X-FORCE Annual ‘99 - November 1999

Loose Ends

Chapter One: Picking Up the Pieces

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Chris Renaud (pencils), Rod Ramos/Scott Elmer/Rich Perrotta (inks), Kevin Somers (colors), Sharpefont (letters)

Summary:  Rictor and Shatterstar are recruited by Verschiagen Industries after a fight with Rictor’s gun-running family.  They arrive prepared to train against Verschiagen Industries’ test subject, V-2, or to rescue her if she’s being held against her will.  Suddenly, a young man named Hanransha enters.  While trying to stun V-2 long enough to free her, he accidentally kills her with his mutant powers.  Rictor and Shatterstar escape with Hanransha and discover that V-2 was his half-sister.  Hanransha is trying to find the rest of his siblings that were also bred in labs.  His next lead is Martin Strong in Colorado.

Continuity Notes:  This story resolves, of all things, the cryptic subplot from X-Force #43 that had a mystery man sneaking into a mystery lab.  According to Hanransha, this was his father, who was killed while trying to rescue him.

Review:  In response to overwhelming reader demand, or at least a letters page worth of requests in an issue of X-Force, Rictor and Shatterstar return, along with Fabian Nicieza.  Nicieza left quite a few dangling plotlines when he was forced off the book, and probably the most annoyingly cryptic of them was that subplot scene in X-Force #43.  Considering that Marvel annuals were firmly dismissed as filler by the late ‘90s, what better place to wrap up a five-year-old storyline that barely anyone remembered?  It’s possible that a few of the fans that really wanted to see Rictor and Shatterstar again also remembered this unresolved mystery, and most X-Force readers have fond memories of Nicieza’s run on the book, so this actually sounds like a decent use of the annual format.  As a lapsed X-completist, I was probably in the prime demographic for this issue, even though I skipped it at the time.  I didn’t have a lot of interest in Rictor or Shatterstar, wasn’t regularly buying X-Force, and didn’t care for the art.  I can’t say that I missed out on a great comic, but the lure of unresolved X-continuity might have drawn me back in had I known that an old mystery was being resolved.

Chapter Two: Strong Attractions

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Guz Vazquez, Rod Ramos, and Rich Perrotta (art), Kevin Somers (colors), Sharpefont (letters)

Summary:  Rictor, Shatterstar, and Hanransha arrive at the StrongH.O.L.D. headquarters, where they face Martin Strong and Neurotap.  They’re shocked when X-Force enters and defends Neurotap.  They explain to their former teammates that Strong is providing for the medical care of Neurotap’s family.  Strong reveals that Hanransha’s powers will continue to go haywire while he’s separated from his mother, who is none other than Hanna Verschiagen.  Neurotap leaves with Rictor, Shatterstar, and Hanransha for Germany, where they’re soon abducted by Hanna Verschiagen.

Continuity Notes:  Rictor is given the new ability to use his vibratory field to fly, so long as he straddles a large piece of wood.  And, yes, Nicieza wrote this as an intentional joke, playing off the fan speculation that Rictor and Shatterstar were gay.

Review:  Everyone remembers Martin Strong and Neurotap from X-Force Annual #2, right?  Actually, I don’t even remember X-Force Annual #2, aside from the pulse-pounding debut of Adam-X, the X-Treme.  This issue reminds us that Martin Strong is a mutant fish-man that uses genetic research in order to gain a new body, and to find a way to eradicate mutantcy.  Neurotap is his reluctant assistant, who works for Strong because he pays for her family’s medical treatments, treatments they need because she nearly killed them when her powers first surfaced.  Presumably, this story is supposed to resolve her character arc and offer her some resolution, but in practice, it reads as yet another plot point jammed into an already packed comic.  Not helping the story at all this chapter is the art, which resembles a bad Humberto Ramos impression.

Chapter Three: X-P8

Credits:  Fabian Nicieza (writer), Ken Lashley and Rod Ramos (art), Kevin Somers (colors), Sharpefont (letters)

Summary:  X-Force arrives and rescues their teammates.  While fighting X-Force, Hanna Verschiagen continues to drain power from her children, unconcerned that she’s killing them.  Shatterstar listens to their pleas and cuts their conduit lines to Verschiagen.  The children, including Hanransha, die.  As he dies, Hanransha thanks Shatterstar for ending their mother’s evil.

Continuity Notes:  Neurotap decides to leave Martin Strong’s service at the end of the story.  Cannonball gives her Professor Xavier’s card, promising that he can help her family.  She promptly disappeared into obscurity, but luckily she escaped Frank Tieri’s routine mutant genocides in the pages of Weapon X.

Review:  The final page asks readers to write in if they want to see more of Shatterstar, Rictor, and Neurotap.  Specifically, they want people to write, “We want our Triple-X!”  Hopefully, in large print on the back of a post card that your local mail carrier can easily read.  

Nicieza was apparently serious about using this story to sell Neurotap as a character, which makes me wonder why so much of the story was spent on Hanransha, his siblings, and Hanna Verschiagen and her evil corporation.  I actually don’t have a problem with Neurotap; her core conflict automatically makes her a little sympathetic, and her powers are non-generic and interesting enough.  She’s also one of the few minority female mutants, so an editor looking for more diversity within the X-line (or a producer working on the X-Men movies seeking a part for, say, Rosario Dawson) might consider her worth a look.  But this specific story doesn’t center on her in any meaningful way, and the core story it does present is rather dull.  The plot also doesn’t really do an awful lot with Shatterstar and Rictor, even though they’re nominally the stars.  But, hey, that one page from X-Force #43 finally got resolved.

