Uncanny X-Men #282 (November, 1991) "Payback" Plot/Pencils - Whilce Portacio Script - John Byrne Inks - Art Thibert Colors - Dana Moreshead Letters - Tom Orzechowski Edits - Bob Harras Chief - Tom DeFalco Cover Price: $1.00
It's been a pretty rough few days, my friends... emotionally draining, and just plain unpleasantly busy overall. This is kind of embarrassing to admit, though perhaps it shouldn't be... but, I'm still processing the loss of our dog. It's been four months now, and the hurt just refuses to go away. If anything, it only seems to intensify. It makes it very difficult to do much of anything... as he was so, I dunno, entwined I guess, with everything I do on a daily basis. He was always there, by my side... no matter if I was writing, recording... or doing yard work or yoga. Every day, for fourteen years. And now... he's not. I don't think I've allowed myself to actually grieve properly... just kept forcing myself to push forward. That stuff... those feelings... they just don't "pass", I suppose. They're going to have to be faced and dealt with eventually... and, my subconscious appears to be drawing it out to make the sensation as painful and life-destroying as possible. On that happy note...
I'm dipping back into the old From Claremont to Claremont show-prep well to find anything I haven't already repurposed into a blog post for our humble and hollow internet home. I think I've found one worth "zsuszing up".
--
We open at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where the Prof and Forge are engaging in a game of Chess. Charles ekes out a win, and acknowledges that he knew Forge had activated a psychic dampener in order to keep things "fair". Before setting the board back up for a rematch, the pair are interrupted by the arrival of the Gold Strike Force... and a Sentinel head. This is a pretty ugly panel...
... though we do see via his bookshelf, that Professor X has been keeping up with the Infinity Gauntlet limited-series! So that's sorta fun.
Storm explains what happened last issue... which... even the editorial caption informs us isn't what actually happened. The wheels are coming off this book already! Bob Harras writes, "Not Quite what you saw last issue, but take our word for it! It's what happened!" Yeah, nice try...
The Professor is shocked to see Jean in such a state... and informs the team that, if she were actually dead, he'd have felt it when it happened. A deeper probe reveals that Jean Grey isn't actually dead... only displaced. But... where?
We shift scenes to Shinobi Shaw's penthouse apartment... the caption tells us it's late at night, even though the art makes it seem like it's pretty bright out. Anyhoo, Trevor Fitzroy is paying the man a visit to inform him that... well, he's won the game. Not only did he kill Donald Pierce, but he also took out the White Queen and her entire pack o' Hellions! We learn here that Jean Grey is actually occupying the mind of Emma Frost, by the way.
He demands Shinobi's ring... which, I guess denotes he's the leader of the Upstarts. Imagine that being the "topper" on your resume? Shinobi assures him he won't give it up without a fight... and so, Fitzroy decides he'll just cut the dude's finger off and take the ring by force.
Back at the Mansion, the X-Men put together a plot to save Jean. They deduce that Fitzroy's base is located on an iceberg somewhere in the Arctic. Forge and Professor X decide they're coming along on this mission... which appears to make Storm a little uneasy.
We rejoin Fitzroy, who is accompanied by his weird little sidekick, Bantam, and a trio of heavily-armored guards. Suddenly... a portal opens! This is rather a shock to Trevor, as he had nothing to do with it. From the portal springs... two men, who, in the process of passing through, wind up melded into one!
Fitzroy puts them out of their misery, and blames Bantam for the boner. Ya see, Fitzroy make'a the portals, and Bantam is supposed to be monitoring them all. Bantam reveals that this portal didn't seem strong enough to actually work... and so, he stopped paying it any mind. Or something. Bantam thinks to himself that Trevor needs to be more responsible with his powers... otherwise, ya never know who or what might crawl out of the next portal! Let's put a pin in that for the moment...
The X-Men arrive over the iceberg... and it's confirmed, as if we didn't already know, that Jean transferred her psyche into the nearest telepath last issue... and, of course, that telepath was Emma Frost. Xavier assumes this means that Frost is actually dead... but, again, finds it strange that he didn't "feel" her dying.
