Reality Bites: X-Men 128

X-Men #128 (December 1979)
"The Action of the Tiger!"
Chris Claremont/John Byrne-Byrne/Terry Austin (cover by George Perez/Austin)

Doug:  Epic conclusion time, kids!  I had not read this story since I bought it off the spinner racks almost 35 years ago, and this has been a fun refresher.  I think many of us who gather around here daily want to remember our favorite characters as they were when they brought us the height of our comics-reading joy.  For the X-Men, as far as I'm concerned, this is wrapping up that period for me.  As I said a couple of weeks ago, I unfortunately bowed out for a few years after issue #130.  My memories are just about finished as far as this wonderful run by Claremont, Byrne, and Austin played out for me.  And what a long strange trip it's been!

Karen: Although I hung around longer than you did, I would say this particular time period of the book stands out to me as the high point and my mental images of the characters are pretty much locked in to this era.

Doug:  We open, fittingly enough, right where we left off in issue #127.  Proteus had assumed the body of his father, John MacTaggert, and had captured his mother, the X-Men's ally Moira MacTaggert.  He now held the X-Men at bay in the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, and began to warp reality for all in his wake.  This scene answered a question I raised two weeks ago, and that was whether or not the reality-warping powers of Mutant X were played out in the minds of his opponents, or if he actually did bend time and space to his whims.  The creative team makes it clear here that this is a very real terror Proteus is bringing to Edinburgh.  As Moira pleads with her son to stop, Proteus rains all kinds of hell on the city.  Buildings bend and explode, gravity goes absent, people's lives are threatened, and the X-Men scramble to keep the populace safe.

Karen: It's all very well done, with the pavement going all liquid and gooey and flying up in the air, buildings twisting as if they were made of wax and melting in the sun - just weird and disturbing. I liked seeing the team putting the safety of the civilians first -hey, these are actual bona fide heroes!

Doug:  A few pages into the story we get an "untold tale" of Proteus' origin.  We learn how he had been imprisoned on Muir Isle during the first Magneto battle, and that during that battle his cell's security had been compromised.  So Mutant X had actually been on the loose for quite some time prior to his 1st appearance in this storyline.  We see how cranky old Angus MacWhirter was possessed, but I have to take issue with Claremont on a line he writes in this section.  He states that MacWhirter had "minor electronic skills", and that was enough "to re-program the lab's main computer to show his cell as sealed tight..."  Really?  So being able to wire a lamp or lay out the circuits for a house is akin to programming a computer sophisticated enough to keep dangerous mutants at bay?  Duh...  Moira had discovered that the cell had indeed been breached, and as Mutant X moved throughout the compound he tried to possess Phoenix and Polaris -- to no avail -- before he jumped into one of Jamie Madrox's clones.

Karen: Agreed, the idea that the sea captain could reprogram the lab computer made no sense whatsoever, but I'm willing to overlook it. The recap was a bit tedious but I suppose necessary for anyone just jumping on. I'm also still not sure how Proteus got away from Phoenix, but again...let's just go with it.

Doug:  Proteus distracted himself by focusing all of his attention to his wife/mother; this was a generally creepy part of the story as the mutant while being the son inhabited the body of his father.  The X-Men get a chance to collect themselves, and Cyclops formulates a plan.  Psychically linked to his teammates, he tells each what they must do.  This was another example of the exponential increase in Jean Grey's powers.  Besides the great characterization of Scott throughout this story, Banshee gets some nice screen time as well.  I thought that was really important, as his depowering did not keep him from being a vital part of this arc.  We also get some great "Wolverine moments", as he rescues Storm from being encased in amber.  I thought that the desperation of the battle against Proteus really shone through the use of guns in the story, something we're not used to seeing.  Although Moira had fired shots to distract her son back in #126, she commented at the time that she had intended to kill him if necessary.  Here, Banshee fires a pistol, hitting Proteus in the shoulder; the villain rebukes him for not firing a kill shot.  So there was an envelope-pushing in this plot.

Karen: Yes, despite having the Punisher running around in the Marvel Universe, guns in the hands of heroes was still a rarity. I liked the exchange between Cyke and Banshee regarding Moira, with Banshee recognizing, grudgingly, that Cyke is right, and that of course he cares about Moira too. Man, I miss the days when I could think about Cyclops as a great team leader and not the sleazy weirdo bedding the White Queen. Anyway, Wolverine's self-sacrificing play to free Storm from the amber was another sign of growth for him as well.

Doug:  As retaliation for shooting him, Proteus opens a seemingly-bottomless pit and drops Banshee into it.  As he falls, the hole closes above him, but transparently.  Cyke blasts through that and orders Nightcrawler to get down it and rescue Sean.  He does, and is forced to teleport the two of them out from below the rim.  The strain almost kills them, as they re-materialize several stories above the earth.  Polaris is able to set them down.  I really, really enjoyed the inclusion of Havok and Lorna Dane in this story!  Alex is such a great visual anyway.  Proteus uses the confusion as an opportunity to flee, and spirits Moira away to Castle Rock.  Phoenix follows, and is quite angry.  This again is somewhat uncharted territory, as I really felt like she could kill Mutant X.  He's able to withstand her initial, brutal onslaught and fight back... hard.  He drops her to her knees, and it's at that point that Wolverine leaps from a nearby tree and takes an enormous hack through Proteus's mid-section.  Disemboweled.  Had to be.  As Logan tends to Moira, Cyke and his brother appear on either side of Proteus and unleash their energy powers.  Again, great visual.  However, Proteus seems to give up his host body for a moment, dropping almost out of sight -- the brothers' blasts strike each other.  If you'll recall, though, each is immune to the others' energies.

