a missing X-Man.

In the city Magneto lands in an alley just outside of the Hellfire Club and goes to the outside where X-Factor and a group of civilians are located. They have been called in to deal with a mutant problem and the police don’t trust the Avengers. Magneto watches from afar and sees Jean Grey but he believes that she is Madelyne Pryor. He is also spotted by X-Factor but with so many people around don’t attack as he walks inside the building. He believes that X-Factor have betrayed their fellow mutants.

When he goes inside he is met by Sebastian Shaw and Selene. They invite him to become the new White King and at first Magneto thinks that Sebastian is joking after their history against one another. Sebastian reminds them how they came together the previous night for a common cause and that by forming an alliance they can ensure the survival of mutants. His words sway Magneto who wishes to take time to consider the offer.

At a dock nearby Nightcrawler is being hounded by a mob who throw projectiles at him. It reminds him of when he was invited to join the X-Men but this time there is no Professor Xavier to save him. Out of view Kitty, Colossus and Illyana teleport nearby and Colossus stand between the mob and Nightcrawler. The mob want to kill Nightcrawler for being a mutant and Kitty also steps in and makes a speech that is able to convince to mob to disperse. With the threat gone Colossus tells her that he still believes in Xavier’s dream and that it is still worth fighting for. Kitty tends to Nightcrawler and asks him why he didn’t just teleport away. Nightcrawler reveals that he has lost his powers.

At the Delacorte Theatre Wolverine and Storm have followed Rachel’s trail to there but there is no sign of her. He knows that she is gone and Storm admits that it should never have come to this. She scolds him for trying to stop Rachel alone and that as team leader she must have his obedience. Despite living as a loner Wolverine does agree.

In the tunnels below Tommy thinks she is safe as she has made her way to the Morlock Tunnels. Just then she is shot in the back by an energy harpoon. Her shadowed attackers make their way towards her and they explain that it is nothing personal. They let her go so that she could lead them there and they have a job to do. They call themselves the Marauders before killing Tommy there and then.

My Thoughts

Now we come once again to the Uncanny X-Men which is technically the first part of the Mutant Massacre storyline which was probably the first major X-Men storyline to cross-over into other series such as X-Factor, the Mighty Thor, New Mutants and Power Pack. It is a storyline which will change the face of the X-Men and shake them to their very foundations.

This issue features Dazzler who had a run-in with Marauder member Malice who will be popping up again very soon. Dazzler is still hiding after the events taking place during her now cancelled solo series. It also introduced the Marauders who are one of those teams who made a big bang on their debut but fell to the waist side afterwards. One of their members does break free to be his own respectable villain who has already debuted a few years before this. We also got to see X-Factor although their appearance was only minor really and the only thing pointed out is that it shows the X-Men don’t know that Jean Grey is alive.

We got to see a little snippet with each of the X-Men like Rogue saving lives and then getting a new outfit, Kitty Pryde somewhat losing faith in the X-Men’s cause and using her silver tongue to disperse a crowd. Wolverine and Storm had their own little moment but one of the biggest thing from this issue is that Nightcrawler has seemingly lost his powers after the battle with Nimrod. This is something that won’t be put right for some time and will be a severe handicap for the character.

One thing I would also like to touch up on is that this is a pretty infamous cover that I have been reproduced a few times. It is a great shot of the then X-Men team but I wouldn’t get used to it because after the events of the Mutant Massacre the team will drastically change and open a door for more X-Men to enter.

There is also a hint of there being an alliance between the Hellfire Club and the X-Men. If it does come to pass it does open new possibilities for the team but might also seem like selling their souls to the devil. Ok the Hellfire Club might not be as evil as some organizations (barring Selene who is pure evil) but still it was because of them that the Dark Phoenix came about. If things had gone differently they would have been the ones responsible for the destruction of the planet.

We also did get another of Kitty’s speeches that seem to happen quite often in the Uncanny X-Men and it seems that when she talks people listen. It is easy to forget that at this point she isn’t even fifteen years old. I do believe we get one more speech in the next issue of the New Mutants and then that’ll be it for a while and for good reason.

In conclusion I’m giving this issue an 8 out of 10. It was a good issue to read but the next one will break my heart.

