SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #261 - September 1998

Goblins at the Gate Part 3 - Bad Business

Credits:  Roger Stern (plot), Glenn Greenberg (plot/script), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  The Green Goblin prevents Hobgoblin from unmasking Spider-Man, demanding he take his brother Daniel and go.  At their secret meeting place, Hobgoblin soon realizes that Norman Osborn already knows Spider-Man’s secret ID.  Osborn then reveals that he knows Hobgoblin was lying about having another copy of his journal.  When Osborn boasts that he’s already gained control of Roderick Kingsley’s corporate empire, Hobgoblin lashes out.  Their fight starts a fire in the warehouse, but Spider-Man is able to escape with Daniel Kingsley.  During the subsequent battle inside the warehouse, Spider-Man catches an obstructed view of the new Green Goblin’s face, Norman Osborn and the new Green Goblin escape, and Hobgoblin slips away while Spider-Man rescues firefighters from a collapsing wall.  Later, Roderick Kingsley relaxes on a Caribbean beach.

The Subplots:  An irritated Betty is unable to find Peter while she investigates the case.  Later, an exhausted Spider-Man is incapable of giving her a comment when he exits the burning warehouse.

“Huh?” Moment:  Hobgoblin doesn’t have time to unmask Spider-Man, but he does have time to grab some of Spidey's excess webbing, wrap it around his body, and pick Spider-Man up and fly away with him to his next destination.

Review:  Unfortunately, the finale turns out to be the weakest chapter of this arc.  I don’t mind the initial cheat that prevents Hobgoblin from unmasking Spider-Man (as the story points out, Osborn already knows his secret ID, plus the scene is a clever hint that the mystery Green Goblin is a friend of Spidey’s).  However, the subsequent cheat mentioned above is just ridiculous.  Hobgoblin has a good five minutes to take off Spider-Man’s mask, but instead he goes through an elaborate procedure to tie Spidey to his glider, just to (hopefully) unmask him later.  Would it really have been so unthinkable to actually reveal Spider-Man’s secret to Roderick Kingsley?  If you’re ending the story with Kingsley, again, retiring from supervillainy, that means the plot development isn’t going to have any immediate ramifications anyway.  It’s just a piece of info that Kingsley could file away for the future, a threat that lingers over Spidey’s head that could be paid off in a later story.  It would also add more significance to this arc, which is largely an exercise in illusion of change as it turns out.  The only real plot advancement is Kingsley’s release from prison, which merely leads to him retiring on the beach again (which I think is exactly where he began in Spider-Man: The Hobgoblin Lives!)

Another annoyance -- the identity of the mystery Green Goblin is almost exposed, but of course no actual revelation is made.  How annoying did this mystery Green Goblin plot turn out to be?  I’m not blaming Stern and Greenberg since I know they inherited this plotline, and it’s also my understanding that they actually wanted to resolve the mystery.  Someone at Marvel should’ve had the good sense to listen to them, because as a mystery, or just a basic story, this all amounts to nothing.  Osborn isn’t the Goblin anymore, a man in the shadows is brainwashed into taking his place, the stories hint that it could be either Flash or Harry Osborn, and then…nothing.  It’s time for a different series of half-baked mysteries that have no real resolution.

Making this worse, Norman Osborn never appears as the Green Goblin during the story arc.  He does get into a physical altercation with Hobgoblin, and appears in one panel wearing the mask and flying away on the new Goblin’s glider, but that’s all we get.  Was it unreasonable for me to assume that the first meeting between the original Green Goblin and the original Hobgoblin would involve a vicious battle between the two of them…as the Green Goblin and the Hobgoblin (no stand-ins allowed)?  Did Marvel have an editorial edict that Norman Osborn couldn’t appear as the Green Goblin at this time?  If not, it’s hard to understand why this arc didn’t deliver on such a basic expectation.

