Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Elliott Kalan

Artist Marco Failla

Colorist Ian Herring

Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

Not that helpful of a recap page BUT a very funny one!  Spider-Man and his class of X-Students fought Sauron and Stegron last issue.  His students are – Eye boy, Martha Johansson, Shark Girl, Hellion, Ernest Rockslide and Glob.  I like how the Jean Grey School didn’t go crazy with their e-mail addresses, like most offices, their e-mails are straight forward.  OMonroe@JGS.edu (Storm) and SMan@JGS.edu (Spider-Man).

This issue, they are (forced) into the Mojoworld!

Mojo has three shows on the upcoming schedules

• 11:30pm – Late Night with Spider-Man
• 12:30am – Dissident Executions
• Mojo Face

Spider-Man seems like a good fit for a late night show, he and the students are mind controlled to participate.  Eye boy is the camera man, which makes sense.  Martha Johansson is above such manipulation, so Mojo has four mental slaves quiet but she is burning through them rather quickly.

Spider-Man’s show is interrupted by an appearance of . . . The Sinister Sixty-Six!  Which is pretty fun.  Let’s see how many I can name.  Scorpion, Venom, Gibbon, Vulture, The Ringer (looks more like his Ultimate counterpart), Mysterio, Sandman, Carnage, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Jackal, Kraven the Hunter, Rhino, Lizard and Shocker.  I knew Gibbon but not Grizzly.  I feel like I should get points for remembering him from Spectacular Spider-Man 146, where he was (with Gibbon) a team member of Legion of Losers along with Spot and Kangaroo.  I thought White Rabbit was in the group but she must have been in one of the issues around that one.    She is in issue 256, which does have Gibbon and Grizzly in the issue.  Those issues, and in-between (and a little before and after) are all by my favorite Spider-Writer – JM DeMatteis.

The X-Students start helping Spider-Man in the fight.  Hellion is mad that he doesn’t get to sing his song now.

I typed that it was the Jackal on the previous page but I’m sure that is Vermin now as the Jackal is standing near Vermin in the fight.  Kingpin, Beetle, Jack O’Lantern, Demogoblin and Hobgoblin (all in one panel, which is pretty fun! – Green Goblin is also in that panel) and Hammhead makes 21 characters.

Spider-Man notices that Eye boy is not helping out in the fight, he is providing some fake exposition.  Spider-Man and Ernst start shaking off the mind control.  Spider-Man starts shouting and insulting Mojo through a camera.

The villains start fading away as the holograms are turn off, Morbius makes twenty two, that I can count.  Mojo tells Eye to zap Spider-Man, so now we know he is a traitor.  Actually, he quickly reveals himself to be . . . Chameleon, making 23 villains!  Chameleon turns on the holo-villains and escapes in the battle.

Glob Herman can’t believe they are having to save Eye boy again, so that must be happening a lot lately.

Rockslide figures out that they are in a Danger Room-esque room, so Spider-Man comes up with a plan to break down a wall.  Hellion fast ball specials Ernst, who is very excited to be the Wolverine of the maneuver.  Is Ernst still suppose to be Cassandra Nova, in a little girl’s body – but with an old lady face?  Spider-Man keeps missing Ernst using her super strength.

Martha Johannsson is causing Mojo so many problems.  Meanwhile, Eye boy is being forced to watch twenty television screens – but they are all showing the same thing – what a waste of fifteen eyes!  Eye boy is saved via a small handed claw fisted person, who likes to say ‘bub.’

Once outside, Spider-Man is mobbed by a slew of Mojo-bodied civilians.  A voice opens a window and invites them up.  It is Gambit!  Rockslide sees through the costume, so quickly.  Chameleon is upset, as he had to do a very poor French accent, to get into character.  Chameleon pulls a gun on Glob Herman, and turns on a Mojo image replicator, so now there are twenty sets of Chameleon Glob.  Spider-Man is upset that X-Men villains keep giving his villains power upgrades.  There seems to have been a lot of stories done in only two issues.

Eye boy blasts into the room and reveals which set is the real set.  Thanks to all of that television watching, he has additional eye related powers – he can see electronic transmissions, he can see through false images and emotional connections.

Chameleon teleports out of the room with a Mojo-branded teleporter.

Eye boy introduces – The All-New Uncanny Astonishing X-Babies!  Which are Wolverine, Iceman, Rogue and Storm.  If only Shadowkitty was there.  But don’t worry, there is a reason why I bought this issue, so that is coming.

Spider-Man, the X-Kids and the X-Babies are going after Mojo and Chameleon.  But first, Spider-Man has to tell Wolvie some bad news about proper Wolverine.  Wolvie hugs Spider-Man, and is ready for a fight.  Such a tender scene.

Meanwhile – Storm, Iceman, Nightcrawler and Rachel are all very mad that Spider-Man and his students are missing.  Well, they don’t mind that Spider-Man is gone, they worry about their students.

The heroes break into Mojo’s office.  Hellion goes to help Spider-Man up and by showing his concern for his teacher, Spider-Man knows it is Chameleon.

Mojo loses a fight to his greatest enemy – gravity!

Spider-Man webs Mojo and Hellion brings both of them up.  Mojo starts kissing Spider-Man’s feet, for the safe.  Mojo opens a portal back to Earth.

Spider-Man offers to bring the X-Babies to Earth, for a visit.  Wolvie goes on a tad speech about how he can’t be distracted.  Just then, we get to the reason why I bought the issue.  Cyclops and his X-Babies come through the portal.  We get the first appearance of X-Baby Magik!  X-Babies Emma and Magneto are also there, but I believe we have seen these two before.

Spider-Man and the X-Students finally go through the portal and Spider-Man is greeted by a very angry Storm.

Epilogue!  Mojoworld.  Major Domo (Mojo’s assistant) is visiting Mojo and Chameleon, who are in jail.

Epilogue 2!  Rachel wakes up, she now knows Spider-Man’s secret identity – so that has been a mystery, I suppose.

Epilogue 3!  Some future villain turns off the view screen, as they know that Spider-Man is back on Earth.

I’m not sure if I will be getting another issue of this series, but this issue was a lot of fun.