X-MEN: HELLFIRE CLUB #4 - April 2000

Also Sprach Sebastian

Credits:  Ben Raab (writer), Charlie Adlard (artist), Kevin Somers (colors), Jon Babcock (letters)

Summary:  In China, Irene is awakened by Tessa, who relates to her the story of Sebastian Shaw.  She learns of his past as a poor steelworker, who attended college on scholarship and became a successful engineer.  Against the wishes of his girlfriend Lourdes Chantel, Shaw joined the Hellfire Club, only to be betrayed by the mutant-hating White King Edward Buckman.  Following Lourdes’s death, Shaw killed Buckman and instituted the new Inner Circle.  Shaw interrupts the story to meet Irene.  She rejects his offer of membership and pursues the publication of her story back in New York.

Continuity Notes:  

• A few pages of this issue are a retelling of the back-up story in Classic X-Men #7, which is likely why Chris Claremont has a “special thank you” credit in the opening.
• Other members joining the Hellfire Club with Shaw include Iron Man’s father Howard Stark and Archangel’s father Warren Worthington, Jr.

Miscellaneous Note:  The title of the issue is a reference to “Also sprach Zarathustra.”

Review:  The finale might seem like a bit of an anti-climax, as Irene is allowed to live and we never learn if her story is published, but I think Raab does a capable job of creating a sense of closure without spelling everything out for the reader.  Shaw is humanized for, if not the very first time, the first time in ages as Raab goes back to his youth and explores his blue-collar roots.  Revealing that Shaw was essentially a character out of a Bruce Springsteen song is perhaps trying a bit too hard to make him likeable, but it seems to be a legitimate background for him to have.  In comparison to the more recent trend in villain origins, revealing that they were all psychopaths as children (hello, Geoff Johns), I prefer the path taken here.  Shaw’s evolution into sheer villainy was already handled by Claremont in the back-up story that killed Lourdes Chantel, but Raab does a decent job of getting the character to his starting point in Claremont's story.  And as someone who spent much of his youth preoccupied with X-continuity, I have to say it’s a relief to see the previous Sebastian Shaw prequel story hasn’t been ignored.

The best scene in the issue is when Shaw refuses to kill Irene, simply because he sees so much of himself in her.  That’s a smart way to invert the point of the previous stories, which consistently showed ambition as the downfall of the protagonists.  Here, Irene is spared solely because of her tenacity and desire to succeed.  Then again, those are the traits she shares with the villain she’s desperate to bring down, so how is Irene supposed to view herself now?  My only real issue with the conclusion is Shaw’s arrogance that he can just buy out any publishing firm that wants to publish her story.  That old trope might’ve gone unnoticed pre-internet, but by 2000 a story spiked by Newsweek had already leaked online and caused a certain American president a lot of trouble.  The idea of a shadowy cabal controlling what the public hears always stretched credibility, but in the days when the average person has more access to information than ever before, it’s much harder to sell this as a legitimate plot point.

X-MEN: HELLFIRE CLUB #3 - March 2000

For Want of a Soul

Credits:  Ben Raab (writer), Charlie Adlard (artist), Kevin Somers (colors), Jon Babcock (letters)

Summary:  In England, Irene meets with Spitfire and the modern-day Union Jack.  Spitfire reads from the journal of her father, the original Union Jack.  In an entry from 1915, he tells the story of Esau Shaw and his envious brother Jacob.  Esau was ambivalent about joining the Hellfire Club, but Jacob craved the power and struck a deal with Mr. Sinister.  After Sinister granted Jacob shapeshifting powers, Jacob killed his brother and attempted to take his place.  Union Jack foiled his scheme, but was unable to capture Jacob.

Continuity Notes:  

• Donald Pierce’s ancestor, identified only by his last name, attempts to recruit Esau into the Hellfire Club, based on his belief that a Shaw should always be a member.  
• The present day scenes also establish Irene Merryweather as a smoker, which I don’t recall from any of her previous appearances (not that this version of Irene looks anything like her past appearances anyway.)

