A Look Back on Paul Smith's Uncanny X-Men Run

Paul Smith took over as penciller on Uncanny X-Men with issue #165, toward the end of the Brood Saga, and he finished his run with issue #175, with the climax of the Mastermind/Madeline Pryor plot.  That's not an extensive run (Walt Simonson even filled-in for issue #171), but Smith's contribution should not be overlooked.  Paul Smith may not have drawn a lot of issues, but he had a ridiculously high percentage of awesome issues to draw.

That high percentage of awesomeness relied heavily on Smith's art, but it should be acknowledged that he came on to the title at the perfect time to showcase his stuff.  Do you want to see cosmic, space alien stuff?  Uncanny #165 and #166 have the X-Men fighting the evil Brood.  Did you want awesome action, with X-Men looking like total badasses?  If Wolverine vs. Silver Samurai in Uncanny #173 doesn't do it for you, then try out Storm vs. Callisto in Uncanny #170.  Of course, it's hard to improve on Cyclops beating down the entire X-Men team on his own in Uncanny #175.  Do you need a break from action and want some solid character-driven moments?  Uncanny #168 has some action, but is mainly focused on Kitty Pryde arguing to keep her roster spot on the X-Men.  If romance is your thing, Smith's run covers almost the entire first arc of the Cyclops/Madeline Pryor story --- and we get some cute scenes with Nightcrawler/Amanda Sefton, Colossus/Kitty Pryde, and we witness the tragic star-crossed plot of Wolverine/Mariko.  There is something for just about everyone in this run.

A promo for 1985's X-Men/Alpha Flight.  Nice perm, Kitty!

You cannot just ascribe the quality of this run to the writer, Chris Claremont, either.  He was writing garbage on The New Mutants at this time, so clearly Paul Smith was a valuable contributor.  But what did he ultimately bring to the table?  Aside from clean line work, characters with realistically athletic builds, and faces that were not interchangable, Smith clearly studied the importance of sequential art.  Some of his best moments are dialogue free, with his art doing all the storytelling.

If this had been written in the 2000s, Storm would have dropped a mic here

Personally, what I like best about Smith's pencils is the way he makes the innocent characters look.  It's a combination of clean lines and cherubic faces that I find charming.  He also managed to play up the humor in a title that has a tendency to get dreary with self-importance.  Plus, you gotta love the Herbal Essences-esque hair.

Adorable contemporary drawing from this period, taken from here

Admittedly, Paul Smith's run is peculiar in a few ways.  I understand that he took over mid-storyline when Dave Cockrum left to pursue The Futurians, but it was a pretty severe stylistic switch.  Smith had almost no prior experience (I believe a fill-in of Doctor Strange and a X-Men story in Marvel Fanfare), so he basically came out of absolutely nowhere.  He was also completely self-taught, aside from some airbrushing classes.  Here is a pretty cool contemporary interview with Smith, as he was about to start on Uncanny.  Modern readers can be excused for thinknig that Smith pulled Keyser Soze after he left Unanny; he didn't exactly vanish, but his career didn't skyrocket, like you might have expected it to.  He had a short run on Doctor Strange, he did the X-Men/Alpha Flight two-issue series, he did some time with X-Factor (on a pretty horrendous story), and then...what?  I think his most notable runs since have been the DC Elseworlds limited series The Golden Age, Image's Leave It to Chance, and the post-Darwyn Cooke issues of DC's The Spirit relaunch.  According to hearsay, Smith works so infrequently because he has other interests, like surfing, and he takes comic jobs to support his surfing habit.  Is that true?  I have no idea.  But if you're interested in his later works, check out Comics Should Be Good's Year of the Artist feature, which spent a few days examining Smith's development. 

Contemporary pencil sketch, taken from here

In case you're wondering why Smith would leave a title like Uncanny X-Men for  Doctor Strange, I would suggest checking out that interview I referenced earlier.  The man loved him some Steve Ditko, so it makes sense for him to take his newfound leverage as a popular artist and take on that title.  But if you want to know what he told the press at the time, here is a nifty article from Marvel Comics of the 1980s, who found this May 1983 article from the The Comics Journal.  So if anyone ever asks you why Smith left Uncanny, it is because he thought the writing and direction on the title were lacking.  This, coming from a guy who drew one of the all-time best runs on the title!  Some people can't be satisfied.

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!

