X-Men Vignettes, Chapter Five (1987)

X-Men Vignettes, Chapter 5 (1987)
"Prison of the Heart"
Writer - Chris Claremont
Art - John Bolton
Letters - Tom Orzechowski
Colors - Glynis Oliver
Edits - Kavanagh, Nocenti, Shooter
From: Classic X-Men #5 (February, 1987)

While yesterday's piece took a pretty optimistic and pollyannaish look at how our Mutant friends might be viewed by the public, today's is... well, today's is gonna take a different tack. Today, my friends, we're getting a sippa some'a that good ol' fashioned "Fear and Hate" cocktail.

Will it be as painfully contrived as we've come to x-pect? Well, yeah -- sorta. But, let's chat it up all the same!

--

We open at Brighton Beach, in Brooklyn -- also referred to as "Little Odessa", known for its high population of Russian-speaking immigrants... which is probably the perfect place for a homesick Colossus to spend a little time during this first stint away from the Motherland. And yes, here he sits, lookin' kinda like a young Elvis -- sketchbook in hand, drawing some of the folks he sees. But, since this is a superhero ditty, his peace is short-lived. Ya see, he overhears a screaming woman... and when he goes to investigate, he witnesses this poor gal getting stuffed in the trunk of a car by two Russian baddies (I think this might be Ben Percy's favorite Classix back-up!).

After several dozen Claremontian captions, our man armors up, and begins -- ya know, punching the car. The baddies swerve a bit, before deciding - screw it, I'mma just run this hooptie into that there brick wall! Which, is exactly what he does. Unfortunately for him, however, he's not trying to shake off just any Coney Islander... he's dealing with a metallic giant. Colossus easily hoists the rig up, and -- I dunno, crushes the front end of it?

The Russians are all "screw this noise, you can keep her!" before scurrying away down an alley. Piotr metals-down to his flesh-and-sinew Young Elvis visage before popping the trunk and informing its occupant that she is now safe. At first, she freaks out a bit -- fearing that our hero is one of the baddies, but she comes around to her savior pretty quick. Pete helps her out of the trunk before returning to the beach to fetch his sketching materials. There, some Coney Islanders tell him how gifted an artist he is -- he awkwardly takes the compliment, but assures them that he's just doodling these bits to send back home to his sister, Illyana. He claims that he can speak much better through his art than his words.

Next we know, Pete and the former hostage, Anya Makarova, are swappin' stories on the boardwalk. Well, Anya is -- Piotr's just standing there listening like a lovable goof... more on that in a bit. He and we learn here that Anya is a ballerina, in fact, the youngest prima ballerina ever to perform in the Kirov Ballet. Now, the Kirov Ballet was a real dance company, which is now known as the Mariinsky Ballet. Kirov was its "Soviet Name". As this is a story written before the fall... we'll stick with callin' it the Kirov. Interestingly (well, maybe interesting), in 1989 - the Universal Ballet Academy in Washington, D.C. would be renamed the Kirov Academy of Ballet. As of this writing, the Kirov will be shutting its doors in May due to lack of funding. Now ya know! Anyway, so yeah - Anya left the Soviet Union to come dance in the United States. This, back then, was seen as an act of defection -- and, one that wouldn't go ignored. Hence the heavies who chucked her in the trunk.

Piotr points out that such an act may preclude her from ever going home again -- which, she seems cool with. She asks what he's doing in the States... and he gives a pretty surface-level response. He's "a student"... who came here with his parents' full blessing. Here we learn that Anya is planning on performing at Lincoln Center for the Handel Company that night, likely named for George Frideric Handel, the German composer.

And so she does. And she's wonderful.

Following the performance, Piotr meets up with Anya backstage to present her with a sketch he'd drawn of her while she was performing. In return she plucks him a single rose from on of the several bouquets that'd been left in her dressing room. They share a kiss... half-worried and half-excited that their romantic relationship might be moving a little bit too fast.

From here -- well, I promised you some FEAR AND HATE during my pre-ramble, so it's high time I delivered, eh? To this point, it's just been a lovely little story... well, let's jam a fork into the electrical socket and change the tone with the quickness! It's here where Anya is once again confronted by one of the Russian Thugs. I'm not sure I mentioned this yet, but they were sent here to collect Anya... by her father. These goons are a little bit higher in the Thug-Pecking-Order, and this time, they've decided not to take no for an answer. And so, Colossus armors up to let them know that, if they're planning on taking the gal -- they're going to have to go through him.

Pete makes with the punchin' and scares the -- I don't think I'm allowed to refer to them as "Commies" anymore, am I? Whatever the case, he chases the Russian Thugs off. When he turns to Anya, she -- well, she freaks the eff out! She calls Piotr a liar and a monster. She thought she was falling in love with a human dude -- not a steel-skinned, heartless [insert word for freak here]! She shouts a bit... she gives him back his sketch... and runs off into the neighborhood.

We close out with Piotr back at the Boardwalk where he and Anya had their first chat. He stands there for several hours... before tearing his sketch in two and walking off into the night.

--

Ya know, it's funny -- I've talked/written a time or two how long it takes for me to put together a piece for the site/channel/wherever -- but, it's with a written bit like this where it's most "visually" apparent. Hopefully it isn't quite that noticeable to y'all, but as I roll back through my photos to get 'em ready for uploadin', I can tell that -- during the course of my synopsizing, the Sun's come out! If you've been following my stuff for any length of time, you'll be somewhat familiar with my "process". I try and get all my content-creation hoo-doo outta the way before beginning "the day proper". That is to say, before the wife gets up -- before the work-day begins.

