Uncanny X-Men #227 (Fall of the Mutants)

Uncanny X-Men #227 (March 1988)
Rating:  ★★★★★★★★★
The Belly of the Beast!
Writer:  Chris Claremont
Artist:  Marc Silvestri
Inker:  Dan Green

This is it.  This is easily one of the most pivotal issues of Uncanny X-Men until the creation of the Blue/Gold teams.  This issue is a thrill ride throughout.  I especially love how a good portion is told from the perspective of the reporter, Neal.  Claremont is superb, giving us shots of each of the X-Men in action.  In fact, this issue alone is a fantastic starting point for any young reader as you don't need to know anything about the X-men.  Their powers are described in the next few panels.

I also love how Neal, who has tried to be the voice of reason, admits that the mutants can be scary when you have one who is more vicious than many of the villains and one who wields the power of the sun.  "What are we, compared to that?"

It's also an interesting concept.  The X-Men's world has turned into Vietnam during the war.  We discover that Forge unleashed the Adversary in a fit of rage over his fallen comrades.  I do like the idea of a mutant having fought in Vietnam and essentially coming away with PTSD.  Forge is a recluse and this is probably why.  The visuals are amazing and Silvestri does a great job showing the anguish on Forge's face as he tries to save his soldiers.  Of course this is all an illusion, but it serves to show what happened and where Adversary came from.

A big part of this issue is an attempt to give the X-Men the recognition they deserve.  Neal is somewhat of a "fifth wheel", but he just wants to give the X-Men a chance as the world is watching.  Of course some view him as an annoyance (actually just one:  Wolverine) but others appreciate what he is attempting.

Finally, the X-Men go after the villain.  The action is pretty intense from here on out.  Longshot's luck holds out and actually wounds Adversary.  Claremont actually has a history of showing the power of steel (an iron alloy) over magic.  I've always wondered where this came from, but it shows up several times.  Longshot functioning as a kite to pull the X-Men onto Adversary's citadel is fantastic.  He was always an enjoyable character.

Colossus gets to join the action in one of the greatest scenes of the issue.

The Adversary literally falls apart, revealing his true form.  It is a great return of such an iconic X-Man.  He quickly proves his worth in this issue (which is especially great as Wolverine proves to be useless).

Of course most who know the history know what comes next.  Even Storm, Rogue (who absorbed the Adversary's powers), Dazzler, and Havok are unable to force the Adversary back where he comes from.  So a decision will have to be made.  The X-Men must die.  This sets into motion several different changes.  Excalibur is created, X-Factor and New Mutants are forever changed, Illyana heads down her dark path which will ultimately lead to Inferno.  And of course the X-Men become celebrities.

Of course the X-Men don't die, but soon after they take up residence in the outback.  Many consider this the golden era of X-Men.  I'm not sure which incarnation I prefer, but there's no denying the great stories to follow.  This issue truly is a game changer and I'm not sure if there's a better end to a major story.  Ever.