X-Men in 1983: Whatever Happened to...?

I just finished reviewing the last X-title for the year of 1983 and felt that this is a good time to reflect on what has passed so far.  With the line expanding beyond Uncanny X-Men to include New Mutants and there being the occasional limited series (Wolverine (Vol. 1) in 1982 and Magik in 1983-84), not to mention the still peripheral Alans (Davis & Moore) stories of Captain Britain for Marvel UK, logic would dictate that there would be fewer plot threads left dangling because there are more comic pages to address the stories.  Logic would be very, very wrong in this instance.  Since I love columns like CBR's "Abandoned and Forsaked," I thought it would be fun (for me, at least) to review some of the dangling plot threads from each year of X-titles, as I review them.  So whatever happened to...
 
...the subplots in Captain Britain (Daredevils #1-11 and Mighty World of Marvel #7)?  On the whole, Alan Moore and Alan Davis did a pretty good job keeping the story self-contained and resolving their plots (or at least promising to) in '83.  There were a few threads left, though.
- Vixen: this crime lord's identity, her infiltration of STRIKE (the UK equivalent to SHIELD), and her hiring of Arcade to kill Captain Britain were all but forgotten plot seeds as the story barreled toward CapBrit's inevitable fight with The Fury and Jim Jaspers.  The good news is that Cap eventually has to take a break from fighting multidimensional threats, so I am actually confident that this will be resolved.  Maybe not by Alan Moore, but maybe by the next writer.
- Elizabeth Braddock: she has not played a major part in the title so far --- I would argue that even Wardog has been spotlighted more --- but since I know that she eventually becomes Psylocke, I am intrigued by the fact that her power set does not match the character I grew up reading in the pages of X-Men.  When did she stop having precognitive visions and just become a high-level telepath?

...the subplots in New Mutants (#1-10)?  Well, Claremont was definitely not at his best in this series, with the best example being the nearly incomprehensible Team America crossover.  My biggest problems come from the substantial subplots that were left unresolved with no indication that he would be resolving them soon.
- Legion: Xavier has a powerful, autistic, mutant son, and Moira MacTaggert and Illyana Rasputin know about it.  This is mentioned in #1, but not brought up again in 1983.  This will be addressed, eventually, when Legion makes his first appearance in New Mutants #25...in 1985. 

- Romance: There are hints of a blooming flirtation between Sunspot and Wolfsbane before the Team America crossover.  After that?  Never mentioned again (unless I'm horribly wrong).  In retrospect, this is kind of a weird idea, with Rahne being introverted and Roberto being an extroverted flirt that has just had his last girlfriend murdered before his very eyes.  Forgetting these early hints at romance would probably be for the best.

- Sebastian Shaw: Shaw sics the Sentinels on the New Mutants as part of a plot to frighten them enough to come to the Hellfire Club for protection.  As part of this plan, he tries to help Emmanuel DaCosta sabotage his wife's (and the New Mutant's) plan to explore the Amazon River.  When that doesn't work, he doesn't seem to care when Emmanuel risks the lives of the mutants for his own gain.  I don't mind Shaw being a sneaky bastard, but I would at least like him to be consistent in his machinations.  The way Claremont writes him in this title, the man seems to operate without logic or long-term memory.
- Xavier attacked: In issue #6, Xavier suffers a debilitating psychic attack.  While this could have been used to tie into the Mastermind plot over in Uncanny, Xavier specifically hypothesizes that it felt like it was coming from a newly manifested mutant.  But who?  Is this an early reference to Legion?  Or maybe Xavier was wrong about how new the mutant was, and this was a reference to Shadow King returning to the physical plane?  Whatever it was supposed to be, it was not mentioned again in '83.  UPDATE 05/25/2016: Apparently, as I detailed in an update to New Mutants #6, the behind the scenes explanation is that the mutant Xavier detected was going to be an enemy in a second New Mutants graphic novel that never got published (or, as far as I can tell, officially announced) and the plot thread is never mentioned again. 
- Karma: Poor, poor Karma.  She was presumed dead by the New Mutants after she disappeared, following an explosion.  Before she disappeared, a telepath (or some other type of psionic) threatened to possess her, body and soul.  While Xavier implied to the kids that Karma had died, he told the X-Men that she was alive; he would have felt her death through the telepathic link he shares with his students.  Instead, Xavier suspects that a maleficent psychic is hiding her from his scans.  No serious attempts are made to locate Karma by the X-Men or New Mutants.
- Training: The New Mutants was initially supposed to be a book about mutants learnign how to control their powers.  Aside from Cannonball having trouble for a few issues with his mid-air turns, and Psyche complaining about how useless her powers are, there is little to no development or teaching shown.  The team was supposed to stay out of combat situations, but that is almost exclusively what they have spent their time with.  Sunspot and Wolfsbane show zero progression with their abilities, Psyche shows some control but no struggle to learn, Cannonball had problems for a few issues but then resolved them, and Karma seemed to just get more powerful (before she vanished).  So...school's out, I guess?