So yeah, I'm up before Sun-up to get these addled words committed to digital paper. Over the course of the past couple of years, those efforts have been mostly focused on audio output -- so, a Google Doc script that I'd take into my fake-ass recording studio to spit into a microphone. For the recent li'l while, however, it's been text-and-pics based -- so, I'm snapping panel pix in the dark -- by the time I'm done, however, it's light outside. When I'm prepping my pix, it's crazy to see them go from dark to light -- as mentioned, I hope it's not too noticeable after the half-assed tinkering I do on 'em!

And wow, that might've been among the more boring couple'a paragraphs I ever bothered to include in a post here! Thanks for stickin' around, if in fact ya did!

Let's actually talk a bit about this story, eh?

It was... ya know, fine. As a long tenured reader of X-Men comics, it felt like any old "Fear and Hate" story... nothing we haven't seen before. Nothing we won't be seeing again... and again... and again. It's such an "evergreen" (and overused) trope in the X-Books that it's difficult for your dimwitted host to frame it in its proper context.

Sure, we've seen it before -- and, as usual -- it's a bit heartbreaking. Like I said skatey-eight times in yesterday's post, "I get" what Claremont's going for here. Does it land? Well -- yeah. It definitely lands a bit better than Nightcrawler [not] creeping everyone in Salem Center out. It makes more sense for Anya to be freaked out and repulsed by Colossus' sudden steely appearance -- though her more "hateful" reaction here might've been a bit overblown for my tastes.

Should Anya feel betrayed here? I suppose... maybe? I mean, she's away from home -- a "defector" -- so, we might assume that she's always kinda "on edge". In Piotr, she's found a protector... and now, she finds out he's not x-actly what she x-pected. I get her being freaked out -- but, pounding on Piotr's chest, proclaiming that (for whatever reason) he doesn't have a heart? I think Mr. Claremont might've been piling it on a bit much here.

I almost feels like the final scenes were written in reverse -- Claremont wanted to end with the poignancy of Colossus saying that he in fact, does have a heart -- and needed a semi-organic way of getting there. Nothing wrong with that tack... but, it makes the story feel a bit spasmodic. Maybe it's just me, but I lost any ability to relate to either of our spot-lit characters by the end of this.

That said, up until the (extreme tonal shift of the) ending -- I really enjoyed my time with this. It's not often we get a Piotr-centric story... especially one where he isn't just spending page upon page whinging about Illyana. So, this was nice to see. Now, if I can try and take my cynic-cap off and replace it with my context-sombrero - let's explore Anya's reaction from Pete's point of view.

Piotr is still a very young man. He mentions in the Claremontian Captions that open this story how he's new to the Western World. He's new to anywhere that isn't his old Soviet farmstead. We could assume that he is quite unfamiliar with the concept (at least first-hand) of the ol' FEAR AND HATE Machine.

We might assume that this is the first time Piotr's had to face this sort of prejudice. We talked a bit yesterday about judging folks by the "content of their character"... and how, we -- as tenured X-Fans -- know that Nightcrawler is a top-tier dude. Here, we get a bit of a play on that as well. If nothing else, Colossus proved that he's a solid fella (pun possibly intended) in his attempts to protect Anya. He led with his heart... he led with his character. He's a caring individual.

But, he's also a dude who can summon up an organic steel hide... which, literally and figuratively conceals his heart (and, if I can get a bit precious, his soul?). He's judged here by his literal surface-level. All of the good he'd done is reframed as some sinister sort of misrepresentation. Colossus is still a very young and naïve man -- who isn't equipped or prepared for Anya's rather extreme reaction.

Which may be why he spent such a long time processing it. While I feel as though they may've skimped a bit in the subtlety department with Anya -- Claremont and Bolton brought it in spades with Piotr. We see him standing there at the Boardwalk... motionless, expressionless... absorbing the realization that, no matter how he behaves, he's going to face challenges with relationships. Even those who come from the same Motherland -- and have shared similar upbringings, can (and will) view him as being different -- and will, as a result -- instinctively, FEAR and HATE him.

X-Men Vignettes, Chapter Four (1987)

 

X-Men Vignettes, Chapter 4 (1987)
"The Big Dare"
Writer - Chris Claremont
Art - John Bolton
Letters - Tom Orzechowski
Colors - Glynis Oliver
Edits - Kavanagh, Nocenti, Shooter
From: Classic X-Men #4 (January, 1987)

Well... here's a weird one. It's no less important in building relationships between our new X-Men than Ororo and Jean's shopping trip, and it allows us to see the genesis of a friendship that's been able to stand the test of time... but, it's weird. Not much of a pre-ramble from me this time out (lucky you!), so -- let's just get into it!

--

We open with Nightcrawler and Wolverine in the midst of a game of tag. We watch as Wolvie attempts to lay paws (and claws) on the Fuzzy Elf, however his acrobatic prowess... paired with his BAMFability, makes this quite the challenge. It does allow Claremont to remind us all of Kurt's past in the Circus -- it also subtly drives home the point that, acrobatics is neat and all, but -- when in a confrontation it's more sizzle than steak. Wolverine is able to catch him unawares... and delivers a wallop of an elbow to his fuzzy blue gut!

Logan then pins Kurt down and ceremonially SNIKTS to show his rival that the contest c'est fini. Worth noting, he mentions that he's got unbreakable Adamantium-laced bones, which retroactively might be the first time he's spilling these beans to a teammate? Heck, retroactively, this might be the first mention of it period! I think, in reality, the first time we found out about this was in X-Men #98 (which will be the lead-story in Classic X-Men #6), the Sentinels-Christmas story I looked at as part of Merry X-Lapsed, Year One. Though, when the Essentials catch up to this era, I might realize how wrong I am! Anyway, Wolvie pops the claws, Nightcrawler begs off... and readies himself to head back to the Xavier School to supply the brews.

