What’s Covered?
UXM # 259 - 264
Roster Watch
Synopsis
UXM # 259: Colossus is spit out by the Siege Perilous
The main story of #259 is of the return of Colossus, but I'm also going to follow his story here as it trickles on, ultimately having somewhat of a conclusion in #264.
#259 begins with two runaways from Genosha, Philip Moreau and Jennifer Ransome, being chased down in America by Genoshans Magistrates.
As they are being cornered, a naked and amnesiac Peter (Colossus) shows up to help. A fight ensues and eventually the magistrates, along with Pipeline, are arrested.
The Genoshans offer Peter a room to stay with them.
Peter assumes he is American, which he most certainly is not. He also sees a billboard outside his window of a beautiful woman who he comes infatuated with and begins drawing.
Throughout the Peter scenes, he keeps running into the beautiful woman. Sometimes saving her, sometimes just seeing her. In all instances, she quickly runs off.
Peter is able to fully focus on his art and ends up getting featured at an art gallery. We then have another instance of the beautiful woman showing up and subsequently running away.
UXM # 260: Dazzler Solo Story
The Dazzler story actually started in #259, but it is the main story of this issue (#260).
Claremont really dives deep into the way back machine. Remember in the terribly chauvinistic Dazzler Graphic Novel (as covered in 28: X-Men Miniseries)) when Dazzler created a movie and it ended with her destroying the only remaining copy, simply to rebel against crazed studio executive, Eric Beale? Well, Freddie Stanachek finds another copy of the movie. We are supposed to know him from somewhere but I don't remember him. Maybe he's the nerdy guy from the gym she went out with again to spurn Eric Beale (Again in the OGN)?
Dazzler is spit out by the Siege Perilous and ends up naked in some bushes outside of Lila Cheney's place. Guido, Lila's butler and future tank of the revamped X-Factor, carries her in and takes care of her.
Lila had all sorts of futuristic trinkets in her house, like a talking computer and little flying gizmo's. I'm not sure if this was just due to her being rich and buying the coolest stuff or due to her being an intergalactic teleporter so she had access to alien technology. Probably a bit of both. Unlike Psylocke coming back and being manipulated by the Hand or Colossus coming back and having no idea who he is, Dazzler is told right away who she is and she comes close to stepping back into her old life. Her old, old life that is. The music star life.
Dazzler gets picked up on National TV and now the world knows she's alive again. Banshee and Forge see this and decide to head out to her as part of their search for the X-Men (although to date they still haven't found her) and...other people see this.
Eric Beale saw this and apparently he's become obsessed with her and wants to kill her.
In a very cool scene, Eric tries to take her out with a sniper rifle but she shoots him while upside down and falling into the ocean.
Dazzler: The Movie is picked up by a movie studio and years later, her dream is realized. I'm interested to see where this goes. During the OGN, anti mutant sentiments were at an all time high and she hoped this movie would fix things, but she ended up making things worse. Now mutant sentiment is better and the movie is going to come out, but I have a feeling this won't go anywhere. I think Dazzler is on the verge of being written out, but we'll see if the movie is mentioned in any other comics.
This...was cheesy. Beale does capture her and was about to kill her, but she "floods him with so much beauty" that he relents. That's cheesy, but if this really is her Marvel swan song (which I think it is for now), then I guess this is an ok way to go.
UXM # 261: Wolverine and his pals
So this issue starts off by making a huge deal out this group, Hardcase and the Harriers. I mean, look at this splash page. Look at every character getting a unique introduction. I'm pretty sure this group is never seen from again...
Sexy psylocke makes Jubilee uncomfortable. She's also jealous because she liked her time alone with Wolverine. I like this pairing, but it will NOT top Logan and Kitty. Kitty for life!
Wolverine is still hallucinating. This time Psylocke talks to them and Jubilee just comments on him "talkin a himself again!" This scene is broken up by Wolverine being kidnapped by Hardcase and the Harriers.
After a lot of shenanigans, they track down Wolverine. Jubilee breaks in pretending to be the pizza boy while Psylocke sneaks in like a ninja. The two factions beat each other up for a while.
Eventually we see that Wolverine and the other head honcho were friends. Wolverine was the one who hired them as a way to test out Jubilee and Psylocke. I'm...not sure how I feel about this. I don't hate it. I don't like it.
UXM # 262 - 263: Jean Grey has dumb tentacles.
The Forge and Banshee bromance started in #259, but 262 - 263 is where these two are front and center.