Back inside, Fitzroy prepares to "feed". His Sentinels warn that there's an aircraft approaching... but he silences them. He's surrounded by his hostage Hellions... and is getting ready to suck up all of their energies. He starts with Tarot. It's here where Fitzroy's speech pattern is really started to get to me... any time he addresses someone, he starts his statement with "My dear...", like "My dear Tarot.", or God forbid, "My dear Beef."
Fitzroy uses Tarot's energy to open up yet another portal. From this one, we meet a trio of gaudy geeks named Burke, Kroeger, and Stylles. Trevor and Kroeger have some contentious back-n-forth, resulting in the K-Man trying to leave through the same portal he entered... and learning the hard way that it was only a "one way" trip.
Just then, Jean Grey-as-Emma Frost reveals herself to be, ya know, awake... and lashes out at Fitzroy with some telekinetics. This, naturally, catches Trevor off-guard, as Emma Frost is "nothing more than a telepath" and shouldn't be able to do any of this.
Then... the cavalry arrives!
What follows are several pages of the X-Men just tearing through Fitzroy's Sentinel army. I can only wonder what Byrne might've thought when he got faxed these pages. Fitzroy has finally had enough, and rushes over to his hostage Hellions of drain more power than he'd ever drained before!
In turn, he uses this energy to... say it with me... open up yet another portal. From this one emerges... well, basically Morlocks from the future. Just a gaggle of interchangeable geeks... without any sort of defining characteristics.
The X-Men wipe the floor with them. Fitzroy is still pretty confident... but that all changes when some heavy firepower comes blasting through the still-open portal.
He turns in horror to see his old rival... Bishop (flanked by Malcolm and Randall Redshirt).
Weird Comics History - That Time the Invisible Woman Got a Mullet
Fantastic Four #258 (September, 1983) - Fantastic Four #287 (February, 1986) A Saga by John Byrne with a little help from his fans
Here's something a little bit different for your Sunday -- dusting off the ol' Weird Comics History brand, and chatting up a bit of... well, weird comics history. It's nothing Earth-shattering, and you probably won't actually learn anything today -- but, I thought it would be fun to pop in on a happening from the early-mid 1980s that -- does get a bit of chatter, but that chatter is more about the destination than the journey.
There are some notable instances in comics history in which the fans of the funnybooks get a "say" (or at least the perception of a say) as to certain story beats, team makeups, or what have you. Sometimes these decisions leave a long-lasting impact... other times, it's barely a blip. This one transcends all'a that. This is bigger than any "comic book story". This is an event which actually changed society as a whole. Now, you can keep your Jason Todd 900 numbers, and your Hellfire Gala X-Men Votes -- because this, my friends,is far more important than any of that. This is all about the time the comic fans held the very fate of Sue Richards...'s hair in their hands.
But first, a little backstory. As I've said time and again, my first exposure to many of the (non-X) Marvel Superheroes was via the Marvel Universe trading card sets. Back in the long ago, I never saw myself as a "Marvel Fan" -- I was an X-Men fan. Didn't have time for the Avengers, Fantastic Four... heck, I'd only pop in on Spidey every now and again. So, all of my (vast) Marvel knowledge came from what was written on the back of these cards. And, since these facts were among the first things I learned... well, I think my brain kinda prioritized them as being the most important bits... even to this very day!
Let's take a look at the Invisible Woman's card from Marvel Universe, Series I (1990):
Boy, how nice is it to see her name listed as "Invisible Woman" and not "MARVEL'S Invisible Woman"? Hate that.
The "Didja Know" boxes on the bottom of these cards included some of the neatest information -- nothing all that important, but something different than the usual "Name/Rank/Serial Number". Looking at Sue's, hers is all about how she changes up her hairstyle pretty often. At the time, I didn't have much of a frame of reference to back that up. I only knew the Sue who was currently on the racks. I certainly wasn't dipping into the back-issue bins for old issues of Fantastic Four -- what do I look like, some sort of comic book fan?! It was just a bit of info that I dumped into my mental archives, and never really thought of again.
