UNCANNY X-MEN #185: Public Enemy!

The U.S. Government has fear of a mutant planet! Will Rogue be able to fight the powers that be? Or will it take a nation of millions to hold her back?

Originally Published September 1984

We begin with... Gyrich!

Yes, our buddy Gy here is giving a powerpoint presentation to his fellow shadowy government types specifically on the topic of Rogue, who represents the clearest and most present danger of all the known mutants, having recently used her unparalleled power set to infiltrate a SHIELD Hellicarrier (allegedly killing an agent!) and wildly switching her allegiance between the Brotherhood of Eeeeevil Mutants and the X-Men, which shows, apparently, that neither of those groups can be trusted.  

Luckily, he has a solution:

Yes, that would be Forge's neutralizer gun, which was ostensibly created to combat the existential threat posed by outerspace beings known as Dire Wraiths (now where did they come from?) but happily can also be used to depower mutants. Just about everyone who works for the Government should be pretty excited that they now have this. And for the most part they all are.

All, that is, except for one staffer at the Department of Defense named Raven Darkhölme, who rudely barges into a meeting she was distinctly not invited to. Raven here is in reality the shape-changing mutant terrorist leader of the Brotherhood of Eeeeeevil Mutants, Mystique, and actually commissioned this device completely unsuspecting that it would fall into the wrong hands, as she is in general trying to undermine the cause of oppressing mutants, not further it. 

Furthermore she would really not like it to be used on Rogue, who she considers a daughter.

Raven tries to give some normal-human-sounding reasons for why we shouldn't use this wonderous device on any dangerous mutant we please, such as the fact that it is untested, but the results from the humans in the room is a resounding "Who cares?" 

Raven is particularly dismayed to find that the neutralizer was brought to Gyrich by her own gal pal Val, who had previously been singing the "Let's just hire a bunch of mutants to do our bidding on the world stage" song, but at the very least sees an opportunity to win political points by addressing the threat of an 18-year-old girl who can't touch anybody without absorbin' their mem'ries n' powers.

Speaking of whom, back at the X-Mansion Storm is very concerned about our troubled Southern X-Woman, who has left for parts unknown. Xavier confirms she is not in the New York metropolitan area, which would appear to be the immediate limits of his telepathic powers, and the two decide to use Cerebro, Professor X's personal wi-fi extender, to ascertain her whereabouts. Given she recently flew over the Pacific Ocean under her own power, she could very well be on the moon for all we know.

In expressing her concern over Rogue, Storm has interrupted a therapy/debriefing session between Professor X and his latest charge/stray, Rachel. I don't doubt that this was going to be a very interesting conversation, considering Rachel has escaped from an alternate future where mutants are systematically oppressed to near-extinction by Sentinels, who have wrested control of the United States away from normal humans, and now finds herself in a "past" whose fine details do not actually match her understanding of historical events. It seems like it would make for quite a chat.

Left to her own devices, Rachel decides to look someone up in the phone book - her dad, Cyclops!

Rachel finds more IMDb Goofs about oir timeline, surprised that Scott is living in Alaska. She's surely going to flip her lid when she finds out that Scott's redhead of choice these days is not Jean Grey, whom - I think we are meant to assume - is the person she is murmuring about when she whimpers, "MOM!"

Back at the Pentagon - at the swanky secret base of the Brotherhood of Eee-heee-eeeevil Mutants - Destiny awaits Mystique. (That is, Irené Adler, aka Destiny, the mutant with the power to see the future, not the abstract concept of destiny). Irené uses her all-knowing future-seeing powers to warn that Rogue is in grave danger, which Mystique already knows, but thanks for stopping by. 

Thinking out loud, Mystique spitballs - would it be so bad to let the government strip Rogue of her powers? That was why she ran away to Xavier in the first place. If she lost her powers, she could come home and they could be a big happy found family again. What's a little stolen agency and violation of personal freedom and bodily autonomy weighed against a happy family reunion like that?

Irené debates the point, playing whatever the opposite of devil's advocate would be.

Mystique asks the all-seeing, all-knowing Destiny what would be the best course of action for Rogue. Irené, the mutant with the power to see the future, gives her the old "Ask Again Later."

You have one job.

As always so great having a future-seer on the team. Really glad you're here, Irené.

Now, the idea here is that this is pinned on Rachel's arrival from the future throwing Destiny's powers out of whack - which actually is what happened when Rachel's friend Kate made her visit to our time so at least it's internally consistent - but as we all know, Rachel's future actually isn't our future. So it really just comes down to Irené - sweet lady, salt of the Earth really - not being very useful, like, ever.

Later, while SHIELD Operatives are co-ordinating with Dr. Cooper's people to spring the trap on Rogue, Mystique - in her Raven Darkhölme guise - Skypes Forge at his Dallas megacondo, warning him they are planning on using his invention on Rogue. Forge, galled that they would dare use his invention this way (that thing is for use on Dire Wraiths and Dire Wraiths only!) jumps in his private jet and flies out to meet them, somehow aware of where they are headed before even they are, and quit on the spot if they pull the trigger on Rogue.

So where, exactly, is American's Most Wanted Mutant? Why, she's having some sun n' fun at the ole swimmin' hole.

I think technically this is skylarking but I can't be sure.

Yes, like many of us in times of trouble, Rogue seeks the comfort of familiar surroundings, in her case being the humble banks of the Mighty Mississip', where she spent many a long summer day in her youth catching frogs with Jem and Dil. Out of everyone rushing to meet her, Storm arrives first. 