Karen: I too felt like Phoenix should be able to deal with Proteus handily but it does seem like her power levels fluctuated somewhat at this time, and his attack was on a mental level, and we've seen what Wyngarde  was capable of doing to her. I'm more  interested in what happened with short-stuff. Was this the first time we had Wolverine declare that he "loved" Jean? He moped over her picture in issue #114. But I'm not sure the "L" word had been uttered before. In any case, I'm surprised he would have stopped once he attacked, but he strikes Proteus viciously as you say, then goes to tend Moira. Seems a bit out of character. But I always enjoy seeing the two Summers brothers using their powers together.

Doug:  Proteus is on the move again, this time to the ramparts of the castle.  Wolverine, Moira in tow, climbed the side of the mount in an effort to remove her from the battle; Proteus wanted her back.  What a great spot for the climax of the story.  Proteus grabbed Moira away from Wolverine, knocking him off his grip.  Cyclops was able to use his eyebeams to soften Logan's fall until he was low enough that Colossus could catch him.  Then it was Peter's turn.  We really hadn't seen much of "the big Russkie" in this one.  I have to say it was worth the wait!  Peter bravely climbs to the top of the keep and confronts the fading body of Joe MacTaggert, though still strong with the spirit of Proteus.  As the villain reaches toward Moira, Peter casts him aside, the last vestige of MacTaggert's body exploding as it hits a wall.  Now unrestrained, the energy form of Mutant X stands to face Piotr Rasputin.  A psychic assault ensues, bringing Peter's worst fears and nightmares to physical manifestation.  But even as Peter falls to his knees, he looks up and rises as Colossus, and plunges his metallic hands into the center of Proteus.  The being in effect short circuits and dissipates.  Seeing a tremendous flash, the rest of the X-Men head to the castle.  They find Moira in the arms of Peter; she is now a widow and without child.  But it's Sean Cassidy who goes to her, and all suddenly seems right with the world.


Karen: This was a truly cinematic ending. Loved the bit with Wolvie being slowed by Cyke's beams. "Ow! OW!!" But this was Piotr's chance to shine and the creative team did a nice job with him. He was the purest of the group, the one who really represented the ideal of "hero" in every sense -- brave, idealistic, selfless, and all that came out in this sequence. A real Man of Steel, so to speak. I also liked that in later issues, Piotr would feel some regret and doubt over killing Proteus -- every hero has a conscience, after all.

Doug:  What a storyline.  This was everything that was right about comics in the late Bronze Age.  This is a microcosm of the gold that the Claremont/Byrne/Austin team continued to mine.  Of course, their magnum opus was mere months away, so perhaps we should consider this the most filling of appetizers?  Hard to believe they topped it, and knocked it out of the park as far as they did.

Shaken, Rattled, and Rolled: X-Men 127

X-Men #127 (November 1979)
"The Quality of Hatred!
Chris Claremont/John Byrne/Terry Austin

Today is review #400 on the Bronze Age Babies!

Karen: Our cover this month is a more colorful version of our splash page - I like the psychedelic

little purple swirls! The story picks up immediately from the end of X-Men #126, as Proteus has attacked a grounded Storm, who responds by whipping up a tremendous gale. But even that seems ineffective against the dangerous mutant, so Storm makes an effort to take to the air, only to be knocked down by a wave of earth. Proteus' absolute control over reality makes escape impossible. Nightcrawler urges Wolverine to help him save Storm, but shockingly, the typically feisty brawler is frozen with fear. Suddenly gunshots ring out from the ridge above -it is Moira MacTaggert. Even though Proteus is her son, Moira takes aim and we can see through her scope she is deadly serious about killing him. At the last moment her aim is spoiled by Cyclops, who says the X-Men will capture Proteus. But Moira is having none of it -she hits Cyclops in the gut with the butt of her rifle, and he strikes his head on a rock as he falls, knocking him out. She goes back to fire on Proteus again, but he has taken off in his car, since bullets (or anything metal) can actually kill him. However, Moira thinks she knows where he's headed, and jumps in her car too.

Doug:  We've been gushing over the art throughout the previous three X-issues we've reviewed this month -- today's fare is no different.  I guess by this point in the story I had begun to question just what exactly Proteus was -- he needed the host to be mobile.  Storm called him a being of energy, so am I to read into that his sentience but with a lack of physicality (if that's the right word)?  His powers seem somewhat undefined, though incredible, at this juncture as well.  Are his powers mainly mental?  Is all that we see an illusion?  Was he really able to withstand Storm's hurricane-force winds, or was that an image conjured only in the minds of the X-Men?  I also found it to be an interesting clue that he could only warp reality if he could make eye contact with his intended victim; hence, the travails that Proteus dealt Nightcrawler and Wolverine in the previous issue would not have been felt by Storm as she arrived late to the fray.