Next Issue

New Mutants Annual (Volume 1) #2

Issue Information

Title- X-Factor Annual (Volume 1) #1

Release Date- October 1986

Writer- Bob Layton

Artist- Bob Layton

Major Notes

First X-Factor annual. Final issue to feature Bob Layton

Brief Summary

Grand Design

A TV advert of X-Factor is on as a spokesman mutters the team’s supposed goal of capturing mutants. There is an actual explanation of how X-Factor does capture mutants but also teaches them to use their powers while I the background they are doing this in places like Mexico, Denver, Miami and LA.

The team return to their headquarters after an exhausting week where they are greeted by their PR manager Cameron Hodge. He tells them that there are two agents from the Soviet Union awaiting to see them. The agents insist on talking to the team directly and the team do agree to see them. Only Angel is excused since he is publically known as a mutant but before the team go they decide to freshen up first.

As each member of X-Factor get ready they are a little sceptical about the Russians. They eventually finish and they meet up with the agents named Ms Sasha Yasinov and Major Nikoli Uzebek. They state that they’re there not to hire the team but to learn about their techniques in mutant detection. They wish for them to come to Moscow so that they can explain the methods. Cyclops states that it is a company secret and that the US Government wouldn’t allow it. The agents explain that the US have already agreed which makes Cyclops ask for a moment to discuss it with his teammates. Each of them think that it is a bad idea since they were use the techniques to persecute mutants. Cameron Hodge intervenes and tells them that a friend of his in the senate committee for mutant affairs insists that they go. Hundreds of Russian mutants could be in danger.

Inside the Soviet Union lies an unforgiving prison like complex where when a mutant enters they are never seen again. One particular mutant has been able to escape his cell and he plans to get out and tell the world about the horrors that are taking place there. He approaches a wall and tries to use his powers to tear it down but he is still too weak. Unfortunately he is spotted by what seems to be a large robot. Before he can defend himself the robot blasts him effectively killing him. The robot is none other than Iron Man villain Crimson Dynamo.

Back in New York X-Factor are hurried into a back entrance to the World Trade Centre. Inside an elevator they meet with Senator Thompson who stops the lift mid-floor so that they can have some privacy. He explains to X-Factor about the information about mutant treatment in the Soviet Union. The pictures he shows them disgusts each of them and he explains to them about a Soviet project headed by East German born scientist Doctor Wolfgang Heinrich. His father had been a Nazi scientist in World War II and the aim of the project is to reproduce the X-Gene to create their own super soldier army. Senator Thompson tells the team to accept the Soviet’s invitation and then track down the facility where these atrocities are taking place. The team think that it might compromise their secret identities but he assures them that it must be done.

A week later X-Factor arrive in the Soviet Union and they notice a lot of armed personnel at the airport. Angel is not with them because he is already trying to find facility. The team are led off the plane by Sasha and into the terminal where they notice more guards. Sasha assures them that everything is fine but suddenly two mutants try and attack believing the team are mutant killers. The flying mutant grabs Iceman and tries to fly away but he is shot down by one of the guards. Iceman is horrified by what has happened but the team downplay his emotions so not to arouse suspicions.

The team soon arrive at the hotel where they are given a schedule for tomorrow’s events. They are to remain on this floor and as they are left alone in their room Iceman lowers the temperature to short circuit any devices monitoring them. They talk about the attack which took place and about Angel’s search. Keeping their identities secret is absolute so that they can move around freely.

Many miles away in the Soviet wilderness Angel is still searching for the facility. He thinks about his teammates and what might happen if they are caught. His train of thought is lost when he is attacked by patrolling helicopters. Using his training he is able to use a pine branch to incapacitate one of the helicopters while he pulls some wiring out of the side of the other. The helicopters have no choice but to make an emergency landing while Angel flies to a safe location so that he can rest. He has to keep going because he knows that the Soviets will be looking for him.

In the hotel the other members of X-Factor are sitting down for a drink and discussing about their next course of action. Before they can come up with anything concrete Sasha arrives and introduces them to Doctor Heinrich. Cyclops shakes his hand but Heinrich senses something odd about the team. He comes to the conclusion that the team are mutants but for the moment he keeps this fact quiet.