Meanwhile, at Muir Island...Moira has Legion try to use Cerebro to find the X-Men and it doesn't go so well. They also make note that Callisto successfully locked down the X-Men's basement, but she never reported back.
Legion summons the Shadow King and Forge remembers that he saw the Shadow King during his spirit vision as well. This is a LONG gestating story.
The X-Man bromance of Forge and Banshee were about to get on a plane, but they changed their mind when they saw that Dazzler was back. It's a good thing too because their plane was blown up!
It turns out that Fenris was the one who blew them up. They keep on popping up but then disappearing with them. I'm not sure what's up with them. Are they in cahoots with the Shadow King? Are they just doing their own evil thing? I really don't know. Also, is it me or does this panel look a bit incestuous. It's definitely trying to show us that they are rich snobs, living on a yacht, and I know they have to touch each other to use their power, but still...
The pilot from Banshee's plane survived, but will never be the same again. She's visited by Donald Pierce who offers to turn her into a Reaver.
Banshee notes that he's concerned it was Moira who set them up. He is aware that she is acting differently and he's gonna purposely tiptoe around her for the time being. Instead of going to get Dazzler, they went to the X-Men basement.
Meanwhile, we learn that Masque had kidnapped Callisto and done something to her that she didn't like.
Eventually the beautiful woman shows up again, but this time with Masque. If you put two and two together, you see that she is actually Callisto, made beautiful by Masque and had been messing with Peter on purpose. I'm actually not sure why. I guess just because he's an asshole.
Alright, you know how Scott proposed to Jean in X-Factor (as covered in 65: X-Factor # 51 - 59 (Sabretooth, Caliban, and Vampires)) and she said she needed to leave for a while to be one her own and think. Welllll, she ended up coming back to the X-Mansion to see the ruins. I LOVE how often we are getting crossover characters now! When Jean shows up, she is set on by a group of monstous creatures. I had no idea what was going on originally, but I'll just tell you that this is a Morlock attack. Masque is being an asshole again.
Look at that creepy thing!
I'm still not sure if this is Masque's doing or this other Morlock who kind of looks like these creatures, but regardless there is this army of X-Men and New Mutant looking monsters that are collecting X-Men.
Banshee and Forge were at the X-Men mansion and saw Jean get taken on the monitor. They are able to rescue her. This time.
Jean is given an X-Men outfit. Oooooooh, how fun! More comments about Moira not acting normal.
Banshee and Jean are laughing about her joining the X-Men. Again, there is something weird about Banshee and Forge being like "come Join the X-Men!" Forge has never been an X-Man and Banshee hasn't been one in years. They are as much X-Men as me putting on a cape and saying I'm in the X-Men now too. You need to actually be with the X-Men you nitwits! Anywho, Jean and Banshee are teleported away in front of Forge's eyes. This actually sets up a two issue long arc where we learn more about Forge's Veitnam backstory. I'm not gonna bother showing it here because it's practically the same as we've seen before.
Forge takes on the monsters and finds Jean and Banshee.
Masque took away Banshee's mouth and gave Jean tentacles.
I have a lot to say about this. First of all, this was very confusing. They keep showing a bunch of grotesque X-Men like monsters, so I was confused why Forge was believing this was really her, but it is!
Second, Forge is all like "I have a prosthetic hand. It sucks, but you'll get used to your tentacles too. " NO, she won't. It's not the same. I know this is a comic book but for Fuck's sake. No ones buying that she'll keep these fucking tentacles. You've just taken me out of my reading because this is so ridiculous. Oh, Banshee, you'll get used to never eating again too. NO.
It all comes together as Peter, Callisto, Jean, Forge, and Banshee converge.
Jean: "This is incredible." Narrator: "She still has trouble accepting the Tentacles, but their use is becoming second-nature. She's adapting-and, in some ways I suspect starting to like it." NO. She's not. She's not accepting her damn tentacles. Just stop.
I'm kind of confused. Has Callisto been reverted back to her normal look and now she's just being drawn more sexy or is she still in her sexier new look with her old clothes? Regardless, in the story, Colossus turns to steel for the first time to save her.
I love this. Masque is pleading for his life and Colossus is like "No, I'm just gonna kill you." Then they all get teleported away.
But oh no! Will Jean be stuck with tentacles forever? No, don't worry, Forge is a wizard and will use this magic to fix your arms. Now just replace magic with "technology".
