Chapter Forty-Two:

1986

March, 1986 Uncanny X-Men 206 by Romita Jr, Green, Williamson, Glynis, Orzechowski, Claremont + Nocenti

March, 1986 X-Factor 5 by Guice, Franz, Rubinstein, Scotese, Rosen, Layton + Harras

April, 1986 X-Factor 6 by Guice, Franz, McCloud, Rubinstein, Scotese, Rosen, Louise + Harras

April, 1986 Uncanny X-Men 207 by Romita Jr, Green, Glynis, Orzechowski, Claremont + Nocenti

May, 1986 X-Factor 7 by Guice, Franz, Rubinstein, Scotese, Rosen, Louise + Harras

May, 1986 Uncanny X-Men 208 by Romita Jr, Green, Glynis, Orzechowski, Claremont + Nocenti

June, 1986 Uncanny X-Men 209 by Romita Jr, Russell, Glynis, Orzechowski, Claremont + Nocenti

June, 1986 X-Factor 8 by Silvestri, Rubinstein, Scotese, Rosen, Louise + Harras & Daley

July, 1986 X-Factor 9 by Shoemaker, Silvestri, Rubinstein, Scotese, Rosen, Louise + Harras

Mixtape Tracks: Kiss by Prince, Master of Puppets by Metallica, Moving to Florida by Butthole Surfers, Oomingmak by Cocteau Twins, The Final Countdown by Europe, Peter Piper by Run DMC, ROD by The Fall, Solitude by Candlemass, Domino by Genesis

Chapter 42 of “to me my ❌-Men,” in which, three and a half weeks, before my 11th birthday, I pick up my first Uncanny ❌-Men comic…and with that this comics life calcifies. 52 chapters of bibs and bobs are loosely being pulled together into a preamble at the presuppose of our compelling second half of the story. By no means are we done pulling in pieces of world building, as you will shortly see in the next two chapters. But if you are here for the meat of the ❌-Men’s story, as we are walking up the last few steps to her door, we smell the rot of meaty death. As chapter 1 told you…this is comedy & romance like most superhero stories, but its balanced by tragedy and horror.

Previously on “to me my ❌-Men,” Weapon ❌, The Body Shop, Reavers; OH MY! We spent time flipping from the old heads to the young punks. We have seen many kidnappings and murders over years…some of which revolve around Morlocks and the Mojoverse. We know a political anti-mutant act has been in the works, which has assembled a covert government mutant team to take on mutants. Meanwhile, capitalism has lead to another such team, as has our old standards of education, counter culture, counter insurgency, oligarchs, Canadians, a clique, a mysterious death squad, a mysterious strike force, and now a partially mechanical mercenary squad have been just some of the “teams,” in play in our story to this point. I say all this, while not mentioning The Hand.

You can be forgiven, on its face this appears to be an unforgettable approach to the middle of a laborious story. However, on a personal note, a historical note, and perhaps in terms of critique there is more here than meets the eye.

I have developed with Marvel and DC comics reading, a habit of taking on-ramps and off-ramps with seemingly mercurial patterns. I was raised by an artist single mother, with an intense appreciation for editing out impractical, aesthetically unpleasing, and historically uninteresting on two plains of existence. Her own, and her clients. After age 8, Dad, became, every other weekend Dad, and so his intensity for instilling his artistic leanings only intensified. He would drag his sons, one who lack any interest, and one who was being shaped by his mother’s instincts for editing out nonsense, to art museums. My Dad loves art, but his fluency and processing speed of visual lexicons feels laborious to his eldest son, as it did to his ex-wife. Where my Dad shines, and both his sons buy in, is with music. Specifically Rock ‘n Roll & R ‘n B from the 1950’s-1976.

Dad’s opinions on music aesthetics and history, is even more intense, than Mom’s…or he would argue the point. Hyperbole being the tool used in the sport of subjective debate.

So by the time, age 11, I was ready to begin defining my opinions on comics and set forth a path to become a comics pro, I was already armed with the boundary of editing out what doesn’t work for me, and the disproportionate sense of self confidence in what was essential in a subjective field.

I had a diversified palette of comics for prepubescent, but when it came to the superhero genre, and Marvel specifically, I had only read a handful of the comics in the 52 chapters prior to this 53rd chapter. Never you mind the totality of the 47 years of Marvel comics that as of today, I have mostly browsed through. Everything I was basing things off of leading into Spring of 1986 was primarily Elf Quest, Shoe, Wolverine, and ❌-Factor.

I somehow didn’t keep close track of my Wolverine issues entirely. I have had my X-Factor 1-9 since they came out, as it made me a “collector.”Like I have mentioned, the same can be said for my Uncanny X-Men No. 208. My first proper ❌-Men comic. In this 53rd chapter, we finally reach the issue that started me thinking, I want to pencil the Uncanny ❌-Men when I grow up. I would spend many years with adults, my seniors, trying to explain penciling this specific title in response to, “like Peanuts.” Irony being, I am probably closer to Peanuts than ❌-Men as an actual professional cartoonist.

The additional point of personal and professional interest in this chapter 53, is the Bob Layton & Louise Jones Simonson connections. I would meet and take in a lecture from Walt and Louise in Savannah GA while in grad school. And then I would meet and hang out with Bob Layton in Vermont as we were both tabeling at a convention there. This is why my issue No. 5 of X-Factor is signed above, and probably why my issue of No. 6 of X-Factor is not signed. The context of my conversations with Layton and Simonson are quite different. Both felt like a huge completion of a circle moment for me, either way.

We will get into the relevance to this story and perhaps slightly less subjective takes as we read through these 9 issues.

We aren’t talking about strong period of comic book covers. The lineup face off is the best trick of the bunch here. Being used twice, the better of the two because of its use of negative space and more manageable numbers to provide a more substantial set of figures, is X-Factor No. 5 over the more messy and less impactful Uncanny X-Men 208. The Uncanny X-Men 207 use of Wolverine is already at risk of over saturation of the character…or perhaps that is inaccurate and an over exaggeration…but certainly in hindsight, we don’t need this one. The use of ❌ and triangle in the complex movement of the eye through X-Factor 8 & 9, both by Marc Silvestri, are probably the smartest and compelling of the nine, but I do prefer clarity over intensity. We will get into this Silvestri moment, as it is significant to this entire story. The most significant creative moment, amongst multiple significant creative moments in this chapter. The winner for “this is a comic” comic book cover is X-Factor No. 7. It just casually works well. The other three are less than satisfactory, and the worst of the bunch is where we begin. Uncanny X-Men No. 206.

The title splash page destroys any argument that the cover is quality and that it is representative of the contents of this comic. This interior page is perfection and iconic. A backlit silhouetted Ororo in the style she should always be (other than naked in her botanical attic room) is enough, but that is not all. She is surrounded by back alley trash, mostly papers informing a sense of wind. We could be in any number of cities of the world, as the neon Japanese lettering leads to assumptions. To the right of the glow of the light source are the credit tagged on the brick wall.

FREEDOM IS A FOUR LETTER WORD!

This been my phones screen image for a minute.

We are in The Bay!

Marvel has always struggled with these “thug” v “superhero” scenes. A depowered Ororo doesn’t inoculate the corny aspects of this. Did we have nunchucks in the Bay in 1986…honestly, yes.

Daniel Clowes & Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World (2001), adapted from Daniel Clowes’ Eightball No. 11-18 (1993-1997)

But see corny.

Ororo meets SFPD Lt. Bree Morrel. As they and some beat copes have saved a couple getting mugged by clowns.

Bree strait up says, ‘I don’t care what they say, welcome to San Francisco.’ Which is exactly how it once was in The Bay.

We are staying with Jessica Drew & Lindsay McCabe at 1 Yarbro Court, a David Ishima building. We are squarely in our old pal Spider-Woman’s world. I really enjoy the fact that the Women of Marvel comics in the 70’s & 80’s were social like this, as they have been once again since 2012.

Kitty has gone full 80’s punk club scene. She headed out on a date with David, and Ororo is not mincing words…he better not do anything beyond what he is saying he will do in this moment. Kitty is getting on Ororo’s last nerve. They are headed to the Chi Chi Club to see Lila Cheney of course. I low key love this page and want the original.

Rachel’s pants game is just beyond sick. I know my kid would be sporting this look. She carrying dishes telekinetically and we are here for this comic!

Rogue is giving her crap. The banter is not perfect, but I am still here for it.

Rogue is reading a postcard w/pic of Scott, Maddy & baby Nathan…it’s all picturesque and this causes Rachel to loose her shit and drop the dishes and lays into Rogue, creating psychic chaos in the kitchen and dinning room. Rogue and Piotr have a light moment, before Rogue confronts Rachel, attempting to use their mutual experience as women walking around with epic baggage to deescalate this kitchen scene. This comic is really getting into the parts I want in my ❌-Men stories.

The art is loose, edgy, cartooning as it should be here. This is Romita, but you can see a bridge forming to connect into Silvestri’s Era seamlessly.

We are four months after Scott has left Maddy and Nathan. Claremont is clear, the postcard took its sweet time finding the demential traveling ❌-Men. The scene in Alaska is not going to be what Rachel and Rouge would expect in this moment. The trigger is so unnecessary.

Speaking of Alaska, a TWA flight from London to LA is flying over the North Pole. On it our old friend Amanda Sefton is working her normal job of attendant, having last seen her in Dallas in Chapter 27. She is in her head here, thinking she is being ignored or maybe even ghosted by Kurt. Connie finds her crying in the galley.

Amanda: “Not to worry, girl. I’m indestructible.”

Connie: “The creep better be worth it.”

Amanda: “Once upon a time…h e w a s.”

David and Kitty walking home after the show, transitions naturally from the stories of the haunted neighborhood, to potential earthquake, to nope buildings are still, an “avalanche,” which is ❌-Men comic code for sidewalk and road tidal wave, to Kitty phasing them through it, to David’s question of this being natural (he’s the local), to Kitty so casually saying:

“Nope. I think the ❌-Men are under attack. Sorry. Omigosh —-David the waves heading for your house!”

A taxi goes through the front.

KA-RASH!

That page was sick in how efficiently it flowed.

Oh the cab hit next door…was confused by the for sale sign.

Piotr, Ororo, Rogue, and Rachel are trapped in an energy webbing. If you hadn’t already guest Avalanche and now Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter, single mother/Denver college friend of Val Cooper’s, not Jessica Drew…who lives in the house under attack by Julia), so we are looking at arching Freedom Force (thus the title). And so on cue is our old friend (from literally the last issue in the Body Shop) Spiral.

Freedom Force are there to place them under arrest.

Rachel is simply out techniqued by Spiral. And then to make matters worse her Pheonix effect flames feed Pyro.

This still annoys Ororo, who use to be able handle this exact thing.

The rain shows up, and maybe Rachel causes Ororo to appear like Storm…a bluff. Rogue gets into it…when Blob appears out of nowhere and bonk…there goes Rogue.

This is going great.

Spiral goes after Ororo who is literally going to die, but for Kitty who phases up to her and saves her.