...the subplots in Uncanny X-Men (#165-176, Annual 7, Marvel Graphic Novel 5: X-Men - God Loves, Man Kills)?  This was a great year for Uncanny, arguably the best single year on the title that did not feature John Byrne.  That doesn't mean that Chris Claremont wrapped up all his plot threads neatly, though.
- Mystique: Before Rogue goes rogue and quits the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to join the X-Men, Mystique has a nightmare featuring Jason Wygarde.  Her BFF (because they could not explicitly be lovers in 1983) Destiny tells her that the party responsible for the nightmare "operates on fundamental levels of space and time."  That seems like a vastly overblown view of Mastermind --- who would be the only person who might plant an image of Jason Wygarde in anyone's mind --- but the reasons for this "attack" are never revealed.  Apparently, they were supposed to have been chronicled in Ms. Marvel's series at the time, but the title was cancelled.

- Starjammers: While Cyclops eventually chose to stay on Earth with his new wife instead of becoming a space pirate with his father, the membership and roles of others were not so clear cut.  After Carol Danvers became Binary, she decided to leave Earth with the Starjammers when the X-Men opted to let Rogue join them.  That makes sense, right?  Kind of?  Okay.  Meanwhile, Xavier's girlfriend, Lilandra, is also supposed to be joining the Starjammers to fight for her rightful spot as the leader of the Shi'ar empire.  But...maybe she wants to hang out on Earth and help Xavier recover the use of his legs.  So what's going on?  Are the Starjammers actually leaving, or not?  What is their deadline?
- Lilandra, part 2: Lilandra threatens the Fantastic Four (in Uncanny #167) for saving the life of Galactus.  This is not addressed in Uncanny, although is does become the plot for Fantastic Four #262), ten months later.
- Kitty: To save the X-Men, Kitty Pryde promises to essentially become the Morlock Caliban's bride in  Uncanny #170.  She does not stay with him.  There is a hint in #176 that this will be resolved soon.
- Kitty, part 2: Kitty hates being compared to the kids on the New Mutants team.  Even after she earns her permanent place on the X-Men team, she keeps referring to the younger kids as X-Babies.  Some people cannot win gracefully.

- Xavier walks: Xavier can walk in his newly cloned body!  Or not.  Most of the year is spent with Xavier trying to walk and failing, with theories ranging from it being a psychosomatic pain to it being a physical (and less interesting) issue.
- White Queen: Emma Frost is left comatose after a psychic attack.  Initially, Sebastian Shaw stats that only Xavier could have committed the offense, although he doubted that Xavier would have.  Mastermind is later revealed as the attacker --- so Mastermind is on Xavier's level in some respects?!? --- even though she is still comatose, as of Annual #7.

That's pretty much it for 1983.  Let's see what 1984 has in store...

Mighty World of Marvel (Vol. 2) #7

"The Candlelight Dialogues"
Published December 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
The story picks up an unspecified amount of time after Daredevils #11, after Jim Jaspers has taken control over England and super-powered people are placed in concentration camps. 

Two women, Sue and Meggan, trade campfire stories they have heard about Captain Britain fighting their oppressors and winning, remaining free.  

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The events hinted at in the alternate Earth of Mad Jim Jaspers and The Fury have finally become reality for Earth 616.

Writing!
This is an interesting transition issue for Alan Moore.  While it has become obvious that Captain Britain and friends will need to battle Jim Jaspers eventually, it was an odd choice to leave off last issue with the group going to confront Jaspers and then jumping forward to a world where they have already lost the battle.  However, since Jim Jaspers can warp reality, I suppose there is no need for Moore to bother with the build up to their confrontation; with Jaspers' abilities, Moore is able to immediately raise the stakes and skip the less interesting buildup scenes.  Very clever, Mr. Moore.

That said, this may be my least favorite issues so far in this storyline.  I think I get what Moore is aiming for --- he's raising the stakes by jumping to a dire situation, and he's building the mythology of Captain Britain at the same time.  Sadly, though, that means that this issue feels a bit like filler.  None of the characters we have been following for months accomplish anything, and in a title that has managed to squeeze in a lot of progress in a small number of pages, this feels like treading water.