UXM # 264: Party in the USA
First of all, I just need to say that this a special issue for me. It's one of the random Uncanny X-Men comics I bought when I was younger. As I read this now, I totally remember reading it as a 10 year old boy. I also remember not understanding anything. Who is Forge? What's Genosha? Who the fuck is Officer Jones? Aren't Beast and Jean in X-Factor? Where's Wolverine?
There are a lot of Genoshan panels setting up a big confrontation. Issue #264 here has a big confrontation, but even that is set up for the large (and fantastic) X-Tinction Agenda crossover that will be taking place soon in Genosha.
Here we see Philip Moreau, the Genengineer, reacting to this forces failing to apprehend his son Phillip and Jennifer Ransome. It is beginning to turn into an international incident.
The Genengineer authorizes the entire Press Gang (mutants working for Genosha) and their military magistrates to apprehend Philip and Jennifer.
Pipeline (the mutant who can teleport people via phone wires) brings Genoshan representatives to the White House, where they speak with Val Cooper. They are very assertive and it rubs most of the American's the wrong way.
264 opens with Forge on the run from the Genoshan Magistrates. They open fire and kill one cop while Forge and Officer Jones (the same one from X-Factor, who Warren is dating) escape into the sewers.
Officer Jones is given an X-Men suit to help her survive the night. At one point she takes a bullet and survives. I love seeing this level of cross over between X-Titles!
This conversation between Beast and Jean show the further blurring of the lines between X-Factor and X-Men. Jean says that all of the teams are pursuing Xavier's dreams and is obviously tempted to hook back up with the X-Men. Right now the "X-Men" just consists of Forge and Banshee, but it will be great to see how much stronger that push becomes once her good friends Storm and Wolverine are back in the mix.
Forge takes out the soldiers and Charlotte Jones survives a direct hit.
Jean steps in to help Forge but is overrun by the Press Gang. An inhibitor chip is placed on her forehead.
Beast shows up, frees Jean and the combined force is able to defeat the Genoshan forces.
All of the soldiers end up getting released, even after killing a cop. This rattles the entire team and is a direct set up to the X-Tinction Agenda crossover.
It looks like Peter and Hot Callisto are going to continue be an item. We'll have to see how long this continues.
As of this issue, Banshee and Forge are officially hooking up with X-Factor. We'll see this continue in the Days of Future Present Annual (covered soon) and in future issues of X-Factor.
Next up we'll check back in with the New Mutants and witness one of the most game changing situations in comics history. Rob Leifeld takes over the New Mutants line, introduces Cable, and beings the transition of the title to X-Force, one of the highest selling comics of all time.
My Connections
At this point, the X-Men are still technically disbanded. These comics are less of a single story and instead a continuation of 7 or 8 various plotlines, with some of those stories getting slightly more focus than others from time to time. Since it becomes difficult to keep track, I'll be separating my covering into both themes and issues, however most stories will bleed over from panels introduced both before and after the issue I claim to be focusing on.
Creators
There isn't much to say about creators this time around, however the Silvestri issues remind me of this recent Rob Liefeld podcast I listening to where Leifeld had the following to say about Silvestri:
“Marc is the best illustrator of my peer group. Especially of the Image guys. What he does is effortless. He is so polished and talented. And his run on X-Men was the new excitement there from ‘86 to ‘89.”
I can support this comment. Silvestri seemed like he personified what art looked like in this era, especially with this blog covering 3 fill in artists who all did their best attempts at a Silvestri impression.
Character Beats
Dazzler pops out of the Siege Perilous and has her own solo story for a few issues. I'm pretty sure this is the end of Dazzler in the X-Men line (at least for quite some time) and these issues do a pretty good swan song to her story, not just with X-Men, but in her own series as well. Dazzler: The Movie resurfaces, Eric Beale shows up again, and Dazzler finds her true calling (being a famous singer) once and for all.
Peter is an amnesiac and is able to spend most of his time as an artist. While he does run into some X-characters and learns of his powers, it looks as though he'll be off on his own for a while still to come.
No mention of Longshot, Havok, or Rogue yet. We'll get a lot of focus on baby Storm in the next blog, but she's not really featured here.
The threesome of Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee get a little action here, showing the three of them working as a cohesive unit. I can't wait until they re-integrate with the larger team.
The largest driver of the story comes from Forge and Banshee, who consider themselves "X-Men" and their budding bromance is the largest force driving the stories forward. They play nice with Jean Grey and Beast and I just love that the various titles are starting to blend together. We're almost to that amazing Jim Lee reboot in '91.
My Rating - 5/10
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