New Mutants #50

New Mutants #50 (April 1987)
Rating:  ★☆★☆★☆★
"Father's Day"
Writer:  Chris Claremont
Artist:  Jackson Guice
Inker:  John Beatty

My first issue after the Mutant Massacre.  It wasn't necessarily the next issue I read.  It actually is preceded by New Mutants #47-49, all of which take place around the same time as Uncanny #213 or so.  This issue was a later one in my effort to complete my collection.  It took a while to find, but only because many of these middle New Mutants issues never seemed to be available in local shops.  I don't remember how/when I picked this one up, but I was relieved, because this issue finally brings to close the Warlock/Magus story.  This is also the first issue that shows Limbo in open revolt against Illyana which (although we don't know it yet) ultimately leads to Inferno.

The story starts off, showing what happened to Illyana after the escape from the distant past.  She is in limbo, squaring off Sym and several demons, all of whom are infected with the transmode virus (for those of you who aren't familiar with X-Men from 25 years ago, this is the virus that gives Warlock his ability to change shape).  As the demons close in, Illyana plants her sword in the rock and teleports away.

Across the universe, we see Corsair and Binary, undercover at a bar.  They meet up with Professor Xavier and Lilandra.  Before they can meet their contact, Xavier recognizes a familiar thought pattern.  He finds Illyana, her costume torn, under control of a slaver who is auctioning her off.  Xavier frees, with the help of the Starjammers who are then forced to flee the scene.  They rejoin the other Starjammers on their ship, hovering above the water surface of a world.  Xavier tends to Illyana's injuries.  She relates to him the events of the massacre and how the New Mutants were scattered throughout time and space.  She agrees to return to Limbo with Xavier, Lilandra, and Binary.

Once back in Limbo, S'ym attacks immediately and Illyana's attacks do nothing against him.  She chooses instead to search for her missing teammates.  In one future, they pick up Cannonball, Cypher, Warlock and Mirage before they can be brainwashed by Sunspot and Magma.  In another future, they pick up the remaining mutants before the teens can be slaughtered by Sentinels.  They return to the Starjammers ship to find it under attack, the world literally on fire around it.  The Magus has found them.

The Magus attacks, dwarfing the Starjammer, infesting the ship.  Magma leaps outside to a chunk of rock and the Magus is staggered by her fiery attack.  Illyana teleports to the ocean bottom and teleports a chunk of the Magus' body away from him.  He howls in pain and increases his attack.  Cannonball helps to protect Magma but ultimately it is Warlock who proves the greatest distraction as he launches a furious assault on his father.  Unfortunately, the attack is easily repelled by Magus.

At this moment, Cypher comes up with a plan and quickly relates it to Xavier.  The plan involves Warlock and Binary quickly restores Warlock's energy.  Mirage distracts Magus with an image of Magus' greatest fear:  Warlock.  The distraction is all Karma needs to momentarily possess Magus which stops him long enough for Cypher and Warlock to land onto the mammoth alien.  Magus immediately launches defenses, trying to drive the two off and thus Sunspot and Binary also land to protect them.  Cypher and Warlock (I guess this is the first appearance of Douglock, in a way) "hack" into Magus (this is all explained in the last page) and rewrite Magus' computer code.  The mutants flee as Magus vanishes in a brilliant flash of light.  As Cypher explains, he caused Magus to essentially revert to childhood (kind of like formatting a hard drive), eliminating him as a threat until...well...apparently until this week with the All-New X-Factor issue.

This issue had so much going for it and the only issue I had with it was the art.  Jackson Guice is good, but he's not amazing.  This issue closed out the conflict between Warlock and Magus.  I wish maybe Magus had stayed around a bit longer because he only really fought the x-characters in two different stories (the other was Uncanny X-Men #192).  Still, it was a story that you had been wondering about for around two years.  Also, this story is when Limbo goes bat shit crazy.  Ultimately, this starts another arc that culminates in Inferno which remains one of my favorite arcs ever.

The action is intense throughout and as with most Claremont stories, I enjoy the character development.  You see a lot of Illyana struggle between her friends and her kingdom as well as trying to fight her demonic essence.  You also get a glimpse into the respect Sunspot has for Xavier.  Unfortunately, this is rarely revisited.  I also enjoy seeing Cypher overcome his insecurities on his own (thanks to some tough parenting from Xavier).