Review:  The flashbacks make it to the twentieth century, as the mystery killers get closer and closer to Irene.  I don’t think Ben Raab has hidden his affection for Union Jack in the past, so it’s not a surprise to see him here, but he thankfully doesn’t feel like a gratuitous guest star.  So far, Raab’s done a good job of taking existing Marvel characters from different time periods and working them into the story naturally.  Cameos in flashback stories can easily become annoying, but Raab’s been able to avoid that trap.  Plus, Charlie Adlard draws a fantastic Union Jack.  

Thematically, Raab advances the concept of desire, and the price a person is willing to pay to get what they want.  (Or to silence whatever insecurities lie within them.)  Irene begins to question if her own ambition to become a famous reporter makes her any better than the fools who have fallen for the Hellfire Club’s trap over the years, a valid point considering that she’s risking everything on a story that she acknowledges could just be forgotten by the next day.  I like the way the drama is escalating from issue to issue, as the flashbacks inch closer to the modern day while the Hellfire Club gets closer to Irene.  The issue ends with Irene unwittingly stepping into a car with a pitchfork logo, a nice cliffhanger setting the stage for the final issue.

X-MEN: HELLFIRE CLUB #2 - February 2000

Toll the Bell Liberty

Credits:  Ben Raab (writer), Charlie Adlard (artist), Kevin Somers & Christie Scheele (colors), Jon Babcock (letters)

Summary:  Archangel tells Irene the story of his ancestor, Major-General Wallace Worthington, who married young Elizabeth Shaw, unaware that she was a pawn of the Hellfire Club.  When Elizabeth Shaw refused to turn over military secrets to Lady Grey, she ordered Worthington killed.  The Captain America of 1781 tried to save Worthington, but was too late.  As he leaves, Archangel informs Irene that the historian she was scheduled to meet was recently killed.

Continuity Notes:  The Hellfire Club’s Lady Grey is the spitting image of Jean Grey, from which we can infer that Jean gets her looks from her father’s side, I suppose.

Review:  Hmm…we know Archangel’s family has a history with the Hellfire Club, that goes back to their debut storyline, but learning of this “Lady Grey” who happens to look exactly like Jean, that’s perhaps a bit of a stretch.  I assume Raab is playing off the illusions created by Mastermind in the original “Dark Phoenix Saga,” which had Jean “reliving” the life of an ancestor that was associated with the Hellfire Club.  That ancestor was supposed to be an illusion created by Mastermind, though.  That’s always been my assumption, at least, and it would seem to be the only reasonable explanation that works within Mastermind's established power set.  Regardless, if the Club really is the venerable institution that Marvel has claimed it to be, I suppose it’s not entirely improbable that two X-Men with Northeastern roots could have ancestors in the Club.

Concerning the actual content of the story, it’s another solid issue.  Elizabeth Shaw’s quest for freedom is contrasted with the “freedom” represented by the Hellfire Club, which also gives Raab an opportunity to hint at what the real-life Hellfire Club was doing during this era.  (Hint:  Kinky things.)  Creating another member of the Shaw family that isn’t an obvious villain, one that’s actually quite sympathetic this issue, is also a smart play on Raab’s part.  While working in the Captain America of 1781 might initially seem like an awkward continuity implant, he naturally ties into the issue’s theme of freedom, and he fulfills the role of Wallace Worthington’s confidant quite well.  You can’t think Worthington is too bad a guy if he’s buddies with Captain America, after all.

X-MEN: HELLFIRE CLUB #1 - February 2000

 

Witch Hunt

Credits:  Ben Raab (writer), Charlie Adlard (artist), Kevin Somers (colors), Jon Babcock (letters)

Summary:  Irene Merryweather investigates Sebastian Shaw’s family, focusing on Reverend Hiram Shaw and the Salem Witch Trials.  Irene learns from a minister the story of Hiram, his son Obadiah, Obadiah’s girlfriend Abby, and her secret life as a witch.  When Hiram’s wife is killed by Dormammu, Abby is blamed.  As she escapes Salem, she uses her powers to kill several townspeople.  Today, the minister is killed after telling Irene the story.

Continuity Notes:  Irene Merryweather is oddly off-model, although I guess not as off-model as Trish Tilby can occasionally be.