Uncanny X-Men #172

"Scarlet in Glory"
Published August 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul SmithInker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
The X-Men arrive in Japan to celebrate Wolverine's wedding in a few days time.  Wolverine is rude to his new teammate, Rogue, because of his friendship to her former victim, Carol Danvers.  Nonetheless, Wolverine's fiance, Mariko, welcomes Rogue without reserve.  Meanwhile, the Silver Samurai is observing the team's reunion from across the street, deciding when he should attack.  However, Yukio is watching Silver Samurai watch Logan and friends; she decides to attack the Samurai on the rooftops.  This gets Wolverine's attention (through his enhanced hearing, naturally), and the X-Men join the fray.  In the ensuing scuffle, Silver Samurai teleports away and Yukio meets Storm briefly.


After all that excitement, Mariko quietly prepares for a meeting with the Silver Samurai; it turns out that he is her half-brother and he wants to be the head of the Clan Yoshida.  While Mariko sneaks away for the meeting (not realizing that her chauffeur for the evening has been replaced by Yukio), Viper infiltrates Mariko's home and poisons the X-Men's tea, felling the entire group, except for Storm (who was too busy talking to drink hers).  At the meeting-place, Yukio takes Mariko's place and tells off the Samurai; it is apparent that he will kill Mariko if she does not abdicate her family's organization to him.  Yukio takes on Silver Samurai while Storm (who apparently also drove with Yukio and Mariko to the meeting place) takes care of Viper; after knocking Viper out, Storm attempts to help subdue the Silver Samurai, but she loses control of her lightning powers and sets the entire warehouse on fire.  The Samurai escapes with Viper (after promising revenge against Storm and Yukio, naturally) and Yukio escapes with Storm.

The issue ends with Wolverine recovering enough (but far from completely) to leave the hospital, determined to take the fight to the Silver Samurai and Viper.  Rogue offers to help, since she also healed quickly; Wolverine initially refuses her help because he hates her, but he eventually relents, acknowledging that he will need help.

Sub-Plots, oh the sub-Plots!
- Wolverine does not like the fact that Rogue has joined the X-Men.  Storm states that Rogue is a member of the team, but does not go so far as to actually defend her.  Wolverine thinks to himself that he will "never forget.  Or forgive" what she did to Carol Danvers.  Let's see how often he mentions Carol and Rogue after this storyline.

- Storm's control over the elements has been increasingly poor of late.  This is the worst display of that loss of control to date, although her understanding of the problem remains opaque to the audience; she explains that control of her powers requires inner peace, and implies that recent emotional stress (caused by what?) has led to her losing control of her powers.  She then follows it up with "the death of my soul is infinitely preferable to the alternative" explanation for her loss of control.  What the alternative is is left unexplained.


- The Oyabun, Nabatone Yokuse, has a panel where he observes Storm struggling with her powers, trying to not kill the Silver Samurai with lightning, and thinks to himself: "Splendid, mutant.  You have done precisely what I expected of you.  My trap is sprung --- your fate is sealed."  The Oyabun is not seen after the warehouse fire, so what this means is left unexplained.

- The fire at the warehouse takes the shape of a Phoenix.  Yukio and Storm witness this, so it is apparently not a hallucination...or is it?

- In Alaska, Havok confronts Cyclops as Scott is looking into the personnel file for Madelyne Pryor.  Alex argues that Scott is being self destructive and that he should take Madelyne's similarities to Jean Grey as coincidences.  Scott cannot let that go, though; he has discovered that Madelyne survived a plane crash at the exact same moment Jean grey died on the moon.

Writing!
This issue is basically two issues worth of plot squeezed into one.  I'm not saying that because so much happens in this issue (although it is a busy one); I am saying that because so many parts of this issue feel like they are missing a few pages of explanation.  Want proof?