So, yeah, the finale doesn’t live up to the promise of the earlier chapters.  I feel obligated to say that I didn’t hate this chapter, I just think it wimped out.  There are still moments to enjoy, such as Spider-Man’s efforts to save the firefighters even though it means letting Hobgoblin go, and MJ’s little speech to Peter at the end that eases his hurt feelings.  (Why other writers couldn’t realize that MJ works much better in this role than as his shrewish, no-fun wife I’ll never understand.)  Betty and Flash are also used well throughout the arc, even if the storyline ultimately doesn’t have an impact on either character.  The supporting cast is still present in the story, adding some humanity and making their presence felt.  Just like the previous chapters, this really does feel like “Classic Spidey,” regardless of my issues with specific plot points.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #260 - August 1998

Goblins at the Gate Part 2 - Spider in the Middle

Credits:  Roger Stern (plot), Glenn Greenberg (plot/script), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  Osborn spares Hobgoblin’s life after he offers to hand Osborn his business empire, and the remaining Osborn journal.  With Osborn’s help, Hobgoblin locates his brother Daniel, who is in protective custody.  Osborn sends his new Green Goblin to follow Hobgoblin.  Spider-Man also learns of Daniel’s location from Detective Lou Snider and soon confronts Hobgoblin there.  The new Green Goblin interferes during Hobgoblin’s fight with Spider-Man.  Spider-Man is knocked unconscious by one of the Green Goblin’s darts, giving Hobgoblin an opportunity to unmask him.

The Subplots:  Billy Walters walks past a closet that Peter and MJ (who just brought Peter a change of clothes) are exiting.  He gets the wrong idea.  Peter and Flash have a brief disagreement over Osborn’s stewardship of the Daily Bugle, which is ended by Betty.

Web of Continuity:  

• Hobgoblin blames his brother, Daniel Kingsley, for his capture following the events of Spider-Man: The Hobgoblin Lives!  
• Detective Lou Snider is an obscure character going all the way back to Roger Stern’s run on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man.
• Billy needs to use the dark room, even though (I'll repeat) he’s a reporter, not a photographer.

Review:  This does read like a lost Roger Stern Spider-Man comic, which on a very basic level makes the storyline a success.  When characters like Lou Snider start showing up, you know that you’re getting a story by Spidey fans for Spidey fans.  The brief touches with the supporting cast, such as Peter and Flash’s short argument and the lighthearted romantic scene with Peter and MJ, also create a sense that this is a “real” Spider-Man story.  The other stories from this era rarely feel so well rounded.  The elements of what makes Spider-Man unique occasionally appear, but overall the titles can’t seem to find a balance between the villains, supporting cast, and subplots.  There actually isn’t a real “subplot” as such so far in the arc, but the chapters still take the time to check in on the supporting cast members, relate their pasts logically to what’s happening in the main story, and give Peter and MJ small romantic moments.  You wouldn’t think this would be so hard, but it seems to rarely happen in the post-clone era.  My only real complaint is that Norman Osborn has yet to appear as the Green Goblin during this arc.  The faux-Goblin storyline is automatically irritating because I don’t recall it ever having a real conclusion, but even worse is the fact that Marvel went to such great lengths to resurrect Norman Osborn, only to pass the Goblin mantle on to a mystery character.  So now, Norman Osborn sits behind a desk and plays Kingpin while a shadowy figure does the fighting for him.  That’s not what anyone really wanted to see, is it?  And isn’t part of the appeal of this storyline the basic wish fulfillment of the original Green Goblin and original Hobgoblin in a classic supervillain fight?  The story’s almost over and the audience is still waiting for the true Green Goblin to do something.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #259 - July 1998

Goblins at the Gate Part 1 - Survivor of the Big Lie!