EXILES VS. X-MEN #0 - October 1995

X-Over

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Tom Wegrzyn (inker), Patrick Owsley (letters), Shannon Blanchard & Malibu (colors)

Summary: The X-Men use Gateway’s teleportation powers to follow Juggernaut, who’s disappeared from this reality. They find him in another world, where he’s joined a team of reformed villains named the Exiles. When Exile Reaper tries to escape to his reality through Gateway’s portal, he unwittingly unleashes the Firewalker monster. The X-Men and Exiles put aside their differences and defeat the monster. Realizing that Firewalker only feeds off the Exiles’ energy, Juggernaut decides he can’t risk awakening it with another trip though alternate realities. Back at the mansion, Storm tells Xavier that he would be proud of Juggernaut’s evolution.

Continuity Notes: Why exactly the Firewalker only feeds off the energy possessed by Exile members isn’t explained. Gateway was occasionally appearing in Generation X during this era, which doesn’t make his role totally out of place, although he’s never been able to teleport between realities before. Rogue is shown as a member of the team, even though this story explicitly takes place shortly after Wolverine#93 (the issue that sent Juggernaut to the Ultraverse). Rogue wasn’t a member at this point, and didn’t rejoin until next year’s Onslaught crossover.

Review: Continuing the series of overpriced “limited premium edition” Marvel/Malibu crossovers, we have Exiles Vs. X-Men. (By the way, I just discovered the Wolverine/Night Man, Exiles/X-Men, and Prime/Hulk crossovers were reprinted in an eighty-page, $6.95 special called Mutants Vs. Ultras. If you didn’t want to pay for the expensive mail-in comics, this was at least a reasonable alternative). This one fulfills the low expectations of an intercompany crossover comic, as the heroes cross dimensions through dubious means, fight the other reality’s heroes for no real reason, team up to fight a bigger threat, and then return home and absolutely never think about the events again. An inordinate amount of attention is paid to Ultraverse continuity, as we’re apparently supposed to know about the Exiles’ previous alternate reality adventures, which makes parts of the issue needlessly confusing. If the book is supposed to make me curious about the Exiles and willing to invest in the Ultraverse, it’s actually responsible for the opposite reaction (and I’m sure existing Ultraverse fans were already abandoning ship by this point). A tiny amount of characterization is given to Xavier, who worries about his stepbrother in the story’s opening, and is relieved to learn from Storm that he’s on the road to redemption at the end. Not that Juggernaut truly reforms any time soon (the man who will eventually write that arc is still doing porno comics at this time), but it’s the thought that counts.

THE ALL NEW EXILES #1 – October 1995

Out of the Frying Pan…

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (plot and dialogue), Ben Raab (additional dialogue), Ken Lashley & M. C. Wyman (pencilers), J.U.G.G.E.R.N.A.U.T.D. (inkers), Vickie Williams (letterer), Shannon Blanchard & Malibu (colors)

Summary

The Exiles (Juggernaut, Sienna Blaze, Reaper, Shuriken, Amber Hunt, and ‘Strike) teleport into New York City. They’re attacked by the military, who blame them for destroying a large portion of the city. They fight their way through the soldiers and retreat to ‘Strike’s penthouse. Juggernaut is concerned about the sickly Amber. Sienna Blaze tells Shuriken that she’s waiting for Amber to get healthier so that she can kill her. ‘Strike reveals to the team that almost a quarter of New York was destroyed when they arrived, and the authorities are blaming them. He believes their arrival is tied into the destruction, but doesn’t have an explanation. Later, Shuriken tries to get in touch with an agency named Aladdin by meeting with her “brother”, Qune. Qune turns into a monster and declares that he’s going to capture all of the Exiles and collect the bounty. ‘Strike calls the team together to help Shuriken. After facing the united team, Qune teleports away. As the team regroups, Sienna notices that the Fantastic Four’s building is gone. Amber has never heard of them.

Gimmicks

The second half of this issue is a reprint of the Warren Ellis/Steven Butler Ultraforce #1. There’s a note from Malibu’s president explaining that it’s being reprinted for free due to a production error that occurred during its first print.

Continuity Notes

Juggernaut, Sienna Blaze, and Reaper are all established Marvel characters. Juggernaut of course goes back to the Stan Lee days, while Sienna Blaze and Reaper are ‘90s villains from the Upstarts and Mutant Liberation Front, respectively. Sienna Blaze claims that her powers have been cut in half, meaning that she doesn’t have to worry about destroying the Earth every time she uses them anymore.

Review

I have no idea how I ended up with this comic. I know I never bought it, so I’m assuming it was one of those free comics I got through a mail-order service. I looked over my copy's cover and don’t even see a cover price or UPC box, so I’m assuming this was some sort of freebie given to retailers. It really is a terrible, mostly incomprehensible mess. I have no idea who half of these characters are, how the Marvel characters ended up in a team with them, where they’re teleporting in from, how they’re teleporting, and what exactly is supposed to be going on. That’s sad in any case, but this is the first issue of the series. And not even an ordinary first issue, but the start of a relaunch specifically designed to bring in existing Marvel fans. Aside from not even understanding the concept, I don’t know why Sienna Blaze wants to kill one of her teammates (and why she’s waiting until her target gets healthier to do it), why exactly this Amber is sick and what her powers are, what ‘Strike’s name is supposed to be short for, or what this “Aladdin” is and what it has to do with two of the characters. All of the characters have generic ‘90s looks, no one has a personality, and the story mainly consists of the characters making vague comments to one another and then getting into a pointless, anticlimactic fight. Did anyone really think that this would bring the still sizable X-fanbase into the Malibu Universe? I realize that all of the complaints I just brought up are stereotypical traits of the X-books, but I have a hard time thinking of any X-books that are truly this bad.