The team are led to the conference room where they have to give their presentation. While Cyclops is speaking Heinrich speaks to one of his associates backstage about a disposal job. By the end of the conference the groups begin to talk. Beast asks Heinrich about his work but the man states that he has other duties to perform. He is able to whisk away Iceman telling him that a certain lady has his eyes on her. Not thinking much of it Iceman allows himself to be led to the hotel’s laundry room where he is ambushed by two of Heinrich’s associates and knocked out. Heinrich knows that X-Factor are not who they seem and he reveals his own powers as he takes on the form of Iceman and even absorbs his powers as well which he demonstrates. He commands his associates to dispose of the original Iceman but he doesn’t realise that a worker has spotted him. The worker radios to someone about what is taking place.

Outside Heinrich’s associates carry the unconscious Iceman out to a car but before they can place him in the boot they are attacked by the strong mutant from the airport and another mutant named Father Garnoff uses his powers to hypnotise the two men. They plan to use Iceman as a hostage, they don’t realise that like them he is a mutant.

Inside the hotel Heinrich returns to X-Factor under the guise of Iceman. They tell him how they’re going to attack the mutant complex and how they will be taking Heinrich back to the US to face justice. They don’t realise that Heinrich is actually there and he intends to have the team killed before they can achieve their goals.

Hours later in Moscow Iceman has been taken to a warehouse where other mutant freedom fighters. They plan to get information out of him and when Father Garnoff advises restraint it angers his fellow mutants. Iceman has come to and Garnoff tells him that he must co-operate and also how they saved him from certain death. Iceman tells them that he is a mutant and at first they don’t believe him. It is only when he ices over and breaks out of his bondage that they truly see that he is a mutant. At first he wants to fight them but since they see that he is a mutant they do not wish to fight. Iceman explains about X-Factor and their goals which the mutants do find honourable. Garnoff even introduces the other mutants who are named Mentac, Concussion, Iron Curtain and Siberian Tiger. Iceman thinks that they will help X-Factor during the attack on the facility but Garnoff reveals that it is X-Factor who need rescuing. He begins to explain to Iceman about Heinrich and that he has most likely taken on Iceman’s form.

At the hotel X-Factor get the signal they have been waiting for from Angel. They prepare to move out but Heinrich in the guise of Iceman tells the team how Heinrich has fled to the facility. They then make their way down to a waiting car and hours later arrive outside of the facility where they are met by Angel. They do notice that Iceman has been acting odd but Angel reports how the facility is lightly manned and that it looks to be an easy mission.

Quickly the team move towards the facility and using their powers are more than easily able to get inside without being detected. They are able to make it into one of the doors but as soon as they enter they see mutants who have been dissected. This horrifies them all and they begin to look for evidence to show to the world about the horrors taking place there. Cyclops finds some files but Heinrich pushes an emergency button. Cyclops is greatly surprised but he reveals himself to be Heinrich and takes down Cyclops with an ice blast.

In the other room the other members of X-Factor begin to become worried about their missing teammates. They have planted explosives to destroy the facility but mere moments later they are confronted by Heinrich and the Crimson Dynamo who then attack the trio. Jean is just able to protect them with a telekinetic shield. They assume that Heinrich is a mutant but as he attacks he explains that his powers are based on experiments that he took out on himself. Heinrich tries to bury the trio in ice but they are just able to escape although they seem to be outclassed. Heinrich and the Crimson Dynamo are gloating when suddenly they are blasted from behind by the returning Cyclops. The pair soon recover but Heinrich orders the Crimson Dynamo to track down and eliminate the trio while he remains behind to battle Cyclops.

Outside the real Iceman and the Soviet Mutants arrive and they can already hear the battle which is taking place inside. Iceman wants to go in guns blazing but Garnoff advises against this since they will be killed. Mentac is already able to devise a plan with a ninety eight percent success rate which he relays to each of the mutants.

With the plan in their mind the mutants burst a hole through the wall to get inside while Beast, Jean and Angel have to defend themselves against the Crimson Dynamo. Cyclops also continues his battle with Heinrich but the hero begins to weaken as Heinrich still remains strong. Before he can land the killer blow Iceman arrives and the two engage in combat as under Iceman’s instructions Cyclops goes to help the other mutants.

