Writer Chris Claremont
Penciler John Romita Jr.
Guest Inker Al Williamson
Letterer Tom Orzechowski
Colorist Glynis Wein
Cover Dated May 1995
Cover by Frank Gary and Dan Green
I like how Green got to work on the cover, as he would have been the regular inker for the issue proper.
Also,that is the Beyonder on the cover and not a blonde Nightcrawler.
Inside front cover ad is for True Lies, the game on Super Nintendo / Genesis / Game Boy / Game Gear.
Issue opens with Rogue remembering how she stole Carol Danver’s powers. Turns out, even with the quotation marks, she isn’t telling someone her origin story – she is just thinking to herself.
Rogue flies back to Jessica Drew’s house, as that is where the X-Men are staying while in San Francisco.
Rogue sees Kitty Pryde, who is going by Shadowcat now.
Kitty reveals that she has Magik’s eldritch armor as well as soulsword. Which I always adored how that’s how close a friendship Illyana and Kitty have. The biggest part of Illyana’s soul, her sword, instantly goes to Kitty if Illyana were to die.
Unfortunately, Rogue doesn’t remember Magik, the New Mutants or that Colossus ever had a kid sister.
This is the second time Kitty has been the keeper of Illyana’s soulsword. The first time, was in New Mutants 36, when the Beyonder first met the New Mutants.
Kitty stands up, taking off the rest of her komodo, revealing that the entire right side of her body is covered by Magik’s armor. Kitty starts screaming about how now that the New Mutants are dead, the X-Men are next.
Rachel comes out, she is tired of waiting around for the Beyonder to decide to kill everyone and destroy the universe. If she can absorb her teammates’ life force, Rachel can have enough power to fight the Beyonder. Kitty agrees. Rogue agrees and Rachel also gets Carol Danver’s life force as well. Jessica Drew comes out, she’s a private investigator now that she retired from being Spider-Woman. She also gives up her energy.
Rachel goes to the guys’ bedrooms and takes their lifeforce – Colossus, Wolverine and Magneto. Storm, who is awake, tries to rationalize with Rachel but Rachel has already decided her course of action. So she steals Storm’s energy. Rachel next flies off into space.
Uatu the Watcher is watching all of this, he has a head of a baby!
Rachel flies by the Starjammers’ ship and borrows their energy. Xavier and Lilandra are on the ship, so she gets theirs as well. She’s no longer wasting time asking for permission.
Rachel locates the m’Kraan Crystal (from the Original Phoenix Saga), she’s going to use it to undue the universe. Once inside the crystal, all of the personalities come out and try to convince Rachel, one last time, to not go through with it.
Rachel begins the process, expanding her mind to everyone in the universe. She isn’t going to just destroy a few planets, everyone will die.
The X-Men News Bulletin is for March 1995. We are now in the thick of the Age of Apocalypse. Which this issue must have looked odd on the stands that month. The titles were on issue three of their respected series – Astonishing / X-Man / Generation Next / Weapon X / X-Calibre / Amazing / Factor X / Gambit & The X-Ternals. X-Universe was starting with its first of two issues. I adore Generation Next, and would highly recommend it to anyone. My favorite of the Age of Apocalypse stories.
In San Francisco, Rachel cries. She couldn’t go through with it. The rest of the team gathers. Wolverine wants to fight but on his own terms. Magneto expresses a conversation he had with Xavier. Would he kill Hitler as a baby? Of course. Would he kill Hitler’s grandparents before they could have a baby? Even more so!
The Beyonder shows up and JRJR makes him look pretty cool, white suit and perm not withstanding. Now that the X-Men can speak with him, they try to make a defense for why he is wrong.
JRJR has Kitty wearing this Hawaii shirt that looks like a box on her, it isn’t very good. Good thing that the next panel has her back in the armor, which now covers her. Since it is Kitty, she is able to use her words to get through to Beyonder.
Rachel gets Beyonder with the Phoenix Force and he’s able to see the beauty of life and death and rebirth.
Issue ends with some religious talk. Kurt isn’t there so Kitty has to be the one to explain Catholicism.
Next issue poses the question, What Happened to Nightcrawler? He’s having to deal with Arcade, it is awesome.
This ends my X-Men Classics run from my Father’s Day present from my wife that I got from http://www.MileHighComics.com
Shadow and Flame with Magik 