Readthrough: Uncanny X-Men 104

[sheliak]

This issue opens with the X-Men--in full costume--attempting to collect their rental hovercraft from one Angus MacWhirter.

Well, Sean is trying to negotiate for the hovercraft. Kurt attempts to strike up a conversation with some passers-by, who are too alarmed by his appearance to make pleasant small talk about the weather

Sean is no more successful.



Classic adds a few pages detailing what's happening here, and why: the metal of the hovercraft comes alive and attacks the X-Men, while some unseen force inhibits some--not all--of their powers. Colossus is able to transform into metal, but Storm cannot use her lightning to free herself from entrapment, and Nightcrawler cannot teleport. (Storm is rescued by Wolverine--who is having surprisingly little trouble swimming, considering the obvious--who performs mouth-to-mouth. Kurt is snatched out of the air by Banshee, who's lucky enough to still be able to fly.)

Then there's a scene shift to the villain of the piece, who's siting in what I at first supposed to be his supervillain office. Closer inspection reveals the name "Charles Xavier" on a bit of rubble in the foreground, so I think that this is actually Xavier's office when he visits Moira at her laboratory-fortress.

Magneto--because of course it's Magneto, making his grand return at last--gives a helpful establishing monologue. He observes that the new team is rather more diverse and likely more powerful than the originals, and he tells the absent Xavier that this will make his ultimate victory "all the sweeter". Thanks to Moira's surveillance equipment and his own attack on the hovercraft, Magneto now has a good idea of their powers and skills, and he feels confident in his ability to defeat them.

That settled, he takes a moment to glare at Xavier's mementoes of their friendship, exercise his artistic skills, and hint at his motives and backstory.



(As far as I can tell, this page and the other new ones are drawn by Dave Cockrum himself, although other artists were handling the reprints for a while. Maybe he prioritized working on this one? It's a more important story beat than the last few additions were, at any rate.)

The X-Men stagger onto the beach, Wolverine's mask as bent and bedraggled as the others' hair. They figure that they've been attacked, but since none of them have actually faced Magneto before, they don't realize by who. And Banshee, at least, is quickly distracted by the site of his lady-love's fortress looming in front of them.

Moira gave up all this-- an' a professorship in Edinburgh-- just t'become the X-Men's housekeeper?!? I thought I knew her. Now I'm not so sure.

Despite his worries, Banshee takes the lead, asking Colossus to go first as they head to the lab--but it turns out that the beach is enclosed by a forcefield. And no sooner have they figured that out, than they (and a chunk of earth) are hurled through the air towards the fortress walls. They're able to use their powers (in a team effort) to avoid being squashed, but they've barely picked themselves up from that when their enemy reveals himself:



... And then, the scene shifts. "We hate to do this, folks", says the narrator. I don't quite believe him, in all honesty. But Moira MacTaggart is returning home--along with Cyclops, who apparently let himself be talked into leaving Jean's side after all. He's suspicious about Moira's "mutant research center", which she explains is focused on imprisoning mutant criminals and attempting to rehabilitate them.

The two run across Jamie Madrox, lying unconscious but mostly unharmed. He explains that Eric the Red--ever the troublemaker--attacked with the brainwashed Havok and Polaris, and made his way to the cell where the infant Magneto was held. (Yes, Magneto had been turned into a baby in his last appearance. That's comics for you! Why he was being held in a cell instead of a nursery I don't know, although at least Moira gave the poor kid a teddy bear.) At any rate, my worries about the proper treatment of supervillains reverted to infancy are soon made moot, as Eric the Red re-aged Magneto to adulthood. Once restored, Magneto was incensed at having been a baby under Xavier's power, and sought vengeance. The two plotted villainously together (apparently in Jamie's hearing, since he's able to give a very complete picture of events to Scott and Moira).

As soon as he hears this, Cyclops leaves the others behind, and tears off looking for his team. The new X-Men, he says, were never trained for the possibility of a fight against Magneto, and he doesn't think they have a chance against him. The narrator picks on him a bit for it...

Don't tell them that, Cyclops-- you might get an argument...

... but honestly, he's right.



Magneto is able to yank Wolvie and Colossus around at will, redirect Storm's powers, and predict where Nightcrawler will emerge when he teleports. Banshee does the best (and gets off some pretty good zingers, too, such as when he accuses Magneto of being known mostly for talking big). Magneto informs even him that he's the only new X-Man worth fighting. However, he's ultimately able to coat poor Banshee in a layer of metal, blocking not just his powers but his access to air.

Luckily for the X-Men, Cyclops arrives just in time to interrupt Magneto's moment of triumph. He manages to stun the (self-admittedly overconfident) Master of Magnetism. Musing aloud that Xavier is likely to be in danger even now, he rushes to the X-Men, waking Nightcrawler and using his powers to crack Banshee's metal shell before he suffocates. Then he shocks the X-Men by informing them that they're not going to resume the fight against Magneto: they're running for the plain and going back to New York.

Cyclops tells the X-Men his theory about Eric the Red's motives, and explains that they're headed home to protect the Professor. Wolverine isn't impressed: as far as he's concerned, Cyclops's choice to run made the X-Men cowards, him included, and he isn't about to forgive that.

Magneto gets up and, realizing that his foes have fled, takes a moment to gloat. But as he leaves in triumph, energy seeps through the cracks of a door labeled "Mutant X"...

There's one page left in the issue, a series of cameos: a dashing space pirate telling his friend that the universe itself is in danger; an alien in a weirdly cute bug-shaped spaceship reaching Earth, almost out of fuel and just ahead of her pursuers; Jean returning home to her apartment; and Eric the Red, plotting the downfall of both Xavier and "the princess".


I really enjoyed this issue! In the original version, Magneto is basically a villainous villain who villains, but he's cool and competent. And the reprint manages to balance that nicely with his later depths. I appreciated that Charles's picture included Gabby (nice to see her mentioned ahead of time too!), and I enjoyed Magneto making and breaking a statue of his hold friend/enemy; I love Magneto's artistic moments. Seeing Banshee take the lead like this was a surprise, given later dynamics--but it was also pretty fun to see him in that role. And the hints at the end are fun; I like the look at Lilandra in particular. (Did Shi'ar spaceships keep looking like cartoon bugs? I can't remember, but I hope so.)

Poll #21639

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

View Respondents

Your favorite scene(s) in this issue were...

View Answers

The Doomed Hovercraft of Doom
1 (20.0%)

Trouble on the Beach
0 (0.0%)

Magneto Revealed!
1 (20.0%)

Moira & Scott Find Out What’s Going On
0 (0.0%)

The X-Men (Fail To) Fight Magneto
0 (0.0%)

Cyclops to the Rescue (And Retreat)
0 (0.0%)

Bonus Scene: Magneto, Art & Backstory
4 (80.0%)

Something else, which I will explain in the comments.
1 (20.0%)

Comments

[greerwatson]

To me, the most intriguing part of the story is Banshee's discovery that Moira is far more than a mere housekeeper. Not that there aren't still more secrets to be revealed....

[sheliak]

That is indeed a great moment!

Moira has many, many secrets at this point in her life...

[citrinesunset]

Maybe Magneto would have been marginally less pissed-off if he hadn't been kept in a cell as a baby.

I like the extra scene with Magneto making the Xavier statue. It's interesting insight into his motivations, but also a suitably melodramatic use of his powers.

[sheliak]

It couldn't have made matters worse...

I like that scene a lot! It has everything: motives, artistry, high drama, backstory hints...