Colossus tries to use water from a hydrant to the result of him getting toppled by a street wave.

Colossus from bellow and Rogue from above turn the tables on Blob (not easy)…as Jessica and Lindsay the detective Lavern & Shirley…

…realize they have an IP lawsuit to file.

Jessica doesn’t have her powers and on instinct oversteps in confronting Julia…who is unbothered and has this line: “I’m a federal officer.” Jessica is kinda screwed here.

Oops that wasn’t Lindsay…it was David. All San Franciscans look alike.

Lindsay is hanging onto the side of the house. Kitty is first to notice.

Ororo barks out orders…’cause she is a boss.

Rogue goes at Spiral…and absorbs her psyche and powers…and yup…this is a hella of a head trip…and that’s speaking for The Bay.

Rogue doesn’t have control. Spiral who dancing through minds is her life’s work, takes over.

Piotr fastball specials Kitty (which is fun physics…take a drink). 🥃

And Kitty saves Lindsay, who was saving her cat.

Spiral/Rogue body slams Colossus.

Pyro declares its over. Julia sounds all official. And Spiral/Rogue goes after Kitty.

“…finds herself frozen in her tracks—her body phasing in place like an image smeared along a sheet of paper, almost to the point where part of her loses physical cohesion and dissipates into nothingness. The effect is blessedly transitory, but Kitty doesn’t notice. She’s barely aware she’s alive.” -Claremont Romita Jr…was not ready for this level. I really wish Bill Sienkiewicz stepped in to do this page. Hell…I wish I was being asked to do this page today.

Jessica is shocked by the defeat.

Avalanche is corny:

“WE WON! WAY TO GO FREEDOM FORCE.”

OH! I didn’t understand this before. So if Rogue touches someone’s unconscious body while possessing their psyche…it becomes permanent. Storm is freaking out, because she doesn’t fully realize who is in control of Rogue in this moment and now Rogue is clearly in possession of Spiral’s psyche, because she has six arms…is reaching for Spiral’s body passed out on the ground.

When the Police distract her.

It’s Lt. Bree Morrel!

That’s some Scooby-Doo last minute saving the day right there!

Spiral: “Private” Bree: “Tough.” …”We’re the law. You’re in trouble.”

Spiral is dismissive, but the delay is just enough for Rogue to become Rogue and Spiral to become Spiral. Jessica intervenes. That was hella close.

I loved it!

They get into jurisdiction and the constitution and basically SF is a sanctuary city and these feds do actually need a warrant…and aren’t you all known criminals…and they are like…we got pardoned…and once again proof this comic is both prophetic and we are still living in the 80’s.

The ❌-Men are literally like…sorry about the mess…whelp we better go. Jessica is like…I’ll take a check. The cat is fine. Kitty is like…I was just getting into the scene here. Rachel is like almost ended up dead or in jail…Rogue is right…I need to see Scott, Maddy and Nathan.

Meanwhile at a fake hospital in SF, a Jane Doe is admitted for gunshot…is that?! No.

Meanwhile in NYC Kurt and a new damsel Judith Rassendyll are at the airport. And she is off.

On its face this and heck…maybe everything I write, could be reading as presumptuous and self important. I recognize the narcissist, they certainly are in my bloodstream.

I love name dropping, it’s a symptom of being raised in California, and of narcissism in your family, and of a family history of storytellers. It also is a tool in networking on the path I have chosen for myself. Which of these am I using in these moments? Is it all of them?

After all, I did make the absurd goal to become a penciler for Marvel comics most influential and important comic book, the Uncanny ❌-Men, at the time I made the decision, at age 11. And I still make statements about it with a strait face. This is about something that never happened and never will happen. Who does that? The closest thing to this, that I harbor, is the, mostly eroded, idea of doing a back up page. I honestly don’t even have that ambition at this point. I got my Image comic back up pages, and I can’t get the taste of that experience out of my mouth, (yuck), but I sure will tell that story to anyone safe (it’s a small circle), who will listen (also a small circle). I think it’s a good story (fact).

My Uncle Paul is probably the most narcissistic person in my family, and his story can be told as you properly tell the life and times of Roald Dahl. But I know my Uncle Paul in real life, and amongst my family members, he is probably the furthest from any of them I would say I look up to as a model in real life. And I have nice memories of Uncle Paul. I can thank him in part for my relatively close relationship with two cousins.

There are women ahead of my Papa, my Mom’s Dad…my Mom for one…who I am happy to glean wisdom in life from, but amongst the Men, my Dad and Papa are perhaps tied for first. They are both good eggs. But there is a specific part of Papa that is inherently in me and that I use as both how to and as a cautionary tale in my path all the time.

I have tended to wake up crazy early, like Papa did. It’s the time we have to think away from the noise of everyone else. It’s the time when, we aren’t at risk of being a burden on anyone else’s day. Not that Papa ever was, and not that I am trying to take advantage ever. We ain’t no Uncle Paul.

I never did what Papa did in parts of his life (WWII US Vet…but we both taught), if you are to write down his great gestures. I have faced struggle, but I am not haunted like Papa was. We both recognize through perspective, a humbling framing of our own importance. We are not important. Our stories are worth the dust in the wind they will be once upon a time. If there is a theme in my comics it is about lack of importance in one’s life and the inevitability of death. Leaving a mark is played as a farce in my comics. And thinking you somehow matter while you are here is the most basic Dad joke.

So if you have been reading these 40+ chapters, supposedly about the ❌-Men, and thinking, “who does this fool think he is,” I am scoffing with you.

So why do it?

Part of it is the reason I stated in the beginning…this really is the ❌-Men I want to see adapted in a way that captures the plot points, characterization, aesthetics, vibes, themes, and essence to screen…and am trying to spell out how we simply have not seen this. I am also trying to make the point that there is more around this version…that this is the version that perhaps actually matters (but that part is pretty Uncle Paul of me). Mostly, and realistically, it’s simply spelling out my reaction to the work that Marvel did that actually matters to me as a story.

A next step, were one once called, “live tweeting,” as I read along. A next step, were one once called “blogging.” I am bringing back the old term; “diary.” A farce, as I have issues with memoirs and autobiographical comics, and how it became the next “graphic novel", “sequential art,” term to elevate a segment of comics to be socially acceptable in intellectual elite circles and progressive fine art context, suitable for NPR’s Fresh Air. Which I love, but then makes my skin crawl when Terry Gross, introduces a cartoonist’s work as a “graphic memoir.” So I am calling this a diary…kinda Diary of a Madman (wink to Ozzy’s ghost).

Most of what Marvel produces that I am responding to is not about a story. It is about storytelling or aesthetics or culture & history or an echo of something that tickles me. That’s probably all you wanted from me here.

If you wanted anything.

Another part is the professional side of me. I am a cartoonist. I am an educator. I am happy to get into how the sausage is made and why it taste that way. I can’t help going there when reading this stuff sometimes.

But the last part, the part that may be having you scratching your head and thinking I am a bit like Uncle Paul, is that I am processing something by reflecting on the works that were fundamental in forging my path in life. The absolute Midlife Crisis (wink to Faith No More) part. I am highjacking a spot that isn’t mine to over share (originally posted on FFW’s Discord). This is something Papa would never do. But his cautionary tale and the business of my Dad (who helped Papa in life process just between them) is to process. It’s a pretty selfish act when it comes to the perspective of folks like Papa and I. I mean, we are just dust to the wind in the waiting room called life. But I suppose, while we are here it can’t hurt to talk it through…well it absolutely is painful when a Ben won’t just SHUT UP! But I can say, leaning into my Papa side, and his wise ways, didn’t always serve him. The haunting takes its toll on how you conduct, but more importantly, how you are while you are stuck here waiting to be dust in the wind. So to me this about balance. When I am done…I am done.

Which circles back the actual point of this ❌-Men story…there is an END! And what is more down to earth and refreshing a thought…a superhero IP fantasy with an end. Or in our case…an off ramp to seriously consider taking, before growing up…like we use to…to be haunted in the silence of 5 am in this waiting room.

Getting to know Bob Layton (name drop…🥃), in the sunrise of mid-life over a couple weekends, confirmed suspicions and lessons. I mean if this is the limits of Bob Layton’s super powers, represented by professional longevity that gets us to the same tables. He didn’t impart any special life lessons, or new tools to crack a code. He simply confirmed what had been obvious since I started out in the 90’s, as a “pro.” Comics are a pain…and absolutely worth it. If you value struggle, questioning self worth, and curmudgeon comrade dreamers.

Having Bob sign my copy of X-Factor No. 5 was not an investment or a symbolic celebration of celebrity worship. I was raised in California…I don’t worship other humans…but I will share a tale of “one time at band camp…” until my last breath. No this was like having someone sign a death certificate. I look at it now with confirmation of what Kirby told us all, “Comics will brake your heart.”

I really appreciate and valued my days with Bob. I respect him. I have since November, 1985. And here we are with an issue from March of 1986, an end…with the exception of that coming July’s Annual. Bob’s last two issues in my reading of ❌-Men and Marvel. Not his end. Nah…he was still tabling last time I saw him. Still drawing old Shellhead. But this was a blip to him, and to me it was what he was worth to me, until I got to know him a bit. As a real person.

As far as Marvel comics writers go, Chris Claremont got me hooked. Bob Layton got me to get serious about taking this path. Only one of the two lasted in my reading of it.

If this is the real exit (and to me it is…the Annual was bonus footage, after you knew the ending had already happened)…it really was a heck of an exit. And it was kinda perfect from The perspective of a Popa, a Bob Layton, a Ben Cohen (at any point in my journey). It centers a forgettable nobody for a moment. In that moment. Being present in it…it shines a light on the haunting inside…or objectively obvious to the causal observer quickly passing by on their own equally basic lives in this waiting room before dusting the wind.

This is what I call

Ballad of Michael Nowlan.

Bob would never. This might be the first or perhaps the most influential forgotten character I had been effected by. I now possess a track record of overvaluing these sorts and imploring folks to simply gleam what I see in them…as they are equally passionate about telling me about this epic moment when the multiverse are all showing up together to take all our money…and I am here to ask, but was Michael Nowlan included?! Knowing full well…there will never be that remembrance of Michael Nowlan. Who is Micheal Nowlan? What are you going on about Ben? Why even?

On the cover we have that vs face off, ❌-Factor V Alliance of Evil (there are no “bad guys” and evil is part of the binary construct…plus it makes for really dumb and corny names…I am pro Alliance of Evil…may they rest in peace; Tower, Frenzy, Stinger, And Timeshadow).

You know already, I harbor strong affinity for both Tower and Frenzy. I am sure I will have opportunity still to gush about how amazing they are to me. Stinger is a bit of a prototype for another character that is kinda in the Michael Nowlan catagory too…all those mentiond thus far in this mornings post…they have a soft spot…and while Stinger does reach that level, the initial version of Skids we get does…and she will be arriving shortly…and you can see plainly…these two are cut from the same aesthetic cloth. It’s punk. And then there is Timeshadow…which is kinda like Multiple Man, who has a better costume design…but I am not convinced is any more or less interesting than Timeshadow. They are both fine…and I recognize fans of them as kindred spirits…fans of the obscured and dirtied.