Fast-forward to a handful of years later, and Heroes Return was the big thing in comics. I'll admit, I got sucked in -- and, for the most part, I stuck. Curiosity, too much disposable income, as well as too little common sense and self control led to me, for the first time ever, regularly buying books outside the X-Line. And, being something of a rabid completionist, I started dipping my toe into the back issue bins... looking for "classics" (ie. 80s-90s books that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg) to add to my collection. This was just barely post-boom -- 1997 or so, when the back-issue bins were still the home of books that'd put you thru college and pay off your mortgage. What I'm trying to say here is, they were still demanding decently high prices.
Though, there were books that appeared to be immune. Books like Excalibur, Alpha Flight, and... Fantastic Four. I'm sure there were others, but -- these three were among those on my "backfill list", so they stand out. I began to amass quite an impressive (to me, anyway) collection of FF... going all the way back to the, sorta-kinda mythical Byrne run. As a young comics enthusiast in the early 90s, I'd hear tell of the "glory days" of the 80s. Walt Simonson's Thor, Chris Claremont on X-Men (duh), Mark Gruenwald on Cap... and, of course, John Byrne's Fantastic Four. Any time I was able to grab an ish... any ish... from one of these runs, I felt as though I was holding a piece of history. Yes, I do tend to overromanticize things... why do you ask?
It was an especially great day when I happened into the very first issue of the Byrne FF run. It was in a dollar bin, of all places... and, I guess it's safe to say that the back-issue bonanza "worm" had turned. Shops, at least those in my neck of the woods, were in what felt like "liquidation mode", just get 'em gone. A great time for collectors like me... but, maybe not the greatest sign in the strength of the industry (and the retailer arm of).
Now, I say all of that - so I might say this. Cracking open that first Byrne issue, which I have covered here on the site -- in the then-novel (for me) and inaugural "Marvel May" article, in 2020. Within the first few pages, we see Sue Storm getting her hair done at a fru-fru salon. Here's a snip (no pun intended) from that piece:
Fantastic Four #232 (1981) - (w/a) John Byrne
When I wrote about this issue, I commented that this was a "very Byrne-y scene" to include... and we'll talk more about that in just a bit. First though, it was in seeing this scene that I recalled that silly li'l "Didja Know?" box on the trading card. And, being the more "seasoned" comics enthusiast that I was at the time, I suddenly realized that -- yeah, Sue does change her look an awful lot. More so than most comic book characters (well, intentionally anyway -- we're not talking editorial oversight or lack of artist consistency here). I can appreciate that as a character beat... and, as such, I enjoy seeing scenes like this play out on-panel -- or, at the very least, get mentioned on-panel. I'm also a very big fan of the concept of "style sheets", as in -- if you're drawing such-and-such book, here's what the character(s) LOOK LIKE. Nowadays, there are certain characters who's "look" can't stay consistent from panel to panel, much less issue to issue -- I'll spare y'all the cute "*cough*" sound effect, and just say - Carol Danvers.
To explain my "very Byrne-y scene" comment -- well, being a fella who often gets lost in the weeds of the comics hobby... and, tries to look for patterns... or really anything "noteworthy" that I might be able to dig into and discuss, I couldn't help but notice that JB has had some of female cast members drastically change their looks when he hopped onto a title/franchise. Here are just a couple of the noteworthiest examples (in my opinion):
Man of Steel #4 (November, 1986)Avengers West Coast #56 (March, 1990)Hmm... if I didn't know better, I'd guess they were the same person
Despite looking like they could be twin-sisters, or - ya know, the same person -- this is Lois Lane and the Scarlet Witch. I suppose we might say they've got "RBF"... Resting Byrne Face. And, hey, I love JB's work -- but, even Marvel has acknowledged RBF.
Marvel: Year in Review 1991
Where was I? Oh yeah, John Byrne designing "new looks" for characters under his purview. I may be projecting, but his adherence to and appreciation for how certain characters are supposed to look really comes through in his work. If he makes a change to attempt to update them to current-year, or if the character faces some sort of internal crisis -- those changes feel organic. A character like Sue Storm... who, as the trading card said, often changes up how she looks, doesn't really need much reason.