•  - The Samurai is about to attack the X-Men at the beginning of the issue, but as soon as he comes face-to-face with them, he teleports away without fighting any of them.  So, the whole point of him spying on the X-Men  and preparing to attack them was...what?  You can argue that this is evidence that the Silver Samurai is cowardly, but that has never been a character trait for him.
• - Between scenes, Yukio gets Storm to help her protect Mariko.  How does she do this?  By calling Storm on the phone.  Of course, this happens after the X-Men have been poisoned; since the team winds up at the hospital, it is natural to assume that Storm accompanied the team there.  So where did Yukio and Mariko (neither of whom appeared to know about the poisoning) reach her? 
• - Mariko, who purposely avoided involving the X-Men in her meeting with Silver Samurai, agreed to let Storm and Yukio come with.  She even agreed to let Yukio pose as her!  You can argue that they did this for Mariko's protection, but if that was their purpose, then they probably should not have left her in the car, right outside the meeting spot.  And what was Storm's part in the plan?  To protect Mariko?  Again, that location is a poor choice.  If the meeting was important enough for Mariko to show up to, but dangerous enough to warrant protection, then why not simply have Yukio and Storm accompany her to the meeting openly, as bodyguards?  More to the point, what changed Mariko's mind to change from having zero protection to having a doppelganger and a fantastically powered mutant protecting her?

Despite all of those problems, this issue does effectively set the stage for a trio of duos next issue.  Wolverine and Rogue will go after Silver Samurai; Silver Samurai and Viper will go after Mariko; and Storm and Yukio will presumably do something, because they didn't seem too injured after the fire.

Art!
Paul Smith is still going strong with this issue.  I think my favorite scene is Storm's lightning freak-out:

Keep in mind that Magma has not been introduced yet in the pages of The New Mutants, so this was a pretty unique visual at the time.  As much as I enjoy flashy scenes like this one, Smith is at his best when he's being subtle.  Check out the unspoken connection he establishes between Mariko and Rogue:

They're both being painfully polite and are probably nervous (for different reasons), and this shot makes the Mariko's courtesy toward Rogue feel so much more natural than if it was just established in the dialogue.

Here's another subtle background scene:

A few panels before, this scene was drawn from a perspective set to Rogue's right; in that panel, it was clear where everyone was sitting, but the lack of perspective hid how far away Rogue was from the rest of the team.  Here is a nice reminder of her outsider status within this group of outsiders.

Smith also displays some of the storytelling fundamentals that he is so good at.  Here is some sequential art that does a very effective job telling a story:

Paul Smith has always shown strong storytelling skills (particularly in Storm's battle with Callisto back in Uncanny #170), so this is no surprise.  Still, it's a treat to read.

This issue is not flawless, though.  I still can't make out what the "standard" look for Yukio is supposed to be.  It must be tough adapting a character that has only been drawn by one artist (Frank Miller) with a very distinct style.  Still, there are some panels where she definitely looks like a grotesque elf, rather than a person.

Restrospectively Amusing:
- This story (published in August 1983) takes place right after New Mutants (Vol. 1) #5-7 (which will finish up in September 1983), and ten weeks after Wolverine (Vol. 1) #4 (which was published in December 1982).  The balance between comic publishing schedules and the demand for continuity sometimes makes for odd timetables.

- Kitty's naivety really comes and goes.  I love how surprised she was that Wolverine killed Lord Shingen.  Keep in mind that this is only a few issues after Wolverine was going to murder his teammates to keep them from turning into the Brood.

- Rogue explains that she healed fast from the poison due to being "half-alien."  This is apparently a reference to how she absorbed the memories and abilities of Carol Danvers, but it is (as far as I know) the only time she ever claims to have absorbed Carol's part-alien physiology.  I'm going to go ahead and say that is explanation is blatantly incorrect.  If you're feeling generous, you can argue that Rogue misspoke and meant to say that her nigh-invulnerability (which she absorbed from Carol) makes her resistant to toxins, which makes a little more sense.  Maybe Rogue just isn't too bright; if she had a clear understanding of her powers, she wouldn't need the X-Men's help, would she?

- Yukio still uses "Gotcha" as a catch phrase.  *Sigh*

- The Silver Samurai swears to kill Storm and Yukio, as soon as he kills Mariko.  To the best of my knowledge, this is never referred to again.

- After several months without one, the fan letters page returns --- with Kitty Pryde acting as a guest host, answering that month's mail.  The first letter (which may have been a prank --- it's hard to tell in retrospect) is from Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter, threatening to become a "killer vampire pervert" if the letter page is not reinstated.  Um.  What?

Worth Noting:
- This is the first time Silver Samurai and Wolverine are portrayed as enemies.  This is a big deal for Samurai, as this relationship more or less defines his character from now on.

Everything 80s:
- The back cover is an ad for the Intellivision version of Frogger, which has "all the enhanced, colorful graphics Intellivision is famous for."  Man, the past was awful.

