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.
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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.
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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.
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John Byrne Interview (from Wizard Magazine #3 - Nov, 1991):
Wolverine (vol.2) #47 (October, 1991)
"Dog Day"
Script - Larry Hama
Pencils - Gerald DeCaire
Inks - Don Hudson
Letters - Pat Brosseau
Colors - Glynis Oliver
Editor - Bob Harras
Chief - Tom DeFalco
Cover Price: $1.75
Just like with yesterday's issue of Alpha Flight, this issue of Wolverine hit the stands during the big 1991 X-Book Shakeup month. Also, just like yesterday's AF... this issue doesn't feel one bit like a "kickoff" into a brave, new era. In fact, this one's more or less an after-school special filler issue!
Let's meet Tracy-kins!
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We open with Logan being hassled by a Police Officer about leaving his motorcycle chained to a light pole outside of the World Trade Center for a number of weeks. She claims that she'd looked into having it towed and impounded, however, his plates were flagged with all sorts of Federal Allowances... the sorta stuff the geeks over at S.H.I.E.L.D. get. She decides not to write him a ticket, and just lets him off with a warning. Not sure why this scene was even included, or if it led to anything, but we'll allow it.
Over in Westchester County... ho-boy. A mother returns home from the market, only to find her delinquent son "Tracy-kins" inside rifling through her belongings looking for something to sell for his next fix. Mom tells him he's no longer welcome there, and that the stress from his antics killed his father. This dialogue is... unique. And, uh, bad.
Tracy-kins doesn't heed his mother's demands, which leads to rushing into her bedroom to fetch a pistol with like a two-foot long barrel on it! I mean, this thing is almost comically over-sized. Tracy-kins ain't scared, and almost dares her to pull the trigger (knowing full well she won't).
He nyoinks the piece outta Mom's hands (by it's gigantic barrel), and proceeds to tell her that he's in the real world now... got a job and everything. And that job is... wait for it... "Getting Stupid"! While he's monologuing, he's beating the absolute hell out of her. Perhaps even beating her to death!
Back to Logan... who is just about to take the Salem Center exit on whatever expressway one can get to Salem Center from. He hears a shot being fired, and decides to find out what all the hub-bub's about. Turns out there's a pair of officers faced off with a rabid dog. One of the officers, a woman, unloads her entire gun into the poor mad mutt.
Wolvie points out that this was, perhaps a bit excessive... which leads to a flashback of when he and Silver Fox had a dog that went rabid... which we'll get to in just a bit. First, lets check in on Tracy-kins... who is very reminiscent of that kid Mitch from the Death of Superman... only, ya know, a sociopath. He's bumming around a convenience store, and just making a real nuisance of himself. He just reaches into the cash register and robs the place. Alrighty then...
The shop owner finally charges over to give 'im the boot... and winds up getting shot. The pistol, if it's the same one, has a much shorter barrel in this scene. Perhaps it was less excited here? I dunno. Whatever the case, Tracy-kins has become a killing machine. Waitasec, that barrel just got long again!
Over to Wolverine's dog story... ya see, he had a dog... and it went rabid. Silver Fox handed him a rifle and told him to shoot the poor thing. Great story, huh?
Back to Tracy, who is driving erratically and under the influence of alcohol and God only knows what else. He t-bones a car at an intersection, and celebrates just how "stupid" he's getting.
Then, a pair of kids and their (probably un-rabid) dog prepare to cross the street. Well, not on Tracy's watch they ain't. He puts pedal to metal and drives right for 'em!
A few streets later, Tracy pulls up to a red light. Next to him is Wolverine on his motorbike. Tracy starts to sweat and reaches over for his pistol. The light turns green, and Logan pulls out first. Noticing the fact that the front end of the Tracy-mobile is in a bad way (and has a child's bike embedded in the front of it), he pulls in front of the turd. Tracy's all "screw this" and plows right into our hero! Hits him so hard in fact, that his jacket explodes into pieces!
Tracy then pops it into reverse to run our man over again. Only one problem with that... well, two problems I suppose... 1) Adamantium skeleton and claws, and 2) mutant healing factor. Logan informs the boy of all of this as Tracy empties his excitable pistol in his direction.
Wolverine pops his claws... as Tracy clicks away with his empty gun. He thinks back to the rabid dog, and feels pangs of deja vu looking at this loony kid. He retracts his claws... just as that same police woman arrives on the scene to fill Tracy-kins full'a holes! When this gal commits to pulling the trigger, she doesn't screw around! Logan informs her that the kid's gun was empty... to which she asks "How the Hell would I know that?" That's actually a very good point.
We wrap up with Logan finishing his "rabid dog" story for the
Officer. Turns out, he couldn't go through with it. Silver Fox had to put the poor pup down herself. Oh! And it also turns out that this Officer the mother of those two kids who Tracy nearly ran down a few blocks over. The tots survived unharmed... so, there's something to be happy about!