Wolverine, however, ain't feelin' like any ol' bee'a from da friggeratah -- and suggests they head into town for something outta the tap. Kurt's cool with it, but first has to engage his brand-new image inducer... ya know, to hide the fact that he looks like a happy demon. This is (just barely) retroactively the first mention of Nightcrawler having/using a Tony Stark-brand Image Inducer. The actual first mention was is X-Men #97... which will be the main-feature of the very next issue of Classix. Now, here's where things start to get weird... ish. Wolverine kinda lambastes Nightcrawler for using something that will hide his true nature. He kinda calls Kurt out on not being proud of who he is. And yeah, I get that -- but, all the same, if poor dude just wants to hit the town, grab a beer, and not be chased through the streets of Salem Center by a mob of pitchfork wielders... maybe just let the fella use his little gimmick? I dunno...

Anyway, from here we arrive at Harry's Hideout aka. Harry's Hideaway. Ya know, that little bar/pub the X-Men hang out at all the time... which, shockingly enough, has only ever appeared in the comics 33 times! That... seems low, dunnit? Well, the Wiki certainly wouldn't lie, would it? Now, this is retro-canonically the first appearance of the Hideoutaway -- it's actual first appearance was New Mutants #23 (September, 1984). Well, maybe it's not the retconned first appearance... but, it does predate the actual first appearance. Does that make sense? I dunno, I'm too flustered wondering if I need to get this one slabbed ASAP.

Anyway, we're at the bar -- where our fast friends are talking a little bit about their past. Well, Nightcrawler is anyway... Wolvie, as per usual, is keeping things close to vest. Then again, what he actually knows about his past at this point can probably fit in a thimble. The conversation comes back around to Logan shaming poor Kurt for using the Image Inducer... and so, he dares him not to. Kurt (rightly) calls Wolverine out on not being able to understand what he goes through -- since, Wolverine -- though, uglier than sin, especially back in the long ago -- still looks like a regular ol' human.

Ultimately, Nightcrawler is triple-dog-dared or whatever to shut off his gimmick, and since nobody can argue with nor deny a triple-dog, he does. Moments later, Harry Q. Hideaway wanders over to drop off some drinks -- and, he's completely unaffected by the fact that there's a smiling, brimstone-smelling demon now sitting in the booth. The waitress, however, is a bit "what da hale?", and when she points out the fact that there's, ya know, a demon in their midst -- complete with a tail, Harry comments on how handsome a tail it is. And, I mean -- I know what Claremont's trying to do here... but, c'mon. C'maaaaaaahn... are we really saying that the "normal" reaction here, at seeing a demon sat where there was once a man, is... disinterest? Like, no questions asked? Where'd the guy go? Did the demon kill him? I mean, this might just be a little too Pollyanna.

Anyway, the boys finish their drinks and head out... and Nightcrawler, still on something of a high by the fact that Harry Q. Hideaway didn't come at him with a fire extinguisher, is kind of on cloud nine. He's sashaying down the street, with his little derby hat and cane... as though he's running about five-minutes ahead of schedule before his next chimney-sweep appointment. He makes sure to smile at everybody he passes... which, ya know... again, I get it -- but, let's do that stupid thing where we "real world" this. You really want a demonic critter looking you in the eyes and smiling? I mean, it beats the alternative, I suppose... but, still!

Kurt then spies a damsel in distress... a woman who's bobbling her bags of groceries. And so, he saunters on up... helps her out... then, kisses her on the cheek? I mean, I know this isn't "current year", but you'd figure had something like this happened today, there'd be at least a half-dozen REEEEing twitterers trying to stoke this into something. Even back in ye old 1986... it's weird, no? And, well -- perhaps the oddest part is the fact that this damsel didn't, ya know scream her head off -- but, instead, actually seemed a bit into it? She refers to the smoothing satan as an "extraordinary young man".

From here, Kurt chats up a couple of science fiction fans... who have just seen Star Wars -- Kurt tells them that his favorite character is Chewbacca... which, might just be the least believable thing said this entire story! These two British (?) children then scamper off to tell Mummy and Duddy that they just met a real-life alien. Oy.

You might be asking yourself... if there's going to be any actual conflict in this story... or, will it just be Kurt Wagner Dick Van Dyking down Main Street for another couple pages? Well, here comes the conflict -- in the form of a meathead who doesn't take kindly to Kurt's... uh, well -- I don't even know what. Because the meathead initially believes that Kurt's face is just a mask. Maybe he just doesn't like Germans? Maybe he didn't like that Kurt kissed that broad? Maybe he hates Chewbacca? Whatever the reason, they very nearly get into it.

Then, quick as a cricket, Wolverine spears the baddie out of his boots... err, sneakers. He then, as he's wont to do -- especially back in the long ago, pops his claws. Nightcrawler is able to regain control of the situation, BAMFing them both to the rooftop of a nearby building so his buddy might calm down a bit. We wrap up with Kurt thanking Wolverine for shaming him into taking his dare (his words, not mine) -- and, thus, a bond is formed.

--

Well, there ya have it!

A weird one, right? And, as I said a few times during the spoilery-synopsis, I get what Claremont was going for here -- and it truly is a very sweet story, with a valuable message -- however, in practice? It just doesn't fly... at least it doesn't for me.

To properly lose ourselves in this story, we need to accept that the normal Salem Centerer... Westchesterer... Upstate New Yorker, wouldn't be freaked out at the sight of a demon walking down the street. Okay, like I say on the show(s) -- we are in the fantastical Marvel Universe, so there's at least something of a precedent for weirdness. But, the message here (well, one of the messages here) -- and, it's a good one -- is that we, as a people/species/whatever ought to accept everyone, regardless of our differences.

Fair point, no? Judging others, not by the way the look or appear -- but, by the content of their character. It's a good message... it's the right message -- but, I mean -- we're dealing with a demon! That's not to say I wanna see our man chased outta town by a mob of torch and pitchfork wielders -- but, I feel like we're going way too far in the other direction. I think we're supposed to think that, if we were to see a demon walking down the street -- our gut reaction should be indifference and unquestioning acceptance.