Karen: The X-Men regroup and recover. Cyclops assesses the situation and is concerned about Wolverine,  who seems to be extremely rattled by his encounter with Proteus. The art team does a nice job depicting this, with our normally swaggering runt sitting with his knees drawn up, head resting on one palm, hands shaking. Cyclops is afraid that Wolverine is about to snap, mentally, and decides to do something about it -and this leads into one of the best sequences in the entire Proteus storyline. Cyke accuses Wolvie of being a coward and tosses his drink in his face. That's enough to get Wolverine fired up and ready to rumble. This is pretty dangerous for Cyke, as Wolverine pops his claws and goes after him. But again, this was back in the days before Wolverine became godlike, so Cyke actually manages to toss Wolverine with a judo throw and hold his own. Banshee, not understanding what Cyke is trying to do, orders Colossus to intervene, but Phoenix tells him to stay back and let Cyclops handle things. Now, this would have been perfect if it had been Jean understanding what Scott was doing, just because she is so close to him and knows him so well, but Claremont had to go and ruin it by having Cyclops explain it to the readers in his thoughts, stating that he had "mentally cued Jean in" to what he was going to do before he started. I just don't see why he felt the need to handle it that way.

Doug:  A jumping on point for new readers?  Don't know, but I agree with you.  For the long-time reader it seemed unnecessary.  Not having read this story for many a'moon, I was expecting another Jason Wyngarde interlude at this point, and was surprised to not see one -- in fact, that subplot was back-burnered for this entire issue.  I think part of that was the pace of this installment, which probably takes place within the space of one day, day-and-a-half at the most.  The details in the art are nice -- lots of backgrounds, etc.  This creative team did not shortcut the consumer.  There have been two really nice shots of the entire team so far -- you mentioned one last issue with the tension between Scott and Jean.  The shot right before Cyclops provokes Wolverine is good.  I like the high camera angle, which plays off of the preceding panel of Phoenix in flight.  

Karen: As Cyclops and Wolverine go at each other, Cyke verbally jabs at Wolvie, saying he's fighting so poorly, a cub scout could beat him. He's purposely trying to get under his skin, and it's working. He tosses Wolverine at Nightcrawler, who bamfs into attack position right over Cyclops -a stunt that leaves him wide open to Cyke's optic beam, something he's warned Nightcrawler about before. Storm decides she's had enough of this, and brings down a bolt of lightning near Cyclops. He knocks her off her feet with a blast, but decides it might be time to put an end to things, and calls for a truce. Wolverine is not about to have it, until Cyke explains to them this was an impromptu Danger Room session. He had to see how they all were managing after facing off with Proteus. They all get it, and Wolverine especially seems to have a new-found respect for Scott, putting himself in jeopardy to try to shake Logan out of his shock. I recall feeling at the time that this was a real turning point for their relationship, the point at which Wolverine stopped questioning Cyclops' every order and really started to be more of a team player. And of course, back then, Cyclops was a top notch leader.

Doug:  The entire fight is really well-choreographed, and the rapidly changing camera angles give a real sense of danger and emotion to it.  The coloring on Storm as she attempts to end the fracas was well done, complete with a little Kirby Krackle!  I think Scott's intent is to not only assess the team's well-being, but in a way see just how powerful Proteus is.  Let's face it -- if Wolverine could be that far removed from his "usual self", then this baddie must be some tough customer!  We've discussed the evolution of Wolverine as a character at length, and as his story unfolded over the years, with the immersion in Japanese culture, etc., this "early" version of his characterization couldn't be further from what he (again, given what we would later learn) should have been like.  I must say I lean toward the character when we didn't know all of the details (retcons).

Karen: Proteus has moved on, heading for Edinburgh. He accosts a young woman who has a flat tire, possessing her. Moira has reached the city before him, and has arrived at the home of Joseph MacTaggert -her estranged husband.I thought the way MacTaggert was drawn, he had a sort of brutal sensuality. Actually, he reminds me a bit of the way the Black King, Sebastian Shaw, would look a few issues later. It seems that MacTaggert, who is a member of Parliament and has even greater political aspirations, refuses to give Moira a divorce, and so they've lived apart for twenty years. She left him after he apparently beat her so badly she wound up in the hospital. He had no idea that they'd had a son, Mutant X. He's shocked when Moira tells him this -and that his son is coming to kill him. He goes to grab her but Moira pulls a very large revolver and walks out the door. As she sits in her car, sobbing, Proteus watches from nearby, angry that "the one I hate" has upset Moira, again. It seems as though Moira's hatred of MacTaggert has transferred to her son over the years, and Proteus has indeed come to kill his father. We see him entering MacTaggert's home and surprising him...