I definitely recommend this issue, but keep in mind it concludes a 5 part arc that started during the Mutant Massacre.  It is definitely an enjoyable read, even if it isn't the best issue around.

X-Factor #11 (Mutant Massacre)

X-Factor #11 (December 1986)
Rating:  ★☆★☆
"Redemption"
Writer:  Louise Simonson
Artist:  Walt Simonson
Inker:  Bob Wiacek

First of all, I goofed a little bit.  This issue was released prior to Uncanny #213 and actually takes place a little before.  So thankfully, this isn't how the Mutant Massacre ends, because that would have been a really crappy ending.  Instead, I should have ended with Uncanny 213.  My bad.

Second, this is the last of the Mutant Massacre issues and I'm going to resume only reviewing every few issues I read.  It's taken me about a month or even longer just to get this crossover out.  I might do this again for Fall of the Mutants, but I'm not sure.  It drives my wife nuts because the comics of the crossover are left out on the desk for over a month.  Thank you to all who have checked these out, mostly from the X-Men Comics page on facebook.

The story starts out with Iceman and Beast carrying Caliban and Leech and they are attacked by several mutants as they near the exit of the Morlock tunnels.  One of them, Masque, is recognizable from his Uncanny X-Men appearances.  Leech blocks powers so Iceman sends him off, hoping his powers will give him an edge.  Of course, it backfires as the Morlocks have powers too.  The Morlocks quickly gain the upper hand, but then Cyclops and Jean show up, turning the tables.  The leader, Berzerker, calls it quits realizing that they aren't Marauders but rather they are the X-Terminators from TV.

Although Berzerker wants to head off on his own, his group convinces him to stick with X-Factor.  The rather large group now quickly heads for the exits.  Shortly before the exit, Caliban wakes up and realizes that he cannot sense any mutant life in the tunnels.  He swears vengeance, but before anything can be said, the thunder of Thor can be heard.  The group quickly hurries out of the tunnels just before the lightning storm wipes everything clean.

Once in X-Factor's HQ, Berzerker decides that they should not stay with the "human loving drain dwellers" and leads his group outside.  They sneak past the police guard (who are there because of a Morlock attack a few issues ago).  They head off to the docks of the bay and are confronted by a gang seeking to earn some easy cash.  When Berzerker's group is revealed to be mutants, the gang attacks.  The first shots kill Blow Hard (the guy with the pipe who creates wind) and wounds Masque.  Berzerker kills the leader and Masque disfigures another.  Berzerker kills another who is trying to call for help.

Back at X-Factor's complex, Jean and Cyke catch a news cast about a disfigured gang member and a firefight at the docks.  They quickly don their X-Terminator uniforms and head off.  Elsewhere, completely unrelated to the story, Apocalypse shows up at a VA hospital to visit a paralyzed Abraham Kieros.  Apocalypse offers him a chance to walk again and Abraham accepts.  Apocalypse and the newly christened War vanish in a flash of light.

Cyclops and Marvel Girl arrive and Jean uses her TK power to separate the cops from the Morlocks.  Cyclops heads after the two remaining members (Masque is down for now).  He fires an optic blast at Berzerker, scattering him and the girl, Scaleface.  Scaleface is knocked clear of Marvel Girl's shield and faces off against cops.  In reflex, she transforms to her dragon self and the cops fire, killing her.  Berzerker sees this and goes...well...berserk.  He tries to kill the cops but Cyclops strikes him with an optic blast, knocking him into the water.  When he hits the water, his body is torn apart by the electromagnetic forces and killed.

Cyclops and Jean flee the scene taking with them the only surviving Morlock, Masque.  Once they are back and resume their vigilance over the wounded Angel, they are greeted by a doctor who gives them some very disturbing news:  Angel's wings will have to be amputated.

Unfortunately, this issue had very little going for it.  The last one was so incredible with great art, character and action.  This one had unimpressive art (the issue may have been the inking).  The characters introduced were boring (Blow Hard was crap and Berzerker was a white guy with a rediculous mohawk who was mad at everything).  The action just wasn't impressive and yet still took up too much of the issue.  The few moments of humanity involved Cyclops crying over Berzerker's death which made no sense considering the two barely had any interaction.