As if to say, and to be fair -- the story does NOT say this... but, if you were to feel a twinge of discomfort at the sight of a demon trompin' down the mall, you're not a good person. I might be thinking way too hard about this... which is something I almost never do (right?), but I think the proper reaction to seeing... again, a friggin' demon... is, at the very least -- cautious curiosity? Having Harry Q. Hideaway not even bat an eye... then to comment on how the tail he just saw on the back of what he thought was a regular ol' human being was "handsome"? Like I said above: c'maaaaaaahn.

The other "message" at play here... is another important one. It has to do with not being ashamed of who or what you are. Another excellent point, yes? This is very important stuff... and easy for all of us to relate to. No matter what we look like or who we are -- we've all got differences that cause us to stand out. They may be physical characteristics... mental, lingual or motor differences... the differences can be big or small. The message here is to not be ashamed -- it's to embrace who and what you are -- and, it's a sweet sentiment, right?

I'm all for Nightcrawler being the Fuzzy Elf smiling at every passer-by, and having a nice day out. But... the thing is: I/we know Nightcrawler. We know that he's a good person, with a good heart -- we know he's a hero, who would never do anything to harm another. The rando on Main Street, however - especially this early on - hasn't the foggiest idea. And, here's the thing, Nightcrawler's so good a guy, that he knows that -- and seems as though he uses the Image Inducer more to keep those around him comfortable rather than for himself.

Wolverine kinda misses that point... and instead, turns this into some sort of Mutant Pride mission. He doesn't do that by reasoning with his pal, either -- instead, he shames him into it. That... I don't so much dig. And, again -- I get what this story is trying to do -- it just feels more like Wolverine's trying to force Nightcrawler into doing something he isn't quite ready to do. Sure, the end justified the means, but still -- I'm left feeling, I dunno, a bit bad for Kurt. It's like he was forced into putting on a show just to get Logan off his back.

I really don't know where I land with this one -- it's beautiful to look at, the facials by Bolton really just got to be seen to be believed -- the story has a few very important messages... it's just told in so heavy-handed a way that, I dunno... it kinda takes the oomph out of itself.

Agree? Disagree? Wanna just tell me to shut my hole? Please, comment below!

X-Men Vignettes, Chapter Three (1986)

X-Men Vignettes, Chapter 3 (1986)
"Mourning"
Writer - Chris Claremont
Art - John Bolton
Letters - Tom Orzechowski
Colors - Glynis Oliver
Edits - Kavanagh, Nocenti, Shooter
From: Classic X-Men #3 (November, 1986)

Today's piece is a pretty special one -- not for anything I have to say, of course -- but, for the content of the story we're about to check out. We're going to get a "between the panels" look at the fallout of the death of that one character Marvel would never, ever be desperate nor creatively-bankrupt enough to bring ba-- err, nevermind.

Yes, friends -- today we're looking at the "mourning after" of John "Thunderbird" Proudstar. That X-Man who died... and has served as the symbol of Xavier's arrogance ever since. A man, whose legacy and memory might be even more valuable to X-Men lore than the character itself. We'll talk more about that out the other side.

But first, if you're following semi-recent episodes of X-Lapsed, you'll know that I kinda took issue with the way X-Men: The Trial of Magneto wrapped up [spoiler warning]. I posited that the John Proudstar reveal was a halfhearted attempt to over-romanticize his tenure as an X-Man (both in overall import and impact he left on his teammates)... where he, lasted all of, ya know - a week or two. I was (rightly) taken to task for this statement, and was advised that Claremont did a good job of fleshing out Proudstar's time with the crew in these Classic X-Men backups. As it had been literally ages since I'd last looked at them, I "mea culpa'ed" and conceded that I might just be talking out my ass (as per usual).

So, let's take a peek at this chapter of Vignettes, and see if I can see the error in my ways. Oh, by the way -- the "main story" of this issue of Classic X-Men is X-Men #95... in which, ya know, somebody dies.

--

Our story picks up shortly after the passing of John Proudstar. Professor X silently sits somewhere in New Mexico... though, I thought the Proudstars were from Camp Verde, Arizona? I dunno, maybe that change would come later. Anyway, he's deep in thought... and regret, when he's joined by Jean Grey -- who's been away from the X-Men for a whole eighteen minutes. It's confirmed here, prior to Jean's arrival, that Charles and John were in full mental-rapport at the time of the latter's passing -- something that Xavier suggests will stick with him for the rest of his life. Jean understands and appreciates what her Mentor is dealing with, having gone through something very similar when her friend Annie was hit by that car. Of course, this is something we'll eventually go into, as it fundamentally changes Jean's origin -- and her original take as only a telekinetic -- who was then "given" the powers of telepathy by the Professor.

Speaking of telepathy, our mind-readers are then alerted to a bit of panic coming from the Proudstar homestead. It's one of the new X-Men, the youngest of the group - Piotr Rasputin. Ya see, he's freaking out because he's just discovered that Thunderbird's corpse had been stolen! The X-Men assemble to try and get to the bottom of this, however, before they can do all that much -- Mr. and Mrs. Proudstar ask them to kindly get the eff off their land. There's definitely a feeling of "you took our son" at play -- hell, they pretty much say just that.

Upon hearing this request, Wolverine does what he always does... which is, whatever the hell he wants. He's going to find Johnny's body. Cyclops suggests that they respect the Proudstar family's wishes -- but, Wolvie ain't havin' none of it. They're a team... and teams look out for one another, even after death. Storm and the rest of the newbies agree... and Scott does ultimately come around to the idea as well. They leave Charles and Jean behind to start combing the plains. Our two telepaths already have a sneaking suspicion who is behind this: John's younger brother, James "eventually-Warpath" Proudstar.

