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.