Uncanny X-Men #176

"Decisions"
Published December 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
The newlyweds, Cyclops and Madeline, are on their way to their honeymoon destination when they encounter a storm while flying over the Pacific.  Their plane is hit by lightning, but they survive...only to encounter an aggressive giant sea squid.  But what chance does a giant squid have against the man who beat up all the X-Men last issue?

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Wolverine confronts Mariko for calling off their wedding, back in Uncanny #173.  He correctly attributes their breakup to Mastermind's manipulations, but she argues that the things she did (apparently off-panel) under his influence were so bad (read: criminal) that she is honor-bound to fix the situation on her own.  If she dies in the process, it is up to Wolverine to to slay her remaining foes.  Wolverine tries to give back the Yashida Clan Honor Sword (given to him by Mariko in Wolverine (Vol. 1)), but she refuses.  Basically, he proved himself worthy when he killed her evil father, regardless of the cost; it is up to her to show that she is equally worthy by cutting Clan Yashida's ties to the Japanese underworld.

- Henry Peter Gyrich, the Marvel Comics designated "political bureaucrat who has to be involved in super hero matters," is invited to a meeting where mutants are seen as an increasing danger.  Magneto is the textbook example of how dangerous mutants can be (based mostly on his exploits from Uncanny X-Men #150).  The other reason for worry (according to the bureaucrats) is that mutants are popping all over the globe, even in Communist nations.  Remarkably, the usually insensitive and abrasive Gyrich comes across as very reasonable, while the typically sensible Val Cooper looks like a bigot.

- Callisto tells Caliban that she wants to make Kitty Pryde fulfill her promise (made in Uncanny #170) to live forever with Caliban in the Morlock sewers. Masque warns Callisto that this may cause conflict with their new leader, Storm.  Callisto hopes it does.

- Cyclops decides to not join his father and the Starjammers in their space adventures (the choice was last mentioned in Uncanny #174).  He wants to live a normal, non-super hero life with Madeline. 

Art!
This is John Romita Jr.'s first full issue on art, and one if his more annoying (to me, anyway) habits shows up right away.  He has this weird thing where he likes to overdo the cheekbones on female characters at times, making it look like their lower jaw is caving in.

Is it a big deal?  Not really.  It's just a Thing He Does that I'm not terribly fond of.  On the other hand, I loved his cloaked-in-shadows Wolverine, and he did a good job with the sea monsters and the underwater sequences.  Overall, the man is off to a nice start.

Writing!
This is one of those "slow" issues that frequently come after a major storyline ends, and that is perfectly okay.  Chris Claremont (at least, according to interviews looking back at the character) had intended for Madeline Pryor to simply be a doppelganger of Jean Grey and nothing more.  This issue ended with a caption reading "The Beginning;" this was Claremont's attempt to give Cyclops a happy ending, as he retires from the X-Men and begins a normal civilian life.  How different would this series have been if characters were allowed to actually do this?  It would be weird, right?  This issue served as a well-deserved bon voyage to a character that had lived a pretty tortured life up to this point.  Unfortunately, when Marvel decided to launch X-Factor, a lot of this progress was lost...

On the bright side, Claremont decided to have Wolverine and Mariko realize off-panel that Mastermind undermined their wedding.  Why that had to be off-panel, I don't know, but I disagree with the choice.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Behold!  The color-changing bikini!  First it is black...

...and then it is white!

Could she have changed?  It's doubtful.  Is it important?  Absolutely not.  This is the sort of thing kids would try to get No-Prizes for.

- Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter spent half of a page complaining about Romita Jr.'s cover art.  That's an odd choice.

Everything 80's:
- Check out this ad for CBS' Saturday Morning Cartoon lineup.

The Little Rascals/Richie Rich?  Pac-Man?  Rubik, the Amazing Cube?  Menudo?!?  Good lord, what children went through in 1983!




Worth Noting:
- This is the last mention of the Yashida Clan Honor Blade/Sword for a good long while.  I think it next pops up in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #78.

- Finally!  Someone acknowledges that Mastermind ruined Wolverine's wedding!  The act that no one addressed this last issue really bothered me.

- Valerie Cooper makes her first appearance as someone that is alarmed with the "mutant problem."  This is an odd angle for her character, since she quickly becomes one of Marvel's most reasonable government (read: not bigoted) employees.

- Cyclops has officially left the X-Men and is now considered (by Claremont, anyway) retired from super heroing. 