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Welp, that sure was an issue of Wolverine, wunnit?
Felt a lot like an inventory/found crumpled in the back of a drawer sort of story... and, honestly, with every copy of this Marvel sold, they were stealing money. Imagine paying 50-cents more for this than any of the "core-four" X-Men books of the day? Ridiculous.
During the first episode of From Claremont to Claremont, where we spoke about this issue we posited that this story way likely slid into place in order to ensure that the three-part Shiva Scenario storyline that followed would conclude with the landmark (and die-cut) 50th issue of the title. Which, is probably what happened... and, in hindsight, I should probably be happy about that. Nowadays, Marvel would just decompress into more issues... leaving us with an unbalanced and more dully-paced story.
So, whatta we got here? Well, it's a cautionary tale about putting down rabid animals, right? Well, sorta. If it were written with a little bit more subtlety (or any at all), it might've "landed" a bit better. Instead, we just get to see that how, when the going gets rough, and the tough decisions need to be made... Wolverine fails to act, and has to rely on the nearest armed woman to actually do what needs done?
I think this was supposed to be poignant... like, Wolverine... for all his violent history, is really a big softy... or, maybe he's an eternal optimist who always feels like there's a "better way" than hitting the "nuclear option"? I dunno. Whatever it is, it didn't really land for me.
Let's talk art. It wasn't great... further lending to the idea that this was a quickie-filler. Even if we were just to focus on Tracykins' engorgable pistol... I mean, this just ain't great. I suppose it's passable, but... again... as this was a "boutique-priced" Marvel Comic... you expect more.
Tracykins as a character... okay, I really enjoyed bearing witness to his ridiculousness. What a goofball... and, so close in design and attitude to Mitch from Death of Superman... heck, maybe Tracykins was the Mitch-prototype! We can only hope.
Is this issue worth your time. Ehh... maybe? It's bad... but, it does have some "so bad it's good" qualities. I can't say I didn't have a good time revisiting this one... though, the fact that I probably paid (at most) fifty-cents for it likely softened the blow.
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Letters Page:
Alpha Flight #101 (October, 1991)
"Death and How to Live it"
Writer - Fabian Nicieza
Pencils - Tom Morgan
Inks - Chris Ivy
Letters - Janice Chiang
Colors - Bob Sharen
Editor - Bobbie Chase
Chief - Tom DeFalco
Cover Price: $1.50
While the "Gold Product Experts" at Google/Blogger continue to blame their users (while likely not being bloggers themselves) for the inability of this platform to properly upload images... we, stop... breathe... and revisit another synopsis that likely nobody has seen before.
We've looked at classic Alpha Flight here at the blog before... now, get ready for what happens when the Alphas meet the 1990's!
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Issue opens with Hercules delivering a wallop of a punch into Sasquatch's mush... which sends him flyin'! Some of the other Avengers present (She-Hulk, Quasar), question the logic of using such aggression, to which it would seem Herc's just havin' a good time. Sasquatch does not seem to share that opinion, and so he lunges at the Olympian... until Quasar interjects to separate them so that cooler heads might prevail... and they do!
We shift scenes to Greenwich Village, where Northstar, Northstar's Mullet, Sersi, and Vision are paying a visit to Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum in hopes that he might be able to assist in tracking down Jean-Paul's sister, Aurora (plus some other missing Alphans for good measure). Wong greets them at the door, and allows them entry.
Doctor Strange appears... and, from the looks of it, just had a very unexpected accident in his pants. I mean, dude looks absolutely freaked out here! Northstar explains their situation... Aurora and some others vanished during a battle a few issues back, and he'd really like to know where they might've gone.
With a horribly pained look on his face, Stephen Strange contorts his body a bit in order to pontificate and begin his search of the Cosmos. Before we know it, we're at the Interdimensional Crossroads of Time! This sort of reminds me of the place the Sovereign Seven used to hang out.
Doc Strange begins floating... and allows the Eye of Agamotto to "pierce the dimensional veil" to locate the missing Baubier.
We shift scene to a cemetery in Ottawa, where Gene and Heather are visiting the comically over-sized grave-marker of James Hudson. Puck almost looks like he's standing on the edge of a football field in comparison. They lament the fact that Mac's recent "return" didn't turn out the way they'd hoped.
After Heather shares her feelings... in how this time, her losing Mac feels a lot different than the first time... the pair of Alphans are met by Kerry Patrick and Jeremy Clarke from Department H. They express their condolences, and assure Heather that the Canadian government has Alpha Flight's back from this point on.
Speaking of Alpha Flight and Department H, we next pop over to Toronto to check in on some of the rest of the crew. There, Madison Jeffries prepares Diamond Lil for a procedure involving a weird alien laser that might just be able to penetrate her diamond-hard skin in order to see if she has cancer. Lil's a bit freaked out, but trusts enough in Box that she'll undergo the deal. Turns out, it works!