There’s an ad in the back for an upcoming Marvel/Malibu crossover involving the Phoenix, which doesn’t even fill me with morbid curiosity. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the Phoenix in this storyline turned out to be some sort of hoax, or an alternate version that had nothing to do with the established character in the Marvel Universe. I think the Malibu Phoenix event actually turned out to be the launching pad for a new series. I remember seeing ads for “Marvel’s first bad girl” comic, published through Malibu, which featured a teenage girl in a tight, nipply t-shirt. I might be getting it mixed up with something else, but I think she was supposed to be another “Phoenix” (what part of this doesn’t reek of desperation?). I’ve actually ended with two more issues of this series that were released a few months after this one, and all of the Marvel characters are gone. So I guess Marvel decided that not even Reaper and Sienna Blaze should’ve suffered through this.

EXCALIBUR #90 – October 1995

Dream Nails 3 – Blood Eagle

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley, David Williams, Carlos Pacheco, & Larry Stroman (pencilers), Tom Wegrzyn, Mike Miller, Cam Smith, & Larry Stroman (inkers), Joe Rosas & Ariane Lenshoek and Malibu (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

Peter Wisdom is locked in a room with Black Air agent Shrine. Shrine is a psychic who’s been assigned to test an alien-derived virus on Wisdom. The virus reacts to stress and destroys human flesh when it senses agitation. Shrine forces Wisdom to relive painful memories, including his previous missions and his mother’s murder by a spree killer. Wisdom pushes his memory of one mission to the front of his mind. Shrine observes Wisdom heartlessly killing every terrorist in an arctic base. Shrine can’t take the horror and collapses, as Wisdom breaks out of the room.

On Muir Island, Wolfsbane arrives to spend time with her adopted mother, Moira MacTaggert. Amanda Sefton checks on Rory Campbell, fearful that his treatment of Spoor might push him closer to becoming Ahab. Rory promises her that his knowledge of a possible future forces him to stay in control. During his session with Spoor, the mutant notices that Rory has run out of mood stabilizers. Spoor uses his mutant power to alter people’s moods to make Rory more angry and aggressive. After Spoor mocks his feelings for Amanda, Rory assaults him. The laser pen senses violence and attacks Rory, severing his leg.

Shadowcat searches the Black Air base for Wisdom. Hiding from the guards, she stumbles across a room filled with samples of aliens. The Uncreated, a group of captive aliens who have escaped during the confusion, target Shadowcat. They want to know if she has a God. When she says yes, they explain that they found their creator in space and proved their superiority by killing it. They want recognition for their accomplishment, and will kill anyone who still worships God. Shadowcat phases through the Uncreated and runs into Wisdom. Wisdom uses his hot knives to blow up the base’s generators, covering their escape. While on their way home, Shadowcat sets their aircraft on autopilot and kisses Wisdom for the first time.

Continuity Notes

Black Air has a sample of the Phalanx labeled “Phalanx using Skrull form as template. Recovered June 1982”. Kitty points out that Black Air has known about the Phalanx years before they did, but this doesn't work. The Phalanx were given an origin in X-Factor #106, which said that they were created by a group of scientists working with Warlock's remains. Black Air couldn't have known about the Phalanx for thirteen years at this point since they didn't exist until after a story published in 1990. Ellis probably meant the Technarcy, which is the alien race Warlock belonged to. Black Air also has a sample Brood drone donated by the Hellfire Club.

Review

This is the rare double-sized issue that’s not tied to an anniversary. They weren’t totally uncommon in the ‘80s, especially during Claremont’s UXM run, but I think they had mostly died out by the ‘90s. The extra pages do make this issue feel more important, which is fitting since the title’s continuity does advance with the story. Wisdom officially quits Black Air and joins the team, Wolfsbane arrives, and Rory Campbell takes a giant step towards becoming Ahab. Since this series can’t seem to have a regular-sized issue without multiple artists, it’s not surprising that this is also a jam issue. The shifts between artists are jarring, but thankfully the artists are given specific scenes to draw instead of just random pages. Carlos Pacheco does a great job with the Uncreated, but those are really the only pages that stand out visually.

The scenes between Rory Campbell and Spoor have their moments, but having Rory forgetfully run out of his mood stabilizers is too convenient for me, especially after he gives a speech to Amanda about how important it is for him to stay in control. If the idea is that he subconsciously forgot the pills on purpose because he wanted an excuse to attack Spoor, that’s not a bad twist but there’s nothing in the comic to support that theory. Lashley’s storytelling also disappoints on the most important page, since it’s not clear what exactly happens to him. It’s not hard to see that Rory’s leg has been severed, but there’s another panel where it looks like the lasers might’ve hit his eye. Since he’s given absolutely no facial expression and he’s drawn in profile, it’s also possible that the panel is supposed to show that he’s just spotted the lasers becoming active. The outline of his right eye doesn’t match his left eye in the final panel, so I guess that’s supposed to confirm that his eye was damaged also, but it’s hard to say. Since this is the culmination of a storyline that had been building for around two years, it deserves better than this. I do like the fact that something actually happens to Rory, since I wasn’t expecting any major events that would obviously push him closer to becoming Ahab to happen so soon. I remember being excited when I first read this scene, and really being surprised that Ellis was willing to take things that far. I think the Rory/Ahab story has become another dropped storyline over the years (I vaguely remember it briefly coming up during the 1999 Apocalypse crossover and not going anywhere), but at the time this did feel exciting.

The Uncreated get a considerable introduction, taking up most of Shadowcat’s scenes, leading me to believe that Ellis intended them to become more important villains than they turned out to be (I think they were only used again in his Starjammers miniseries). I do like their bizarre origin and motivation, but they don’t prove to be a real threat to Kitty since she’s able to just phase through them (off-panel, at that). Peter Wisdom receives most of the attention here, as a number of pages are dedicated to flashbacks from his past. Ellis does a capable job on these scenes, but after a while they start to feel like the conventional dark material that most British writers bring to mainstream comics. The idea that Shrine just can’t take all of the nasty stuff in Wisdom’s past is a little silly, especially when he’s responding to Wisdom killing terrorists and not babies or anything. Did Black Air pick the wimpiest guy they could find to interrogate him? Revealing that Black Air has been designing weapons and viruses from the aliens is a cool concept, though, and I think Ellis gets some more mileage out of it as his run progresses. I liked this issue when it was first released, and I enjoyed rereading it today, even if the conclusions don’t exactly work. All of the setups are promising, but in the end, Kitty just phases past the aliens, Wisdom’s interrogator wimps out, and Rory Campbell’s fate is poorly conveyed by the art. It’s not bad at all, but it doesn’t feel like it has much of a payoff.