However, since that is part of her character -- mebbe JB can have a bit of fun shaking up her look a bit. Mebbe he might even reach out to the readership to get some of their thoughts on how Sue oughta be brought into the mid-80s? Enter: Sue's Coiffure Contest. In the Fantastic Four Fan Page (Letters Page) from Fantastic Four #258 (September, 1983), Byrne makes the following announcement:
Fantastic Four #258 (September, 1983)
FF #258 also includes that scene where it's revealed that the Dr. Doom who Arcade lit a match on over in Uncanny X-Men #146 (June, 1981) was a Doombot. So, the Coiffure Contest and JB being a bit precious! In retrospect, this is a far more important issue than I initially thought -- I'd better slab the thing ASAP! Anyway, I guess that goofy haircut Milo gave her during Byrne's "Back to Basics" wasn't one of her faves. It's worth noting, at this point in the comic, Sue's taken to wearing a "very unglamorous" brown wig, as part of an attempt at having a secret identity (Susan Benjamin). Hmm, if Sue thinks that look is unglamorous... well, just you wait!
Fantastic Four #259 (October, 1983) - (w/a) John Byrne
It's worth noting here, that Sue "Benjamin" Storm was pregnant with her and Reed's second child at this point -- and, there were rumblings in the letters pages (and in the comics themselves) that she was about to undergo some sort of "coming of age" -- shedding the Invisible Girl name, becoming the Invisible Woman (though, the Letters Pages seemed more keen on her going by "Mrs. Fantastic"). Speaking of "changes", hatchi matchi... here's a look at the Fantastic Four Fan Page from FF #263 (February, 1984):
Fantastic Four #263 (February, 1984)
It's announced here that, within the first few months of this contest, Marvel has received 528 entries! Good grief -- though, it's worth noting that a grip of those entries were requesting that Sue revisit some looks from the past. We get some "honorable mentions" listed here -- which, if I were a real comics historian, and not just a fake-ass one, I'd have probably made some effort to tracking down some of these folks for comment.
Some of the parameters of the contest are better laid out here -- the winning style has to be: a) practical, b) attractive, c) suitable to Sue, and d) not too painful to have to draw a few dozen times per issue. Well, I'm guessing this disqualifies like nine outta every ten entries right there! John Byrne does take the time to render a couple of the suggested looks here -- these are apparently the two that have gotten the most votes. They're not going to win, for a variety of reasons -- but, the people have spoken -- further proving that old Stan Lee quote "Don't ever give the fans what they think they want" true. I can actually see Sue wearing the look on the left -- though, it does look like it'd be a pain in the ass to draw. The mohawk though? C'mahhhhn. I'm sure JB had fun with this though.
Issue #263 was the official END of the contest -- as in, quit sending us yer stuff.
Fantastic Four #266 (May, 1984) sees Sue hanging out at the wig shop -- looking for a more glamorous hair-hat. Worth noting, that her own hair looks a lot different than it has in these last several issues -- so, you might've assumed that this scene right here was the "big reveal" of the Coiffure Contest Winner! But... no such luck, Chuck. This is just a stop-gap hairdo on our way to something so tragic that FEMA may have to be called in.
Fantastic Four #265 (April, 1984)Fantastic Four #266 (May, 1984)
Here's a look at Sue from Fantastic Four #268 (July, 1984) -- a storyline that is much more important than the silly Coiffure Contest -- however, since we're talking about the silly Coiffure Contest, I gotta show it. Um, what was that I was saying about Byrne being consistent with character appearances? This is literally the third hairstyle Sue's had... in as many issues. Ehh, let's just blame Secret Wars. Yeah, I know she wasn't there... but, we'll blame it anyway.
Fantastic Four #268 (July, 1984) - (w/a) John Byrne
The following issue features Sue with some very long hair... the lengths of which I don't think we've ever seen her wear.
