The X-Men get smoochy, and Cyclops asks the tough questions!
Originally Published October 1983
We begin in outer... space!
Scott and Madelyne are aboard the Starjammer for a little bit of a romantic getaway (if your dad was a space pirate, you would too.) They gab with the crew, as well as their newest member Binary, fresh from her recent scrap with the X-Men over their decision to accept Rogue, the woman who basically murdered her some months ago, into their ranks. She's become pretty sanguine about it though, having decided to begin anew in space with the 'Jammers.
Corsair reminds Scott that sometime ago, shortly before he met Madelyne, Scott asked whether he might be able to come along too, being that he was feeling lost in the wake of Jean's death and without purpose on ole Planet Earth. Circumstances have changed, but Scott is surprisingly indecisive about whether to leave Earth for good.
I do love Madelyne's "uh, whatnow?" expression as she's hearing about this for the first time.
Speaking of people deciding whether they should go back to Outer Space, Lilandra and the Professor are working out in the gym, musing about the Prof's continued inability to use his legs in his cloned body without diverting all his mental strength from his powers. Lil has determined that what's wrong with Charles is physical, and correctable, meaning he may indeed someday walk again, but let's just take if slow for now.
Unfortunately, she explains, she won't be around to see it. Deathbird has made her move to seize the throne of the Shi'ar, but she's crazy - like, "collaborates with the bloodthirsty alien Brood" crazy. So Lilandra has to mount yet another resistance force and take back the throne.
Charles, as always, reminds Lil that his place is with the X-Men and New Mutants, so alas it looks like these lovers will remain quite literally star-crossed. Instead, they talk about happier things, like whether or not Scott's new girlfriend is the reborn world-devouring entity known as Phoenix.
Xavier can't read her mind, as she is one of those unusual cases for a normal human whose thoughts are inaccessible to his psychic powers. He seems pretty nonchalant about this, saying it happens, but it's rare. But it happens. But it is rare. But it does happen.
Not a red flag at all.
Nosireebob.
As it just so happens, Scott is in space feeling very morose thinking about this very topic, convincing himself that his fears are really just a sort of self-sabotage - that all the weirdness surrounding Madelyne is just a wild coincidence: that she survived a plane crash at the exact moment Jean died, and that there seems to be no record of her existence prior to that (not a red flag at all, nosireebob.)
Madelyne arrives and, amidst the usual soapy dialogue, she assures him that really, she's totally fine with it if he wants to run off into space with his dad, 100% okay, no problemo. Scott suggests that maybe she should come along for the ride, but we don't hear the end of that convo.
In Japan, a jilted Wolverine has some words for his ex, as he comes to return the Yashida Family Sword that Mariko bestowed upon him as thanks for killing her father (it was a complicated story.)
Mariko reiterates her line from the wedding that Wolverine is suddenly not worthy of anything, which is a crazy turnabout that signifies that something crazy is going on. This is underscored by the fact that Mariko is now siding with Harada, her half-brother with designs on the Lordship of Clan Yashida, who was recently very much at odds with Mariko.
Hmm. That's eyebrow-raising to say the least.
Back at the X-Mansion, the rest of the X-Men are enjoying their downtime as Kitty thumbs through the latest Star Wars comic (from Marvel) and Piotr works on his art.
Kitty actually has a surprise for Piotr, and has his close his eyes and hold out his arms...
The modest Russian, who has been very flummoxed by how to respond to the younger Kitty's crush (which has become very overt in the past weeks) blushes, but that's not the real surprise. No, the real surprise is that Kitty has been practicing her ability to phase someone who is in contact with her, as she demonstrated by having Colossus walk "up" on the air into Storm's attic apartment.
When Pete opens his eyes and is surprised to find himself a few feet above the floor, the effect is somewhat... hampered.
Ostensibly, they have come up to water Storm's plants, but along with her change in attitude comes a sense of minimalism as the place looks quite... sparse.
 |
| Not even a Bad Brains poster? What kind of punk poser is she? |
In another scene, Nightcrawler, the closest thing out squad has to a medical expert, tends to Rogue, who is still on the mend after the adventure in Japan. He recounts - once again, for the new recruit - the story of Dark Phoenix, and why the X-Men are so startled by Madelyne Pryor's appearance.
Speaking of whom, she and Scott are back on earth, flying cargo and a few passengers to Anchorage for Scott's grandparents' company. They discuss the offer to join Corsair in space, noting that things have gotten even more complicated in recent days...
Yes, he liked it, so he put a ring on it.
However, as he goes to tell the passengers to put their seats in the upright position, a picture on the floor of the cabin catches his attention - of Jean from her Greek vacation sometime before she had reunited with the X-Men on Muir island.
How odd, this photo isn't from Cyke's collection. Who took it, and how did it get here?
Could it be... evil space magic??
One certainly has to consider it.
In Alaska, as Scott and Madelyne prepare to spend a night in together, but we see a familiar pair of mutton chops lurking in the shadows, as he seems to do.
Scott finally lets his brooding get the better of him, and pops the real question:
A fairly reasonable question - I know that before I proposed to my wife, I first asked whether she was in fact a cosmic being capable of planetary destruction (she was not.)
Madelyne does not quite humour Scott:
Scott regains his composure and rushes off to find Madelyne, because apparently this conversation must continue. For his troubles, Scott gets something considerably worse than a punch in the nose.
Wait... is that?
Couldn't be...
But she's...
Ga-a-asp!
Further Thoughts:
As we see, Mastermind has been skulking around this entire time putting pieces into place for what would seem to be an incredibly elaborate revenge plot, the truth depths of which we don't truly know. Is Madelyne real? Is she a pawn? What is tbe deal??
If you're looking for an explanation about that photo from Greece, you only need to flip back to Uncanny X-Men #125 (surely you all remember that! It was the beginning of the Proteus story!) When Jason Wyngarde was teeing up his Black Queen plot with Jean, he approached her in numerous guises, including a sexy beachgoer in Greece and... a portly old priest... hmm.
 |
| Courtesy of the Uncanny X-Cerpts Archives. Art by John Byrne & Terry Austin. |
Here is an issue that is very much about exploring the dynamics of the X-Men and setting things up for the next big cliffhanger, rather than relying on action itself. It really tests the current conception the creators have of how to do X-Men comics, with the increased commitment to long-term soap operatics at the expense of in-the-moment action. While this might have some readers begging for something more exciting, it does ensure that everything that does happen takes on a greater significance. And it all works I think, because we know and love these characters.
Of all the things to talk about in this issue, one thing that sticks out to me is the evolving Kitty/Colossus romance. Again, while I don't condone putting a male character in his early-20's with a female one barely into her teens, this story was written before I was even born, and I'm not young, so it's spilled milk, and a lot of people have grown up with it as an accepted part of the characters' stories. The best we can say is that Piotr clearly means well and is bashful about Kitty's advances and is at no point painted as aggressor here. But I definitely cringe at this reading from a modern perspective, and would steadfastly oppose putting a similar storyline into a modern comic uncritically. It also bears minding that these comics are written by grown men with limited access to what this situation woild look or feel like for either character.
I think it's important for us as readers to keep poking at these things, to accept there are black marks on things we like in the past and engage with them rather than explain why it's okay. In doing so, we don't mean to tsk-tsk someone who can't hear us, we do it as a way to keep ourselves sharp for the present and future.
No comments:
Post a Comment