What’s Covered?
Cable & Deadpool # 1 - 6, Emma Frost 7 - 18, X-Men Unlimited # 2 - 6, Rogue Volume 3 Jubilee volume 1, Madrox Volume 1, Nightcrawler Volume 3, Sabretooth Volume 3, NYX # 1 - 7, Starjammers Vol 2, Secret War, X-Men, Fantastic 4 Volume 1
My Connections and Creators
Wow! This is a lot of Limited Series. Were people really buying all of these in 2004? Seems like over-saturation to me. I'll tell you one thing though, there are a lot of really big names here in the writing credits. Robert Kirkman, Brian Michael Bendis, and Joe Quesada. These are names I'm very familiar with, but I've never read before. We also have some big names coming back like Fabian Nicieza and Peter David. Hell, we've even got some cover art by Rob Leifeld.
While there are some decent stories, I think I could've skipped every one of them without missing much. Sorry if that's not pumping you up to read this thrilling blog. I also skipped the Gambit Limited Series from 2004 because the past ones were terrible and I decided to not even bother this time.
It's been soooo long since I've done a normal blog. A full 5 weeks since my last normal blog and 2 months since my 2nd to last normal blog. My last 4 were unique ones such as a Chuck Austen Retrospective, a Grant Morrison Retrospective, a Chris Claremont X-Treme X-Men retrospective, and my Favorites as of 2004. Not to mention that I've been covering X-Men '97. Oh, and I had a baby (my 4th) a few months ago.
Synopsis
Cable & Deadpool # 1 - 6
Writer - Fabian Nicieza
Pencils - Mark Brooks
This one was pretty good. I'm still considering whether I give this it's own dedicated to coverage or layer it in alongside other blogs. I have always given Cable his own blog coverage (until the end when it got really bad), but I've been skipping the Deadpool series in my first read through. If the next arc stays good, I'll give it more special treatment. Also, very good to have my friend Fabian Nicieza back.
Cable & Deadpool #1 3/24/2004 Fabian Nicieza Mark Brooks
DP gets a job from the One World Church
Everyone looks the same, and blue
Needs to steal a new bio weapon, Facade Virus
Runs into Cable
“blow My Mind! if it isn’t Nathan Dayspring Askani’son Summers Cable Soldier X!”
Holy shit this cracked me up!
Cable & Deadpool #2 4/21/2004 Fabian Nicieza Mark Brooks
C shoots DP in the head, then realizes the bio weapon was already gone
3 teens stole the virus
One of them is found by C as he melts to death
After watching 2 of the teens die, Cable cures the 3rd
DP gives the virus to the church after Cable shot him in the head
These two crazy kids keep shooting each other like it's no big deal! I had previously criticized Nicieza for not nailing the Deadpoolisms, but he's doing pretty great this time around.
Cable & Deadpool #3 5/19/2004 Fabian Nicieza Patrick Zircher
C rests with Professor Xavier It's both good, and surprising that Irene is still sticking around. I really did not expect her to stick around this long. I like that there is serious concern over whether Cable is going to do some terrible shit. Also, it hasn't gone unnoticed that the pot is calling the kettle black here.
Talking about how he had cured the TO virus, but it came back
Has a mental chat with Irene, asks her to look into the One World Church
DP being tested by the church. His DNA is helping
DP pretends to be a convert
Cable is infected with the virus
Cable & Deadpool #4 6/16/2004 Fabian Nicieza Patrick Zircher
Cable cannot access his mutant powers, and this makes the techno organic virus go crazy
There appears to be no antidote
Deadpool and Cable are fighting
Both are dying and they need each other to be cured
This was both creative and cute. Awww, they need each other.
Cable & Deadpool #5 7/21/2004 Fabian Nicieza Patrick Zircher
C swallows DP, uses his healing to get his TK back, then pushes back the TO virus and cure both him and Wade
DP is no longer disfigured
Kutch (Head blue guy) is heading to Singapore where a better version of the virus can be found
Lightmaster metahuman fights C in Singapore but is working for the church
C kills him and uses him to get control himself of the virus and works
I'm going to be honest. It's been a few months since I read this and I have no idea what these notes are referring to.
Cable & Deadpool #6 8/18/2004 Fabian Nicieza Patrick Zircher
Cable hijacked the plan and turned everyone on the planet pink instead of blue
C builds Graymalkin again
He does body slide by 1 but that merges him and Wade’s bodies together.
