Okay–big issue. Lots and lots of new stuff. I have to rave again at how Marvel let Chris Claremont tell his story very slowly, unfolding over the course of years and years. Decades, eventually.
In this issue we learn that Wolverine has a history studying the techniques of the ninja in Japan–more of his Japan backstory that we are getting in drips and drabs.
It enables him to drop Nightcrawler, despite his teleportation ability.
We also meet Caliban for the first time. He serves as the “villain” in this story, which is kind of a “girls’ night out” tale featuring Storm, Spider-Woman, Dazzler, and Kitty Pryde.
No sign of the rest of Moorlocks yet, but we do see him crawl out of the sewers in the beginning of the story.
And, look! He’s disguised in a trenchcoat!
This is also the issue where Chris Claremont gave Kitty the power to walk on air. And it makes sense, because if she phases through solids then she must be standing on something, right?
It’s really cool to watch a creator discover his own characters’ power set like this.
Meanwhile, Cyclops has been stuck on a desert island for several issues, and now it’s revealed that he’s not alone on that island…
Banshee gets a better backstory when he learns he has a daughter.
Theresa O’Rourke, aka Siryn. The character has already appeared in Spider Woman.
In 1980, John Byrne, who was coming down the homestretch on his legendary three-year ‘X-Men’ run, lobbied Claremont and Marvel hard to have the Angel reinstated to the team, being a huge fan of the First Class. He succeeded by having the Air Ace fill in for Cyclops, who was on bereavement leave, following the death of the Phoenix. The Winged Wonder participated in a few noteworthy adventures ( most notably the legendary “Days of Future Past” storyline ) before being unceremoniously written out in this issue, because John Byrne also left the series, and Claremont hates all the Original X-Men. The scene, a one-pager where the Angel gives Professor X an “It’s him or me” ultimatum in re Wolverine, results in his literal departure out the nearest window when the Professor refuses to knuckle under to the Angel’s terms. What’s interesting is Storm’s presence in the room as storm clouds gather in the distance, reflecting her unhappiness with the Angel’s attitude. What’s also interesting is that the Angel is quite correct about his concerns in regards to the feral mutant. In his time with the X-Men up to that point, Wolverine HAS tried to murder his own teammates, at least four times, beginning, chronologically, with the Angel himself, in ‘Classic X-Men’#1, followed by an attempt on Nightcrawler in issue#96, followed by an attempted hit on Cyclops the following issue, ( #97 ) and a second attempt on Nightcrawler in the opening pages of issue#143! Merry Christmas! You’re DEAD!! And THAT’S just the examples I can remember! Of course, the Professor’s logic is, unfortunately, unassailable, stating, ( perhaps correctly ) that if they turn the ol’ Canucklehead out, he will probably go to the enemy! I DOUBT that- he would probably just return to Alpha Flight. Seems like the logical thing. Wolverine, as we all know, isn’t REALLY evil- he’s just misunderstood!! And if an X-Man, or three, or four, has to get GUTTED in order to accommodate that understanding, well, that’s just tough TITTY!!! WHO will be NEXT, I wonder-??? Kitty Pryde, maybe-??? So- It’s a tough call, a very serious issue where nobody is actually wrong, and everybody’s actually right!! Tough! Also in this issue: At this point in time, Claremont ( and Marvel ) were trying pretty hard to promote the first ‘Spider-Woman’ character, with a series that Marvel could not pay anybody to read, and LOTS of guest-appearances throughout the Marvel Universe, including her pervasive appearance here. Spider-Woman was and is a ‘Claremont Chick’, which means the writer isn’t going to let her go easily. Her series eventually folded, she was eventually supplanted by a newer, improved model, ( beginning in the upcoming ‘Secret War’ series ) and I don’t know what eventually happened to her, but considering how much Claremont and Marvel had invested in her, I’m truly astonished she didn’t wind up in the X-Men, even though she isn’t a mutant. ( at least I don’t THINK she is-IS she-?? I understand that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are no longer mutants anymore, as of this point in time, so-who the hell knows-??? ) I was hoping that the introduction of the Banshee’s cute daughter Syren in this issue would help serve to reintroduce the Banshee back onto the team, but, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Chris Claremont, is that if there’s a character or X-Man that I LIKE, then I can pretty-much FORGET about them being included in his comics! Of course, he DID eventually bring Havok back on several years later, which I truly appreciated. Havok is one of Marvel’s greatest, underserved X-Men, along with Sunfire. So- yay, Angel, Banshee, and Havok, and phooey on Wolverine! Nuff said!!