Credits:  Roger Stern (plot), Glenn Greenberg (plot/script), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  Norman Osborn goes on a publicity tour for his book, “Survivor of the Big Lie.”  Roderick Kingsley sees a televised interview and is incensed that Osborn is free while he’s incarcerated.  He informs his lawyer that he has one copy of Osborn’s journal left, which will prove Osborn truly is the Green Goblin.  Kingsley hopes to give the information to the DA in exchange for parole.  Word leaks to Osborn.  Soon, Kingsley is released to a secret location to discuss the plea bargain, but is ambushed by the Green Goblin.  Spider-Man intervenes, but is shocked when Kingsley sides with the Green Goblin and attacks him.  Kingsley escapes with Green Goblin, and is taken to meet Norman Osborn.

The Subplots:  Jonah is still eyeing the handgun he keeps in his desk drawer, cursing Norman Osborn’s name.  Jill Stacy senses something sinister about Osborn when watching his TV interview.  Peter and MJ’s romantic night alone is spoiled when Betty Brant arrives and tells him about Roderick Kingsley’s plan.

Web of Continuity:  

• Apparently, this issue marks the debut of Willis Gottfried, Roderick Kingsley’s lawyer.
• Norman Osborn’s book has somehow dispelled the public’s belief that he was ever the Green Goblin.
• The Green Goblin seen this issue fighting Spider-Man is presumably the same replacement who appeared during “SpiderHunt.”

*See _________ For Details:  Kingsley’s entire collection of Osborn journals was supposedly destroyed in Amazing Spider-Man #251.  The prison guard that Betty Brant used as an informant in Spider-Man: TheHobgoblin Lives! #3 notifies her of Roderick Kingsley’s potential plea bargain deal.  

I Love the ‘90s:  Osborn appears on the “Reggie & Katie May Show,” which is a parody of Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee.  MJ later remarks to Peter that Party of Five is a rerun tonight, so you know what that means…

Miscellaneous Note:  Glenn Greenberg wrote a hypothetical introduction for this arc, discussing its origin and evolution, when it was reprinted in the second edition of Spider-Man: The Hobgoblin Lives!  You can read it on his blog.

Review:  The premise behind this storyline is a sound one -- the original Green Goblin is back, and the original Hobgoblin has been revealed, yet no one has done a story featuring them together so far.  Thankfully, this arc isn’t being handled by some of the, well, less consistent writers assigned to the titles during this era.  Roger Stern himself has agreed to return, co-plotting a story spearheaded by Glenn Greenberg.  That leaves some hope that the arc won’t be as directionless and half-hearted as many of the other stories from this period.  And the Black Tarantula won’t show up.

The first chapter picks up where Hobgoblin Lives! left off, which was itself a sequel to the earliest Hobgoblin material penned by Stern back in the early ‘80s.  The current status quo of the titles is also reiterated, explaining in careful detail to the reader what Norman Osborn has been up to lately.  (Which admittedly, isn’t much.  He wrote a book and faked the kidnapping of his grandson.  Yeah, he annoyed Spider-Man with the $5 million bounty, but Osborn himself hasn’t gotten his own hands dirty in months.)  That leaves the reader with a hefty amount of exposition in the first chapter, which isn’t a huge problem, but it does make for a rather slow opening.  My major reservation going into this arc is if Roderick Kingsley is a strong enough villain to justify the years of build-up and continuity games that went into the Hobgoblin reveal.  I thought Hobgoblin Lives! was a lot of fun, but the weakest element was actually intended as the series’ selling point; Roderick Kingsley as the true Hobgoblin is just a difficult pill to swallow.  Yeah, I know that was the plan all along, but I also think Tom DeFalco had good reasons for ditching it.  I also have to question if Luke Ross is the best artist to be doing this story.  Given his McFarlane influence, he would presumably draw a fearsome Green Goblin, but his Goblin is actually a bit tepid this issue.  Ross, to his credit, is drawing a pretty fantastic rendition of the supporting cast at this point, so I don’t want to single him out for criticism.  I just wish he brought some of the energy he injected into villains like Mad Jack into the Goblin.  

