Writer Chris Claremont
Penciler Paul Smith
Inker Bob Wiacek
Colorist L. Varley
Letterer Tom Orzechowski
Cover Dated January 1983
The issue that gave us Paul Smith, everybody! On the X-Men, I should say.
We start right where Dave Cockrum left us at the end of last issue, with the wall of their spaceship being breached and the X-Men are in danger of being sucked out of space.
Such an exciting way to start a run, right in the middle of life and death. The stakes are pretty high.
You have to like that caption, possibly the last stand of the Uncanny X-Men. The Brood Saga must have blown people’s minds way back in 1983. I would have been one years old, if the cover date was the actual date. The X-Men really are at a all time low, in terms of emotions. They are closer to death than they are to home.
So there is a hole in the ship. Cyclops quickly takes charge. He has Colossus let go of whatever he’s holding and block anyone else from falling out into space. Which is pretty smart, as worst case scenario, Colossus dies and best case, no one else does.
Kurt teleports Lilandra to the bridge, where she pumps in more oxygen. Why Kurt doesn’t just keep making round trips, is beyond me. I guess because it tires him when he teleports multiple people over multiple ports.
Cyclops has Wolverine cut up some floorboard.
Wolverine collides into Colossus. Both feel pain as it is metal on metal.
Cyclops’ plan is coming together. He blasts the floorboard towards the hole. Colossus moves himself and Wolverine out of the way. Once the hole is sealed, gravity kicks in and the two X-Men drop to the ground.
Kitty runs over to them, more concern for Colossus. Wolverine, without missing a beat, tells her that the Russian is okay and that he is too.
Wolverine doesn’t let a moment pass, they may have been saved here but their deaths are still coming. They all have a Brood egg inside of them that is slowing absorbing all of their memories and abilities. Once it hatches, it will kill them. Wolverine’s egg already hatched last issue and his healing factor barely kept him alive and to survive the ordeal.
Now we get to the section where Claremont gives Smith a chance to draw the rest of the characters who are on Earth. Which is pretty great, as within six pages, he got to draw everybody and we get to see his takes on the characters.
See Illyana way up there on the high board? That’s the only time we see her in the issue, but still, Paul Smith drawn Illyana! That’s pretty nice.
I really like the idea of Stevie Hunter and Moira MacTaggert getting along. The only thing they really have in common is that they are friends with the X-Men. But Xavier has a pool, so why not enjoy themselves. Smith draws the best Moira MacTaggert! She looks like a real woman there.
Stevie feels bad for enjoying herself as the X-Men could be dead for all they know.
Xavier is off on his own, as moody as ever. He doesn’t like the idea of not knowing where his team is. Also, they are fighting a fight that he should be involved in. He’s having a bit of a survivor’s guilt situation.
Poor Stevie, her injured knee gets a painful spasm and she has to sit down. The knee is practically good as new, except she can’t dance professionally due to the strain of it.
Moira finds Xavier in his study. Reed Richards sent a letter, telling him about a new mutants named Karma. This is in reference to Marvel Team-Up 100.
Moira mentions how if Xavier doesn’t go, Karma will get help from elsewhere. Such as from Magneto or Emma Frost. Xavier doesn’t like how he is the only good option.
Storm is alone on her private ship. Her Broodling egg is the second one to hatch. Storm’s transformation begins. She doesn’t want to kill the egg, as that is wrong but she also doesn’t want to kill herself. Both go against her nature. This is the beginning of 80s Storm coming to light. Storm realizes there is a third option, kill both of them.
Scott and Lilandra are bonding as they try to fix the ship. Wolverine continues to kill every jovial moment. Wolverine comes across Kurt, who is praying. Logan doesn’t believe in anything that he can’t sense. I adore these two being friends.
Thanks to the excellent Kiotr website for these images. The site goes down from time to time (for some reason) and I worry that eventually it will disappear forever so this is my way of ensuring that these images are not forever lost.
Kitty is having a nightmare, brought on by the Brood seedling.
