What’s Covered?
X-Treme X-Men # 31 - 39
When did covers stop being descriptive and just become purely poses?
Roster Watch
Synopsis
X-Treme X-Men # 31 - 35 (Intifada)
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Igor Kordey
X-Treme X-Men vol. 1 #31 & 32 2003 Chris Claremont Igor Kordey
A family of four is harassed on a highway by mutants, and then everybody dies but a teenage cheerleader (Marie D'Acanto)
This was a pretty tragic way to start the story, however this scene helped drill home the idea that mutants are growing in population better than anything I've seen to date.
In Africa, a bunch of Malaysian men shoot some refugees, but then a mutant from Genosha kills them all
I'm trying to think if I even know now that what this was about...
Valerie Cooper giving a speech to world leaders about how mutant overpopulation is not good. She thinks that all mutants should be considered weapons of mass destruction.
This is another one of the times where Claremont is stubborn. It was Peter David who made Valerie Cooper sympathetic, so Claremont must have intended for her to be a turd.
Val also says that the Quintin Quire riot proves that professor Xavier no longer has control over mutants
Gambit and storm have infiltrated this meeting
Roberto DeCosta runs the LA X Corp. Empath appears to be working for him.
Bishop (and Sage) are working with local police to stop a teenage mutant (ninja turtle?) on rage who is out of control
Bishop and Sage run into Rogue
Rogue and Gambit still don’t have any powers. They are dating each other and very happy. Rogue is working as a mechanic. Rogue and Gambit are living in a mutant friendly town in California.
Claremont LOVES de-powering mutants for extended periods of time.
Bishop, Sage, and rogue meet up with Sam Guthrie at a Lila Cheney concert
The one eyed human cheerleader who survived the mutant attack tries to blow up the concert. (Marie D'Acanto)
Storm gets naked in a pond and then Gambit makes out with her.
Ok, what the fuck is this? I get that Storm and Gambit are both "playas", but I have several problems with this:
Gambit met Storm when she was in child form (UXM 266)
Storm and Gambit are good friends. This sullies that.
Why would Storm make out with Rogue's boyfriend?
Gambit is sleezy. I know Storm is breezy, but she just wouldn't do this.
Storm comes right out and makes a wisecrack about doing this behind Rogue's back.
He says Rogue owns his heart and Storm says that she envies her.
*WTF?!
X-Treme X-Men vol. 1 #33 2003 Chris Claremont Igor Kordey
Storm talks to world leaders about how the first generation of mutants need to look after their heirs
Rogue and Sam beat up mutant punks who killed some humans
Sage discovers that X-Corp is buying up local property.
A mutant named Revenant is forcing rogue to have dreams of becoming her mother (Mystique)
This issue put me to sleep
X-Treme X-Men vol. 1 #34 2003 Chris Claremont Igor Kordey
Sam picks up Amara at the airport. They go to see Roberto DaCosta. Sam and Roberto have a serious conversation.
Amara is back to being a Roman?!
Ok, WTF. So either Claremornt is ill informed (which I doubt), or he's being stubborn again. Claremont originally introduced Amara (Magma) as a secret Roman living in Brazil (Nova Roma). However, Fabian Nicieza ret-conned this story in a random New Warriors issue, changing Amara to an inconsequential British girl who was only brainwashed by Selene to believe she was Roman.
Rogue attacks Berto. Rogue is turned into spaghetti
Don't ask.
Storm secures the extreme X-Men as a universal strikeforce
Elias Bogan gives Kick to the punk mutants, who attack Rogue and Sam
X-Treme X-Men vol. 1 #35 2003 Chris Claremont
I was so bored that I forgot to take notes, so the recap is courtesy of https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/issue/x-treme-x-men-1st-series-35:
Rogue has attacked Roberto DaCosta at his very house in Los Angeles, California. Roberto doesn’t come unguarded, though, and two mutants by the name of Stringfellow and Skitz easily take care of Cannonball and Rogue. After the fight, Sunspot sends his two allies into the atmosphere and they land near a beach, unconscious and un-composed. Sage is able to pick up the fight on her tech-glasses and she takes Evangeline Whedon (dragon mutant) to safety, as Bishop prepares to save his two friends. Elsewhere in Crawford, Texas, Gambit teaches Storm a lesson in humiliation, as he defeats her in hand-to-hand combat. After their practice, Colonel Vazhin meets them and congratulates her for her team getting an official authoritative status. He tells her that, in order for him to feel better about her leading this new official team, named the X-S-E, she must infiltrate a battle arena and put a stop to it. Back in California, the delinquent mutants sit around their house silently reveling in their victory, in court. A shadowy figure approaches them and offers them the drug “kick” to defeat the X-Treme team and they accept. The mutants go after the fallen Cannonball and Rogue but, luckily for them, Bishop is there to save them. Back at the X-Corp headquarters, Bobby and Amara find the secrets behind Jarod Malloy. After their finding, Bobby announces to the public his findings and apologies. This event helps Marie to be found not guilty. Anna and Marie go to the D’Ancanto grave and she apologizes to her parents for her dishonor.
X-Treme X-Men # 36-39 (Storm: The Arena)
Writer - Chris Claremont
Pencils - Igor Kordey
New status Quo as the X-Treme Sanctions Executive (XSE) International policeman
I didn't catch this in UXM # 35 (I was falling asleep), but now the X-Treme Team will be fighting as the XSE, which happens to be the same group that Bishop was a part of.
Storm goes solo with Yukio, going after a mark as her first mission
Storm chooses to enter an arena of mutant fighters, and likes it
Guido (Strong Guy) tries to convince Storm to stay away from the Arena
Storm goes and becomes Champion, but is challenged by Callisto
Strong Guy! Hey, buddy!
Callisto, who now has tentacles, beats Storm in a duel
It is very weird to me that Callisto has tentacles and I hope they go away soon.
Masque, who is a pretty woman now (Marilyn Monroe?), is behind everything
Forces Storm To fight Yukio
Storm and Callisto fighting for Masque as they are slowly brainwashed
They eventually overpower Masque
Feel free to skip this arc.
My Connections and Creators
If I wasn't so close to being done with the X-Treme X-Men run, I would consider giving this up. These aren't terrible, but they are just boring. I'm so sick of hearing"I'm an X-Man, so I'm noble." I love Sage as a character, but I get it, she has a computer mind and she's awesome. Bishop just bores me. I'm not a big fan of the art. I hate trashin Claremont, but this is just painfully average. I recently learned that Claremont and Alan Davis will be taking over Uncanny, so fingers crossed that the quality (or at least excitement) is better.