Uncanny X-Men #175

"Phoenix!"
Published November 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Pencillers: Paul Smith and John Romita Jr.
Inker: Bob Wiacek


What's Going On?
Dark Phoenix has returned, and she wants to toy with the X-Men before destroying them.  Last issue, Madelyne Pryor transformed into Phoenix and attacked Cyclops.  This issue, she drops him off at the X-Mansion so he can prepare the team for the battle to come.  When she arrives, she easily defeats the team, but chooses to let them live for a while.  She then decides to destroy the Starjammers' spaceship and the entire city of New York (thus killing the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and most of the other Marvel super heroes).  This convinces the X-Men (minus Cyclops and Xavier, who are unconscious in the infirmary) that they must use lethal force when fighting Phoenix, for the good of mankind.  When Cyclops comes to, though, he puts together some clues and realizes that they are not facing Dark Phoenix, but the illusionist Mastermind.  But how can he convince the team that what they see, hear and feel is wrong --- especially since Mastermind can make Cyclops appear to be their enemy? 

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The culmination of Mastermind's plot also serves as the last tease that Madelyne may actually be Jean Grey/Phoenix (for a while, anyway).

- The whirlwind romance between Scott and Madelyne climaxes with this elaborate evil scheme that also appears to serve as an X-Men wedding rehearsal dinner.  It's nice to see them get a happily ever after.  I wonder if we'll see these crazy kids again...

- With her new, edgy look, Storm admits that she now controls violent weather with greater ease.

Writing!
My favorite thing about this story is how it pits Cyclops against the rest of the X-Men, and how he manages (thanks to clever planning) to defeat them...if only for a limited time.  It's a statement to Cyclops' skill as a strategist and team leader; that is something that is often overlooked in this era of Uncanny, if only because Storm has taken a more active leading role.

I've really been enjoying the Claremont/Smith run so far, and this issue does a good job of finishing off the Mastermind subplot and puts any questions about Madelyne's similarity to Jean Grey to rest (for now).  With regards to just this single issue, though, I was left a little underwhelmed.  I get Mastermind's motivation --- he wants to destroy the X-Men by ruining their precious morality --- but his plan is dumb and his execution sloppy.  And why act now, instead of back in Japan?  It's still entertaining, but the logic is lacking.

Art!
This is Paul Smith's last issue of Uncanny for a good long while, and he goes out on on a high note.  His fight scenes are fluid and crisp, and he handles the illusions well.  I especially like his version of Phoenix, with the glossy long locks.

This issue also marks the first pencils from John Romita Jr. on an X-Men title (EDIT 07/30/2016: JRJR first drew the team in Uncanny X-Men Annual #4 from 1980  My bad).  It is interesting to see the distinct differences between Smith and Romita, because it is all the more stark with Bob Wiacek inking both, and with them both drawing the same characters.  Romita Jr's work is rougher around the edges than Smith's, but it fits the danger in this issue well.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Cyclops has a near death experience after being burned by Phoenix.  However, he was never really injured at all; it was all just an illusion.  So...was he really that close to death, or is his subconscious just overly dramatic?
 
- So it is pretty clear at this point that Wolverine's wedding was ruined due to Mastermind's intervention, right?  Well, maybe for the readers; the X-Men appear to not know that, despite Storm clearly remembering the time she saw a Phoenix image in the Japanese sky.  All we get is Wolverine glaring during Cyclops' wedding ceremony and absolutely no direct reference to Mastermind in Japan.  In other words, Cyclops once again gets the girl and Wolvie gets heartbroken (cue sad trombone).

- I think it's funny how many people come to Scott and Madelyne's wedding, especially given the fact that Scott was raised an orphan and Madelyne has no family or friends.

Worth Noting:
- Paul Smith's next issue of Uncanny X-Men will be #278, more than 100 issues from now.

- Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor get married at the end of the issue.

Uncanny X-Men #174

"Romances"
Published October 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul Smith
Inker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
This is one of those "juggle the sub-plots" issues.  The only "main" plot here deals with Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor.  They get engaged and consider leaving Earth to join the Corsair and the Starjammers in space.  Before they can make that decision, though, Cyclops asks Madelyne point-blank if she is the reincarnation of Jean Grey/Phoenix.

