Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Michael Higgins

Penciler Ron Lim

Inker Joe Rubinstein

Letterer Agustin Mas

Colorist Glynis Oliver

Larger than Life Tom DeFalco

Cover Dated August 1990

This story takes place before Cross Time.  Which I think adds to why I thought it lasted forever.  comicbookdb assures me that Cross Time Caper was only from 12 to 24 with 20 being the only break in the run.  My mind also tells me how Cross Time had two main creative teams, so that adds to how long I think it is.  Now this issue, one after the immediate fallout of their return from their adventure, mentions how this issue takes place prior to it, it just keeps Cross Time as an active part of the title.  Maybe it is just me.  People seem to like it.

Issue opens with Days of Future Past Franklin Richards being killed by a Sentinel.  Rachel is having a nightmare, recalling the rest of Days of Future Past.

 

 

Morning.  Rachel is happy to be alive.  Which is unusual for her as we can tell from Kitty’s reaction.  Poor Lockheed, he just wants a little attention but Kitty is trying to read her latest computer journal.  My wife has this problem with Walker Dennis, whenever she is on her laptop, he wants to see what she is looking at.

Kitty wants to go on a shopping spree.  I wonder how they pay for anything.  Does Brian provide them a trust fund?  Do they point at what they want and then Phoenix turns their old clothes into the newest styles?  Kitty also wants some new computer software.  They are all by themselves in a Lighthouse, one must keep themselves busy.  Kitty and the technology she uses or is interested in, is probably what dates the comic the most.

I really like Lim’s Lockheed.

Kitty does bring up the fact that Rachel can just create the clothes.  But they need the inspiration first.

Kitty tells a pestering Widget to go play with Lockheed.  Which, now that we know Widget is just Kate Pryde with a Swiss cheese mind, I bet she has a good time with the purple space alien.

Meanwhile, and this is the subplot that dates it to before Cross Time.  Meggan is sad about Brian and Kurt is trying to comfort her.  A subplot I’m glad they went away from.

Look how happy Lockheed and Widget are together!  Where is Lockheed in the Days of Future Past timeline?

They also have so much emotion as they try to be sympathetic to Meggan.

Brian comes into the room and Meggan tries to assure him nothing was going on but he’s a jerk.  He just wants them to be a couple already, which seems rather harsh.  Then he calls Lockheed and Widget, pipsqueaks!  That guy has to go!

The look of hurt on Lockheed’s face.  Lim was burning on all cylinders!

I wish I could say Captain Britain is being written out of character here but that’s pretty much what he was like at first.  A solo hero who feels like he’s wasting his time in a team.  I really should read those first three issues again, and see what it is about the team that he wants to be part of.

Kurt has to redo his efforts to soothe Meggan.  Kitty and Rachel are in town, they meet some guys.  Rachel sees adult Franklin.  They don’t lose any time getting together.  Rachel ditches Kitty, unknowingly.  Kitty recognizes Franklin, she knows this situation can’t be right.

Back at the Lighthouse.  Rachel and Kitty are back!  Look how quickly Lockheed goes from happy to see Kitty to running off scared once he sees an adult Franklin Richards!  Then they spy from the safety of the upstairs.

Kitty is off to enjoy her newly bought software.  Something that Rachel can’t just manifest.  Not that I’m aware of, anyway.

Rachel doesn’t want to waste a moment with Franklin, she wants to know everything!  He tells her to create a psy-link.  Seriously, can’t they just spend the time to talk?

Kitty is, once again, being pestered by Locket.  That isn’t a good name for the pair, is it? We can all see the problem with, Widgheed, right?

Lockheed really wants Kitty’s attention.  She finally realizes that this is unusual behavior from him, she should take the time to investigate.  She knows it has to do with Franklin Richards, so Lockheed’s suspicions echo her own.  This is what modern comics are missing today, Kitty and Lockheed actual interaction.

Not like his efforts get them anywhere, as Kitty tries to walk up the stairs and is magically back in her room again.  She can’t leave the floor!

Franklin starts putting the moves on Rachel, she senses something is wrong but its been a while since she’s wanted moves put on her.  We see that she is just making out with air.  Which is a good thing we get the angle of Rachel’s back as I’m sure if the camera was on the other side, we would be seeing a pretty awkward kissing situation.

It appears Rachel has yet another cosmic foe!

Kitty tries to launch a rescue party.  Meggan echoes my thoughts about how come Rachel even be with an adult Franklin Richards as he’s just a boy in our proper timeline.  24 years later and he’s still a point, that is pretty rough.  Unless this is during the time when he was aged and was using the codename, Psi-Lord.

Who, I’m pretty sure never tried to look up Rachel.  Well, I suppose he wouldn’t as it would still be his future.  I’m surprised once Rachel heard that Franklin had magically become of age, that she didn’t seek him out.

 

Yellow doesn’t seem like a color Kitty should wear.  She needs some blue in that outfit.

Lockheed smiling on the staircase is pretty cute!

Kurt reminds Kitty that the Franklin from that future is dead, Rachel saw him die.  I guess Higgins is purposely ignoring the Days of Future Present storyline.  I would too, if I was him.

Kitty only has sense memories from Days of Future Past.  She was unconscious for all of it, but her mind probably picked up on things.  I wouldn’t blame her for trying to forget as much as she could.  It isn’t a pleasant timeline.

In Rachel’s mind, Franklin turns into Black Queen Jean Grey.  Which is the first hint at who is doing this to Rachel.  Also, a huge mistake on that person.  Don’t mess with someone who has psychic abilities and really don’t mess with someone who is harnessing the powers of a cosmic fire bird whose entire deal is to bring death and rebirth.

Lockheed is assisting with the Black Queen, what is going on here?

Rachel is understandably super upset with what is happening here!

Turns out, the reason why Captain Britain has been more of a jerk than usual is because he is really . . . Mastermind!  Jean Grey’s one true arch-nemesis!  Nice of him to give Lockheed and Widget their due credit for figuring it out.

Excalibur was disguising themselves to annoying Mastermind.  Kitty was Kate and Meggan was Jean Grey.

Rachel gets her sweet revenge on Mastermind.  Pretty much doing to him what Dark Phoenix did to him, reopening his mind to the cosmos. That will teach him!

Kitty undoes her hair and loses thirty years off her face, very impressive!

Rachel cries, she has had a day.  Rachel really needs a friend she can unload off onto.  Kitty does it but there are things about Rachel’s past that she wouldn’t want to taint her friendship with her.  She needs another bad girl turn good to confide in.  Magik and her could be great friends, if those two could be a) on Earth and b) on the same side, at the same time.

Lockheed is sad again, me too pal!