Doug:  So is the root and motivation of this "villain" some sort of Oedipus complex?  Or is there something more?  The mystery deepens.  I want to also say that I don't know much of the geography of Scotland, or the larger UK for that matter, but Claremont sells me on this.  For this young reader, it was a real fantasy land, the change in locale for this story.  When you think about it, the X-Men haven't been home since the night the Sentinels attacked them, back in the late #90's.  After the introduction of Phoenix, they went to Scotland, then a few issues later to the Shi'ar Galaxy, then they fought Vindicator in upstate New York, then ended up in Antarctica, the Savage Land, Japan, Canada, and eventually here -- back in Scotland.  What globetrotters these mutants were near the end of the Bronze Age!

Karen: Meanwhile the X-Men have been able to track Moira to Edinburgh and Phoenix is locking on
to her thoughts when she is assaulted by the "psychic death scream" of MacTaggert. Phoenix telekinetically carries Cyclops and four other X-Men to the scene, causing Cyclops to wonder about her power levels. Storm flies herself, while Polaris brings Havok. Before they arrive, Moira is confronted by Proteus -but he's different. Possessing his father, he has absorbed some of his personality. Now he is an unsettling combination of father and son, and he proclaims that he "wants" Moira! Colossus is the first X-Man to make the scene, landing like a cannonball in the street. But when he goes to attack Proteus, he finds gravity twisted sideways and is hurled away from the villain. Cyclops' eye beams are no more effective, turned into flower petals before they can strike his foe. Ever the tactician, Cyke thinks their only hope is to try to wear Proteus out, make him burn out his host body before he can find another.  Phoenix readies to attack, saying he hasn't really faced her before, but Proteus grabs Moira and uses her as a shield. Moira yells for the team to attack anyway, that her life is nothing compared to stopping Proteus, but of course his action freezes the X-Men in their tracks. The mutants ask what they should do, and Cyclops says that Proteus is exactly the kind of mutant Professor X created the X-Men to protect humanity from. So -next issue, the battle begins!

Doug:  I really liked that the "entire" team was together again in this story, and it's a pity that they didn't wait for the Beast.  Proteus seemed the sort of adversary that would have made Angel's comment, "What are we going to do with 13 X-Men?" an easily answered query.  In regard to Colossus, those landings never became cliche' for me -- loved it every time!  We get another small taste of what Jean has become as she says to Proteus, "Say your prayers, butcher!"  Not exactly the Greys' little girl.  I felt so bad for Banshee, as Proteus rant is the first time he knew that Moira was married.  That's interesting in a way, because when we reviewed X-Men #117, Xavier had commented to Lilandra that although he had loved Moira, she wouldn't wait for him.  Was this an allusion to Moira getting married?  It seems strange, then, that when Moira came to "keep house" for the X-Men and Banshee took a shine to her that Charles would never have mentioned anything to poor Sean Cassidy.  Cyke shows his true colors as a leader on par with Cap and Reed Richards, doesn't he?



Karen: This was another winner, with the fight between Cyke and Wolverine being the real highlight
for me, because it changed the way these two dealt with each other here-on after in the book.Cyclops finally got the respect he needed from Wolverine to function effectively -- he became the alpha dog, essentially, in Logan's eyes - and after that, it really seemed like they were a team. We saw a little of this around the time of the Alpha Flight clash, but here's where it all came together. The only thing missing this issue was another Jason Wyngarde/Dark Phoenix slip, but there was so much else going on, it wasn't missed and probably would have been a mistake to try to force it in. All in all, a great set up for next issue's big finale.

Journey to the Center of Your Mind: X-Men 126

X-Men #126 (October 1979)
"How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth...!"
Chris Claremont/John Byrne-Byrne/Terry Austin (cover by Dave Cockrum/Austin)

Doug: Neither one of us mentioned it last week, but Dave Cockrum did the covers for Uncanny X-Men #'s 125 and 126 -- and what an effort today.  Talk about poster-worthy, and I'm not making any comparison to those pin-up covers of today.  This one has action and characterization.  It's a great image, and you can feel Terry Austin's presence in the art, can't you?  If you wait two more weeks, you'll get to see George Perez do an X-Men cover.  What a great era...  How 'bout we get ourselves over to Muir Island?

Doug:  And getting over to Muir Island apparently only takes an hour when Cyke's at the controls of the Blackbird (and despite Karen's concern, they don't crash it this time!).  Last week in the comments section our readers discussed some of Chris Claremont's plot holes and oddities, such as the Scott Summers-Colleen Wing relationship and her lack of mentioning that, oh yeah - Jean's alive.  While that may be true, I'm going to offer the man a tip of the hat for characterization over the first four pages.  It's just wonderful writing -- we know these characters!  Here's the deal:  the X-Men left upstate New York after Scott heard Lorna Dane scream on the phone call from Moira MacTaggert's Mutant Research facility.  Knowing that Jean was in Scotland, the team hightailed it onto the Blackbird and made record time.  Approaching the island, Scott ordered Colossus to do his landing thing, Storm to inspect the isle from above, and once on the ground Nightcrawler to teleport inside the living quarters.  Banshee gave a slight admonishment to Cyclops for driving everyone so hard; Cyke countered that Sean had not heard Lorna's scream.  Knowing her abilities as Polaris, it must have been something horrible to have spooked her so.