Her response seems pretty definitive, but the illusionist Mastermind made an appearance just before this, so is everything what it seems?  Well, no, probably not.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Carol Danvers / Binary is joining the Starjammers, and will be in deep space with them for the foreseeable future.

- Lilandra and Xavier discuss their future.  She still plans to join the Starjammers in space and he still plans to stay on Earth and run his mutant teams.

- Xavier is still having difficulty walking.  Lilandra confirms that the problem is not mental, but physical.  That seems like an odd and less interesting choice, right?

- Corsair repeats his offer to have Cyclops join him and the Starjammers (last mentioned back in Uncanny X-Men #167), but Scott is having second thoughts, probably (but not explicitly) due to his increasingly serious relationship with Maddie.

- Wolverine confronts Mariko about calling off their wedding.  She basically tells him that she loves Logan the man, not Wolverine the beast.  In addition to insulting Wolverine, Mariko has also forgiven Silver Samurai and he is now her heir.  Since the man vs. beast idea seemed to have been resolved with the Wolverine limited series, I'm a little confused with Claremont's direction here.

- Kitty Pryde and Peter share another kiss, and this time, it's not because they think they will die.  The sexual tension is mounting...

- Storm got rid of all the plants in her bedroom, as yet another "subtle" hint as to her physical and mental change. You might have thought that the mohawk and leathers were the end result of her changes, but apparently Storm isn't done changing yet.

Writing!
Chris Claremont does an impressive job juggling sub-plots here.  The main plot doesn't get much attention until the end of the issue, but there are a lot of quality character beats here.  After the emotional turmoil of last issue, this is a good "calm before the storm" issue, especially since next issue will be an over-sized anniversary event.

Art!
Paul Smith has already shown that he handles character moments well, and this issue plays to that strength.  

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Nightcrawler, who has been shown as a stuffed animal before (back in Uncanny X-Men #168), receives a stuffed version of his girlfriend, Amanda Sefton.  It's a cute idea, but who is making these custom stuffed animals?

- Nightcrawler is identified as the team's medic.  Apparently, Moira MacTaggert and Xavier are not qualified?


Worth Noting:
- Xavier notes that Madelyne Pryor's mind is closed to him.  He comments that it is unusual, but doesn't seemed too concerned about it.  Rogue's mind is closed because she has multiple personalities (one part alien, too) and the helmets of Magneto and Juggernaut protect them, but I don't know if Xavier has ever had trouble reading a supposedly "normal" brain before this.

- Kitty's power set is expanding.  This issue shows her phasing someone else through a wall with her and having them walk on air together.

- Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor get engaged off-panel in this issue.

Everything 80s:
- Kitty is reading Marvel's Star Wars comic in this issue.  The back cover appears to be a Kool-Aid ad.

- Marvel felt the need to take up an entire page of space to justify their change in cover format.  They sacrificed a page of ad space to say, "Look, we have slightly more artwork space now!"  The 80s were a different time...

Uncanny X-Men #173

"To Have and Have Not"
Published September 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul Smith
Inker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
After the X-Men were poisoned last issue, the last two X-Men standing (Wolverine and Rogue) go looking for Viper and Silver Samurai.  They dutifully track down the only clues they have, only to find that they have been tricked, and that they have been led on a wild goose chase on the other side of town, leaving Mariko and the X-Men relatively defenseless.  Rogue and Wolvie rush back to the hospital just in time; Rogue fights off the ninjas while Wolverine defeats Silver Samurai in a one-on-one fight.  Lady Mariko stops Wolverine from landing a killing blow, but this puts her within the reach of Viper; as Silver Samurai collapses in defeat at his mistress' feet, she shoots a ray gun at Mariko.  Luckily, Rogue arrives in time to test her invulnerability, as she shields Wolverine and Mariko from the gun with her own body.  Viper's gun overloads and explodes, so she is forced to teleport away with Silver Samurai to fight another day.  Rogue was seriously injured, but Wolverine kisses her to lend her his healing ability.  A week later, the wedding ceremony of Wolverine and Mariko is stopped by Mariko herself; she calls the wedding off, explaining that Wolverine is simply "not worthy."  The last page hints that Mariko may have been under mind control at the wedding.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Storm and Yukio are wandering through Tokyo at night, the worse for wear after their fight with Viper and Silver Samurai at the warehouse last issue.  They are apparently far away from the hospital where the X-Men are, and no one will give them sanctuary to rest.  Unfortunately, street gangs in the area are not being very polite to them, and they will have to fight their way across town.  Storm seems to be embracing Yukio's daredevil attitude.

