Plot Scott Lobdell

Script Chris Cooper

Pencils John Royle

Inks Harry Candelario

Lettering Babcock & Brosseau

Coloring Chris Matthys

Douglock Chronicles Part One of Three

Cover Dated June 1994

We’re celebrating Mother’s Day here at S&FwM with an appearance by the mother of the greatest fictional character of all time!

Unfortunately, we’re in the middle  of the lost years of Excalibur, in the middle of the 90s when Lobdell was trying to force Excalibur to be closer to the other X-Titles but at the same time, keeping an awkward distance between this team and the others.

Here is hoping that with this reread, it is a better comic.  We’ll get around to reviewing parts two and three, at some future date.

Zero is narrating the issue, to an off screen character.  Zero, who is part of a crossover, I want to say, I’m sure the comic will tell us.  He sent a distress signal and this mystery character answered it.

Zero and the character is in Maine.  Zero is on the run from droid destroying drones that Stryfe has sent.  Stryfe’s big crossover was X-Cutioner’s Song but that was two years ago.  This is issue 78 and issue 82 is Excalibur’s tie-in to Phalanx Covenant – which I honestly thought it came before this issue so that would have been the answer.  Maybe he’s just been running for two years.  Though this three parter will set us right to the Phalanx Covenant.

With a page turn, we see Douglock!  Naked Douglock.  He has the memories of Doug Ramsey but he has the powers of Warlock.  This is Douglock’s third appearance, after appearing in Uncanny X-Men 313 – which I own, and will also review one day..  His second appearance is issue 77 of Excalibur.  Douglock is confused by the questions regarding Doug.

Zero and Douglock are going to go on a soul searching mission.

Meanwhile, not that far away.  Britanic (Captain Britain back from the timestream, after swapping places with Rachel), Meggan and Kitty are in a plane, hovering over some trees.  Britanic felt compelled to fly to this spot and now they are waiting to see what caused that.  Meggan, at this time, has dark eyes and talks in fun word balloons.  She’s responding to Brian’s increase in power levels.  Brian came back in issue 75, thanks to the handy editor note.

Since they have time to kill, Kitty decides to call her mother, Theresa.  A character we haven’t seen or heard from since Uncanny X-Men Annual 6, in 1994, Uncanny X-Men’s Annual was 18.  In 1995, Marvel switched from the long standing numbering system and switched to naming the annuals after the year they were published.

Kitty calls the South Chicago Clinic, where her mother works.  I’m not sure if we ever knew what she did for a living.  We always knew her father was a banker.

Clearly these two talk, as Theresa knows Kitty lives in the British Isles.  Apparently Moira doesn’t have good phone connections on Muir Island.  Probably because they are always using the computer to communicate.

Theresa hasn’t heard from Carmen in months, so she isn’t going to provide any leads.

The art isn’t all that bad with these pages, I’m not that familiar with Royle but I liked him.

Kitty starts crying as she lies to her mother about how her father isn’t missing.  Kitty plans on visiting, once things settle down, but we won’t see or hear from her until issue 107 – which, spoilers, should be the issue we review next year.  107 – 78 is 29 issues, so over two years later.

Kitty recalls how her life never really settles and that takes her back to the classic days of the X-Men.

Brian gets frustrated, with all of this waiting.  Meggan tries to help by sensing for life, and finds a family of four camping.  Brian is sure that the family isn’t who he is looking for.  Brian knows that the stakes are higher than a single family or them in the plane – but involves the entire planet!

Muir Island, Scotland.  Moira is researching the Legacy Virus, as Rory Campbell enters the room.  I get the impression that Rory is new to the research center.  Neither one understands why the other is dedicating so much time to researching the Legacy Virus, it isn’t really in either’s field.  Rory was sent by Xavier, and he implies the Legacy Virus will be the death of Moira.  Cryptic!

Moira is having a dark thought, about how her time may not be enough.  Xavier overhears the thought, as he is always listening.  They hug, like old friends.  Xavier left the X-Men in Hank’s hands, as seen in X-Men 32.  I don’t own that issue, so I’ll take Xavier at his word.  So I should be killing myself for his foolish dream, any day now.

Woods of Maine.  We check in with the family that is camping.  There is the mother, older son Davey and younger daughter, Courtney.  Courtney needs to use the woods and goes out but runs into Zero.  They share  quick moment, no one gets hurt.  Douglock believes that Zero should have deactivated the girl, as she now knows their location.  I’m pretty sure he hasn’t taken the name, Douglock yet.  He’s more machine than man.  Zero is trying to instill humanity into Douglock.  He’s more Phalanx than Doug.  Zero unlocks the memory of Doug sacrifices himself to save Rahne, in the classic New Mutants 60.  Douglock has no emotional connection to that memory.

Stryfe’s droids are attacking the family and Zero charges in the direction to save them.  Before Zero can get there, Brian is making short work of the droids.  One of the droids looks like it blasts a hole through Courtney but don’t worry, Kitty was there to phase their bodies so the blast doesn’t hurt them.

Kitty continues to keep Courtney safe.  Meggan is also laying into the droids.  Douglock arrives and Kitty instantly recognizes the techno-organic nature of the giant arm.  What does surprise her, is the face of her dear friend, Doug, covered in techno-organic flesh.

Issue ends with Zero tired of people fighting his fights for him and he shuts down the droids.  Hundreds are coming, so the threat isn’t nearly over.

Not a bad issue.