All that said, the first chapter of the arc is a decent opening.  There’s a classic Spidey feel to the issue, with various supporting cast members popping in and out, old plotlines being addressed, and the promise of a Green Goblin/Hobgoblin confrontation.  In comparison to the largely forgettable work being done in most of the other titles, it’s a relief to read a story that actually feels connected to the history of Spider-Man, keeps the supporting cast members in-character, and has more than a little ambition going for it.  

Reactions to Superman's Death from 1992 Mid Ohio Con

Features comments from Roger Stern, Jim Shooter, John Byrne (who's predictably John Byrne), and Don Thompson.

ACTION COMICS #692 - October 1993

And, Who, Disguised as Clark Kent?

Credits:  Roger Stern (writer), Karl Kesel (co-plotter), Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier (art), Albert de Guzman (letterer), Glenn Whitmore (colorist)

Summary:  In front of a news crew, Superman saves Clark Kent from a pile of debris.  Clark explains that he’s stayed in the building’s civil defense shelter while waiting to be rescued.  Superman flies through the city, encountering Lex Luthor in his helicopter.  Lex demands to know where Supergirl has been, but Superman refuses to answer.  Later, at Clark’s home, “Clark” morphs into Supergirl.  Superman and Lois thank her for her help and then embrace.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• According to the news report, Doomsday’s rampage was only a little over a month ago.  Think of all of the Superman stories that have been crammed into that timeline!
• The news report also leaves Eradicator’s fate ambiguous, even though the previous chapter seemed like a clear death scene to me.

Production Note:  The Return of Superman trade only reprints eleven pages of this issue.  It’s placed in the back as an “epilogue.”

Review:  It’s not hard to guess why this portion of the story has been reprinted -- the reader needs to know how exactly Clark Kent explains his absence during Superman’s “death.”  The explanation is perfectly reasonable within the context of this era’s continuity, although I wonder now how DC explains this away in the re-re-revised canon.  (Surely Supergirl was never a shapeshifting pile of goo in the current continuity.)  With this dangling tidbit addressed, that closes out the Death and Return of Superman epic.

On a basic level, it’s hard not to view the entire stunt as a success.  It brought more attention to the titles (more than DC could’ve ever expected), increased sales, and enabled DC to compete against the birth of Image Comics and the increasing expansion of Marvel’s X-titles.  Marrying Superman and Lois off would’ve caused a blip in sales and a smidgen of publicity, but killing him off, duping the audience with four possible replacements, and finally reviving him kept attention focused on the books for almost two years.

Creatively, the storyline has a few problems.  The initial point the story tries to prove, that Superman is a true hero that will endure past any fad, seems to fade in and out as the months continue.  A few characters learn lessons about true heroism over the course of the event, but the stories seem more and more concerned with gigantic fight scenes than making any metatextual statement about the public’s perception of heroism.  And those closing issues, the big fight scene that draws all of the characters together, seem to drag on forever.  It’s a shame that the creators couldn’t have devised a more satisfying conclusion to the event, rather than stranding the reader on Engine City for what feels like an eternity.  If you want to see Superman fight Doomsday, his actual killer, in a rematch, then you’re out of luck.  That comes later, in a different set of higher-priced bookshelf format specials.  It’s the ‘90s, folks.

Following the resurrection, DC felt obligated to indicate that not everything has returned to the old status quo.  You can’t take your flagship character and put him through this kind of experience without some acknowledgment of what he’s endured, right?  So, now Superman has a mullet.  And Clark Kent has a ponytail.  What can you even say?  I can understand the creators’ desire to return to a more traditional Superman, with only a small cosmetic change thrown in, but it seems like a wasted opportunity.  If you’re ever going to redesign Superman’s costume, this is the time to do it.  Why couldn’t he keep the black and silver look?  Who’s to say he even needed to return as Clark Kent?  For that matter, why is Superman even returning before the next big anniversary issue (Action #700)?  Even after the gimmick of which Superman is the real one has been exhausted, I think Supergirl, Superboy, and Steel could be able to carry the titles for around a year.  Why create a massive marketing event around Superman’s death, but only leave him dead for one month in the timeline?  Why couldn’t Superman return to a very different Metropolis?