Not too far away the Soviet mutants are making their way through some guards when Father Garnoff finds the mutants that are trapped there. These mutants are soon freed but the other members of X-Factor are still battling the Crimson Dynamo who seems to be shaking off all of their attacks. The battle between Iceman and Heinrich also continues but Heinrich cannot match Iceman’s experience and is soon defeated. In a last effort to destroy Iceman Heinrich tries to bury Iceman but he accidentally buries himself and falls through the ground. This is when Beast arrives and sees what has taken place. Iceman is saddened by what has happened. Beast knows that Iceman is the only one who can stop the Crimson Dynamo but he still needs a quick lesson in Russian.

Back with the other members of X-Factor Cyclops’s optic blasts are being matched by the Crimson Dynamo’s repulsors. Cyclops is weakening and then Iceman arrives and he pretends to be Heinrich. He gives Crimson Dynamo the command to leave in Russian. Believing that Iceman is Heinrich he agrees and leaves.

The rest of the mutants are freed and everything seems to be in order. X-Factor talks to Father Garnoff as the freed mutants are taken away. The team know that with this act they will be placed under arrest and cause an international incident. Father Garnoff has an idea and begins to hypnotise them.

The team return to Moscow several hours later where they are confronted by Sasha and several armed guards. At first they are under arrest but Cyclops begins to explain how they spotted two suspicious mutants during the conference and how they used their secret tactics to capture them. The mutants they have captive are Father Garnoff and Iron Curtain. The excuse is accepted but the team are soon hurried out of the country. Sasha apologises for the trip being cut short and wishes them to have a safe flight.

X-Factor fly away but they feel guilty about Father Garnoff taking the blame. They know that with his powers he will not be imprisoned for long. They look outside and see Angel flying passed which does bring a smile to the rest of the team. They do wonder if such an injustice like they have seen will ever happen again. Further back in the plane a passenger asks about the commotion and the stewardess tells him about the sighting of a mutant. The passenger is none other than Heinrich.

My Thoughts

Now we come to the first X-Factor Annual which is a little unusual in my view since there hasn’t been all that many issues of the main series at this point. Nowadays annuals are actually quite rare and I don’t think that there is any series that has an annual released every single year. Back then many of the series such as this one and Uncanny X-Men did have regular annuals making them really come out once a year.

This issue delves into the idea of how other countries outside of the US deals with the so called mutant problem. Unfortunately it seems that Russia is one of the worst places to live if you are a mutant. It does make me feel that Colossus and his sister Illyana were extremely lucky to be found by Professor Xavier before the Soviet Government did. If not both of them could have likely ended up there. I believe there was going to be an LS about the pair returning to Russia but it was never realised (much like another LS I mentioned earlier).

Somewhat surprisingly the annual does feature the Crimson Dynamo who is known as one of Ironman’s primary villains and at this point has never battled any mutants save for those in the Avengers. It seems to be a common theme in annuals where the titular character or team face off against a villain who normally has no association with them. An example of this is in the seventh Uncanny X-Men Annual where the team take on the Impossible Man who is mainly known for his association with the Fantastic Four. X-Factor seems to be no different in this regard.

There are also some new mutants who are introduced in this issue such as Father Garnoff, Iron Curtain and the empowered Doctor Heinrich who calls himself Doppelganger (not to be confused with the Spider-Man villain of the same name). I know for certain that Father Garnoff and his followers are never seen again after this issue. I believe Bob Layton wanted to go back to them at some point but because he left the series they were left out in the cold and never seen or heard of since. Heinrich I also don’t believe appeared again after this issue. If he did his role is definitely extremely minor and a bit forgettable. I could have seen him become a major villain for all mutants and a worthy adversary for any of the mutant teams.

I did notice one mistake in this issue which is something I’m surprised that no one has picked up for the Black Widow. Sasha’s last name is Yasinov, this is incorrect since that would be the male spelling of the surname, since she is a woman it should be Yasinova. Unless there is something about her that we haven’t been told about.