Review:  This is an unusual relic from the final days of the Bob Harras era.  Marvel was apparently willing to do a historical drama with few superheroic elements as a miniseries, but didn’t have enough faith in the concept to leave X-Men out of the title.  Had this mini been released a year or so later, with a writer not associated with late ‘90s Marvel, it probably would’ve been acknowledged as another "daring" experiment from the Quesada/Jemas days.  And, had it been released a few years earlier, before the market had been oversaturated by X-product, it might’ve been remembered as a unique project by a promising creative team.  Instead, it’s dumped out just as this era of Marvel comes to a close, not gaining much attention from X-fans or non-X-Fans.

Over the years, a few readers have picked up on the miniseries, however.  I’ve heard it described as the giant leap ahead for Ben Raab, and based on the first issue, I can’t disagree.  He starts with the most clichéd set-up imaginable, the evil preacher picking on innocent girls in 1692 Massachusetts, then turns all of the clichés into clever plot twists.  Yes, Rev. Hiram Shaw is arrogant and power hungry, but he’s also legitimately hunting witches.  He’s described by Dormammu as the "sorcerer supreme" in quotes, so I doubt Raab is playing with continuity enough to claim that Shaw really is this era’s Sorcerer Supreme, but he’s clearly involved with the mystical realm in some way.  As is Abby, the alleged witch who turns out to be a literal witch.  When Shaw tells his son Obadiah not to be seen with her, it’s not only because he’s accusing Abby of being a witch in order to provoke the locals.  Using Shaw, a character we naturally assume to be a villain based on his occupation and last name and casting him as a flawed hero is kind of brilliant, and it automatically makes me more willing to give the series a shot.  The art is also nicely cast, as Adlard’s moody art fits the era perfectly, while his stylized faces are still human enough to sell the emotions.

GAMBIT #12 - January 2000

The Sunset Dawn Book 1:  

The Time Trap Chapter 1

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (script), Steve Skroce (layouts), Rodney Ramos (finishes), Shannon Blanchard (colors), Comicraft’s Troy Peteri (letters)

Summary:  Gambit’s father informs him that he must travel back to 1891’s London, because he remembers Gambit saving his life there as a boy.  He seeks help from Sekmeht Conoway, who advises him to use Dr. Doom’s time platform.  Gambit recruits Courier and the Mengo Brothers for help and invades Doom’s castle.  After facing Stryfe’s Doombot guards, he locates the time platform and forces Courier to go along with him.

Continuity Notes:  

• Jean Luc Lebeau uses the Tithe Collector to help verify his story about Gambit saving his life as a child.  Gambit learns from both the Tithe Collector and Sekmeht Conoway that Fontanelle has been invading their dreams.
• Gambit turns to Conoway for help time-traveling following the events of “The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone,” the Gambit cyber-comic that appears to be lost to the ages. 
• Stryfe is the ruler of Latveria at this point in continuity, as Dr. Doom still has not returned following the events of Heroes Reborn: Heroes Return.  As many fans pointed out at the time, how exactly Stryfe took over Latveria was never shown.  He landed in Latveria in the X-Man/Cable crossover, but had a vague death scene at the end.

“Huh?” Moment:  The narration makes a joke about Gambit getting Conoway to crawl in front of him in the castle’s ventilation shaft, but the art shows that she’s behind him.

Review:  It’s the year-end anniversary issue, and Nicieza has decided to pull together some of the seemingly disparate threads and begin the next phase of the title.  All of this is a setup for getting Gambit in position to travel back to the late nineteenth century, which will eventually shed more light on Fontanelle, the history of the Thieves Guild, Candra, Mr. Sinister, and the mysterious New Son.  There’s no great reason for Sekmeht Conoway, Courier, or the Mengo Brothers to be here; I'm assuming that Nicieza wants the reader to feel as if the previous eleven issues have been building to this story, but the character interactions just feel too rushed.  Looking back, it’s obvious Nicieza wanted to do more with Sekmeht Conoway as a love interest, but her appearances in the book were so sparse the idea went nowhere.  Having her guide Gambit through Stryfe’s castle is a nice use of the character, though.  Nicieza seems to be the only person working for Marvel at the time who put any thought into why Stryfe was in Latveria in the first place.  Could it be that the evil chaos-bringer from the future might want that time machine Doom keeps in his basement?

