Uncanny X-Men #171

"Rogue"
Published July 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Walt Simonson
Inker: Bob Wiacek


What's Going On?
Rogue, a member of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, arrives on the doorstep of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, pleading for help.  Ever since she absorbed the powers and memories of Carol Danvers (back in Avengers Annual #10), her mutant powers have been out of control and she is on the brink of losing her mind.  After examining Rogue, Xavier decides to admit her to the school and into the X-Men.  The team is against this decision because A) she has fought the team as a villain B) she is an active member in a terrorist group that could be using her to set a trap C) she grievously injured their friend, Carol Danvers. 

I love Grumpy Xavier face

Xavier counters with a guilt trip; his argument is that if they believe in Wolverine, who is capable of great good and great evil, why wouldn't they do the same for any mutant?  In the end, Rogue joins the team, Binary shows up to punch her really hard, and then Binary leaves the X-Men (although she was never a part of the team in the first place).

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The X-Men leave the Morlocks in the Morlock Tunnel, with Storm commanding them to leave humans alone or face her wrath.  She also privately challenges Callisto to fight her again.

- No mention is made of Kitty Pryde's promise to stay in the Morlock Tunnels with Caliban, in exchange for his help against Callisto.

- It turns out that Madelyne Pryor is the sole survivor of a fiery plane crash.  The date of the plane crash was September 1, 1980 --- the same day Jean Grey died!

- Carol Danvers visits her parents for the first time since Rogue's attack.  Apparently Xavier has been helping her cope off-panel since then; she has regained most of her memories, but not the emotions that go along with them.  That means that she has no real ties to anyone on Earth, aside from the X-Men.  Way to set up her joining the Starjammers, Claremont.

- Kitty Pryde is still throwing tantrums about the New Mutants, and they are still unwarranted.

- Xavier is still going through physical therapy to try and walk again.  This time, though, Lilandra proposes the possibility that the problem is, in fact, physical and not mental.

- Illyana programs a Danger Room sequence for the team to blow off some steam with, but she accidentally programs a simulation of her time in Limbo, under the power of the demon Belasco.  Seeing the scenario briefly drives her mad, and she attacks Kitty before breaking down into tears.

- Storm is still struggling with emotional darkness.  It seems that the pressure she has put upon herself to become a good leader requires her to cut herself off from her emotions, and this is making her control over the elements.  And, apparently, she now carries a knife with her.

Writing!
Well, we've reached the end of the Morlocks story.  Looking back on it, I think it worked fine as another step for Storm toward a darker, grittier self.  It did not work well for anything else.  Kitty's subplot was completely dropped here (although I recall that it pops up again in a few months) and the Morlocks are left an undefined, unsympathetic mob. 

As for Rogue joining the team, I think this is one of the best examples of Xavier's dream at work.  Does it jibe with the way Rogue was written at the time?  I don't think so --- I would have to start collecting Dazzler to be sure, and I'm not willing to make that sacrifice --- if only because she was an unrepentant thug when the X-Men met her in Uncanny X-Men #158 (her only other X-Men appearance until now).  Still, this is a fairly interesting development for the character, especially since she appears not to have any heroic aspirations, which sets her apart from all the other villains-turned-heroes in the Marvel Universe.

On its own merits, this is a busy issue that juggles a lot of subplots and changes the team dynamic noticeably.  It's not that compelling as a single issue, but at least things happen.

Art!
I love me some Walt Simonson, but this issue is a little disappointing.  There are some pretty great panels, like the opening splash page with Storm:

For most of the issue, though, the art is underwhelming.  Characters look lumpy of unfinished, and Simonson's typically dramatic style is almost nowhere to be seen.  

Above: lumpiness

This could be because he was filling in on short notice, or because he did not want to stand out from Paul Smith's recent work on the title.  Personally, I think it is a combination of being rushed and not being compatible with the inker.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- With the end of the Morlocks storyline, I can now confirm that Angel had zero lines of dialogue in this story, and was completely objectified as a gentleman in distress.  It's not something you usually notice the first time through, and it certainly is unusual in a superhero comic.

- I love the fact that Claremont gives the date of Jean Grey's death.  It's a reminder of another era, when comic companies were not afraid to let their characters age.

- After several hints, this is the first direct reference to Illyana's time in Limbo.  It only took 11 issues for Claremont to get around to this, and we still have a few more months until the Magik limited series.  This is the earliest example of Claremont dragging out a minor subplot for a ridiculous amount of time that I am aware of.

- Claremont does a good job justifying why Xavier accepts Rogue on the team, but this is very different from any other addition to the team.  Rogue is not the first former villain to join the team --- that would be a mind-controlled Banshee --- but she is the first to not repent her evil ways.  Her motivations, while quite believable, are the most selfish I have seen for a super-hero character in this era; she's just trying to save her sanity.

Worth Noting:
- Rogue is now a member of the X-Men.  While it seemed unlikely at the time, she has become one of the team's mainstays for the last thirty-plus years.

- This is the first appearance of the Illyana's Soulsword.  It can apparently cut Kitty Pryde, even when she is phasing.

Everything 80s:
Apparently, Marvel made a promotional Kool-Aid comic.  Because kids love to read about what they drink.  I think the best thing about this ad is that there is a limit of one comic per household.