The 1980s could be argued to be both a Golden Age and a Dark Age for Marvels' Merry Mutants. How so? Well, it was a Golden Age because at the time, the X-Men practically ruled the Marvel Universe. They were the hot team. But it was also a Dark Age because the storylines showed them dealing with a harsher, crueler world, where being a mutant seemed to become a death sentence. The comic we're looking at here is the beginning of one of the darker storylines of the era: the Mutant Massacre. A lot of mutants are going to die, but there was a calm before the storm. Let's see it here in Uncanny X-Men #210!
The cover is a John Romita Jr, Bob Wiacek, and Danny Crespi piece. If it were painted, this cover would give a vibe of a movie poster. Despite that, I think it's a bit of a plain poster, just showing the X-Men at the time. Although, what is going on with Rogue's face back there? Is she winking?
"The Morning After"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Dan Green
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Editors: Ann Nocenti, Terry Kavanagh
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
The story begins in Los Angeles, California. We focus in on two people: A man named Richard, and a woman known only as Tommy. Richard and Tommy. Sounds like a sequel/response song to "Jack and Diane". Anyway, Richard ends up getting some...spinal problems.
Page 6, Panel 2
As you can tell by his uniform, Richard is a soldier for the Hellfire Club. Shame their health insurance doesn't cover harpoon injuries.
Richard pleads with Tommy to give him his gun, but the mutant woman flees. She manages to sneak on board a train after her pursuers kill Richard. She manages to escape, but the Marauders aren't worried or angry. They'll get her. She's in unfamiliar territory, and they'll get plenty of kills soon enough. It'll be fun hunting Tommy, and they wonder if a compatriot of theirs named Malice is also having some laughs in San Francisco.
And speaking of the Golden Gate City, we look in on one of the X-Men's occasional members.
Page 9, Panel 4
Don't let the black hair throw you off. That's Alison Blaire, aka the Dazzler. She just knocked out a heckuva performance, and now she wants to take a nice rest. Recharge the batteries, and all that. While in her trailer, she laments that her career as a singer has been derailed thanks to her being publicly revealed as a mutant. This happened in Marvel Graphic Novel #12: Dazzler the Movie. You know Alison, you could have used your platform to help promote human-mutant peace. Win over hearts and minds.
I think I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the X-Men SUCK at promoting human-mutant peace. Alison notices her reflection changing...
Page 11, Panel 1
"GIMME YOU FAAAAAACE!"
Meet Malice, a being who has no body of her own. In fact, this comic is her debut. She attacks the Dazzler, but she seemingly fights Malice off. The lightengale then notices this nice-looking choker around her neck. She thinks nothing of it and decides to take a nap.
We next go across the country to New York City. Manhattan to be exact.
One member of the X-Men, the Southern powerhouse known only as Rogue, is flying over the city.
Page 12, Panel 1
I find it so funny people are shocked to see people flying around in the MU's New York City. You'd think they'd be used to it. I mean, this city is the traditional homebase of the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Spider-Man and Daredevil regularly swing and leap through the rooftops. At this point, they should look at Rogue flying and think "Oh, some new superhero is debuting".
Anyway, Rogue isn't just flying around because she loves the wind in her hair. She is looking for Rachel Summers, aka Phoenix. Basically, she's the daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey from the dystopian Days of Future Past timeline. She vanished after a battle the X-Men and the Hellfire Club had against a futuristic Sentinel robot called Nimrod. Rogue laments not being more supportive of Rachel, as she understands what it's like to be alone, being that she can't touch anyone at all. However, some action gets her attention.
Page 13, Panels 2-3
Rogue manages to rescue the falling window washers and keep the platform from harming anyone by tossing it into the East River. One of the window washers offers a kiss of gratitude the skunk-haired beauty, but she turns it down and flies off. After all, kissing her would be very bad for his health. She sees herself in a building's windows, and realizes she needs a proper change of clothes. Wouldn't be becoming to fly around in a tattered superhero costume. Rogue keeps some money in her belt in case of stuff like this.