Uncanny X-Men #170

"Dancin' in the Dark"
Published June 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul Smith
Inker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
Picking up after their defeat last issue, the shorthanded X-Men have been captured in their attempt to rescue Angel from Callisto and the Morlocks.  Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler try to brawl their way out of their mess, but the Morlocks are too many and are too unknown to the X-Men for them to really have a chance; while Nightcrawler easily defeats Callisto by teleporting her around Morlock Alley...

he and Colossus are forced to surrender when Plague infects Storm and threatens to kill her.  Meanwhile, Kitty's Plague-induced sickness gets worse, and Caliban brings her to the rest of the Morlocks and the X-Men.  As critical as her condition is, though, Callisto will not allow anyone to take Kitty to get medical help.  The only way Callisto's decision can be overturned is by challenging her to one-on-one physical combat, to the death.  Storm, weakened by Plague's sickness as she is, still decides that she should be the one to challenge Callisto.  Despite Callisto's experience and physical prowess, Storm wins the fight by stabbing her in the heart like a bad-ass.  After winning the fight, Storm declares herself leader of the Morlocks, invites them to live in Xavier's mansion, and frees the X-Men. 

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor are interested in each other, romantically-speaking.  Cyclops confesses his two biggest secrets to Madelyne: the fact that he's a mutant, and the fact that Madelyne appears to be an exact duplicate of his late girlfriend, Jean Grey.  Madelyne is okay with both secrets.

- In her hurry to help the X-Men, Kitty promises Caliban that she will stay with him and live in the Morlock tunnels.

- Mystique has a nightmare featuring Jason Wyngarde and Jean Grey.  She awakens in a surprisingly nice house, where fellow Brotherhood of Evil Mutants member Destiny is already awake, having foreseen the nightmare's occurrence.  Mystique is certain that the dream was an attack on her, but Destiny convinces her that Charles Xavier is not the cause; according to Destiny, the person responsible for the nightmare is an entity that "operates on fundamental levels of space and time." 

- Rogue has run away from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.  But to where...?

Writing!
I can't say that I'm a fan of starting the issue with a B-plot (Scott and Madelyne) instead of with Storm's team in peril, but whatever.  Claremont makes up for that, in my mind, by putting together Storm's finest moment yet: her duel with Callisto.  This is the first noticeable change with her character in years and, while there have been some hints in recent issues that she's getting tougher, this is a shocking scene. 

The idea of Storm leading the Morlocks and the X-Men is an interesting one that could open the door to a lot of atypical plots (the obvious bigotry ones, but also social issues and street-level crime, etc.).  If memory serves, Claremont doesn't really do that, but it's an interesting broad idea, nonetheless.  I do think that having none of the Morlocks choose to live at the mansion was just poor and lazy writing, but whatever.

I'm starting to get wary of the "powerful unknown psychic" subplot.  The logic of it (put the White Queen in a coma, but give Mystique a bad dream?) doesn't really work, and neither do the targets.  I really, really hope this pays off well soon.  I'm pretty sure that it's going to be Mastermind --- who else would make Mystique dream of his Jason Wyngarde persona? --- but I'm really hoping it's not.

Art!
I'm not a big fan of Paul Smith's rendition of the Morlocks --- I much prefer John Romita Jr.'s more grotesque take --- but he did one hell of a job making Storm look like a bad-ass in this issue.  She had never really seemed all that tough (formidable, per haps, but not tough), but this 3-page sequence was just fabulous:

 The knife toss-and-catch was pretty cool --- and very well-conveyed --- but Callisto's surprise was just priceless.  The next page shows how well Smith can do action scenes:

...and then we have Storm's "drop the mic" moment:

She just stabs Callisto and walks off the panel, the winner.  As far as I'm concerned, this is the most interesting moment in Storm's entire history, and a lot of that depends on how Smith drew it.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Madelyne Pryor is the hardest person in the world to frighten.  She learns that her boyfriend-to-be is a mutant with dangerously destructive and difficult to control powers and she learns that his last girlfriend looked exactly and creepily like her, but she barely bats an eye.

- I know this isn't what Chris Claremont was going for, but it would have been extremely funny (to me) if Paul Smith drew Madelyne Pryor differently, and the X-Men just thought she looked like Jean Grey because they can't tell the difference between redheads.

- The Morlocks, who fought against Colossus and Nightcrawler in an all-out brawl, seem ill-prepared to keep them contained.  Maybe you can make the excuse that the X-Men played possum the first time, and surprised the Morlocks:

The second time, though, with the exact same situation and exact same results is just shame on them.