Irene set it up to stop him
C turns everyone back into their original color, this activates Wades power, destroying the virus
DP is back to normal
C written about as a hero
XM show up to stop him
They almost got us! Cable isn't going evil, he had it under control all along!
Emma Frost 7 - 18
Writer - Karl Bollers
Pencils - Carlo Pagulayan
Emma Frost #7 1/28/2004 Karl Bollers Carlo Pagulayan
Great issue
Emma is on the streets. Keeps getting fired.
Meets a dishwasher boy (Troy) who lets her crash there.
Loan sharks come for Troy
Emma Frost #8 2/11/2004 Karl Bollers Carlo Pagulayan
Emma wins big at the casino, uses her powers to stop the loan shark thugs
Emma Frost #9 3/10/2004 Karl Bollers Carlo Pagulayan
Emma kisses Troy
Troy gets evicted
Emma tricks the casino into giving her 5K but she gets caught
Emma Frost #10 4/14/2004 Karl Bollers Carlo Pagulayan
Troy and Emma are almost killed by the loan sharks
They try to bribe her dad but he won’t give any money as ransom
Emma Frost #11 5/12/2004 Karl Bollers Carlo Pagulayan
Adrienne sells the ransom video to the press, now her dad is forced to pay
Troy is killed
Emma Frost #12 6/9/2004 Karl Bollers Carlo Pagulayan
Emma uses her power to trick the 5 criminals, ends up walking away free
Emma takes the money and heads to NY
Emma Frost #13 - 18 7/21/2004 Karl Bollers Carlo Pagulayan
Emma enrolls at Empire State University with blonde hair
Has a mental breakdown and stops going to class
Runs into her former teacher (Ian)
Ian is dating her roommate
Ian attacks the roommate
Starts dating Emma
Freaks out when he learns she’s a mutant
Basketball player Max keeps asking her out
They eventually go out, but after she won’t put out he attacks her.
Emma meets a psychic friend
They get close
Turns out the friend made her have a mental breakdown, pushed Max to attack her, and made Ian attack the roommate.
Emma steals all of her skills and puts her into a coma.
All I can say is that I really liked this series. You would think that since it isn't relevant to the ongoing continuity that I wouldn't be interested, but it was super fun to get a good origin story about a character I really like.
X-Men Unlimited # 2 - 6
Creators - David Hine, Robert Kirkman, Adi Granov, Takeshi Miyazawa, Jai Nitz, Mike Raicht Georges Jeanty, Staz Johnson, Lee Barnett, Ted Naifeh Travel Foreman, Greg Tocchini, Vito Delsante, Scott Killinger Lee Ferguson, Rael Lyra, Tony Bedard, Paul Benson Paul Pelletier, Alex Sanchez
X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #2 4/14/2004 David Hine, Robert Kirkman Adi Granov, Takeshi Miyazawa
Bishop shakes down a local gangster in District X
Jubilee exposes herself as a mutant in a mall to impress a boy. Cyclops is mad at her for assaulting an officer.
Nice little Jubilee story that I appreciate.
X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #3 6/3/2004 Jai Nitz, Mike Raicht Georges Jeanty, Staz Johnson
Gambit tries to rob, and then help, a CIA defector
I'm usually bored by this, but this was a nice story.
X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #4 8/4/2004 Lee Barnett, Ted Naifeh Travel Foreman, Greg Tocchini
Love me some Juggs and Sammy. It made me tear up seeing these two together again knowing what's about to happen to them.
Juggs
Cyke puts Juggs through a training program to see if he’s ready to become a gym teacher.
Juggs helps Sammy with his homework and takes responsibility for those he’s hurt in the past.
Classic Emma
X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #5 10/20/2004 Vito Delsante, Scott Killinger Lee Ferguson, Rael Lyra
Two lame Wolverine stories
X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #6 12/8/2004 Tony Bedard, Paul Benson Paul Pelletier, Alex Sanchez
Storm, Kitty, Emma, and Sage tell stories of bad dates
Rachel is possessed at a hospital, Rogue has to calm her down
Rogue Volume 3
Writer - Robert Rodi
Pencils - Cliff Richards
This story was alright. Not good enough though for me to remember what happened, so I'm acknowledging that it exists and sending traffic to UncannyX-men.net.