Fantastic Four #269 (August, 1984) - (w/a) John Byrne
This issue, Fantastic Four #269 (August, 1984) is also very notable for our contest... as, the WINNER is announced! Well, sorta. Ya see, whoever sent in this winning style... neglected to include a note with their drawing! And, I mean... in hindsight... I guess it'd make sense that nobody would wanna take credit for this thing. Well, "clear" credit anyway -- the did sign the piece... and, as far as Marvel can make out they've got a last name of Mayes... and a first name of... well, somethin'. Their best guesses are Tyron, Byron, or just-plain Ron. So, if you're reading this Mr. (or Ms.) Mayes -- reach out. That is, of course, if Ty-By-Ron Mayes isn't just another name for John Byrne. From the Fan Page:
Fantastic Four #269 (August, 1984)
So, you might be wondering... how long are we going to have to wait in order to SEE the winning Coiffure? Well, just a couple of issues, actually. Fantastic Four #271 (October, 1984) opens with the gut-punch that is... Sue's Mullet.
Fantastic Four #271 (October, 1984) - (w/a) John Byrne
Happy Birthday, indeed. Gotta wonder if JB used Florence Henderson as a point of reference for this one... Sue's lookin' very Carol Brady here.
Sue's bad decision isn't the only notable bit about this issue -- it also marks the shift in the letters page from the Fantastic Four Fan Page to the Fantastic Forum. The letters page has been busily taking JB to task for murdering characters left and right... and thus, Byrne challenged the readership to send in their thoughts on who they would kill (in the book, natch) if they could. Apparently this got quite the response... however, not near as many replies as the Coiffure Contest!
Fantastic Four #271 (October, 1984)
Now, for such a popular and engaging contest, you'd assume that the letters pages for the next several issues might be full of reactions to this dramatic change in appearance for Sue, right? Well... notsomuch. This change of appearance isn't even commented on once in the Fantastic Forum... and heck, far as I can tell, Reed doesn't even compliment her on her new look. I mean, this might be a case of "If you have nothing nice to say..." but still. Weird that something that had a bit of pomp and circumstance doesn't get any play on-panel.
So, how long was Sue bemulleted anyway? It's funny, looking back, memory being what it is, it feels like the Sue-mullet era lasted for like... several years. It wasn't quite that long, however... though it was around for some pretty memorable little ditties, like the time Sue became the Hatemonger's sidekick-of-sorts, Malice.
Fantastic Four #280 (July, 1985) - (w/a) John Byrne
Which also gave us this little sequence...
Fantastic Four #261 (August, 1985) - (w/a) John Byrne
It was also while mulleted that Sue changed her name from Invisible Girl to Invisible Woman.
Fantastic Four #284 (November, 1985) - (w/a) John Byrne
Sue was mud-flapped during the Return of Jean Grey!
Fantastic Four #286 (January, 1986) - (w/a) You Know Who
And, in the very next issue -- in a "very Byrne-y scene", Sue finally gets turned back into a normal human - on-panel.
Fantastic Four #287 (February, 1986) - (w/a) John Byrne
Sue's Mullet: Fantastic Four #271 (October, 1984) - Fantastic Four #287 (February, 1986). Sixteen months of style -- and probably one of the sillier things I've spent any amount of time researching and writing about. If you're still reading at this point, I humbly thank you for joining me on this odd little adventure.
Uncanny X-Men #282 (November, 1991) "Payback" Plot/Pencils - Whilce Portacio Script - John Byrne Inks - Art Thibert Colors - Dana Moreshead Letters - Tom Orzechowski Edits - Bob Harras Chief - Tom DeFalco Cover Price: $1.00
The Coming of Bishop... well, sorta... he shows up on the last page... and the cover...
In todays segmented From Claremont to Claremont, my pal Billy (@Billyd_licious) and I talk all about it... and the lengths the X-Men will go to in order to make sure everybody is in their right body!
Also - Billy sits in the hotseat for the Pod-File!
Continuing our way through the legendary (legendary mean from like a really long time ago, right?) first episode of From Claremont to Claremont: An X-Men Podcast - and in this segment, I'm joined by my pal Billy (@BiLLYd_licious) to discuss the first issue of the new-look Uncanny X-Men! The Gold Team is up to their shoulders in trouble... but not quite as much as the poor Hellions (RIP in Pieces Beef!).
Billy will also share with us his X-Fan Secret Origin! It's a fun conversation, I hope you'll tune in!