Despite my gripes, I have to say there has been a level of, at the very least, professionalism throughout the event.  The Superman titles never reach the nadir of the Azrael solo stories the audience had to endure during “Knightfall,” and we should all thank the heavens for that.  It’s obvious the creators have genuine affection for the Man of Steel, and even if it’s easy to view the event as a cynical stunt, I think there was a sincere effort all along to tell an entertaining story.  There seems to be a decent amount of nostalgia for this era of Superman, and I have to acknowledge that most of these stories have aged pretty well.  Trust me, as far as ‘90s gimmick storylines go, the audience dodged a bullet on this one.

ACTION COMICS #691 - September 1993

Secret Weapon

Credits:  Roger Stern (writer), Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier (art), Bill Oakley (letterer), Glenn Whitmore (colorist)

Summary:  Superman and Steel continue to fight against Mongul and the Cyborg’s foot soldiers.  During a break in the fighting, Superman reveals that Supergirl has been aiding them the entire time in her invisible form.  However, she’s soon separated from the others during their search for Engine City’s power supply.  Mongul declares to his personal followers that he isn’t taking orders from Cyborg Superman any longer.  He orders them to start the kryptonite-powered engine, which will destroy the Earth.  Meanwhile, Lex Luthor discovers a semi-conscious Superboy, who’s fallen in a landfill after stopping the Engine Bomb.  He’s furious that Superboy doesn’t know where Supergirl is.  Elsewhere, Eradicator absorbs the Fortress’ energy, nearly destroying it, so that he has the power to return to the fight.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Superman says he hasn’t felt this vulnerable since Mxyzptlk cancelled out his powers.  A footnote points to Superman #49.

Mom, Apple Pie, etc…:  A series of narrative captions explains that Eradicator didn’t understand the concept of humanity, of complex ways of thinking and feeling, until taking on the form of Superman.

Review:  Apparently, we needed yet another chapter of this Engine City fight.  To his credit, Roger Stern breaks up some of the monotony by throwing in Supergirl’s surprise appearance, and he’s able to portray Superman’s use of machine guns in way that doesn’t feel like gratuitous shock value.  The action isn’t necessarily bad, it just feels redundant at this point.  There are only so many pages of Superman and Steel plowing through armies of alien goons that I’m willing to tolerate.  The only real plot advancement comes from Mongul’s decision to turn on Cyborg Superman, which has been telegraphed for what feels like six months now.  The rest of the issue consists of getting the remaining cast members in place for the big finale, which would be a welcome relief right about now; however, it’s still a few issues away.  I understand that this story was inevitably going to end with all four replacement Supermen and Superman, along with Supergirl, gathered together for a big fight...but honestly, I was expecting something a bit more creative than this.

ACTION COMICS #690 - August 1993

Lies & Revelations

Credits:  Roger Stern (writer), Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier (art), Bill Oakley (letterer), Glenn Whitmore (colorist)

Summary:  Cyborg Superman places Superboy in restraints so that he can be studied.  In order to get rid of the Justice League, Cyborg Superman sends them on a fraudulent mission in space.  Superboy overhears the Cyborg and Mongul’s plans to create a second “Engine City” in Metropolis and vows to escape.  Meanwhile, a weakened Eradicator reaches the Fortress of Solitude.  He discovers the regeneration matrix is empty, and the Fortress robots reveal his true identity.  The actual Superman has already been released from the matrix and is heading towards Metropolis in a Kryptonian war-suit.  In Metropolis, Lois tells the authorities that she believes Cyborg Superman is a fraud.

Irrelevant Continuity:  The origin of Eradicator is revealed.  The basic idea is that he’s a Kryptonian artificial intelligence that has gained sentience.  His consciousness lived inside the Fortress and, following the “death” of Superman, sought to steal his body.  Superman’s consciousness fought against him, however, leaving Eradicator to somehow use the mass inside the coffin to form his own faux-Superman body.