The overall story was pretty good and it was good that it was self-contained and not a multiple issue arc. There was some suspense and the sense of danger for the team was also there as we knew that Heinrich was a genuine threat and would go to practically any lengths to kill the team. It still makes he think that he had been doing it anywhere else he would have been convicted of crimes against humanity. Since he was doing it for the Russians they didn’t care about what he was doing so he was able to get away with it.

I do also find it a little humorous about Cameron Hodge’s reaction to the pictures because of what he will do in the future. Of course I’m not giving anything away but at this point it seems that he is a good guy through and through.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue an 8 out of 10. It was a good read and one that should be picked up.

Next Issue

Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1) #210

Issue Information

Title- New Mutants (Volume 1) #44

Release Date- October 1986

Writer- Chris Claremont

Artist- Jackson Guice

Major Notes

Features Legion

Brief Summary

Runaway!

On Muir Island Moira MacTaggart is inside her lab with her son Legion watching on. A large piece of equipment falls and heads straight down towards Moira. Wolfsbane arrives and notices what is happening. She transforms to her wolf form and tackles Moira out of the way but the equipment stops mid-air. This is Legion’s doing but unfortunately the Jack Wayne of his personality has manifested itself. He refuses to never be caged again and allows the equipment to explode as he walks away.

Across the Atlantic at the X-Mansion Mirage is asleep in bed when she feels Wolfsbane mind. The shock of what just happened to Wolfsbane wakes up Mirage and desperately she tries to call the Muir Island facility but there is no answer. She decides that she must have Illyana transport her to Muir Island immediately. Unfortunately the experience has left her shaken to the point where she can hardly walk. She struggles to get to Illyana’s room even going so far as falling down the stairs.

Mirage does burst into Illyana’s room but is shocked to see a demonic Illyana with some of her demons. Instantly Illyana realises who it is so she quickly reverts to normal and banishes the demons. She checks to see if Mirage is alright who is a little shaken by what just happened but is fine. She had caught Illyana by surprise and what she saw was a knee jerk reaction. By then the other members of the New Mutants have arrived and Mirage explains about what she felt. Sunspot believes that it could be a dream and Illyana reminds her of the dangers of teleporting too far. The team decide that it is best to go to Muir Island to check it out and although Mirage wants to go alone the others refuse to let her go alone. Sunspot is still sceptical but Mirage does give him the option to stay behind as they prepare to leave.

Illyana soon teleports the team including Sunspot to Muir Island. They notice that it is much later than they expected and they know it is a side effect of Illyana’s powers. At first they don’t notice that anything is wrong, that is until they reach the facility which has been completely trashed. They find Wolfsbane on the ground and she is glad to see her friends. When they ask her who did this she responds that it was Legion.

A short time later Warlock brings the team to the port of Ullapool where they believe Legion has gone. Wolfsbane tells Mirage that she is fine as Warlock begins to track Legion. They do have some micro-transceivers so that they can keep in contact. Unfortunately some of the members of the team don’t know who Legion since they were elsewhere during the team’s first encounter with him. After a quick explanation Wolfsbane transforms and picks up his trail as Mirage tells the others about the different personalities and powers of Legion.

Eventually they come to a bar where a man is thrown through the window. Warlock is able to catch him and when Wolfsbane goes to the hole she can see Legion. The plan is to enter the bar and get close to him so that Karma can possess him. Since Cannonball and Karma look old enough they are the ones chosen to go inside but not before Illyana uses her magic to change their clothing.

With the spell done the pair enter the bar and they have to be careful that Legion doesn’t read their minds but since the personalities that control each of his mental powers hate each other it gives them some hope. Karma allows herself to be noticed by Legion and he goes to woo her, even shoving away the woman around his arm but when he gets close to Karma she possess him. Unfortunately his date doesn’t take kindly to Karma and strikes her causing her to break her focus thus freeing Legion. He realises what is happening and uses his telekinesis to push her away. He even goes to burn her but Cannonball strikes him from behind and slams him through a wall to the outside.