What follows is a brief and seemingly innocuous little scene. The X-Men are trying the body... and, well, they're not exactly working all that well together. I love this, as it puts a much-needed focus on the fact that -- these characters, despite all being mutants, shouldn't automatically be "chums". Not only are they the "international team", meaning they all come from different cultures and ways of life -- but, they're also of varying ages. This isn't five teen-agers sequestered at the Special School - these are disparate personalities... who have all, largely, lived lives before the X-Men. We get a shot of Wolverine silently tracking... only to have Banshee screaming overhead -- ya know, spoiling any element of surprise.

We see Nightcrawler and Colossus chatting a bit about how the hot arid weather of the American Southwest isn't quite to their liking. Which, is overheard by Cyclops -- who basically tells them to nut up or go home. To which, the newbies both seem kinda shaken -- Kurt even goes as far as to assure Scott that he WILL do his fair share going forward.

This bit shifts us into Flashback Land, wherein we see a shared memory Kurt and Piotr have about their brief time with John Proudstar. We're in... I wanna say the Danger Room... but, it's mostly lookin' like an empty gym with nothing more than a heavy bag in it. John is wailing away at the thing... and, has apparently been at it for hours. Kurt and Pete ask him why... and, he really doesn't have an answer. They then ask him why he's chosen to remain with the X-Men -- to which, he does have an answer... he doesn't have anywhere else to go. Back in the present, Kurt suggests that while John's words may've been in jest, there was a lot of truth behind them. He wishes he had more time to talk... and especially listen to John.

Just then, overhead -- Storm provides some much needed coolness to the plains with a brief and sudden... uh, ya know, storm. She reports in to Cyclops that Wolverine's already reached the mountain -- which comes as a surprise to Scott. But, I mean, it's Wolverine... and it's Claremont -- so, we'd best get used to blowing sunshine up his skirt. Ororo tells Scott that the newbies are all full of surprises, which takes us back into Flashback Land.

Storm thinks about a recent visit she's had with Proudstar... up in her attic garden. She mentions that he snuck up on her... which, in what might be a bit of meta-commentary from Claremont, he compares himself to Wolverine. Well, sorta -- he says he's nowhere near as sneaky as Wolvie... but, he's no slouch. Now, if that statement feels kinda outta nowhere, allow me to share a Dave Cockrum quote from Comics Creators on X-Men (2006, Titan Books). When asked about Thunderbird by Tom DeFalco, Dave would say:

Comics Creators on X-Men (2006, Titan Books) p. 86

Maybe I'm just reading into a simple throwaway line... maybe I just wanna look like I know more about how the sausage is made than most. I dunno -- it's a fun comment all the same. Anyway, Ororo and John start speaking in Claremontian while discussing their homes... and their wishes for the future. It's a pretty downbeat chat.

Back to the present, and we join Wolverine who has tracked down young James Proudstar. He watches from afar as James sets up a funeral pyre for his fallen brother. Logan does not intervene nor interfere. He does, however, spy a bunch of John's belongings scattered around nearby. It's here he learns that John was a highly decorated military man, with medals and an honorable discharge from the service... also that he lied about his age so he could go to war early. He wonders why John never discussed any of this with the X-Men, before concluding that Proudstar likely wanted to prove his courage to them all firsthand... and not live off past glory.

Wolverine watches James' ritual for a few moments before leaving him to it. He reconnoiters with the rest of the X-Men to inform them that they're going to leave the Proudstars in peace to mourn and celebrate John the way in which they choose. We close out with James picking up John's Thunderbird costume... and vowing to avenge and take the name of his big brother!

--

This chapter put me through a bit of a wringer, emotionally and "reactionally" speaking.

Upon initially revisiting the story last night, I was left with a bit of an odd taste in my mouth. Not that it was bad or anything (it's actually quite good!), but -- I dunno, it felt like the sort of story that would have left a much greater impact on me, had I read it back in 1986. This was some pretty groundbreaking stuff for superhero comics. Ya know, I will probably say "quiet" and "downtime" a lot during our Vignette Visits, probably to the point of self-parody. But, that's exactly what these stories are. I'm sure back in 1986, when such a tack was still something of a novelty, this would have been pretty mind-blowing stuff. Revisiting in "current year", it's lost a bit of its luster, but is still insanely well-done.

Did any of that make sense? Probably not -- but, like I said -- I'm in the "reactional wringer" ova' hea'.

So yeah, upon first read -- I was a bit non-plussed. I enjoyed my time with it, but... really, that's all it was. A pleasant ten-minutes, spent with some old friends. However, when I started to actually write today's piece... that changed. It became something more. That happens from time to time... and, it never fails to smack me across the face. I've gone from absolutely hating a story (which wasn't the case here), to not only "getting it" but also adoring it during the course of my writing.

That was kind of the case here. In the writing, I began to appreciate the nuanced way in which Claremont was, not only telling the story of the aftermath of Thunderbird's passing, but also using this "quiet" "downtime" beat as an opportunity to further flesh out this fledgling team. We see that they haven't quite gelled yet -- hell, they don't even seem to like each other just yet., there are still "growing pains" at play here. These beats were given to us subtly... and felt organic. These were "value added" bits.

With that said, however -- hindsight's kind of a bitch. Here we are in current-year, post-HoXPoX/post-Resurrection Protocols/post-Wanda's Waiting Room -- and, Thunderbird is back. I don't wanna hold "current-year" against a classic tale, but -- well, I'm a screwed up individual, so it's kinda what I do.

To address the Thunderbird "problem", I wanna start by talking a little bit about two fellas: Barry Allen and Stan Lee. Bear with me. I promise this will make sen... err, well, I promise it makes sense to me - your mileage may vary.

