The Writer, Warren Ellis,

is pleased to announce that

Pencil Artist Carlos Pacheco and

Ink Artist Bob Wiacek

join him as Excalibur’s creative team

oh, and

Colorist Joe Rosas

Color Seps Malibu’s Hues

Lettering Richard Starkings and Comicraft

Editor Suzanne Gaffney

and

Our Fearless Leader, Bob Harris, is still here, too.

Cover Dated March 1996

Issue Title – Amplified Heart

We continue our tradition of spotlighting comics with the word “Heart” in their issue title, on Valentine’s Day.

Issue opens with Moira MacTaggert recapping the history of the X-Men.

Moira introduces the team, to us, the reader.  Nightcrawler, Amanda Sefton, Shadowcat, Pete Wisdom, Wolfsbane, Meggan, Non-Captain Britain, lousy Colossus, Douglock and even, Rory Campbell.

This issue must take place after Age of Apocalypse.  X-Man is now in the Proper Marvel Universe and we are getting a full page of recap of where he comes from.  Apparently, once he got here, he fought Xavier and won.  I imagine that Xavier didn’t appreciate this loss and will get his sweet revenge during the Onslaught storyline.  After this, Nate Grey has come to Muir Island to learn more about himself.

Moira was speaking with Xavier.  Nate has done a brief scan of her memories.

Muir Island, in the Dead of Night.  Pete Wisdom, who has made a full recovery from the beating that Colossus gave him, three weeks ago.  Colossus didn’t like his Katya dating a new man.  Amazingly, Excalibur didn’t kick him off the island the minute the beating stopped.  Kitty, here, is trying to explain what Colossus has been through.  As they walk, the island starts to rumble.

At the same time, Kurt and Colossus are chatting.  Colossus is sad, as no one is talking to him.  For good reason, three weeks ago, he dman near killed Pete Wisdom.  People should be unease around him.  They are close enough to see the explosion, that caused the island to shake.

The Communications Suite.  Nate looks like he wants to kill Moira!

Widom is under the impression that Moira has purposely blown up the Communications Suite, with one of her experiments.  Pryde is phasing them through floors, to get there faster.

Brian and Meggan are woken up, with all of this ruckus.

Nate is screaming at Moira, thinking that she wants him dead by the time he is twenty-one.  Moira, being the brave woman that she is, stands up to him.  She doesn’t want him dead at twenty-one, his powers should kill be him by the time he is that age.

Doctor Rory Campbell is shaking, hugging his knees.  He knows he is destined to turn into Ahab, the Mutant Hunter.  So he is scared of doing anything, at this moment, that might lead him down that path.  Wolfsbane is on her way to her adopted mother.

I’m not sure how much of this issue is a continuation of last issue, so I’m playing catch up.  Nate read Spoor’s mind, which was a mistake as Spoor is a villain.  One of these days, I’ll have to read these issues to figure out what Spoor’s deal is as I don’t recall him, at all.

Douglock is on his way to the Communications Suite.

Kurt is the first one there, so Nate has time to bury Kurt under some rubble.  Pryde and Wisdom show up, Nate throws a mind bolt, which Pryde phases so Wisdom takes the direct hit.  Wisdom’s ribs are broken, again.

Pryde asks Moira to come closer but Moira tells her to stay put.  Moira, full of Scottish temper and sass, dares Nate to read her mind.

Colossus is running towards the Suite.  Wolfsbane tells him to stop, as Moira needs to teach Nate Grey a lesson.  Pryde is super impressed that this plan is working.  Nate is like a superpowered teenager, that has never had any oversight.

Nate sees Colossus kill Moira’s son, Proteus.  Which must have been terrible for Moira, to have her son’s killer on the team.  Him drinking her juice and eating her eggs.  I imagine she must have relived that moment, over and over again.  Everything he joked or laugh at a joke, she must have been so annoyed.

Moira and Nate are able to finally talk, now that he has calmed down.  Moira wants Nate to believe her.  To help, Colossus offers to let Nate read his mind.

This sparks a Spartacus moment, as Pryde would allow him to read her mind, as well.  As would Wisdom, Braddock and Meggan.  Wisdom says it in his usual charm.  Nate can’t handle all of these different minds, around him.  Douglock, not reading the room, offers for Nate to read his cortex.

Campbell shows up, and offers Nate to read his very terrified mind.  Colossus shows up, suggests Nate learn things the hard way as that worked for him.

Nate, probably just wanting to move on, finally opens his mind to everyone.  He learns that Pryde is here as this is the only fight (Xavier’s dream) that is worth fighting for.  Wisdom is there, as the job needs doing.

Morning over Muir.  Issue ends with Nate flying away – more confused than he was at the beginning.

Swordstrokes, letters from – John Smith / Doug Tennant / Bobby Johnson / Craig Langrall / Emily Hu (so many people not wanting their addresses published) / Tom Johnson of Butlayo, MA / Vivien Collins of Colchester, Essex, England / Tina Kemp / Misha Syeed of San Diego, CA and Mark Hager of Ransomville, NY.

Next issue – Nightcrawler and Meggan get caught up in a deadly mid-air dogfight — while the villainous Mountjoy hooks up with London’s Hellfire Club — and Shinobi Shaw turns to Brian Braddock for help!  Be there . .. or be sorry!

We’ve reviewed issue 96 already this month.

Bullpen Bulletin.  X-Men publishes its 50th issue.  Storm is getting her own miniseries.  Colossus joins Excalibur.

Issues coming out in January –

Uncanny X-Men 330
Cable 29
Generation X 13
Wolverine 99
X-Factor 120
X-Man 13 – Could love be in the air for young Nate?  Perhaps . . . but first he’s going to have to survive an encounter with Sinister’s cloned Marauders if he’s going to help the beautiful Threnody!  By John Ostrander and Luke Ross!
Excalibur 95 – It has to happen sometime, The X-Man comes to Muir Island and meets Excalibur!  But is he there as friend . . . or foe?  By Warren Ellis and Carlos Pachaco!
X-Men 50
X-Force 52
Storm, 2 of 4
Askani’son, 2 of 4
Professor X and the X-Men 5

These numbers are very hard to read, 3s look like 8s, 5s look like 6s.  Not great.

Inside back cover is for two USA Network shows, Weird Science – which I enjoyed and Campus Cops, which I don’t remember at all.