On the other hand, this issue's format may be a result of a publishing switch.  This issue kind of serves as an introduction to Captain Britain, and since this is the first issue of the storyline published in  Mighty World of Marvel, it makes some sense to reintroduce the character to the (potentially) new readers.  That doesn't make it any more interesting to read, but I suppose I can follow that logic.

Art!
Alan Davis flexes some new artistic muscles with this chapter, playing with extreme close-ups and shadows.  Honestly, he doesn't have a whole lot to work with in this story.  He has CapBrit kicking some ass, and the rest of this issue features people being inactive.  One of the nice things about an Alan Davis-drawn issue, though, is his ability to make characters look good, even if they are doing nothing.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Look!  Sympathetic characters (without healing factors) smoking!

Worth Noting:
- You might have noticed that this Captain Britain story, which is clearly picking up after the events of Daredevils #11, is not the next issue of Daredevils.  That title was cancelled, but the original stories that were being published in Daredevils were adopted by Might World of Marvel.  They were both anthology titles, mostly comprised of reprinted stories from the American Marvel line, with the occasional original story from British creators.


- This is the first appearance of Meggan, Captain Britain's eventual wife.  Her feral-like appearance is a far cry from the blonde bombshell look she sported in Excalibur (Vol. 1).  It will be interesting seeing how she develops, to see how natural her transformation is.

Daredevils #11

"But They Never Really Die"
Published November 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
Captain Britain and the Special Executive fight The Fury.  It does not go well at first; Cap and Fascination only give it pause, while Special Executive member Oxo was casually killed by The Fury.  When Zeitgeist finally joins the fight (against his better judgement), the tables turn, and the good guys are able to bury The Fury under tons of rocks beneath Braddock Manor...for now.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!

- The issue ends with CapBrit, Betsy, Tom, Saturnyne, and a traumatized Captain UK deciding to investigate Jim Jaspers, presumably because The Fury came from the reality that Mad Jim Jaspers had ruined.

- Zeitgeist's issues with Wardog's leadership come to a head.  The team has battled The Fury, with Oxo and (eventually) Legion dying, and they were not even paid.  With this battle over (at least temporarily), the Special Executive decides to cut their losses and retreat.  They will not be joining the fight against Jaspers.

Writing!
I am always a fan of when a writer surprises me with a fight scene.  While Moore has shown several instances of each character doing their thing and showing off their powers already, I did not expect Zeitgeist to pose such a credible threat to The Fury.  Well done.

Art!
I thought Davis did a great job showing The Fury's mind being impacted by Fascination, and its subsequent recovery.  There are a lot of ways to indicate disorientation, but I thought this was a cool and creative way to show it visually.

Worth Noting:
- Special Executive member Oxo is killed by The Fury.  Is that worth noting?  Did Oxo ever have any lines?

Daredevils #10

"The Sound and the Fury"
Published October 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis


What's Going On?
Picking up at last issue's cliffhanger ending, The Fury attacks Captain UK.  After some intervention from Merlin (see the Sub-Plots), Captain Britain comes joins in the fray, along with members of the Special Executive.  They don't stack up well against The Fury.  Wardog is immediately crippled; The Fury tears off his cybernetic arm. 

Legion, whose ability is to summon future versions of himself from his own timeline, has one of his future selves murdered.  Captain Britain survives a beating, but only because The Fury directed its attention to the others.  Things don't look good; Cobweb announces that the future of the multiverse has been cancelled.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Merlin and Roma continue their game of chess.  The appearance of The Fury on the game board takes them by surprise and, when he senses The Fury's imminent attack, Merlin protects Captain UK's real body by shielding her chess piece with his hands.  She survived a deadly blast unscathed, and Merlin's hands were badly burned as a result.

- Cobweb, the precognitive member of the Special Executive, starts seizing and foaming at the mouth as The Fury begins to attack.  She repeats "I didn't see it coming," over and over again.

- Zeitgeist refuses to join the battle because he was not hired to fight.

Writing!
The Merlin/Roma metafictional subplot is interesting, but I'm not really getting much enjoyment out of it.  I get it, Merlin is playing chess with human lives; making it a literal game for him is clever, but I don't think it really adds much to the story. Aside from that, Moore does a great job cranking up the tension.  One of the hardest things for a comic writer to do is to make the hero look hopelessly outmatched, and Moore makes it look like CapBrit ans co. are about to die.