First: Barry Allen. The Silver-Age Flash, we've talked about him a bunch here at the blog. Barry, to several generations of comic book enthusiasts was less a character, and more a "symbol". He was symbolic of an entire Age of comics, his final (at the time) act of heroism facilitated there being a subsequent Age. For decades, we heard the tales of, not just "Barry" -- but, Saint Barry. He'd become bigger than a character... he transcended superheroics -- he was The Symbol.

Then, Johns and Didio decided they wanted him back... thus cheapening his "final" exit, his heroic act, and before long -- turned this iconic figure into... just another dude. I guess when you're on a keyboard like I am pining for things past, you're an "entitled manbaby" -- when you're a professional getting paid to pine for things past, you're a-okay. Gotta love the internet!

On to Stan Lee -- who has had a quote attributed to him for ages now, though I don't think I ever found its original citation... so, apologies if this isn't 100% accurate. Stan's noted as having said, "Never give the fans what they think they want." Whether of not Stan actually said it, doesn't make it any less true. Let's apply that to Thunderbird -- who, I mean, c'mon... I doubt there's a single soul who was chomping at the bit to have him back on the table. But, he's back -- so, now what?

Well - first of all, he's no longer the Symbol that he once was. For four-decades, John Proudstar could be viewed as Professor X's "original sin" -- his oversight, his arrogance in assuming that, as he mentioned in this very story: he could just keep sending his charges into battle over and over again, and expect them to all return safely... and, ya know, alive. Sure, we didn't know much about John -- but, we really didn't need to. Ultimately, the loss of John is more of an indictment on Xavier and a change to how we view super-characters.

John became the symbol of loss. He was important because of his selflessness... his bullheaded final act of heroism. He was the first (and only, to this point) X-Man to... die an X-Man. Ya know? This act, not only showed his willingness to go down with the ship jet, but it also illustrated to Xavier and, perhaps more importantly, the readership that... the X-Men ain't kids anymore.

Gone are the days of "demerits" and "drills"... this is a whole new ballgame. We're dealing with adults... who, as we learned here, come with their own baggage and points of view. Xavier wasn't just going to be able to tell a John Proudstar to back off. This was one hell of a wakeup call -- and, the catalyst for him to change the way in which he viewed (and dealt with) his charges.

And today, since Marvel (and current-year comics, overall) is... in the words of a dear friend, "creatively bankrupt", we've got Thunderbird back on board. The question is: What now? We take a character who has been immortalized as a "Symbol" -- I mean, the X-Men have renamed their jet the "Proudstar" in honor of his sacrifice... so, we take this symbol -- and, turn him into "just another dude".

And so, those words of (maybe) Stan Lee ring out: "Never give the fans what they think they want...", because really: what comes next? The return of Thunderbird, while never a hugely hot button issue... was always something of a "what if?" scenario. What if... the one guy who never came back -- ya know, did? It's the "Bucky", "Gwen Stacy" and "Jason Todd" thing. Where, you have to step back and ask: are these characters more valuable to the lore dead or alive?

What does a dead character mean? Not just to their own legacy, but to those around/near-and-dear to them? Do they symbolize (and I apologize for the "symbol abuse" in this piece) failure? Do they symbolize sacrifice? Do they symbolize arrogance and oversight? Are they "lessons learned"? And, if so -- what of those lessons when they arrive back on the scene?

It's probably pretty clear by now where I stand on this issue. I don't see any value in bringing John Proudstar back... in fact, bringing him back actually ruins some old stories (in my opinion). As a screwed up individual, I often attribute the "sins of the sons, unto the father" -- which is to say, if I don't like something that's happening in "present day", it hinders my ability to lose myself in the stories of yesteryear. It's certainly not healthy... but, I've never claimed to be all that mentally stable in the first place.

That all having been said... it's current events that stopped me from dropping my defenses and allowing myself to truly love this story. And, it's a shame, because there is a lot to love and appreciate here. It's honestly a beautiful story... that actually makes me second-guess my position that Thunderbird's time on the team has been overromanticized!

X-Men Vignettes, Chapter Two (1986)

 

X-Men Vignettes, Chapter Two (1986)
"First Friends"
Writer - Chris Claremont
Art - John Bolton
Letters - Tom Orzechowski
Colors - Glynis Oliver
Edits - Kavanagh, Nocenti, Shooter
From: Classic X-Men #2 (October, 1986)

Funny thing -- well, not "funny, ha-ha", but an odd bit of timing. With yesterday's piece, I mentioned how the potentially "problematic" nature of mind-reading would come up throughout these Vignettes, and I specifically mentioned a bit of a brouhaha between Jean and Ororo. Well... we darn sure didn't have to wait long to see it -- because, it happens in today's chapter!

I'm writing this piece a little bit before sharing the first one to the socials -- so, I haven't the foggiest idea how (or if) it landed, or if anybody's got any interest in seeing these stories x-amined by your eighth or ninth favorite Fake-Ass Comics Historian. Hopefully folks find these fun? I dunno. As I've been beaten into submission, I'm already bracing for disappointment - I guess, one way or another, we'll eventually find out?

Before jumping in, let's do some semi-nebulous stage-setting. This Vignette appears at the end of Classic X-Men #2, which is a reprint of X-Men #94 - sorta ironically enough, the first non-reprint issue of X-Men in several years. I've heard a lot of folks refer to this ish as the one in which Thunderbird (John Proudstar) buys the farm... but, it's not. John'll sacrifice himself in X-Men #95 -- this issue ends with a non-Thunderbirdian cliffhanger.

Some of what does happen in X-Men #94 was retroactively (and cleverly) lampshaded in the first Vignette. Havok and Polaris leave the team to head back to college. Three of the four remaining Originals also leave the team: Iceman, Angel, and Marvel Girl express their interest in pursuing the non X'y life. Sunfire also quits... but, honestly, Claremont didn't even care about him enough to include even a shot of him in the Vignette!