- So the person who gave Mystique a bad dream "operates on fundamental levels of space and time," eh?  I don't remember who wound up being responsible for this, but I'm going to go ahead and call bullshit on that one.  That is just overselling a character's power set to an unbelievably comic degree.

- The Morlocks have been invited to live in the X-Mansion, but Caliban refuses on their behalf.  So you're telling me that not even one of them would rather live in a mansion than in the sewers of New York City?

 - This issue was published a year before Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" single was released.  We'll just pretend that this is proof that Bruce was reading X-Men that year.

Worth Noting:
- Storm is now leader of the Morlocks and the X-Men.  I wonder which she will spend more time with?

Uncanny X-Men #169

"Catacombs"
Published May 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul Smith
Inker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
When former X-Man Angel is kidnapped from his ritzy apartment by forces unknown, the X-Men are ready to track him down.  The team is shy a few members at the moment --- Wolverine is in Japan for his limited series and Cyclops has retired to Alaska --- so it is up to Storm to lead Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Kitty Pryde to hunt down their friend.  The trail leads the team to a vast network of underground tunnels (or "catacombs," if you want to swipe the issue's title), filled with hostile natives.  These humanoid underground dwellers (no telling yet if they are cannibalistic or not) call themselves the Morlocks.  Their leader, Callisto, had Angel kidnapped to serve as her trophy husband.  Naturally, the X-Men fight to save their friend, but they are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the opposition.  Things don't look good for these X-Men, and it doesn't seem like help will be on the way.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The White Queen has been struck down by an unknown psychic attacker, and is now in a catatonic stupor.  Her fellow Hellfire Club member, Sebastian Shaw, admits that only Charles Xavier could have done such a thing, but seriously doubts that Xavier would act like a villain.

- Xavier mentions some psychic interference that prevents him from keeping in contact with the team as they enter the Morlock tunnels.  This appears to be unrelated to what happened to the White Queen.

- Kitty hates her code-name, Sprite.  With yet another costume debuting here, is it time for a new code-name as well?

- Storm is having difficulty handling her emotions as leader of the team.  She is forcing herself to be cold and detached, which is disturbing her teammates greatly.

- Kitty winds up getting extremely sick, thanks to Plague, and is found and cared for by Caliban.  Caliban is still super creepy and wants to keep Kitty with him, underground, forever.

Writing!
This issue is a bit uneven.  There are things that I really like --- particularly the objectification of Angel in this issue (he doesn't even get any dialogue!), which turns the tables on your typical comic book gender roles.  I also liked Nightcrawler's naked trek across town; it was a fun use of his powers that shows both how far he has come in mastering them and an unintended disadvantage to being able to leave places immediately.

I was not crazy about the Morlocks, though.  I understand their appeal from a writing perspective --- mutants, like the X-Men, but not lucky enough to have "sexy" powers --- but I really think Claremont went in the wrong direction, introducing them this way.  Having an overly aggressive outsider culture --- they kidnap Angel and throw his girlfriend, Candy Southern, out of a skyscraper --- makes them automatically unsympathetic.  When you combine that with Callisto's ridiculously verbose introduction and her rapist undertones, this issue has a lot more "ick" than your typical X-Men issue.

Art!
Paul Smith does a good job making the Morlocks ugly in this issue, and the fight scenes look pretty good.  I like Kitty's new uniform better than anything she's had since her original outfit.  Domino masks are cool.

But when I think back on this issue, the one image that keeps popping into my head is a helpless Angel wearing what appear to be cloth diapers.  Was he not wearing underwear when he was kidnapped?

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Amanda Sefton comments that her mother taught her how to care for dragons, when Kitty leaves Lockheed in her care.  Ignoring the fact that Lockheed is an alien that may or may not match up with our understanding of "dragons," how does she say that and not have anyone react?  I know, her mother's a sorceress, but still...!

- With Angel kidnapped and Wolverine on leave, Storm asks if she can use borrow Wolfsbane to act as a tracker.  Xavier tells her absolutely not --- the New Mutants are not to be taken on "missions."  The message is that the New Mutants are to be kept out of danger.  Keep in mind that this is one month after they fought mutant-hunting Sentinels.

- Check out what Xavier is reading in bed:

Yes, that's an Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe gag.  Ha ha?