At the midway point of our vacation from Krakoa, we take a look at... perhaps that "Christmas with the X-Men" book that pops into most of our heads anytime we think about "Christmas with the X-Men" books -- even though, when it comes down to it - it ain't all that Christmassy!
Today we're going to get into the head of the newest X-Man, Kitty Pryde, as she tries to protect her home from the dreaded Wet Bandits... err, N'Garai Demon. We also meet Captain Aletys Forrester - listen along as I mispronounce THAT name a half-dozen ways, and probably never say it right even once!
We'll also discuss the ending of the Claremont/Byrne era, the not-so-subtle inspiration for this issue... and much more!
Uncanny X-Men #281 (October, 1991) "Fresh Up Start" Plot - Jim Lee Plot & Pencils - Whilce Portacio Script - John Byrne Inks - Art Thibert Letters - Tom Orzechowski Colors - Joe Rosas Editor - Bob Harras Chief - Tom DeFalco Cover Price: $1.00 Ages ago following Schism, when Uncanny X-Men had it's first renumbering and "new #1", I concocted a list of times that would've made more sense to dump the legacy numbering. Schism, wasn't quite as big of a deal as Marvel made it out to be... and was more or less just another Cyclops and Wolverine "falling out". The issue we'll be looking at today is one of those times where I think Marvel could've "gotten away with" a renumbering. I wouldn't have liked it... but, I could definitely understand it a bit more than following the nothing-burger that was Schism. To me, if this book was ever going to be renumbered... it should have been either here, or when the book returned to new content following Giant-Size. Let's get into it... and try not to feel too bad for poor John Byrne having to script these panels at the 13th hour. --
We open in the Australian Outback, where the Reavers are having themselves a good time drinking and chatting. All's not completely calm, however, as one of 'em is certain he'd heard something stirring from outside their camp. Donald Pierce tells the fella to shut up... they're too far off the beaten path (and in the middle of a sandstorm) where nobody can find them. Well, not so fast, kemosabe... just then, a group of rough-looking Sentinels peel the roof off the joint as though it were a can of tuna fish!
Meanwhile, in New York City, the X-Men's Gold Strike Force is attending a party at the Hellfire Club. Turns out they were asked to come by Emma Frost herself. Storm laments the fact that she had to wear a "preposterous gown" to the gala... but, it's looks more like a minidress to me. She, Jean, and Warren are hanging out upstairs... while Bobby and Piotr mingle among the other guests... and members of Frost's own Hellions.
Naturally, there's a bit of friction between the two factions... however, before it can come to blows, Emma Frost hurls some armored woman through a set of double doors. This is an assassin who had been sent to kill her... and it isn't the first time this happened (this week!). Just as the cover copy suggests... this is the sorta thing upon which "desperate alliances" are built.
Elsewhere, Shinobi Shaw is being attended to by a whole bunch of scantily clad folks while chatting up a fella who we will soon know as Trevor Fitzroy. They're comparing notes... and discussing a little "game" their group is currently playing. Ya see, these two belong to the Upstarts... a group of assassins who try and rack up points by killing mutants... and assorted V.I.P.s. Shinobi is currently the "king" of this organization... but Fitzroy might just be looking to challenge for the crown.
Back at the party, Frost is about to "peel the psyche" of her would-be assassin. The X-Men naturally protest this sort of psychic torture, and intervene before it goes too far.
This triggers the Hellions to launch into battle... and before we know it, we're in the middle of a full-blown skirmish! Remembering that they're there for a reason, Jean sends out a frantic psychic signal to get everyone to stand down. When the dust settles, Frost reveals that the Hellfire Club is under attack... and suggests that the X-Men might be next. Therefore, it might be in everybody's best interest for there to be a truce.
The Hellion Jetstream posits that they interrogate the armored assassin in hopes that she'll spill the beans on whoever might be behind these repeated attempts on their lives. Before he can, however, Trevor Fitzroy pops onto the scene!