Art!
Alan Davis keeps getting better, month after month.  Here, he gets to flex his experimental muscles a bit with Cobweb's monologue and it is pretty great.  

 (Note: two-page spreads are hard to scan properly)  Not only is the recurring Fury face repeating across this scene interesting, the 90-degree rotation of Cobweb's head along with the action of the scene was very cool.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- The revelation that Legion and Cobweb are lovers seemed a little out of left field.  Since neither character made the transition to Excalibur as part of the Executive Elite, I wonder if this is ever mentioned again.

Worth Noting:
- This is the first time we see Merlin and Roma's chess game directly impacting reality.

- The future version of Legion was killed by The Fury, but the current version lived.  The implication of this is that one day soon, current Legion will become future Legion and blink out of existence, which is a cool idea, right?

Daredevils #9

"Waiting For the End of the World"
Published September 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis


What's Going On?
Jim Jaspers makes a televised speech that portrays super-heroes as dangers to the world at large; Linda (Captain UK of Earth 238) explains that he made the exact same speech on her world as a precursor to the wholesale slaughter of all superhumans.  Captain Britain tries to console her and convince her that this world will not suffer the same fate, but she doesn't believe him (in part, perhaps, because Betsy Braddock has a premonition of the impending slaughter) and leaves Braddock Manor...only to come face-to-face with the Fury.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Merlin and Roma are playing a chess game, with the major characters in this story acting as the chess pieces.  It turns out that the Fury is not on the game board, though, so events may not turn out as Merlin has planned...

- Jim Jaspers takes a moment to change his white wine to red, indicating that he has the same reality-altering powers as his Earth 238 counterpart.

- There are tensions brewing within the Special Executive.  While Wardog is concerned with a possible superhero holocaust, Zeitgeist is only interested in getting a paycheck.

- Betsy Braddock's boyfriend, Tom, is still urging her to abandon her brother and go somewhere less violent.  Since we know that Betsy eventually joins the X-Men as Psylocke and I've never heard of Tom in any X-title, I'm going to make a wild guess and say Tom won't have a happy ending here.

Writing!
This is yet another issue where Alan Moore manages to do a lot with only a little space.  I thought that the Merlin chess scenes were trying to be a little too clever, but Moore balanced that out by having the Fury throw a monkey wrench in that game.  Other than that, we see progression with Linda, the growing conflict within the Special Executive, the growing danger from Jaspers, and a cliffhanger with the Fury.  That's a lot for one half-issue!

Art!
I liked how Alan Davis chose to handle Jim Jasper's reality manipulation with the wine.  It's simple, but it's just another example of how well he works with subtle facials expressions.  And that last page...considering that neither character is exactly iconic, it's a damn nice panel.  I think the best example of Davis' work on this issue, though, is Betsy's premonition.  It's nothing huge or splashy, but showing her premonition within the silhouette of her profile is a very nice touch.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- It looks like Merlin and Roma are hanging out in a cosmic jacuzzi during the chess game.  I guess you can play chess wherever you want to, but it does look strange that the father (Merlin) is at least partially unclothed and the daughter (Roma) appears to be jacuzzi-ing with her normal outfit on, right?

Worth Noting:
- Jim Jaspers specifically mentions the Presidential pardon from Incredible Hulk #278, and Henry Peter Gyrich and Sebastian Shaw both make cameos.  This is the first evidence that A) ties Captain Britain to the X-Men titles and B) Marvel UK/Earth 616 is still the same as the prime Marvel universe; yes, CapBrit had made some appearances in the Marvel Universe before (Contest of Champions, Marvel Team Up) and his original self-titled comic did have a few American heroes guest-star, but Alan Moore could have easily changed what reality Marvel UK inhabited when Merlin brought CapBrit back from the dead and returned him home.  So, now we have proof that these stories can impact the Marvel Universe as a whole, and an indication that Alan Moore liked Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men run.

- While she has been mentioned earlier, this is the first appearance of Vixen.  It turns out that she's a woman, which will surprise Captain Britain and his friends, who somehow concluded that someone named "Vixen" had to be male.

Daredevils #8

"Arrivals"
Published August 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
The big fight from last issue continues for a bit before the Special Executive decide to escape with Captain Britain and Saturnyne.  They return to Braddock Manor just in time for Captain UK (the cowardly Linda from last issue) to arrive and imply that the fate of Earth 238 --- the reality where all the superheroes have been hunted down and murdered --- is impending for this  reality, too.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The Fury has reached Earth 616 (barely) and has tracked down Captain UK.  Luckily for her, she has the good sense to follow her own instincts and go to Braddock Manor for help.  Meanwhile, the Fury is repairing itself until it is strong enough to continue its mission to kill Captain Britain (and, presumably, all the other super heroes).

