The X-Men lend a hand in Japan
Originally Published February 1979
After hitching a ride aboard the Japanese vessel Jinguchi Maru with Captain Hama (no relation to Larry, I'm sure) the X-Men have arrived at the port of Agarashima, Japan, which they find to be surprisingly more... on fire than they had expected.
Upon determining that it is safe to do so (thanks entirely to Nightcrawler) they go ashore and find the city deserted. Wolverine reads in a local newspaper that the city was evacuated in anticipation of a massive earthquake, of which this massive fire is an after-effect, casually revealing he is flunt in Japanese in the coolest, most mysterious way possible.
The X-Men pay a call on Shiro Yoshida, aka Sunfire, aka the guy who was an X-Man for a minute and a half before quitting because being an X-Man wasn't actively bringing glory to Japan. Unfortunately, Shiro is not a fan of pop-ins, and tries to have the X-Men arrested for skulking around his home, but is overruled by visiting Blaxploitation heroine Misty Knight, on "Prime Minister's Orders." And for a real old school paternalistic caricature-of-Japanese-social-mores like Shiro, that's got to be embarrassing.
The X-Men are brought to a strategy meeting with Sunfire, Misty, her associate Colleen Wing, and some high ranking Japanese officials. Unfortunately, Wolverine has taken a powder, so Cyclops is left to stand around nodding and smiling like a dumdum, hoping someone remembers to translate, much like me when my girlfriend's relatives from Italy came for a visit.
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| Really not the time, Colleen. |
We, however, have the benefit of translated dialogue, so we learn that the city officials were warned of the impending earthquake, thus indicating it was a planned attack.
Scott goes to phone Xavier, who might be interested to learn that the X-Men are alive, except for Jean and Hank who are dead. Unfortunately, all of the phone lines to the Xavier mansion have been disconnected. And while you might think this has something to do with the phone repairman turning out to be a hired assassin several months ago, the answer is really more simple than that.
With seemingly nothing left to tie him to Earth (except, one would think, his still-unfulfilled dream of human-mutant coexistence and protection from those who would use their powers for harm,) Charles is off to tour the galaxy on the arm of his hot alien girlfriend, Empress Lilandra of the Shi'ar. You can't really blame him for making the most of this opportunity.
Love is also in the air back on Earth. While skulking around the grounds, Wolverine encounters a fair maiden who looks like she just waltzed right out of an elegant woodcut image of classical Japanese culture. That would be Shiro's cousin Mariko, who compliments Wolverine's Japanese, saying he speaks it very well for an American. Logan, like every Canadian I know, immediately corrects her..
Just as he's beginning to get a little sweet on her, the two are rudely interrupted.
Soon, the X-Men are attacked by the Mandroids, a troupe of ham-n-eggers in battle armour who want to kidnap all the government officials present.
The X-Men take their foes to the limit and come out victorious in a pretty good battle scene by Byrne and guest inker Villamonte. We soon learn that the Mandroids are employed by Moses Magnum, a villain with the ability to create earthquakes, who announces his modest intentions:
Okay! To be continued...
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