On the outside the two begin to wrestle and in desperation Legion throws a fire ball right towards an arriving police car. Warlock and Wolfsbane are able to get the two officers to safety although Warlock’s method is more cartoonish than the team would have liked. Unfortunately the battle isn’t over as Legion unleashes a mind shock attack before fleeing.

A short team later the team begin to recover but before they can decide what to do next they are confronted by Reverend Craig who calls them monsters. He blames them for what has happened and he even mentions how Wolfsbane is just like her mother. This angers the young mutant into transforming and he calls her a demon. The other New Mutants defend her but Cypher reports that Legion is at the oil storage facility and intends to blow up the tanks. Wolfsbane doesn’t care and thinks that it is what the town deserves.

Soon the team arrive at the oil storage facility where Legion is already there. They see that his personalities have switched and Mirages tries to convince him to stop. Unfortunately all of his personalities want freedom and a life of their own. He then switches back to Jack and as he is still defiant he scorches one of the tanks and it is Magma’s quick thinking by burying the tank, depriving it of oxygen that prevents it from exploding. Legion goes to alit another but he is tackled by an empowered Sunspot who tries to stop him from causing any more damage. Mirage begins to think and knows that heart the Jack side of Legion is a coward.

In an instant Illyana teleports Legion and Sunspot to Limbo. Illyana arrives as well but she is much more demonic. Sunspot explains to Legion that he is now trapped there and that Illyana is all powerful. She can manipulate his mind and body in anyway that she sees fit, this terrifies Jack enough to release his grip on Legion allowing David to be whole again. They soon return to Earth but Legion is confused and just happy to be with his friends.

The following day on Muir Island the team talk with Moira and she explains to them how when Legion grows older his personalities will meld into one thus killing the individual ones. Sunspot is also congratulated for his quick thinking but in truth he is afraid but not of Legion but of Illyana.

A short distance away Mirage finds Wolfsbane sitting on a cliff. Wolfsbane is still upset by what Reverend Craig said but Mirage reminds her how they helped them stop Legion. She also asks if Wolfbane truly meant what she said about allowing Legion to blow up the tanks killing innocent people, Wolfsbane doesn’t give an answer.

My Thoughts

Now we come back to New Mutants in another great one off story but this time it involved Legion and marked the return of Wolfsbane who has absent since the team left the Massachusetts Academy. There is still another New Mutants issue to review in this month and it is the US debut of a particularly popular X-Man.

One of the main New Mutants in this issue was of course Wolfsbane who was the one who alerted the team of what happened through the mind link she shares with fellow teammate Mirage. We also got to see that there is indeed a darker side to her as she meant what she said when Legion went to blow up the oil tanks. We can’t say for sure whether it was just because she was angry or if there is something deeper. It does flesh out Wolfsbane a bit more than the God fearing and somewhat repressed teenaged girl that we have seen since the series started.

The issue also marks the return of Legion to the forefront of an issue. He has popped up in the background from time to time but this is the first time that he has had a major appearance since the New Mutants battled his many personalities. It is good to see him again because he is an interesting character and also the son of the X-Men’s founder Professor Xavier. I could see why his personalities were acting up because they knew that they were slowly dying. Each one of them felt like a different person and imprisoned for doing nothing. This was their way of trying to break free but unfortunately the Jack Wayne side of him was the strongest and unfortunately the most evil. It wasn’t until he faced something more terrifying than him did he back down.

There is also a whole angle on the fact that some of the New Mutants are uncomfortable around Illyana. She is the most powerful member of the team but she is also the one that is considered to be the most evil. In Limbo as stated she is all-powerful and is nothing short of a goddess. In Limbo she even seems to take on the more demonic forms that we saw and it is enough to scare anyone. We know that Illyana isn’t entirely evil but if she was pushed in that direction I could see her going down that path.

Also in this issue I noticed something about Warlock which kind of reminds me of the Wreck-Gar and the Junkeons from the Transformers franchise. We saw Warlock take on the forms of cartoon characters which is something that he has picked up from watching TV. A bit like the Junkeons’ entire culture and speech is based on TV, a little fun link and it gives Warlock the chance to mimic timeless characters.

In conclusion I’m giving the issue an 8 out of 10. It was entertaining and well worth the read.

Next Issue

X-Factor Annual (Volume 1) #1