EXCALIBUR #88 – August 1995

Dream Nails

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Larry Stroman w/Darrick Gross, Ken Lashley, & Jeff Moy (pencilers), Cam Smith w/Darrick Gross, Tom Wegrzyn, Phil Moy, Don Hudson, & Jimmy Palmiotti (inkers), Joe Rosas and Digital Chameleon (colors), Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

Peter Wisdom receives a request for help from his friend, a fellow Black Air operative named Cully. Shadowcat volunteers to take Wisdom to London in the team’s Midnight Runner plane, mainly to keep an eye on him. They arrive in London and investigate one of Cully’s hideouts. He’s missing, but the words “I’m losing my body” are written on the wall. His apartment is littered with papers with odd designs drawn all over them. On Muir Island, Moira discusses with Professor Xavier how a hacker could’ve broken into Muir Island’s database and leaked information about her Legacy Virus infection. She then explains to the rest of Excalibur how the Legacy Virus mutated and infected her. Meanwhile, Britanic devises a laser pen that will be used to house the mutant killer Spoor during his sessions with Rory Campbell. At a spy hangout, Wisdom learns that Cully has died. They soon view his body at the morgue, where the coroner reveals that he died of a mysterious disease. The coroner tells Wisdom that Scicluna, his boss at Black Air, is trying to cover up the death. As Wisdom and Shadowcat leave the morgue, they’re attacked by two armed men. After they’re subdued, Wisdom pulls Black Air IDs out of their wallets.

Review

This is the start of a three-part storyline, which serves to flesh out Peter Wisdom as a character and introduce his romance with Kitty Pryde. This issue is mainly setting up the mystery of what happened to Cully while giving Wisdom and Shadowcat some room to play off of each other. Ellis is good at giving the characters personality, so even if the plot moves pretty leisurely, the story isn’t dull. The rest of the issue is dedicated to acknowledging some of the ongoing storylines that involve Muir Island. Ellis spends quite a bit of time justifying how Muir Island was hacked and how Moira was infected, leading me to believe that someone somewhere thought that these storylines were actually going somewhere. Some obscure continuity is dredged up, as Ellis revives the idea that Muir Island was created as a rehabilitation center for rogue mutants, an idea that I think had been ignored after its first appearance. This leads into a storyline involving Spoor, one of the multitude of Acolytes who hadn’t been developed yet. I like the way Ellis is using what already exists in the X-universe while adding some new elements, so it doesn’t feel as if the book is totally divorced from its roots. Larry Stroman draws the majority of the issue, although the pages are randomly divided amongst three other artists, so you end up with a three-page fight scene with two pencilers. None of the styles blend at all, which is distracting (although it’s hard to think of any artist that can fit in easily with Stroman’s unique look). I think this was Stroman’s return to Marvel after his attempts at a creator-owned series didn’t go very far. His art is even more exaggerated than his X-Factor run, which leaves many of the characters virtually unrecognizable. It’s still an interesting style, but he’s starting to border on self-parody on a few pages.

EXCALIBUR #87 – July 1995

Back to Reality

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Tom Wegrzyn (inker), Joe Rosas (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

With Excalibur’s plane going down, Meggan uses her elemental powers to create electricity to feed the generators and restore the engines. The team lands and is caught in the middle of a fight between Mutates and armed humans. During the course of the fight, Britanic’s vision of the future begins to become true, as Peter Wisdom is hit by a human guerrilla fighter’s “biting” bullets. When one of the extremist Mutates also targets Wisdom, he reluctantly uses his ability to create “hot knives” to defend himself. The team is able to able to pull one of the special bullets they were sent to find out of a corpse. The bullet has a human’s face. The Sugar Man watches from a hidden location as Jenny Ransome, a Mutate representative of the struggling new government, takes Britanic aside. She tells him that the bullets were created out of a mutant named Pizer’s body twenty years ago, and his father worked as a consultant on the project. Britanic demands to see proof that his father was involved before he’ll believe it. Ransome and Britanic reunite with the rest of Excalibur at the home of Dr. Monroe, the assumed creator of the Mutate bonding process. While searching his private lab for information, Douglock learns that Monroe actually had a sponsor who originated the process and gave him the ideas. When Douglock’s close to learning the sponsor’s identity, the computer explodes on the Sugar Man’s command. Agents from Black Air watch as Excalibur escapes the exploding lab, content that the secret of the Mutate genegineering process will be theirs.

Miscellaneous Notes

“Hot knives” is apparently a marijuana reference, which Ellis allegedly inserted as a joke.

The Statement of Ownership list average sales at 137,800 with the most recent issue selling 131,000 copies.

Review

I’m not sure what Warren Ellis was planning on doing with this Genosha storyline when it began five months earlier, but I doubt it involved revealing that the Sugar Man had secretly been behind the creation of the Mutates. Originally, it seemed as if the story would actually involve Black Air, the mutant bullets, and Brian Braddock’s father, but those threads take a backseat to the revelation about Genosha’s “true” origin. This is really what annoyed me the most about the aftermath of the Age of Apocalypse storyline. It’s one thing to bring the AoA characters into the mainstream reality and just do mediocre stories with them; it’s another to awkwardly shoehorn them into the past twenty years of continuity. The original Genosha storyline already introduced Dr. Monroe as the creator of the Mutates, so it’s not as if this was a long-standing mystery that really needed to be cleared up. Inserting Sugar Man into Genosha (with the weak explanation that Genosha was his “earliest experiment in unorthodox industry”) is totally arbitrary. I assume that this was done in order to make Sugar Man seem more important, or maybe to justify spending four months on the AoA by having it retroactively influence the original world, but it’s so awkward it can’t work. Sugar Man turned out to be pretty much a dud in Generation Next anyway, so this forced attempt at relevance is even more annoying.