Rogue vol. 3 #1 7/28/2004 Robert Rodi Cliff Richards
Rogue vol. 3 #2 8/18/2004 Robert Rodi Cliff Richards
Rogue vol. 3 #3 9/22/2004 Robert Rodi Cliff Richards
Rogue vol. 3 #4 10/20/2004 Robert Rodi Cliff Richards
Rogue vol. 3 #5 12/1/2004 Robert Rodi Cliff Richards
Rogue vol. 3 #6 12/22/2004 Robert Rodi Cliff Richards
Jubilee # 1 - 6
Writer - Robert Kirkman
Pencils - Derec Donovan, Michael O'Hare
If you told me I was about to read a Robert Kirkman story, I would say "Oh, is this a Punisher story? Daredevil? Some apocalyptic Brood story?" Nope, it's a story about Jubilee making friends at a new school. Lol, I guess Kirkman has range!
Jubilee #1 9/1/2004 Robert Kirkman Derec Donovan
Jubilee moves in with her aunt
Aunt gives her a hard time about yellow coat
Jubilee tries to fit in at a new HS
Aunt is putting together a sniper rifle?
Two girls at school jump Jubes, but she’s used her power
Jubilee #2 10/6/2004 Robert Kirkman Derec Donovan
Jubes befriends a nerd, Meg Devereux
Jubes has to be a peer counselor as punishment for beating up those two girls.
Jubilee #3 -6 11/3/2004 Robert Kirkman Michael O'Hare
Jubes is crushing on a jock, Dale, but he keeps going back to his girlfriend
June’s goes on a date with a gang banger, Sam Shooter, who turns out to be a mutant
Aunt Hope is an assassin.
When J thinks Hope is killed, she goes back to the XM with Wolverine
Madrox # 1 - 6
Writer - Peter David
Pencils - Pablo Raimondi
Peter David is so good at writing Jamie Madrox. I can't wait until he re-boots X-Factor with Madrox front and center!
Madrox #1 9/15/2004 Peter David Pablo Raimondi
One Madrox is stabbed
Rahne finds a Madrox drunk
A monk version shows up
Jamie doing investigations
Rahne talks to Strong Guy
Madrox has been sending thousands of dupes out to have different experiences, then re-absorbing them to learn from them.
Madrox #2 10/20/2004 Peter David Pablo Raimondi
Jamie helps a reporter who is getting beat up
The reporter is a secret telepath
A woman asks for PI help. Her quadriplegic husband may be cheating via Astral projection
Madrox #3 11/17/2004 Peter David Pablo Raimondi
A beautiful woman was cheating on her mob husband with the dupe who was stabbed.
Bishop shows up
Jamie makes a dupe who is only focused on the last thing he was thinking, that life is worthless
Turns out one of the Henchman was a dupe
Dupe of self loathing
Madrox #4 12/15/2004 Peter David Pablo Raimondi
Before the punk dupe can shoot him, he absorbs him without touching him. He learned that from the Shaolin Monk dupe
Jamie’s stabbed dupe married the fiancé
The Astral projection was boinking a dude
Jamie thinks that the reporter has been killing mob bosses
The hot fiancé is the real murderer
Madrox #5 1/19/2005 Peter David Pablo Raimondi
Rahne sliced the astral projection, which killed the original man
Clay, the assassin working for the fiancé, is also a dupe mutant
The fiancé was really a Brood (or something).
The gangster kills the Brood and Clay
Detective agency make changed to X Factor Investigations
Nightcrawler Volume 3
Writer - Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Pencils - Darick Robertson
Nightcrawler vol. 3 #1 9/22/2004 Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Darick Robertson
NC investigates a case where 13 mutant children are killed
Dr, Child’s incinerates the guard on duty, who apparently took money to leave his post.
Nightcrawler vol. 3 #2 11/10/2004 Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Darick Robertson
Frank, the guard, is consumed by fire that wasn’t put out when NC ported him into a lake.
NC goes to Amanda Sefton for help
Seth, the only surviving boy used magic, tied knots to stop him from talking.
Seth’s aunt takes him, but she might be a demon
Nightcrawler vol. 3 #3 12/8/2004 Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Darick Robertson
Seth’s Aunt is possessed by 13 demons, the ones Dr Childs brought into this world by killing the 13 kids
Nightcrawler vol. 3 #4 12/22/2004 Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Darick Robertson
Dr Childs took Seth, to cut his knot and let the big demon out
NC is there, so is Kitty who makes Seth transparent as the demon comes through.
The demon kills Dr Childs
Amanda Sefton helps capture all the demons
This was a pretty interesting story. Also could have been fine skipping it.