The first page of No. 5 is one of, if not, my fav Jackson Guice, Joe Rubinstein, Petra Scotese, and Joe Rosen pages…Bob Layton’s work gets credit here too…as it is the concept that makes this all work for me.

A costal cliff So. Cal A-Framed mansion has an escapee, who is being persuaded by the four arches previously mentioned. This is Micheal, and he reminds me of Walt Simonson (or as I have come to realize, the proto 80’s Marvel Bullpen cartoonist look). He also looks like Jim Woodring…so perhaps cartoonist of a certain age. The Longshot panel folllwed by three panels of him at a wall, hoping it, and a close up on him in a car with keys frantically bing used. The title fills the bottom with a basic 80’s car VRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM through the middle of it. The collaboration in TAPPED OUT is on point.

Micheal has a mysterious helper.

So reminder…the 80’s was all about the drug war…and Marvel saw full tilt into propagandizing this without subtle nuances. But I still LOVE this wrinkle. All for of our favorite arches here, are addicted and worried about withdrawal from something that effects their powers…it is Micheal himself. His power is what is their next fix. We got a taste with Frenzy last time we saw her. So they simply can’t kill him. Thus he escapes. This is the core of Micheal’s context. He is the drug. He is being used. Image what that means for him.

The irony is they refer to him as the Junkie. Meaning he is both a drug and an addict. I have always had this pegged as smart writing, by Bob. And that is considering the corniness of what is the crucible that constructed the contexts here.

When you are creating something, you have what is your own, what influences you, and what is assigned you. Here Bob has influences and assignments that are so dumb, and he takes those flawed limitations and does what creativity is for…he takes that absurd pressure and turns the coal into a diamond in my estimation. To me Micheal is an artistic diamond. And looks like a lump of coal if you don’t take him seriously here. Luckily I was 11. So I am not rotted by maturity yet.

Meanwhile, on the title page, ❌-Factor works out. An excuse to provide sexy times. Jean is all Jane Fonda work out in green. A solid choice. Bobby is conservative for the room. I choose to read way to much into this closet. WWIII, Hank, and Scott are covered enough to not get the publisher in trouble. Warren especially. Hank has been like this for over a decade, but now he doesn’t have fur. I think Scott is simply a poser.

Bobby is leaning into verbalizing the male gaze. Yeah, now it reads he is obviously queer. And we celebrate his journey…even when the struggle presents as reflective toxic masculinity. Jean handles herself. We are here for strong women as prime directive.

They transition for focus on the moment, to a planned meeting. Jean wants to get into the fact that ❌-Factor is propagandizing anti-mutant culture while cherry picking saving mutants. Bobby has heal turned into drinking the cool-aid. Hank is happy to play devils advocate or just agree with Jean any time Bobby disagrees. Which give Bobby a chance to prank Hank and freeze his feet…Hank’s blocks of ice mess up his aerial work.

WWIII rescues his friend…and Hank grabs Bobby places him on an obstacle attached to the wall. Scoot shoots him down and Jean catches him with her powers. The dynamics are a clown show. It’s nice.

Scott is in his head that their sophomoric behavior is not what it seems…healthy…but actually papering over the lie that is their life.

Some Micheal Nowlan pages are better than others. Here, thankfully, is another gem. We get downloaded on further context. The world closes in him more in every panel. It’s a simple phone call in the 80’s. You’re an addict. Your ex wife has cleaned herself up, and is setting up appropriate boundaries on the other end of the line. Susan, her name, is a functional person, who is trying to keep the toxic chaos at bay. Micheal wildly swings between direct threats and desperate please for help. It doesn’t work, because Susan has done her steps and can hang up a phone. Only, there is a twist…and it’s not just that there are supers (“freak friends”) involved. No…see Micheal need to be high to damper his powers, so his powers are of no use to his “freak friends,” and thus there is a chance he is left alone. It’s addicts logic…but it is logic. Like I have no idea how to navigate this or what my motivation would be. This is compelling to me at 11 and 50. And this page sticks the landing.

Page turn, and Susan’s wounds have been reopened by a call…and so the solution presents itself in the form of a TV add. We know well, the one , at this point.

“hello — ❌-Factor?”

Wonder how Jean’s meeting is going.

We transition for San Diego (nice touch bringing us back there from issue No. 1) to shopping in SoHo. Our friends Vera and Bobby are waiting for obviously Hank to come out of the changing room.

Hank is right…he looks “ludicrous” and I love it.

We are going with something between “Elvis Costello” and “Magilla Gorilla.

So basically we are playing in my personal sandbox right now.

They have to run. Vera pays the bill.

Scott is working with Artie and Rusty, and then sullenly leaves. Rusty is pretty frustrated that Scott is such a mope, but from his vantage has everything. Artie shows him using his powers what is in Scott’s head. Without verbal context, Rusty doesn’t get the love triangle. Rusty is a tool (Dad joke).

Jean, being a Boomer, is constantly surrounded by Boomer Dude’s, who are not exactly with the feminist movement, as they were trying to get in their pants as it was just getting real. And so, she is in the 80’s still constantly trying reframe herself in her “friends” eyes. WWIII is my fav, but he simply doesn’t get that she doesn’t need the knight in shining armor…she is fully capable fellow human…or mutant. I don’t know what the appropriate take is there.

It makes a lot of sense that a telepath take courses in psychology. WWIII is less than supportive.

Cameron has them all in the meeting and as they do always…they hash out what to do with more opinions than facts…or sense sometimes. Cameron is at least right in guessing at Tower and Frenzy being involved with Micheal’s situation…but Suzy didn’t exactly clarify Michael’s powers…so they aren’t sure what they are getting themselves into and they half aren’t committed to the idea he is even a mutant. But they do head to So Cal.

Suzy is not waiting…only she came to that conclusion to late…as Frenzy is in her room, accompanied by Stinger and Timeshadow and Tower is blocking the door. Frenzy will break Suzy if she doesn’t reveal where Mike is.

❌-Factor (in their anti-mutant work suits) are at Mike’s apartment and Mike found his junk💉. He is out.

When Mike comes to…his powers kick in…I do love the use of pink Kirby dots and the effect it has…❌-Factor is immediately exposed as mutants…their powers go haywire from Mike’s own mutation.

Mike is like…’what kinda scam you pulling.’ Jean’s point gains traction every damn day.

While they change into their real suits…Mike downloads them on his story.

Because he was using since he was a teen, he had no idea he was a mutant. As he and Suzy got clean, suddenly his powers revealed themselves when a fellow detox pt Timeshadow was activated in his presence.

And so like a new drug of choice…his powers became a desired and then addictive commodity amongst addict mutants.

He relapsed in hopes of ending the cycle of being a drug.

And ❌-Factor who are super great at debating a point in the most tiresome and square ways try to navigate this doozy. Mike is like…I am right here and this is my life. Hank can’t let it go. He hugs him. When Tower and friend bust in.

Frenzy is ready to break Suzy’s neck. And so Mike uses his powers to enhance the arches. No choice. The fight is classic ❌-Factor fun. We even get a Jean super pose. And Mike is trying to be real about the paradox of his situation while also being a hero to Suzy. The arches win the day and have Suzy and Mike…❌-Factor are left knocked out in the motel scene.

And that is when we go full circle for the issue to the A-Frame mansion on the Pacific cliff. And a shadowy debut happens. This is the coolest Apocalypse has ever looked. In his debut. This is IMHO the last time he looks sick and seems formidable. He is the joke side of a coin. The other side is Marvel’s most compelling and delicious arch. Mr. Sinister…who we are building towards on these dual tracks.

We have been reading Louise Jones Simonson comics throughout “to me my -Men.” If there are architects for this, and there are, Louise, Ann Nocenti, Chris Claremont, and Frank Miller may be the names we should identify in this context. This is a remarkable shift from the 60’s, when Kirby and Ditko deserve the title.

I found Louise to be grounded and stabilizing in person. The transition from Bob to Louise was not jarring, but this is a credit to their professionalism. In reflection, I really feel for Bob here. However, I also am thankful on a number of fronts that Louise is the one to have empathy for.

It’s kinda maddening that Bob didn’t finish out six months, a year, on a title he created. It’s even harder to understand how this transition occurred in the middle of a two issue arc. Thankfully Jackson Guice stayed on to finishes this story and for an additional issue that carries the storylines forward, but also functions as a one off.

Keep in mind, Claremont is eleven years into his unprecedented historic sixteen year run. Think about this, I am only working within, spoiler: ten years of his time on the ❌-Men. Reminder, Stan Lee never did this.

Louise reminds me of my Mom, as she has a whole life before what most folks remember of her. Ironically this includes Savannah, GA and the name Jones…something else that binds in my mind both women’s life stories. She met and married a Jones, through school in Savannah. Where I met her and her second husband three and half decades later. She also posed for Bernie Wrightson (who was one of the artist in that story about gushing over inking with other cartoonists in Savannah) and then rose to senior editor at Warren on Creepy & Eerie. She met Walt in 1973, but they didn’t marry until the year she joined Marvel and began editing Uncanny ❌-Men…same year our story began…1980.

Louise had been editing Conan, as well…and Marc Silvestri was refining his work on that title. So it makes a lot of sense that he plays a part here in the ❌-Factor transition, before taking over Uncanny ❌-Men.

We have been reading more than a number of Louise edited comics thus far, like Nocenti, we have a title Louise co-created that has been essential to the story; Power Pack. Louise’s first writing gig on a series for Marvel. She wrote a handful of other issues, but ❌-Factor becomes her second major writing gig here. She will in about a year, take over for Claremont on New Mutants. And what is happening here to Bob, will in a sense happen to her and Claremont, as they are driven out of the ❌-office by the Image guys (Rob, Todd, Jim, Marc…ironically, Erik)…before they take their money and run to found independent comic’s biggest success story. So this issue is chock full of irony…and that’s just the professional history. A half dozen years from now…everything changes in comics…in a way…this is one of those what if moments that impacts the existence of the MCU.

AND NOW- -APOCALYPSE

Tomahawk Motor Lodge in San Diego had a reputation, but Joe Simsky, has genuine paperwork from ❌-Factor to support his gripe this time. Muties definitely wrecked his establishment…no matter if it’s a place where that the Micheal Nowlan’s of the world rest their heads. It’s a scene.

Scott has woken up on the wrong side of the bed…or busted up floor. And Jean is taking on a bunch of his nonsense. And now WWIII has inserted himself again, and Scott is standing his ground. Calling WWIII for the entire idea of being ❌-Factor. And the fight in the rubble spills out into a scene that has gathered. Bobby creates an escape route and WWIII leaves a bunch of cash to pay for damages. They continue the debate as they escape San Diego.

Frenzy, Tower and friends are trying to get answers out of Mike about ❌-Factor. He is trying his best to maintain their secret.