Karen: I love that cover! One has to wonder what a Claremont/Cockrum/Austin run might have been like? On to our story though - I agree, we get a great sense of each character in a short time span. You can really feel Cyclops' urgency here. I love how each member has their own way of making an entrance. And hey, how strong must Storm be to go hauling Wolverine around, with all that adamantium he's got inside of him?

Doug:  I actually had the same thought as she's toting Scott just a bit later on -- it had been some time since any artist had drawn him as "Slim" Summers!

Doug:  Nightcrawler was the first to find any clues.  He actually found Lorna, and her assailant, collapsed on top of our heroine.  Radioing Scott and Banshee, Kurt urged them to come to him as quickly as they could.  Once in the house, they rolled the man off of Lorna -- only to reveal a horribly decomposed husk, almost like a mummy.  Banshee inspected Lorna's vital signs and determined that she would be fine.  Scott tells Kurt to 'port over to the lab, where hopefully he'll find Havok, Madrox, and Jean.  As Scott heads outside to flag down Ororo, he worries about Banshee's inability to bounce back from the injuries to his voice he'd suffered in Japan (X-Men #'s 118-119, which we will review at some future date).  At the lab, Kurt takes to the shadows, but not enough that he's not seen by Havok.  Alex fires a bolt Nightcrawler's way and orders him -- whoever he is -- to come out of the shadows.  As Havok begins to power up again, he's suddenly grabbed and bear-hugged... by Colossus!  Piotr had landed in the lab and was doing his own scouting when he heard the ruckus.  Alex is amazed to see his believed-dead comrade.  Elsewhere, Scott and Ororo are also in the lab building and encounter Moira -- through a slight machination from Storm.  There is the now-familiar surprise at the reunion, and then Moira tells Scott what they're up against -- Mutant X.  Concerned, Scott nevertheless goes off on his own to find Jean.

Karen: Banshee tells Scott that he'll stay with Lorna since, without his sonic powers, he's not of much use (also notice, he's carrying a side arm). It's interesting that Banshee hung around in the book, powerless, for 10 issues -he lost his powers in #119 and finally stepped out in #129. I think he was a nice counter-balance to Scott at first, but eventually he became unnecessary, especially with Professor X around. They really didn't need two authority figures in the book. 

Doug:  It doesn't take long for Cyke to find Jean, collapsed in a corner.  He approaches her, but when he gets her upright and says her name, she answers by calling him "Jason".  I thought the long reveal of Jason Wyngarde's plotline was really done well.  Month to month, the suspense just kept building.  I never felt it was too long, and it really kept me on the edge of my seat... until I started high school just as X-Men #131 was being released and missed the whole pay-off.  What a dummy.  Anyway, Scott (certainly taken aback) assembles all of the X-Men back at Moira's house where they debrief on what exactly has gone on.  Jamie Madrox tells of his encounter with Mutant X, and how he was psychically assaulted through one of his clones.  Jamie tells that there's no way he could have stopped the enemy.  Moira comforts him, while Wolverine begins to itch for the scrap.  Of course he and Scott exchange words, but Wolverine surprisingly backs down and defers to Scott's plan.  Aside with Moira, Scott tells her that he's checked all the files and there is nothing on any Mutant X.  Moira coyly tells him "it's a private matter".  Scott pushes her, and she admits -- Mutant X is her son.

Karen: Oh Doug -how could you stop reading this book before the whole "Dark Phoenix" saga ended? Dude.... anyway, I agree, I can readily recall the sense of anticipation I had each month waiting for the next issue. Scott and Jean's relationship certainly had its complexities. At the time, and even today, I feel Claremont may have made a mis-step by having Scott react so strangely to Jean's supposed death. It never made any sense to me that he at first felt nothing, as he told Storm in the Savage Land, and later began to see Colleen Wing. But here, he seems anxious to find Jean, and to find her by himself -not knowing how he'll react. Well, I'm sure he wasn't expecting 'Jason'! I like the way the debriefing scene is drawn too, where there's some distance between he and Jean, and the look on her face is somewhat troubled.

Doug:  We scene shift to the village of Stornoway, where we find a quite-possessed Jamie Madrox-clone prowling the shadows.  This creature thinks to itself that it is consuming its new shell too quickly.  It's a nice tip, as we can assume that part of Mutant X's skill set is some sort of vampiric leeching.  Well, what would you know -- just as Mutant X is feeling a little low, who should walk out of the pub but our boy Jason Wyngarde?  Mutant X stays in the shadows, but is able to do some sort of probe before assaulting his victim -- but is immediately repelled by psychic shields.  Hmmm... the plot does thicken with this Wyngarde fellow.  And in regard to my comment above, about leaving comics in the fall of 1980, it would be many a'moon before I knew of Wyngarde's true identity.  So, with no opportunity to take over Wyngarde, Mutant X found a young guy in another part of town and commandeered his body.

