Writer Chris Claremont
Artists John Romita Jr. and Dan Green
Letterer Tom Orzechowski
Colorist Glynis Wein
Cover Dated May 1984
Lockheed with his third cover appearance! Look how fun the X-Men are on the logo.
With the opening page, in Tokyo, there are five teenagers. I should say that JRJR and Green are a fantastic art team.
So this issue takes place, a week later from the previous issue. Inbetween the two issues, Secret Wars took place. It was a very interesting concept for an event. Publishing wise, there is no break between the two issues but an entire year’s worth of issues that make up Secret Wars. Which must have been interesting, Shooter has to tell all of the writers what he wants to have happen (or is told what the other writers are allowing him to let happen) and the writers have to trust it all works out in one month’s time.
So at the end of Secret Wars, the X-Men are sent back to Earth along with Lockheed and his new green dragon lady friend. Unfortunately, once on Earth, the dragon turns into a gigantic dragon, one might say that she is Godzilla size.
The teenagers see the dragon, and immediately open their character books to try to identify the creature. Which I adore that Claremont took the extra step that by now, in the Marvel Universe, there would be an industry based around in-universe handbook that civilians would want to buy.
The X-Men teleport into the middle of the sky. They are surprised that they are not in New York. Wolverine is not thrilled to be back in Japan.
The teenagers look and ask if Lockheed is related to the dragon, JRJR / Green draw Lockheed with his arms cross and a “Humph!” he is not thrilled with the situation. Lockheed really carries the issue.
Xavier reads the teenagers’ minds and discovers it is one week later. He wants Rogue to fly to New York to see if Scott made it home and that Kitty is still safe at the Massachusetts Academy. Rogue asks Storm if she is okay with that plan. Wolverine thinks how unfair Xavier is being to Storm, she has sacrificed so much to be the leader of the X-Men and now Xavier is just taking the leadership position. Now that he can walk, he can be in the field.
Mariko is in the War Room of the National Command Center, so clearly she is even more involved with Japanese politics. She is upset that the X-Men are in Japan.
The green dragon lands on a skyscraper and starts destroying it. Storm believes that it is the new planet and her new size that is making her disoriented. All of these buildings being ruined and the X-Men are now trying to safe people on the ground.
Sunfire finally shows up, being the sole Japanese superhero.
Meanwhile at the Beachcomber Hotel in Tahiti, Madelyne Pryor has been enjoying her solo honeymoon when Scott drops out of nowhere in the worst outfit ever, or a very 80s outfit, barely a belly shirt and nevernude blue jean shorts. They have a nice conversation about how Scott didn’t want to leave her, he was forced to leave.
Back in Tokyo, Storm is summoning all types of bad weather to take out the dragon. Xavier gets all of this debris all over him, he can’t feel his legs and he freaks the heck out. His mental thoughts are so full of panic that it causes the rest of the X-Men headaches. Such a great touch by Claremont, Xavier barely has had his legs back and so the threat of losing them, causes him panic.
Colossus hurries over to Xavier to help him out, as enough is enough.
Wolverine enters a fallen building. A mother is about to die and asks Wolverine to take care of her daughter. Wolverine promises to raise her as if she was his own. This is the very first appearance of Amiko, Wolverine’s foster daughter.
I know I’ve typed this before but JRJR / Green draw the heck out of a giant green dragon. Storm collapses and Sunfire catches her.
Finally, Lockheed gets involved. Sometimes, a dragon has to do what a dragon has to do. He is the size of what one of her pupils would be. He states a “!?!” and gets her attention.
We get a page of narration of what is happening. He roars at her that can be barely heard whereas her roars shake the countryside. He finally spits hot fire at her and she gets the point. She flies away sad.
The Japanese government are tracking the two dragons when all of a sudden they fall off the radar. We never know where these two go, or where the green dragon goes before being seen down to size in the incredible Shadow and Flame miniseries.
We see that Xavier can walk, so there’s that.
Lockheed shows back up, Colossus wonders if Xavier can read his mind. Xavier can sense his thoughts but can’t read them – they will have to wait until Kitty can communicate with him. We get another fantastic arms cross Lockheed, this time with a “yah!” he is better than Xavier. Lockheed gives a “CooOOOooo!” and the team knows that he didn’t want her hearts or desired them.
Issue ends with Senator Kelly and a guy named Phillip are about to pass through Congress – Federal Bill, S.1 — The Mutant Affairs Control Act, Introduced this day, 23rd January 1984 in the Second Session of the 98th Congress by Senator Robert Kelly. I so love how they didn’t give a dang about including real dates. Next year, I should try to do something for January 23rd.
Wolverine answers the letters page.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 