Total N00B:  The cutaways to the Justice League emphasize that Jade is Alan Scott’s daughter.  I have a vague idea of who Jade is but I’ve never heard of this before.

Review:  The mysteries surrounding “The Last Son of Krypton” (or “Visor Superman”) are resolved, in what I’m just going to assume was a satisfying payoff for regular readers of the Superman titles.  I’ve never read the original Eradicator storyline, so it’s not as if I could’ve seen this coming, but it seems as if Roger Stern has put a lot of thought into this and placed a decent number of clues in Action over the past few months.  Since Eradicator was designed as a weapons system, it seems logical that his response to crime would be lethal, and adopting the moniker “Last Son of Krypton” does make sense given his origin.  The specific details of what happened “behind the scenes” in Action #687 are revealed, showing us how what we assumed was Superman retaking his body was anything but, so Stern is playing fair with the reader.  Stern’s setting up the idea that Eradicator actually wants to follow Superman’s example now, which I guess is going to lead to a dramatic redemptive moment later on.  Some of this is fairly predictable, but the execution is compelling enough to fend off any real boredom.  And the cutaway to Superman, the real one, this issue is actually the dramatic slow-reveal that I assumed was going to happen last issue. Reading it now the sequence feels odd -- why does he get a slow reveal after already returning last month? -- but now that I understand the proper context (Stern wanted the readers to think that Superman was the Eradicator last issue), this makes sense.

ACTION COMICS #689 - August 1993

Who is the Hero True?

Credits:  Roger Stern (writer), Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier (art), Bill Oakley (letterer), Glenn Whitmore (colorist)

Summary:  Superboy and Supergirl unite to rescue the citizens on Hobsneck Bridge, but Lex is furious to discover that Superboy has signed a deal with Rex Leech.  Meanwhile, in the Fortress of Solitude, Superman awakens from his regeneration matrix.  After the Fortress’ robots show him news reports of the four new Supermen, he declares that he’s going to Metropolis as soon as possible.  In Metropolis, Steel and Eradicator get into a brawl after Steel accuses Eradicator of manslaughter.  Eradicator flies Steel into orbit, forcing him to leap off and rely on his boot-jets to reach Earth.  Before he lands, Eradicator dive-bombs him.  In deeper space, Mongul approaches Earth.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• The Kents are irritated by news coverage of the new Supermen, and for Supergirl for siding with Lex Luthor.  According to the footnotes, they took in Supergirl in Superman #22, and she “ran off” in Action #644.
• When Superman emerges from his regeneration matrix, he does not have long hair.

Review:  Wait a minute…this is how Superman returns?  In a docile subplot scene tucked into the middle of a seemingly random issue?  No giant splash page, no lengthy buildup, no breathless purple prose…he just wakes up inside his pod and decides it’s time to come back?  That’s insane.  I’m tempted to believe that there’s a chapter missing in the reprint collection, yet these Superman trades have been pretty good about reprinting almost all of the material, and it’s hard to imagine why a scene building up to this one would’ve been skipped.  It’s amazing to think that the “Reign of Supermen” era was so short (it’s painfully obvious by now that none of these “heroes” is truly Superman); my memory as a kid was that the four Supermen gimmick lasted for several months.  It’s a shock to realize that it barely lasted for two full months, and that the mystery was dismissed so casually.

Ignoring Superman’s totally blasé resurrection, what else is going on this issue?  The cliffhanger from Adventures is resolved, a few subplots are touched upon, Eradicator and Steel get into a pointless fight, and there’s a cliffhanger set up for the next chapter in Man of Steel.  In a way, it feels like a busy issue, even though most of these threads aren't particularly exciting.  There’s a cute bit that has Eradicator and Steel getting served by a process server because Rex Leech has already copyrighted the Superman emblem, but the rest of the issue is fairly dull.  The Return of Superman should’ve livened things up, but the bizarre execution of that scene is shocking in how utterly non-dramatic it is.  It’s truly a strange issue; I wonder what was going on behind the scenes at this point.