They turn to threaten Suzy, and Mike’s anger transfers into an explosion of all their powers.

❌-Factor hears the explosion at the A-Frame cliff house.

Apocalypse has to step in and save Mike for the moment from Frenzy who is totally agro.

Apocalypse then takes Mike and forces him into a machine that will control him and his powers.

Apocalypse villainous soliloquy is basic Maggie. Mutant v Mutant is necessary, to weed out the weak from the strong.

And so in the cover of night, ❌-Factor shows, and we begin a well drawn fight, which kills both addicts; Suzy and Micheal Nowlan. Their ballads rest at this pivotal moment in Marvel comics. To be forgotten as collateral damage.

Our first appearance of Selene (Black Queen of the Hellfire Club...actually of the New Mutants, ❌-Men debut being her fourth appearance, but we skipped those Mutant issues…she is introduced through association with our selected introduction of Juggernaut) is in Chapter 14. ⁠

Back in Chapter 5, when we first see WWIII crucifi❌in the Morlocks tunnel, we are introduced to the Hellfire Club itself and Sebastian Shaw (Black King of the Hellfire Club…surgically selected, as it is is actually his 11th appearance).

We are introduced to Friedrich von Roehm (The Black Rook of the Hellfire Club) in his New Mutants debute during Chapter 25⁠and we have been surgically avoiding till this chapter to debut Harold Leland in his seventh actual appearance.

Same can be said for Donald Pierce (The White King of the Hellfire Club) in his sixth appearance, our first is now. He becomes critical spoiler: in the end of “to me my ❌-Men” providing a full circle and symbolic binary of black and white for the crucifi❌ bookends.

As with Shaw and the Hellfire Club, Emma Frost (The White Queen of the Hellfire Club and Chuck/Maggie’s counter at the rival school) was also introduced back in chapter 10 (her sixth, our first). We have been selective with her as well, but she has been integral enough to be very familiar to y’all. I am in the minority and think less is more when it comes to Emma. We don’t see her here I believe.

My personal introduction to the Hellfire Club, as you will see in No. 208, was Selene. So I am interested in centering her as much as we can.

We last saw Selene in Chapter 25⁠ and we will pick things up here in No. 207,

Logan is cutting through the cover…move over Jen…breaking the fourth wall…nah…two and two thirds of a year before you start threatening to rip up these comics, Logan is ripping through them with his claw.

Romita Jr and the A-Team are back with another issue of “to me my ❌-Men,” this one titled: GHOSTS

We begin as you do with Logan in his proper brown and yellowish costume, on a pile of city rubble. Phoenix is narrating and Logan has her name in his mouth.

You can be forgiven in thinking this is J. Buscema or Silvestri (who are gearing up in Conan comics during this Era) page from the future. There is even a hint of Alan Davis here. Romita Jr was clearly laying down aesthetic foundations like Art Adams was in these comics.

We turn the page into not the teams best work; a double page spread. The comic rights itself with a turn to a single page prototypical utilitarian branded perfection associated with this team.

We know where we are. We definitely left The Bay and are clearly back in Marvel’s home; NYC. But when are we?!

These choices I have been making of editing out, skipping, happy accidents, are constantly working for me. We didn’t bother with reading “Days of Futures Past.” But we have been picking up the pieces along the way. This slow and sporadic reveal is in my estimation gold. I am absolutely biased, as I enter into a nexus of themes and plot threads in No. 208. So here in No. 207 we are getting a more informed, but still similar effect. Rachel is central to this, as she was what compelled me when I opened my first issue. I loved the dynamics of Kitty, Logan (already sold on him), and Storm, but it was Rachel who was in crisis. She was the story, where I began.

It works here to have her to have us a bit unsure, but through context guessing at the future or echos of it. It seems, Rachel is on the same page with us. She knows where, but the when and who she is and what is happening with Logan is not clear to her either. He is hunting her. Is she hunting him? She switches from Phoenix to Hound. As she has stunned him, but knows he will heal his way to recovery rapidly. The city is on fire. And Claremont writes a delightful twist on our old classic:

Rachel Hound 💭: “Like Wolverine, I was the best there was at what I did, but what I did best was…IS…o b s c e n e.”

As she passes a ripped poster displaying her works results…I am a huge fan of these ❌-Men posters in random spots. There is one coming up in the Silvestri Era that is a favorite. I also love the Avengers covers from this era, with similar sequential panel techniques. This one is of Kurt (captured), Rogue (captured), Storm (killed), Shadowcat (killed), Colossus (captured), Cyclops (captured), Wolverine (killed)…wait that may clarify or confuse us here.

And so we turn the page, clearly she has experienced the future to where she was the only one left, and yet, Logan has her…and she wakes up in the familiar brick and found furnishings of the Morlock tunnels, c. 1986.

Rachel struggles to shed the haunting of her Hound self. A mirror crashes as she lets go her feelings…Piotr and Kitty rush in.

Kitty admonishes Ray for her lack of respect for Morlock hospitality. We are completely healed from being kidnapped it would seem.

Logan awakes in another room, still healing from his battle with Deathstrike and now having his dreams haunted by a link with Ray’s own dreams. He tries to get up, and it is Rogue and Kurt’s turn to assist and admonish a team mate.

I love a good parallel, headed to a crossroads.

Rogue is sent to tell Storm, Logan is not exactly healing…or at least he keeps reinjuring himself.

There is a dumb conversation about the ❌-Men assimilating into the Morlocks punk aesthetic. We really don’t need the explanation. The style is nearly a decade old at this point.

There is some drama from events with he who shall not be named…and it is impacting relationships with Rachel and everyone else. But we saw enough of Rachel loosing it on the Scott and Maddy front to have it be that. Storm shuts her out…they all are a bit. Rogue and Ray are discussing it. It’s a thing. Which matters. The why doesn’t concern us, IMHO, beyond the Summers drama.

Now Ray is being haunted by Logan in Japan…and this time she wakes in an ally by Monica’s Deli.

Then she has a dream walk with her ripping off her Hound exterior and revealing her true self, innocent, and Logan is there…she defends herself and awakes on a bench in a subway car, a cop is trying to comfort her. He thinks she is a runaway and an addict. But he is empathic. Still, she runs.

He reminds her of a fleeting memory, of a man…we recall…Nick Damiano…the club owner…after the bouncer Jerry kicked her out of the club…he took her to his place…and Selene showed up and did her vampire work on Nick.

Callisto and the ❌-Men realise back in the tunnel, that Logan is gone…and they begin to search.

Rachel has decided to confront Selene…she approaches Friedrich at his home. Instructs him to bring her to his “goddess.”

So they soon enter the Hellfire Club.

She poses as the help and knocks out Friedrich.

She reflects on Jean’s time in the inner circle here. And then she sets a room ablaze. With Selene asleep in it.

They battle and Logan arrives. He, a murder is there to stop her (a past murderer in the future) from murdering the murderer who resides here.

And so…Rachel says, my death is the only way to end this evening.

Logan SFX: SNIKT

X-Factor No. 7 implies business as usual, or at least a new normal. Honestly, I didn’t even notice the major shift of this being Louise second issue on the title. What I did notice was an instant classic (in my tiny little world of one). I don’t even think I discussed this with Shang-Fu, and comics were not exactly a social activity for me, outside of my best friends apartment.

The golden spiral is at play on the cover, and it is all focused on introducing Bulk and Glow Worm. It employs a hate speech protest against mutants, and ❌-Factor shifting technique, by splitting the team between the anti-mutant hunting company and the mutant recruitment operation. Not the greatest cover…more of a utilitarian “this is comics” cover, that is professional constructed.

FALL OUT

The scene opens with one of those moments that tickles me. Where we get to see the ordinary life hassles of the superheroes context. Their anti-mutant uniforms were destroyed when Mike caused their powers to go haywire. So now they have to sneak into their own plane. There are holes in this narrative, but I am not focused on that. This is cartooning, no mater how realistic the aesthetic delivery.

They overhear a tv report interviewing Tower who is labelling his new arches as murderers. As if they are the reason Mike and Suzy died. The level of reaction from I am guessing Bobby is a sign of eternal immaturity. Of course Tower will frame it like this. It’s his move.

The brake into the ❌-Factor jet is classic Jackson Guice and team. Enjoy it while you can.

Everyone’s butts and legs look nice.

Jean shares her East Coast bias. As if somehow the West cornered the market on American mental health issues. I get the sentiment now, living where I do…but that also why this take seems even more clownish then it did when I was a kid.

And that’s when Scott slips up. They are floating outside a plane, and his pilot wife isn’t there, but his doppelgänger is, and they are arguing plane jargon…so Scott snaps…with Maddie’s name in his mouth…and then out:

Scott: “Honestly, Maddie you…you…”

Jean (3,500 miles and an entire person away from Maddie): “Scott…who’s Maddie?”

Jean understands enough to realise, she isn’t competing with a dead version of herself called Phoenix.

Scott thinks he saw the echos of a Phoenix effect during the initial fight with Apocalypse. So he is extra in his head.

They are in and on their way back East.

As they approach their ❌-Factor headquarters, after just making the comment that nobody in NYC would even notice a mutant death, they see an entire protest. Guess things have escalated politically and it wasn’t the West Coasts fault. It is in this, that we are introduced to a new character: Trish Tilbit of W-ARC-TV!!!

Trish is now interviewing Vera in the chaotic scene. Hank pushes his giant noggin in the frame and pulls her away from the interview as they rush inside to be greeted by a frantic Artie and Rusty.

The San Diego scene followed them home.

Across the Hudson at a New Jersey hazardous waste dumping facility we are finally introduced to our heroes: Glow Worm and Bulk.

Now I am a huge fan of this fictional trope. Being raised less then two hours north of Canary Row and birthed by an Oklahoman, John Steinbeck’s Lennie Small. Lennie’s character becomes Hugo the Abominable Snowman the Mel Blanc voiced from Chuck Jones, Maurice Nonble, and Tedd Pierce’s Bug Bunny: The Abominable Snow Bunny. This trope gets me every time it is used. Here Bulk immediately gets ahold of a mouse and sets his mind to put it in his pocket.

Glow Worm: “He’s going to die in there.”

Doing his best George Milton impression.

Glow Worm has a plan, and it requires technical equipment or hazardous materials available in the scrap yard. BUT humans have spotted them and escalated by ❌-Factor propaganda, they are shooting first and asking questions later. Bulk and Glow Worm scram.

Bulk: “Those bullet’s smart.”

(I have used and enjoy using this use of smart in my comics too!)

Glow Worm uses a carburetor and turns it into a ball of light that explodes. Enabling a distraction that fascinates a cover as they escape down a hole.

The mouse didn’t make it.

Glow Worm blames not his friend and his pocket and the flying bullets, but the glow that is consuming the two. They have some sort of radiation like exposure that is making them sick.

They are content with dying from radiation poisoning, but not in going out like two who simply run from danger. Bulk says something that is inspiring to his friend and they come to this realization of wanting to go out with glory, in the presence of an ❌-Factor paper advertisement.