Karen: Yes, Wyngarde's identity was quite a mystery for some time. I really had no clue! I thought this sequence, and many of the other sequences featuring the possessed victims of Mutant X, were very creepy -a credit to the art team. I also liked the brief scene where Wolverine barks at Cyke, accusing him of being scared for not going right after Mutant X. This would set things up nicely later on.

Doug:  Back at the research complex, the X-Men break into teams to cover as much of the island as possible and as quickly as possible.  Scott rides in a jeep with Moira, and gets a little more insight on Mutant X.  We learn that he has two fundamental weaknesses:  metal, and a constant need for new host bodies.  Sounds like Wolverine's our guy.  Jean is on airborne reconnaissance when she is seen by Wyngarde.  Instantly Jean's mind is not her own, and she's riding in an 18th century hunting party with Wyngarde by her side.  The dogs corner and take down a stag, and it's Lady Grey's right to deliver the final blow to the animal.  But as Jason hands her the hilt of a knife, it's no animal she looks down on -- Master Jason lauds her for the wonderful idea of hunting a man, dressed as a stag!  As Jean comes to her senses, she stands over the husk of the young man Mutant X had last possessed -- and wonders what is wrong with her mind.

Karen: Isn't it lucky for the X-Men that two of their team members have metal bodies or body parts? OK, this might have been a bit convenient, but honestly, I didn't think about it at all when I first read the story! Even now, I'm enjoying it enough that I can let it slide. Wyngarde's manipulation of Jean's mind, of her morals even, is downright disturbing.

Doug:  On another part of the isle, Wolverine is tracking through the mists while Nightcrawler follows in a jeep.  Kurt tells that Cyclops has just contacted him via radio to report that Jean had found a body -- and a fresh one.  Wolverine tells him to pipe down, that he's ruining the trail.  Kurt says they have to go -- that the body is only 10 miles away, but that's far enough that Mutant X couldn't be close to them.  Wolverine isn't buying it, because... what if Mutant X took a car?  Sure enough, they come upon a policeman standing outside his squad car.  But what's interesting is that Wolverine is spoken to in a "normal" voice.  In a scene very reminiscent of Wolverine's attack on the Marvel Girl Sentinel in X-Men #100, the senses don't lie -- Wolverine barks, "'Crawler!  Trouble!"  Mutant X reveals himself immediately and attacks Wolverine psychically -- he screams.  As Nightcrawler drives up, Logan tells him to stay back.  As Logan moves in, Mutant X withdraws slightly -- he's sensed the metal throughout Wolverine's body!  But as he regroups, he tells the X-Men that while they call him Mutant X, his real name is Proteus, and he is the mutant who masters reality!

Karen: Ah, back in the days when Wolverine was still a lot of fun, not infallible or unstoppable but  very intriguing. His connection to nature was still a strong aspect of his character.  His heightened senses made him very grounded in the here and now, and Proteus would really put him to the test.

Doug:  To say that the next two pages would look like how I feel when getting off a rollercoaster (I hate those) would be an understatement.  Reality warps, it spins, it's topsy turvy and inside-out.  Kurt and Logan struggle to decide if it's an illusion or if they really are out of the normal plane of existence.  I have to wonder (I'm half serious) if Byrne held drawings up in front of a hall-of-mirrors type of display and then redrew them all crazy -- it's really that sort of an effect in this scene.  Suddenly Storm arrives, and she ain't happy!  Knowing she cannot bring herself to kill her enemy, she instead launches the mother of all lightning strikes at the police car, destroying it and injuring Proteus in the process.  He in turn lashes out at her, knocking her from the sky and making her land hard on her right shoulder.  Now afraid to attempt to fly, her only option is to conjure hurricane-force winds -- Wolverine grabs Nightcrawler and crawls on top of him, extending his claws into the earth as an anchor to hold the two of them down.  As the gale rages... Proteus advances.

Karen: The art is just fantastic -even the panel layouts are unconventional. It really feels as if one is being shot through some twisted version of reality. Storm's code against killing struck me - this was the standard for super-heroes back in that time, but today...well, I suppose this would seem unrealistic to readers? I did like this about her, her respect for life, and it was one of the reasons 'mohawk Storm' never worked for me. The visual of Wolverine and Nightcrawler hunkering down, with Wolvie digging his claws into the ground, is just a great one. The wind blasting all around truly conveys Storm's sheer power.

Doug:  Talk about a downhill ride, constantly picking up momentum!  This was a great issue, paying off on the suspense that had ended the previous issue.  The pacing is quick, but not hurried.  The subplot involving Jean and Wyngarde shows up three times, but it never seems forced -- it's a quickening storyline, and we know that a resolution must come.  The question for the reader is, will Jean be worth anything to the team before it all plays out?  And the art.  The art.  What's left to say?  This is the midst of the creative team's pinnacle, and as we pointed out last week, that compliment includes Glynis Wein and even letterer Tom Orzechowski.

