UNCANNY X-MEN #109: Home are the Heroes!

The X-Men get a little downtime and Wolverine catches up with an old friend

Originally Published February 1978

This issue sees the X-Men getting some well-deserved R&R upon returning from space. Wolverine's first order of business is to get out of the stanky duds he swiped from Fang. Storm retires to her attic where she keeps a veritable greenhouse of plantlife, which she cares for by offering an indoor summer shower. Nightcrawler tees up a movie date with Amanda, and Cyclops indulges in his favourite recreational activity of all... brooding.

Scott is feeling some kinda way about Jean's recent cosmic awakening/power increase/general behavior. I don't doubt that he's concerned for her, given she was obviously affected by her near-death experience (or actual death) and subsequent saving of the universe, but a lot of it is framed as "what about me?" Nightcrawler offers some well-deserved words of perspective.

Mind, part of the reason Jean appears to be pushing Scott away is because after mind-reading Corsair while they were in space and finding out he was Scott's long-lost father, he requested she not inform him of this fact. Storm overheard this and was very supportive, but Jean agrees to keep the secret. I kind of like the idea of all the X-Men finding out and just keeping it from Scott, like he's Ross when Monica and Chandler are dating. In fact, Scott is very Rosslike.

Storm, Banshee, Moira and Colossus plan to spend their day off having a picnic. Wolverine surprises everyone by tagging along, but not because he loves macaroni salad: he intends to go hunting in the park. Storm is scandalized, as she is repulsed by the idea of killing for fun, but Wolverine corrects her - anyone can kill, but it takes a real man to walk right up to a deer and cuddle it.

I'd say this is a heck of an outfit to go hunting in, but they do make you wear bright orange vests in real life, right?

Unfortunately, Logan's wilderness retreat is interrupted by a mysterious, Maple Leaf-clad foe who seems to have a bone to pick with out favourite Canadian X-Man.

This former colleague of Wolverine (or "Weapon X" as he apparently was once designated) is James Macdonald "Mac" Hudson, named after two famous Canadian bays and one racist Prime Minister. He is codenamed Weapon Alpha, and boasts an impressive supersuit that gives him:

• Super strength
• A protective forcefield
• Flight
• Force beams he can zap out of his hands
• Zesty lemon scent

The suit is hailed as the "ultimate Canadian Technology" (you know, like the Blackberry or the paint roller) and gives Hudson the power to equal "any Avenger" (just one though.) The two tussle a while, with Jimmie Mack getting the best of it, but the brawl spills over to the beach where the other X-Men are sunning themselves.

When an errant Zap from Alpha strikes Moira, an enraged Banshee unleashes his fury and Alpha, realizing he is outnumbered against unknown foes, he teleports away to continue the fight another time.

When pressed for comment, Wolverine can only really explain that hey, it's just one of those things.

Further Thoughts:

As simple as this issue was, I loved the execution. We know Wolveirne has some kind of background with the Canadian Special Forces, but we are left to anticipate getting more of the story later. We get just the right balance of exposition and tease.

It's also great to see an extended X-Men-at-play scene. Nightcrawler is going to see Star Wars, quipping that half the cast look like his relations - although I'm surprised there's no comment on the fact that they basically just lived through it themselves. And as much as I chide Cyclops' brooding as typical, it's good to keep tabs on Jean's mental and emotional state, which will become a significant source of drama in upcoming years.

This issue obviously bears the mark of new artist John Byrne, who will soon be getting a deserved co-plotter credit. Byrne, at this time, was self-identifying as Canadian (born in England, but by the 2000's has been living in the U.S.A. for most of his life, thankyouverymuch.) At the time he was clearly affectionate towards his adoptive homeland and imaginary countrymen. Why, I think he might be taking a shine to this Wolverine character - even rescuing him from the Fang costume, which allegedly was to be a permanent change in design.