- Apparently, all it takes for Plague to make you deathly ill is for her to infect a single molecule on your person.  Yay, ridiculously over-powered characters!

- Callisto takes out Storm with a slingshot.  A SLINGSHOT.  Way to lead the team, Storm.

Worth Noting:
- This is the first appearance of the Morlocks, specifically Callisto, Masque, Plague, and Sunder.  Caliban made his first appearance back in Uncanny #148.

- Callisto's bravado reminds Storm of someone from her past that apparently wanted to rape her...

Pictured: six eyes, zero pupils

... which is a bit of a downer.  I believe this gets retconned by Claremont later on to explain why Storm doesn't kill, but it seems that the first take on this story is that she ran away.

Uncanny X-Men #168

"Professor Xavier is a Jerk!"
Published April 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul Smith
Inker: Bob Wiacek


What's Going On?
After being demoted from the X-Men to the remedial New Mutants team, Kitty Pryde is understandably upset.  After discovering that throwing a tantrum and pouting failed to change Professor Xaver's mind about the matter, Kitty tries a number of other tactics.  In the end, though, all it took was Xavier seeing Kitty in action to change his mind.  Kitty is an X-Man once more!

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- A new twist has been added to Xavier's psychosomatic walking pain sub-plot: when he tries to walk, the pain is so great that he cannot use his psychic powers.

- Lilandra plans to leave Earth with the Starjammers and try to reclaim her rightful place as ruler of the Shi'ar.  Xavier plans to remain on Earth and recruit/train more mutants.  It may be a bumpy road ahead for these lovers...

- Storm has trouble reconnecting with Mother Nature.  The narration implies that she knows the reason why, but does not spell it out for the reader.

- Cyclops and Nightcrawler visit their girlfriends, Lee Forrester and Amanda Sefton, respectively, for some Christmas romance.

- This issue begins the mystery of Madelyne Pryor.  Who is she, and why does she look and sound exactly like the late Jean Grey?

Writing!
This may be my favorite issue of this run.  There is so much going on in this issue, and yet my mind always focuses on the first page:

It's so pure, so simple, and so effective!  Kitty-centric issues are usually good, but this is probably my all-time favorite, for its blend of humor, teenage angst, and overall business.

While I think Kitty's age and what team she is on are natural fodder for stories, now that the New Mutants are around, I ultimately think this issue demeans the junior team; they don't really get out from under the "X-Babies" idea until X-Force is formed.

Art!
As per usual, Paul Smith does a good job with the action scenes in this issue.  What really makes this issue stand out, though, is how engaging the rest of the story is.  I love his take on Kitty, whether she is pouting or kicking ass.  And how awesome are his teaser panels for Lockheed?  Extreme close-ups with severe shadows rarely look this good.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- What does it take to be promoted from the New Mutants to the X-Men?  Apparently, all you have to do is kill some aliens with your space dragon.  How hard is that?

- Stevie Hunter and Illyana apparently only exist for Kitty to bounce ideas off of.  How many issues will go by before either does anything meaningful in this title?

- Kitty complains about putting on her old black-and-yellow uniform, which she hasn't worn in "ages."  For the record, she wore the damn thing in Uncanny X-Men #166. 

- It's a Christmas issue!  With an April publication date!

- For his romantic Christmas date, Nightcrawler lights some candles, pours some champagne, and puts on...his superhero uniform?  Whatever makes your lady happy, I guess.

- It appears that Xavier's mansion was rebuilt with a room specially made for Sidrian Hunter eggs.

- The last page of this issue is dedicated to some fan-created costume designs for Kitty Pryde, submitted before her code-name was changed from Sprite to Ariel.  It's not the designs that I find amusing here; it's the fact that they gave the page a title that can be abbreviated "KKK" for a Jewish character.

A+, editors.

Worth Noting:
- Wolverine leaves the country this issue for the events that took place in Wolverine (Vol. 1).

- Cyclops is now semi-retired for X-Mannery, as he plans to spend time with his newly discovered family in Alaska.

- Lockheed gets his name in this issue.  This appearance also means that he did not die on Sleazeworld.

- This issue marks the first appearance of Madelyne Pryor

Everything 80s:
The back cover has a video game ad, illustrated by Mad magazine's Jack Davis.

 Only in the 1980s would there be a video game about avoiding a nuclear meltdown.  And only in the 80s would kids have their mind blown by multi-colored squares on the screen.