Sabretooth Volume 3
Writer - Daniel Way
Pencils - Bart Sears
Sabretooth vol. 3 #1 10/6/2004 Daniel Way Bart Sears
Sabertooth is cutting up a bunch of people in a small frozen island
Sasquatch comes to help
Sabretooth vol. 3 #2 10/20/2004 Daniel Way Bart Sears
Sasquatch fights Sabretooth
There might be a 3rd monster
Sabretooth vol. 3 #3/4 11/3/2004 Daniel Way Bart Sears
Sabretooth was hunting the Wendigo. He didn’t kill the innocents
He succeeds
NYX # 1 - 6
Creators - Joe Quesada, Zeb Wells, Joshua Middleton
Joe Quesada!? The guy who is about to become Editor in Chief of Marvel? Ok, let's pay close attention.
NYX #1 10/8/2003 Joe Quesada, Zeb Wells Joshua Middleton
A young girl named Kiden watches her dad, a cop, get shot
When she’s 16, she’s messed up in a bad neighborhood
At the end she’s in a brawl and stops time
NYX #2 11/12/2003 Joe Quesada Joshua Middleton
Kiden breaks a gangbanger’s arm while time is stopped
Gangbanger shoots at Kiden, she stops time, but then a teacher gets shot.
6 months later Kiden ran away and the teacher (Carmen) is depressed.
Kiden finds her attempting to commit suicide
NYX #3 12/10/2003 Joe Quesada Joshua Middleton
While with Carmen, Kiden has a dream where her dead dad tells her to go a hotel
Holy shit! It’s Laura Kimmey’s first appearance!
She is a prostitute and killed a John
NYX #4 5/26/2004 Joe Quesada Joshua Middleton
Kiden slowed down time and spent months in 3 days
Lived for 5 real months on the streets
We learn that Laura didn’t kill the John, he killed himself
NYX #5 10/6/2004 Joe Quesada Robert Teranishi
The girl crew help a young girl (Tatiana) who turns into animals and is chased by a mob
NYX #6 7/13/2005 Joe Quesada Robert Teranishi
The pimp hires a mutant to find the girls
He can control other ppl’s bodies but then he forgets everything
NYX #7 9/28/2005 Joe Quesada Robert Teranishi
All the girls come together, including Bobby Soul. They kill the pimp and all his men.
Still not sure what was up with the dead dad talking.
Wow, that was good! The type of story that only on after dark on premium channels. Also, did Laura Kinney just get backdoor introduced!? I don't know how I expected her to make her first appearance, but it wasn't in this random story with her as a murdering prostitute.
Starjammers Volume 2
Writer - Kevin J. Anderson
Pencils - Jorge Lucas
This story happened, but Corsair isn't even in it. Skip!
Secret War
Writer - Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils - Gabrielle Del'Otto
Another big name, Brian Michael Bendis, let's see if this is any good.
Secret War #1 2/4/2004 Brian Michael Bendis Gabrielle Del'Otto
Some girl attacked Luke Cage, putting him in the hospital
Villain Shrike gets caught by the Avengers, put on a mission by SHIELD, and killed by his old handlers
Fury is trying to find out who is bankrolling the Tinkerer and other villains
Secret War #2 - 5 5/26/2004 Brian Michael Bendis Gabrielle Del'Otto
Fury assembles a secret squad to overthrow the Latvian Prime Minister
Cap
Daredevil
Like Cage
Peter Parker (not SM?)
Logan
Black Widow
A year later, all the tech enabled baddies are getting revenge
Daredevil and Spider Man don’t have any memory
F4 called in for backup
Latvian PM was killed, but now tries to get her revenge until Daisy kills her
That was interesting. Certainly not great, but also not bad. Not really good enough to trade off the Secret Wars title. Did we just get Daisy's first appearance!? I know her from Agents of Shield!
X-Men/ Fantastic Four Vol 1
Creators - Akira Yoshida, Pat Lee, Nick Kilislian, Edwin Garcia
The F4 go to the XM for help saving some astronauts
Emma, Sue, Ben, Kurt, Logan, and Remy go
The brood are in space
Sue kills the Queen with a shield sword
They all get stuck in a cosmic storm
Gambit, Emma, W, NC transformed into Zombies with F4 powers
Storm, Torch, and Sue slow a Brood ship from crashing into NY
Thing and Cyclops subdue stretchy W
Reed and Beast come up with a plan to reverse engineer their DNA
A bunch more Brood show up
The combined teams stop the Brood
Emma uses Cerebra to trick the Brood into thinking the Phoenix Force and Galactus
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