Scott gets off the phone, having completely lost track of Maddie.

The rest of the team is working out…and Jean is trying to get them to divulge who Maddie is. And their silence and deflections answer the question. Scott is married to Maddie. Jean’s not an idiot. And they have all been treating her like one. She has destroyed them in the work out and but she is shredded by the experience.

Bulk and Glow Worm take their tunnel towards NY under the Hudson, looking for some help from folks who welcome strays, but have rejected these two. They are greeted, well blocked by a teen who is dressed in the style…kinda…leaning into late 80’s punk/metal/mall scene and away from the late 70’s punk/metal/rap scene. But that’s not why she stands out for a Morlock. Her face is unscarred. Her power is represented by a white outline. She has permanent shield, like an invisible exoskeleton. She floats…she Skids through life.

The initial images of Tish and Skids on the edges of two thirds of their page (honestly, this feels like a really unnatural and awkward space and form to cartoon…any time I have done something similar…it looks like garbage and feels off while doing it), and as vertical character design modelling shots, they come off as posed and a pitch, not a integral narrative comics panel, and not as a gestural organic figure drawing. They look like Barbie packaging. Where Tish is giving an 80’s gender neutral young professionals look by Patrick Nagel. As I f Nagel was into that sort of thing. Skids bought her “punk” and “metal” ensemble at the mall.

It is set up, as if we are to read into parallels between the two new characters. Or that they are from the Offical Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

Glow Worm and Bulk can’t hurt Skids, with their radiation, but they can harm the rest of the Morlocks. This seems to be Skids one job. Which, knowing the Morlocks dynamics and her outward appearance…of not being mutated by Mask…you could read into it and think…yes they want her to keep these two loaners away, for safety…but also…we don’t exactly love having your pretty face around ruining the vibes…and this seems like a kismet thankless assignment of Skids.

Glow Worm ain’t have time for the bull. ‘tell them to clear a path…

“…we’re cutting through the alley to rendezvous with DESTINY — and we’re taking ❌-FACTOR with us!”

Day one in Mark Keece’s Comics Scripting class, we discussed two mysterious aspects of comics writing. As mentioned, the SFX, but also the emboldened text. Plenty of writers, you press them on the use of if, and they will get squirrelly and shrug. But I personally try to be intentional…and here…Louise seems to be intentional. It’s not as simple as an emphasis. I think she is eluding to Irene Alder and the next arch this comics part in the storyline…which for us is linking directly with the events of the ❌-Men comics on multiple fronts here.

But first the obvious; we have a scene of Artie alarming ❌-Factor with images of Glow Worm and Bulk, where our two heroes of this issue are on the street outside escalating the scene of anti-mutant protests, by being as scary mutant monster as they can muster. Think every crowd chasing horror monster scene, but know like Frankenstein’s Monster and Nightcrawler…they are two dorks.

Jean’s pissed…so she is ignoring her beeper …it was a whole thing folks. The humans are shooting at our new friends outside, as inside they debate which costume to put on. They settle on the ‘we are your friendly neighborhood fellow mutants,” only it is just Hank, Bobby and Scott. WWIII goes to check on Jean…because of course he does. Artie is with WWIII. Rusty is scared of media exposure and is melting ice or something. Does it even matter?

Hank is mad, that Warren doesn’t even have to be part of the sham he created here.

Jean is in this moment confronting WWIII…

Jean: “Got more half-lies you want to tell me? More nasty little secrets?”

And Louise flexes a bit.

WWIII: “A few more, I guess…but we don’t have time for them now!”

Hank leans into the branding of the ‘we are mutants’ side of ❌-Factor branding, with “❌-Terminate ❌-Factor,” and Tish is there to live report the rebranding. Tish: “Okay, Joe, I’ve got the angel! Let’s roll…” “The ❌-TERMINATORS—“

Things are going hilariously.

Glow Worm and Bulk sum it up, as they do.

Glow Worm: “Bulk, who ARE those people?”

Bulk: “I dunno, Glow Worm. They say they are on our side…but they ain’t too good a HELPIN, ‘ are they?”

In this six panel page, panel four is a favorite. The execution is nice, the expression and anatomy of Glow Worm is excellent, and the glowing effect is part of an overall effective coloring. The inking is loose…I could go on…

As the mutants fight amongst themselves…trying not to…Iceman raises them on an ice tower…because they are being broadcast as maroons and the rioting humans are potential collateral…or just not their audience. As they do this “❌-Factor” shows…only there are five of them…meaning WWIII, Jean…are joined by Rusty, Vera and Cameron.

Somehow (probably, as dysfunctional as the original ❌-Men are…they are professional and instinctive enough to work through their own mess and make this work…it silly…but that is how these original versions work I guess)…this farce settles down and Scott, Hank, and Bobby are able to help Bulk and Glow Worm find their way back to a manhole and the tunnels.

In the end our two heroes part ways with the purty mutants…and do the old, thanks fo nothing. Leaving an ❌-Factor splintered and without direction.

Unlike news paper comics strips, which absolutely were informing my path, with a steady hand, Elf Quest had provided a clear on and off ramp. So clear, that I simply have not bought into Wendy Pini’s expansion beyond the initial contained story. I had my on ramp and off ramp in Wolverine 1-4. But I had been seduced by the allure of collecting, as Shang Fu’s. It wasn’t Shang Fu’s doing, beyond education. I was already a day one Star Wars fan, and we were already working with these endorphin and dopamine through acquiring and playing with action figures. I was already familiar with Spider-Man through PBS’s the Electric Company. I was already acquainted with the ❌-Men, through Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends, though I was a fan of the cartoon…I wasn’t sold on the ❌-Men, and clearly not collecting…because not how animated cartoons worked then. The real culprit here was Garbage Pail Kid Cards. Our school had been taken in with their cartooning. I was already collecting.

When X-Factor No. 7 came out in May of 1986, I wasn’t thinking exit ramp, but clearly I was flexible enough to take one, because ultimately I do, before years end. I was in the market for a second issue that month, but I don’t think this was a conscious hunt. It was on a whim, I picked up Uncanny X-Men No. 208. I wouldn’t commit till March of 1997. A full winter after I had taken the off-ramp away from any mutant book.

Still, there is something about No. 208, which I kept, and spent the following year filling in the gaps that suited my fancy. It wouldn’t be till 2025, with more scratch and less time, that I decided to pick up that approach and collect the rest I had craved. Again, never buying into the completist approach, always leaning into editing out what didn’t seem to work on the surface, and letting in the kismet, to keep me honest.

So here we are at my first proper Uncanny ❌-Men comic. One that at the time was just another unassuming isolated floppy. A seed that would grow beyond the small house plant Wolverine was, and the ambitious vegetable garden bed, gone neglected and scrapped, that ❌-Factor has become. At first this seed was nearly forgotten, but its blossom, inspired my life’s orchard.

Another face off cover, with a giant Nimrod head filling the background. ❌-Men v Hellfire Club:

Piotr

Rogue

Ororo

Kurt

Kitty

Logan

v.

Friedrich

Sebastian

Harry

Selene

The cover itself is meh.

We are dropped right off into the Morlock tunnel by Romita Jr and the A-Team. It probably helps that his rendering of tunnel forces your eye to see the tiniest silhouetted crowd through one point perspective that seem to be reminiscent of an inverted Millennium Falcon exterior, with water drippings along the way towards back lighting sparks of light.

“Your crazy! Selena’s a vampire —“

I was already into Wolverine, and here is his mug spinning conflict.

Hooked.

I grew up in a family that debates. I recognised right off this dynamic. The elder holding an establishment position of learned wisdom, lacking in nuanced flexibility to work the persistent problem in other ways. Sure they have failed in the same arena, but maybe not, just maybe not in the same way.

Here is Kitty, the kid:

“And if we do, we answer to you, huh?! Who appointed you keeper of my conscience, fella?!!”

This is my introduction to Kitty. I didn’t have all those months and years of context y’all been getting downlaoded on since No. 143. Or you have been on your own journey and had your own takes all along. I didn’t understand their Lone Wolf and Cub dynamics. And I certainly didn’t understand their Lone Mother and Daughter dynamics, or the duality and respect of leader and pain in the arse that Ororo provided:

“Enough. Both of you. What is done, is done. I understand your decision Logan. That doesn’t mean I section it.”

I have no idea what they are talking about out…and frankly I learned new context over this past weekend all these years later. Comics are awesome!

“Rachel still lives.”

“What’s a Rachel?,” I must have thought.

And then Ororo invites Callisto to help, and Callisto lays out a little two clearly, Ororo is the boss…like for everyone in the tunnel, no mater their affiliation.

Five panels and I am already obsessed with four characters…and wondering if Rachel makes it five.

The page has two more that set up the page turn. Your basic mugging. The women in distress and the mugger don’t matter at all, as it is a set up to set up my introduction to the vampire, Selene. She turns the mugger into dust and his life essence turns her aged frailty into…

And then she off panel, does the same to the victim. A four panel perfection ripped from EC comics.

I am big on geography. I lean to much into it on cultural studies. I have a pretty decent sense of direction, having gotten my Mom unstuck regularly as a kid. Getting lost is a goal on my vacations. Montessori has a strong geography curriculum, which was a lifeline as a kid and informs my daily work as a Montessori teacher. A road trip is bliss. I have utilized this map, since the 80’s.

I don’t know who is committing the betrayal here, but clearly it is third avenue on this map, and in this comic it references fifth avenue. Fifth will make a lot of sense, given how efficiently movement is made between the Hellfire Club and the park.

Selene has summoned the “lords cardinal” on account of the attack by Rachel. See No. 207 notes above. Shaw is annoyed by the meeting being called, and now annoyed that Rachel didn’t finish the job.

As the Black King and Queen bicker over the moral compass of the ❌-Men, Tessa (in the future known as Sage), suggests the exchange between Rachel and Logan indicates a splintering within the ❌-Men.

Harry is afraid of Logan. Shaw is cautious of entanglement with the ❌-Men. Sebastian will do whatever Selene bids. Tessa, simply speaks to what she sees, but is loyal to Shaw. The compromise becomes pursuit of Rachel, with her being kept alive and a desire to avoid entanglement with the ❌-Men…specifically Logan.

Further evidence shows that the Hellfire Club is three blocks up from the south east corner of the Park. The Avengers Mansion is nine blocks up. This is from computer generated information being displayed. A bio on Rachel. Beeping alarms. As the page turns we have rejoined our favorite robotic roommate from the future Nimrod, and they have found for whom they hunt. But first he must encourage Thomas, friend Jaime’s son, to get to bed. They will catch up in the morning…after Nimrod completes his central mission.

When I think of this comic and my calcification as a Marvel comics fan, ❌-Men specifically…this next page is the one. It opens with an eclectic display of emotions through corresponding lettering. Which deescalate into a more standard lettering that are isolated by negative space and some very basic lines eluding to the environment. Which is filled in in the next panel, with a few tiny lettered speech bubbles. Which are actually persistent thoughts, that are being asked to go from a small body in the park in the next panel. And then we see her, on the ground, blood running from her nose and mouth. We are introduced to Rachel.