X-MEN: ODD MEN OUT #1 - September 2008

Odd Men Out

Credits:  Roger Stern (writer), Dave Cockrum (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Andrew Crossley (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters)

Summary:  When Xavier reads an article about Fred Duncan’s security firm, he decides to pay his old friend a visit.  With Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and Wolverine acting as bodyguards, Xavier and Fred have a chat inside Fred’s home.  Xavier reflects on his time in space with the Shi’ar, while Fred details his final days working as the government’s mutant liaison.  After a run-in with Henry Gyrich, Fred reveals he left to join the private sector.  Xavier and Fred bond over being “odd men out” and renew their friendship.

Continuity Notes:  

• This story was commissioned as an inventory issue, sometime in late 1991 or early 1992.
• Xavier isn’t using his hoverchair in the story.  In the early ‘90s, artists used to keep Xavier in a normal wheelchair when appearing in public, but that detail was lost over the years.  There’s no reason for Xavier to keep his hoverchair a secret from Fred, however.
• Xavier tells Fred that Cyclops is the oldest member of the original team; I seem to recall other stories listing Beast as the oldest.
• Flashbacks place Fred’s departure from the government happening “behind the scenes” of Uncanny X-Men #150.
• Let the record show that Fred Duncan’s address is specifically given as 1025 Sindoni Crescent in Hegeman, New York.  

I Love the ‘90s:  Since this story was originally penciled in the ‘90s, Wolverine is allowed to smoke.  Xavier is concerned about receiving secondhand nicotine, but I always thought it was the tar in cigarettes that was dangerous.

Production Note:  With the exception of the credits box, the story appears to be hand-lettered.  The colors are modern digital colors, meaning it wasn’t colored back in the early ‘90s of course.

Review:  “Odd Men Out” comes from the tumultuous period that had John Byrne attempting to write dialogue over the (often erratic) plots of Whilce Portacio and Jim Lee.  Roger Stern heard that the titles were in deadline trouble and pitched this inventory issue, which was accepted and given to Dave Cockrum to pencil.  It’s very possible this story would’ve stayed in the drawer had it been handed to any other artist doing fill-in work for Marvel in the early ‘90s.  At some point, Marvel realized that there was a Dave Cockrum X-Men story just collecting dust…oh, wait…and here’s a New Mutants job!  The two inventory issues were collected after Cockrum’s death in this one-shot.  Oddly enough, the front cover doesn’t feature Cockrum’s name in the title; it’s only barely visible in the credits section.  The back cover pays tribute to Cockrum, true, but it’s strange that the title of the book isn’t X-Men Lost Tales: A Tribute to Dave Cockrum, or something along those lines.  The book’s actual title is disappointing, since it simply recycles the title of the one-shot’s first story.  Maybe the idea is that both of these stories are “Odd Men Out” since they were never published, but it feels lazy.  Also, why isn’t Cockrum’s art on the front cover of this thing?

I’d like to say that the forgotten Roger Stern/Dave Cockrum issue of Uncanny X-Men is a lost classic, but that would be stretching the truth.  Since Stern knows this is a fill-in, he goes for a format often seen in the Bronze Age -- the issue-long recap.  There are legitimate gaps to be filled with Fred Duncan’s story, but the majority of this issue is dedicated to Xavier giving a Xavier-specific history of the X-Men.  Stern tries to smooth over some of the rough parts of past continuity, but there’s only so much he can do with the awkward retcon that revealed that Xavier wasn’t dead, he was just living in the X-Men’s basement preparing for an alien invasion.  This outright dumb story should’ve been forgotten as soon as it was published, but instead it became the modern inspiration for virtually every Xavier story.  Stern has Xavier express remorse over the dimwitted plan ("I developed a successful attack, but I had deceived my X-Men.  I'll always regret that."), but I wish he could’ve used his magic retcon skills to fix the real issues with the story.  In another bit of commentary, Stern has Fred react incredulously to Magneto taking over the X-Men’s school during Xavier’s absence, which isn’t much of a shock.  (Fred says it’s crazier than Xavier’s stories about "alien parasites and cloning.")  Stern’s X-Men vs. Avengers miniseries is filled with cheap shots against the concept of Magneto reforming, and when you consider that this is a story aimed at new readers, it’s a shame that Stern doesn’t even attempt to present any context for why this happened.  Stern just wants you to know that he thought it was a bad idea.