Nowadays, it'd likely be a debit card. Rogue then tries out some of the hot 1980s fashions.
Page 15, Panel 4
She next goes to get her face done up. She ends up gathering a crowd. Evidently the X-Men are somewhat celebrities. I don't know.
One man gets up in his feelings and screams that Rogue has no right to shop there because she's a mutant. If this comic was done today, he'd scream Rogue was trying to turn people "woke" or some other nonsense.
Lucky, one of the window washers she saved earlier comes to her defense. He points out that she may be a mutant, but she still saved him and his window washer partner's life. And if the man has a problem with it, he can take it up with the window washer's fists. Rogue decides to leave. She flies off and spots an ad for X-Factor, realizing this may be the reason for the increased paranoia. I've already given my thoughts on the idiocy of the X-Factor concept, so I won't repeat them here.
Over at the Xavier Institute, Piotr Rasputin/Colossus and Illyana Rasputin/Magik are hanging out, doing some catching up. Magik notices a sketch of Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde drawn by Piotr. She points out that Kitty's still upset about Rachel and Nightcrawler. She wonders if Piotr can reach her. She could use some support right now.
Speaking of Kitty, she's doing some maintenance on Cerebro. She manages to upgrade it so any of the X-Men can use it scan for mutants, not just telepaths like Professor X or Jean Grey. Afterwards, Kitty laments that for all the X-Men do, things just don't seem to get any better for them or mutantkind. Considering the X-Men don't actually do any promotion of human-mutant peace, I wonder why things never got better.
She, Piotr, and Illyana briefly discuss the current state of the X-Men when Cerebro blares a contact alarm, revealing it picked up a mutant. In New York City's Fifth Avenue, former X-Men nemesis-turned-Xavier Institute Headmaster Magneto floats down and sees a bunch of police cars and press trucks at the scene. He's not surprised, as the X-Men and the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle had battled the mutant-hunting robot from the future known as Nimrod there in the last issue.
Also there is X-Factor, aka the original X-Men in a new disguise. He mistakes Jean Grey for Madelyn Pryor, Cyclops's then-wife. Foreshadowiiiiiiiiing! He enters the Hellfire Club's building (he was invited there). The Inner Circle proposes an alliance with the X-Men, as considering they are all mutants, they'll need to survive what appears to be increased efforts to exterminate their kind. Magneto tells them he'll think about.
In a warehouse on the Hudson River, Nightcrawler is running for his life.
Page 23, Panels 1-2
Yeah, the X-Men really need to hire a PR person. Colossus, Shadowcat, and Magik are able to rescue Nightcrawler, as he seems to have lost his power to teleport.
At the Delacorte Theater, Storm and Wolverine are trying to find Rachel, but the trail ended there. The two briefly discuss Wolverine's actions towards her. So, how is Tommy doing? Well, let's find out. The young mutant woman managed to make her way to New York City, heading back to the old Morlock tunnels. She thinks she's made it to safety, but the mysterious people following her managed to, well, follow her.
One of them reveals they let her escape so she could lead them to the rest of the Morlocks. It was nothing personal, they're just doing a job. And before they kill her, they let her now that she'll have a lot of company.
This comic was enjoyable. This story had a nice balance of character stuff and action. My favorite moment in the comic was one of the window washers standing up for Rogue and calling her a hero after she saved his life. It was a nice little heartwarming moment, and I wish stuff like this appeared in more books. I would have loved to have seen that guy be a regular ally of the X-Men, as I feel that having human friends help remind the X-Men of their own humanity, and it helps give the idea that the X-Men are making actual progress on the whole "promoting human-mutant peace" thing. Something Jonathan Hickman should have kept in mind.
If you want to read this comic for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback X-Men: Mutant Massacre. Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!
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