“…or I’ll go mad.”💭

Her initial impact formed my fandom and professional career, as something unwavering.

We are brought up to speed, and we are shown her survival is a surprise to all. She is lost, confused and conflicted, and then she stumbles upon Selene’s latest victims smouldering ashes and cloths. She has both Logan and Selene in her mouth, as her Pheonix effect makes clear the level of torment.

The effect seeks Logan out and strikes him in the Morlock tunnel. Driving him into the path of an oncoming subway car…and in this moment I see Kitty save him, by jumping after him and phasing him through the undergrounds solid underbelly.

Now to this point, my understanding of superheroes and super power fantasy is shaped primarily by the perspective that Super Friends and Spider-Man and his Amazing friends has provided. We have discussed the comics, Wolverine, an issue of Amethyst, a Fantastic Four coloring book. I am into Apache Chief and Giganta. That’s probably my favorite display of superhero powers. Here, Kitty erases everything, and resets my expectations. A hard reboot of my baseline. It will be rare going forward, that a superhero’s power display is more compelling than this moment.

Like what did she just do?! How cool is this!?

Kurt, no power display slouch, teleports in, and teleports them out to the park above.

Caliban is centered in the bottom panel of this scene. Which intrigued me at the time, and now tickles me. Like this guy just keeps hanging around and we seem to just like him, despite him being the creep.

Kitty and Logan heal their deal.

Kitty: “Give me a break! We’re ❌-Men you dope!”

Just love these two.

Rogue is taking responsibility, as she didn’t listen to Rachel and turned her away. Ororo and has a duality in her reaction. The page displays this as such. I did not fully understand the context here, until recently. And having it unfold as we have been reading along, really shifts the weight of this moment. What a gift.

Caliban is cast as tracker, as Logan is not well enough. And he never loves this, but does so. He has his shirt that Kitty gave him from Japan. The build up we have been going through…just really makes this so much more than it had been for me. Which was already more than enough.

Harvey, Janet, them two love birds…

*we skipped their ballad in No. 152.

…Cole, Reese & Macon…them murdering bastards…their coworkers, Hellfire henchmen are in the park. Keeping guard on for the Black Queen & King, and Bishop & Rook, and Tessa.

Shaw the skeptic is still kvetching to Harry and Tessa…probably the entire way as they crossed the street. Regarding, Selene (our favourite arch…but we like these new to us…or I guess old to us…henchmen…and “the fool…”) is in Friedrich “the fool” von Roehm’s ear….and the Black Rook’s fangs and claws sharpen. He scouts for Rachel, by sent.

Shaw has Tessa do the math on this situation, as The Fool claims Ray’s sent…and leads the way.

The Fool is a Panther…Honky Panther of the Netherlands.

Nimrod is scanning the park. Finding multiple classified as Hellfire, Morlocks, and twelve as ❌-Men. Twelve?! There are six on the cover? Ray makes is seven.

Honkey Panther leaps against the eye flow from right to left, as Ray in the foreground is stopped alarmed looking back right to left in this bottom right panel.

💭”…I don’t need anyWHUAAAA!!!!”

RRRAHRRRR!

Turn of page 16 to 17 and Rogue flys in tackling the leaping Honkey Panther, only he scratches her back, and now Rogue has taken on his powers and psyche. I must have been so confused and engaged.

It is explained.

Rachel uses a psychic blast on Rogue. As her initial attacker of this evening is limp on the ground and the new one makes her intentions clear.

Keep in mind, Ray has been on the run for her life since last issue, when her efforts to murder went sideways.

Selene uses her ability to control the molecules of seemingly everything…has the ground cocoon Rogue in a giant anthill. But we get a fastball special…again (for me at the time the first time) from Piotr tossing Kitty…which again, tickles me with the physics of it all…and she phases midair, grabbing Rogue and pulling her from her dirt confinement.

“—in a jiff!”

I love this panel of two character I am really a huge fan of…18 pages into my understanding of this comic. The tuck and roll.

Selene thinks she has control of Rogue…I forgot (and didn’t know) how much of an influence she had on Honkey Panther. But Rogue is all good now. Which I don’t understand today, as there was this big deal about needing to contact the person she has touched, in order to return their psyche and powers recently. And it is is pretty clear from this birds-eye view this is not happening here.

Ray is on the run and now both parties trying to get to her are in a standoff, like the cover…but more grounded and enjoyable.

Ororo attempts a negotiation to squash this, and let the ❌-Men go after Ray. But Shaw of all people is like, ‘nah.’

Shaw has, Harry cause Piotr’s mass to increase, and his body sinks into the parks surface. Rogue leaps to grab him, but Selene simply makes her gloves disappear, and she takes on Piotr’s metallic form, as her bare skin touches his sinking form. She is left as such, with him disappearing bellow.

Rouge launches into the dirt.

Kitty is beginning to panic, and Ororo is cool and cooling to her young protege. She reaches out to Kurt who is elsewhere. Over coms she gets him, Callisto and Rogue to…

“Execute an immediate ‘Earthshaker’ against the Lords Cardinal.”

“Storm, he’ll die!”

She requests quickness…as behind her Hellfire henchmen approach from the bush.

Ray is elsewhere on the ground in a corner nestled at the bottom of a shelf cliff.

She drags herself up and away from the rocky spot.

The henchmen believe they have a jump on Ororo.

When the park is filled with:

“MUTANTS”

Nimrod appears above, introducing himself and claiming the legal standing of their existence being illegal, as unsanctioned use of their mutant abilities makes them Felons. The crime is punishable by death.

I felt this page was so corny…it would be months before I circled back to the series that is changing my life here. It would be 39 years before, I pick up the next issue.

But pick it up I did.

John Romita Jr & The A-Team don’t deliver on this cover, and frankly I’m not willing to go out on a limb and call out P. Craig Russell. The guest inker is mostly fine…occasionally heavy handed, as I glance through No. 209. This initial Romita Jr Era runs 175-211. And his 90’s run on the title is unique, in that it doesn’t look like garbage on first glance. We will see him here again, as he, spoiler: takes over Daredevil. We appreciate his start to Star Brand, but primarily I think of him, like his Dad…an iconic Spider-Man penciler. Still, the issue we have selected, primarily from two titles during this era are exceptional when you look at the storytelling, collaboration, and artistic output in contrast with the full spectrum of superhero comics. The last two issues are handoff of the button to “the era” of superhero comics I have been most affected by in my life. I am so thankful he is the one doing it. It works. Here, I think of this as the end of his era, before the transition. But that’s a hunch. As this is my first time analysing and not browsing through this issue. So I turn to page one.

SALVATION

We are not looking up at Nimrod, but from behind, down at ❌-Men and the Hellfire Club in the park.

We get the Stan Lee, this could be anyone’s first comic, synopsis treatment. While page one was an improvement over the last page of No. 208, this doesn’t help my attempts to leave P. Craig Russell alone. He is alternating between successes and failures, page to page. I am really glad I picked up No. 208.

Rachel becomes aware of Nimrod’s presence…and she drags her arse up.

Kitty is doing the math. And sharing it with Ororo. It’s not mathing, as it is just them two…and Kitty is the only one with powers.

Remember Ororo’s “Earthshaker?”

Well it arrives.

The ground shakes and out of it shoots Rogue, still looking like Colossus.

Hellfire Club is caught off guard. Kitty phases into the ground (not as cool a visual this time…honestly if I had read this issue instead of No. 208…I wonder what my life would have been like?!).

Callisto leaps to save Ororo from henchmen snipers, as Nightcrawler and Logan teleport behind the henchmen, scaring them out of the bush.

Rogue tosses Shaw, a fastball special towards Nimrod. Which makes it so Nimrod, not Rogue is putting energy into the energy suck, that is Shaw. Nimrod does the calculation, and his energy results in sending Shaw into space…the math says he will die. I don’t about all that.

Selene thinks she has control now, but unfortunately, her powers have zero effect on the Sentinel, Nimrod.

Ororo has the two Morlocks find and keep safe Ray.

Ororo suggested the Hellfire Club and ❌-Men, join forces. Honkey Panther responds by attacking her. Logan steps in. And then Nimrod simply vaporises Honkey Panther.

Nimrod has his sights set on the flying irritant Rogue. He hits her with energy and she falls from the sky…no longer metallic. Ray notices from aways away. A nice handful of panels. This one being my fav thus far this issue.

Ray is distracted by music. And there are lights too! Uh oh!

It’s really an alluring architectural marvel…and panel.

Spiral: “Welcome child—to the BODY SHOP…where, if you so desire…we’ll make a new you!”

Ray is taken in by the grifter…as am I!

Ororo saves Leland from a Nimrod blast that is seen throughout the city.

Leland (Harry, Bishop) is messing with Nimrod’s mass…and it is working. Nimrod is being forced to divert power from all systems, as his “mass increasing geometrically!”

Kurt is going to try something that worked before. Ororo instructs him not to for that reason. Attempting to teleport a portion of Nimrod results in Kurt teleporting in agony and terror to an unknown.

While at the French curved and pastel coloring of the Body Shop Rachel is able to perceive that the shop itself is a spiral without a visible top from their vantage point.

Rachel feels she knows the sales clerk (she does…we do), and she can leave, but dance and her desires will happen. She will become unrecognisable.

Harry has a heart attack it seems…as he was so close to defeating Nimrod.

And then Colossus hand grabs the ankle of the recently grounded sentinel.

We alternate with the body shop…dancing.

Kitty uses her phasing on the electrical system that is Nimrod.

WHAM! and her ex body slams Nimrod.

THOOM

For good measure.

Rachel dances through her past design aesthetics.

Selene is actually helpful for a moment…as she binds the grounded Nimrod with wires.

Leland commits a last act. A heroic one. He changes the mass of Shaw, who last seen was headed out of the atmosphere. In reverse, he is pulled into Nimrod. Shaw acts as a projectile few if any have ever encountered…never you mind survival.

Logan: “had his faults, but he made his exit with style.”

Logan is ready to finish Nimrod off…but he teleports away.

Tessa mentions the cops coming. So the mutants scurry like rats.

Rachel sees a last image at the top of the spiral. Her fellow ❌-Men. She hesitates, but rejects that path. Spiral is delighted. Spiral has control over Rachel’s new self…or so we are to believe at the end of this issue.

Note: the back of this issue has the classic add…that is controversial…historical relevant…and to me an (in depth) excitement for another time.

My excitement synopsis:

DP7 became a monthly buy for me. I have written extensively about it and it had a major impact in my path. All things considered, it works, and it is on the short list of comics that I will always love. To me this is the heart of the New Universe, because it begins so grounded and expanded out organically and was diversely representative from go. It felt like my reality. It’s about strangers who feel real in the 80’s coming together, because a strange event has forced them to seek answers and survive. They just wanted to be normal folks…live their lives…and this upending that path, creating new contexts that rippled through society. It was the only New Universe title to maintain its core creative team through its entirety, and was one of the few to survive the first year of cancelations.