We rejoin Sasquatch and the Avengers (also, Windshear and "Her")... where I guess whatever job they had to do is done? Can't tell much from the art, so we'll just have to take Quasar's word for it. As the heroes prepare to split, "Her" decides to take a tour of the planet. Quasar offers her a chaperone any time she needs one. Whatta dork.
Back at the Crossroads, Strange is... from the looks of it... laboring over a stool. He reports that despite the Eye's best efforts, he cannot find Jeanne-Marie and the other Alphans. All he is able to do is open some sort of "doorways"... which he, Northstar and Company can peer through... if they dare!
Vision wonders aloud if, by opening these "doorways", aren't they running the risk of unwanted guests escaping from them? Well, before he can even finish the thought, that very thing happens!
A battle rages... for about two-pages, ending with Vision trapping the baddies in a bubble while Strange continues his psychic search for the missing Alphans. Vision suggests Strange take a break... or perhaps even call it a day, but Stephen is steadfast in his resolve. They've come too far to give up now. Northstar agrees with Vision... and manages to get Strange to end the search... for now.
Northstar and the Crew are returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where plenty of "thanks anyways" are exchanged. He then heads back to the Great White North for Mac's memorial ceremony. Heather says a few words... drawing particular attention to the fact that Mac just wasn't all that great a superhero... but, dammit, he was her's... before leaving a single rose on his grave-marker.
We wrap up back at Department H where the results of Diamond Lil's biopsy are in! She... does not have Cancer. The team celebrates!
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Kind of a mixed bag, innit? On just about every front.
Before we hop into the actual book, this was an issue we covered on From Claremont to Claremont... because, Alpha Flight is sorta/kinda an X-Men book. Or, at the very least, X-Adjacent. Before committing to the bit, I did ask around on the social medias to see what folks thought about Alpha Flight, and their association to the X-Books... and overwhelmingly, folks said - Yes, Alpha Flight is an X-Book. Only a couple of people didn't think so.
I, personally, feel like Alpha Flight is definitely X-Adjacent enough to include. Here's the thing that kind of set it (and a few of the books we covered in the first episode of FCTC) apart... whereas during "current year"/"current decade", when a line or family of books gets a "new direction" or some sort of "jumpstart" point, all of the books in the family/line get a big kick-off.
For the X-Books in particular, I'm thinking about things like Regenesis, or the still-ongoing Dawn of X - each of the titles involved get themselves a brand-new logo/branding... and the stories all go in new thematically similar direction. Back in 1991, however, when the X-Books had arguably their biggest "shakeup", only the "core four" (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men (vol.2), X-Factor, X-Force) really felt those reverberations... at least that first month.
Just something that struck me as a bit weird when I was revisiting these books. Alpha Flight would sort of shift into their "new direction" with the next issue... which, if I'm being honest, is a heckuva lot better than this one.
So, let's look at this one. First, the good! The Diamond Lil bits were pretty great. I thought Fabian did a wonderful job with her and Madison. It was the only part of this issue that really managed to hold my attention. Their happy ending was especially nice.
Everything else? Well, it's hard to really say it was "bad", per say... because so much of it was predicated on clearing the deck for the next writer (Scott Lobdell). That clearing the deck even included the Diamond Lil subplot I liked so much... so, I guess I'm speaking out both sides here.
The Avengers showing up (back when this was a novelty... believe it or not, there was a time in Marvel Comics when the Avengers didn't show up every third page of every single book) was... ehh. This isn't my favorite Avengers team. This probably wasn't anybody's favorite... though, in the age of the "lol, random" internet, I'm sure it now has its fans for being so, well... random.
The fallout from Mac's return and redeath was okay. Here's where I get a bit conflicted as a "reviewer". I was a bit lost in the reread... and had to actually do a little bit of research about what had gone down in the issues preceding this. That annoyed me... even though it probably shouldn't have. I feel like I projected onto this issue that is should be a "jumping on point" in accordance with the rest of the X-Men line... so, I'm kinda blaming it for not being what I expected it to be... which really isn't fair. Could it have been easier to follow for someone coming in "fresh"? Sure. Did it have to be? Nah, not necessarily.
The Doctor Strange portion of this issue was also a bit baffling to me coming in (relatively) "fresh". Again, not the fault of the issue... but, really didn't do much to inspire any interest or investment in the subplot. Also, these are the scenes where the art really suffers. This art isn't great to begin with, however, when Doc Strange is on panel... oof. He makes plenty of "potty faces". It's really disturbing. Also, Northstar's mullet appears to be sentient... which ain't a good look. It's hard to believe anyone ever thought it was.
Overall... yeah, it's kind of a mixed bag... but a decent enough "clearing the deck" for Scott Lobdell's impending arrival and slight shift in direction. Mind you, this is several months before Lobdell (and this issue's very own Fabian Nicieza) became the driving force behind the X-Men family of books.
Is it worth a look? Ehh, unless you're doing a "full read though" of this volume, it's probably not...
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Letters Page:
