I know it was kind of the style in the late 1970s/early 1980s to have the narrator speak to the characters in the caption boxes, but Chris Claremont’s over-writing was evident even in this early issue. Look at how Cyke wrestles with Thunderbird’s death.
In the next panel, he fires his eyeblasts in rage.
This inadvertently releases demons, who the team fight for this rest of this issue.
During the battle, Storm has flashbacks of her childhood, which help develop her origin.
Meanwhile, we have the first appearance of Steven Lang, who inherited the plans and funding for Sentinels after Trask’s death.
He’s a fanatic. No sign of new Sentinels yet, but obviously, it’s coming. Good suspense-building plot-seeding. That’s what Claremont is best known.
Also in this issue: Enter, Moira MacTaggert!
I think Cyclops is nuts, and more than a bit melodramatic, if he truly believes that the sacrifice of one man ( or woman ) regardless of WHO it is, to “save the world from a nuclear holocaust”- is too high!!! As the long-time leader of the X-Men, ( even by this point ) Cyclops is well aware of the concept of collateral damage. It was a good deal, if a tragic one. ( of course, Thunderbird was nerve-wracking and obnoxious, but, somehow, nobody ever wants to discuss that ) At least somebody, somewhere acknowledges that Chris Claremont tends to overwrite his prose. He does. In doing so, he is trying to make a point. The point being, he’s smart. Unusually smart. Damn smart, even. Like our friends the Japanese, Chris Claremont will never use one word of dialogue when fifty will do. Just the way he is. Likes to write. Probably gets paid by the word, like Charles Dickens did. Well, that’s between Claremont, and Marvel. If Marvel wants to piss all their money away on a windbag hack, that’s their business. ( and money ) I will say this for the late, great ‘Dynamic’ Dave Cockrum- while no John Byrne, Dynamic Dave drew Storm in such an irresistible manner, ( see gorgeous shot of her posterior, above ) his renderings of her royal loveliness went a VERY long way into helping a heartbroken, hardcore, diehard Original X-Men fan cope with the fact, and the reality, of the ‘New’ X-Men. X-celsior!!