Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Joss Whedon

Artist John Cassaday

Colorist Laura Martin

Letterer Chris Eliopoulos

Cover Dated August 2006

Torn Part Three of Six

This is by far my favorite of the four Whedon / Cassaday arcs.

Issue opens with Emma composing herself after taking Scott down last issue.  Also, I imagine she is rehearsing what she is about to say.

Emma tells Wolverine, Kitty and Colossus that Scott is ‘gone.’  Last issue, Wolverine sniffed out that Kitty and Colossus had sex and they just stared at him blankly.  So we see here, that they were either still staring at him or they were describing something to him he had no interest in listening too.

Emma sends Wolverine to look for Beast.  I like that she calls him, Henry.  They are at home, so they might has well just call each other by their real names.

Cassandra Nova is mocking Beast, while at the same time, turning off his higher brain functions.

Poor Beast is becoming just that, a primal blue cat of an animal. Wolverine enters the room but he doesn’t stand a chance against Cassandra Nova.

Poor Scott is just locked inside of his own head.  Which we know is quite the prison if it can hold the Void in there for years. I believe it is still in his head, to this day.

Kitty and Colossus come rushing over to Scott’s lifeless body while Emma stays in the door frame.  When you are the only telepath, you can be a great actress.

I love Lockheed coming into the room to witness what is going on.  That’ll pay off later in the issue but it will be several issues before we know what is happening there.  I’ll explain down below.

Emma tells Kitty to check on the students.  I think Kitty just realized right there what is happening.  First she got rid of Scott, second was Wolverine and now herself.  Kitty is so onto Emma!  Especially as the bed is made or better, that it was never used.

Colossus brings Scott to the Infirmary.  He wants to get Scott’s glasses as his powers could be activated at any moment.  Though we can see the brown of his eyes so that should be a clue that something is wrong with his powers.

Kitty runs into Negasonic Teenage Warhead, who she doesn’t recognize.

While Colossus is watching over Scott, he lets Sebastian Shaw sneak up on him.  Like an idiot, he starts punching Shaw.  As if he doesn’t remember how Shaw’s powers work.  I know he isn’t the smartest X-Man, but he could at least try to prove me wrong about being the worst.

Negasonic Teenage Warhead forces Kitty to start phasing through the floor.

We get the page people seem to remember the issue for.  Wolverine has been converted to Boy James Howlett.  He just wants to cut out paper people and have fun.  Beast appears, ready to strike.

Colossus continues to wail on Shaw.

Armor and Blindfold are chatting in the bathroom.  Blindfold reveals that we are destined to lose an X-Man.

James barges into the bathroom and hides behind Armor.  Beast trashes into the bathroom.  Armor and James hide behind a stall.  Beast sniffs Blindfold but before he can do anything, Armor punches him in his blue face.  Armor grows giant size and scares off Beast.

Kitty starts trying to recoup.  Kitty makes a reference to Purple Man, which is pretty awesome.  I also like how Kitty doesn’t want to be taken out of the fight by some goth chick.  She’s better than that!

We also get a glimpse of what the earth looks like under the Xavier Mansion.  Who knew there was lava under there?  She must be deep down.

Kitty thinks how she must be getting old, due to thinking the words, some goth punk.  Whedon did two things right in his run, he wrote a perfect Kitty and Emma.  Also, he used Lockheed pretty well.

We get a moment with SWORD agents Brand and Sydren, two of Whedon’s best creations!

Brand reveals there is a mole in the mansion.  Unlike Arrested Development, it isn’t a real mole.  It is Lockheed!  They made a deal and all Lockheed is doing is providing information.

I simply adore Brand and Syrdren’s relationship.  He senses emotions but his observations are pretty obvious.  Psychic turmoil is overwhelming and familiar.  Not very helpful.

We get a glimpse of Ord as a prisoner.  Danger tries to broker a deal with him.

Shaws calls Colossus out for the idiot that he is.  Shaw absorbs kinetic energy, every punch makes him stronger.  Shaw boxes the idiot’s ears and he goes down hard.

Kitty is getting it together.  She can’t stop thinking about Emma’s recent interactions with her.  Emma handpicked Kitty to be on this team as she knew Kitty will keep an eye on her.

Kitty is trying to phase back up to the mansion but falters.

Kitty recognizes Emma is the enemy and we get a classic Claremontian moment when Kitty comes out of the water and states, it is her turn.  Just like Wolverine did in Uncanny X-Men 132.

I mention in another post about how 132 is the earliest comic I don’t own that I want to buy.  I was going to make sure it made it on my next order list – whenever I can do that.  But that comic is super expensive!

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=97993536520&publisher=MV&snumber=121&instock=1

It is part of the Dark Phoenix Saga (the second to last part of the Hellfire Club portion – otherwise known as the good section) plus it has that famous Wolverine moment.

Mile High Comics is selling it for :

Fair – $17.65 (my price if I were to buy it, but its not available at the moment).  Good $35.30, Very Good $63.40, Fine $154.85, Very Fine $289.10 and Near Mint $441.00 – so that is one pricey comic!

Thanks to this great website for having some of these images :

Kitty Pryde vs. Emma Frost

Mostly all of them from the ones I scanned and the final image.