Those complaints aside, I’ll say that Stern’s penned a recap comic that has some personality to it.  The Fred Duncan angle is a clever one, and if you really wanted to know what happened to Duncan, the story provides pretty satisfying answers.  It’s still a recap comic, though, so there’s not much here for existing fans.  For the purposes of this one-shot, the real star is Dave Cockrum’s artwork.  It’s been digitally spruced up by modern color techniques, and in an era that has the major companies hiring artists with diverse art styles, it does look like a comic that could be published today.  Looking at it now as a historical artifact, it’s interesting to see Cockrum’s take on everything from the Jack Kirby to Jim Lee days.  Some of the flashback pages seem to have received more attention than others; I think Cockrum’s biased towards the earliest issues.  Most of all, Cockrum appears to be having fun inventing various alien species for Xavier to interact with during his Shi’ar flashbacks.  

Why didn’t Marvel publish this in 1992?  Hmm… There’s no exaggerated anatomy, no forced perspective, no cross-hatching, and it’s drawn in a traditional grid layout.  No speedlines, but plenty of backgrounds.  It seems like the last thing Marvel was looking for, which is a shame.  I think I would’ve enjoyed this as a kid; I know I would’ve been thrilled had it taken the place of “The Last Morlock Story.”

Think Again

Credits:  Michael Higgins (writer), Dave Cockrum (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Andrew Crossley (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  The Mad Thinker’s research leads him to an underground lab.  Using the technology he discovers, the Mad Thinker constructs a robot that quickly turns against him.  The robot then travels to the surface to confront the New Mutants.  He absorbs each of their powers and fights the team to a standstill.  Rusty rallies the team and convinces every member to attack the robot simultaneously.  The robot begins to malfunction, and is remotely terminated by its “master” for failing him.

Continuity Notes:  

• This is a never-before-published inventory issue of New Mutants created around 1989.
• All evidence points to the robot’s true creator being Apocalypse.  The underground lab has copious files on various mutants, the robot’s face has Apocalypse’s unique lip design, and the patterns painted on the robot’s body resemble the ones on Archangel’s costume.
• The New Mutants consist of Cannonball, Rictor, Sunspot, Boom Boom, Wolfsbane, Rusty, & Skids.  Apparently, this specific lineup never existed, which creates a major continuity problem.  It’s possible that’s the reason why this story wasn’t used after it was commissioned.

(Hypothetically) Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  Rictor’s thoughts are cut off before he can mentally finish the word “crap.”

“Huh?” Moment:  Cockrum draws Cyclops and Marvel Girl as background characters ice-skating at Central Park with the New Mutants, but they play no role in the story.

Review:  Just think, in some alternate reality, this comic was published instead of the first appearance of Cable.  The content of the story is about what you’d expect from a late ‘80s New Mutants inventory.  The plot’s simple, the characters describe their powers every few pages, a few romantic subplots are referenced, and the teens have a few pages to do “teen” things, like go ice-skating or shopping at Bloomingdale’s.  The major problem is Higgins’ dialogue, which alternates between simply generic and actively horrendous. (“Let’s hurry!  He’s so frightful!”)  Cockrum’s interpretation of the New Mutants is fantastic, although he does seem bored during the fight scene.  The modern production values help the visuals immensely, making sure the linework is properly reproduced and not faded into near-oblivion, as often seen in ‘80s flexographic printing.  There’s no compelling reason for this to be published, outside of paying tribute to Cockrum, although I’m slightly surprised that it wasn’t fished out of the drawer at some point due to its Apocalypse connection.