The rest of the issue turns out to be a decent action-oriented story. Ellis does have a handle on the characters, even if Wisdom and Britanic (or “Britannic”, as Ellis begins spelling it here) seem a little melodramatic at times. The structure of the story is a little odd since parts of it have to be told as flashbacks in order to make room for Excalibur’s appearance in X-Men Prime, but it’s not too distracting. The next issue is the start of a trilogy dealing with Black Air, which I suspect is closer to what Ellis had in mind when he took over the title.

X-CALIBRE #4 – June 1995

On Fire

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Tom Wegrzyn w/Philip Moy (inkers), Joe Rosas & Digital Chameleon (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary

Nightcrawler returns with the rest of X-Calibre to Destiny’s village, unaware that they’re being trailed by the Shadow King. He begins to possess the refugees in Destiny’s camp, turning the mutants against the humans and causing chaos. Damask uses her “psionic skinning” powers to attack the Shadow King, but ends up killing one of his host bodies instead. Shadow King possesses Mystique, causing her shapeshifting powers to go haywire as he tears through her memories. Nightcrawler formulates a plan to attack Shadow King in the dimension he inhabits while in-between bodies. He holds hands with Damask and Switchback and teleports. With the help of Switchback’s time-altering powers, Nightcrawler’s able to stay in the adjacent dimension he enters while teleporting for a longer period of time. While there, he confirms that Shadow King inhabits the same dimension, allowing Damask to psionically attack him while he’s distracted. A wounded Shadow King inhabits one last mutant and shoots an energy blast at Destiny. Her adopted son Doug Ramsey blocks the blast, which kills him. Inspired by his sacrifice, Destiny agrees to help stop Apocalypse.

Continuity Notes

When Shadow King possesses Mystique, she begins to morph into different people from her past. She turns into Sabretooth, as the Shadow King comments that this memory is “worse than all the rest…” This, combined with last issue’s comment that Nightcrawler’s father had “fur in his genes”, makes me wonder if Marvel wanted Sabretooth to be his father at this point. Technically, Sabretooth is just hairy, not furry (the fur is supposed to be part of his costume), but it’s a vague enough reference to still work.

Creative Differences

On the page after Mystique is possessed by Shadow King, Nightcrawler’s dialogue has been totally re-lettered (in another example of hand lettering awkwardly being inserted in-between computer fonts). The altered dialogue details his plan to enter the adjacent dimension and attack Shadow King, which implies that someone changed this plot detail or didn’t like the way Ellis described the plan in his script. Since this is the next page after a possessed Mystique turns into Sabretooth, it’s possible that Nightcrawler might’ve inferred something about him that Marvel wanted changed, but that’s pure speculation on my part.

Review

It’s another action-heavy finale, which is able to work because Ellis also provides some strong character work throughout the issue. He doesn’t allow the characters to just easily go along with what the plot wants them to do; they have realistic doubts and insecurities that get in the way (Doug’s disbelief in alternate worlds is countered pragmatically by Switchback who points out that everything in this world is nuts). The story, oddly enough, seems to be making a statement against pacifism, as both Doug Ramsey and Destiny graphically learn about the dangers of “putting your head in the sand” and realize that fighting against Apocalypse is the only way to actually have peace. Superhero comics are inherently violent, but it’s rare to see a story that doesn’t tell you that putting down weapons is the ultimate solution. The Shadow King is a generically evil villain who can get old quickly, but Ellis is able to make his eerie narration interesting, and the chaos he creates at the camp brings a fair amount of excitement to the story. Lashley produces his strongest work yet, which is still very ‘90s but more attractive than his previous issues. On a few panels he skimps on the backgrounds, which unfortunately inspired someone to fill the white space with ugly, early ‘90s-style computer generated graphics that are supposed to look like trees. It dates the book pretty badly, which is unfortunate because this isn’t a bad issue at all.

X-CALIBRE #3 – May 1995

Body Heat

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Tom Wegrzyn w/Philip Moy (inkers), Joe Rosas & Digital Chameleon (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

Callisto’s body lies in the water, as Mystique and Nightcrawler reunite. She takes Nightcrawler to Cold Grey, her Antarctic base near Avalon. Nightcrawler confronts Mystique about stealing from the refugees, claiming that her shame is the reason why she never enters Avalon herself. He convinces her to go into Avalon with him to find Destiny. They’re escorted into Avalon by the monk Cain, and soon meet Destiny and her adopted son, Doug Ramsey. Destiny doesn’t want to leave Avalon, because she thinks that her absence might instigate the destruction she foresaw earlier. Damask and Dead Man Wade enter Avalon, although Damask is reluctant to go through with Apocalypse’s order to destroy the sanctuary when she sees how beautiful it is. Wade presses the assault and attacks Destiny’s tent. When Nightcrawler tries to talk Cain into fighting back, he has an apparent aneurysm after trying to restrain his inherent lust for violence. Damask turns against Wade, and Nightcrawler uses his teleportation powers to decapitate him. Now joined by Damask and the refugee Switchback, Mystique and Nightcrawler prepare to take Destiny back to America.

Continuity Notes

Dead Man Wade is now able to speak for some reason. He still doesn’t have Deadpool’s personality, and seems to have the mind of a child.

