UNCANNY X-MEN #306: Mortal Coils

Warren's deadly homecoming!

Originally Published November 1993

We begin high above the Colorado Rockies, where some playful dialogue between Warren and Jean reminds us that these two actually have some friendly chemistry after having been in the trenches together for the better part of half their lives.

They have come to Warren's mountain house, for reasons we are not told, except that it's apparently been a year since Warren's late girlfriend Candy Southern was killed by Cameron Hodge, and-- wait, hold on.

Let me check something really quick...

You're telling me that there's only been a year between 1988's X-Factor #34 and now?

So within the span of 365 days, we experienced Inferno, the supposed death of Storm, the X-Men going through the Siege Perilous, the Reavers' attack on Muir Island, meeting Gambit, X-Tinction Agenda, the Muir Island Saga, the death of Magneto, the rise of the Upstarts, the arrival of Bishop, the discovery and eventual death of Mikhail Rasputin, the X-Cutioner's Song, the death of the rest of the Rasputins, the arrival of Kwannon, and now another death of Magneto? 

All that stuff.

That's one year.

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

No wonder these X-Men are so burnt out.

Warren has only a moment's worth of reflection on this dark anniversary when he is interrupted by...

That's right -- late-era Courtney Cox!

Sorry, that's still not her. And it's not Mystique either -- it's... Candy Southern!

But she's... dead!!

For roughly one year, I'm told.

More importantly, back at the mansion, Professor X is training for his upcoming outing as a field member of the X-Men -- that's right, this comic takes place before X-Men #25 just like last issue -- by training with Quicksilver, belatedly foreshadowing once again his turn toward a more aggressive way of addressing his oldest foe/former friend. He spars with Quicksilver in zero-gravity.

Elsewhere, at a restaurant in the West Village, Storm and Forge spend a few minutes getting reacquainted for the first time since their time in the Edenic parallel dimension (Storm has died twice since then.)

After a dramatic failed proposal, it seems perhaps these two are on the way to qorking it out.

In Colorado, Jean mindscans Candy, bringing herself and Warren (with Candy's consent) into the traumatic moment of her death, one of the lowest moments of Warren's life (and, one presumes, of Candy's) when he failed to save her from Cameron Hodge.

But surprisingly enough that's not where the story ends, as they go next to Candy's resurrection, as mysterious figures discuss her progress, their success in restoring her, and how she might be used, the first of many...

Unsurprisingly, Candy's nefarious benefactor makes his appearance soon afterward...

That's right, in what will undoubtedly be a complete shock to anyone who picked up this comic without looking at the cover... or reading the previous issue about the Horrible Spaghetti Men... Cameron Hodge, everyone's favourite immortal lipless cyborg head guy, has returned to wreak havoc on his least favourite friend Warren, as well as his least favourite race, the mutant race.

They have a fight, Triangle wins -- in the form of Warren's razor-sharp, somewhat triangle-shaped wings.

But as usual, Hodge has a few tricks up his mechanical sleeve -- chiefly to strip the now-revealed-to-be cybernetic Candy for parts.

Candy resists, doing her best Roger Daltrey impression, even if the lyrics are off.

Meet the new Hodge, same as the old Hodge

Hodge wants Candy all right, but Candy wants death. Because her impending self-destruction means that he can't use her components for whatever reason, he just absorbs whatever's around him -- lamps, end tables, etc -- to bulk back up, bragging that he represents the next big enemy for the X-Men.

Unfortunately, for some reason known only to Hodge, he elected to connect himself and Candy in such a way that her ongoing self-destruction also results in his destruction. In a truly grotesque display of body horror, Candy's body continues to degenerate along with Hodge's...

Until the whole place explodes, somewhat inexplicably.

As Candy lies dying once again, she clears things up for Warren with her last breath -- she was never disappointed that Warren couldn't save her, she was proud he tried.

Tearfully, he watches as the light goes out in Candy's eyes once more. Jean tries to console Warren that the whole ordeal is over...but is it?

Further Thoughts:

Considering what a big hairy deal Cameron Hodge was the last time we saw him -- as the "nothing can kill me" unstoppable villain of a massive 12-part crossover that never seemed to end -- it's surprising to see him pop back up so abruptly, only to be seemingly thwarted, simply and underwhelmingly, within the same 22 pages. But sometimes it be like that. Undoubtedly this is just a taste of things to come, a prologue to the X-Men's next-next crisis. The overlapping of stories is a keen way to maintain interest and momentum from month to month.

You might think of this issue, coming as it does in the midst of the big Fatal Attractions event and the upcoming Bloodties crossover, is mere forgettable filler, a throwaway -- a tease of what's to come that's just meant to take up space on the racks between more "important" issues, but you'd be surprised.

This issue really over-achieved. Scott Lobdell imbues the Warren-Jean friendship with a casual, lived-in feel, where the longtime friends both get to display a bit of ease and charm with each other when their lives are not (in that moment) on the line. Later the story addresses Warren's relationship with Candy and its tragic ending, as well as the animosity between Warren and his onetime friend Hodge. This issue is able to coast with a lesser amount of action because so much good stuff has been set up with the X-Men, but it also hits the execution much better than it needs to, so that you barely notice that the "fight" such as it is, is pretty flimsy and does little to inspire excitement about Hodge's inevitable re-return. This was, on the face of it, a minor issue, but because it was such a strong minor issue I liked it better than some "significant" issues we've covered -- or at least, had a more fun time covering it for this site.

I also have to give props to John Romita Jr and the late great Dan Green, who are proving vital as part of this stretch of comics. Romita is both a tenured pro who literally grew up in comics and has sound fundamentals, and an artist who has developed his own visionary language. I'm deeply aware that his particular style doesn't work for everybody, but it very much does work for me. In this issue he gets to cut loose not only with the jumble mass of circuitry that is Hodge, but also the body horror that Candy undergoes in death, and the stylish and eye-catching flashback effects, which morph into more sinister and shadowy aesthetics when it gets to the darker parts. But because he has that solid background, his storytelling is much more straightforward than many of his contemporaries in 1994. His comics are usually easier and more joyful to read than your usual Jim Lee disciple, but never rigid and static.