Psi-Force was the ❌-Men and DP7. I wanted to love it, I was already reading the ❌-Men, and found DP7 first. So it became conceptually still fun and worth reading comic that informs and connects well with DP7. As long as you already think of DP7 as a comic that works, you may think of this series as a solid expansion. The context were more congruent with team building and the struggles that come with that, while DP7 really was about socialization of individuals in society, with a shared struggle. But there was no motivation to be a team. I suppose there could be folks who think of Psi-Force first and DP7 second…but we didn’t have social media…and I have yet to meet them in person.

Nightmask was intended to be a Ditko inspired dream scape comic, that could connect the psychology of those experiencing the effects of the collective event that created The New Universe. At times it did this, but creative turnover and the inherent opaque qualities of the concept eroded the grounded concepts it was designed to support. Cool design and concept…execution falls short. It was also the Kirby dot book.

Starbrand was the logo. I have talked about this in connection with Longshot. There was something about these Star symbols during this time that seemed compelling. Like the Kirby Dots in the 60’s…becoming part of the visual lexicon of superhero comics. Starbrand refined this visual effect. Jim Shooter himself created this series. And the entire New Universe was essentially his thing…to the point that the creators who worked form him looked at it as symbolic of their detest for the man. And when he was finally driven out they met up together and took these new universe comics into John Byrne’s back yard, turning them into a burning effigy of the Man. Imagine hating your boss that much? The concept and execution of the story for the individual protagonist, was aligned with the overall line. The central character was granted power that was driven by his will. Unlimited. However, the perspective provided was with his struggle having been “gifted” this power. These concepts at the time were unique. They were not being played as a power fantasy, or a deity, a responsible hero, a corruptive ego, or a farce, but as cantering the first hand struggle with power, that was driven by his will to yield it. An internal and external struggle that was grounded in a way we could put ourselves into it. Only it’s a white dude…so there’s that. I personally liked the logo, enjoy the concept….am into Romita Jr art at the time…and still couldn’t really get into the book.

Justice was a creative disaster from go, which meant lots of quirky happy accidents and multiple creative teams trying to ride this bucking bronco of a series, that never quite fit the New Universe.

While Justice started off with sci-fi powers, which went against the entire premise of the New Universe, Spitfire had a different creative issue. A conflict in concepts aligned with overall intent. The original creators were using lived experience and networking form an event at MIT to ground their story, their narrative was nearly entirely scrapped to support another creative teams concepts. Eventually the concept was redone again, and became part of DP7’s regular series. It worked well enough there, and didn’t seem to disruptive.

Mark Hazzard: Merc unlike Justice, started with the correct concept, aligned with Jim Shooters, but what was about family and mental health, became about the military industrial complex and our cowboy hero culture. And not in an introspective way.

Kickers, Inc simply didn’t work, because the creators were so resistant to the edict of realism from Jim Shooter. The creators wanted a corny comic, and Shooter wanted the literal opposite. I am on team Shooter as a New Universe fan.

And I am pretty sure my opinion of Pittsburgh are shaped by this comic and my cousin Nenu. The Pitt show only backs up my take from The Pitt comic.

DP7 deserves this moment…and more of them.

Of the nearly 300 issue in this exercise, ❌-Factor accounts for 13. This is our ninth such issue. It is fascinating to me, how I just couldn’t with this series. Especially with the role it plays in my life, the creative teams it utilises, and the characters it develops.

I’ve gushed about Vera, Tower, Artie, Frenzy, Micheal Nowlan, Glow Worm, Bulk, and now Skids.

*seen here by an issue I didn’t even bother to hold onto, by one of the handful of most influential cartoonist on my daily work, David Mazzucchelli.

In all these cases I am learning the age old trope is actually true. There are no small parts, only small actors. The creative teams and their processes lead to results that either maintain my engagement or don’t with these characters. And in some cases the longevity of the part, being short, is why the characters ultimately work. I much prefer the Vera, Micheal Nowlan, Glow Worm & Bulk, I get to know in a short impactful comic, verses what becomes Skids diluted character, or Frenzy’s disjointed output, or the exploited cliche that becomes of Artie.

This issue belongs to Skids, and she is barely in it. She is there when it counts. The reason this works though, is because of who and how they work through their process. Now if you were an adult hanging in a comic shop, maybe you were reading Conan, or maybe you were the kid who caught that issue of Master of Kung Fu, Moon Knight, Cloak & Dagger, or Web of Spider-Man…I was none of that. I was getting into this through what was in the process of cornering the market on comics, and I was doing it at the exact time you figure out who the heck you are, age 11. So this was my first Marc Silvestri comic, and when he left the ❌-Man…I looked for the exit, with a plan to return and take over his part in all this. Plans change.

The cover has boring ❌-Factor, meh Avalanche, Mystique, and Blob, and my least favourite person in the ❌-Factor organisation, Rusty…but holding his hand is Skids illustrated by Marc Silvestri, and I am 11, and smitten.

LOST AND FOUND!

Louise, with Joe’s steady hand delivering, downloads us on the propaganda disguise that is the set up for ❌-Factor. While Marc, Josef, and Petra place us back in the Morlock tunnels (our home away from home), as Scott and Jean in hazmat suits clean the radiation gunk left by our most recent heroes, Glow Worm and Bulk.

They kinda make it official, without fully saying so…so strangely, they talk about Glow Worm and Bulk in terms of being dead and it being the past. They are doing what we are. Morning their cute short and heroic existence.

This conversation transitions to a picture of Maddie and Nate. Jean always thought they would have a girl. And Scott has to make it weird. Jean is pissed that he didn’t tell the truth, and the compelling reality for long time ❌-Men readers and for newbies like me (less so), was that their entire time together, she could and probably did read every though he had…thus their intimacy worked, despite Scott being the most outwardly insular character. And here, she can’t, as only her telekinesis has returned. So he was able to lie to her for the first time, and he did, “to protect her,” and avoid his conflicted reality. The problem here, for me, is he is stuck in the most unlikeable and unrelatable place for me, and you can see Jean in an interestingly limited and likeable problematic context.

The road out is for her to change into something less likable and less compelling, by gaining by her full power back. Maybe he does the right thing on his own, or doesn’t, until Jean is the one who grows. I can’t help but be annoyed that eventually they will obviously do what looks good on paper, and comply with character development rules of an arch towards growth for heroes.

The reality is, because the comics won’t end for some characters, they are caught in the wave. A real thing we do in life. We are not in a linear trajectory upwards. Or in a zig zag graph of sharp highs and lows. We are on a path that is an inverted circular curve that doesn’t connect, but for those who live long enough, nearly does. And for the majority of the time, it appears to be a linear path upwards, of growth, but that line of growth is actually a series of waves. And the wave has its own highs and lows. As we learn, and then fall back to a reverted, but over all improved point for most of our life, we rework up the wave and fortify our growth for the next wave. Improving on our floor and ceiling. Until a time when the struggle is not internal, but the external forces us crashing down, and we rely on the strength of our waves work to build back up, with a potential renewed ceiling hight, depending on external contexts limitations…our life’s crucible…until the inevitable path of ageing humbles us into reverting back to nearly status of our developmental and/or physical beginning. Should we be so “lucky,” Many seem to think. When you don’t end a character’s story they never truly reach the point of humbled reverting and an end. And if they are superheroes, they arrive at the end of their origin story at such a high level, that the drama of their character development must zig zag or project upwards towards obvious ethical and moral heights that align with power. Darkness and despair. Whatever drama keeps the lights on.

This is why the Micheal Nowlan character grabbed me. Why Glow Worm and Bulk held on in my mind all these years. And why in this moment, I have zero faith in Scott and Jean.

Above ground we have Artie, Hank, Vera, WWIII, and Bobby watching Vera’s interview with Trish. This simple scene is more compelling to me.

This Silvestri panel of Vera and Artie watching Vera and Tish…it is not special, but I just love it.

Vera (on TV): “Mutants? Well, mainly they’re sexy! Some of them are REALLY sexy you know…(oh we know!)…but you tell me your fantasies, Trish, I’ll tell you mine…”

-Louise Jones Simonson c. 1986

These are the moments when I get why this old arse comic was more than just compelling at the time in pushing us forward as a comics community and market, but these narratives and characters are ripe for the 21st Century audience.

Of course it comes crashing down, as Hank (who was sexy when blue) overreacts on the couch, as we all know who Vera is actually talking about. As we prefer to take it as a general statement of mutants…this square cat on the couch…this buttoned up goofball…Vera has a thing for him.

WWIII has to add his own to cool take. Vera is not having it. As the moment passes, Rusty has his first likeable moment. Artie approves. He holds a jiffy pop in his hand, and uses his heat powers to pop it up right there.

Page turn, Artie digs into jiffy pop, we are subjected to some light goofing, with a hint of catch up. We get an Artie using his powers panel, and casual assumptions on what is propaganda and what is journalism.

As Artie and Rusty walk the halls along the outer corridor, which now features broken windows, Rusty is feeling a little better about being a mutant, as he was able to help with Glow Worm & Bulk’s last evening. Through the window, they hear voices and see Cameron speaking with “Shelton.”

“This was more than an attack on mutant hunters! It was a swipe at humankind! Mutants made this mess, and I don’t see why ❌-Factor should be asked to pay for repairs!…”

Is this who Cameron is?! (It’s who Cameron is). Rusty and Artie…or at least Rusty is now suspicious of Cameron. Understanding the saving money angle, but in his newly self accepting perspective, he senses doubt about his intentions. That was fast!

Angel and Iceman are practicing, as Rusty is a bit late to his session. WWIII gets distracted by Jean arse (even if Guice no longer is drawing the butts). The fun part is Iceman’s expression, as WWIII crashes into the supposedly easy ice rings he is supposed to be flying through.

This leads to a billionaire and a man on the closet taking a kid who is afraid of burning any love interests alive. And I am not very interested in unpacking all this.

Oh good! Freedom Force!

Deep in the Pentagon, Mystique is transformed into Rusty, as Destiny has foreseen that he may be connected with ❌-Factor. The rest of the team is chilling, while the plan is discussed. Oh…Spiral is sipping coffee. ❌-Men taking a drink!

There is some debate on hunting thier own (mutants)…but Blob is more focused on pranking his teammate…so Avalanches chair goes down, as does Dominic.

This leads to a scuffle; Fred’s sandwich goes a flying, St. John lights up the big man, and Spiral causes both a whole where Dominic and a lunging Fred once were. As the goofing around winds down, Julia, in her sick Spider-Woman costume notes Rusty is posed as ❌-Factor on Trish’s piece.

They are now questioning ❌-Factor. They even have Rusty’s wanted poster to confirm. They don’t have a choice…Uncle Sam wants his pound of flesh, called Rusty, and that’s how the team maintains their pardons.

Destiny’s predictions have all of them under the impression, that survival with the tightening rules about mutants around the corner, requires their loyalty to the government, for survival.

This panel, of Mystique’s talking head…Silvestri reveals his aesthetic and I really have always loved it, despite our differences with aesthetics…this is the ❌-Men to me, right here…in this panel.