Back in the Outback, Donald Pierce is fleeing from his robotic pursuers. Bashing through a wall, he runs into Lady Deathstrike. She proceeds to attack the Sentinel, slicing off it's arm. Surprisingly, this Sentinel is able to reattach the lost limb without much in the way of inconvenience!
More Sentinels follow... and Pierce continues his escape. He runs up a nearby hill, where he finds Gateway... the aboriginal mutant, with teleportation powers. He demands the fella spin his "bullroarer" and send him to "the one responsible" for this assault. No sooner does he step through the portal do the Sentinels arrive. They appear to look at Gateway, but do not attack him.
Back in New York, Fitzroy is just having his way with the Hellions... killing two of their number (Jetstream and... uh, Beef) in as many panels. Frost and the X-Men go on the offensive, however, the armor the baddie's wearing protects him from any psychic attacks. Suddenly, Donald Pierce arrives on the scene, popping out of a portal...
... followed by a whole bunch of Sentinels! The X-Men and Hellions team up to battle back the bots. In the fracas, however, Emma Frost is struck dead! Somehow, that is... the art isn't terribly clear.
The X-Hellions alliance continues to fight the good fight while Trevor Fitzroy looks on. After engaging in a divide and conquer approach, it all comes down to a two-on-one confrontation between a pair of Sentinels and Jean Grey.
With one last desperate attempt, Jean does... something psychic-y (which will make a teensy bit more sense next issue). The Sentinels confirm her death, and retreat. Fitzroy looks on satisfied, knowing he just racked up a whole lotta Upstart points.
We wrap up with Colossus carrying Jean's lifeless body out of the Club while Senator Robert Kelly rushes onto the scene to give the heroes some grief.
-- I feel like when you talk to comics enthusiasts of the long ago, and you ask them which of the Image founders they like the least (insofar as art style), the immediate (almost knee-jerk) go-to is "Rob Liefeld". For me, however... it's Whilce Portacio. Fundamentally, he's a good artist, don't get me wrong. There isn't (as much) wonky anatomy, though there's still a staggering lack of feet (Liefeld might be the least guilty yet most blamed for this phenomenon)... I, for whatever reason, just don't like looking at Whilce's work. With that out of the way, let's talk story for a bit. It's not great... but, it has some great elements. Lemme tell ya, I absolutely love the idea of the Upstarts. I feel like the X-Offices left money on the table with this concept... and there was just so much more that could have been done with it. Imagine if this group was allowed to linger in the background for a bit... give them the ol' Claremont "bubbling subplot" treatment over the course of a few years... have them pick off random, perhaps "inconvenient", mutants for points... and finally crescendo into a confrontation. Such a concept seems right up John Byrne's alley (circa 1991). Byrne, feeling there were too many mutants to keep track of, was actually petitioning for a second Mutant Massacre around this time (I'll include the interview down below). So, why not just have the Upstarts "take care" of that? Well, a handful of reasons... first, John Byrne wasn't long for this era of X-Books. Citing difficulty in effectively scripting the book due to the lateness of receiving the pages from Whilce and Jim... he'd skedaddle only a couple months into the assignment. Then, less than a year later, Jim and Whilce would be gonzo from Marvel... then, a year after that, the X-Men had the Legacy Virus foisted upon them, which would more or less do the Upstarts' "job" of thinning the mutant herd, while being somewhat relevant in its analogousness to AIDS. I'm still a big fan though! I think the Upstarts could've been great. Heck, I still do! Guess it just wasn't in the cards. Now, the rest of the issue... ya know, the actual "story"... ehh. It was alright. Back when I first read this, I didn't know a Hellion from a hole in the head, so I didn't really get how big a deal it was for Fitzroy to wipe them out. After reading more about the Hellions... that disinterest turned to annoyance, as they really were "jobbed out" here just to establish Fitzroy as a threat. That's a lot of history to dump just to give the new guy a shine. The ending, with the apparent deaths of Jean and Emma? Ehh, again. I don't think anybody was buyin' it... then again, I don't think a lot of the folks who were literally "buyin'" this issue did so to check out the story in the first place. Overall... an important issue... but, all told, not a very good one. -- John Byrne Interview (from Wizard Magazine #3 - Nov, 1991):