Mystique tells Nightcrawler that his father carried “fur in his genes”. He responds, “And what a father you found”. I don’t know if there were any concrete plans to reveal Nightcrawler’s father at this time, or if this was just supposed to be a joke. Chuck Austen later revealed that his father was the Devil or something back in an Uncanny X-Men storyline that’s become a shorthand reference for bad comics.

Review

This is probably the best issue of the series so far, as the plot picks up and some of the emotional arcs are paid off. Cain, the pacifist inversion of Juggernaut, could’ve simply been another gimmicky reinvention of an established character, but he’s played for more than just shock value here. His recounting of the hundreds of deaths he’s caused and his “psychopathic need” for peace and redemption are handled extremely well. I also like Nightcrawler’s confrontation with Mystique, which helps to round out her character without alleviating her of her crimes. Damask’s conversion against Apocalypse is a little forced, but Ellis at least tries to make it work. Destiny, who’s essentially been a plot device so far, is given enough of a personality to make her reluctance to leave Avalon seem credible. I’m not sure how exactly her psychometric powers are supposed to validate Bishop’s claims (unless her powers in this reality would enable her to see not just his future, but his past in the original timeline), but I guess that’s material for a future story.

X-CALIBRE #1 – March 1995

The Infernal Gallop

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Wegrzyn, Moy, & LaRosa (inkers), Joe Rosas (colorist), Starkings/Comicraft (lettering)

Summary

A young mutant named Switchback travels through Antarctica to reach Avalon, a refuge where mutants and humans live in peace. She’s escorted by a large monk named Cain through the forest and finally through the entrance of Avalon. In New York, Nightcrawler intimidates Angel into making travel arrangements for his journey to Antarctica. After Nightcrawler meets his mother there, she’ll take him to Avalon to retrieve Destiny. At the X-Men’s base, Magneto makes an intercontinental call to Mystique, threatening her life if she doesn’t aid Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler travels to an abandoned building to meet John Proudstar, the mutant who will take him to Antarctica. When Proudstar criticizes Nightcrawler’s mother for charging refugees large fees for transport into Avalon, Nightcrawler severs his index finger by teleporting it away. Danielle Moonstar overhears the conversation, and reports back to Apocalypse that Avalon is in the Antarctic. Back in Avalon, Switchback meets Destiny for the first time. When they touch hands, Destiny cries out in pain that she sees the apocalypse.

Continuity Notes

Avalon is this world’s version of the Savage Land. Cain is the AoA version of the Juggernaut. Deadpool is revealed as “Dead Man Wade”, a lackey for Apocalypse who can only say the letter “X” apparently.

Nightcrawler meets Proudstar in a dilapidated warehouse once named “Stark Holdings".

Nightcrawler tells Angel that he exists “solely upon the excellence of your groveling to Apocalypse – and your worth to us.”

Approved By The Comics Code Authority

Angel sarcastically lists “watering pot-plants” as one of the activities in Avalon.

Review

It’s another satisfactory chapter for the massive AoA event. Ellis’ dark style is obviously a natural fit for the grim new world, and Lashley delivers his strongest artwork so far (even if it is still firmly rooted in the stereotypical ‘90s style). All that basically happens in this issue is Nightcrawler travels to Antarctica, but Ellis tells an entertaining story that gets him there, while also developing more of the AoA’s world. Revealing that Proudstar’s people are performing the same tribal dance they used to ask God to remove the white man against Apocalypse now is a nice touch that helps to convey the impact Apocalypse has had on all aspects of society. The inversion of Nightcrawler, that he’s a ruthless jerk with a disdain for religion, is a little obvious but Ellis pulls it off well. It’s too bad that Ellis was only used on this title during the AoA stunt, because he would’ve done a great job on some of the peripheral titles that came out during this time.

EXCALIBUR #86 – February 1995

Back To Life

Credits: Warren Ellis (writer), Ken Lashley (penciler), Tom Wegrzyn (inker), Jon Babcock (letterer), Joe Rosas (colorist)

Summary

After killing everyone in a secret military base in Thailand, Peter Wisdom decides to quit British Intelligence. Meanwhile, Britanic has a vision of Wisdom in Genosha getting shot by “biting” bullets. Moira MacTaggert enters, distressed that Britanic has turned her hovercraft into a high-tech hypersonic jet. Government agents, using the frequency once used by the Weird Happenings Organization, land on Muir Island. They represent Black Air, a division of British Intelligence that deals with paranormal activity. Britanic is shocked to see that Peter Wisdom is a member, believing that his visions might be coming true. Black Air informs Excalibur that the Genoshan economy has collapsed after the Mutates were released from slavery. Fighting has broken out again, and humans are using special ammunition to kill the Mutates. The government believes that the ammunition originated in Britain, but doesn’t have proof. Excalibur is pressured into going to Genosha with Wisdom to collect evidence. Douglock asks Rory Campbell if he’s going with the team, but Rory fears that any attacks by mutants could lead to him becoming Ahab. Nightcrawler confronts Moira about her Legacy Virus infection, but she wants him to concentrate on Genosha. The team takes Britanic’s new plane, the Midnight Runner, to Genosha. The plane’s cameras broadcast the horrific conditions on the ground. Suddenly, the plane is attacked by rockets, as reality begins to crystallize and shatter.

Continuity Notes

This is the first Marvel appearance of Peter Wisdom, who apparently showed up in some of Ellis’ small press work. He’s not revealed to be a mutant yet and doesn’t really play a large role in this issue.

The Black Air agents claim that they’ve replaced the Weird Happenings Organization. WHO made quite a few appearances in the earlier issues of this series, but they’re dismissed pretty casually here. I know that Ellis mentioned online at this time that he purposefully avoided reading the post-Marvel UK material, so it’s possible that he downplayed continuity he was unfamiliar with and just created new characters to fill the role.