Maybe Storm's distressed and brittle hair will lead her to change her hairstyle?

- Wolverine doesn't like or trust Rogue at the start of this issue, but he seems to have fully accepted her after she nearly sacrificed his life for Mariko.

- Storm got a mohawk and a leather outfit, just in time for the wedding.

With any luck, this will end the sub-plot of Storm losing control of her weather powers because...um...punk rock haircut, I guess.  Kitty is very upset with Ororo's transformation. 

- Cyclops uses the wedding to introduce Madelyne Pryor to the X-Men.  Storm's reaction was an obvious double-take, while Lilandra pulled out a light sabre (or something similar) to try and kill her.  Apparently, Cyclops chose not to warn any of his friends that Madelyne is the spitting image of Jean Grey.

- In the clearest expression of his fears to date, Cyclops fears that Madelyne may be the reincarnation of Jean Grey.

- The final page hints that Mastermind may be the villain behind Mariko breaking up the wedding.  It is uncertain if he is responsible for more...

Writing!
This might be one of my all-time favorite single issues of Uncanny X-Men.  I love Rogue earning Wolverine's trust through self-sacrifice, I love the interactions before the wedding, and the fight scenes are all pretty great.

Upon re-reading this story, though, I was struck by some logical inconsistencies in Storm's sub-plot, but there was nothing plot-breaking there.  I am curious as to the whole Oyabun sub-plot; I guess we're supposed to assume that Mastermind teamed up with Viper and Silver Samurai to pose as the Oyabun to eventually lead Wolverine and Rogue on a wild-goose chase --- but shouldn't Viper's forces have attacked Mariko's guards at the hospital much earlier?  There is no good reason for Rogue and Wolvie to return in time to save anyone.  Aside from that, this is another strong issue from Claremont.

Art!
As much as I appreciate Paul Smith's work with character moments, I have to say that he does make a pretty action sequence.  While this issue's fight between Wolverine and Silver Samurai may be a little reminiscent of Frank Miller's wordless fight between Wolverine and Ogun in Wolverine #4, I still like it.  It makes the Samurai look very formidable, something I don't think is ever truly conveyed again after this.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Wolverine's guest list: I understand inviting Cyclops and a plus-one, and the Starjammers have helped the X-Men a few times, so that explains Corsair's invite (although not the absence of the rest of their team, especially since Nightcrawler isn't using an image-inducer).  I don't get inviting Havok and Polaris, who I am pretty sure have not had any pleasant scenes with Wolverine to date.  And if they're getting an invitation, why not Banshee or the other original X-Men or the New Mutants?  Why not Alpha Flight?  Granted, not everyone can attend a destination wedding, but Wolvie's guest list is just the current X-Men roster and the Summers clan.  I'm going to assume this is because, at this point in his publication history, Wolverine has not been connected to every damn character in the Marvel Universe yet.

- How hilarious is it that Cyclops didn't warn anyone about Madelyne's appearance, even though he wasn't shocked by Lilandra's attempt to use lethal force against her?  If there has ever been a hint that Cyclops will not do a good job protecting Madelyne, it's here.

- What, exactly, is Storm's timeline in this story?  She survives a poisoning and shows up to fight the Silver Samurai with Yukio, although the logic for that didn't make a bunch of sense last issue.  Following that, she never makes it back to the hospital, where her friends are close to death.  Mariko made it back with plenty of time, but Storm missed the entire fight, despite having the same starting point.  And then, ten days later, she shows up to Wolverine's wedding with a punk rawk makeover?  An important question is not being asked here: what has happened in the last ten days?  Has Storm been missing all that time?  Did she return to the hospital eventually, and just decide she needed a mohawk right before the wedding?  I think there's an interesting story being completely ignored here.

- Colossus handles the replies to the letter section this issue.

The highlight of this is an extended Q and A session, where he explains that Binary's powers (and code name) are derived from a white hole, from which she gets her powers.  Which was mentioned when...?

Worth Noting:
Check out John Byrne's contribution to the monthly Bullpen Bulletins section:

I think it's funny that he opted to have the X-Men (among his most popular work to date) with their backs to the "camera," but he prominently displayed his current projects, Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight.  Am I imagining things?  Maybe, but even Iron Fist and Power Man have more prominent positioning that the X-Men!