Punch Up: “To Me My ❌-Men”
Chapter Thirty-One:
1985
July, 1985 Power Pack No. 15 by J. Brigman, Wiacek, Glynis, Rosen, Louise + Potts
August, 1985 Uncanny X-Men No. 199 by Romita Jr, Green, Glynis, Orzechowksi, Parker, Claremont + Nocenti
Mixtape tracks: Fox on the Run by Sweet; & Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush
Chapter 31 of “to me my ❌-Men,” were we hit up a spinner rack summer of 1985, and get a bit silly, before we finally find something to sink our teeth into…and boy does it set up some meaty parts for the coming years.
Previously on “to me my ❌-Men,” we wrapped up our four, thus far, masterpieces, with a lingering question. Wasn’t Storm shot?! BillSif were going steady. Volstagg was in his I 💖 NYC gear. The Powers kids were saved from a Morlock kidnapping by ❌-Men. I have a small crush on Dimond Lil. Scott was in Alaska with his new bride, which is just part of the contexts that are driving Rachel to freak out a bit. Drama drama drama.
Suppose it is 1985, and you are in the general store, the pharmacy, the airport, and you come across a spinner rack, and you have $1.75 blowing a hole in your pocket, plus a half hour to kill. It’s summer. It’s hot. There is a shady spot. So you grab a New Coke, a packs of now n laters, and two comics. You sit down to read, and get sugar in your belly.
Appetizer:
Beta Ray Bill , two Powers kid and one Warriors Three on the cover…and we are off to another universe.
The scene is familiar, you have a bunk bed. Only you don’t have cloud or floating sibling. But sure, one knows how to sow enough that they have pins in their mouth.
Pin cushion goes flying. Math homework done the right way is cut in half by a fist. Things aren’t that different.
Well there is this panel of one of them flying off out a window with a trail of rainbows. The back light shading coloring effect really works, you note to yourself.
Julie is flying over the park, in her own head about an unfair event at school.
She is spotted by perhaps the lamest Marvel villain I ever did see.
Back in the room, Alex is having his wings fitted. Still working on propulsion and guidance I see.
They head to the park, because actual Asgardians will be on the stage.
We see BillSif.
And Mr. I 💖 NYC
Cue comics Hijinks.
After some fun lite Julie is back home with dad…not in trouble, because she is his favourite. Super important comic.
*pallet cleanser.
Main Course:
You have just enough time to read your final selection from the spinner rack. The other was sweet without calories. You are hopeful this one will be worthy of sinking your fangs into.
Iconic Pheonix cover. This is my Phoenix. Jean is an after thought. Her daughter, Rachel. She is the one. This isn’t my moment, but in retrospect this is where she is “born again.”
Page 1: Romita Jr & A-Team do solid grunt work, as the plot goes from Danger Room to Observation Booth, from Moira interrupting Scott and Rachel face to face just getting started to deal to Logan tell Scott he has the interpersonal understanding of an nat to Moira interrupting…because Chuck is dying.
Conversation continues through page 2 where Moira is like, Chucks running out of time, so he has Maggie here to take over. And Scott who is really a block head, is like “NO!”
Logan: “You could be wrong Bub.”
Rachel is telepathically eves dropping and in a heartbreaking and perfect panel hears Chuck my make it to the birth of Scott’s child. Which is hella complicated for Rachel. Scott’s child.
And so we turn the page to Val’s apartment, where Val sits, and Val opens the door, to find Val sitting…hah, Mystique is hilarious. And no she is not going to kill you Val. Chill dude!
But she is going to change into Ronald Reagan and have a comforting conversation with you about having the Brotherhood be hired on to be a government agency team: Freedom Force in exchange for full pardons and employment. Val’s like okay…but you have to capture Maggie. Honestly, I LOVE THESE PAGES. They relatively basic Marvel comics…but they work and capture the balance.
Rachel goes to visit Jean’s grave sight, and then grandma and grandpa’s place. And she relieves the moment her grandfather cast her mother out. She has seen these memories in her mother’s mind.
And then she sees her parents with her as an infant.
She is over run with a sense of failure in comparison to Jean. And the room burns with her despair.
She becomes a hound in her fantasy in this burning home. She grabs a clone with Jean’s visage and makes glow. She seeks forgiveness for betrayal.
An iconic page.
The scene changes on page 13 to an event at the National Holocaust Memorial.
“Never Forget”
Lee accompanies Maggie and Kitty. The two Jews and one Gentile listen to Avram Goldberg, survivor speak.
Kitty steps up to speak. She speaks of her grandfather Samuel Prydman. He wished to be there, but he passed the year before. She speaks of his loss, his sister Chava.
Maggie knew a Chava in Auschwitz, but her last name was Rosanoff.
Ruth and David Shulman approach Maggie. Old friends.
They knew Chava. A healing moment.
Through David and Ruth, Kitty sees Maggie in a different light. As a hero.
Lee is not Lee. Lee is Mystique. (Lee is elsewhere unharmed apparently). Maggie takes action. Freedom Force approaches, their leader detained. Pyro, Avalanche, Destiny (Wife), Blob (OG BHoEM), and Spiral (who we see here first, but debuts in Longshot…just around the corner).
The event is ruined, but the battle is classic, as the rest of the ❌-Men join in. Ultimately though Maggie decides to take the high road. As will we, by walking over Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 No. 200, strait to…
Next: Longshot