I didn't hate this issue...but I came pretty close.

Uncanny X-Men #213 (Mutant Massacre)

Uncanny X-Men #213 (January 1987)
Rating:  ★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
"Psylocke"
Writer:  Chris Claremont
Artist:  Alan Davis
Inker:  Paul Neary

This issue kicked off 1987.  I was 8 years old, didn't even know X-Men existed.  I don't even remember much from back then.  Maybe I've been brainwashed.

This was also the first major fight we ever get to see between Sabretooth and Wolverine.  I compared last issue to the tatooine fight between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn.  Well this issue is the Duel of the Fates in all its glory.

The newest mutant at the school, Psylocke (aka Elizabeth Braddock, pre asian ninja days) is utilizing Cerebro to keep an eye on the school.  They are fearing an attack by the Marauders and she is doing her best to help out.  Essentially, though, all of the X-Men tell her to get bent.  Rogue tells her not to worry.  She examines the New Mutants' rooms, which are empty (they are lost in time in their own title).  The leaders of the X-Men (actually it's all that's left of the healthy ones) examine the tunnels, now scoured clean by Thor's lightning (of course they don't know it was Thor).  Magneto is worried about the New Mutants who they believe were in the tunnels.  Psylocke offers to help and Storm shuts her down.  She can't afford to use an "unknown".

Psylocke begins to power down Cerebro when she detects a faint signature.  The resulting feedback shorts out Cerebro and knocks Psylocke for a loop.  Elsewhere, Rogue is walking the perimeter when a gloved hand reaches out from the brush and slams Rogue several times against the ground.  A victorious Sabretooth holds her up high.  When Psylocke comes to,  she has enough sense to recognize the thought pattern as an intruder.  She attempts to alert the others but Sabretooth is there, slashing at Cerebro.  Psylocke shocks him with a blast of mental energy but not fast enough to keep Sabretooth from slashing her arm.

Psylocke runs, heading up the stairs, away from the infirmary, leading Sabretooth away from the injured and dying.  She hurls a dumbbell at Sabretooth but he grabs it and laughs, hurling it back, knocking Psylocke through a window.  The fight continues on the roof until they fall through the skylight into Storm's attic.  Sabretooth quickly gains the upperhand and is about to kill her when they are interrupted by Wolverine and Storm.  Storm delivers a few well placed blows and Psylocke escapes.

Sabretooth and Wolverine square off, both of them drawing blood.  Sabretooth tosses Wolverine onto the roof and Wolverine follows up by tackling Sabretooth, dropping them both into the pool.  Magneto prepares shackles but Psylocke has a better idea.  Use the fight to distract Sabretooth while she picks his brain for information about the Marauders.  Wolverine and Sabretooth continue to tear into each other as Psylocke sees images of the other Marauders and a shadowy image who controls them.

The fight continues onto the cliff overlooking the sea when Wolverine takes a breather to allow the X-Men to catch up to take Sabretooth captive.  Sabretooth instead jumps off the cliff and Wolverine follows.  Only Wolverine surfaces with Rogue's help as Sabretooth is nowhere to be found .

The X-Men discuss their next options, but first Wolverine announces that Psylocke has proven herself at last and is deserving of finally being called an X-Man.

The art on this issue is phenomenal.  Alan Davis has long been one of my favorite artists from the 80's, possibly even more so than John Byrne.  The panels give the perfect feeling of suspense from Psylocke falling unconscious to Rogue being taken down to Sabretooth giving chase to an injured Psylocke.  This entire issue is almost a constant action scene.

The writing is fantastic as well.  As Claremont does so well, the characters are written first over what they can do.  The interactions between them are outstanding and you can feel the tension and despair over the Massacre.

This issue took me awhile to own, but it wasn't the last of the Massacre issues.  I remember finding it at a comic convention when I was 15 (yes, 6 years after it was released).  I was so thrilled.  I barely knew anything about the mutant massacre (only what I knew from the Marvel card series).  It thrilled me back then and amazingly, despite being an idiot teenager, the copy I have now is the same copy I picked up back then.