Review

Like a lot of the X-writers this month, Ellis also has one issue to fill before the crossover begins. Rather than wasting time, however, he continues the ongoing character arcs and begins a new storyline. Previously, it looked as if Ellis was going to dismiss the horrific Britanic storyline without any explanation, but he tries to get some material out of it in this issue. Having Brian Braddock reclaim his personality and put the Britanic persona behind him is actually used as a genuine character moment, which at least offers some payoff to the absurd storyline. Reviving Brian’s physics background and genius-level intellect and contrasting it against the buffoonish Britanic persona works pretty well. The only remotely interesting aspect of the Britanic concept was his flashes of the future, which Ellis sensibly salvages while correcting the rest of the mistake. Rory Campbell’s anxiety about turning into Ahab is another storyline Ellis inherited, probably the only ongoing thread that fit in with Ellis’ darker writing style, so it’s not surprising that he’s able to get some material out of it. Ellis even seems to have a decent take on Douglock, using him as a naïve voice for some rather cynical observations. The rest of the issue is mainly setup for the Genoshan storyline. The structure of the AoA crossover didn’t require most of the books to move their casts to a specific place, so Ellis uses the freedom to start a new story that will be completed once the crossover is over. The exposition is thankfully brief, and the new characters introduced to get the story moving have actual personalities and feel like more than just plot devices. Even though the Genoshan storyline will be interrupted for four issues, this is at least a strong start.

DEADPOOL #1-#4

DEADPOOL #1 – August 1994

If Looks Could Kill!

Credits: Mark Waid (writer), Ian Churchill (penciler), Jason Minor (inks), Starkings/Comicraft (lettering), Dana Moreshead & Mike Thomas (colors)

Summary

Juggernaut breaks Black Tom out of a prison hospital, taking Dr. Killebrew, the specialist sent to treat Tom, with him. Weeks later, Deadpool is drinking in a bar when a group of armed men attacks him. Deadpool’s healing powers don’t respond as fast as usual, but he’s still able to defend himself until the mercenaries use a freezing device against him. Banshee suddenly appears, using his sonic powers to free Deadpool. They team up against the mercenaries, but Banshee lets one of them go free. Siryn enters and stops the fleeing mercenary, unaware of her father’s plan to trail him and find Black Tom. Deadpool explains to the pair that Black Tom must want him dead after their previous run-in. Siryn agrees to stay with Deadpool while Banshee contacts his Interpol sources. One of the armed men re-appears and has a sword fight with Deadpool. Deadpool guts the man, but not before his own hand is cut off. Deadpool expects his hand to grow back, but instead he passes out.

Continuity Notes

This issue establishes that Banshee and Deadpool have a history together. Deadpool says that Banshee owes him for the “Farouk affair”. This is also the first time Deadpool and Siryn meet, which sets up an unrequited romance that continued in X-Force and the Deadpool regular series.

Approved By The Comics Code Authority

Deadpool stabs someone through the stomach, and then realizes that his hand has been chopped off.

I Love the ‘90s

Deadpool remarks that he’s “too much Nancy, not enough Tonya”. Other outdated pop culture references in this issue include references to L. A. Law’s cancelation, the David Copperfield/Claudia Schiffer romance, and Phil Donahue’s old talk show.

Review

I guess the first Deadpool mini was pretty successful, since he gets a second shot before even Gambit or Sabretooth do. This is an early Marvel job from Mark Waid (maybe his first ever?), even though he was already building his profile at DC. Deadpool doesn’t seem like an ideal fit for a Silver Age revivalist like Waid, but his ability to write non-stop, snappy dialogue suits the character, and it’s probably a major reason why he was chosen for the job. The plot is mainly just setting up the story while leaving room open for some action scenes. The dialogue is usually clever, but I wouldn’t say any of it is laugh-out-loud funny. Ian Churchill continues with his McFarlane-influenced style, which alternates between “tolerable” and “boy, that’s some screwed up anatomy”.

DEADPOOL #2 – September 1994

Luck of the Irish

Credits: Mark Waid (writer), Ian Churchill & Lee Weeks (pencilers), Minor/McLeod/LaRosa (inkers), Starkings/Comicraft (lettering), Dana Moreshead & Mike Thomas (colors)

Summary

Banshee flashes back to his first meeting with Deadpool. Banshee and fellow Interpol agent Daniel Peyer attempt to arrest a mobster named Almadovar, but Deadpool suddenly appears and kills him. Deadpool tells Banshee that Almadover was about to shoot him, so Banshee owes him his life. In the present, Banshee meets with Peyer, asking for any information Interpol has on Black Tom. Peyer still believes that Deadpool’s interference ruined his career at Interpol. Meanwhile, Black Tom is distressed to learn that Siryn has gotten involved. He orders his men to remove Siryn from the battle and make sure she isn’t harmed. Convinced that Deadpool is the key to curing him of his viral condition, Tom sends Juggernaut to kidnap him. Back in New York, Deadpool wakes up to discover that his hand still hasn’t regenerated. He concentrates and forces his hand to finally grow back. Tom’s men reappear and try to take Siryn away from the battle before Juggernaut arrives, but Deadpool stops them. When Juggernaut does appear, Siryn and Deadpool try to stop him by leading him to a knife manufacturing plant, where they drop blades and molten liquid on him. Their plan doesn’t work, and as they run from Juggernaut, they’re confronted by Peyer and dozens of armed men.

Continuity Note

The flashback establishes that one of Almadovar’s gangland rivals out to kill him is Amahl Farouk. Farouk was an identity of the Shadow King for years. This is presumably the “Farouk affair” referenced last issue, but since Farouk isn’t directly involved with any of this, Almadovar is, it’s odd that Deadpool would have called it that. Maybe Amahl Farouk was originally supposed to play a larger role and someone changed their mind in-between issues.