- Lord Mandragon is not at all upset that Saturnyne has escaped.  In fact, her escape makes him the default successor to her title of Omniversal Somethingorother.  His plan to secure his position is to determine what reality she has escaped to and then destroy that entire universe.

- Tom, Betsy Braddock's boyfriend, doesn't want to live in Braddock Manor any more.  It's just too weird and dangerous for him.

- Captain Britain seems to be getting tired of his hectic and dangerous lifestyle.  I don't know if this will come up again later, but it's an interesting plot seed.

Writing!
Like last issue, Alan Moore distracts from the (relatively) slow pace by punching up the humor.  The Wardog joke was okay:

...and the Cobweb gag was a little better:

...but I genuinely enjoyed this moment of clarity by Captain Britain:

Aside from the humor, I think it is worth mentioning that Alan Moore has established three very credible imminent threats in this issue.  There is the impending doom that may be set into motion by the Jim Jaspers of Earth 616, the dimension-destroying ambition of Lord Mandragon, and the viciousness of the Fury.  This is all building to a head quite nicely.

Art!
Most of the issue shows off Alan Davis' talent for capturing humor, which is an uncommon talent in the industry.  In what is quickly becoming typical for this run, he balances that character-based work with a good dose of action. 

Retrospectively Amusing:

- Remember that sophisticated hologram to convince people that Braddock Manor is rubble?  Apparently, that didn't give Captain UK a problem when she came to visit.  I also like that the doorbell ringing didn't surprise anyone, despite the whole hologram thing.  I wonder if that detail is going to be dropped now?

Daredevils #7

"Rough Justice"
Published July 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
At her trial, Saturnyne explains what happened on Jim Jaspers' world (Earth 238), and justifies her abandonment of Captain Britain in that warped reality; she saw that the Fury was indestructible, so she retreated and saved as many lives as she could.  This explanation is not good enough for the judge, Mandragon, though.  Unfortunately for Saturnyne, he has prevented her Avant Guard underlings from testifying.  That leaves only Captain Britain to corroborate her story; Mandragon discredits him by suggesting that Saturnyne and CapBrit are lovers and that he will lie to save her life.  Predictably, this leads to Captain Britain punching things, and the trial gets out of hand from there; Mandragon sentences Saturnyne to death, while the Special Executive decide to help Captain Britain brawl with the bailiffs.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- We are finally treated to the story behind the mysterious woman from issue #2.  Her name is Linda, and she is from Earth 238, like Jim Jaspers and the Fury; she was that world's version of Captain Britain.  During a nightmare/flashback sequence, we see the Fury massacre her world's superheroes in quick succession.  Linda was spared at the last moment by her boyfriend, who managed to transport her to our reality.  I suppose watching one Captain Britain escape him at the last moment might help explain why the Fury has such a boner for hunting and killing our CapBrit.

- Captain Britain's reality (Earth 616) has a Jim Jaspers in it, and he is calling for superhero legislation, just like his counterpart did on Earth 238.  Uh-oh.

Writing!
The further I get into this run, the more I find myself enjoying it.  This is another issue that could have felt like the plot was only inching along, but it is just varied (and fun) enough for that not to matter.  At a glance, the intentionally one-sided trial of Sautrnyne is not very interesting, but balancing that obviousness with a massive brawl and the reluctance of Wardog to participate was a nice choice. 

Even better was the wholesale slaughter of the superheroes of Earth 238.  These throwaway characters could have just been analogues to more famous characters (and, okay, some of them definitely were), but they were colorful and odd.  Something about those characters --- particularly the robot, Andy --- just makes me smile and piques my interest.  Too bad they're all dead now.


Art!
Given how good Alan Moore is with facial expressions and comedic moments, I sometimes forget how effective his action scenes can be.  The Fury's attack really gives him an opportunity to flex his violent creativity.  Here we have three different deaths on a single page, all different from each other:

  

I like Davis' choice to keep the figure of the Fury ill-defined in this sequence.  The character has been seen clearly a number of times by now, but shrouding it in these panels places the focus more on the horror of the deaths than the empowerment of the killer.  It may seem like a small choice, but I think it pays huge dividends.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- In case you were wondering, the trial announcer was a reference to British television host Terry Wogan.  I don't know much about him, but let's just assume he's analogous to Dick Clark or Ryan Seacrest, which makes him being squished by a giant robot foot far more amusing.