It's 2 am, Do You Know Where Your X-Men Are? X-Men 125

X-Men #125 (September 1979)
"There's Something Awful on Muir Isle"
Chris Claremont/ John Byrne/ Terry Austin

Karen: Here we go kids - time for some serious X-Men fun! We had our warm up last week, a stand-alone tale, and now we'll dive into a four-part saga where everybody's favorite mutants face the terrifying mutant known as Proteus. This story line had a bit of everything, as it was also the lead-up to the Dark Phoenix saga. We can see the hints and foreshadowing here as Jean Grey begins to head over to the dark side. But these four issues have more than that -a lot of great character moments and team action. So let's get going, shall we?

Karen: We open on Moira MacTaggert testing the limits of Jean Grey's power. Moira looks stunned, while Jean, surrounded by the blazing phoenix aura -looks bored. "How much longer?" She asks. Moira tells her to power down and asks if Jean is tired. Not at all, the young woman responds. If anything, using her power makes her feel good. Moira is clearly concerned, and as the two of them go off to have a cup of tea, neither of them notices a strange figure lurking in the shadows, watching them. We get a brief recap of Jean's death and rebirth in the shuttle incident from issues 100-101, and all that has happened since. At this point in time, Jean, Moira, and Professor X all believe that the rest of the X-Men are dead, killed in the destruction of Magneto's Antarctica base in issue #113. We see how the Professor's grief kept him from being supportive of Jean, and how she decided to get away from the mansion and do some traveling, trying to get a fresh start on life. 

Doug:  Every panel is an artistic masterpiece on these first 2 1/2 pages, and there's really nothing going on of any high level of excitement!  A huge kudo right up front to colorist Glynis Wein, as well as to the usual suspects of Byrne and Austin.  Funny thought -- if the first author or artist (or even filmmaker) to have shown a shadowy figure laying in dastardly wait had copyrighted the idea, he or she would be a gazillionairre by now!  Yeah, it's an oft-used tactic, but it never ceases to raise that "hmmm..." in the reader.  The recap of Phoenix's origin and the segue-way into the next scene was very concise and cogent -- perfect for that "jumping on" fan.

Karen: Of course, the X-Men didn't die; they saved themselves, had some adventures in the Savage Land, Japan, and Canada, and have just returned to the mansion to begin formally training again. Unfortunately that's not going so well. Colossus is struggling to heave a hydraulic press off his back, and when both Wolverine and Nightcrawler each try to help him, they are easily foiled. Cyclops gets frustrated and halts the session, and jaws at the team. Lovable hot-head Wolvie points out that it's just a training session, it's not real (shades of Allen Iverson's infamous "practice" spiel) and that he doesn't jump through hoops for anyone. Cyclops realizes that this new team is so very different from the original team, he might never get them to work as effectively as a unit as the originals. But so far they've been very lucky, and they can't rely on that forever. I felt like this directly addressed some of the criticisms we've raised in our reviews of past issues -how this team, while far more powerful than the first team, never seems to work together as a team. 

Doug:  I laugh every time I watch that rant by Iverson. The Danger Room scene is good -- I think through the years the various writers and artists have really stretched themselves to come up with new perils.  But one has to wonder how much money was poured into that facility, as the room itself generally doesn't come out on top!  We've remarked how great both the Claremont/Cockrum and Claremont/Byrne/Austin runs were, yet here we are 33 issues into the All-New team and it feels like barely a heartbeat has passed since the end of G-S X-Men #1 when Warren asked what the heck they were going to do with 13 X-Men?  Scott's obviously distraught over the loss of Jean and Hank, as well as the Professor's absence, and just continues to push this group hard.  But like you said, this team was all loners from the start who had basically learned to use their abilities on their own.  Wolverine's really right in this argument, and I'm sure Scott knew that comparing this group to the originals on any level was probably unfair.

Karen: We then get a one page break where we see Magneto on Asteroid M, still recovering from his wounds from that fight between he and the X-Men. He's looking at a viewscreen, watching a replay of his first fight with the X-Men, when an image of his former wife, Magda, accidentally pops up. This is an interesting sequence that seems to exist for no other reason than to get the reader to say, "Hey, Magneto's wife looks exactly like the Scarlet Witch!" Yes indeed. Plant those seeds...

Doug:  You took the words right out of this reader's mouth...

Karen: In Scotland  a sinister-looking man named Jason Wyngarde sits inside a room in an inn and conjures up images of Jean, from her early Marvel Girl years to the present, and forward to a rather erotic-looking woman he calls the Black Queen. "Wyngarde" -obviously a false name -claims he has been traveling wherever Jean has gone, appearing in various guises and worming his way into her mind. He has plans to use her, for something called the Hellfire Club. Well, we all know this is not going to be good.  It seems that he must have some sort of psychic connection, as we see Jean sort of daydreaming in the midst of a breakfast conversation with Lorna Dane (aka Polaris). Jean apologizes for spacing out, then does a little show of telekinetically re-arranging the molecules in her clothes to change outfits -a nice trick, and one that it seems Claremont also had Storm use with her suit of unstable molecules if I'm not mistaken. Back at the lab on Muir Isle, Moira realizes that Jean has godlike power now, and only some self-imposed psychic circuit breakers are holding it all back to controllable levels. Out in the deepest reaches of Shi'ar space, Professor Xavier comes to the same realization, and determines that he must return to Earth.