Review

The plot doesn’t advance an awful lot, but it’s still pretty enjoyable. Just like the first Deadpool miniseries, the story sidesteps Deadpool’s role as a criminal by casting him as the target of another villain. The first mini didn’t introduce the idea that Deadpool might be capable of reforming until the final issue, and so far this series hasn’t gotten into that area at all. Waid has a firm handle on the main characters, and does a nice job with Black Tom’s relationships with Siryn and Juggernaut. He also emphasizes Banshee’s concern for Tom, which is consistent with his previous appearances. Keeping the characterizations and relationships consistent helps to make this feel more like an actual story and not just a shameless exploitation of the X-brand. Lee Weeks draws the opening flashback, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I preferred Churchill to Weeks when I first bought this comic. In my defense, Weeks’ rendition of Deadpool in the splash page really isn’t up to his usual standards (although the rest of his work is fine).

DEADPOOL #3 – October 1994

Deadpool Sandwich

Credits: Mark Waid (writer), Ian Churchill & Ken Lashley (pencilers), Bud LaRosa (inker), Starkings/Comicraft (lettering), Dana Moreshead & Mike Thomas (colors)

Summary

Daniel Peyer and his men are disrupted by a rampaging Juggernaut. Deadpool and Siryn escape to the rafters, but Juggernaut finds them. As he advances towards Deadpool, he explains that Black Tom needs Deadpool to cure him of the viral infection that is turning his body into wood. When Siryn hears this, she considers letting Juggernaut take Deadpool, but finally decides to save him. Inside Peyer’s office, Banshee discovers that Peyer already had the info he needed and that he’s left to get revenge on Deadpool. Siryn and Deadpool talk and grow closer while Deadpool tries to recover from his wounds. Peyer returns with his men and continues the fight. Banshee saves Peyer after Deadpool knocks him off a rooftop, and then leaves to find Black Tom. After hesitating, Deadpool finally agrees to join Siryn and follow Banshee. Meanwhile, one of Black Tom’s men brings him Deadpool’s severed hand. Dr. Killebrew explains his plan to graft Deadpool’s regenerative cells to Tom’s degenerative limbs in order to stop the infection. Tom cuts off his own hand and forces the doctor to attach Deadpool’s.

Creative Differences

The scene towards the end where Banshee saves Peyer and Deadpool agrees to follow Siryn is obviously not computer lettered, and it isn't in Starkings’ personal style either. I don’t know if this was the result of an editorial rewrite or some problems with Comicraft (the only noticeable disconnect would be Banshee given Deadpool’s unique balloon style for one panel).

Review

For the first time, the mini briefly introduces the idea that Deadpool might be able to change. Siryn tells him that he’s “not the rogue” people make him out to be, based on the way he’s looked out for her. This is a bit of a stretch, considering that she’s held her own so far and is actually the one protecting Deadpool at this point. Plus, she’s witnessed him kill several people so far, which presumably wouldn’t endear himself to her that much. There’s really no implication that she’s actually attracted to him, but even building a friendship out of this seems forced to me. At any rate, this isn’t much different from the other issues. Lots of fighting and running around with a couple of amusing wisecracks.

DEADPOOL #4 – November 1994

Mano @ Mano

Credits: Mark Waid (writer), Ian Churchill & Ken Lashley (pencilers), Bud LaRosa & Tom Wegryzn with Philip Moy & W.C. Carani (inkers), Starkings/Comicraft (lettering), Dana Moreshead & Mike Thomas (colors)

Summary

Deadpool, Banshee, and Siryn track Black Tom to his secret headquarters. After splitting up, Tom attacks Banshee and Siryn, while Deadpool finds Dr. Killebrew. Deadpool recognizes the doctor because Killebrew was the man responsible for developing his regenerative process. He demands that Killebrew fix his waning healing factor, but has to leave him in order to save Siryn and Banshee from Black Tom. After Deadpool leads Tom to the roof, Daniel Peyer suddenly appears. Deadpool encourages Peyer to leave him alone and go after Black Tom, which leads to Tom blasting Peyer in the face. Juggernaut then arrives and attacks Deadpool. During the fight, Deadpool loses his mask, causing him to act erratically. Siryn destroys the roof under Juggernaut and returns the mask to Deadpool. Black Tom confronts Killebrew about the operation, which has left him near death. Deadpool has an opportunity to kill Tom, but doesn’t take it. He convinces Juggernaut to stop the fight so that Killebrew can save Tom’s life. Killebrew sets up a device to stabilize Tom’s condition while Banshee returns him to jail. Deadpool escapes with Killebrew, who promises to restore his healing factor. Deadpool says goodbye to Siryn, as an injured Daniel Peyer watches and plans his revenge.

I Love the ‘90s

Deadpool tells Siryn that they’re “a regular Michael and Lisa Marie”.

Review

Unfortunately, this is the weakest issue of the miniseries. The Juggernaut chases are getting tedious by now, and new plot elements like Black Tom’s reaction to the surgery aren’t very clear (what exactly is supposed to be wrong with him?). Why exactly Deadpool’s healing power has gone away isn’t explained either. Daniel Peyer returns for no real reason, even though he doesn’t have anything to add to the story at this point. Peyer’s really an underdeveloped character, and setting him up as a recurring villain at the end just doesn’t work. The rest of the story isn’t that bad, though. Waid tries to humanize Deadpool by revealing that he’s extremely afraid of having his face being exposed. This is an element later writers totally ignored; his regular series even had Deadpool out in public wearing only baseball hats. Subsequent stories have also shown that he’s perfectly willing to expose his face just to gross someone out. I actually prefer Waid’s idea, since giving Deadpool a realistic insecurity helps to make him more relatable. In the final pages, Deadpool decides to spare Black Tom’s life, which is portrayed as some sort of major turning point in his life. The scene doesn’t work that badly, but it’s hard to read it and not think about the inconsistent ways Deadpool’s conscious will be played in the coming years. Overall, it’s an enjoyable mini, held back by inconsistent artwork and a disappointing climax.