Thor #374 (Mutant Massacre)

The Mighty Thor #374 (December 1986)
Rating:  6/10
"Fires of the Night"
Writer:  Walter Simonson
Art:  Sal Buscema
Inker:  Sal Buscema

Let me start off by saying that this issue is pretty damn good.  It would be higher except:
1)  I'm not a real big fan of Thor
2)  The art is not the greatest (Although better than Power Pack)
3)  There are too many parts of this story that have nothing to do with the Mutant Massacre crossover.
Still, I recommend reading it.  Fans of Thor might appreciate it more (although they may complain that there's too many parts with X-characters)

Unfortunately, I don't have the preceding issue which details how Thor gets down to the sewers, but this one opens with Thor standing between three Marauders and a crippled Angel.  Harpoon fires the opening salvo, but Thor easily shatters the spear.  Blockbuster attacks head on but his strength is no match for the Thunder God.  Vertigo tries to disorient Thor, but he spins his hammer and turns her attack back on the Marauders.  A blast of lightning scatters the three Marauders and they run.  Thor then turns to the critical injured Angel and takes him off the wall.  A portion of the ceiling collapses and Thor quickly removes Angel from the deteriorating room.

I skip a few pages about some white haired guy from Asgard...

The Marauders are recuperating as Sabretooth teases Blockbuster about his ineffectiveness against Thor.  Blockbuster storms off, intending to prove his worth.  Meanwhile, Thor makes his way through the tunnels and comes across Artie who was seeking Angel.  Before they can go anywhere, the ceiling above Thor cracks and down drops Blockbuster, right onto Thor's arm, breaking it!  A follow up blow sends the god careening into a wall.  He is ready to follow up when Angel jumps, trying to stop the Marauder.  Of course, Angel is completely ineffective and Blockbuster quickly gains the upper hand.  Right before he kills the winged mutant, Thor throws his hammer and it strikes Blockbuster in the face, killing the Marauder.  Thor gathers Artie and Angel and continues in seek of a way out of the tunnels.

Skip another two pages about the Warrior Three (at least I know their names).

Finally, Artie finds who he was seeking:  Cyclops and Marvel Girl.  Jean lifts Angel with her telekinesis while Cyke and Thor talk.  Cyclops quickly applies some first aid, creating a splint for Thor's shattered forearm.  They then part ways with Cyclops and Marvel Girl leading Artie and Angel away from the tunnels.  Thor stays behind to grant the fallen a funeral.  After a heated discussion with the death god, Hela, Thor calls upon lightning to purge everything from the tunnels.  The lightning stretches throughout, clearing away anything that is or was organic (remember that blast at the end of Uncanny 212).  The tunnels are finally clean of the horrible massacre.  Nothing else lives down there.

I hate reading an issue and having to skip pages because I don't care at all about what happens.  That's my biggest complaint about this issue.  I've never read Thor and don't intend to get any back issues or read any TPB.  I get tired of skipping pages so this story seems incredibly short.  Sal Buscema's art doesn't help things.  His art is too confusing to follow (much like Bachalo's artwork) and he uses way too many lines and doesn't do the best job inking his own work.

However, despite the art, the pages that do involve the Mutant Massacre are extremely exciting and fun to read.  Let's face it, Thor is a god.  The Marauders aren't supposed to be able to do much to him.  And yet Blockbuster gives it the ol' college try.  I love seeing them beat back and then almost kill Thor.  I also really enjoy seeing the rescue of Angel.  And I especially enjoy seeing Blockbuster's death by Mjolner.

Uncanny X-Men #212 (Mutant Massacre)

Uncanny X-Men #212 (December 1986)
Rating:  10.0/10.0
"The Last Run"
Writer:  Chris Claremont
Artist:  Rick Leonardi
Inker:  Dan Green

I absolutely loved this issue.  It may not have been as hectic as before with mass battles.  The X-Men were still trying to deal with the fallout from their battle last issue, but this one focused on Wolverine as he explored the carnage under the tunnels.  It was also one of the last issues of this saga that I was able to collect.  It has always been more rare than the others, probably because this was the first time you see Wolverine and Sabretooth fight.