So, that's where we be:

• The Count Nefaria storyline is at it's half-way point
• Thunderbird ain't dead... yet
• Cyclops is the last of the Original Five to remain on the team
• Sunfire has taken a powder... which was only surprising because I'm pretty sure we all assumed he'd already left
• Wolverine is still kind of a dick

Let's Vignette!

--

The focus of this vignette is on, as the title might suggest, the burgeoning friendship between two of our more prominent X-Ladies, Storm and Jean. As mentioned, Jean's goneski from the team -- but, still stays in touch, I guess? As we open, Storm is about to visit Ms. Grey in her way-too-large-to-be-affordable-even-with-a-roommate Manhattan Loft. But first, Claremontian captions aplenty! Storm takes a few panels to practice her Claremontian as well, before arriving. Jean shows her this gigantic space (I mean, this place is a warehouse -- with two lofts -- in Manhattan!). Anyway, Jean informs Storm (and us) that she's sharing the space with a roommate, a certain Daughter of the Dragon-slash-Private Eye, Misty Knight.

As these Vignettes are ultimately character pieces, I appreciate this next bit. Jean mentions that, since Storm's - ya know, not fighting evil mutants at the moment, perhaps she change out of her costume. Storm wastes no time here stripping herself out of the spandex... latex... whatever the hell her suit is made from. This serves as a nice look into Storm's -- well, let's keep things mature here -- this shows that Storm comes from somewhere else, where nudity is less socially frowned upon -- and she sees no reason for there to be any shame. Jean, on the other hand, nearly chokes on her cuppa when she spies Ororo in her full glory! I like this! Sure, the main X-Book made efforts in showing us how Storm differed from her peers, but this scene really drives the point home. It was quite well-rendered by Bolton to boot!

Jean, amid her coffee waterboarding, quickly offers Storm her bathrobe... and some ill-fitting clothes, so they might at least get to the store to buy her an outfit without getting too many weird looks. Though, I mean -- Storm is still a gorgeous, shapely, six-foot tall black woman with waist-length white hair. Methinks they'll be getting looks regardless. Anyway, at this point, Misty comes home and says how much she loves Storm's waist-length shockingly white hair -- kinda making my point for me. Anyway, Jean literally pulls Storm outta there. Ya see, Misty doesn't know that Jean is/was Marvel Girl.

We jump ahead to post-shopping, where our X-Ladies are walking back to Jean's pad. Just then, the Bart Simpson of Midtown skateboards in and swipes Jean's pocketbook! I mean, if you're trying to get away with a street-robbery, maybe don't pick the redhead walking alongside the six-foot tall supermodel? Well, lucky for Bart, nobody on the street seems to care. This is how we New Yorkers get a bad reputation -- thanks, Mr. Claremont! Jean is in hot pursuit, but the little bastard finagles his way into a crowd.

Jean catches up, just in time for Bart to skate down the steps of the subway. Wow, this kid's got talent! I couldn't even take a curb -- much less an entire flight of stairs! Anyway, Jean follows -- but Storm, cannot. Now, we tenured X-Fans'll know that one of Storm's key traits is her claustrophobia -- stemming from her being nearly buried alive as a tot. She takes one look down these steps... and her world begins to warp. This is quite well done -- and, potentially the first time (retroactively, of course) that Ororo is dealing with this fear.

Let's get back to Jean, who -- and, I gotta say -- I hate using words like "brilliant" of "genius" since both have been rendered beyond meaningless in the internet age -- but, this bit is brilliantly done. Ya see, once Jean gets down there, she finds herself overwhelmed by the thoughts of every New Yorker in the area. The juxtaposition between Storm's physical claustrophobia, and Jean's unwitting mental claustrophobia, is just so well done! Jean's so overwhelmed she almost can't breathe. In her words, she got "clobbered" -- and, in the process, she lost Bart and her purse.

Jean's pissed -- mostly at herself, but -- that's not going to stop her from laying a bit of misdirected aggression at the feet of her new friend. As she steps out of the subway, she sees Storm standing there... still kind of shaken. She lays into her for not being there when she needed her. Storm is stammeringly apologetic, as in -- she doesn't understand quite why she'd been rendered so useless in that moment.

It's at this point that -- Jean barges into Storm's mind to do a bit of prying without consent. Not only that, but the way in which she does so -- it comes across as less "caring friend" and more "prying analyst". Jean reveals that she found out that Storm was buried alive as a child -- and that her mother died right there beside her. Which... completely sets Ororo off! How dare Jean invade her thoughts! Storm's own rage manifests in an explosion of her weather-manipulatory powers -- including a wind the likes of which no one but Marilyn Monroe has ever seen!

Amid the torrential downpour, our X-Ladies take to the skies to hash things out. Well, if her outfit is any indication, Storm seems to be up there for a fight -- Jean's more interested in talking things through. And, well, once in the sky, that's exactly what she does. Jean instills in Storm that, sometimes her power is more of a curse. This is a concept we've seen played with from time to time -- even to this very day when it comes to telepaths. Jean says that -- her power isn't so much about reading minds and taking thoughts "in", it's about the constant struggle to keep people's thoughts out.

Just as Storm felt the physical walls of the subway closing in on her -- Jean is under similar sensations of being "closed in on". She admits that, in the heat of the moment -- having her purse stolen, being "clobbered" by the barrage of New Yorkers -- she kind of lost her cool. Maybe she took it out on Storm -- rather than blaming herself. Heck, maybe she's feeling a bit foolish for leaving the Xavier School while not being in complete control of her powers? In any event, the X-Ladies make nice, realize that they have much in common, and ought to be there to support one another -- and, we close out with the two of 'em heading down into the subway, hand-in-hand.