Doug:  The issues-long reveal of Jason Wyngarde and his evil machinations was quite well-done.  Marvel had several writers in the Bullpen who were adept at the subplot.  Of course, I think Byrne-authored tales often really pushed the patience of the reader as he had an over-abundance of these threads running along together.  But by and large the introduction of the Hellfire Club was quite effective.  I'll say this for Mister Wyngarde -- he was a lot better looking in this guise than he ended up when it all came apart!

Doug: When Jean did the rapid-fire clothes changing, I really felt like I was watching Lynda Carter on Wonder Woman!  And yes, I do seem to recall Storm doing a similar exhibition.  You may also recall Nightcrawler playing with his "image inducer" in the early #100's.  I am really liking the compactness of these scenes.  Claremont and Byrne get a lot done with only a few panels.  The art moves the words, and the words are just enough to get the point across.  As we alluded to at the top, there's some real synergy between the creators.

Karen: Back on Earth, Moira has decided to tell Jean the truth about her powers and rushes off to find her, but as she does, she finds something odd, a gold tooth, on the floor in front of a security cell ominously labeled "Mutant X". When Moira opens the cell, she takes on a panicked expression. And we cut to -Jean, taking a walk outside, wearing a very light outfit in the very cool weather. Jamie Madrox (the Multiple Man) and Alex Summers (Havok) are doing some work, dressed more appropriately for the weather. While Jamie jokes about how Jean's dressed, Alex thinks to himself that Jean is flaunting her abilities, and it worries him. And well it should, as she picks up on his thoughts and then has her own internal debate, part of her annoyed with Alex and declaring she'll do as she pleases, the other part of her wondering if Alex isn't right. Already we can see Wyngarde's plan in motion. Jean enters the lab to see Moira and detecting she's in trouble, switches to her Phoenix form -and immediately enters into one of Wyngarde's illusions, seeing herself as a lady in an 18th century mansion. It only lasts a moment however, before she's snapped out of it when a shadowy figure grabs her. Alex and Jamie hear Jean scream.

Doug:  Alex maybe knows Jean better than anyone else "alive" at this point (understanding that the X-Men are still believed to be dead).  I wondered if she resented the comment in general, or resented it coming from Alex as Scott's brother?  It's hard to say at this point.  But think of Jean in the Silver Age, or any of Marvel's lead female's for that matter... this is some solid and unexpected characterization.  Claremont really wrote this X-team as individual personalities and it was wonderful.  

Karen: At the same time -it being however 2 am - at the Westchester mansion of the X-Men, the Beast arrives, entering the mansion in the dark, wondering who turned off all the alarms he'd connected when he last left the place. In the darkness, he and Nightcrawler tussle, each assuming the other is an intruder, when a flash of lightning illuminates the room. Both men are startled, and Nightcrawler teleports to the Danger Room, where the rest of the team is practicing . At 2 am? Cyclops, you slave driver! Nightcrawler, rattled, tells them all he's seen a ghost -the Beast! They rush out, and then, one of my favorite X-Men moments occurs: pure joy as Hank and Scott realize the other is still alive! Hank lifts Scott into the air and gives him a huge bear hug.Immediately, the news is out: Jean is also alive! After everyone has a chance to exchange greetings, Scott tells the group to get ready to go to Muir Isle.  He picks up the phone to call ahead. We cut back to the island and see Alex, Jamie, and Lorna about to search the lab. They hear the phone and Lorna answers it, despite Alex's admonition not to. Lorna is stunned to hear Scott's voice, but glad. She begins to explain the situation to him but is cut off. We see a shocked Scott tell the rest that he heard Lorna scream -and then the line went dead! So it's off to Muir Isle for our all new, all different team. Let's hope the Blackbird doesn't explode before they get there -you know the kind of luck this crew had with aircraft!

Doug:  I'm a sucker for a good reunion scene, and this one had some serious pay-off.  Byrne's choice of camera angles is outstanding throughout this two page sequence.  Nightcrawler's insistence that he'd seen a ghost was itself a nice bit of characterization, a throwback to his days as a "demon" in his native Germany.  As the Marvel creators generally pictured Europeans as quite old-fashioned and very much from the Universal Monsters-era, I suppose this superstitious aspect of Kurt's personality was appropriate.  Man, there was some real tension built up in the last few pages.  The Muir Isle scene with Lorna on the phone was good.  I enjoyed seeing Havok as a take-charge guy, very much emulating his big brother.  This one left us hanging, didn't it?  I certainly can't recall my emotions from when I was just turning 13, but if I had to guess I was one anxious guy waiting for the next issue!

Karen: This was a period of time in the title where I don't think Claremont/Byrne/Austin could do any wrong. It looked great, it read well, it was just pure fun month after month. We didn't yet have all the crazy dangling plot threads, and each month you could feel the story building, naturally and organically. We were still learning about the characters and everything felt fresh. You can probably tell, I really like it when we come back to doing X-Men reviews!