The story opens with Wolverine exploring the tunnels, dead Morlocks everywhere he looks.  The newest mutant at Xavier's, Psylocke, communicates with him telepathically.  Wolverine gives her a quick update including that he ran across Power Pack.  She expresses concern over Storm, but Wolverine brushes her off.  Back at the mansion, Moira works as quickly as she can on the few survivors, but more still die.  Storm stands over Nightcrawler, who is in a coma, concerned that it was her leadership that brought the X-Men to ruin.  When she encounters Colossus, still armored up, she is reminded that he is now hell bent on vengeance and has killed.  She runs off as the implications hit her hard.  Colossus decides to go after her.

However, Colossus does not show up at Storm.  He instead shows up where Psylocke is, begging for help before he collapses on top of her.  Rogue, Callisto, and Magneto all arrive to help.  Rogue flies off to find Storm as Callisto and Magneto remain to help Psylocke and Colossus.

In the tunnels, Wolverine continues his search, coming across more familiar scents:  the original X-Factor.  Before he can process them all, he's struck from behind.

Back at the mansion, they try to help Colossus, who appears comatose in his armored form.  Magneto decides to help, figuring his mastery over metals should cure the X-Man.  After a strenuous effort that taxes Magneto, Colossus is left stuck, although he is able to ask for help, although it is barely audible.  He is truly a metal statue at this point, unable to move.

In the tunnels, Wolverine confronts his attacker.  It's Sabretooth, holding up the Morlock Healer, who is still alive, if only barely.  During the conversation, we are treated to two gems.  First of all, Wolverine and Sabretooth have a past history.  Second, the man who ordered the Marauders to destroy the Morlocks is named Mister Sinister.  Wolverine doesn't waste anymore time and attacks.
At the mansion, Callisto finds Rogue who has not had any luck finding Storm.  Rogue gives Callisto Storm's jacket and Callisto agrees to find Storm and bring her home.  Callisto comes across Storm who is wanting to give up leadership.  Callisto and her fight as Callisto claims that what the X-Men have suffered is nothing compared to the Morlocks and yet Callisto still goes on leading them and so should Storm.

In the tunnels, Wolverine and Sabretooth exchange blows, Sabretooth gaining the upper hand.  Eventually, though, Wolverine collapses the tunnel, separating them.  Turns out, Wolverine was fighting only to separate Sabretooth from the Healer.  Wolverine picks up the Healer with Sabretooth screaming at him from beyond the wall and he walks off, back to the mansion.

Callisto and Storm finally stop fighting and Callisto gets Storm to realize that she is still the leader of the X-Men and that is what they need.  She returns Storm's vest to her and admits respect for the X-Men leader.

Wolverine shows up at the exit of the tunnels at the mansion.  Rogue and Tom Corsi help Wolverine get the Healer inside.  Wolverine also mentions that he caught several New Mutants' scents in the tunnels, even though the tunnels have long been off limits.  Before they can decide what to do, Rogue hurries them into the hangar as a massive blast of fire rips through the tunnels.  Rogue and Wolverine both understand the implications.  If the New Mutants were down there, they are dead.

To all who hated The Phantom Menace, I apologize for the analogy I'm about to use.  This story was kind of similar to the encounter on Tatooine with Darth Maul.  It was almost a teaser to what we would see in the next issue.  It wasn't a full fight, with Wolverine working to escape rather than truly defeat his adversary.  That is what I love about it.  The fight is intense, and Leonardi's art works perfectly in this issue.  I love the characterization here regarding Storm, Wolverine, and Psylocke.  All three are just so lifelike in dealing with this tragedy in different ways.  Storm is filled with regret as no other leader of the X-Men has ever led the group to this sort of ruin.  Wolverine is filled with hatred, but also understands the need to help the Morlocks rather than continue old rivalries.  and Psylocke is the new kid on the block with the right stuff and just wants to help, but nobody thinks that she really knows what she is talking about.

I do kind of miss the other Marauders, but I think it was the right call to leave them out.  The massacre is complete at this point and all that is left is for cleanup.  And although I'm not the biggest fan of Wolverine, I do love to see his first battle with his age-old enemy.  It wasn't his first battle ever, but it was the first battle readers ever got to see.