With this page, we get the amazing Paul Smith hairstyle with Kitty. Look at all of those curls! That must be a great shampoo they have on their ship. Or would that be conditioner? I’m not sure. I wonder what the real world equivalent of that hair would look like?
I’m weird about Paul Smith’s hairstyles but they all look so realistic, even Wolverine’s! Which is pretty impressive.
Kitty is dreaming about her would-be funeral. Nice that the Brood brought their bodies to Earth, I suppose they would have to so that they can conquer it.
Kitty’s parents being at her funeral, is what makes this comic eligible for Father’s Day. Carmen Pryde’s only appearance in the issue. A tad dark, but that’s how we do things here at S&FwM.
Poor Kitty, she only wakes up once her nightmare turns to how the Broodling starts chewing on her back. That would be a terrifying
For some odd reason, Colossus was just standing right over her. Talk about going from scared to horrified! Kitty probably feels even worse as she’s dressed in an old lady’s pajamas.
Piotr tries to comfort Kitty. She’s not afraid. She is angry, as she is far too young to die. And in such a horribly slow way!
See how old fashion her sleepwear is! Even in the 80s, that was old timey.
Colossus tries to tell her that once they are born, that they are going to die. Which is true but dying on one’s own terms and having an alien essentially take over your body / essence, is two completely difference things.
Kitty doesn’t want to die like that.
Kitty worries that, what if they don’t die during the transformation but become just mental witnesses to everything the Brood does as a combined entity. Man, the Brood are disgusting villains.
Some time passes, and as they hold each other, Kitty’s thoughts turn to the romantic. She wishes she could be older, and Piotr super agrees. He is really wants to take Kitty but he knows she is only a child at this point. It wouldn’t be right to take advantage of the situation.
Next, they kiss like lovers. Pretty is pretty mature content for a Marvel comic and for the times. But the stakes are super high.
It appears like Kitty starts making a defense for why they should just have sex. Just then, Storm appears before them. But it is Vampire Storm! Also, she appears to be a ghost. She vanishes as quickly as she appears.
Cut to Logan and Kurt, as they are trying to get a buzz on. The liquor is not very good for that purpose.
I like how Logan just greets African Storm, as it dawns on him that Storm shouldn’t be with them at all. They get out of their chairs to see if they can figure it out.
Next, they see child Storm. I hope they are protecting their wallets!
Storm doesn’t act like a child, she is still Storm, she is just trying to find the right body form for her to appear as.
I’ve read this issue several times but I believe this is the first time that I ‘got’ Kurt’s hand being run through Storm’s ghost image. I must have thought it was her form falling apart but it is his fingers that are causing the odd shape.
Kurt and Logan make their way to the rest of the team. They all have been seeing images of Storm in various states and outfits.
Kitty sees another one, a huntress Storm, perhaps?
I like how Kitty has settled on a bathroom instead of being seen in her English nightgown.
Wolverine senses that Storm is becoming real.
Storm is still in transition but she is able to explain what is happening to her. Just then, a giant space whale swallows their ship whole.
See how Cyclops’ hair is blue there? I only really ever associate that with DC comics with how, when I was growing up, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson’s hair was always blue with black tints. It just bugs me when I read older comics but rarely have I seen it in a Marvel comic. Makes Scott look so old.
Cyclops wants to bust their way out.
Lillianda tells them it is too late. Storm, finally in her classic Cockrum outfit, explains the situation. The space whale is called, Acanti.
Kitty is able to hug Storm, they haven’t seen each other in a bit and Storm has been teasing her appearance throughout the ship, it is a good way to build expectations.
Scott wants to know how Storm knows the Acanti is harmless. She ends the issue with the revelation that she and the Acanti are one.
There is an awesome promo, promising the debut of . . . THE NEW MUTANTS!!!
With this issue, we only have Uncanny X-Men 167 & 170 left to review of the Paul Smith era. One of these days, we’ll get around to those two.
. . .
Happy Father’s Day, Everybody! This is my second one where I am the father. It has been a real pleasure and super rewarding.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 