--

Okay, now - if you read the first Vignette, a) thank you, and b) you might recall how I spent the first few paragraphs of my analysis discussing how little I cared for John Bolton's artwork the first time I saw it. Well, it's time for ya boy to eat a bit of crow -- because, ho-lee cow, the art in this piece. I mean, just look at the faces in this chapter! They're gorgeous. So full of emotion it's ridiculous! Just the other day, we looked at the NUFF SAID! issue of Uncanny X-Men (#401), and saw how the art really didn't convey... well, much of anything. This chapter of Vignettes could have very easily been "silent", and on the strength of its visuals (and proper context, of course), I don't think we'd miss a beat! Naturally, this is a Chris Claremont story... so, the art is ultimately fighting for whatever space it can get amid walls of text -- but, damn -- this is a fine-looking bit of comics!

I mentioned during the spoilery-synopsis how I loathe using words like "brilliant" when I discuss... well, anything. I'm not the sort of guy who'll try and butter up a pro for a retweet or pat on the head (which is probably why nobody bothers to read or listen to my shi--, err, stuff), so I find little need for positive hyperbole. But... lemme take a big ol' swallow and just say it - the way in which this story was laid out... was... ugh... brilliant.

Claremont takes us on this weird and wonderful ride, that I don't think we even realize we were on until the story ends. Let's start at the start -- the story is almost hyper-focused on how different Jean and Ororo are. Everything from Storm's initial reaction at seeing New York City, to her lack of modesty when Jean asked her to change clothes. These beats were all predicated in x-amining the differences between our X-Ladies.

And at this point in their relationship, differences would (and should) be easier to spot. They hardly know each other here. Jean even says as much upon Storm's arrival at her ridiculously large apartment! "We X-Ladies need to stick together" is the mission statement for this little social outing. It's not that they met and became fast-friends -- there's actual effort being put into forging a relationship between them, simply because they're the only X-Ladies (sorry, Lorna!).

From here, the gals go on their shopping trip -- but, are still sort of at arm's length of actual friendship. The conversation is kept light and impersonal... Storm talks about liking ice cream. There are no deep bonds being formed here, and -- at best, the two might be looked at as "work-friends". Which, no matter how we may feel by reading this with decades worth of hindsight, comes across as real -- and human.

Then, once we're passed x-ploring their differences, and their shallow small-talk -- Claremont smacks us upside the head with something that will bond them together as, for lack of a better term, sisters. Juxtaposing Storm's phobia of enclosed spaces with Jean losing control of her powers and focus while being bombarded with countless psyches was absolutely wonderful.

As a fella who has had his fair share of panic attacks... and has spent much of his adulthood on-and-off anti-anxiety meds, I can sympathize with the heart-pounding horror that Jean was dealing with (well, sorta-kinda -- I may be delusional, but even I know I can't actually read minds). Anxiety can lead to a panicked sensation not unlike claustrophobia. The way in which this scene played out -- Claremont's top-tier x-planations paired with the absolute deadly art of John Bolton -- it's actually somewhat hard not to have a gut reaction, even if you've never suffered a panic attack.

I love this scene. I love seeing our characters having to face their own perceived weaknesses... even when they don't quite understand them. Storm's fears, ironically enough, have been buried in her psyche. Whether she's simply chosen not to address them, or has successfully blocked them from her memory, I couldn't say. In any event, this is a wonderful way to (subtly?) address them.

Let's consider Jean for a bit -- we saw her overwhelmed in the subway. Which, not only caused her to lose focus (and her purse), but may have also given her a bit of regret for some recent decisions she'd made. Now, if you allow me to project a bit (more than I usually do), Jean just left the Xavier School. Until these Vignette backups were written to fill in some holes, all's we got of this was (in X-Men #94) Jean telling the Professor that she, Warren, and Bobby were now adults who no longer needed his guidance. It wasn't said in a hurtful or antagonistic way, it was just a "matter-of-fact" statement.

From X-Men #94

And yet, here she is... maybe not quite as done-cooking as she thought. She doesn't have (complete) control of her powers -- and, in fact, views them as something of a curse! I think we've all been in a position where we've made a hasty (or just plain bad) decision... one we wish we could take back, however, our bravado just won't allow it. I know I've made my fair share... especially when I was Jean's age! I think this is a subtle way for Claremont to show some of Jean's vulnerability and perhaps even regret.

Last time out we discussed the potential ethical dilemma telepathy presents. In that chapter, our focus was on Professor X -- one of, if not the, most powerful telepath on the planet. When looking at him, it's easier to "posit the problematic". It stands to reason that he's in complete control of his powers... so, any mental-perv invasion is, ya know - intentional. With Jean, however, she's still in her relative infancy as a telepath. Remember, Xavier "gave her" those powers before faking his death.

I find that Jean's inadvertent abuse of these powers to be far more innocent than Xavier's purposeful use. However, the context of this story really drives the point home that, x-perience level doesn't amount to a hill of beans when your power manages to hurt somebody. Storm's reaction to the mental invasion -- while, admittedly perhaps a bit over the top, really worked for me. I posited above that Storm may have chosen not to address her childhood trauma... or, that she successfully put it out of her mind. In either case, having Jean bring that up, in effect, forces Storm to face it. Maybe she had "forgotten" it... maybe she had "reframed" it. Ultimately, it doesn't matter -- because, it's no longer just HER memory. It's now something she's (unwittingly) shared with Jean. Does that make sense? Am I making too much of this? Maybe... but, I definitely think there's something to it.

Just an absolute rollercoaster -- which, might sound like I'm really overselling what was, in essence, a simple story featuring a shopping trip in Manhattan -- but, it's one that I believe will stick with ya. And, as mentioned several times already -- mea culpa for my initial reaction to your art, John Bolton -- your work here is absolutely phenomenal!