- I love how cowardly Linda is as her dimension's Captain Britain.  I imagine that this is to give her a redemption character arc, but she is hilariously useless and whiny in this issue's flashback.

Worth Noting:
- This issue slyly references Marvelman (which Alan Moore was writing at the time, and which Alan Davis was drawing around this period), which was under legal dispute with Marvel Comics at the time, regarding the character's name.  This is the first time the character was referred to as "Miracleman."

And while he is not specifically named, Linda's boyfriend, Rick, is definitely wearing Kid Miracleman's costume. 

- This is the first reference to the Marvel Universe as "Earth 616."  It's not a huge deal, since it is primarily used online to differentiate between alternate reality versions of characters and in comics where the characters visit multiple realities, but I've always liked the term.  I just think it's clever to give the "prime" reality a number that implies that it is inconsequential in the larger scheme of things.  I suppose it was originally just intended for the Marvel UK Universe, but when that started being assimilated into American comics (mostly by Chris Claremont), I guess it was broadened to mean all of Marvel comics.

Daredevils #6

"Judgement Day"
Published June 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
After being kidnapped by the Special Executive last issue, Captain Britain resigns himself to the fact that he has been taken to an alternate dimension to testify on behalf of Saturnyne.  And by "resigns," I of course mean "punches people until he gets tired."

When he arrives at the Supreme Omniversal Tribunal, Cap is surprised to meet Captain England (of that Earth) and Captain Albion (of the "Earth next door"), both with themed costumes like his own.  Exhausted, Cap agrees to speak with Saturnyne, and is shocked to find her filthy and in shackles; she is on trial for the ruin of the alternate Earth that Mad Jim Jaspers warped.  While he doesn't like her, CapBrit won't let her be punished for something she is innocent of.  Unfortunately, the head of the tribunal is Saturnyne's replacement, Lord Mandragon, who has a vested interest in keeping Saturnyne from resuming her post.  Before the trial begins, Mandragon chooses to destroy the entire universe containing Mad Jim Jaspers' Earth; he argues that it is to keep Jasper's reality warp from affecting other alternate Earths, but it also serves to eliminate any evidence that the defense might have been counting on.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The Fury, the last sane creature on its alternate Earth, has come to the conclusion that its most recent prey, Captain Britain, may have escaped to another dimension.  It naturally concludes that it must visit alternate dimensions to track him down and kill him. 

Thanks to this decision, it is able to alter itself enough to survive the destruction of its universe.

- The alternate Earth where Mad Jim Jaspers reigned supreme has apparently become entirely enveloped in a reality warp, driving all the inhabitants insane.  This isn't terribly important to the main story, but it does establish the destructive scope of Mad Jim Jaspers' powers.

Writing!
The more I read of this run, the more impressed I am with how much Alan Moore fits into such a compact space.  This is, essentially, a pretty dull issue --- it is a lead-in to a trial --- but there are so many ideas being thrown around that it's easy to overlook the lack of action.  In this issue, we have Saturnyne partially de-villainized,  the introduction of the Captain Britain role as a constant throughout multiple dimensions, and a governing body that has the power and right to destroy entire universes with the flick of a switch.  That's some heavy stuff!  And yet, Moore keeps things pretty light, making small jokes here and there and using the Special Executive as light comedy relief.
Honestly, I'm surprised at how funny this series is turning out to be.  It's not "bwa-ha-ha" funny, but it is getting a little funnier each issue.  I especially liked the concept of "universe lag" for trans-dimensional travelers.  I wasn't so sure about Moore's choice to return to the multiverse after effectively rebooting the character, but I'm really liking where the series is going right now.

Art!
This is not the juiciest script Alan Davis has had to draw in this series, but he makes the most of his opportunities.  The all-out brawl between Captain Britain and the Special Executive was fun, but brief.  He clearly had fun creating the cast of thousands in attendance at Saturnyne's trial.  I think his most impressive work, though, was in designing the alternate Captain Britain characters.  Little is explained about them, but Davis does a great job conveying the variations on a theme that was required for the characters.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- The unifying theme of Captain Britain uniforms is apparently thigh-high boots.

Worth Noting:
- This issue marks the debut of the concept of the Captain Britain Corps, which becomes a large part of the Captain Britain mythos.