Unfortunately, Steve Skroce doesn’t seem too excited about any of this, as he leaves this month to go work on the Matrix sequels.  His section of the story consists of very loose breakdowns that are poorly finished by Rodney Ramos.  The often bizarre coloring isn’t much of a help, either, as we’re treated to characters with gray skin, literally purple mountains, and a color scheme that alternates between drab and garish and never finds a middle ground.

Chapter 2: It Takes a Thief (or Perhaps a Dozen)

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (script), Kaare Andrews (art), Shannon Blanchard (colors), Comicraft’s Troy Peteri (letters)

Summary:  In 1891, The Tithe Collector informs the Thieves Guild that Candra is not satisfied with their gifts.  Meanwhile, Gambit and Courier locate master thief Adam Worth in his London home.  He helps them break into Nathan Milbury’s estate, where Gambit’s grandfather Jacques Lebeau is leading a mission to appease Candra after failing to obtain the Momentary Princess.  As punishment, Candra is keeping two Guild children, Jean Luc Lebeau and Belize Marceaux, captive.  Gambit hands his grandfather notes from Milbury’s lab that will give Candra information on his advanced studies.

Continuity Notes:  

• Candra explains to Jean Luc and Belize her history with the Thieves Guild, revealing that she grants them power and longevity so that they can “divine and resurrect the Old Kingdom.”  She believes that the knowledge she gains from the Old Kingdom will help her to continue discretely gaining more power.
• Belize Marceaux is apparently Gambit’s maternal uncle.
• Nathan Milbury is Mr. Sinister’s alias, of course.
• The Momentary Princess previously appeared in Gambit #10.

Review:  That’s a lot of exposition to throw into the middle of a comic.  Buried in all of this is more information on Candra than we’ve ever been given, a good six years after her first appearance.  As Nicieza reveals, Candra keeps her distance from the other Externals, hoping that by staying a non-entity they’ll leave her alone while she accumulates ancient knowledge from around the world.  This works to explain why Candra didn’t show up with the rest of the Externals during their early appearances in X-Force (and what a memorable cast of characters those guys were), a question that probably no one was asking but is addressed nonetheless.  The truth is, Candra was established as an External in her early appearances because the External storyline wasn’t viewed as embarrassing yet, and it worked as a vague enough origin for the character.  

Nicieza’s also revealed why exactly the Thieves and Assassin Guilds have been subjugating themselves to Candra for decades, and it involves a deal to unlock the secrets of the “Old Kingdom.”  I don’t think the Old Kingdom storyline ever reaches a satisfactory conclusion, but at least the seeds are there in case someone decides to mine deeeep into X-continuity for new Candra material.

Chapter 3: Cards on the Table (and a Few up the Sleeve!)

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (script), Charles Adlard (art), Shannon Blanchard (colors), Comicraft’s Troy Peteri (letters)

Summary:  Candra rejects the notes handed to her, because she recognizes the designs for Apocalypse’s gestation chamber.  The Tithe Collector convinces her to send Jacques Lebeau in her stead to America to learn more about Nathan Milbury’s work.  When she refuses to release both boys, Gambit and Adam Worth rescue Jean Luc and cover their escape with explosions.  The next morning, Gambit and Courier prepare to travel to America before the Thieves Guild can reach Milbury.

Review:  Okay, Gambit managed to rescue his father rather early on in this storyline.  I guess the rest of this trip is going to be dedicated to revealing more about Mr. Sinister and the Thieves Guild.  One of those is interesting, the other fills me with apathy.  Guess which is which.  There is a decent idea in here, that Candra is so terrified of Apocalypse she sends the Thieves Guild in her place, putting Gambit in competition with his family to reach Sinister first, but…isn’t the Thieves Guild family the last thing this book should be exploring?  There are already too many Guild members in the current day that no one cares about.  Who really wants to read about their ancestors?