Cameron gets a report of a fight in the Park, which ❌-Factor was invited to help with. A debate is created on which team should show. ❌-Factor or ❌-Terminators. ❌-Factor it is. Jean is giving the boys the cold shoulder and WWIII tries to reach out, but she makes it clear…she is not trusting them for hiding Maddie from her.

As he explains there was trouble in the marriage and the context leading up to the marriage, Scott pops around the corner. This gets Scott in his feels…not sure if it is for talking…or if it is because it looks like WWIII is making a move on Jean. Scott snaps at Rusty. Bobby and Hank, back up Scott on his point (not the delivery)…which is he should limit his exposure out there. So stay home kid.

As Jean tries to admonish Scott, Rusty and Artie storm off. Rusty feels like this is a prison …so what’s the point. As he and Artie are left behind to sulk…Artie who is actually just being a friend, gets Rusty to realise the team is being followed by a helicopter. Artie gets Rusty to try and help save them.

The copter is Freedom Force of course. On which Destiny realises Rusty is not with the team they are following.

Rusty rushes into Cameron’s office, interrupting his call with the Mayors office. He calls Rusty out, and Rusty finishes his sentence, insinuating he was about to call them Mutie freaks. So Rusty heads out on his own. At the park he rushes through a crowd towards ❌-Factor and this plays into Freedom Forces hand. The Avalanche upends ❌-Factor and Rusty. They attempt to arrest Rusty.

At this moment, Spiral does a quick dance, as she claims she senses something near by and leaves. Editor’s note lets us understand this moment is happening just before she finds Rachel in the park and invites her into the Body Shop in No. 209 of Uncanny.

Scott calls out the fact that Spiral left, and in doing so, reveals he is familiar with Mystique and the team. When he does this, Destiny realises there is a “nexus of probability” around Jean. The two teams go at each other, either playing naive or not fully understanding the context.

Jean requests Rusty to leave. But Blob presents the warrant. Rusty tries to set it on fire, which gives Pyro all he needs. And Spider-Woman catches Rusty in a web.

In this moment our newest hero, Skids, slips him off the web and then Spider-Woman tries for grab her. Wonderfully slipping off her as Skids goes up and Spider-Woman goes down. In this moment, I simply love Skids powers and character.

As the battle deescalates…Skids takes Rusty under her wing. She saves her damsel in distress. Rusty is completely entrusted in his hero.

They rush past Trish, nocking her on her arse. A crowed chasing after them.

Skids confronts the crowd. They through rocks. Which bounce off her. Rusty uses his fire to create a wall. Realising…he can’t burn this love interest alive.

Only problem is Freedom Force is right there…and ❌-Factor is left scratching their heads.

The cover of No. 9 is also by Marc Silvestri. Blob is central here, like massive triangle. We also get a hot Jean fighting, same can be said of Spider-Woman. Honestly, everyone is on point. No sign of Skids.

I have these issues since 1986. And honestly, you can tell. I read them. Bags and boards, care only do so much for issues of influence on a cartoonist, shlepping them from Berkeley, to Mill Valley, to San Francisco, to Savannah, to Underhill, to Burlington, and to Jericho. But I can’t remember the last time I actually opened this issue. It was probably back in California, before SF.

I didn’t even remember who was the penciler on this book, till preparations for this chapter. When you look inside, unfortunately for Terry Shoemaker, you can tell it is not Marc Silvestri, nor is it Jackson Guice. I would have been thrown off, because I was thrown off (a bit on that soon enough), if this was Walt’s first issue. But this is different. This simply doesn’t work for me. This may have been the first time I was betrayed by a cover artist and interior pencilers pairing. I would eventually drop titles, not even try to pick up titles, and it would eventually contribute to me be driven away from superhero comics for most of the 90’s and again nearly all of the first dozen years of the 21st Century. I want my comics covers to look sharp, and to speak to the truth of what I am getting into inside. I mean this cost 75¢!

Thankfully there are other genres of comics. In fact, these are not even in the same universe as the quality I would eventually expect.

Anyway, Louise and Terry have this significant to me, life changing for me, chapter to wrap up for us.

Oh…that’s a lot of words! 😉

You know who works in this splash panel?…Skids! Mystique turning into Uncle Sam is iconic, but Skids is the enjoyable part.

Blob and then Avalanche try to stop Rusty and Skids from running, but the kids are able to evade them thus far. While ❌-Factor tries to get back to the scene, but are distracted by Trish, a crowed of bigots, and an awkward conversation between Scott and a cop/❌-Factor super fan/anti-mutant “fellow” bigot.

They didn’t summon the Avengers, who live across the street, because they don’t trust all of them, because word is they have mutants in their ranks. So they call for fellow “humans,” way down the lower west side of the island in Tribeca.

Jean tries to let the cop know, the Avengers aren’t mutants. We know Scarlet Witch had turned into her ID, and Hank is standing right there in this silly conversation. Quicksilver is focused on guarding the moon. You know what…the cop is kinda wrong. They don’t have mutants in their ranks at this time.

And then the team starts bickering again…till they spot Maggie…and Jean nearly leaps across the street to taking him down. Only she is stopped and quickly download on reality. That the founding head of the Brotherhood is now the head of the School for Gifted Youngsters, walking around free after a world trial…and they are trying to find the Brotherhood, who now have pardons and government ID as Freedom Force. Of course they are all posed as Anti-Mutant heroes…so they should check themselves before the wreck themselves.

Oh and Chuck in space. Where we prefer he stay. The ❌-Men’s actual villain.

Rusty and Skids head towards Madison Ave where they can duck into the Morlock tunnels. Rusty is of course clueless here. But they get caught in the park by more webs.

Freedom Force have them, but the cops and crowd of bigots have been following and turn on the government’s Freedom Force.

❌-Factor shows up.

Destiny saves Mystique from a soda bottle…because they are our true north on love in “to me my ❌-Men.” Remember these little moments. They are key!!!!

Folks chuck eggs. The drawings get narly.

Rusty get nicked to the ground.

Jean uses her telekinesis to protest Freedom Force, as the crowd is overwhelmingly the mutants.

Mystique pulls out her government badge to settle the crowd.

Rusty and Skids are long gone and headed down the tunnels.

Freedom Force slinks off, a failure. Trish gets into it with Hank, who brakes character and gets into critiquing her media hype. And Trish obviously doesn’t get it, and thinks he is defending Mutant Hunters, not Mutants.

Trish: “How can you even pretend you’re against vigilantism and violence?”

Scott’s had enough and they leave the scene. Which will now have no reason to be.

Artie is playing transformers in his room and using his powers to picture Rusty and Skids in the tunnels, Freedm Force Chasing them, and then he sees Morlocks which scare him, and something worse is happening, so he seeks Cameron’s help…who kicks him out for interrupting. (This is our first fun page folks…worth all 75¢).

Oh but there is more as he continues to picture Spider-Woman and something chasing in the tunnel!

Finally ❌-Factor are home and Artie (our hero!!!) has traced his own image and the image of Rusty and Skids on the wall of the compound, communicating the team that WWIII to face his fears of the tunnels, in order to save Artie, Rusty and who ever this girl is.

Terry gains his footing for a moment, as an iconic Artie in adult sized cloths walks tunnels and encounters for the first time the silhouette of his best friend. It seems scary, but this is the most endearing moment in ❌-Factor. Louise and Terry are to be credited with one of our happy places.

❌-Factor is forced to go out again, to track down Artie in the Morlock tunnels as ❌-Terminators. The editorial note makes you think this is more of a thing for WWIII than perhaps we have been considering, and frankly with good reason. But then he has a corny comment, ruining a decent team action shot…Hank helps ruin the moment…but the buck stops here:

“Let’s get down and get funky!”

I am worried that I kept reading after page 14 of issue 9. Like I kept giving this title chances well into issue 40’s and kept trying through Larry Stroman’s run in the issue 80’s…but that was absolutely worth it. The part that worries me is even the costume change in issue No. 26 didn’t turn me away, and I remember how awful it made me feel. If you are reading, waiting patiently for the Whilce Portacio Era. Sorry, been there…not going back. And I was flirting with including Larry’s run, but it doesn’t work with what we are doing here.

The execution of page 15 is underwhelming, but we get Leech and Artie together being cute as buttons.

Leech:

“Who?”

“Talk?

Not

Talk?”

Artie pokes his lack of a nose.

They smile at each other.

“Come.”

And he brings his new best friend to Caliban. And this just works.

I was confused by what I saw in Artie’s images. And honestly this is the art teams fault. I am looking at a rendering on page 16, and Skids is explaining to Rusty what we are supposedly seeing…and I am struggling to believe her.

A murdered Morlock is what we are seeing…if you can believe it. And frankly we need to take this seriously.

Remember Annie’s children?

The two of them hide, as speculation of Freedom Forces involvement parts Skids lips. However, here is Destiny speaking of death surrounding them and her precognitions.

This doesn’t stop Blob from finding Rusty and escalating things to the point of nearly killing Rusty.

Mystique divides her loved one to stay on the sidelines. Destiny:

“I can see nothing but Death!”

❌-Factor (Terminators) shows and things get dumber.

As they all clown away, Mystique even, Destiny gets her to leave: “Mystique! we must leave now! You Made a deal to preserve our lives! Why are we now throwing them away? If we stay here, you and I and most of the others will die as sure as Rusty Collins is as good as dead already (🤞🏼)!

Mystique: “You’re certain?”

Destiny: “I have never been more certain!”

Blob is feeling murderous rage, but Freedom Forces leaves. Rusty is in rough shape. Not dead. Skids invites herself, for Rusty. Jean and WII retreat with the boy and girl. The rest of the men continue on and hear:

EEEYAHHH!

As do Caliban, Leech and Artie, elsewhere in the tunnels.

Louise writes:

“AND NEARBY, IN THE TUNNELS MUTANTS START TO DIE…”

A post script page of the issue brings us back to the Pentagon, where Val reads Freedom Forces the riot act for not being Rusty in. After this, Blob is like…that was totally the ❌-Men we just fought. And Mystique is like obviously. And she has a plan. Use the government access to look into WWIII and then use Trish to hound them and expose❌-Factor for what it is. A dangerous hypocrisy. Seems to be contagious.

Meanwhile folks dying in the NYC underground.

We don’t follow this but:

This is groundbreaking…and a breaking point for the ❌-office…Chris Claremont especially.

Now, we take a pause before this storm, to get an incomplete (unfortunately) background on the UK angle and an incomplete angle (fortunately) on the pop scene…as they quickly become integral…then you get your massacre. Taking a moment is a good thing.

BenOverE❌plains the ❌ in “to me my ❌-Men,” continues…

Next: Captain Britain

Punch Up: “To Me My ❌-Men”

Ben Cohen*
Jericho, VT
© 1975-2026

* The Ben Cohen originating from Jamestown, Boulder County, CO, USA; Raised in the Bay & Trained in Savannah.

Punch Up: “To Me My ❌-Men”