In a talkative mood, Rogue reflects on the emotional and psychological toll her powers take on her (what with her being unable to physically touch anybody without disabling them and adding their psyche to her own.) She even tells the tale of the unfortunate fate that befell her first boyfriend Cody when they tried neckin'. 

Hoping to show that her powers aren't all bad, Storm wonders what would happen if she gave herself to Rogue willingly, in a moment of intimacy that marks Storm's transformation from Rogue-skeptic to believer. She feels that a willing subject who isn't fighting her may make for an easier psychological meld and a chance to actually feel good aboit her powers.

After being assured that this is what Storm wants, they make contact and Rogue begins to think in a more Storm-like syntax, even uttering the mild oath of "Goddess!" once or twice. 

Having been gifted Storm's signature weather powers, Rogue feels her oats for a moment, whipping up a handheld hurricane, before getting zapped from behind by SHIELD goons wielding the neutralizer! 

She tries to fly away, but her powers begin to fritz out. In her panic, she whips up a massive storm, but finds it beyond her control as Storm's powers begin to fade from her too.

The rogue storm that Rogue-Storm roguely stormed up poses a threat to the crew of the nearby tugboat (the one that had catcalled her earlier, to her delight.) Luckily, Storm-Storm arrives and helps coach her so they can tow the foundering boat to shore, as Rogue's Ms. Marvel powers return. While they are doing so, however, Gyrich ups the setting on the neutralizer from "Meh" to "Woah daddy" and takes aim...

Only for Forge to arrive at the last second and try to physically prevent him from firing...

Which doesn't quite work.

This reminds me of tbe time I reheated my coffee in a non-microwave safe mug

Yes, it is Storm who takes the full force power draining blast. R-o-u-g-h stuff.

Storm loses consciousness and plummets to the water, where Forge rushes to retrieve her out of concern. Once ashore, he chides Gyrich for his recklessness in shooting an innocent woman, but the Government operative points out that she was aiding and abetting a known fugitive (in rescuing a ship of innocent humans but go off.) 

Forge, who somehow managed to get full context for everything from the vantage point of his personal jet, and who has (as far as we know) only just met Storm today, berates Gyrich for unilaterally deploying the Neuralizer, ignoring "innocent until proven guilty" and due process, and stripping this woman of her powers effectively "destroying" her.

Gyrich isn't given a response but I imagine it is something like "Bro, we hate mutants, remember??"

And while all that is going on, Forge and Co are actually being watched!

Yes, as if we didn't have enough to worry about, the Dire Wraiths are a thing after all, vowing to to end Forge before he can pose a true threat to their galactic supremacy!

FFS, don't we have enough to grapple with right now??

To be continued, I guess!

Further Thoughts:

There is so much going on here that it isn't even all going on here.

For several months, a few different threads have been drawing together: Rogue's psychosis, the Government's increased determination to do something to contain the threat of mutants, and Mystique wheeling and dealing to undermine the latter while also trying to bring Rogue back into the fold. 

This all comes to a head in this confrontation at the river, where also Storm is there to provide closure to any conflicts between the two as members of the team. It's simultaneously satisfying and shocking that the climax of this issue provides a twist - it is Storm who is robbed of her powers, not Rogue, who has a very different relationship to her mutant ability. Rogue's powers are a mixed blessing to be sure. For Storm, they are life itself. And the issue goes out of its way to remind us of that.

Notably, Storm has been through a lot since joining the X-Men (kidnapped, tortured, made a living statue, become vampire thrall, implanted with Brood baby, become Acanti space whale for a while) all of which culminated in her new look and new attitude. You would think this would end Storm's run of being the X-Person who everything happens to but no, here's one more thing to top it all off. It is her misfortune to be Chris Claremont's favourite. 

The last few years for Storm have basically been like four months of 2020 for the rest of us.

It's both perfect, and a drag, that the focus slips from Rogue to Storm here, for that reason. However, here we see Rogue really starting to show the levels of her personality as she asserts her fun, flirty side, waving to the boys on the boat and dressing in a skimpy barely-there one-piece despite flesh-to-flesh contact being anathema to her. It's notable that she started out looking somewhat androgynous but by this point has morphed into a conventionally sexual figure, while her no-touch restriction puts her square in the middle of the virgin-whore dichotomy female characters (and real-life women) are unfortunately evaluated on. Being a character who clearly revels inthe idea of physical attention while also having to guard against it, who is outgoing but must keep to herself, enables her to be a fan-favourite tittilating character while also, extremely unusually, being in-story compelling and reasonable and not really gratuitous in her sexuality. As always, the great Claremont Run Twitter feed recently did a good thread on this.

While this issue is obviously very key for thematic and long-term story arc goals, and the idea of saving a boat full of people doesn't seem overly impressive or grandiose, it's a great example of how to use the action aspect of a superhero comic to enhance the underlying themes and developments. The important events occur around a crisis that needs to be solved, the exact nature of which is unimportant but relevant all the same especially since Rogue was the one who caused it.

And while all this is going on - psychodrama, interpersonal melodramatics, government conspiracies - we now have a new race of body-controlling alien goblins here to provide some wacky comic book action (we just had that??!?) in case you were getting bored. Oh yes, and that teen from the future, who also has her own share of psychological drama, baggage, and an apocalyptic fight that may soon be coming to the X-Men's doorstep. What a ride.