Daredevils #5

"Executive Action"
Published May 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
A group of mercenaries, the Special Executive, have been hired to bring Captain Britain somewhere.  They successfully execute a plan to breach the highly defended Braddock Manor, neutralize the psychics that are currently living there, and confront Captain Britain while he is in bed.  A fight ensues, but only because the Special Executive didn't explain the matter properly; they have been hired by Saturnyne to bring him as a witness for her trial defense.  Of course, Saturnyne is the one who left him stranded in an alternate reality to face certain death, so Cap isn't too keen on helping her cause.  That doesn't stop the Special Executive, though...

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Betsy Braddock is apparently romantically involved with her fellow psychic, Thomas Lennox.  Personality goes a long way, I guess, but the pairing of a fashion model with a guy who looks like this feels like a fanboy fantasy.

- Heeey, looks like we haven't left the dimension-hopping reality-bending from the previous volume of CapBrit stories.  The return of Saturnyne means the return of alternate Earths, which will probably lead to the return of the Fury.

- According to Special Executive member Cobweb, their leader, Wardog, seems to be getting the group some lousy jobs.

Writing!
The idea behind this story is a pretty simple one, but I like the way it's presented.  It could have been a few scenes of Wardog giving exposition, followed by several pages of his plan being enacted.  Moore spiced the story up by using Wardog's exposition to explain the plan while it was in action.  It's a simple device, but it worked very well here.  I'm a little surprised to see Moore returning to the more cosmic themes of the Fury storyline already, having spent the last few issues establishing a new status quo for the Captain.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course, it just seems like Moore is changing directions at this point.  I guess we'll see how the story progresses. 

Art!
As the artist introducing the Special Executive to the story and (probably) to the reader, Alan Davis is tasked with showcasing the abilities of the team members.  This group has some members with unusual superpowers, and Davis does a pretty great job illustrating them.  It's got to be tough to visually explain the concept of Fascination's power set...

...and that pales in comparison to a convincing image of Cobweb being psychically in tune with all her future and past selves.  I like it when Davis is given the chance to get creative like this.

Retroactively Amusing:
- The Special Executive first appeared in 1981's Dr. Who #51, and some of its members are from Gallifrey.  That means that, licensing issues or not, the Doctor Who Universe is the Marvel Universe.  That is very cool.

- I'm not judging, but it's interesting that Brian and Betsy Braddock both sleep naked, especially since the British are supposedly the more conservative audience.

Meanwhile, American audiences are treated to a lot of pajamas in the X-Men books.

Daredevils #4

"Killing Ground"
Published April 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
It's an all-out fight issue, as Captain Britain takes on Slaymaster.  Despite Captain Britain's personal force field and vast strength, Slaymaster is a far better fighter.  It takes all CapBrit has, and a tiny bit of help from his sister and her pal, to take out the villain.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Captain Britain invites Betsy Braddock and her two remaining psychic friends to live with him at Braddock Manor.

- When Slaymaster is defeated, Vixen calls up Arcade to complain.  Apparently, Arcade was Slaymaster's trainer.  Arcade vows to finish Slaymaster's job, if only to settle a personal grudge against Captain Britain.

Writing!
I like that the issue begins with some bits of inner monologue, instead of the typical superhero fight banter.

I don't normally think of "fight choreographer" when I think of Alan Moore's strengths, but he's actually quite good.  He updates Slaymaster into a legitimate threat that, in his next appearance, will be a legitimate cause for excitement; despite Captain Britain's nigh-invulnerability and strength, Slaymaster is a capable opponent here.  I almost rolled my eyes when Slaymaster started his spiel about ninjas --- there isn't much more 80s and overused than ninjas, right? --- but his conclusion that his hand isn't much use, except for cutting, was pretty great.  In fact, the only misstep in the whole issue (and a subjective one, at that) was having Slaymaster and CapBrit face off within arm's reach, completely unprepared for battle, when they are in the middle of a knock-down, drag-out fight.

It sets up that great line about cutting, but why wouldn't you have them looking like they were ready to hit each other here?  It's such an odd choice that it had to come from the writer and not the artist.

Art!
Alan Davis is getting better with each issue.  The sketchiness from the previous issue is almost entirely gone.  Now, we are treated to some gorgeous and graceful-looking fight scenes!  Life is good.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Alan Moore takes some time to ridicule superhero comic fans.  It won't be the last time.

The "Coming Soon" sign is a bit of an Easter Egg, too.  We'll be seeing Saturnyne and the Special Executive in the next issue.

- Either Captain Britain knows how to program the hologram of Braddock Manor so that select people can see the building for what it is, or he is going to have some confused roommates soon.

Worth Noting:
- Inspector Dai Thomas makes his return in this issue.  Apparently, he used to hate costumed heroes.  Given how friendly he was with Excalibur, I'm curious as to when that changed.

Daredevils #3

"...Thicker Than Water"
Published March 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
Captain Britain/Brian Braddock responds to a distress call from his sister, Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock, who is afraid for her life.  Betsy is a psychic working for the British government organization STRIKE; unfortunately, STRIKE has been corrupted at the highest levels, and the conspirators are killing psychics to cover their trail.  While Betsy is catching Brian up on current events, another of Betsy's psychic comrades is murdered.  Being a hero, Brian suits up and arrives at the scene as Captain Britain.  There, he meets the killer: Slaymaster!

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- It seems that the Vixen, lord of the underworld (or something like that), has taken over the British equivalent to SHIELD, STRIKE.  CapBrit mentions that he had crossed paths with Vixen's agents in the past, but never managed to get to the inner circle and meet/fight the man.  I'm going to go ahead and say that this Vixen will be a character operating in the shadows for a while.  Just a guess.

Writing!
It looks like Alan Moore is intent on revamping the Captain Britain universe; each issue has brought back a supporting character and/or villain from older CapBrit stories, and there is a lot of potential in what Moore has introduced (psychic secret agent sister, killer computer, multidimensional conspiracy, etc.).  That said, the reveal at the end of the issue that the mysterious killer is Slaymaster was a bit underwhelming for me.  It's not an awful reveal (although "I'm Slaymaster!" isn't the best bit of dialogue), but it is clearly intended to be awesome.  It's not.  Slaymaster has not been mentioned in this series yet, so casual readers don't know him, and even fans of the character haven't seen him in almost six years.  I'm sure Moore's update of the character will be a good one, but the build-up to the reveal could have done more.

Art!
It looks like Alan Davis is trying out some different things in this issue, and they don't all work well.  I thought the layout and clearness of the inked lines on this page was great:

I guess it's similar to Frank Miller's work on the bear scene in Wolverine Vol. 1 #1, but that doesn't make it less striking.  I'm a sucker for unusual action storyboarding, I guess.  Now look at this earlier page:

The background characters being sketchy is one thing, but Brian's head looks...unfinished.

The reveal of Slaymaster was visually interesting, but didn't quite work for me:

The panel layout is unusual, but works well for storytelling.  Having Slaymaster breaking multiple panels implies his importance, so that's good work, too.  And yet...is that the guy who is supposed to impress the reader?  His head and neck seem disproportionately large and that pose is not particularly threatening.  Still, subjectively "bad" Alan Davis art is still Alan Davis art; that is to say, even when it's bad, it's still pretty good.

Retroactively Amusing:
- One of Betsy's comrades refers to her as "Liz."  I was so used to Elizabeth Braddock being "Betsy" that it never even occurred to me that she could go by "Liz" instead.  Apparently, I'm an idiot.

- I always thought that Betsy Braddock had purple hair as a symptom of her mutant powers, like Polaris' green hair.  Apparently not; she dyes it, and has dyed it for over thirty years now.  Is this the only time any character has been confused by her hair?

- There is a villain called "The Vixen" and everyone seems to assume Vixen is a man.  I'm not an expert, but isn't "Vixen" an inherently feminine word?

- Slaymaster apparently values his anonymity enough to wear a disguise (that actually makes him stand out from a crowd, but whatever...), until he has the opportunity to show off his skills in public.  Then it's off with the mask, and time to announce his name to the crowd!

Worth Noting:
-While this is not the first appearance of Elizabeth Braddock, it is the first time she take recognizable shape.  Her trademark purple hair makes its debut here, and her interest in danger is hinted at.  The origin of her powers is not explained, and she has precognition in addition to her normal telepathy, but she is no longer the blonde-haired pilot that was introduced in Chris Claremont's original Captain Britain Vol. 1 run.

- Both Betsy and Slaymaster have difficulty recognizing Brian Braddock/Captain Britain because the character underwent a fairly major makeover at some point after Captain Britain Vol. 1.  He went from a slim, athletic type with side-parted hair to a hulking bruiser with a sculpted quaff.

- Slaymaster was a villain in Captain Britain Vol. 1, and he had a stupid costume that looked like a crappy Halloween version of Bullseye.  In his last appearance, he was presumed dead, having been eaten by sharks.  That is a sentence that I wish I had more opportunities to use.